X-Men, Vol. 3: The Hellfire Vigil

X-Men (2024)

by Jed MacKay, Netho Diaz (Penciler), Sean Parsons (Inker)

Prolific and acclaimed writer Jed MacKay continues his exciting new take on the X-Men!

Doug Ramsey, the heir to Apocalypse known as Revelation, has a mission: to carry on En Sabah Nur’s great work. But in trying to create the great work of a new world, the first steps are the hardest to plot. Will he be given an opportunity before this dream is strangled in its cradle? Plus: One year on from the fateful Hellfire Gala that changed everything — when a cowardly sneak attack by anti-mutant forces forever shattered the dream of a unified mutant nation — X-Men of all stripes come together in solidarity and celebration to mark the moment…and to proclaim loudly and strongly to all concerned that mutantkind still stands!

Collecting X-MEN (2024) #19-22 and X-MEN: HELLFIRE VIGIL #1.

Genres: Comics, Marvel, X Men, Graphic Novels

144 pages, Paperback

Published December 16, 2025

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4 stars

[Khurram · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to give this book 3.5 stars, but i could not round it down. Good artwork and a bit of a slow story burn to to the story. It does leave more questions than answers, but big things are promised.

Doug Ramsey is also Revelation the heir to Apocalypse. This makes him the most wanted mutant by both sides. Though he might be trying a "new way" he know their will be casualties.

The Hellfire Gala was mutant glam for all to see. This year it will be a Vigil for all the mutants have lost. Where do people stand and who's declaration will be the loudest?

Cyclops secret is out and he has some retribution coming. However with him out of the way the X-MEN are going to handle some unfinished business, but are they prepared for what happens next? Is anyone?

A good book. Now the beat lead in stories i have read, but this book has a slight edge over the Uncanny X-MEN for me. I can't wait yo see what happens next and how it happens. The book finishes with a thumbnail variant cover gallery.

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume drags a bit before the event, but it must be said that MacKay has a good grasp of the characters and gradually develops them.

I've never been too fond of the "Hellfire Gala" issues, and the Hellfire Vigil issue included here does nothing to change my mind. A lot of wasted pages.

I don't particularly appreciate Netho Diaz's artwork and his vaguely caricatured style without much storytelling to speak of.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was so fun honestly like we see what Cypher has been upto and like his whole motives and all after becoming revelation and it was fun and then the fun vigil issue like showing how mutants still remember their home that was and obviously things go wrong and like characters gets good moments and wow didn't see Temper date Ransom lol, but its a fun twist and Scott and Jean also have moments and omg beast lol! A lot of love in the air but then 3K announce themselves and you see their motive and all and love the set up of them being the big bad group for the X-MEN line for the next few months/years?

Then a story of Scott vs Lundqvist and well its a fun brawl lets say I liked that one haha! But its bloody thats for sure! Some imp. words to be had and love the way Mackay is building up his character and ONE and setting up conflicts and we also get a resolution for Trevor Fitzroy story haha! Though I would have liked a bit more from that one tbh! But fun confrontation and Magik being crazy but effective leader and then Doug comes up with an offer.. interesting issue lets say.. but that pretty much set the AGE OF REVELATIONS event!

So yeah fun volume and I am pretty much caught up with the series now so lets see how it will be down the line but this run is kinda fun and this volume while it has its flaws but I like the promise of whats to come!!

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

MacKay's X-Men has definitely risen up as the best of the post-Krakoa X-Men, and that's because it treats Krakoa as part of the X-Men's history, not something to be ignored. (Including the Hellfire Gala event in here helps with that, but this is definitely the volume it fits with.)

Even though I don't know the whole Heir of Apocalypse story (it was a mini-series no one liked, I believed), it's great to get Cipher's continued story here. Then, the Vigil was better than it had any right to be, since it was a billion comics jumbled together (but they were heartfelt).

After that, stories of O*N*E and the Upstarts and Cain and Magik and the newcomers were all strong, not just as X-Men stories that delved back into the past, but also as post-Krakoa stories.

I've been reluctant to actually buy any of the post-Krakoa volumes, but I think that MacKay is convincing me that I should add his to my collection.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A shorter volume, padded out by the Hellfire Vigil issue, which serves as this year's Hellfire Gala now that the Krakoan Age is done.

The Vigil itself has some good character moments, especially for some of the From The Ashes books that were cancelled, like NYX and X-Force. And, just like all the other Hellfire Gala issues, there's a big twist at the end that sets things up for what's going forward.

Speaking of set-up, the other four issues of the main book act as a lead-in to Age of Revelation, with some focus on Doug Ramsey and his little family, while Agent Lundquist and the Upstarts also get a spotlight. MacKay does a lot with a little, and Netho Diaz's artwork still manages to be Ryan Stegman-esque while making the book his own.

[John Henley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revelation is undoubtedly the best part of this volume. The second half here is also amazing and in line with the last two volumes. However, the Hellfire Vigil is just very very boring to me and spans for some great time of this volume.

Beyond the vigil, I found the rest of this volume to be greatly enjoyable; the plots are building and building, and the drama between the team is pretty great. I like Jen quite a bit, and Cyclopes is definitely the carry of this run.

Again, I must say the art is great and the direction, especially in the last issue, is fantastic. Though I'm not singing as high praises as I did for the last volume, I found this one a pretty good continuation. Except the hellfire piece.

[Andrew Alvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, the whole Hellfire Vigil, bar the bits that Netho Diaz drew and Jed MacKay wrote worked was a total borefest. How much wallowing can the Mutant race really do? 🤮

Aside from that MacKay and Diaz delivered another ripping volume. The brawl between Lundqvist and Scott was entertaining, Ramsey as Revelation is shaping up to be a really intriguing character and the throwndown with the Upstarts was satisfyingly brutal.

Part of the reason I'm only putting up with these incessant crossovers is because of the team working on this series. If it wasn't for them, I can't say I'd give a damn at all...

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.6/5 stars. Doug Ramsey as Heir of Apocalypse could he really interesting, we shall see. I actually really loved the Hellfire Vigil and could’ve done for an entire volume on it as long as there wasn’t sooooo many crossovers. A good reflection on what they’ve lost, collective grief, the diversity of grieving and processing, the importance of sanctuaries for people who are different. 4 stars for the effort. 4 stars for Doug Ramsey. 2 stars for anything Cyclops (i know. Trauma. PTSD. Really needs to deal with his sh*t from getting tortured. Should not be leader). 3 stars for Upstarts.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bunch of wheel-spinning while we wait for all this future nonsense (that will never happen) to start up. It's fine, just don't expect a whole lot of plot advancement other than Doug Ramsey as he takes over for Apocalypse. Oh, and the Hellfire Vigil special issue is a complete waste of time and money.

[Jourdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept up with this in single issues but I missed the Hellfire Vigil until this volume. I don’t understand what’s happening in the single issues after this volume and I will continue to just ignore it :3

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a whole lot happens here and the whole Hellfire Vigil just seems like a waste of time. I'm much more interested in Doug Ramsay/Revelation and what's going to happen there. The art is very strong throughout.

[Andres Pasten · Rating 3 out of 5]

buena previa para revelation

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite up to the previous volumes but it remains really solid and really consistent as we head into the Age of Revelation event.

Great work.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

my only gripe with mackay x-men is the way he writes magneto like dude just let him be interesting

[Harry Alliss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slight improvement on the last 2 volumes. But still seems flat following Krakoa

[Mateusz Nowowiejski · Rating 3 out of 5]

2025

[Nate Deprey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Issue 19 is a banger and gives me hope for the Age of Revelation but the rest of this is either okay, or in the case of the titular Hellfire Vigil pretty but confrontationally bad.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly transition to the next arc.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

3
Some of the worst and better issues of the run. The Revelation stories are among the better, bringing this title up to tolerable.

[Cade · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked it and it just made me want more as usual, i don’t get the bad reviews though people love to hate i fear