Mike Eakins
Each year, mutantkind gathers for a night of joyous celebration, mutant pride, and delicious drama at the HELLFIRE GALA! This year’s Hellfire Gala one-shot, X-MEN: HELLFIRE VIGIL #1, strikes a different note as the X-Men reflect on the loss of Krakoa, but it still promises to be mutantkind’s biggest night.
X-Titles Also Out May 21, 2025:
- Emma Must Go Somewhere She Really, Really Doesn’t Want To Go in Exceptional X-Men #9
- New York City Finds Itself Under Siege From A Titanic Technological Terror in Weapon X-Men #4
And as is tradition, fans can look forward to seeing their favorite characters serve super hero high fashion looks designed by some of the industry’s leading talents! Today, see some of the design work for the giant-sized one-shot from artists Luciano Vecchio, an X-Men superstar known for his current work on Storm and upcoming issues of Uncanny X-Men, and rising star Federica Mancin who makes her exciting X-Men debut next month in Exceptional X-Men #10.
A night of reunions, returns, and revelations, all setting the stage for the next year of X-Men storytelling! Always one of the most talked about comics of the year, the Hellfire Gala is now a beloved staple of the X-Men mythos, even inspiring the new season of the hit video game Marvel Rivals. In addition to Vecchio and Mancin, this latest installment will be written and drawn by various creators behind the X-Men’s current era including Jed MacKay (X-Men), Gail Simone (Uncanny X-Men), Eve L. Ewing (Exceptional X-Men), Murewa Ayodele (Storm), Stephanie Phillips (Phoenix) Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing (NYX, Giant-Size X-Men), Geoffrey Thorne (X-Force), Alex Paknadel (Astonishing X-Men Infinity Comic), Jason Loo (Dazzler), Javier Garrón (Uncanny X-Men), Netho Diaz (X-Men), Sara Pichelli (Scarlet Witch), Declan Shalvey (Mystique), Roi Mercado (Phoenix) and Marcus To (X-Force).
Vecchio explained:
“This is a Vigil, not a Gala, so these looks are striking, but more solemn, less flashy yet still fun, that reflect each character’s history in a Post-Krakoan way,” . “Unlike previous years where I focused on individual designs one at a time, here I worked in bunches at once to create a cohesive look while keeping singularities.”
“I found inspiration by limiting myself to work with mostly black and white, and figuring out what that sparked in each character’s iconography. I started with Stom, following Murewa’s directives and adding some twists of my own, and then worked on the list of characters he wanted to appear in his segment. I did the same with the Outliers and Gail, and then I added characters from my own list of who I wanted to show up.”
Mancin added:
“Being part of a major event like X-MEN: HELLFIRE VIGIL was an incredible mix of excitement and nerves,” . “I am truly grateful and humbled to be given the unique opportunity to contribute to it and work on the outfits for Emma, Sophie and the trio from Exceptional X-Men. It all came as a big challenge, but I was lucky to work with such an amazing team that helped me throughout the process and inspired me to do my utter best.”
Check out Vecchio and Mancin’s designs now:
X-MEN: HELLFIRE VIGIL #1 – 75960621148700111
- Written by JED MACKAY, GAIL SIMONE, EVE L. EWING, ALEX PAKNADEL, COLLIN KELLY, JACKSON LANZING, GEOFFREY THORNE, JASON LOO, MUREWA AYODELE & STEPHANIE PHILLIPS
- Art by JAVIER GARRÓN, NETHO DIAZ, SARA PICHELLI, FEDERICA MANCIN, LUCIANO VECCHIO, DECLAN SHALVEY, ROI MERCADO & MARCUS TO
- Cover by LUCIANO VECCHIO
Preorder X-MEN: HELLFIRE VIGIL #1 at your local comic shop today and don;t miss it when it goes on sale July 2, 2025 from Marvel Comics.
