Hellion (character)
Hellion is a fictional character, a mutant appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was a member of the student body of the Xavier Institute before its closing and was a member of the X-Men's training squad.
Hellion joined the X-Men in Utopia and during the "Second Coming" storyline, loses his hands in a battle to protect the mutant messiah. He subsequently learned to use his telekinetic abilities to telekinetically control his prosthetic hands. He returned to Westchester and joined the Jean Grey Academy led by Wolverine. After the "Secret Wars" storyline, Hellion comes into contact with the Terrigen Mist and nearly dies of M-Pox. During the Krakoan Age, he relocates to Krakoa and participates in the Crucible, which results in his death. He then goes through the mutant resurrection protocols; this resurrection process restores his body, including his hands. During the "From the Ashes" publishing initiative, following the fall of Krakoa, Julian reappears in New York City as the villain known as the Krakoan.
Publication history
In 2003, Hellion first appeared in New Mutants #2 and was created by Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir, and Keron Grant. Following the end of Grant Morrison's New X-Men, New Mutants was then relaunched as New X-Men: Academy X in May 2004. Hellion appeared in this series, and the limited series New X-Men: Hellions, as a member of the Hellions. Following the 2005 "Decimation" storyline where most mutants were depowered, the training squads were dismantled and Hellion joined the New X-Men team. The title was later shortened to simply New X-Men when the new creative team of Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost took over the series with issue #20. In 2008, the series ended with issue #46 during the "Messiah Complex" storyline; Hellion is gravely injured during this crossover event. In the follow-up storyline, Hellion is the focal point of one of the short stories in X-Men: Divided We Stand #1 which highlights his discovery that the X-Men are gone and the students have been scattered.In 2009, Hellion appears in X-Force where he is saved by the X-Force team and cured of the Legacy Virus. He then appears in the 2009 "Utopia" storyline set in San Francisco. During the 2010 "X-Men: Second Coming" crossover event, Hellion fought on the front lines to defend Utopia resulting in the loss of his hands in the battle. Following this, he appeared in X-Men: Legacy. The "Fables of the Reconstruction" story arc, in issues #242–243, by writer Mike Carey focused on Hellion. On the confrontation between Hellion and Cyclops during this arc, Carey said:
I think that conversation between Hellion and Cyclops is painful on both sides – and the judgment is flowing in two directions. I think the key difference between the two men at that point is that Cyclops has sanctioned extreme violence having reached the conclusion that nothing else would do the job; Hellion has lashed out in a moment of complete loss of control. Both have blood on their hands, and each thinks that their own violence was defensible. You have to work out where you sit in relation to that argument.
Hellion also made guest appearances in the ongoing series X-23 by writer Marjorie Liu. Following the 2011 "X-Men: Schism" crossover event, Wolverine returned to Westchester to open the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning which was the focus of the Wolverine and the X-Men series. Hellion was one of a number of mutant students who enrolled in that school. In 2014, Hellion was then one of the students in the Special Class taught by Spider-Man, in the limited series Spider-Man and the X-Men by writer Elliott Kalan and artist Marco Failla, following Wolverine's death. On Hellion and the room for character growth, Kalan commented:
His actions are informed by his experiences as a potential mutant leader with a huge destiny ahead of him whose life unexpectedly fell apart, and his future derailed. Now he doesn't know where he's headed anymore and that makes him lash out. He's got a really good reason to be an angry brat! By the end of this first storyline, Hellion will hopefully be ready once again to become the guy he was always meant to be.
In 2016, Hellion appears in Uncanny Avengers #6 where he attempts to destroy New Attilan since he is dying of the M-Pox disease after being exposed to the Terrigen Mists. Instead, he is captured by the Inhumans and Medusa vows he will be saved. In 2017, later in the series, he is seen volunteering at the New Attilan General Hospital as repayment for being cured of M-Pox. In 2018, artist Carlos Pacheo mistakenly drew Hellion with normal hands instead of his metal hands in Phoenix Resurrection #2.
During the Krakoan Age, Hellion lived on Krakoa. In 2024, during the "X-Men: From the Ashes" publishing initiative, Hellion reappears in New York City as one of the main villains of the ongoing series NYX where he is known as the Krakoan. The series is written by duo Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing with art by Francesco Mortarino. Kelly likened Hellion to "a certain pink-haired troublemaker", describing him as a privileged and powerful individual who assumed the world would conform to his expectations. However, over time, Hellion has "been HAMMERED with the hard fact that that presumption is completely and utterly wrong". On Hellion's role as the Krakoan, Lanzing explained:
He's always been a fascinating character, but what interested me was lensing our story in on a person who had a genuine grievance in the post-Krakoa era and was properly set up to take on a kind of street-level Magneto role. After all, isn't that the thing about Magneto – that you can genuinely empathize and agree with his point of view? Like Magnus/Erik/Max before him, the Krakoan has a point… but it's coming from a place of deep scarring on his soul.Lanzing described Kelly as a "lifelong fan of Hellion" who wanted to give the character "a story that really paid tribute to his hard-knock time as a young mutant". Hellion is the point of view character for issue #8 ; this issue also included flashbacks to his time on Krakoa.
Fictional character biography
Xavier Institute
Born in Los Angeles, California, to parents who managed to work their way out of poverty to become billionaires, Julian was sent to the Xavier Institute in hopes that he would learn to use his powers with some discretion. Hellion has quickly adopted an attitude of superiority while training at the Xavier Institute that has annoyed some of his classmates. A fast favorite of headmistress Emma Frost, who sees in him great potential for heroism as well as a frightening disposition for personal gain and villainy, Julian named himself 'Hellion' in tribute to the former White Queen's first class of students.Hellion has demonstrated quite a significant interest in Sofia Mantega, co-leader of the rival New Mutants squad. The two different personalities had a flirtatious relationship from the beginning, but also often clashed when it came to ideals and beliefs. The two had quite an effect on each other. While Sofia became more rebellious, even helping the Hellions attempt to break Wither out of jail, Julian became more sensitive and more comfortable with his emotions. However, when Sofia rejected Julian's invitation to the school dance, Julian dated all three of the Stepford Cuckoos. By the end of the night, the pair eventually reunited on the dance floor.
Despite his relationship with Sofia, he is particularly hard on her New Mutant teammates like David Alleyne, the New Mutants' other leader, whom he views as possessing a particularly useless mutant power and as a genuine competitor as a leader and strategist. However, when the Blob attacked the school, Julian followed David's plan of attack. He had an on-and-off friendship with Elixir, initially befriending him until he learned of his past as a member of the Reavers. However, they have since reconciled and have a more friendly and supportive relationship. Despite his tumultuous relationship with the New Mutants, he was the one who encouraged Sofia to put her squad back together when they were on the brink of disbanding.
M-Day aftermath
In the aftermath of M-Day, the previous squad system has been abandoned due to the diminished number of powered students. Those left have been placed to join the only squad that would train under the X-Men, called the New X-Men team. Just prior to the competition, Emma asked Julian to make sure that X-23 was eliminated early. However, when given the chance to knock her out, he saved her instead, because he owed her for doing the same during a session in the "Danger Cave". As a result, Emma placed Surge as team leader to punish Julian. Surge and Hellion had a well documented mutual dislike for each other, which only intensified after M-Day. When Sofia overheard Julian saying the depowered David Alleyne no longer belonged at the institute, the also now human Mantega ended her relationship with Keller. She abruptly left the Institute and left Hellion angry and distraught. Julian and Sofia have both been known to dream of each other since Sofia left the school.Julian, having trouble with his powers, is practicing with Beast in the Danger Room when he accidentally blows a hole in the floor. After taking a shower, he goes looking for Mercury when he comes across Loa, Rockslide, and Anole watching the Young Avengers on TV. He eventually finds a bloodied X-23 and finds out Mercury has been kidnapped by the Facility and tags along. X-23 uses her underworld contacts to find Mercury's captors and Julian is horrified when Laura kills people working for the people who created her and he tells her not to. They head to the Facility and are confronted by Kimura and a squad of guards. After a brief fight, Julian throws Kimura a few miles away and together they find Mercury; when they are confronted by a group of Predator Xs, one injures his shoulder.
Alongside Nori, Hellion is one of the students who was not transported to Limbo. While he and Surge argue about his reckless disregard for her leadership by leaving with X-23 to save Mercury and not telling her, the other students inside the X-Mansion get transported to Limbo while they are still outside. Trance used her powers to get a message to the two. She told them that they were taken to hell and then she said "Belasco" and disappeared. Surge and Hellion went to the Office of National Emergency and learned that Amanda Sefton was in a coma in Germany. The two demanded that they be the ones to go see her. Later Hellion, Surge, and a Sentinel are transported to Limbo by Sefton. They are greeted by thousands if not millions of demons. After Illyana comes to her senses, she teleports everyone back to the X-Mansion.
During the "World War Hulk" storyline, Hellion is one of the students who confront the Hulk when he shows up at the institute. He uses his powers to pin down the Hulk in the first attack but Hulk knocks him away. When Hellion goes in for a second attack he is the first to be defeated. Hulk realizes he is a telekinetic so he gets him out of the way. Hulk smashes his hands together, creating a boom which knocks out Hellion, rupturing his eardrums.
While practicing his powers, Julian complains to Mercury about his powers and says he cannot deal with anything smaller than a refrigerator, and because Marvel Girl is still in space, he is one of the last telekinetics on the planet. Afterwards, he and Mercury are with the Stepford Cuckoos trying to locate the youngest mutant on the planet when Emma Frost asks to see them both for an interview. He reminds Emma about her bizarre trust speech and how she has blown them off since the Purifier attack. He says that she is just putting a little distance between them in case they do not make it.
Later, the students all gather to find out who the youngest student is. During the meeting, Nori kisses Julian in front of Prodigy. Julian pushes her off and notices an upset X-23 leave. He flies off outside and Dust catches up to him. He tells her his best friend is dead, the girl he thought he loves is gone, his mentor flipped out, he cannot stop thinking about a girl who literally scares him, and now he has to deal with Nori. He says it is too hard and while he used to be so sure he has no idea now and there is no one to show him. He then thanks Sooraya for being there. He then walks in on Nori and David in the middle of a fight. He throws David against the ceiling and when he asks Nori if she is OK, David hits him from behind and injures him. He then tells David that he 'didn't kiss her'. to which David replies, 'I know'. He is then told he should go see Elixir about his injuries.