| abstract | - The Hellfire Club was a team that consisted of five mutants whose aim was mutant supremacy.
- The Hellfire Club began in England as a social club for the social elite and wealthy in the 1760's. At some point, a handful of the most powerful members emigrated to the American colonies and began a branch in New York City and other major cities around the world. The club had branches in Boston, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Gotham City, Philadelphia and San Francisco The various branches were overseen by the Lord Imperial. Up until his death, Sir Gordon Phillips bore the title of Lord Imperial, and as such he oversaw all branches of the Hellfire Club; he was not a member of any particular Inner Circle, he was above all of them. The purpose of the Hellfire Club is to obtain and exert power through politics and economic influence instead of outward conquest and domination. Since its foundation, the Hellfire Club had been involved in wars and assassinations as long as these helped further the agendas of the Club's most prominent members. The Hellfire Club membership is hereditary, but can also be earned through wealth or influence. Among the Сlub members there are many famous and influential members of society, the wealthiest and most powerful businessmen of the world, including Tony Stark and Norman Osborn. While many accept the invitation to join a Сlub just for the pleasures that he offered, many others looking for ways to obtain more wealth and influence. The constant intrigue, backstabbing, blackmailing and politicking that plagued the Hellfire Club resulteded in many changes of the Inner Circle, as new players sought out membership in order to obtain influence, power and wealth. Although the hierarchy of the Inner Circle would go through constant upheaval due to the competing egos and political motives of its members, it continues to exist in the same basic structure today.
- The Hellfire Club is a fictional rich socialite or gentlemen's club created by Marvel Comics in 1980 that often comes into confrontation with the mutant superhero team, the X-Men. It was inspired by real clubs that were formed among the British upper class in the 18th century. Although the Club appears to merely be an international social club for wealthy elites, its clandestine Inner Circle seeks to influence world events to their own agenda. It first started off as a non-mutant club that hated mutants and had plans to destroy them, however two mutants Emma Frost and Sebastian Shaw were accepted into the Hellfire Club and hid their abilities from the Club. Later, Shaw and Frost got together and overthrew the original Inner Circle appointing themselves as Black King and White Queen.
- Status: Operational Threat Level: C General Power Description: Kaldia, though appearing very human (with bounce) is actually a machine, a bioroid (the opposite of a cyborg, a robot with bio-mechanical parts, making it somewhat "alive"), if you will. Kaldia was built as an Anti-Shadow Weapon, and therefore is capable of summoning a Persona, in addition to her own armament. Weapons and Systems: Genbu Spike: Kaldia's gloves, and her main weapon. In addition, her arms contain cartridges in the revolver compartment, which allow her to propel her arms short distances for ranged attacks. Her forearms are connected via wire. Crash Heel: The same revolver compartment in her arms are also in her legs. Instead of launching her limbs however, the cartridges provide a Pile Bunker like effect with her kicks. Code DTD: A limiter placed on Kaldia for safety measures. When removed, her combat capabilities are increased. It appears active when her forehead protector folds away, and the green areas of her uniform dissolve. When active, her personality changes, and does not follow orders, half the time. Persona: Ialdabaoth Ialdabaoth is of the Strength Arcana, and much like other Persona in it, bears mostly physical prowess, complimenting Kaldia's. It's history at current is unknown, and merely refers to itself as the Machine Fist God. Originally built to combat Shadows, Kaldia was reprogrammed when she was found in an abandoned lab by the Hellfire Club. What inspired her...appearance is rather unknown. A tape left behind by her creator merely pointed out that he had a lot of fetishes. Kaldia speaks in a overly polite form of Japanese, and bears many mannerisms of a reserved maid in her default mode. When Code DTD activates, her personality shifts to an overly cheerful, upbeat young woman. Name: Judah Status: Operational Threat Level: B General Power Description: As a vampire Judah has most of the typical vampiric powers. He possesses super-human strength, vitality and agility. He is immune or able to regenrate most minor damage and can only sustain permanent damage from a rare assortment of methods mostly lost amid popular vampire lore. Inherited from the one who sired him, Judah has mastery of the ability to command common familiars of the night such as bats, rats and wolves. He also maintains the ability to assume the shape of any of these animals and also the form of mist or fog. As a younger vampire he has yet to develop greater powers. Biography: Judah is considered relatively young in the years of the undead. Having been turned in London only 50 years ago as a young man Judah was left for dead by his Sire with no knowledge of how to survive as a vampire let alone what to do now with his unlife. It wasn't till a few years later that, having gained some form of control on his new life, Judah met with a well known vampire among the dark world that lurked beneath the human world known as Cain. What Judah's Sire failed to do, Cain completed. Though Cain departed not long after teaching Judah the way of the undead, the memory of the encounter was never lost to Judah. Years later when Cain finally met his demise at the hands of one Hiro Tsukasa the news was not unknown to Judah. Angered at the fall of his former mentor Judah, using his cocky and commanding personality, began to gather a small nomadic band of vampires that share similar ideals with Judah and ultimately Cain's philosophy about unlife. This group became known as the Get of Cain and for some time traveled across Europe ravaging cities during the night leaving behind a trail of unexplained murders. It is rumored that the Get of Cain (and Judah)'s true goal is to find a way to ressurect Cain from the dead. Whether Judah's sudden and recent decision to ally the Get of Cain with The Hellfire Club is a part of that or merely taking advantage of a good opportunity is unknown. Name: Viscard Status: Operational Threat Level: A General Power Description: Viscard, like Judah, contains all the typical powers of a vampire though in a greater degree than Judah due to his age. He has a mastery of not only Judah's special ability to make use of the creatures of the night, but also knows very ancient rites that allow him to enact many tricks upon a human's mind. From full out mind control to dulling their sensing or temporarily paralyzing them. Aside from aiding in combat these skills have always made things easier for Viscard when it became time to feed. Biography: Viscard is an elder vampire whose years date to around the time of Cain's turn to unlife. He has been a member of The Hellfire Club apparently since its formation (or at least since it has become known to others in the world). His background is a mystery, but his skill and loyal chivalrous demanor more than account for the mystery surrounding him. He had encountered Cain several times in the past and used this connection to help seal the deal with Judah to have the Get of Cain join with the Hellfire Club. Whether his motives will be revealed or not and if they're personal or for the benefit of the Hellfire Club is yet to be seen. Name: The Crowley Brothers (Isaac and Edward) Status: Operational Threat Level: C and B (respectively) General Power Description: Both are Sorcerers following a similar path to that of Hiro Tsukasa's path. This is one that welcomes all schools and thoughts in performing Magic and tries to adapt in as many spells as possible to have a well rounded arsenal for use. Isaac being the younger of the two tends to focus more solely on spells to inflict harm to compensate for his lack of true supernatural might, whereas Edward has delved far deeper into a wide array of spells to match his natural talent for spellcasting. Biography: Wild, rowdy and yet refined. This is the best way to sum up the Crowley Brothers in one sentence. Much like Viscard the two choose to tell little of their past, simply that they desire to become the greatest Sorcerers of all time. They are well known among the community of those practicing Magic. They shun any sort of formalization among Wizards and prefer to jet around the world hunting down other magic-users to face and defeat to strengthen themselves. They have no care nor concern for innocent bystanders and enjoy taking advantage of anything and anyone to have a good time. Their true last names are unknown, but it is known to The Hellfire Club that they adopted the last name of Crowley shortly after setting down the path of being Sorcerers, shunning their former names and lives in the process. Issac is the younger of the two and tends to go a little bit more overboard with things than Edward, who prefers to hold back a little just to always be ready. The two joined The Hellfire Club after being extended personal invitations by its Leader. They tend to be the ones, if any, to actual go out and handle things in the world for the group since they are the ones most easily able to move about at any time. Name: Sagi Status: Operational Threat Level: C General Power Description: The sole enjoyment Sagi has is playing with puppets. Her powers chilling reflect this as she is able to animate and command puppets of all sorts. They have sentient life and can understand her words and recall and obey commands. She can also craft replica puppets of people she's seen (even off a photo) and then use it somewhat like a voodoo doll. Finally, she is able to create and employ magical strings in combat that upon striking a target will allow her to control the enemy much like she is a Puppeteer. Biography: This young child was orphaned as a mere baby. She recently appeared before the other members of The Hellfire Club being presented to the group by Nai & Mare stating that she was a personal recruit from Rasputin. In truth, Rasputin discovered the baby not long after she was left abandoned for dead and having taken the child raised her to serve as a tool for The Hellfire Club. Sagi rarely speaks and only does so when needed. Despite her youth she posesses amazing skill for her age and uses it with a chilling effectiveness. Generally she serves as a trap assassin for the Club using her young and cute apperance to get close to a target before eliminating them. Whether there is anything more to Sagi beyond a mere puppet, much like the ones she is so fond of playing with, leaves to be seen. Name: Nai & Mare Status: Operational Threat Level: ??? General Power Description:' As they never seem to take place in combat the true powers of Nai and Mare are unknown. They always work together as a pair, but it's not apparent if they are required to be together to use their powers. It is known that they can easily teleport anywhere and can also use supernatural energy to deflect attacks. Biography: Though so many among The Hellfire Club are reluctant to reveal their history, none are more mysterious (beyond perhaps the leader of the Club) than Nai and Mare. The two are never seen apart from one another and act solely as Messengers for Rasputin. They seem to be able to easily teleport anywhere as needed and though it is hinted they posess some form of power they never take part in combat. Most membership offers or other dealings are specifically handed down directly to them via Rasputin and they handle the matter. The duo have a habit of finishing each others' sentences and at times Mare even echoes the words of Nai. Who exactly they are and if they're even Human is a mystery to which only Rasputin knows the answer to. Name: Joker-sama Status: Operational Threat Level: S General Power Description: Joker has several powers all of which are quite powerful. First, he is the backing of a rather wicked rumor know as the Joker's Curse. This curse states that if one dials their own cell phone number and ask for Joker-sama it will actually begin to ring and the phone will be answered. At this point, if the caller speaks a name then that named person will die within a few days. Failure to name someone within a few minutes will cause the phone to be hung up and the Joker will set the caller as the target. How the targets are killed is always random and the exact details seem to never have any witnesses, so far killings with the Joker's Curse has a 100% success rate. Joker also has ability to unlock and command Joker Persona. A Persona is another aspect of oneself usually held within the mind. Typically a single person contains many Persona that wield vast and magical powers could they be released. A Joker Persona is a special singular one created from the sins in ones heart and once released it will slowly drive the user further and further into darkness. Joker's own Persona, he commands only one, is known as Nyarl. He has yet to be seen wielding it in battle save to Rasputin's eyes so what exact powers it posess is unknown. It materializes as: Biography: It's not exactly evident who or what Joker actually is. He claims to serve a higher power, but hasn't made it known to anyone save Rasputin. Joker is known of and spoken about to be involved in many rumors and though one of the more mysterious allies in The Hellfire Club, he frequently acts on his own seemingly without regard. Only those in the Hellfire Club are aware of his membership and even though only Rasputin, Nai and Mare interact with him save very rare moments. Being the crafter of the Joker Curse he adheres to it perfectly and will always follow its rules. Name: Nyala-sama Status: Operational Threat Level: ? General Power Description: In truth unknown due to her rarely appearing for any sort of in-the field action. The only to truly know are Joker-sama and Rasputin. However, what seems apparent is that her power revolves around shapeshifting and being able to assume different forms. Whether this is the extent of her ability or if there is something darker at work is unknown... Biography: Perhaps the most mysterious of all the enigmatic characters that compromise the Hellfire Club. She appeared alongside Joker-sama joining as a duo. Her function in the Club is unknown save to Rasputin and Joker-sama and she is rarely given field assignments. Despite arriving together she does not work specifically in league with Joker-sama and instead typically works alone. Nyala-sama has a very bubbly and flirty carefree attitude about things which is unique to her alone among the Club Members. Due to this and her apparent shapeshifting ability she is usually sent out to gather information, spy on targets or otherwise toy with those the Club wishes to deal with. But is this really all there is to this woman? Name: Rasputin Status: Operational Threat Level: S? General Power Description: ??? Biography: The enigmatic Leader and Organizer of The Hellfire Club. Who he is and his motives for doing so are unknown. He is never seen by any of the other members save Nai & Mare, through whom he commands the Club, plus rarely Sagi. His name is known to the other members and rumors fly abound as to whether or not he could be The one and only Mad Monk or merely someone using the name.
- The club was created to mock the prevalent religion of the time. Sir Francis Dashwood continued the tradition in the 1750s. The Eighth Doctor described their activities thusly: [Francis Dashwood's] so-called Club was simply a group of chums who spent weekends with him at Medmenham from time to time. No doubt they drank more than was good for them, but the nearest thing they had to a manifestation of the Devil was one of their inebriated number sticking horns on his head, and jumping out of a bush yelling "Boo!" Certainly Sir Francis was interested in reinventing the Greek Eleusinian Mysteries, but that's a far cry from human sacrifices and pacts with anyone called Lucifer. The Eighth Doctor The Club fell into disrepute in the 1760s and faded into obscurity. In the following decades it was sporadically reformed by various people making serious attempts at summoning arcane beings. In July of 1778, Shardlow lost a game of backgammon to the Celestial Toymaker at the Hellfire Club and was forced to become his slave. (PROSE: The Nightmare Fair/AUDIO: The Nightmare Fair) Scarlette, the proprietess of a brothel on Henrietta Street in London, claimed she was the last Madam of the Hellfire Club. She used her arcane knowledge and the Eighth Doctor's help to defend Earth from an invasion of Babewyns in 1782. (PROSE: The Adventuress of Henrietta Street)
- The Hellfire Club is a centuries old organization with roots in Britain during the 18th Century. It's members were infamous rakes who used their connections within the club to further boost their social standing and to indulge their sexual excesses. Over time the club has evolved to include high-flying business men and women, as well as the profitable descendants of royalty and other Hellfire Club members. Being a member of the Hellfire Club is an illustrious boost among elite society. However, there is an even more esoteric sect of individuals who run the Hellfire Club, known as the Inner Circle.
- The Hellfire Club counts among its members the most famous, wealthy and influential members of society. Membership is passed on to descendants, and can also be earned through wealth or influence. While many accept the invitation simply for the pleasures that the Club offers, others seek wealth and influence. In fact, the purpose of the Hellfire Club is to obtain and exert power through politics and economic influence instead of outward conquest and domination. Since its foundation, the Hellfire Club has been involved in wars and assassinations to further the agendas of the Club's most powerful members. The Club has branches in New York City, Paris, Hong Kong and London; the various branches are all overseen by the Lord Imperial (a position long-held by Sir Gordon Phillips). Unbeknownst to most members however is the Club's Inner Circle. Originally known as the Council of the Chosen, this secret group formed around Edward "Ned" Buckman, each member assuming the titles of the major chess pieces. As White King, Buckman financed Stephen Lang's revived Sentinel program with the assistance of probationary member Sebastian Shaw. Shaw, now Black Bishop, began securing allies within the Club, meeting Harry Leland, Emma Frost and Donald Pierce, as well as his loyal assistant, Tessa. Buckman, no longer having a use for the dangerously-ambitious Shaw, ordered a Sentinel attack on Shaw and his allies, resulting in the death of Shaw's lover, Lourdes Chantel. That night, Shaw and Emma Frost purged the entire Council of the Chosen, remaking it as the Lords Cardinal and appointing themselves Black King and White Queen. Shaw's Inner Circle soon turned their attentions to the X-Men, kidnapping several of their number. Mastermind, as Jason Wyngarde, was made a probationary member pending his subversion of the X-Men's Jean Grey into the Hellfire Club's Black Queen, who they believed to be the descendant of Lady Grey. Jean Grey, however, was in fact the Phoenix, a god-like cosmic entity who became unstable after Mastermind's psychic manipulations, turning into the Dark Phoenix. The Hellfire Club had failed, and the X-Men had taken their toll: Phoenix had driven Mastermind insane, and Wolverine had crippled Donald Pierce and nearly killed Harry Leland and several guards. Despite such setbacks, the Inner Circle continued to pursue its agenda. Shaw, using his connections to Senator Robert Kelly to initiate Project: Wideawake, secured a government contract for Shaw Industries to manufacture Sentinels, profiting from the state of fear concerning the "mutant menace" despite secretly being a mutant himself. Frost meanwhile ran the Massachusetts Academy, a prestigious preparatory school affiliated with the Hellfire Club that secretly trained a team of young mutants, known as the Hellions. The Inner Circle also underwent some personal changes, notably the expulsion of Donald Pierce for conspiring against his mutant colleagues and the admittance of Selene as Black Queen. Although the hierarchy of the Inner Circle goes through constant upheaval due to the competing egos and political motives of its members, it continues to exist in the same basic structure today. Magneto briefly took the title of Grey King after Sebastian Shaw was voted out of the Inner Circle. It is unclear why Magneto later neglected this position. Possibly his agenda did not mesh with the precepts of the group or he may simply not have valued the organization and its influence enough to continue managing it, as he is vastly powerful and resourceful in his own right. The club since then was subject to an upstart rising instrumented by Shinobi Shaw and Selene. It appeared that Sebastian Shaw was killed. The new group, named the Upstarts, held a competition to see who could kill the most mutants. Points for each kill were awarded by the Gamesmaster and the group quickly turned against Selene as well. During this time the Inner Circle of the London branch was working behind the American branch's back and was influencing Parliament and the secret government agency Black Air. Captain Britain (Brian Braddock) held a position for a short term on Shinobi Shaw's advisement to investigate its activities as they had mutual objectives. Excalibur collected evidence of their crimes and the Inner Circle was either arrested or went into hiding. The Upstart's uprising was quashed by Sebastian Shaw. He reinstated some of the old Inner Circle until he disbanded it due to his own invested interest in business pursuits. The Club still continued loosely partly due to Selene's influence, although it never had the same prestige as the original. Sebastian Shaw again reformed a variation of the original Inner Circle with a nobler outlook posing as a force for good, which may have been a deception on his part. Tessa/Sage rejoined the Inner Circle to observe this and to assist Roberto da Costa's usurping the position of Lord Imperial which Shaw had recently claimed. The Hellfire Club is now currently under the leadership of Roberto da Costa as the Lord Imperial aided by Sage. Sat-Yr-9 (under the guise of Courtney Ross) is the new White Queen although it is unclear if she will fall in line with the Inner Circle's new position for good under da Costa's influence. She is aided by her assassin Viper, her "Warrior White Princess". As with many members in the past, both Sat-Yr-9 and Viper have their own personal agendas. Following M-Day, Sunspot remains as Lord Imperial, while Shaw has resumed his activities, though under Sunspot's close watch. While Sat-Yr-9's whereabouts remain unknown, Viper returned to Madripoor to oversee HYDRA operations and Sage became a member of the short-lived New Excalibur, only to end up as one of the Exiles. When the X-Men and many other powered or depowered mutants came to San Francisco, an offshoot of Club, known as the Hellfire Cult, begins attacking mutants and "species traitors". Officially, their leadership appears to be Empath, but the real power behind the scenes is the mysterious Red Queen. Soon, their activities drew the attention of the X-Men
- The Hellfire Club was the name of a group of mutants led by Sebastian Shaw who played an important role in the politics of the early 1960s.
|
