Marvel Just Dropped the Best X-Men Redesign Since the ’90s

The next Hellfire Gala is going to slay — and a fan-favorite member of the original X-Men lineup is stepping into the role of the devil for it.

Per ScreenRant, Marvel Comics has officially unveiled not just a pair of covers for the upcoming X-Men: The Hellfire Murder #1, but the character design sheet crafted by Luciano Vecchio for the event. The concept page includes the likes of Wolverine playing the role of the Wolf, Gambit as the Fool, Storm as the Queen, and, of course, none other than Angel as the Devil.

X-Men: The Hellfire Murder #1

• Written by ERICA SCHULTZ; EVE L. EWING; GAIL SIMONE; JED MacKAY; and SALADIN AHMED

• Main cover art by LUCIANO VECCHIO

• Variant covers by R. B. SILVA; ROGÊ ANTÔNIO; and SKOTTIE YOUNG

The official solicit synopsis for X-Men: The Hellfire Murder #1 from Marvel Comics reads, "HOMICIDE AT THE HELLFIRE GALA! When an iconic mutant power player is murdered at an exclusive masquerade hosted by Sebastian Shaw, it falls to Wolverine and Jubilee to solve a locked-room mystery that has dire consequences for all mutantkind. Everyone is a suspect. And the party isn’t over yet..."

The very first Hellfire Gala kicked off in 2021's Marauders #21, and ran through the pages of every single mainline X-Men title plus three tie-ins, amassing a whopping 15 issues in total. The Hellfire Gala, as an event in and of itself, was a grand spectacle celebrating not just Krakoa's rise to prominence and prosperity, but mutantkind's ascent along with their then newly established adoptive homeland.

The Hellfire Gala Is An Ongoing X-Men Comics Event

While the Hellfire Gala returned in the form of various one-shots and tie-in comics in the years that followed, the third annual iteration of the event ended in utter tragedy. It was the 2023 Hellfire Gala when Orchis decided to launch their all-out war against mutantkind, and as such, it was the 2023 Hellfire Gala when Krakoa as a nation began its slow and painful all.

In 2025, the Hellfire Gala returned in a decidedly different form as the Hellfire Vigil. Rather than showcasing mutant fashion or global status, the Hellfire Vigil served as a somber celebration of the lives that were lost in the war against Orchis, as well as a beacon of hope for the future of mutants everywhere.

As for what fans can expect from The Hellfire Murder #1, there are already some clear signs that nothing will be what it appears on the surface. Because the masquerade at the center of the issue is being hosted by Sebastian Shaw, better known as the Black King of the Hellfire Club, it is safe to assume that the intentions behind his grand spectacle were never pure in the first place, nor that there will only be one body piled up by the time the night is over.

X-Men: The Hellfire Murder #1 from Marvel Comics goes on sale on July 22.