The Avengers are getting Hellfire Gala costumes that redesign some of Marvel’s most underrated heroes. Last year’s Hellfire Gala was a monumental night for Earth’s mutants, and this year’s promises even more fireworks. To celebrate, many of the publisher’s July titles will ship with special variant covers featuring Marvel’s mightiest icons, decked out to the nines, ready to celebrate – and this year, not only do the heavy hitters make their presence known, but some hugely underrated heroes get a chance to shine.
Marvel has unveiled new Hellfire Gala variant covers, spotlighting characters from across its universe, including a few Avengers both past and present. Black Panther #2’s cover, by Mateus Manhanini, shows the A-list hero wearing a navy blue outfit with purple accents, a ghost panther by his side. The less well-known Patsy Walker, AKA Hellcat, is featured on Amazing Spider-Man #30’s cover, drawn by Betsy Cola; Hellcat’s Hellfire outfit is a play on her traditional outfit, with her trademark yellow and blue colors. Finally, former Avenger and current X-Man Firestar takes the stage on Spider-Man #10’s variant cover by Stephanie Hans; Firestar is wearing a black outfit with flame accents.
Black Panther, Hellcat and Firestar Get a Glow-Up
The Hellfire Gala is the X-Men’s biggest night of the year – a celebration of mutant pride and culture. For one night only, Krakoa opens its doors to the rest of the world, giving them a peek at life on the island paradise. Last year’s Gala saw the mutants create a psychic link, which they then used to choose a new team of X-Men to represent Krakoa. The mutants, in a stunning display of power, also terraformed Mars, claiming it for themselves and rechristening it Arakko. Marvel celebrated last year’s Hellfire Gala with a series of variant covers celebrating “superhero high fashion.” Now, with a new Gala looming, a number of underrated Avengers get epic redesigns.
The Hellfire Gala is Marvel’s Biggest Party
This year’s Hellfire Gala promises to outdo last year’s, and these variant covers serve to get fans hyped for what is sure to be an epic event. The first batch of Hellfire Gala variants perfectly mixed superheroes with high fashion, giving fans bold and exciting new looks at their favorite characters. The initiative was successful, and now this year’s crop of covers, drawn by some of today’s top artists, look to keep the spirit of the Hellfire Gala alive. However, some unexpected heroes get a major celebration. With a new Hellcat series currently underway and Firestar joining the X-Men, the two red-headed heroes are finally getting their time in the spotlight – with jaw-dropping redesigns to match.
Underrated Avengers Get Totally New Looks
Rather than feature nothing but A-listers, Marvel has invited a number of lesser-known and underrated heroes as well. Hellcat and Firestar, both former Avengers, have been out of the public eye until recently – Hellcat returned to the pages of the recently concluded Iron Man vol. 6, playing an integral role in helping Tony defeat Korvac, while Firestar was selected to join the most recent X-Men team. While both have a long history in comics, it’s rare they get totally new looks, so these redesigns are a particular gift for fans of the non-household-name Avengers. Of course, while the Hellfire Gala is meant to be a joyous occasion, it also guarantees twists and turns, and with the ‘Fall of X’ era on the horizon, these underrated Avengers may end up being less than thankful for their invites.
Spider-Man #10 is coming July 5, Black Panther #2 is coming July 19, and Amazing Spider-Man #30 is coming July 26 from Marvel Comics.
