Warning: contains spoilers for X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1

Summary

• The X-Men's key weapon against the Orchis attackers is the "Red Triangle" psychic defense protocol.
• The Hellfire Gala marks the beginning of the X-Men's broken and beaten new era.
• Xavier's Red Triangle protocol saved the X-Men, as many mutants resisted his psychic commands using this powerful defense.

With the bloody X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1 recently devastating the mutant nation of Krakoa, it is important to highlight the single greatest weapon that the X-Men have against their Orchis attackers: the powerful "Red Triangle" psychic defense protocols.

The X-Men's broken and beaten new Fall of X era begins in a truly horrific fashion at this year's Hellfire Gala. The anti-mutant organization Orchis uses the combined might of Nimrod, Doctor Stasis, M.O.D.O.K., Omega Sentinel, Moira X, the Stark Sentinels and Xavier himself to nearly wipe out all mutants living on Krakoa. But X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1 — from writer Gerry Duggan and a slew of talented artists like Valerio Schiti, Luciano Vecchio, R.B. Silva, Kris Anka, Russell Dauterman, and Pepe Larraz — sees a number of powerful mutants resist Xavier's psychic command.

They enter the Krakoan Gateways by using the "Red Triangle" psychic defense protocol, something originally taught to them by Xavier himself and explained in the above Data Page, which reveals that the protocol has the focus on a red triangle because it is the strongest geometric shape and the color of danger, serving as both an alert and a defense.

Xavier's Red Triangle Protocol Saved The X-Men

While the "Red Triangle" psychic defense protocol was apparently first taught to the X-Men after their initial encounter with Emma Frost, it is only first mentioned in 2017's U.S.Avengers #6 by Al Ewing, Paco Medina, Juan Vlasco, Jesus Aburtov, and Joe Caramagna when Sunspot uses the learned ability to stop Doctor Faustus. The Data Page in X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1 reveals that, while Xavier initially developed the Red Triangle protocol for defense against the White Queen, he ultimately taught it to his students to use against him in case he was ever corrupted, as in X-Men: Red #11 by Ewing, Jacopo Camagni, Federico Blee, and Ariana Maher when Storm uses the protocol against Xavier after he attempts to unethically and non-consensually enter her mind.

In X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1, Xavier is in even more trouble as Doctor Stasis reveals that he and M.O.D.O.K. poisoned the Krakoan human medicine, giving them complete control over those who have taken it. He then threatens to kill the humans and blame the mutants if Xavier does not send all Krakoan mutants away from Earth. Charles can't sacrifice humanity for his mutant children and attempts to forcibly send the Krakoan mutants through the Gateways. Thankfully, many resist Xavier's psychic pushes using the Red Triangle protocol, as signified by a particularly impactful "RESIST" red triangle. Unfortunately, most regular Krakoans either do not know this protocol or have not been trained to use it — so nearly 250,000 are apparently accidentally sent to their deaths by Xavier.

The X-Men's Psychic Defenses Are The Only Reason They Survived

It is a fascinating choice to make the X-Men's survival hinge on not a mutant ability, but a resilience and strengths-based ability learned through repeated threats on their lives and community. While Xavier made a huge mistake in trusting Stasis to keep his word, it is notable that the remaining mutants may have not survived the assault without Xavier's Red Triangle training. The X-Men are going to need to use every tool at their disposal to beat back Orchis and reclaim their island nation of Krakoa, and the powerful Red Triangle psychic defense protocol is shaping up to be a continued source of resistance for all of Earth's revolutionary mutants.

X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1 from Marvel Comics is available now.