The third annual Hellfire Gala is finally here, promising a new X-Men lineup and the guarantee that whatever happens, it spins into Fall of X. It’s a party everyone can’t wait to read about but are scared about what could happen. After reading this issue, I must say folks should be scared as this is the most shocking and earth-shattering issue in the Krakoan era since House of X and Powers of X. There’s so much in this issue from mutants dying, a new direction for the entire X-Men lineup kicking off, and Ms. Marvel’s official return. It is a must-read issue as it affects not just mutants, but all of Marvel Comics.
This kind of comic will give you whiplash if you read it in one sitting. I mean that in the best way, because change in superhero comics is few and far between, but writer Gerry Duggan is fearless in enacting a ton of it here. The issue deftly moves from one shocking moment to the next and will honestly have your jaw on the floor. The price is incredibly justified, with so much packed into this one issue.
X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 opens with Cyclops and Emma Frost at the New York base discussing Ms. Marvel’s return to life now that it’s evident she’s a mutant. It’s something she must understand as she serves as the first-of-a-kind inhuman and mutant hero. There’s some groundwork laid here to continue to explore in future issues — maybe in her new solo miniseries — that’s quite compelling. As we know, the inhuman mists can hurt and even kill mutants, so how is it she can be both? In a scene with Kamala and Xavier, we get the sense there are things known by the upper brass that are yet to be revealed.
Outside of Ms. Marvel coming out as a mutant — and wondering what her mutant power is — there’s some interesting characterization for Juggernaut. Jean supports him as a member of the X-Men, and he gets to show his fellow mutants he’s worthy when things go from bad to worse. Other characters who get small moments that’ll shape their future stories include Iceman, Firestar, and Cyclops. It’s exciting to see there are definitive stories yet to be told that start here. If you’re interested in the G.O.D.S. series by Jonathan Hickman and Valerio Schiti, there’s something here for you, too.
Unrelenting in the attack, the artists on this one-shot do not hold back regarding the glee the villains take in massacring mutants. Artists include Adam Kubert, Luciano Vecchio, Matteo Lolli, Russell Dauterman, Javier Pina, R.B. Silva, Joshua Cassara, Kris Anka, and Pepe Larraz, who do a few pages here and there. It never felt too distracting to see the art change in style, especially since these artists are some of the best in the business. It’s also helpful when any given page might have over five characters in a panel, creating a busier and less refined look. There are many moments of pure chaos but also moments of valiant heroism, all depicted splendidly.
Scott is such a hero rushing into danger.
Credit: Marvel
When it comes to the villains, you’re going to really hate the characters that rise up. Truly, the creative team here has made them delight in pure mayhem and violence. As a superhero comic from the Big-Two, we tend not to see this level of violence, with one full-page splash edging on gore straight out of a horror movie. All the key players involved in the attack on the Hellfire Gala have their reasons for relishing murder or for getting their self-justified revenge. That makes their attack all the more hateful and real.
The only villain that doesn’t work for me is Moira, who has become an over-the-top villain who seems to love killing with little else motivating her. On the reverse side, M.O.D.O.K. was made to love death and killing, so it makes sense, but Moira is such a shell of what she was at the start of the Krakoan era, and it’s hard to even look at her with a straight face. There’s not much on the page beyond her smirking and relish for killing.
On the reverse side, Jean Grey fans have a lot to love in this issue. She’s strong-willed, quick thinking, and showcases how powerful she is multiple times. She’s yet another element in this issue that sets up something to look forward to in the future, as we know a Jean Grey miniseries is coming soon. She gets to shine in a variety of ways, making how she exits this issue all the more sad and shocking.
What makes this issue so bold is how Marvel usually stretches out game-changing events into crossovers and summer-long events. Not so here, as we get tons of new directions for characters to be further explored and entire lines of comics upended for new kinds of stories to be told. That’s extremely exciting and makes the higher price tag worth every penny.
Game-changing superhero comics are few and far between, yet X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 supersedes expectations and will blow you away. If you’re a lover of the Krakoan era of making more mutants and the dream of a utopia, this issue will be a very hard pill to swallow, but it’s hard to deny, with so much being shaken up in a single issue, that we’re about to embark on an exciting new era that hasn’t been this exciting since the dawn of the Krakoan age. Packed to the brim with action, intrigue, and intense drama, X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 changes everything.
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