X-Men: Inferno

X-Men: Inferno

by Chris Claremont, Louise Simonson, Mark Gruenwald

The match is struck as the enigmatic geneticist Mr. Sinister and the demon-lord N'astirh set their respective master plans in motion - both centered around one woman: Madelyne Pryor, wife of Scott Summers, the X-Man called Cyclops. The flame is fanned as Sinister's agents, the Marauders, attack Madelyne's protectors in the X-Men, while a horde of N'astirh's demons prey upon the helpless, horrified populace of New York City. The inferno burns as Madelyne strikes her own bargain with N'astirh, and as the Goblin Queen, threatens to cast a spell that would render the entire earth a hellish wasteland where demons rule. And the sacrifice necessary is none other than her own innocent child, Nathan Christopher Summers! It's the X-Men, X-Factor, and the New Mutants in one of their most harrowing ordeals ever, with the fate of entire dimensions hanging in the balance - and the price for victory perhaps higher than any of them can bear!

Collects X-Factor #33-40, X-Terminators #1-4, Uncanny X-Men #239-243, New Mutants #71-73, and X-Factor Annual #4.

Genres: Comics, X Men, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Superheroes, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

588 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1989

About the author

Chris Claremont is a writer of American comic books, best known for his 16-year (1975-1991) stint on Uncanny X-Men, during which the series became one of the comic book industry's most successful properties.

Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.

Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.

Reviews

[Caleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, probably a 3.5 star rating if that were possible here. This event is big and dumb at times, but there are moments that actually were quite fun to read. A lot of the New Mutants stuff for sure, but I'm always a sucker for that title now.

I do have to give everyone credit for making this all fit together without being too much of a mess. Again, it is a stupid story, but the way so many hanging plot threads work into this in the end is rather amazing. The only place this fails big time, and I totally understand why, is in the crossover stories, but that's a whole other book so I'll stop my whining now.

Other than that, yeah, not a bad event. Not the best either, but more than passable for the time, and it leads nicely into the next omnibus so yay for that.

[J.D. Brink · Rating 5 out of 5]

classic ‘80s X-citement!

This is about where I came into comics as a kid. Great to relive the complete story in this collected volume. To me, THESE will always be the X-Men!

[Shane Stanis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chrises on Infinite Earths: Krakoan Kindergarten Class, Maybe it’s Goblin Queen, Malicious Compliance

Read for big baddies! Big action! Big melodrama!

[Garth · Rating 3 out of 5]

2025 - Days of Future Past: 365 Days of The X-Men
Day 338-358 (12/04-12/24)

[Jerome Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than I thought it was going to be. Best cross over so far in this era of x-men. Ties up the storyline of Madelyn Pryor and also you see the child version of Nate Summers, who grows up to be Cable. The X-men issues were the best, followed closely by the New Mutants. Third goes to the X-Factor and finally followed the X-Terminators.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for the classic X-Men story, 5 stars for Havok in a loincloth!

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. I wish I hadn’t read it like I did but the core of it was really well done. It tied in storylines, ongoing plots and gave us some great emotional moments.

Something I appreciate is that Claremont and Louise Simonson don’t forget their heroes are human too. They feel painful emotions and don’t always come out of a battle unscathed.

While I was a bit ‘meh’ with the X-Terminators team, I liked Taki (though he was written as a big stereotype). The way he jumped right in was pretty cool. I did find it a little unrealistic how much control he had over his abilities when he just discovered them.

The Illyana plot was great! I loved how tortured she was, trying to fight the darkest parts of herself. Then when she fully embraced that side but she still tried to hold on to that little bit of light inside her.
I don’t know where her story goes from here but it seems like a pretty big reset.

I knew exactly who Madelyne was before I went into this. I did find it interesting though that she would not have become all she did if Jean had not rejected the Phoenix Force.

I had to reread the Goblin Queen death scene as the first time around I didn’t quite understand what had happened.
Madelyne struck out with her power but Jean threw up a telekinetic shield to protect all but Maddy. Her own blast is what killed her body, and her mind merged with Jean’s. Which is why we got that whole plot in UXM#243.

What’s interesting is how they completely changed Scott’s history. I did ask the same question as the mutant leader; ‘why was he so special?’
Turns out it was for a pretty brutal reason…


Even the epilogue, which is typically made to bring closure to a story, continues plots introduced before this event (Jean’s sister’s disappearance).
I think I’ve said this before but I actually like when that happens. Real life doesn’t open and close like a book so this kind of epilogue feels more real to me.

Speaking on X-Factor #40, there is one panel of the babies and it’s hilarious. They had full (and styled!) hair and the lines on their face made them look like adults.
On the same page, there is a Beast drawing and it’s actually really good, probably my favourite art from the issue.

Overall, while there were moments that felt a tad dated, I really enjoyed the story told in this event. One day, I'd love to go back and read just these main issues.


Link to individual status updates:
Prologue│X-Terminators #1│X-Factor #34│X-Terminators #2│Uncanny X-Men #239│X-Factor #35│X-Factor #36│Uncanny X-Men #240│X-Terminators #3│New Mutants #71│X-Terminators #4│New Mutants #72│Uncanny X-Men #241│X-Factor #37│New Mutants #73│Uncanny X-Men #242│X-Factor #38│Uncanny X-Men #243│X-Factor #39│Short from X-Factor Annual #4│X-Factor #40│Extras

[Nicolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inferno is an X-Men story that spilled over into the rest of the Marvel Universe line with their own tie-ins. The story calls for it since Manhattan was turned into the center of a demonic spell that turned the entire island into the realm of Limbo and almost all of Marvel's superheroes call New York City home.

This collection contains the core story, which is several prologues, fifteen books and two epilogues. This book supersedes the original trade paperback which only contained the chapters that appeared in the New Mutants, Uncanny X-Men, and X-Factor monthly titles. For some reason, it didn't include X-Terminators miniseries, which was a key part of the early part of the story.

The core Inferno story is actually two arcs, with a Mr. Sinister battle shoehorned in. The first arc involves the younger mutant cast members of the New Mutants and X-Factor's wards, the X-Terminators. The story is about how the Inferno spell came to be cast and the fall of Limbo's former ruler, the New Mutant Magik. This story is all done by Louise Simonson who was the writer on New Mutants and on the X-Terminators miniseries. This story culminates two major plot threads: the Illyana in Limbo Saga and the teen X-Terminators joining the New Mutants.

The second arc is the X-Men/X-Factor team-up. A little context for this era of X-Men stories; the original class of X-Men became X-Factor and left the mansion while the X-Men died, reborn and currently covertly living in Australia. The X-Men also thought that X-Factor sold out and became mutant hunters; so, there were definitely sparks ready to fly if they should meet, and they did. It also deals with Maddy Pryor wearing a new slutty witch outfit as the Goblin Queen and the man who held the strings behind the Jean Grey clone, Mr. Sinister.

Regarding the art, Marc Silvestri is at the peak of his powers during this phase of his run with the Uncanny X-Men title. To use an Old West analogy, Silvestri is the young gun making his mark, while Walter Simonson is the older gunslinger who rises to the occasion to match the younger Silvestri's output in both quality and quantity with own run on the X-Factor title. The Uncanny X-Men and X-Factor chapters are my favorite parts to read in this story.

Reading this story is the enjoyment and excitement that I look for in comic books. However, this story shouldn't escape criticism of reducing the character of Maddy Pryor into a hysterically crazy version of herself and her eventual death as a villain in order to absolve Marvel of one of its most disturbing plot threads; that of Cyclops leaving his wife and child in order to join up with his resurrected ex-girlfriend on X-Factor. This story may have relegated Maddy to the dustbin of concluded plot threads, but it cements Cyclops as a grade A jerk.

Read originally as individual digital comics on the Marvel Comics app and on Marvel Unlimited.

[Lulu (the library leopard)]

This is LITERALLY just Medea but everyone is wearing spandex. Also, I think this may have ruined me for all other superhero comics cross-overs because even if it's not perfect, it did a good job of having important character stuff from each series featured and wasn't just "all the superheroes team up to punch a bad guy together."

Other thoughts:
-Watching everyone yeet baby Nathan around was hilarious with the knowledge that he grows up to be gruff, muscle-bound Cable is intensely funny
-I hate Madelyne's Goblin Queen outfit but the fact that Alex gets a matching one is so funny I'm giving it a pass
-The stuff involving Illyana Rasputin's made me sad :(
-X-Terminators is literally a workplace comedy about demons
-I love baby punk Rictor so much
-Storm's speech to Madelyne Pryor was deeply legendary
-Jean's hair looked great in this
-Wow I am going to be haunted by the tragedy of Scott Summers and Madelyne Pryor for a while oh well

[Dan P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inferno will always be iconic. It feels like a true culmination of several storylines across the X-Men titles, which is really fun and satisfying at key moments. But at the same time, none of those books are exactly at their best. New Mutants is probably the strongest title going into the event, and Illyana's Inferno storyline is the most compelling, if extremely inconsistent between issues, writers, and artists. Uncanny X-Men is figuring itself out post-outback, and its characters feel kind of dropped into this event without much to do until the very end. X-Factor never really gelled as a book to begin with and continues to be the albatross of the X line. I think the best chapters of Inferno are in the X-Terminators miniseries, which feels like the core Inferno story alongside New Mutants, despite starring a cast of characters that didn't really matter before and never will again. We'll always have insufficient postage ❤️

[Paxton Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this back in the day when it was coming out. Decided to reread for the first time.

This is one of my favorite Marvel events. The saga of Madelyn Pryor the Goblin Queen, Mr Sinister, and the transformation of New York into an extension of Limbo. The X-Men and X-Factor were the best stories. But I also really liked the New Mutants stuff that focused on Magyk. Lots of really cool stuff here. The art is great.

There is some stuff I didn’t like. The X-Terminators are terrible. And they’re superfluous with the New Mutants right there. I think after this they merged the two teams together. Also, man, this was LOOOOONG. And I didn’t even read the crossovers. Id forgotten how long it was. With the prologue and the epilogue. It just kind of went on a little too long.

That being said, it’s a classic. Totally holds up.

[Kris Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one falls under the category of 'not as good as I remembered it being'. I only bought the Uncanny X-Men issues off of the stands, so my initial interpretation of this crossover was that it was great. I had the old softcover trade that didn't cover as many bases as this expanded hardcover edition does and it seemed like a better read. The X-Terminators mini series sucks. I bought the first issue off of the stands and was so put off by Jon Bogdanove's artwork that I never followed through with the rest of the series. This was an okay read here in late 2009/ early 2010, but it was tired by the end. On the plus side, it was presented in a beautiful oversized hardcover package with nice paper and sewn binding, so at least it has that going for it.

[Crazed8J8 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true epic

Inferno is catching fire! Huge, impactful story that spans several titles, a great read and solid artwork throughout. Goblin Queen, Sinister, X-Men, X-Factor, the New Mutants and so much more, this run has it all. Also, Liefeld's first Marvel work.

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Crap story. The only reason to view this for Simonson's and Silvestri's artwork.

[Trevor · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a slog. There's a reason it took me two years to finish this.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

About halfway through, I thought, "Wow, this is the first Chris Claremont book that isn't a tremendous disappointment." But then I saw Louise Simonson did most of the writing, so I guess that's not true.

What makes this better than a Claremont book is that while things do keep happening, they seem to happen with some sort of sequence and relevance to each other. Now, it's not great because there are so many balls in the air and so many wild shifts that it's hard to really feel the stakes. Worst of all is the "X-Terminators" mini-series included in this book. It's like the castoffs from (ultimately X-Force) with a dash of Future Foundation and then left to spoil.

Interesting that of all of this Sinister is the only thing that really lasted. (I think?)

[Tabatha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first of it's type that I read. It was a book with a series of comics piled into one to make a long chain of events that lead up to a larger story. It started out kind of meh, flowed into an amazing story, that ended up a little stale near the end. Still a great read though. Gotta love to references to awesome things like Ghostbusters. Wish I could keep this book but it's a friend of mines, so it goes back to him tomorrow.

I'm glad he gave me the opportunity to read it. I hadn't ever heard of it and didn't really know what it was until I read it...Next he's going to let me borrow some G.I. Joe graphic novels.

[Stacy Spoonster · Rating 4 out of 5]

X-Men inferno

This is one of my all time favorite story lines. I remember waiting each month for the next issue then stealing...er...borrowing my brother's copy of X-Men and X-Factor. yes, I'm old. The only thing I did not like about this is the fact that it did not go in chronological order, but went through each title's story line and then moved to the next title. It made things a little disjointed and there was a lot of repetition that way. But I still love the story!!!

[Eddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The X-Men get creepy.