In the
Marvel Comics universe, a centuries old organization made up of the wealthy, the powerful, and some of the most evil people on the planet. Founded in the 1760’s as a social organization for
London’s elite, the club is now one of the most venomous enemies of the
X-Men.
Shortly after its inception, the club’s most important members
immigrated to America. A former Member of
Parliament, Sir Patrick Clemens, and his mistress, the renowned actress Diane Knight became the first leaders in the American Hellfire Club, and assumed the leadership titles
Black King and Black Queen. The organization within the inner circle of the Hellfire Club is that of
chess pieces (king, queen, bishop, knight, rook, and pawn).
Sebastian Shaw (a black bishop) and Emma Frost (a white queen), both being
mutants, slew the leaders of the club after discovering a plot to use the
Sentinels to attack and destroy mutants. The plan failed, and when the smoke cleared Shaw was the new Black King.
Emma Frost remained the White Queen, while also at this time headmistress of the Massachusetts Academy, a private school where she influenced young mutants and children of the social elite to follow Hellfire Club beliefs. These children became known as the
Hellions.
The Hellfire Club gained interest with X-Men readers during a plot to control the
Phoenix by newly joined member Jason Wyngarde. Ultimately
Professor Charles Xavier and the X-Men foiled the plot, and Wyngarde was kicked out of the Club. Wyngarde’s mind control over
Jean Grey backfired, leading to the creation of the Dark Phoenix.
The heroes of the Marvel universe and the Hellfire club have clashed many times throughout the years. They have always proven themselves to be worthy of the screen time they get, as the X-Files has it’s “
Illuminati” the X-Men have their Hellfire Club. The Club has existed in many different forms, the oddest of which was when
Magneto was White King of the Hellfire Club while being the headmaster of the Xavier school and head of the X-Men.
I always found the Hellfire Club to be intriguing villains, and never doubted the
evil tendencies that Marvel writers bestowed upon them.