Welcome to Cover Girls. Each month, we gather a team of WWAC contributors to analyze a new and notable comic book cover featuring one or more women. This month, Kayleigh, Nola, Cori, and Wendy share their thoughts on the cover of Hellions #3 by Steven Segovia and Rain Beredo for Marvel Comics.

What is your initial reaction to this cover as a piece of comics art?

Kayleigh Hearn: My first reaction is, “Hey, Maddie!” It’s an effective cover because it does pique my interest and make me want to read Hellions, though the more I study it as an image it doesn’t excite me. It suggests that hell is coming for our heroes (or, well, anti-heroes) and thankfully doesn’t go overboard with the cheesecake, which is very easy to do with this iteration of the Goblin Queen. There’s the sexy lift of the hip, but, well, her expression isn’t doing it for me. It feels too blank; I need more malice, more intent.

Wendy Browne: My first reaction is “Yay! Maddie’s finally back!” And. Wearing… that outfit. In a book where Psylocke is also wearing that outfit. Great job on the hair though.

Nola Pfau: Look. My gay self is deeply appreciative of this look. Deeply. But also: WHERE ARE THE VARIANT COVERS OF GOBLIN PRINCE HAVOK.

Cori McCreery: Step on me.

How does this make you feel about Madelyne Pryor’s purpose in the new X-Men storylines?

Kayleigh: Delighted! I was honestly a bit astounded when the Hellions team line-up was announced (Havok? Nanny and Orphan Maker? Greycrow? Jesus.) and was ready to skip the X-Men’s Dirty Half-Dozen, but Goblin Queen sparked (ha!) my interest. Her appearance actually made the group coalesce in mind, since most of the Hellions – Alex and Sinister, obviously, but even Kwannon and Empath! — are connected to Maddie in some way. I hope that this will shape up to be a more interesting story for Maddie than “pissed-off ex-wife comes for Cyclops and Jean again.”

Wendy: Apprehensive. This doesn’t look like Maddie got the memo about everyone working to set aside their differences in Krakoa. Which is fair. Maddie has a lot of bones to pick with certain people who may have requested that her name be kept low on the resurrection list. But ultimately, I want to see justice for Maddie that isn’t forever bound to the spurned monstrous woman archetype.

Nola: Oh I have been waiting for this. You can’t have X-Men suddenly pivot hard into “mutants as a family” without acknowledging the family that’s been cast aside along the way. Last year we yelled “Justice for Madelyne Pryor,” and it looks like she’s coming for some.

Cori: I’m excited for her role in Hellions, because oh boy does she have every reason to be angry, and I’m MORE than ready for her to grind Alex under her beautiful boots.

What do you think is missing from this image?

Kayleigh: The rest of her top? Pants, maybe? The underboob of it all is fascinating, since five years ago Marvel edited Inferno #1’s cover to give Maddie more, ah, coverage. What’s changed? Wither the respectable slacks Kris Anka gave Maddie and their “executive bitch witch” realness? The classic Goblin Queen look is hot – I’m as red-blooded as anyone – but haven’t we moved past this? At least Jean Grey’s Marvel Girl costume won’t be the most regressive look in the X-books anymore.

Nola: Havok at her feet.

Cori: In a collar.