Without a doubt, Hellions has been the most unique and ambitious series of the Dawn of X era, making readers care about characters they likely hadn’t given a second thought to before. Hellions tends to take the most risks with its characters as well, and Hellions #7 once again proves that those risks pay off.
One of the most intriguing questions brought up by X of Swords was the nature of resurrection when mutants are off Krakoa. In Hellions #6, Sinister turned on his own team, causing the deaths of Wild Child, Orphan-Maker, and Nanny in Arakko while murdering Psylocke, Havok, Greycrow, and Empath on Krakoa. Hellions #7 introduces the predicament of whether or not those who died in Arakko could be resurrected at all and defines the difference between dying in Arakko vs. Otherworld.
With X of Swords opening up the sandbox for the writers to play in, giving them access to other realms so to speak, the question of resurrection becomes increasingly pertinent. Hellions introduces another stake to the game, revealing that resurrections for deaths that take place in Arakko result in changes to the newly cloned mutants. The web is weaved further when Charles Xavier himself bans Orphan-Maker from receiving his X-gene upon resurrection due to the nature of these changes. In a sense, Charles has refused Peter his birthright, something that goes against Krakoa as a concept — though he did so for the greater good. This introduces a palpable moral conflict for the Krakoa-era to deal with, giving the Charles another controversial decision under his belt.
Emma and Alex share a brief moment, though it’s hard not to notice the implications behind it. Emma and Alex have never had a strong relationship per se, though Emma’s moment of concern for Alex is completely justified. Not only is Emma dating his brother, Scott, but she’s more than proved her love for him and those he cares about. It’s always a treat to see Emma’s caring side and how she looks out for those who matter to her. Seeing more of these two interact could be an interesting way to develop the Summers family as a whole.
Kwannon also gets her fair share of development, setting up an interesting moral conflict for her. Sinister is holding her daughter over her head, causing Kwannon to take a “no-nonsense” approach to leading the Hellions. Her own internal conflict is without a doubt going to be intriguing moving forward, as will be the reactions of her teammates. The name Apoth is brought up for the first time since Fallen Angels, proving that Kwannon’s story is far from over.
One of Hellions #7’s best moments happens in its final pages with the return of a classic villain, Cameron Hodge. Seeing so many characters — villains and heroes alike — return has truly been a highlight of the Dawn of X era and Hodge’s reappearance is certainly exciting.
The only downside to Hellions #7 is a possible continuity error with Jean’s appearance on the Quiet Council. One of the big moments of X-Men #15 was when Jean Grey decided to leave the Quiet Council, opting to save her son on Otherworld instead. Inexplicably, Jean is on the Council in Hellions #7, even though the text makes it clear that this story takes place after the events of X of Swords.
Wells’ writing is punchy when it needs to be, highlighting the dysfunctional dynamic of his lovable band of misfits. At the same time, he proves his capacity for a darker, more serious tone for the series, setting up emotional conflicts for Havok and Psylocke in the future. The worldbuilding provided for the resurrection protocols introduces exciting potential for the entire Dawn of X line moving forward. The art is, as usual, a visual treat. Hellions #7 is fun and emotional when it needs to be, introducing an exciting new chapter for a series that often keeps its readers on its toes.
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