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The second annual Hellfire Gala is now one for the books, with the entire 2022 event taking place in July 13’s X-Men: The Hellfire Gala one-shot from writer Gerry Duggan and artists Kris Anka, Russell Dauterman, CF Villa, Matteo Lolli, Rain Beredo, Frank Martin, Matt Milla, and Matthew Wilson.
Among the many unforeseen surprises in the one-shot (and there are a few), the one thing we knew for sure would happen is the second annual vote for a new X-Men team – including a member voted on by readers themselves.
So who made the cut? Along with a perhaps surprising winner of the aforementioned fan vote, there are some mainstays – and some even bigger surprises than the member elected by fans.
Spoilers ahead for X-Men: The Hellfire Gala #1
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Oddly enough, the votes for the new X-Men members are revealed by Scarlet Witch, who is allowed to psychically tap into the minds of the mutants of Krakoa to take volunteers and nominations for X-Men membership and to take a tally of the vote.
In the first round of winners of the X-Men election, it’s announced that Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Synch will all remain on the team – while the newest member, elected by fans (but nominated in the story by Emma Frost), is Firestar, for whom it’s stated the vote was “not close”.
(We don’t know if that applies to the real world or just on Krakoa, as Firestar’s real-world fan vote tally isn’t revealed in the issue).
After she accepts her place on the team, Firestar is quietly confronted by her former Avengers teammate Tony Stark, who implies that she should act as a spy among the X-Men for the rest of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
Scarlet Witch then reveals that Forge has been chosen to be part of the team – much to his apparent chagrin, as he’s working on a secret black ops project for Magneto and Xavier which is so secret he telepathically assures them he’ll get kicked off the team to keep it hidden if he has to.
Forge in turn nominates Havok for X-Men membership, for which he too is chosen. Magik then insists on membership, with no one refusing her request.
Finally, Iceman, indirectly but slyly referencing his friendship with Firestar from their days as Spider-Man’s so-called ‘Amazing Friends’ (an ’80s Marvel cartoon reference that has since become somewhat canon), volunteers for the final roster spot.
This leaves the new X-Men roster as:
- Cyclops
- Jean Grey
- Synch
- Firestar
- Forge
- Havok
- Magik
- Iceman
There you have your new X-Men for at least one more year, assuming Marvel Comics chooses to repeat the Hellfire Gala for a third go-round in 2023 – unless of course, something happens to disrupt Krakoa and mutant society before then.
Marvel has released two first-look interior preview pages to August 17’s X-Men #13 that features the first adventure of the new line-up, and with new variant covers to the issue, including a design variant featuring Firestar’s new costume by artist Pepe Larraz and the first of Russell Dauterman’s new trading card variant covers that will highlight the team’s new members.
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For all the upcoming adventures of the new team and much more, stay on top of our listing of all the new X-Men comics planned for release in 2022 and beyond.
