Even a month removed from the tragedy of the Hellfire Gala, readers are still stunned over the most recent “Mutant Massacre” to befall the X-Men – the first few years of the Gala established it as the greatest celebration of the Krakoan Era, but the 2023 edition was anything but, as it was attacked by the anti-mutant organization known as Orchis, led by Nimrod.
X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1 – by Gerry Dugggan and Jonathan Hickman, with art by Joshua Cassera, Luciano Vecchio, R.B. Silva, and Russel Dauterman – turned the spectacular party, attended by much of Krakoa’s mutant population, into a mass casualty event, which saw the deaths of many famous mutants. Readers took to twitter to express shock, dismay, indignation, frustration, and a whole host of emotions over the issue.
The Hellfire Gala Was Shocking, But Some Readers Were Unhappy
Original X-Men such as Jean Grey and Iceman were fatally wounded at the Hellfire Gala, though it seems the new Jean Grey series will see her circumvent death somehow, and Iceman has already been brought back. By far the most devestating loss was the newly unveiled X-Men roster, most of whom were not spared from the night’s mayhem. Some members like Talon, Synch, and Juggernaut barely managed to escape unscathed. Jubilee, Prodigy, and Dazzler, were not so lucky, seemingly killed during Orchis’ attack. Meanwhile, others like Cyclops remain in critical condition. Countless lives were lost on the night of the Hellfire Gala and, appropriately enough, the moment has since boasted countless opinions from fans.
Reactions From The X-Men Fanbase Continue To Be Explosive
As can be seen above, many tweets express disappointment in seeing such a diverse X-Men team being killed off so soon, and so easily, after just being voted in. Others find it both disappointing and humorous to see Jean Grey die once again. Some are simply “tired” of seeing the mutants suffer another massacre. Whatever the reaction was, it’s clear that the moment was visceral enough to warrant a strong reaction. The response has been varied, with different readers dissecting the Mutant Massacre from every possible angle. Whether they loved it or hated it, readers have found themselves thoroughly invested enough to talk about it and continue to do so today.
A month has passed since the Mutant Massacre took place in X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1, and readers continue to talk about the Mutant Massacre in its fallout. As seen in one of the tweets above, stories like Jean Grey #1 and Invincible Iron Man #9 go a long way in adding additional layers and context to the Mutant Massacre. In the latter case, readers are even making predictions on who will be “Orchis’ undoing” to avenge the mutant population. Marvel is treating the Mutant Massacre like the most impactful moment in X-Men history, and feedback from fans analyzing it in the aftermath helps add further weight to that moment.