Forearm (comics)
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Forearm (Michael McCain) is a fictional mutant villain in the Marvel Comics universe. He was first introduced as a member of the Mutant Liberation Front in New Mutants #86, after Rob Liefeld took over as the penciller of the series. Forearm has always been a mainstay on the terrorist group's roster, even staying through leader change and surviving incarceration.
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[edit] Fictional character biography
[edit] Mutant Liberation Front
[edit] Stryfe's Leadership
Forearm was one of the founding members of the terrorist organization known as the Mutant Liberation Front (or MLF). One of their first missions under the leadership of Stryfe was to liberate the incarcerated New Mutants members Rusty and Skids. They broke them out of prison and the pair joined the MLF out of confusion (and, as later evidence showed, neural implants kept them there). Forearm continued to be a mainstay in the team's ventures, including fighting Wolverine, Sunfire, X-Factor and other heroes.
Under the leadership of Cable the New Mutants became the paramilitary organization known as X-Force, and began to be more aggressive in their campaigns. In one such mission X-Force discovers a hidden MLF base and, while fighting Forearm, Reaper and other members of the team, nearly lose their lives when Stryfe orders the destruction of the base.
Later, Garrison Kane stumbles upon Forearm, Wildside, and Sumo in the Canadian mountains and, after a brief scuffle, follows them through their teleportation portal, where he is tortured.
After a series of supposedly unconnected art thefts (all of which are related to Apocalypse), Forearm is one of the few members of the MLF to approach Mister Sinister and propose a trade. In exchange for a genetic matrix (none other than the Legacy Virus which Stryfe owned), Sinister would hand over the captive Cyclops and Jean Grey. These events begin the X-Cutioner's Song crossover. In the end, all of the MLF members are taken into custody.
[edit] Reignfire's Leadership
Soon after, a tyrannical despot named Reignfire decides to restart the MLF. He breaks Forearm, Reaper, Wildside, and Tempo out of prison and gives them their first mission: kill Henry Peter Gyrich. The MLF also picks up new members Locus and Moonstar. Their assassination attempt is foiled by X-Force, Locus and Sunspot become lost, but Feral defects to the MLF after having a heated discussion with Gyrich. The team leaves and is taught teamwork by Moonstar, as, at the time, their ranks are once again down to four--Moonstar, Wildside, Forearm, and Feral. During this time Forearm and Moonstar begin to form a close friendship, as she sees something in him that is different from the other members of the terrorist outfit. A few months later Reignfire begins to hunt down his followers, taking Wildside and Forearm out first. All would have been lost if not for X-Force and Locus teleporting in to stop the madman.
Next the MLF travel to Muir Island where they mean to steal the Legacy Virus data from Moira MacTaggert. While there, they learn about the Xavier Protocols, and decide to try and steal that. If not for the covert efforts of Moonstar, the mission would have been a success, but instead the team teleports away.
In their last appearance, the MLF once again is trying to steal data on the Legacy Virus, this time from a government institution who is trying to manufacture their own strain of the disease. They infiltrate the building and take the scientists hostage, but—once again through the sabotaging efforts of Moonstar—X-Force is let in the building to try and stop them. However, three of the scientists reveal themselves to be Prime Sentinels and begin to attack. The two groups pool their resources to try and survive, but only X-Force—with Moonstar and Forearm in tow—manage to escape. The remaining members of the MLF are captured by operatives of Operation: Zero Tolerance. During their time together, Moonstar reveals to him that she had been an undercover agent for S.H.I.E.L.D. meant to infiltrate the organization and feed the government information. Feeling betrayed, Forearm parts ways with the team.
[edit] Death, Resurrection, and Depowering
When he surfaced next Forearm was part of a fighting championship in Madripoor called Bloodsport where superpowered opponents fight to the death. However, in an unfortunate turn of events Forearm was killed during a fight with former Serpent Society member Anaconda, who broke his neck. However, he would later appear inexplicably, alive and well, in the X-Force miniseries, again as a member of the MLF.
Since the events of M-Day, where 90% of the world's mutant population lost their powers due to the Scarlet Witch, it is unknown what has became of Forarm. He was not listed in the government's 198 files, nor has he been seen in the encampment around the Xavier Institute, but that doesn't mean he couldn't still have retained his mutant powers.
Recently during a mission the New Avengers (New Avengers #18) viewed a screen of de-powered mutants. Forearm was on that screen with other mutants de-powered after the House of M event.
[edit] Powers
Forearm has an extra set of arms that extend from beneath his first set, giving him four arms (hence the name). In addition to this, he also has increased strength, resistance to injury, and stamina.
[edit] Alternate Versions
Forearm was also featured in What If vol. 2, #46, once again a member of the MLF. In this storyline, Magneto killed Stryfe and coerced the remaining members of MLF to follow him. Forearm was also killed during this reality in an explosion.
[edit] Notes
Forearm's name stems from the fact that he literally has four arms on his body. His powers are limited to enhanced strength and endurance. He is not the first X-villain to possess more than two arms: Spiral and Barbarus — one of the Savage Land Mutates — also have more than two. Cable and Warpath have both stated that Forearms' strength has increased since the first time they had fought him.
