The X-Men are throwing the party of the year and you won’t believe who’s on the guest list.
This June, the X-Books kick off the 12-part Hellfire Gala storyline as the merry mutants throw a lavish costume party on their island nation of Krakoa.
Not only will it be attended by scores of Marvel heroes, but some real-life celebrities will also take part.
The Gala
A massive turning point for the X-Men was establishing the mutant island of Krakoa, recognized as a mutant nation. All past differences are put aside as heroes and villains alike work together to make this a great place for mutants.
It’s led to clashes from the usual anti-mutant forces to other Marvel heroes and world governments wary of the power the combined mutant population of Earth may have. To soothe tensions, Emma Frost has conceived a grand gala to welcome heroes, celebrities, and world leaders to explain the X-Men’s intentions.
The event is obviously based on the Met Gala, the annual ball for celebrities in New York City, memorable for its outrageous fashions. The 2020 version was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the 2021 installment is scheduled for September.
Artists are going wild with amazing costumes for the X-Men, emphasizing some fun fashions.
Marvel Vice President of Marketing Mike Pasciullo is promoting the event as a huge stepping stone for the X-Men’s new direction.
“The Hellfire Gala will be the culmination of months of anticipation, and as one of the biggest nights in X-Men history, it only made sense that the nation of Krakoa would invite some of the world’s biggest stars to witness it for themselves. We thank all of our special guests for joining us for this exclusive in-world event, along with the incredible artists who brought them to life on the page.”
The guests
Obviously, the guests include scores of Marvel heroes such as the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and more.
However, it’s confirmed that several real-life celebrities will be taking part, many of whom have allowed their likenesses to be used.
They include rapper Eminem, talk show host Conan O’Brien, soccer champions Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, radio personality Ira Glass and New York Mets star Pete Alonso.
Marvel brags this is only the beginning as the guest list will include “Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Peabody Award winners, FIFA World Cup Champions and Olympic gold medalists.”
Marvel does have a long history of using real-life celebrities in their books, from rock stars KISS to President Barack Obama, and likely they’ll have fun with these stars mingling at the event.
Will there be a fight?
The X-Men plan for this to be a bright party event to ease tensions. Of course, if there’s one thing fans know about the X-Men, almost nothing goes to plan.
The guest list doesn’t just include heroes, but everyone from the terrorist group AIM to even Doctor Doom. That leaves potential for the party to turn into World War III.
Doom’s presence adds further tension to the already fraught relationship between the X-Men and the FF. Xavier had insisted Reed and Sue Richards’ son, Franklin, be taken to Krakoa as one of the most powerful mutants alive.
Reed responded by using a device to mask Franklin’s mutant signature so he couldn’t access one of the portals to the island. Feeling this could be turned into a weapon to take away mutant powers, Xavier erased how to build the device from Reed’s mind with a warning never to try again.
Franklin would travel to Krakoa only to burn off his powers, stopping a cosmic threat. This led to the revelation he was never a mutant at all but cosmically powered and not welcome on Krakoa.
Meanwhile, the Avengers are on the spot as Wakanda refuses to make trade with Krakoa after Storm stole a sacred blade to stop a greater threat. Thus, the Black Panther’s teammates are wary of just what the X-Men plan to do.
Then there’s Magneto, whose extreme measures to defend mutants are famous. Marvel has just announced July will have The Trial of Magneto storyline, hinting the Master of Magnetism may do something at the gala to cause new problems.
It may look like a party, but those celebrities better be careful they’re not caught up in the next epic Marvel crossover war.
The Hellfire Gala begins in Marauders #21, released by Marvel Comics on June 2nd.