This article contains spoilers for X-Men: The Hellfire Gala #1.
Reincarnating mutant Moira MacTaggert has ed Orchis, an alliance of anti-mutant hate groups, and the X-Men have recently learned they're being assisted by another version of Mr. Sinister. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the mutants, the Eternals are preparing to launch their own attack on Krakoa and Arakko - convinced mutants are a form of "excess deviation," which they are sworn to destroy.
The X-Men's second Hellfire Gala presented an opportunity for the greatest heroes of mutantkind to begin to pull together. Nudged by Jean Grey, Cyclops took Emma Frost for a dance - and a telepathic conversation in which both laid their greatest secrets bare. Cyclops told Emma he had discovered the true identity of Dr. Stasis, a duplicate of Mr. Sinister who opposes mutants. Emma, for her part, revealed the greatest secret of Krakoa's ruling Quiet Council - Professor X and Magneto's conspiracy with Moira MacTaggert, and her new role as arch-enemy of the mutant race. Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Emma Frost began their fight-back.
As seen in X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1, by Gerry Duggan, Kris Anka, Russell Dauterman, Matteo Lolli, and C.F. Villa, their tactics are surprisingly political in nature. Emma Frost, for example, engages in a subtle conversation with Tony Stark that conceals their historical relationship from anyone who's listening - including Kelvin Heng, CEO of Feilong Industries, a key opponent of mutants and a major figure in Orchis who's invited himself to the Hellfire Gala. The dialogue is smart, with Tony Stark pretending Emma doesn't know of his abilities as a futurist, warning Emma that Krakoa's Resurrection Protocols will cause problems. In return, she subtly points to the fact the Avengers historically haven't helped mutants in their hour of need - perhaps a way of asking them to improve going forward. It's telling that Stark follows this up with a deeper chat with Feilong, clearly identifying him as a threat.
Emma Frost isn't the only one playing politics. She tells Cyclops the truth, and he immediately follows it up by proposing Forge as a member of the next X-Men team - while providing no justification for this beyond "It's time." Duggan and his fellow X-Men author Kieron Gillen tend to portray Cyclops as the X-Men's greatest leader, a skillful planner who is always several steps ahead of others. Given that's the case, it's reasonable to assume he's asked Forge to the team for a very specific reason.
These are dangerous tactics, of course, because Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Emma Frost are essentially working together in secret to protect the mutant race - and manipulating those around them, Avenger and X-Man alike, in order to achieve their objective. Dialogue even hints Cyclops' ultimate goal is a regime change, because he dislikes the unelected Quiet Council, and believes mutants should be free to choose their own leaders.
That, presumably, is the endgame - and it will be thrilling to see whether Cyclops, Emma Frost, and Jean Grey can save the X-Men and their island nation.
