Marvel Doubles Down on Krakoa Failure, Launching X-Men: Hellfire Vigil #1 in July

Can we move on, please?

Krakoa is being referred to as a "dream," but at this point the entire concept has become nothing but a recurring nightmare for the majority of X-Men fans. Concepts no one liked regurgitated for the umpteenth time by writers with a proven track record of failure, or at least disinterest. In its latest eyebrow-raising announcement, Marvel has revealed that its Merry Mutants will be getting a new installment of the Hellfire Gala, now rechristened as the Hellfire Vigil. Issue one will launch July 2, 2025. First, here's the solicit information:

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

One year ago, at the final Hellfire Gala, the dream of a unified mutant nation was forever shattered by a cowardly sneak attack by anti-mutant forces. To mark the moment and to proclaim loudly and strongly to all concerned that mutantkind still stands, the time has come for X-Men of all stripes to come together in solidarity and celebration.

Featuring the meetings and moments that fans have been asking for since FROM THE ASHES began, be there for a keystone moment marking the movement of one era into the next and setting up story threads that will play out across the X-line in the near future!

Marvel alleges that the events in Hellfire Vigil #1 are what "fans have been asking for since From the Ashes began," but the question really is, which fans are they referring to? The paying customers that have been complaining about low-quality storytelling? Or the keyboard warriors that pirate the comics and have a lot to say on social media but never back it with dollars and cents? Because ultimately it felt like From the Ashes has been a squandered reboot that skewed too heavily towards the things that made Krakoa a failure and not enough of a return to a more iconic take on the franchise—a real slap in the face to those who were hoping for a return to form.

Indeed, the X-Men line as a whole seems a lot more concerned with appeasing online activists that don't buy the books while ignoring fans who actually invest in the series. X-Men '97 might not have done huge viewership numbers, but when you consider its limitations as a Disney+ series and the overwhelmingly positive reception that most fans had despite the small audience, one would assume that the comic should at least try to pivot to something along the lines of that show. Instead, it's Krakoa, Krakoa, Krakoa... and series that collect dust on comic store shelves.

Will a return to the Hellfire Gala/Vigil help to turn things around? We'll all find out together in July.

Source: Marvel Comics Press Release