After numerous hints have been dropped and warnings given, the X-Men Inferno event has arrived from Marvel Comics. The first issue releases today, but what exactly IS Inferno? There have been clues provided about what’s coming since the beginning of writer Jonathan Hickman’s new era. Here’s what is known so far.
The Dawn of X era began the current status quo for the X-Men. It introduced the X-Men as inhabitants of a new nation: Krakoa. The start of the era began with House of X and Powers of X in 2019. These series also included major shake-ups like the introduction of the mutants’ resurrection abilities and the revelation that Moira MacTaggert is a mutant. Even then there were hints at what was to come. However, life on Krakoa, new threats, and other major events soon took over the spotlight. Now, a reckoning seems to be on its way and there are several key players to keep an eye on.
Inferno, which shares a name with a classic 1980s X-Men storyline, is a four-issue event written by Jonathan Hickman with art by Valerio Schiti, R.B. Silva and Stefano Caselli that will bring about the consequences of breaking promises – and keeping them. One woman will burn everything to the ground – though which woman, why, and some ramifications will be revealed within the event. The governing body of Krakoa, the Quiet Council, created the foundation on which the nation stands. This includes all the rules that inhabitants must follow and the punishments for mutants who break the laws set forth. There are also secret rules in effect, which may be broken – causing a major shake-up. The main rule that seems to be at work here is: no pre-cognitive mutants allowed on Krakoa. This has caused many mutants to be purposely kept out of the mutant nation – including Destiny, Mystique’s wife. Charles Xavier promised to resurrect her if Mystique is compliant and carries out dangerous missions – though this promise was never meant to be kept and hasn’t been thus far.
In House of X #2, Moira MacTaggert is shown to live numerous lives thanks to secretly being a mutant with the gift of reincarnation. In her third life, she has a run-in with Mystique and Destiny who kill her while giving her warnings about future consequences she may suffer for her actions. Moira had previously been trying to cure the X-Gene. Destiny suggests she work to help mutants instead – or else. This creates an early conflict between Moira and Destiny, which will likely play a key role in Inferno. In a flashback in X-Men #6, Destiny is seen telling Mystique, “Remember these words: Bring me back. If you cannot…if they will not…then burn that place to the ground.” Mystique recalls these words in X-Men #20 after Xavier again refuses to resurrect her wife.
Moira has been seen reading Destiny’s diaries, which contain all of Destiny’s premonitions of the future. These diaries were previously believed to be destroyed, but they are in Moira’s possession and are likely a key force in monitoring (and driving) her goals. Moira has not been around Krakoa as of late after secretly faking her death, with her whereabouts being generally unknown – though she is likely to make a return in this new event. Emma Frost has dropped hints that she is aware of Moira’s involvement in Krakoa, though how and what she intends to do with that information isn’t known either.
The life the mutants are leading is one that sits in a delicate balance. Various members of the Quiet Council have left it, in one way or another, rendering it incomplete. Considering how many secrets are being kept, it also appears likely that Inferno could begin a power struggle or a shift in power for Krakoa’s near future. Another key component for Inferno is Nimrod, the advanced Sentinel that has recently come online. The awakening of Nimrod could bring war, triggering a potential extinction for mutants – and humans, and would be another major threat to the X-Men’s current life and their future. As the last X-Men story Hickman will be writing for the foreseeable future, Inferno is the culmination of almost three years’ worth of X-Men nation building, which could now be burned to the ground from all the secrets kept and promises made – and the first issue’s available now.
