Hellfire Club (comics)

The Hellfire Club is a club of comic book supervillains in the Marvel Comics, and are frequent foes of the X-Men. It was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne, and first revealed in [Uncanny] X-Men #129 (January, 1980). The club is based both on the real 18th century Hellfire Club, and the modern-day version that appeared in The Avengers television series.

The Hellfire Club counts among its members many famous and influential members of society. Membership is passed on to descendants, and can be earned through wealth or influence. The club has branches in New York City, Paris, Hong Kong and London.

Unbeknownst to most members of the club, the organization is ruled by a Council of the Chosen. This secret group later renamed itself the Inner Circle and assumed the titles of chess pieces. Originally the Inner Circle was composed of normal humans, but was slowly infiltrated and dominated by super-powered mutants that use the organization to further their conspiracies opposed by the X-Men.

The Hellfire Club first came to the attention of the X-Men when agents of the Hellfire Club kidnapped several X-Men and took over the mind of Phoenix. Though the X-Men unravelled the Hellfire Club's scheme, the meddling with Phoenix's mind led her to become Dark Phoenix.

Known members of the Inner Circle

Constant intrigue and politicking has resulted in many changes to the membership of the Inner Circle. The Inner Circle's key positions and the people known to have held those positions at one time or another are listed below.

• Lord Imperial: Sir Gordon Philips,Sebastian Shaw, Sunspot ( Roberto Decosta),
• Black King: Sebastian Shaw, Shinobi Shaw, Blackheart, Sunspot ( Roberto Decosta)
• White King: Edward "Ned" Buckman, Donald Pierce, Benedict Kine, Magneto (and Storm briefly jointly) , Daimon Hellstrom
• Black Queen: Selene, Benazir Kaur, Phoenix
• White Queen: Paris Seville, Emma Frost, Reeva Payge, Courtney Ross, Adrianne Frost
• Black Bishop: Harry Leland
• Black Rook: Friedrich von Roehm, Madelyne Pryor, Sunspot
• White Rook: Emmanuel DaCosta, Trevor Fitzroy

Although the Inner Circle is fairly secretive, there are a number of characters that have access to or are part of the circle despite lacking an official title. Mastermind was a probationary member of the club for a long time and often worked closely with the Inner Circle. Tessa, later known as the X-Man Sage, served as an advisor to Shaw and then Sunspot. Angel and Iron Man are hereditary members of the club, although they have rarely visited, and are not aware of the plans of the Inner Circle.

Magneto briefly took the title of Grey King after Sebastian Shaw was voted out of the Inner Circle by Magneto, Emma Frost and Selene. It is unclear why Magneto later negleted this position. Possibly due to a run in with the Shadow King where upon he relocated to the Savage Land and persuit of his own agenda that did not fit the clubs motives. As well as other contibuting factors such as disagreement with the economic position of the club, returning to villianous agenda, his interest with his daughter, the Scarlet Witch.

The club since then was subject to an upstart rising instrumented by Shiobi Shaw and the Selene until this was quashed by the "back from the dead" Sebastian Shaw. He reinstated some of the old Inner Circle until he dispanded it due to his own invested interest in business pursuits.

The club has continued loosely partly due to Selene's influence, although it never had the same prestige as the original.

Sebastian Shaw again reformed the his Inner Circle with a more noble outlook posing as a force for good, which may have been a desception on his part. Tessa/Sage rejoined him to observe this and to assist in Roberto Decosta upsurting the position of Lord Imperial which Shaw had recently claimed to ensure this.

The Inner Circle is now currently under the leadership of Roberto DeCosta as the Lord Imperial aided by Sage. The new White Queen Courtney Ross is also active although it is unclear if she will fall in line with the Inner Circle's new position for good under Decosta's influence. She is aided by her assassin Viper, the Warrior White Princess. Recent events suggest that as with many members in the past have their own motives and asperations.

There have been a brief London based Inner Circle which is currently dispanded. Captain Britian ( Brian Braddock ) held a position for a short term on Shaws advisement to investigate its activities as they had mutaul objectives.

Sebastian Shaw, Pierce and Selene are currently inactive due to being one way or other incapacitated.

It has yet to be seen if there will be a uprising and power struggle if they agree to coherse together for revenge or political gain over the new regime.