WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Wolverine #16, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
The X-Men's new home of Krakoa has gained many enemies during its relatively short life as a nation. Although they've fostered alliances across the galaxy and have worked to shore up friendships on Earth, many parties have grown at best concerned and at worst confrontational with the mutants over their recent actions. But one party, in particular, seems to finally be making a move against Krakoa over a slight from last year's major X-Event.
One lingering thread from X of Swords is finally being pulled -- with the Hell Bride seemingly preparing to turn her hellish attention towards the mutants in Wolverine #16 (by Benjamin Percy, Adam Kubert, Espen Grundetjern, Frank Martin, and VC's Cory Petit) just as the events of Inferno begin to heat up.
During the course of X of Swords, many of the mutant heroes who served as Swordbearers of Krakoa were forced to travel the world to collect their blades. This included Wolverine, who was sent on a far harsher path to collect the Muramasa Blade -- a weapon forged with the power to negate healing factors and cut through adamantium. To claim the blade, Logan traveled to Hell, where Muramasa had been conscripted to forge two new swords as a wedding present from the demonic Beast on the day of his Daughter's wedding. With the help of Solem, Wolverine was able to intervene and interrupt the wedding, killing the Daughter's fiancee in the process. Although they both escaped, the forces of hell promised revenge on Logan for his transgression.
Although Krakoa has had their attention largely focused on other matters since then -- ranging from the triumph of converting Mars into Planet Arakko to the tragedy of Scarlet Witch's apparent murder on the island -- the Beast and his daughter (who is referred to as the Hell Bride in Sage's logbooks) have been moving behind the scenes, collating their forces and preparing for vengeance. At their command is an off-shoot of the Hand, the deadly ninja cult that has served under demonic forces like the Beast for years. They are the ones who served at the wedding, and it was their path to hell itself that Wolverine used to venture to the underworld during X of Swords. But now, it seems that hell is finally turning its attention to the mutant nation.
Logan spends much of Wolverine #16 trying to recover the Muramasa Blades from Solem, who even stole the blade Wolverine acquired. Although Logan has been urged to make peace with Solem finding a place on Krakoa and becoming an agent of Emma Frost, he still takes back the swords in the process. But as he returns them to his personal quarters in the Summer Home, Logan comments how the spirits in Japanese cultures can be protectors or enemies of the living -- and that enraged supernatural forces have the potential to return. Even from the Moon, Logan can feel the return of the Hand's Hell Bride -- with the scene cutting to the Bride herself, sitting atop a throne in front of her loyal subjects.
As Logan notes, she has every reason to be enraged with him for killing her husband while they were still at the alter. And now, it seems like she's officially turning her attention to Krakoa. Having the forces of hell against Krakoa right now would only make the currently complicated situation they've found themselves in even worse. There's the question of whether or not Magik's control over the demonic dimension Limbo could come into play, and the pending resurrection of Madelyne Pryor could invite demonic forces into Krakoa as well. With Inferno and The Trial of Magneto already dividing the mutant nation, the coming of the Hell Bride could be a serious cause of concern for the mutant nation.