Hellions (comics)

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There have been several groups of fictional characters in the Marvel Comics universe who have been known as the Hellions. These groups were foes of various teams of younger mutant heroes in the X-Men franchise.

Contents

[edit] The Original Hellions

Hellions

Cover to New Mutants #16.
Art by Sal Buscema.
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance New Mutants #16 (Jun 1984)
Created by Chris Claremont
Sal Buscema
In story information
Base(s) Massachusetts Academy
Member(s) Emma Frost (leader)
Thunderbird (James Proudstar)
Catseye
Jetstream
Empath
Tarot
Roulette
Firestar (unofficial)
Magma
Beef
Bevatron


The original, and most notable, of the groups of Hellions were students of Emma Frost and trainees of the Hellfire Club. They were attending classes at the White Queen's Massachusetts Academy while training in the use of their powers in an underground complex beneath the school. They were longtime rivals of the New Mutants, and once held their own against the X-Men. Most were killed by the time traveler Trevor Fitzroy and a number of Sentinels. The White Queen's guilt over their deaths led to her eventual reform.

[edit] Membership

  • Catseye (Sharon Smith)[1] - could transform her body into a purple feline or semi-feline state and shift her size between that of a house cat or a panther with razor sharp claws, enhanced senses, physical attributes, and a prehensile tail. Originally believed she was a cat with the ability to transform into a human.
  • Empath (Manuel de la Rocha)[2] - able to sense and manipulate the emotional states of other living beings.
  • Jetstream (Haroun ibn Sallah al-Rashid) - generated bio-thermal energy that allowed him to propel himself through the air and move at superhuman speeds. Aided in flight by bionically implanted jets that focus his energies, and a cybernetic guidance system.
  • Roulette (Jennifer Stavros) - Could psionically influence probabilities, usually by means of colored disks of energy she generated that altered probabilities: red for good luck, black for bad.
  • Tarot (Marie-Ange Colbert) - psionically materializes the images on her tarot cards into three-dimensional constructs or as apparel for herself and others (such as the shroud and scythe of Death), as well as limited precognitive ability (focused through her tarot cards).
  • Thunderbird (James Proudstar) - possessed superhuman physical attributes, senses, and healing ability.

Later additions to the original group included:

Note: For a brief period, many members of the New Mutants were transferred to the Massachusetts Academy at Magneto's (then-Headmaster of Xavier's School) request, due to his students' need for psychic assistance from the White Queen to recover from severe psychological trauma after being wiped from existence and then later resurrected by the Beyonder in Secret Wars II. While at the Academy, all of the transferred New Mutants were inducted into the Hellions; they later returned to Xavier's School after their recovery and the revelation that the White Queen had employed Empath to coerce Magneto into allowing the transfer. The entry for the Hellions in 2006's All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe lists these New Mutants as one-time members of the Hellions: Wolfsbane, Karma, Cannonball, Cypher, and Magik. Magma was also among the afflicted New Mutants who transferred at this time; she returned to Xavier's School with the others, transferring back to the Massachusetts Academy later, after Magneto joined the Hellfire Club as its White King and relations improved between the two factions.

[edit] Temporary group of new Hellions

The next group of Hellions was organized by the parasite Emplate to attack Generation X. This group appeared only once. One member, Vincente, had been a member of the Age of Apocalypse timeline's version of Generation X; another, Bulwark, appeared alongside Emplate in later stories only to be captured and killed by Weapon X. Also among this group was Gayle Edgerton, the former girlfriend of Generation X member Chamber, D.O.A., and a mummified mutant named Murmur.

A second group (led by Emplate) made a one-issue cameo in Generation X #57. Their ranks consisted of Wrap another mummified mutant whose body was made of raw energy which increased his strength, Vincent who now had the ability to change the chemical composition of his vaporous form, a female named Ebon who could release psionic bolts of energy which disrupt the central nervous system of her targets or destabilize molecular bonds in inorganic materials, and the ubiquitous DOA.

Of note is the fact that Emplate never called his group the Hellions, but it was only in the advertising.

[edit] The New Hellions

The official second group of Hellions, also going by the name "New Hellions" was organized to battle X-Force. Members included:

  • King Bedlam (Christopher Aaronson) - Their leader, brother of X-Force member Jesse Bedlam.
  • Tarot (Mari-Ange Colbert) - Inexplicably resurrected, Tarot's life was somehow joined to King Bedlam
  • Magma (Amara Juliana Olivians Aquilla)
  • Feral (Maria Callasantos)
  • Paradigm - A mutant infused with techno-organic matter extracted from the alien Phalanx.
  • Switch (Devon Alomar) - A newcomer who could switch minds with an individual to possess their body.
  • Jesse Bedlam also briefly joined them.


[edit] The Xavier Institute's Hellions squad

Hellions

Emma Frost with the new Hellions.
Cover to New X-Men: Hellions #1. Art by Clayton Henry.
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance New Mutants vol. 2, #10 (fist debuted)
New X-Men: Academy X #2 (officially announced as a squad)
Created by Christina Weir
Nunzio DeFilippis
In story information
Base(s) Xavier Institute for Higher Learning
Member(s) Emma Frost (advisor)
Hellion
Mercury
Rockslide
Tag
Dust
Wither
Icarus (quit)

A new group of Hellions debuted in New Mutants (vol. 2) #10 (and were formally named as such in New X-Men: Academy X #2). This group is a squad of students in Xavier's school under the White Queen's leadership. Membership consists of:

  • Emma Frost - Squad advisor, telepath, and Xavier Institute headmistress.
  • Hellion (Julian Keller) - Squad leader and telekinetic.
  • Mercury (Cessily Kincaid) - Solid humanoid mercury form and can turn into and move around as liquid mercury.
  • Rockslide (Santo Vaccarro) - Durable granite outer layer; uses body parts as re-attachable projectiles.
  • Tag (Brian Cruz) - Places a psionic broadcast on a person that repels or compels those around him toward or away from the signal; depowered and killed after group disbandment.
  • Dust (Sooraya Qadir) - Changes her entire body into sand which reacts to allow her to move around in blasts and then return the sand back into her original form.
  • Wither (Kevin Ford) - Rapidly deteriorates organic matter with his body upon direct contact. Formerly a New Mutant, Wither switched to the Hellions team due to a dislike of Dani Moonstar, a hatred for Elixir, and a betrayal by his fellow New Mutants.

Former members:

  • Icarus (Jay Guthrie), currently with the New Mutants, was previously a member of this group of Hellions.
  • Specter (Dallas Gibson) was part of the initial lineup (which didn't include Dust or Icarus), but wasn't in the final, formal, team. He can blend with his own shadow, which gives him darkness powers. He can't stay in shadow form for too long or he succumbs to his own darkness. The shadow form is stronger during the day.
  • Anole (Victor Borkowski), like Specter, never formally joined the Hellions Training Squad, but was mentored by Emma Frost until he ultimately changed advisors from Frost to Northstar.

During Wanda Maximoff's reality warp in the House of M storyline, Wind Dancer, Hellion, Synch, Surge, Quill, and Illyana Rasputin were members of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Hellion Squad, led by Danielle Moonstar.

As a result of the Decimation event, in which the Scarlet Witch depowered most of the mutant population, of the 182 students enrolled at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, only 27 still retain their powers. Most of the 'ex-mutants' have left the school, and all the remaining mutants have merged into one squad. While most of the New Mutants were affected, only Tag of the Hellions was; the other Hellions retained their powers. After injuring a student Wither ran away from the institute. He is currently homeless and has been found by Selene, who was in the disguise of an elderly woman.

[edit] Notes

The only surviving members of the original Hellions were Thunderbird II (now called Warpath), Firestar, Empath, Magma, and Tarot (who died but was later resurrected through unknown means).

  • Tarot later joined the third incarnation of the Hellions formed by King Bedlam. Her resurrection was never fully explained.
  • Firestar later went on to join the New Warriors and the Avengers. Due to the impending Civil War, she has decided to quit her superhero career.
  • Magma continued her career with the New Mutants and later resurfaced as a member of King Bedlam's Hellions. Her reasons for joining were purely selfish as Bedlam had promised her a large sum of money for her services. However, Magma helped out her old teammates from X-Force to save the day. She had a short tenure, along with Empath at the Los Angeles branch of X-Corporation, but was captured by the Church of Humanity and crucified on the front lawn of the X-Mansion. Her life was saved due to Archangel's healing blood and became a resident staff member for the growing student body at Xavier's mansion. After the events of M-Day, Magma went to live on the grounds of the X-Mansion with many other mutants. She found a friend in Outlaw, but some of the other mutants, quite a few of them being former villains, had trouble with her preferential treatment by the staff. She is currently a member of the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, but will reportedly be part of the new roster of X-Men in July 2008.
  • Thunderbird joined with Cable when he formed X-Force and was a steady member for many years until the team disagreed with his leadership and walked out on him. They found a new leader in Pete Wisdom and he taught Warpath—then going simply by his last name Proudstar—how to further his abilities to include self-propelled flight. When X-force staged their own deaths, Proudstar later resurfaced as a member of the Mumbai (Bombay) branch of X-Corporation. He recently rejoined the X-Men at Professor Xavier's behest and is now on the current roster of X-Force.

[edit] Other versions

[edit] Age of Apocalypse

The original Hellions, appear briefly in the Age of Apocalypse universe as former agents of Apocalypse. After his death, they became renegades and were hunted down and captured by the X-Men for the United States government. Their fates after being remanded into government custody is unknown.

[edit] External links