Inferno (Marvel Comics)

For other uses, see Inferno (comics).

"Inferno"
Cover of The Uncanny X-Men 240 (Jan, 1989).The initial issue in the arc, cover art Marc Silvestri.
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Publication date	October 1988 – August 1989
Genre	Superhero Crossover
Title(s) The Amazing Spider-Man #311-313 The Avengers vol. 1, #298-300 Cloak and Dagger vol. 3, #4 Daredevil vol. 1, #262, 263, 265 Damage Control vol. 1, #4 Excalibur vol. 1, #6-7 Fantastic Four vol. 1, #322-324 New Mutants vol. 1, #71-73 Power Pack #42-44 The Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 1, #146-148 The Uncanny X-Men #239-243 Web of Spider-Man #47-48 What If...? vol. 2, #6 X-Factor vol. 1, #35-39 X-Factor Annual #4 X-Terminators #1-4
Main character(s)	X-Men, X-Factor, New Mutants, N'Astirh, S'ym, Mister Sinister, Nanny, Orphan-Maker, Spider-Man, J. Jonah Jameson, Kingpin, Harry Osborn, Flash Thompson, Betty Brant, Hobgoblin, Daredevil, Power Pack, Fantastic Four, Kang the Conqueror, Mantis, Cloak and Dagger, Edwin Jarvis, Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Excalibur
Collected editions
X-Men: Inferno	ISBN 0-7851-0222-1

Inferno was a Marvel Comics company-wide crossover in 1989 that mainly involved the mutant titles, namely The Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, X-Terminators, Excalibur, and The New Mutants. The story concerned the corruption of Madelyne Pryor into the Goblin Queen, the final transformation of Illyana Rasputin into the Darkchylde, the demonic transformation of Hobgoblin, and a demonic invasion of New York City. The series was written by Louise Simonson, Chris Claremont, Steve Engelhart, Gerry Conway, David Michelinie, Ann Nocenti, Walter Simonson, Jon Bogdanove, Terry Austin, and Julianna Jones.

Plot

Jean Grey's clone, Madelyne Pryor, was taken in by the demons from Limbo, S'ym and N'astirh. They planned for a demonic invasion of Earth, beginning with Manhattan. Illyana Rasputin of the New Mutants began to mutate into a demon and N'astirh tricked her into opening a gateway. The city of Manhattan fell under siege, and the Avengers, Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Power Pack, and Spider-Man had to fight numerous demons, most importantly Hobgoblin, now possessed by a demon that did not disappear with the others when the crisis was over, and the mutant-hating Boogeyman, transformed into a monster by N'astirh. Even objects became demonically tainted and people's souls became twisted. Havok, Dazzler, Wolverine, Longshot, Archangel, and Storm all fell to the darkness to some extent. Colossus was one of the few who remained wholly immune to the effects of Inferno, due to the protection of his organic steel armor, which is a naturally disruptive force against magic. Some civilians weren't so lucky; some were maimed, others were simply devoured and/or killed.

As shown in Daredevil, life tried to continue as normal in the city. Buses still ran, under an all-volunteer force since the drivers had either been eaten or subsequently transformed into demons themselves. Subways functioned, though Daredevil had to save one from being sucked into the depths of Hell. Stores still sold products. Helicopter tours ran.

Other parts of the city did not function as well. The Daily Bugle was under siege, though fortunately for the untrained civilians and an injured Spider-Man inside, the demons shattered under one blow. Demons also attacked Osborn Chemical, and Harry Osborn put on his Green Goblin suit to defend it. Kang the Conqueror sought control of Mantis.

In the late stages of the story the seven-year-old Illyana could be seen in Limbo. Illyana finally chose to give up her demonic powers by creating a massive stepping disc that banished most of the demons back to Limbo, including S'ym, then throwing her Soulsword in after them to seal the portal shut. Afterwords the New Mutants found the seven-year-old Illyana inside the husk of Magik's armor. Their guess was that Illyana had removed her seven-year-old self from Limbo, thus negating everything that had happened, except that they still remembered the teenage Illyana who had never existed and they remembered events that had not happened. While the bulk of the demons were now gone, Madelyne Pryor and her servants remained, and many parts of the city remained demonically transmogrified. N'astirh was destroyed by the combined efforts of the X-Men and X-Factor, and finally only Madelyne herself was left. Jean Grey battled her clone and despite Madelyne's powers being enhanced by demonic magic, gained the upper hand. Finally unable to go on, Madelyne forcibly linked herself to Jean's mind and willed herself to die, attempting to take Jean with her. However, as Madelyne breathed her last, the fragment of the Phoenix Force that first gave her life emerged and bade Jean to use its power to save herself. Jean did so, thus breaking Madelyne's mental hold on her. New York then returned to normal. The X-Men and X-Factor then went after Madelyne's creator, Mister Sinister, who was responsible for the manipulations which led to Madelyne's creation. Cyclops blasted Sinister to a smolder, though he would eventually return.

Despite all of the destruction and death, many human Inferno survivors were convinced it was all a shared hallucination.

Significant issues

• New Mutants #71-73
• Uncanny X-Men #239-243
• X-Factor (vol. 1) #35-39
• X-Terminators #1-4
• Excalibur (vol. 1) #6-7
• Avengers (vol. 1) #298-300
• Daredevil (vol. 1) #262, 263, 265
• Power Pack #42-44
• Cloak and Dagger (vol. 3) #4
• Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #322-324
• Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 1) #146-148
• Web of Spider-Man #47-48
• The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #311-313
• What If (vol. 2), #6
• X-Factor Annual (vol. 1) #4 (backup)
• Damage Control (vol. 1) #4 (frame story only)
• What If (vol. 2) #6 (alt version)

Chronologically, this is roughly the order they occur:

• X-Terminators #1-2
• The Avengers (vol. 1) #298
• Power Pack #42
• The Uncanny X-Men #239
• The Uncanny X-Men #240
• X-Factor (vol. 1) #35
• Daredevil (vol. 1) #262
• The New Mutants #71
• The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #311
• The Avengers (vol. 1) #299
• Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #322
• Power Pack #43
• The Spectacular Spider-Man #146
• The Uncanny X-Men #241
• X-Factor (vol. 1) #36
• X-Terminators #3
• The Avengers (vol. 1) #300
• X-Terminators #4 and The New Mutants #72 (highly intertwined)
• Daredevil (vol. 1) #263
• Web of Spider-Man #47
• The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #312
• Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #323
• The Spectacular Spider-Man #147
• X-Factor (vol. 1) #37
• Web of Spider-Man #48
• The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #313
• Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #324
• The New Mutants #73
• The Uncanny X-Men #242
• X-Factor (vol. 1) #38
• Excalibur (vol. 1) #6
• The Spectacular Spider-Man #148
• Daredevil (vol. 1) #265
• Excalibur (vol. 1) #7
• Cloak and Dagger (vol. 3) #4
• Power Pack #44
• Uncanny X-Men #243
• X-Factor (vol. 1) #39
• X-Factor Annual (vol. 1) #4 (backup story)
• Damage Control (vol. 1) #4

The chronology is imperfect because of the many different points of view (of the same events) presented, so an exact chronology would break individual issues into parts. However, it is more accurate than the chronology given in Wizard in 1992, particularly when it comes to N'Astirh's physical change and the placement of Power Pack #44, which is stated in the issue to occur after Cloak and Dagger (vol. 3) #4, but was published a month earlier, and thus appears earlier in Wizard's chronology. When collected into a trade paperback, only the portions from The Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor (vol. 1), and The New Mutants were included, and the latter story line was presented separately from the first two. Starting with Excalibur (vol. 1) #6, the story moves into aftermath phase, and most of the subsequent issues show the demons leaving New York.

Sequel

A sequel has been made called X-Infernus starring Magik. It is a four-issue mini-series written by C. B. Cebulski.

A second sequel, Fall of the New Mutants, centers around Project Purgatory, a government operation that took the mutant babies used to make the portal to hell, who were recovered alive and well, to make an Army controlled base in Hell, as well as trying to figure out how to activate the powers of the mutant babies. Four years later (though due to a time dilation effect between Earth and Hell, 26 years passed for them), Project Purgatory's surviving soldiers, led by General Ulysses, along with the new fully grown and powered surviving Inferno babies, both groups of which are battle scarred, and some of each having what appear to be grafted on demon body parts, have returned to Earth, apparently out to capture Illyana Rasputin.

Project Purgatory/ Inferno Babies Members

• General Ulysses: A Marine Veteran, he is the commanding officer of Project Purgatory. A top-notch commander, with great battlefield and command skills that allowed him to lead his forces to survive stranded on their own in Hell for 2 decades. Notably also appears to have no cybernetic of demonic parts attached to his body, unlike nearly all of the non-mutant members of Project Purgatory. (Killed by Elder Gods)
• Doc Noc: Grafted demonic right arm, possessing increased strength. The arm responds to ambient anger and can act against Doc Noc's will. (Implied killed by Cannonball)
• Face: Weaponized brain stem. Capable of emitting a highly destructive energy blast from face. Due to the nature of his mutation, he is deaf, blind and mute. Bionic cranio-facial plate allows him to control his blasts.
• Scab: Forms durable armor plating when his blood is exposed to oxygen. (Implied killed by Cannonball)
• Trista: Speaks backwards, creating a neural trap, allowing her to control those who hear her. (Implied killed by Cypher)
• Shauna: Induces paralysis and drowsiness through contact with her leech-like hands; can also "taste" those she holds between her hands.
• Toko: Generates impenetrable and immovable forcefield.
• Alex: Gelatinous form, capable of engulfing opponents and inhibiting their mutant powers. The composition of his body means he is resistant to injury.
• Bob: Blue skinned, can create miniature duplicates from his blood cells.
• Russell: Possesses super speed. Often seen wearing a helmet. (Implied killed by Cannonball)
• Loca: Possesses demonic and cybernetic body grafts. Adept tracker, capable of sensing and tasting ambient emotional pheromone. (Killed by Danielle Moonstar)
• Timothy: Capable of generating thermo-chemical energy from organic exhausts on forearms. (Killed by Face)
• Maw: Multiple mouths, each with razor sharp teeth. (Killed by Face)

Collected editions

Part of the story has been collected into a trade paperback:

• X-Men: Inferno (ISBN 0-7851-0222-1)

A hardcover collection (ISBN 978-0-7851-3777-1) was announced in December 2008, for publication on May 28, 2009, which will collect X-Factor 33-40, X-Terminators 1-4, X-Men 239-243, New Mutants 71-73 and the backup story from X-Factor Annual #4.

The remaining issues appeared in hardcover as X-Men: Inferno Crossovers (ISBN 978-07851-4671-1) on September 8, 2010, which features all the remaining issues, as well as Power Pack #40, which guest-starred The New Mutants. The cover, in spite of a large X-Men logo, features Spider-Man, Green Goblin, and Hobgoblin, based on the cover of The Amazing Spider-Man #312.

References

• Inferno at the Comic Book DB