Appetizers Are Served As The Hellfire Gala Begins

You are cordially invited to The Hellfire Gala featuring Marauders #21 by Gerry Duggan, Matteo Lolli, Edgar Delgado and Cory Petit, X-Force #20 by Benjamin Percy, Joshua Cassara, Guru-eFX and Joe Caramanga, and Hellions #12 by Zeb Wells, Stephen Segovia, David Curiel and Ariana Maher. Best pay attention, there will be fireworks like the world has never seen.

Marauders #21: We Must Astonish Them

Christina Eddleman: We made it! It’s time for the Hellfire Gala! I hope you brought your couture, Ian.

Ian Gregory: Yes, my couture, of course. I’ve definitely left the house at some point in the past year. Well, at least I can live vicariously through the X-Men.

The Guest List

Christi: Don’t worry, Ian. You’re not alone in your lack of couture. Not everyone on the guest list got the memo to “dress to impress.” The Avengers, Doctor Doom, and the Fantastic Four showed up in costume like they were ready for a fight, not a gala. So just dust off a cosplay and you’d fit right in. I’m not sure how I imagined the guests arriving at the gala, but waltzing through Krakoan gates adorned with a Krakoan flower boutonniere was unexpectedly intriguing. I demand to know if Kate can go through those gates now, but there’s still no answer to that question. What do you make of the guest’s arrival, Ian?

Ian: I certainly got a kick out of the Avengers’ somewhat tacky arrival. I also thought it was interesting who took the gates and who didn’t – Iron Man and the Fantastic Four insisted on flying, and Doom and Doctor Strange both created their own portals. Like you, I thought the fashion disparity was really interesting – we’ve been making jokes about how underdressed the other superhero teams are, but it does say something that they essentially showed up dressed for a fight. Everyone at the Gala wants something, from the Krakoans to the anti-mutant politicians. This mismatch of expectations I expect will lead to some drama later on.

Christi: Something that I expected Emma to have been more prepared for was the meeting of mutants’ known enemies. When Shinobi brings attention to such dealings, like the way she casually brushes it off with an “if our enemies are improved this evening then so are we.” This indicates the events were either anticipated or something she does not wish to deal with. I imagine we will have to deal with the alliance between Russia, Madripoor/Verendi, and UK Ambassador somewhere down the road.

Ian: As much as Doom isn’t impressed by the Gala, he isn’t doing as much plotting as that Russia, Verendi, and UK trio you mentioned. When the Russian ambassador takes the UK ambassador to talk to Verendi, Shaw is just sitting there glowering at them, so at least the mutants are keeping an eye on things. There also seems to be something interesting going on with Wilhelmina, who is one of the Verendi evil genius children. The Cuckoos have her remember something, but whatever it is doesn’t get revealed this issue. My question with the gala is – how many of these little details are setting up for something to be resolved in a later Gala issue, and how many are for these plotlines coming much further down the road?

Christi: This is perhaps the most frustrating aspect of this issue for me. Nearly every issue since X of Swords seems to have been building to the Hellfire Gala in a way that has almost drug down the pace of the title. I really was hoping for a lot more payoff in this issue, but what we get is mostly set up. I imagine that the alliance of the trio and Wilhelmina’s “remembering” will likely remain Marauder’s specific plot issues, but there’s a whole lot else that we’re going to have to see resolved in other Hellfire Gala issues, likely in Planet-Size X-Men #1, which is billed as the “most important issue of the month.” [Ed. note: If you only read one X-Title this month– This issue must be it!]

Mind the Gap

Ian: I think what makes this issue even more frustrating is that there’s the suggestion of something exciting happening. The last two pages of this issue (before the added story) show us the reactions of all the ambassadors and heroes to something big that has happened in the Gala, some kind of major announcement or problem or so on. It seems like something bigger than the promised reveal of the new X-Men, as the reactions suggest that it makes mutants appear even bigger and scarier. It provokes fear and anger from the government dignitaries and concern from the superheroes. However, we get absolutely no hint of what actually happened, either in this issue or in the other two this week. For me, this implication doesn’t really get me excited to find out what happened – it just makes me feel like significant portions of this issue either didn’t matter or were a waste of time.

Christi: It’s a cliffhanger that isn’t. Seeing the aftermath of something huge doesn’t scream “red issue on the checklist” to me. If this is what merits a red issue, perhaps the Hellfire Gala isn’t going to be all that it’s been hyped to be. Rather than the first important issue in a large event, this feels like a tie in. It erodes any sort of trust that the red issues are must reads for this event. There’s a chance that it will feel more essential in retrospect, but right now, this just feels like the most unsatisfying amuse-bouche. What problem was solved and how will this solution galvanize humanity to confront the threat posed by mutant kind? It’s not something that will be answered in Marauders.

Ian: I think I would have been less frustrated by this issue if it ended on the cusp of a reveal, rather than showing the aftermath. I understand that the idea was to make us excited about future Gala issues, but I think it ends up undermining itself. If this were more linear, ending on the cusp of a major reveal, I think I would appreciate the setup more. Instead, showing the reactions just makes it seem like the only important part of the Gala is the one we didn’t see. And maybe I’ve grown slightly jaded, but I have a hard time believing that this impending reveal is going to be as mind-blowing as this issue implies it will be. Of course I’m open to being surprised, but so far this feels like a lot of hot air.

Christi: In my opinion, cross-title events are generally the most difficult vehicle for effective storytelling. [Ed. note: And Christi knows her events] The fact that we will have so many Hellfire Gala issues, with only “red” on the checklist signifying important issues, is a strange approach. There is no “part one of four” on the cover of this issue. You have to consult the checklist in the back to even see what are deemed the significant issues in this event. This feels more like “all the X-Men are at the same party this June” than any sort of cohesive event, which is incredibly unfortunate given the build up to the event.

Ian: I think focusing on this larger mystery and story might be a mistake for this crossover. I like that the Hellfire Gala gets all our characters in one place, gives them exciting new outfits, and provides a unique setting for them to interact in. Hellions this week was particularly strong because it was primarily focused on the characters, not on setting up plot elements. I wonder if the writers are feeling the pressure to make the Hellfire Gala into an “event” and have lost sight of the fun ways this premise can be used just to do character work and expand the world. If the Gala hadn’t been built up as a major plot event, and was instead just given the space to be “this month, all our issues take place at the same party,” I think it would flow much better as a story.

The Lourdes’ Prayer

Christi: Last issue I believe I mentioned being unfamiliar with Lourdes, and it appears the X-Office had already prepared the answer to my prayers. At the end of this issue we get a reprint of “Out With the Old” – the section of Classic X-Men #7 that contains Lourdes first and last appearance. This either speaks to the significance of Lourdes return or the fact that the X-Office was very worried we wouldn’t remember her.

Ian: Definitely a little of both, I think. If Lourdes is going to be a major character going forward then it makes perfect sense to reprint her literal only appearance in continuity, especially given how short it is. This is such a smart move – it gets new readers caught up on the character, and is a nice shot of nostalgia for the Claremont heads. The team on this story is just great – Claremont on words, John Bolton is the artist, Glynis Oliver colors, Tom Orzechowski on letters, and Ann Nocenti editing. This is some classic Classic X-Men done by all-star talent, and not only does it reintroduce Lourdes but it gives us some really great character context for Shaw and Emma. It even fits thematically, as large portions of this story take place at a Hellfire Gala from times past.

Christi: It’s remarkable how well an issue printed 34 years ago fits so well today. It begins with Lourdes cautioning Shaw not to trust humans and ends with her death fundamentally reshaping Shaw’s methods going forward. Shaw proclaims “no longer will mutants be victims–but rulers,” and it seems that this goal is nearly reached with Krakoa. It’s a fridging, to be sure, but we’ve the promise that Lourdes will return, which makes it a step above your garden variety fridging.

Ian: Yeah, this is the perfect time to bring back this story; even Sage is in it, for Pete’s sake. You’re right that this is basically a textbook fridging, but re-centering the story now just in time to make Lourdes into more of a character, less of a motivation, makes this story much easier to swallow. Shaw is still pretty terrible in this story, but it’s Shaw, and I like that even Harry Leland gets a moment of relevance (poor, poor, Leland. Where art thou now?).

I think that this era could benefit a lot from more “flashbacks” like these. The Krakoa era has drawn on some deep continuity and forgotten characters, and I like the idea of bringing up these old bits of stories to show why our characters act the way they do and why they see Krakoa as so necessary and vital. It’s easy to divorce these characters from their older stories (especially because many of them have been written so erratically), so I think bringing older stuff like this back offers us more clarity. It’s a way of pointing to a specific event and saying “this is the character I’m writing, this is what matters to them.”

Christi: We’ve so many nods to the Claremont era throughout Marauders. It’s a nice balance of a new era of X-Men that’s very faithful to it’s past. Duggan has consistently pulled from an existing cast of characters, even minor ones, to tell the stories he wants to tell with characters that are written faithfully. While I’m still waiting for some molds to be broken (Kate could definitely have time for a girlfriend) Marauders has shown us what the characters we know and love can be on Krakoa. Now I’m ready for the next chapter.

Ian: Yes, the trap with pulling on these older stories is never breaking free of them. I like Lourdes’ return because she’s a character who deserves more, and Krakoa is the perfect place for her to get the time she deserves. Hewing too close to these older characters and stories, though, doesn’t fit with the new spirit of Krakoa. Kate needs a girlfriend (it’s been how long since she kissed a girl, exactly?) [Ed. note: That was back in Marauders #12, not that we’re counting…] but Storm and Bobby are also characters who need new directions. I’m hoping that some of the aimlessness we’ve felt in the last few issues of Marauders goes away after the Gala, and the book starts taking its story and characters to exciting new places.

X-Force #20: Bouncers, Bolo Ties & Botanical Buffoonery

Ari Bard: After the missions the X-Force team has been through, there’s no one I’d trust more to provide airtight security of the Hellfire Gala with some of the most important people in the universe.  

Kenneth Laster: Not to spoil the issue immediately but I’d be upset if a plant monster didn’t explode within the first hour of the party. But hey when you enlist X-Force as your bouncers that’s just a small price to pay (that and the bill for the matching bolo ties). Let’s dive into X-Force #20?!

The Strangest Bouncers of All

Ari: So here we are! Security at the Hellfire Gala, complete with eyes on entrances, mental pat-downs, Sage in the control room, and way too many pockets for everyone. Right from the start, we can see that Quentin Quire’s long and arduous two-issue journey to be a better person seems to have taken a hiatus as he springs right back into prime asshole form while working the entrance to this event, wouldn’t you say Kenneth?

Kenneth: Yeah, look, I can’t say I wasn’t entertained by Tony Stark and Quentin Quire squaring off in a Battle of the Assholes, but it is kind of a weird start to his new lease on life. It didn’t clock for me primarily because I am reveling in Cassara and Guru-efx drawing this peak at the event from the X-Force side of things. Lolli on Marauders never does it for me, so seeing our X-Force art team add those lovely textures and colors to a scene we already had a taste of in that book was a treat. I hope to get more of it throughout the event.

The artwork in X-Force #20 was enough of a treat to ignore some less than stellar elements. I wasn’t a massive fan of the red and black nuisance at the center of the issue, but I did enjoy Sage calling the two ego monsters out for being the “same kind of difficult.” Sage was a lot of fun here at the Hellfire Gala She is the center of the operation as the boss is busy decorating his future room in the Pit. I want to know what you thought of Sage the well-oiled machine she’s running in X-Force #20?

Ari: Sage is quickly becoming my favorite member of X-Force and a grounding presence for me in a book filled with chaos. She knows her team well and how to handle them. I appreciate the budding friendship between her and Domino. Even more than that, I appreciate the personal light Percy shines on Sage’s character with only a few lines of narration and exposition. There are plenty of heroes who have taken a monitor duty role in superhero comics, like Mr. Terrific or Oracle. These people seem happy just to do their jobs. It’s rare to see what these characters miss out on when they are stuck in a control room and missing out on the main action. Something is refreshing and straightforward about saying, “This is what I do. I sit. I sit for a living.”

These lines make me angry because it is evident how good Percy can spotlight underappreciated characters. Yet, often he muddles moments like the one above with chaotic shenanigans. How did you feel about Sage, Kenneth?

Kenneth: I agree with much of what you said. I came into X-Force not knowing a ton about Sage aside from the Morrison New X-Men arc where she was Bishop’s detective partner while investigating a murder attempt on Emma Frost. I have to shout out a friend of CXF, Valentine Smith. Smith recently appeared on the comic podcast Cerebro. The episode on Sage gave me a ton of new insight into her character. I was able to look at her as someone treated as one of Charles’ dirty little secrets before he created the public-facing X-Men.

From then on, Sage has continually been operating the margins of mainstream mutandom. It makes sense she’s bummed to be missing out on this huge party. All that on top of her having a computer for a brain and feelings makes for a fascinating mix in this issue. It feels as if Percy realizes how much potential the character has in the past few issues. I look forward to more. I hope the Sage fans are eating well. 

The Party Crasher with a Mouth

Kenneth: *DEEP sigh* X-Force gets their first significant security threat at the Hellfire Gala in the guise of “The Merc with a Mouth,” known as Deadpool. What did you think of this uninvited guest Ari?

Ari: I think loud and unnecessary sums it up. I know the energy of X-Force and our reviews can be a lot. I’m all for it! Bring me the chaos, but not him. Deadpool’s too much. Please keep him away. I can’t get behind his sarcastic narcissism, I can’t get behind the vulgar humor and uncanny ability to take over panels, I guess it works for great filler, I suppose.

Kenneth: I’m far from a Deadpool apologist, but I swear I have liked some things he’s been in (Gwenpool), but he has just been the worst in all of his recent X appearances. I can see the reasoning behind having him as the party crasher. He is inherently annoying, and Percy writes him that way a little too well. Not to backseat write, but I feel like there’s a balance between writing a gratingly annoying character and not regurgitating 2013-era edgy cringe jokes. The jokes didn’t even connect! I’m annoyed because Domino’s entrance and general don’t mess with X-Force attitude was satisfying because it shut him up. I suppose I feel like there’s a way to write annoying in a way that’s not actively shitty.

Ari: Even in X-Force, Quentin Quire is a perfect example of that. I’ll admit Deadpool’s appearance did give Domino an excuse to look badass, something I will always appreciate. Still, the payoff is not enough. I also hate the yellow balloons. I know they are Deadpool’s thing, but it’s another irksome quirk that makes me want him gone.

Playing God is a Total Party Foul

Ari: Ain’t no party like a mutant party! We’ve got Beast trying to commit a war crime! I mean, there’s nothing like using your top-secret espionage gone wrong and turn it into a cover-up-international-incident that became a colonized country to infect and bug essential players in the global geopolitical sphere. What a party! Did I get all that right?

Kenneth: EVERY time I think Hank McCoy can’t fall further from the light, he and Benjamin Percy find new and creative ways to prove Beast will never see the pearly gates. Wow, just so many bad decisions. 

You’d think the first Terre Verde misstep would have been enough, but mind-controlling a country to support Krakoa is BAD. I am both excited and terrified for it to blow up in his face. I’m excited because Charles and Emma are watching but terrified for how the crimes of Hank McCoy will bite Krakoa in the ass. Krakoa has enough shady practices and secrets for Hank just to do more in his own spare time. Kudos for Hank McCoy to have the set-up to his scheme be so horrifying that the “bugging foreign nations” part is the least morally repugnant aspect. And the hilarious twist, as we see in Marauders, the enemies of Krakoa are just planning out in the open! At the party! HANK! Do your job! And we haven’t even broached his “Argument” Data Page… 

Ari: Do you mean the page where Beast asserts he is equivalent to a celestial figure? Because yes, that is a problem. Forget about seeing the pearly gates; Beast is closer to seeing The Pit. He’s done more than enough to warrant some time down there as far as I am concerned. Putting aside the absurd Patriot Act-esque argument about using mass surveillance to keep the world safe, Beast’s track record is as low as you can get. He is the last person who should be trusted to know anything. He believes noble intentions should be enough for everyone to feel grateful. The man cannot get more appalling, and he’s doing it all without wearing full pants. Cassara, what is with that Hellfire Gala design? His arms fit in long sleeves, so surely some full-length pants could have been made!

Kenneth: My Lord wears a bolo tie and tuxedo capris. I respect Beast looking like shit as an extension of his inner soul. Something we rarely see due to his general lack of clothing otherwise. All in all, I sense a reckoning soon. With teases of an Inferno on the horizon, many Krakoan tables will be overturned. That said, I don’t see why we can’t give Sage a promotion and Sabertooth some company in one go. It looks like it’s no longer a question of if, but instead of when.

Hellions #12: Not Anti-Social, Anti-Bullshit

Nola Pfau: …Snakes?

Liz Large: This is my favorite comic of the year, and I think if Snakes had shown up, I would have had to stop reading comics forever because nothing could match it. 

Nola: It’s true. Making him a mutant would just be the greatest thing ever. Ah well, we still had a PRETTY GOOD TIME THIS ISSUE.

Liz: I frequently say this book has everything, but wow, it topped itself this week. Truly everything I could ever want, all in one place. Let’s get into the Hellfire Gala.

Romance Subplots

Nola: Let’s! First off, this issue gave us huge complicated relationship emotions in the middle of a fancy ball. We’re like one “pretending to be married” and a “there was only one bed” away from a perfect fic, here. I was really glad to see the old relationship between Kyle and Aurora revisited!

Liz: For some reason, everyone calling Wild Child “Kyle” really threw me off. Being an older Marvel character, I expected his name to be like Wilde Kidd or something. But it was exciting to see Wild Child have some actual character scenes in this book. He has previously received less attention than other characters. This issue gave us a nice bit of backstory. It even came with a Cuckoo summary for those who weren’t familiar!

Nola: Listen, I mostly only remember that he’s a Kyle because he had this weird period where they tried to make him like traditionally handsome? You were not the only one confused! Sophie Cuckoo also had no idea that he had a name other than “Wild Child.” The other thing I thought was entertaining was the almost-fight between him and Akihiro, a little mini Wolverine/Sabretooth matchup.

Liz: That was great! It was a nice callback to his nightmare where he was trapped in Murderworld. There we saw Wolverine and company attack him, but in the real world, he had help! I loved how Greycrow was so supportive of him, giving him tips to control himself before approaching Aurora again and then jumping in to defuse the fight before things could get out of hand.

Nola: Actually, mentioning Wolverine, the current Greycrow is being built into a kind of mentor template Logan’s traditionally occupied. It’s nice to see. He knows many folks on his team aren’t really on top of their mess yet, but he’s got the patience to get them there. Of course, he’s got some relationship pining of his own to do here.

Liz: GOD, is anything more relatable than seeing someone you have feelings for looking very beautiful and then making some bad choices? I don’t think so! Noted murderer-with-great-hair Greycrow is going through it this week. He’s the real reason the team ends up at the gala, and when Psylocke claimed the team as her plus one to keep him there? Perfection.

Nola: He sure did immediately try to spend the rest of the evening with her too, didn’t he? If not for having to once again exert a parental influence over his other teammates, I suspect he’d have followed her around until dawn. On the subject of characters with parental influence, shall we talk about Nanny?

Nanny State

Liz: Nanny had the best time ever. Or rather, I had the best time seeing her attend the Hellfire Gala. She starts off Hellions #12 asking to fight Empath in training (something I hope we see in the future, please) and only escalates from there. I personally loved her pouring drinks into the top of her egg. What’s your favorite Nanny moment, Nola?

Nola: I’m pretty sure Nanny breaking a bottle and trying to shiv Mr. Sinister with the broken shards is perhaps the apex of all X-Men-related storytelling, from the franchise’s inception until now. No two panels have ever or will ever be better. It’s a shame she failed because apparently there are two Sinisters?

Liz: Maybe the surprise Sinister can tell Captain America and Iron Man apart? We’ve come to expect Sinister to have tricks up his sleeve, but I’m not so sure this is something our Main Sinister has planned. When you’ve been running a secret cloning facility, there’s a lot that can go wrong on you!

Nola: There sure is. I did not forget Sinister was also involved in the alternate-timeline deaths of an entire batch of chimera mutants on Mars. Given that Planet-Size X-Men is coming, that feels significant right now. I will say that while we don’t exactly know what’s going on with the other one just yet, it’s nice to feel a real sense of menace from the character for a change? I feel like he’s been played for comedy for so long now.

Liz: We’ve also seen some conflict between the Sinister clones, like when X of Swords sent the team to Otherworld and one of them had to accompany him. We assumed Sinister was killed by the Locus Vile as Tarn sliced him into pieces. But Surprise Sinister has some suspiciously similar facial scarring, and I guess I’m learning what happens when I make assumptions.

Nola: A self-cloning eugenicist shows up? Liz, this feels like something you should get checked out.

Pryor Arrangements

Nola: Hellions gave us lots of pairings today—relationship pairings, a pair of Sinisters, and a pair of wounded puppies. The first was Kyle, of course, but the second was the equally mopey Alex Summers. Alex tried desperately to get anyone and everyone’s attention so he could Talk About His Ex For The Entire Party. What a fun guy!

Liz: Why is it that I am a full-on team “being Maddie back” until Alex starts talking about her? Is it his dumb outfit? His lack of support for his teammates in a brawl?

Nola: It’s at least partly those things! It’s honestly a well-constructed scenario because we all know this guy. Does Maddie deserve a chance at redemption like everyone else? Absolutely! Her crimes, legitimate though they are, aren’t as bad as some of the active members of this team. If she had, say…her husband as an advocate instead of his sad-sack brother, she’d have been resurrected within a day.

Liz: You’re right. But if it were Scott, we wouldn’t get the delightful moment of Magneto, in full-on dad mode, letting Lorna know that Alex is here advocating for his ex. Truly a chef’s kiss moment for me.

Nola: God, maybe my second favorite moment of the issue is Lorna telling Alex “…it’s not weird.” Like, maybe it’s not, but you’re sure being weird about it, Alex! This entire subplot felt so relatable. That Alex is the one who has to tell someone else they’re making him uncomfortable is the height of irony. Truly great comics.

Liz: I liked the issue’s constant references to the team’s past mistakes. We see Alex and Wild Child’s bad relationships, the return of Sinister, Empath getting his butt kicked in revenge by Catseye and Roulette… It all feels like the Hellfire Gala was a catalyst for the team to start on a new path.

Nola: A new path of wrecking parties! Maddie deserves resurrection just so she can be a messy bitch who loves drama with the rest of this team.

X-Traneous Thoughts 

• “It’s gambling time!” made me laugh insofar as I love seeing writers come up with more and more contrived ways to use The Thing’s catchphrase.
• The Lourdes backup really reinforces the many, many ways that Tom Orzechowski is the GOAT letterer.
• Spotted at the Hellfire Gala:
  • Run the Jewels
  • Patton Oswalt and Meredith Salenger
  • Jordan D White
  • Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird
  • Jonathan Hickman
  • SNL Star Heidi Gardner and her trophy husband Zeb Wells
  • Ryan Penagos
• Another ding on the wlw Krakoan queerbaiting chart. Points go to Emma and Sage panel
• One crucial bit of this story that we overlooked was Kurt getting absolutely HAMMERED.
• Our data pages this week were the Cuckoo’s running commentary on the Hellfire Gala, and they spent a good amount of time criticizing Nanny’s parenting choices. 
• Speaking of Nanny’s large adult son, he begged Empath to let him repeatedly drink until (in Empath’s first kind action?) Empath gave him the same effect by making him happier and less afraid. It was sweet!
• …at which point Orphanmaker (or “Pete”) proceeded to start a brawl in the middle of an international event, which feels pretty on point for Empath’s usual mode of behavior. Hey, do you think the reason they won’t say Kate’s queer is that there’s still a mutant named Pete she hasn’t tried to date?
• Krakoan reads:
  • Marauders: MANYHAPPYRETURNS
  • X-Force: SLAUGHTERHOUSE
  • Hellions: RETURNOFTHECLONE