Review: Hellions #8

Hellions #8
Marvel Comics
Published: January 6, 2021
Marvel Unlimited: April 12, 2021
W: Zeb Wells
A: Stephen Segovia

The Hellions continue their post-X of Swords mission to retrieve Nanny’s ship from Cameron Hodges and the Right, so they can build a new suit for Orphan Maker. The newly enhances Nanny and Wild Child leave the rest of the Hellions to deal with Hodges and his androids to get to the ship. Empath determines he’s powerless and runs, leaving Havok, Psylocke, and Greycrow behind; the 3 get their powers dampened and struggle to fight the androids.

Jump to the ship, and Nanny and Wild Child defeat the limited guards and start to fire it up. Nanny goes to check on the equipment to make the suit and is met by someone off panel. Empath is dragged back, but gets the androids to question the authenticity of who Hodges is. They determine he’s a robot and not the original and update their programming to destroy him and that mutants are not the threat.

Nanny and Wild Child bring the ship to the other while Greycrow kills Empath since he wasn’t going to survive until they return to Krakoa (and he appeared to take joy in it). Psylocke received new mission parameters from Magneto and is instructed to destroy the androids, as they are a potential threat to mutant-kind (as seen in House of X/Powers of X). A virus is implanted into the computers and eliminates the androids to Havok’s dismay. The issue ends with Nanny revealing she has a miniature android, who was the off-panel presence earlier in the issue.

Wells’ writing is outstanding for the humans and mutants, but it’s a little cliché for the androids; it’s excusable because he gets this team. Most of the team doesn’t trust each other, and they downright despise Empath. He’s also taken a character like Greycrow and has not only made him likeable, but a relevant player on the team.

Segovia’s art is good for the story; he gives everyone their distinct looks without seeming to mimic past concepts. The background work seems a little dull, but there isn’t much he can do within a hangar-like setting.

Rating: 5 out of 5. Hellions has moved to the top of the Dawn of X books and I’m curious to see what happens with Nanny, Orphan Maker, and Wild Child.

Don’t forget, the Krakoa Mutant Tracker is (supposed to be, but not right now) updated weekly as new books come to Marvel Unlimited.