When Zeb Wells and Stephen Segovia debut Hellions, one of the upcoming additions to Marvel’s eXponentially eXpanding X-Men lineup, in March, they’re bringing back a fan-favorite character to join in the fun. A new Hellions teaser released by the publisher today features Madelyne Pryor, the Goblin Queen, standing atop a pentagram featuring the faces of the Hellions team.
For the uninitiated, strap in. Madelyne Pryor was a clone of Jean Grey created by Mister Sinister, for the purposes of selective breeding with Scott Summers. After Scott left the X-Men following Jean Grey’s death during The Dark Phoenix Saga, he met Madelyne and the two fell in love and eventually married. They had a son, who would eventually be taken to the future and grow up to become Cable. Following a series of really unfortunate events (baby Cable’s kidnapping by the Marauders, and Scott’s abandonment of her following the return of the real Jean Grey), Maddie made a deal with a demon (okay, multiple demons) for the power to save her son. After Sinister revealed the truth of her creation, Maddie went insane and helped lead a demon invasion of Earth during the Inferno storyline. At the climax of that story, Maddie committed suicide. She’s popped up again a few times since then, the door of death in the Marvel Universe being an ever-revolving one.
The Goblin Queen’s return was initially teased back in Powers of X #4 in one of the ‘Sinister Secrets’ blind items:
Years ago, a deceased redheaded pretender made a pact with the devil. When she passed on, most believed that any secrets she had went with her to the grave. Won’t everyone be surprised when they find out not only is this not true, but she left behind a whole lot more than secrets.
Given Madelyne’s history with Hellions team members Mister Sinister and Havok (with whom she had a brief affair), her return in the series should stir up some entertaining drama.
Hellions #1 is due out from Marvel in March.
