Marauders #21 (2021)

Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost and Kitty Pryde gaze out over Hellfire Bay as ships begin to arrive. She comments that they have a lot riding on this gala, as the friends and enemies on Earth are watching, as well as their neighbors beyond the Earth. At the New York gate, the Avengers have gathered and prepare to enter the portal. Tempo emerges and gives them all flowers, their tickets to the gala and any after-parties they might have been invited to. The guests begin to arrive, including allies such as the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, and enemies such as Doctor Doom and the ambassadors from the UK and Russia. Professor X emerges to welcome the Fantastic Four. He welcomes Reed and comments that he wasn't sure he would accept their invitation after their last meeting. Reed answers that his kids wanted to come, so he made time, and also because he has something to tell him. He whispers his message to Xavier and walks away with a grim look on his face. Emma telepathically welcomes guests to what she promises will be the first of many Hellfire Galas, surprising Beast, who had thought this was a one-time thing. For the evening's first bit of entertainment, Rhapsody plays a living instrument grown on Krakoa while Marvel Girl and the Stepford Cuckoos telepathically project the experience of playing an instrument as a master to the crowd. Most of the crowd is delighted, but Doctor Doom resists the telepathic intrusion and Ambassador Brousseau dismisses it as a cheap stunt, before he is snatched away by the Russian ambassador to mingle with guests from the Verendi. On the terrace, a group of mutants and Ned are rolling dice when the Thing barges in to join them. Banshee approaches Emma, who tells him she is grateful that he accepted her invitation. As Banshee responds that he received both of them and begins to excuse himself, Emma cuts him off and tells him not to give her any bad news tonight, before quickly departing to defuse a tense stare-down between Captain America and Doctor Doom. Emma questions Doom's refusal to normalize relations with Krakoa and jokingly tells him that he's acting as if mutants have conquered the Earth. Just as she says this, she is interrupted by a delegate from the Shi'ar Empire who congratulates mutantdom for conquering their home planet, causing Doom to burst into laughter as an embarrassed Emma takes him aside. The delegate tells her that the shipment she ordered from the Empire has arrived. She asks Christian to accompany the envoy to his ship to sort out the gift, telepathically telling him that she has no idea what the envoy is talking about. Shinobi arrives to warn Emma on behalf of Sebastian of plans their enemies are making at the gala, but she dismisses him, answering that if their enemies are improved during the evening, then so are the mutants. As Brousseau conspires with the ambassadors of Madripoor and Russia, he suggests introducing them to like-minded ambassadors. Reading Wilhelmina Kensington's mind, the Cuckoos decide to help her. They use their powers to make her remember something. The guests continue to mingle and Emma gives a speech to her closest associates, declaring that she hopes that after tonight, there will be no need for a black market for their medicines, as Shaw mutters that at this rate they'll only have a black market. A few minutes after midnight, the guests are all leaving highly distressed. The ambassadors of the U.S. and Russia quickly leave to speak to their respective governments, as the ambassador of Brazil comments to Emma that what they've done tonight will galvanize humanity to confront the mutant threat like never before. Illyana Rasputina asks Doctor Strange what he thought of the party; he tells her that he needs time to reflect. Cyclops asks Captain America what he thought, and Steve responds by asking if Scott knew about what just happened when they met a few days prior. Scott responds that he had an inkling, but wasn't sure. Steve shakes his hand, and tells him that they solved one big problem but that he's worried they've made an even bigger mess. He leaves, telling Scott that he hopes they all know what they're doing.