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Changes: Hellfire Club (Earth-616)

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| CurrentMembers = [[Sage (Tessa)]], [[Sat-Yr-9|Sat-Yr-9]] (White Queen), [[Viper (Madame Hydra)|Viper]] (Warrior White Princess), [[Sebastian Shaw]] (Black King), [[Archangel]], [[Norman Osborn]], [[Anthony Stark]], [[Howard Stark]], Warren Worthington Jr., James Braddock Sr., [[Jamie Braddock|James Braddock Jr.]], [[Psylocke]], [[Vance Astrovik]], Ronald Parvenue, [[Candace Southern]], Gerhard van Ostamgen, Oliver Ryland, [[Ms Hoo]], Ella
  
| CurrentMembers = [[Sage (Tessa)]], [[Sat-Yr-9|Sat-Yr-9]] (White Queen), [[Viper (Madame Hydra)|Viper]] (Warrior White Princess), [[Sebastian Shaw]] (Black King), [[Archangel]], [[Norman Osborn]], [[Anthony Stark]], [[Howard Stark]], Warren Worthington Jr., James Braddock Sr., [[Jamie Braddock|James Braddock Jr.]], [[Psylocke]], [[Vance Astrovik]], Ronald Parvenue, [[Candace Southern]], Gerhard van Ostamgen, Oliver Ryland, [[Ms Hoo]], Ella
 
 
−
| FormerMembers = [[Captain Britain (Brian Braddock)|Black Bishop (Brian Braddock)]], [[Harry Leland|Black Bishop (Harry Leland)]], [[Sebastian Shaw|Black King (Sebastian Shaw)]], [[Shinobi Shaw|Black King (Shinobi Shaw)]], [[Black King (London Branch)]], [[Blackheart|Black King (Blackheart)]], [[Friedrich von Roehm|Black Rook (Friedrich von Roehm)]], [[Phoenix Force|Black Queen (Phoenix)]], [[Selene|Black Queen (Selene)]], [[Ms Steed|Black Queen (Ms Steed)]], [[Lourdes Chantel]], [[Magneto (Magnus)|Grey King (Magneto)]], [[Red Bishop]], [[Red King]], [[Margali Szardos|Red Queen (Margali Szardos)]], [[Scribe|Red Rook (Scribe)]], [[Mountjoy|Red Rook (Mountjoy)]], [[Donald Pierce|White King (Donald Pierce)]], [[White King (Edward Buckman)]], [[Storm|White King (Storm)]], [[Hellstorm]] (unofficial White King), [[White Queen (Emma Frost)]], [[White Queen (Paris Serville)|White Queen (Paris Seville)]], [[Madelyne Pryor|Black Rook (Madelyne Pryor)]], [[Trevor Fitzroy|White Rook (Trevor Fitzroy)]], [[Emmanuel DaCosta|White Rook (Emmanuel DaCosta)]]; [[Emma Frost|Emma Frost (White Queen)]], [[Night Thrasher]], [[Elias Bogan]], [[Robert Kelly]], [[Lourdes Chantel]], [[Bianca LeNeige]], [[Kingmaker]], ; [[Warhawk]], [[Holocaust]], [[Candra]], [[Red Lotus]]
 +
| FormerMembers = [[Captain Britain (Brian Braddock)|Black Bishop (Brian Braddock)]], [[Harry Leland|Black Bishop (Harry Leland)]], [[Sebastian Shaw|Black King (Sebastian Shaw)]], [[Shinobi Shaw|Black King (Shinobi Shaw)]], [[Black King (Quentin Templeton)]], [[Blackheart|Black King (Blackheart)]], [[Friedrich von Roehm|Black Rook (Friedrich von Roehm)]], [[Phoenix Force|Black Queen (Phoenix)]], [[Selene|Black Queen (Selene)]], [[Ms Steed|Black Queen (Ms Steed)]], [[Lourdes Chantel]], [[Magneto (Magnus)|Grey King (Magneto)]], [[Red Bishop]], [[Red King]], [[Margali Szardos|Red Queen (Margali Szardos)]], [[Scribe|Red Rook (Scribe)]], [[Mountjoy|Red Rook (Mountjoy)]], [[Donald Pierce|White King (Donald Pierce)]], [[White King (Edward Buckman)]], [[Storm|White King (Storm)]], [[Hellstorm]] (unofficial White King), [[White Queen (Emma Frost)]], [[White Queen (Paris Serville)|White Queen (Paris Seville)]], [[Madelyne Pryor|Black Rook (Madelyne Pryor)]], [[Trevor Fitzroy|White Rook (Trevor Fitzroy)]], [[Emmanuel DaCosta|White Rook (Emmanuel DaCosta)]]; [[Emma Frost|Emma Frost (White Queen)]], [[Night Thrasher]], [[Elias Bogan]], [[Robert Kelly]], [[Lourdes Chantel]], [[Bianca LeNeige]], [[Kingmaker]], ; [[Warhawk]], [[Holocaust]], [[Candra]], [[Red Lotus]]
   
 
| Allies = [[Hellions]]
  
| Allies = [[Hellions]]

Revision as of 01:21, 16 December 2007

History

The Hellfire Club counts among its members many famous and influential members of society. Membership is passed on to descendants, and can be earned through wealth or influence. The club has branches in New York City, Paris, Hong Kong and London. The various branches are overseen by the Lord Imperial.

Many of the wealthiest and most powerful businessmen of the Marvel Universe, including Tony Stark and Norman Osborn have inherited or gained membership to the Hellfire Club. And while many accept the invitation merely for the pleasures that the Club offers, many others seek out to obtain wealth and influence. In fact, the purpose of the Hellfire Club is to obtain and exert power through politics and economic influence instead of outward conquest and domination. Since its foundation, Hellfire Club has been involved in wars and assassinations as long as these helped further the agendas of the Club's most prominent members.

Unbeknownst to most members of the club, the organization is ruled by a Council of the Chosen. This secret group later renamed itself the Inner Circle and assumed the titles of chess pieces. Originally the Inner Circle was composed of normal humans, but was slowly infiltrated and dominated by super-powered mutants of various abilities. Though not always the most powerful of mutantkind, the Inner Circle allowed within its rank only those of exceptional ability. A common theme, though with exceptions, was for the White and Black queens of the organization to possess a psychic ability of some nature; no doubt aiding the organization to further their conspiracies.

The Hellfire Club first came to the attention of the X-Men when agents of the Hellfire Club kidnapped several X-Men and took over the mind of Phoenix. Though the X-Men unraveled the Hellfire Club's scheme, the meddling with Phoenix's mind led her to become Dark Phoenix.

They were eventually defeated and Phoenix returned to her Jean Grey persona. Wolverine inflicted nearly lethal injuries on several of its mercenaries during this time. However, the influential organization continued its activities even after being thwarted by the X-Men. Although the hierarchy of the Inner Circle goes through constant upheaval due to the competing egos and political motives of its members, it continues to exist in the same basic structure today.

Inner Circle Lineups

The constant intrigue, backstabbing, blackmailing and politicking that plague the Hellfire Club have resulted in many changes of the Inner Circle, as new players seek out membership in order to obtain influence, power and wealth. The following lists the membership of each incarnation of the inner circle and the title they held. Up until his death, Sir Gordon Phillips bore the title of Lord Imperial, and as such he oversaw all branches of the Hellfire Club; he was not a member of any particular Inner Circle, he was above all of them.

Council of the Chosen

The original Inner Circle prior to Shaw and Frost's takeover of the New York Branch Hellfire Club.

  • Ned Buckman: White King
  • Paris Seville: White Queen
  • Sebastian Shaw: Black Bishop

The rest of the membership is never named. Like Paris, they are gunned down by Buckman under Emma Frost's mind control. Ned Buckman was responsible for a Sentinel attack on Shaw's beach house, which resulted on the death of Shaw's lover, Lourdes Chantel.

The Lords Cardinal

Shaw renamed the Council of the Chosen as The Lords Cardinal following his takeover of the NY Branch.

  • Warhawk: Associate

Following the Dark Phoenix Saga, the title of Black Queen is empty once again. Donald Pierce reaches the rank of White King and is expelled. New members are:

Shinobi Shaw's Inner Circle

Originally, Selene planned on creating a new Inner Circle from amongst the Upstarts, yet they turn on her. Believing his father to be dead, Shinobi Shaw briefly takes over the NY Branch of the Club, seeminlgy with support from the External Candra. He offers membership in his Inner Circle to Archangel and later to Storm but both decline.

The titles of Payge and Kaur are not established. When Cordelia Frost applies for membership to the Inner Circle, Shinobi states that the title of White Queen is already taken.

This Inner Circle quickly fades into oblivion and is replaced by Shaw's second Inner Circle.

The London Branch

The Inner Circle of the Club's London branch briefly operates in parallel to Shinobi's Inner Circle. Instead of Black and White, the titles of the London Branch can be Red and Black.

Brian Braddock's membership is hereditary. He joined the London Inner Circle at Shinobi Shaw's behest, as Shaw wanted information on the London branch's activities.

Shaw's Second Stint

Sebastian Shaw retakes control of the Hellfire Club and tries to rebuild the Inner Circle to its former power and glory.

Selene's Hellfire

With Pierce expelled, Madelyne gone and both Shaw and Fitzroy retired, Selene reforms the Inner Circle into a reflection of her own evil nature, thus consorting with demons, though her reign is short-lived:

At the time, Adrienne Frost shows up in Generation X, claiming the White Queen title for herself. However, she was merely using the White Queen moniker. Besides, the nature of her powers did not fit with Selene's new demons, fire and brimstone theme.

Following Selene's defeat, Hellstrom remains as White King. Though he hasn't appeared again as a member, there has been no White King since him.

Sunspot joined the Inner Circle after Selene and Blackheart's defeat. She had always shown an interest in the young DaCosta and blackmails him into taking up his hereditary membership.

In Grant Morrison's New X-Men, it is revealed that Shaw is back in power, though the NY Branch has apparently been turned into a strip club. Deadly Genesis reveals that the strip club was part of the Hellfire Club's properties at least since the days of Emma Frost's youth.

The Fifth Inner Circle

With Sir Gordon Phillips dead thanks to the Legacy Virus, Shaw positions himself as the new Lord Imperial and, as such, he oversees the entire Hellfire Club. While he claims that he's trying to reform the Club, his motive, as always, is not what it seems.

  • Sebastian Shaw: Lord Imperial
  • Sunspot: Black King, later Lord Imperial.
  • Courtney Ross (actually Sat-Yr-9): White Queen
  • Viper: Warrior White Princess
  • Tessa/Sage: Shaw's personal aide, Sunspot's personal advisor
  • Selene: Black Queen
  • Red Lotus: Associate

During a confrontation between Sat-yr-9 and Emma Frost, it is revealed that the latter maintained her membership all the time, as well as the White Queen title, though she loses the second.

Selene remains trapped beneath the Hellfire Club's HQ and is not actually part of the New Inner Circle, though her title of Black Queen remains untaken. How she managed to present herself before Sunspot remains unexplained and its possibly an error by the writers.

A confrontation with Donald Pierce leaves Shaw gravely injured. Sunspot takes over as Lord Imperial, which was Sage's plan all along. Despite their good intentions, Sat-yr-9 and Viper have their own less than noble agenda.

The Sixth Inner Circle

Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men reveals that Shaw is healthy once again and that he has joined forces with new allies at the behest of the mysterious Perfection. The titles of the new members have not been revealed yet, but with Sunspot as Lord Imperial, Shaw is possibly back into his classic Black King.

Sunspot's Inner Circle has not appeared again. With Sage as part of New Excalibur, it is possible the previous Inner Circle has disbanded.

Past members

  • Philadelphia, 1780/81: Sir Patrick Clemens (King title), Lady Diana Knight (Queen title), Lady Grey (Queen title), Elizabeth Shaw-Worthington, Major General Wallace Worthington, Commander Clinton
  • London, 1859: Lord Braddock, Mr. Shaw (Sebastian Shaw's great-grandfather and Cornelius Shaw's father)
  • Boston, 1872/74: Anton Pierce (Member of the Inner Circle)
  • London, 1915: Brigadier-General Cornelius Shaw, Sir Harry Manners, Waltham Pierce

Members outside the Inner Circle

The following characters are members of the Hellfire Club but were not part of the any of the Inner Circle lineups mentioned above. Their membership was inherited from their ancestors or parents, or was obtained through from personal invitation from the Branch's King, such as the one Sebastian Shaw offered to Irene Merryweather, which she refused.

Guards and Staff

Trivia

  • Modeled after the real life British Hellfire Club
  • Many names of club members are homages to the British Avengers television series

See Also

Links and References

References

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