Yesterday, likely in honor of Stranger Things Day, the writers of the popular sci-fi horror series took to Twitter to provide a cryptic teaser for the Netflix original’s upcoming fourth season: A picture of the cover page of the season’s premiere episode, “Chapter One: The Hellfire Club.”
As always, the internet is abuzz with theories about the meaning of the title. After all, this is Stranger Things we’re talking about here — everything means something. The most common theory is that the title is a reference to The Hellfire Club of Marvel’s X-Men comics, a storyline that first began in the early 80s.
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The Hellfire Club was made up of a legion of powerful elites, mutant or otherwise, who wielded their status and wealth behind the scenes to control society. Key figures in the Marvel sphere, such as the metal-bending Magneto and the icy telepath Emma Frost, were among the ranks of the powerful organization, using their power to push their agenda on an international scale; members of The Hellfire Club have been known to even claim involvement in world wars and have their hands in various government affairs.
So, what exactly does this elite group of mutant supervillains have to do with the plucky youths of Hawkins, Indiana? It’s hard to say. But the name could provide a crucial clue into what might happen on this season of Stranger Things. The Hellfire Club played a significant role in superhero Jean Grey’s transformation, manipulating her memories and ultimately unleashing the chaotic and uncontrollable powers of the Dark Phoenix (which you might have gotten a taste of in the 2019 film X-Men: Dark Phoenix starring Sophie Turner). From the Twitter teaser, we know that The Hellfire Club is “looking for new members.” Is it possible that Eleven, supernatural abilities and all, could be the target of some group’s nefarious plans to wreak havoc on the planet?
It’s also possible that we could meet the members of this club in season 4’s new, mysterious setting. Remember, in last season’s final episode, Joyce, Will, Jonathan, and Eleven left Hawkins in search of new territory. Who knows what they’ll come up against now that they’re beyond the city limits of their hometown?
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