# Hellions (Marvel Comics)
The **Hellions** are several successive teams of mutants in [Marvel Comics](https://www.edgepedia.org/marvel-comics), originally the students of [Emma Frost](https://www.edgepedia.org/emma-frost) at the Massachusetts Academy and rivals of the [New Mutants](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-mutants), and later a name reused for a villain squad, a training squad at the Xavier Institute, and a 2020 misfit team assembled by Mister Sinister. The first team debuted in *New Mutants* #16 (June 1984) by Chris Claremont and Sal Buscema as apprentices of the Hellfire Club's White Queen[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions). The name also attaches, separately, to the individual codename of Julian Keller, leader of the later Xavier Institute squad[2](https://www.marvel.com/teams-and-groups/hellions-xavier-institute).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appearance | *New Mutants* #16 (June 1984), by Chris Claremont and Sal Buscema, as Emma Frost's answer to the New Mutants[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions) |
| Original roster | Jetstream, Tarot, Catseye, Roulette, Empath, and Thunderbird, with Firestar groomed as a prominent member[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions) |
| Defining event | The team was slaughtered by Trevor Fitzroy and Sentinels in *Uncanny X-Men* (1963) #281[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions) |
| Later reuse | The name was taken by a New Hellions villain team (*X-Force* #87–90), Emplate's students, a Xavier Institute training squad, and a 2020 Krakoan team[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions) |
| 2020 series | *Hellions* (2020–2021), 18 issues, written by Zeb Wells and drawn by Stephen Segovia[3](https://www.comics.org/series/158141/) |
## Publication history
The Hellions debuted in *New Mutants* (1983) #16 as Frost's answer to Professor Xavier's young team, with Jetstream, Tarot, and Catseye given powers similar to Cannonball, Mirage, and Wolfsbane[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions). The *Firestar* (1986) limited series chronicled how Frost groomed the future [New Warriors](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-warriors) and Avengers hero to be a prominent Hellion; Firestar and Thunderbird left after encountering Xavier in *Uncanny X-Men* (1963) #193[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions).
**Successor teams.** After the original team's massacre, a "New Hellions" group appeared in *X-Force* (1991) #87–90: King Bedlam and Tarot enlisted Switch, the former X-Force member Feral, and ex-New Mutant [Magma](https://www.edgepedia.org/magma-character), and King Bedlam briefly convinced his brother Jesse Aaronson ([Bedlam](https://www.edgepedia.org/bedlam-comics)) to defect from X-Force; the team was defeated by X-Force[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions). Under the villain Emplate's command, a Hellions team of D.O.A., Bulwark, Vincente, Murmur, and Gayle Edgerton appeared in *Generation X* (1994) #12–14 and actually defeated [Generation X](https://www.edgepedia.org/generation-x); Nocturne and Wrap replaced Bulwark and Edgerton for a rematch in issue #57[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions).
When the Xavier Institute reopened with expanded enrollment, Frost reclaimed the name in *New X-Men: Academy X* (2004) #2, and the team headlined the 2005 miniseries *New X-Men: Hellions*[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions) • [2](https://www.marvel.com/teams-and-groups/hellions-xavier-institute).
**The 2020 series.** The Grand Comics Database records 18 issues with publication dates May 2020 to February 2022[3](https://www.comics.org/series/158141/), while the aggregated reference record dates the launch to issue #1's on-sale date of March 25, 2020 and the cancellation with issue #18 in December 2021 (on-sale dates). *Hellions* #5, released October 14, 2020, was part of the X of Swords crossover[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions), and the series established groundwork for [Jonathan Hickman](https://www.edgepedia.org/jonathan-hickman)'s *Inferno* event (September 2021 – January 2022).
## Fictional team biography
The original Hellions were Frost's students at the Massachusetts Academy, apprentices of the [Hellfire Club](https://www.edgepedia.org/hellfire-club)'s White Queen, trained in direct opposition to Xavier's New Mutants[4](https://www.marvel.com/teams-and-groups/hellions-hellfire-club). The group met its demise after Trevor Fitzroy, leading Sentinels, stormed a Hellfire Club gathering, where Jetstream and Beef died on the spot and the survivors had their life energy drained.[4](https://www.marvel.com/teams-and-groups/hellions-hellfire-club) Frost genuinely grieved for her students and was emotionally haunted by their murder for years[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions).
**Resurrections.** The deceased original Hellions were resurrected via the Transmode Virus by [Selene](https://www.edgepedia.org/selene-comics) and Eli Bard during the "Necrosha" storyline, and thanks to the [Resurrection](https://www.edgepedia.org/resurrection) protocols of the [Dawn of X](https://www.edgepedia.org/dawn-of-x) era the original Hellions are once again among the living[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions).
**The Academy X era ended with M-Day.** The events of *House of M* left most of the mutants at Xavier's school without their powers[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions); of the 182 students enrolled at the Institute, 27 retained their powers, and those powered students were pitted against each other to determine the membership of a single training squad, the New X-Men[5](https://uncannyxmen.net/glossary/groups/new-x-men-squad). After M-Day, Tag lost his powers like many others and was then killed when bigots opposed to mutants fired a rocket at him; because so many students had been depowered, the separate squads were broken up[2](https://www.marvel.com/teams-and-groups/hellions-xavier-institute).
**The Krakoan team.** In the Krakoan era, [Mister Sinister](https://www.edgepedia.org/mister-sinister) assembled a team of mutants, and Empath is the lone member of that team who was also on the original Hellions[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions).
## Membership and roster by era
- **Original Hellions (Massachusetts Academy)**: Jetstream, Tarot, Catseye, Roulette, Empath, and Thunderbird[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions), with Beef named among the killed at the Hellfire Club massacre and Firestar groomed for the team before leaving[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions).
- **New Hellions (*X-Force* era)**: King Bedlam, Jesse Aaronson (Bedlam), Tarot, Switch, Feral, and Magma[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions).
- **Emplate's Hellions (*Generation X* era)**: D.O.A., Bulwark, Vincente, Murmur, and Gayle Edgerton, later joined by Nocturne and Wrap[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions).
- **Xavier Institute Hellions Squad**: led by Julian Keller (Hellion), with Mercury, Dust, Rockslide, Icarus, Specter, Tag, and Wither[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions).
- **Krakoan Hellions (2020)**: Havok, Psylocke, Greycrow, Wild Child, Nanny, Orphan-Maker, and Empath, seven members under Mister Sinister[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions); the aggregated record lists the same names plus Sinister himself as the initial cast.
Several Institute members were given distinct identities: Tag (Brian Cruz) was an immigrant from Puerto Rico who could telepathically mark someone by touch to repel or attract others; Rockslide (Santo Vaccarro) was a superstrong rockman able to detach and fire his limbs like missiles; Icarus (Jay Guthrie) had wings, a healing factor, and a choral voice; Mercury (Cessily Kincaid) was living liquid metal; and Dust was Sooraya Qadir[2](https://www.marvel.com/teams-and-groups/hellions-xavier-institute).
## Relationship to the Hellfire Club and the New Mutants
The name originated as the White Queen's retinue, the Hellions being apprentices of the Hellfire Club's White Queen[4](https://www.marvel.com/teams-and-groups/hellions-hellfire-club). Under Frost the relationship to the New Mutants was a rivalry between schools rather than a straightforward villain-versus-hero conflict; the *New Mutants* debut even assigned the Hellions point-for-point power counterparts to Cannonball, Mirage, and Wolfsbane[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions).
When the Institute later organized students into squads, each with its own name, Frost's squad was designated the Hellions in honor of her first team of students, making the name a squad designation rather than a rank[2](https://www.marvel.com/teams-and-groups/hellions-xavier-institute). The Krakoan team worked differently again: rather than a school squad, it was a field team run by Sinister[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions).
## By the numbers
The 2020 series ran 18 issues[3](https://www.comics.org/series/158141/) with a Krakoan team roster of seven members[1](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions).
## The Hellion codename and the post-Krakoa team
Julian Keller is distinct from the team name that precedes him: he is the individual character whose codename is Hellion, a powerful telekinetic from a wealthy Beverly Hills family and a favorite pupil of Frost's, who led the Xavier Institute squad that shared his codename[2](https://www.marvel.com/teams-and-groups/hellions-xavier-institute).
## References
1. [The History of the Hellions – Marvel.com](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-history-of-the-hellions)
2. [Hellions (Xavier Institute): Members, Enemies, Powers – Marvel.com](https://www.marvel.com/teams-and-groups/hellions-xavier-institute)
3. [GCD :: Series :: Hellions – Grand Comics Database](https://www.comics.org/series/158141/)
4. [Hellions (Hellfire Club) Members, Enemies, Powers | Marvel](https://www.marvel.com/teams-and-groups/hellions-hellfire-club)
5. [New X-Men Squad, uncannyxmen.net](https://uncannyxmen.net/glossary/groups/new-x-men-squad)
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*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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