Hellions #18 marks the series finale with the return of Madelyne Pryor

Hellions #18
(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Hellions, one of Marvel's weirdest, wildest, most underrated current X-Men titles is coming to an end in December with #18. In the issue, writer Zeb Wells and artists Steven Segovia and Ze Carlos will bring back famed X-Men enemy Madelyne Pryor - though the publisher is asking whether Madelyne will return as "friend or foe."

Hellions #18 cover by Stephen Segovia (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Madelyne Pryor, a clone of Jean Grey created by Mister Sinister with her own mutants powers as well as connections to demonic magic as the Goblin Queen, appeared in the first arc of Hellions, manipulating her former lover Havok against his teammates.

Pryor was killed in that arc (not for the first time), with the Krakoan Quiet Council refusing to resurrect her because she is a clone, which is generally against their protocols. Now, for the Hellions finale, she'll return, and writer Wells promises that she'll be sticking around in some capacity.

"Hellions may be coming to an end, but our team of outcasts are gonna leave their mark on the way out the door," Wells states in Marvel's announcement. "This includes bringing back one of my favorite characters, Madelyne Pryor! And take it from me, this is only the beginning for our Queen…"

Wells himself will be moving on from Hellions to take over as head writer of the so-called 'Beyond Board' of writers who will helm Amazing Spider-Man starting with #75, taking the title thrice monthly. As for the X-Men line, head writer Jonathan Hickman is about to launch his swan song with the line in Inferno, a limited series that will bring together numerous threads from throughout his X-Men run - many of which have run directly through Hellions.

Here's a gallery of all three covers:

Hellions #18 is due out in December. Look for Marvel's full December 2021 solicitations later this month on Newsarama.

Here's why Hellions is (or was) an essential must-read X-Men/Marvel title...

George Marston

I've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011. I've also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many weird pictures, and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them)