X-Men's Bold 2026 Visual Revolution: Angel's Devil Persona Takes Center Stage
Daniel Martin
Updated on May 17, 2026
By Published Apr 2, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT Nicolas Ayala is a Senior Writer for the Comics team at ScreenRant, with over five years of experience writing about Superhero media, action movies, and TV shows. follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
Marvel's are going through a drastic overhaul this year, and an original X-Man seems to be experiencing one of the biggest identity changes in recent years. Due to the inherently varied nature of the X-Gene, the X-Men are known for their diversity. , and their costumes, names, appearances, and even hairstyles are just as eclectic as a result.
Following the original team's introduction, Charles Xavier's students went from wearing plain yellow-and-blue uniforms to sporting their own unique looks in 1975's Giant Size X-Men #1. Ditching their uniforms for colorful costumes that symbolized their powers and personalities is probably . Since then, every mutant character has had a defined personality that jumps off the page thanks to their physical appearance and attire.
Fifty-one years after Giant-Size X-Men #1, Charles Xavier's followers present another bold visual overhaul that may or may not stick for the long term.
Angel Debuts His 'The Devil' Name And Costume
X-Men: The Hellfire Murder #1; Written by Saladin Ahmed, Jed MacKay, Gail Simone, Eve L. Ewing & Erica Schultz; Art by Tony Daniel, Luciano Vecchio, Federica Mancini & More
Marvel has unveiled the X-Men's official redesigns for their 2026 Hellfire Gala. This year, the attending mutants will witness an assassination at the event, leading to a murder investigation spearheaded by Wolverine and Jubilee. This crime is further complicated by the fact that the Hellfire Gala's 2026 theme is a masquerade where all mutants switch up their iconic colors and themes and adopt pseudonyms and experiment with brand-new palettes and designs.
The most drastic Hellfire Gala redesign for this iteration of the event seems to be Angel, who appears to be the mutant wearing a demon-themed outfit and claiming the title of "The Devil," a total antithesis of the original X-Man's typical celestial themes. As the first teaser images for X-Men: The Hellfire Murder #1 suggest, Warren Worthington III wears red boots, red pants, a long red coat, and a large red studded cape that ends in a feather-like pattern. While demon-themed, Angel's Devil mask resembles Sunfire's classic helmet.
The cover for X-Men: The Hellfire Murder #1 features an outline with a red trident symbol inside, and "The Devil" standing dead center in the background. This could be a tease at the Devil being either the victim or the culprit in the murder mystery.
Some of the most famous X-Men are also taking up totally unprecedented monikers. For example, while Cyclops wears a dog-themed mask as "The Hound" and Gambit wears a jester-themed costume as "The Fool." Emma Frost, who usually sticks to her classic all-white palette, now wears an all-black dress and wears a quarter moon mask.
Angel Has One Of The Best Redesigns In X-Men History, But It's Not Enough
Warren Worthington III Deserves Another Overhaul
Angel's evolution from Angel into Archangel is one of the most drastic yet successful character reinventions in X-Men history. Before the 1980s X-Factor run, Angel was often dismissed as the least versatile member of the original five X-Men, a wealthy socialite whose primary power was effectively just having wings. The introduction of metal wings and blue skin at the hands of Apocalypse gave Angel a power boost and a visual edge that subverted his heavenly aesthetic.
Related
Ahead of Alan Cumming's return to X-Men lore in Avengers: Doomsday, Nightcrawler's new design is a welcome sight to fans of the franchise.
Posts By
Decades later, even the cold steel of Warren's Archangel persona has started to lose its relevance. Despite his status as a founding member, Angel is still stuck in a cycle of alternating between his original feathered form and his metallic assassin persona. While peers like Cyclops and Jean Grey have evolved into global political leaders and cosmic entities, Angel is usually relegated to the background as a tactical asset or a romantic foil. To truly reclaim his A-list status, Warren requires a complete conceptual pivot.
The debut of Angel's "Devil" pseudonym and costume at the 2026 Hellfire Gala could be Marvel's first hint at a long overdue overhaul. The infernal aesthetic that directly contradicts his namesake leans into a total subversion that doesn't repeat . The Devil could have a level of cunning and gravitas that Archangel lacked, as it suggests a mutant who's no longer content to be a fallen celestial but is instead ready to rule the shadows of mutantkind.
Which Angel look is your favorite?
X-Men: The Hellfire Murder #1 is available from Marvel Comics on July 22, 2026.
Expand Collapse
Follow Followed Like Share Close Trending Now
