Marvel's X-Force Explains the Hellfire Club's New Role in the X-Men Reboot

Marvel's X-Men Reboot "Dawn of X" continues with the release of X-Force #1, which takes us deeper into the new world order that's been established, ever since Charles Xavier established the new mutant nation of Krakoa. Not surprisingly we learn that various elements of humanity are gathering together to strike at Krakoa - but during the course of X-Force's first issue we also learn about how the X-Men are striking back against that human threat. Part of Xavier's plan for the mutant new world order is by using the Hellfire Club to accomplish the things that the X-Men and Krakoa's "Quiet Council" government can't!

Warning: SPOILERS for X-Force #1 Follow!

Like every new X-Men comic in the "Dawn of X" reboot, X-Force #1 comes with some informative charts that help expand the new world of the X-Men that Jonathan Hickman established in "House of X". One of those charts is titled "From the Desk of Professor Charles Xavier" and it breaks down two main areas of Krakoa's foreign policy, in regards to nations who do not recognize Krakoan sovereignty and mutant amnesty:

• Official Response to Non-Treaty Nations - Krakoa will publicly treat dissenting nations as future allies who have not yet "realized the benefits of the agreement" which gives them miracle drug cures only Krakoa can produce. It keeps Krakoa looking friendly and benevolent (and non-aggressive) on the geo-political stage. If there is a more hostile response aimed at Krakoa, the council will decide on tactical response to said hostility.
• Unofficial Response to Non-Treaty Nations - Foreign Nations that don't recognize Krakoa, but have citizens in need of Krakoa's miracle drugs, can still arrange to obtain them through black market channels arranged and maintained by the Black King of the Hellfire Trading Company (Sebastian Shaw). Any attempts to secure Krakoan drugs without going through the Hellfire Trading Company will be left to the Black King to sort out how he sees fit (likely not in a friendly way). Meanwhile, factions like Kitty Pryde's Marauders will be working to undermine the opposing governments, and smuggle oppressed mutants into Krakoa.

So there it is: In the "Dawn of X" The Hellfire Club has been re-purposed as the Hellfire Trading Company, and it seems that Charles Xavier is none too shy about using mutants of questionable morals like White Queen and Sebastian Shaw to handle some of the dirtier business that can't be associated with Xavier himself or the Krakoa nation. It's just one more piece of geopolitical intrigue that Marvel and Jonathan Hickman have baked into this X-Men "Dawn of X" relaunch, that makes the experience of rediscovering the world of X-Men so great.

Xavier and Magneto's decision to unite all of mutantkind on Krakoa (good and evil mutants) always seemed like a naive dream - until you begin to see the deeper shades of gray that Krakoa is now colored in as an official nation. Needless to say, things with the Hellfire Trading Company will get complicated... soon (see: upcoming issues of The Marauders).

X-Force #1 is now on sale.