Okay, suckers-- you've taken yer best shot! Now it's my turn!
- -- Wolverine
Appearing in "And Hellfire is Their Name!"
Featured Characters:
- X-Men (Main story and recap)
- Cyclops (Scott Summers) (Main story and recap)
- Storm (Ororo Munroe) (Main story and recap)
- Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner) (Main story and recap)
- Wolverine (Logan) (Main story and recap)
- Colossus (Peter Rasputin) (Main story and recap)
- Professor X (Charles Xavier)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Hellfire Club
- Black King (Sebastian Shaw)
- Black Queen / Phoenix (Jean Grey) (Main story and recap) (Joins team) Black Queen (First appearance as Black Queen)
- Donald Pierce
- Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde)
- Harry Leland
- Tessa (First appearance)
- White Queen (Emma Frost) (Recap) (Shadow only)
Other Characters:
- Kitty Pryde (Recap)
- Dazzler (Alison Blaire) (Recap)
- White Queen (Emma Frost) (Recap)
- Unnamed New Yorkers
- Unnamed Hellfire Club workers
- Unnamed Hellfire Club attendees
- Warren Worthington, Jr. (Mentioned) (Deceased)
- Kathryn Worthington (Mentioned) (Deceased)
- Hugh Hefner[1]
- Lady Jean Grey (Vision)
- Vladmir Lenin (Invoked)
- Avengers (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth
- United States of America
- New Mexico (late changed to Colorado)
- New York
- New York City
- Manhattan
- Upper East Side
- Lenox Hill
- 66th Street and Fifth Avenue
- Hellfire Club Mansion (First appearance)
- 66th Street and Fifth Avenue
- Lenox Hill
- Upper East Side
- Manhattan
- New York City
- United States of America
Items:
- X-Uniforms
- Cyclops' Visor, ver. 2
- Wolverine's Suit
- Adamantium (On Wolverine's claws)
- Ruby-Quartz Sunglasses
- Ruby-Quartz Helmet (First appearance)
Vehicles:
- Professor X's Rolls-Royce
Synopsis for "And Hellfire is Their Name!"
Following their near defeat by the White Queen and fearing that the mansion is no longer safe for them, Cyclops takes the team to the former X-Man Angel's aerie in New Mexico. He asks to talk to Angel privately, who then flies him to the top of a butte out in the middle of the desert (much to the chagrin of Professor X who wanted them to return to the school immediately). Cyclops recounts the X-Men's recent adventure and states that they were targeted by a group called the Hellfire Club. Warren finds this hard to believe as he and his girlfriend Candy are members of the Hellfire Club.
Scott goes on to explain that he's worried about changes in Jean’s personality. Before he can explain any further, Jean herself arrives and interrupts them to have a private picnic with Scott. Warren leaves them alone and Jean gets Scott to take off his visor. Much to his surprise, she telekinetically holds his optic blast in check. The two embrace and make love on the butte as the sun sets.
A week later on a stormy night, the X-Men return to New York City to infiltrate the Hellfire Club and learn why they are targeting the X-Men. Wolverine and Nightcrawler travel through the sewers to sneak into the club from below. As they are passing through the rapidly flooding tunnels, Wolverine slices open some electrical wiring pointing out that they could use a distraction later if things get hairy, a move that Nightcrawler finds very sneaky.
Meanwhile, with invitations organized by Warren, Scott and Jean, and Peter and Ororo attend a prestigious party within the club. Before they go in, they radio back to the Professor and Angel in New Mexico to advise them of their plan so that they can carry on if they fail. As Scott and the others enter the party and try to blend in, they are spotted on the club’s security monitors by the Hellfire Club's inner circle: the cybernetic Donald Pierce and mutants Sebastian Shaw, Harry Leland and Jason Wyngarde. Shaw tells Wyngarde this is his chance to prove that he has full control over Jean Grey and sends him out into the party.
Sure enough, as Scott and Jean are dancing, Wyngarde cuts in and sweeps Jean off into another one of his illusions. She instantly believes she’s in the 18th century and that Wyngarde is the love of her life, ignoring the perplexed Scott.
Wyngarde takes Jean upstairs and Scott follows after them. Scott is shocked when Wyngarde drops the illusion to reveal himself to be none other than the X-Men's old foe Mastermind. Chasing after them, he is blasted by Jean who has now been transformed into the Black Queen and is under Mastermind's full control.
Hearing Scott's scream of pain over the crowd, Storm and Colossus change into costume and charge after their friend. Running upstairs, they encounter Sebastian Shaw. Colossus learns the hard way that Shaw can absorb any physical attack inflicted on him and transform it into strength and invulnerability. Shaw easily defeats Colossus in battle but Storm manages to escape by creating a thick fog to obscure his vision.
Down in the basement, Wolverine and Nightcrawler emerge from the sewers only to be attacked by Pierce and Leland. Pierce locks Nightcrawler in a chokehold. But while Wolverine manages to damage Pierce's cybernetic arm, Leland uses his mass-increasing powers to increase Wolverine's weight until he breaks through the floor and lands in the sewers below, where he is swept away and presumed to have drowned.
Upstairs, Storm is tracked down by Sebastian Shaw who easily defeats her in hand-to-hand combat. The X-Men have all been defeated and the inner circle members celebrate their victory. Sebastian Shaw silently notes Jason Wyngarde's cockiness and suspects that he will attempt to replace him as leader of the Hellfire Club. A toast is proposed to the newest member of their club -- the Black Queen!
Down below in the sewers, meanwhile, Wolverine emerges from the waters alive and well. He is incredibly angry, having taken the Hellfire Club's best shot and he is ready to show them his own.
This story is continued next issue.
Notes
- This cover of this issue announces that the X-Men comic book series has received five Eagle Awards.
- While it has been hinted at several times, this issue confirms that Jason Wyngarde is Mastermind.
- The final page's last panel -- Wolverine emerging from the waters and ready to take on the Hellfire Club on his own -- has become an iconic and frequently hommaged image. It is also considered one of the turning points in Wolverine's emerging breakout popularity.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- This is part of the first Hellfire Club storyline, and leads directly into the Dark Phoenix Saga. The plot covers the issues X-Men #129 through #137.
Links and References
- The Official Marvel Index to the X-Men #7 - See for further referencing
- The Official Marvel Index to the X-Men Vol 2 #3 - See for further referencing
Footnotes
- ↑ Seen in panel 1, page 11 and revealed in The Official Marvel Index to the X-Men #7
Like this? Let us know! |
References
- Comics
- 1980
- 1980, April
- Bronze-Age
- X-Men Vol 1
- Dark Phoenix Saga
- Jim Shooter/Editor-in-Chief
- John Byrne/Cover Artist
- Terry Austin/Cover Artist
- Gaspar Saladino/Cover Artist
- Chris Claremont/Writer
- John Byrne/Writer
- John Byrne/Penciler
- Terry Austin/Inker
- Glynis Oliver-Wein/Colourist
- Tom Orzechowski/Letterer
- Jim Salicrup/Editor
- James Howlett (Earth-616)/Quotes
- X-Men (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Scott Summers (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Ororo Munroe (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Kurt Wagner (Earth-616)/Appearances
- James Howlett (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Piotr Rasputin (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Charles Xavier (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Warren Worthington III (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Candace Southern (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Hellfire Club (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Sebastian Shaw (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Phoenix Force (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Jean Grey (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Donald Pierce (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Jason Wyngarde (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Harold Leland (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Sage (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Emma Frost (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Katherine Pryde (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Alison Blaire (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Warren Worthington, Jr. (Earth-616)/Mentions
- Kathryn Worthington (Earth-616)/Mentions
- Jean Grey (Lady Grey) (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Avengers (Earth-616)/Mentions
- Homo superior/Appearances
- Homo sapiens/Appearances
- Earth/Appearances
- United States of America/Appearances
- New Mexico (State)/Appearances
- Angel's Aerie/Appearances
- New York (State)/Appearances
- New York City/Appearances
- Manhattan/Appearances
- Lenox Hill/Appearances
- 66th Street/Appearances
- Fifth Avenue/Appearances
- Hellfire Club Building (New York)/Appearances
- X-Uniforms/Appearances
- Cyclops' Visor/Appearances
- Wolverine's Suit/Appearances
- Adamantium/Appearances
- Ruby-Quartz Sunglasses/Appearances
- Ruby-Quartz Helmet/Appearances