Summary

• The X-Men's Red Triangle Protocol is a powerful defense against psychic attacks, saving them in times of crisis.
• The protocol is an instinctive response that alerts the X-Men when they are being psychically attacked.
• The X-Men's enemies, like Orchis, also have their own psychic defenses, emphasizing the importance of such protections in the superhero world.

Contains spoilers for Invincible Iron Man (2022) #12!The X-Men’s special resistance to psychic attacks has saved them time and time again, and a new comic has once again shown just how invaluable these defenses are. In a superhero world where even your own brain isn’t safe from attack, the Red Triangle Protocol is one of the strongest weapons that the X-Men collectively have. With Fall of X putting the X-Men’s backs against the wall, it’s lucky that they have this secret weapon up their sleeves.

First seen in 2017's U.S.Avengers #6 (written by Al Ewing, penciled by Paco Medina, inked by Juan Vlasco, colored by Jesus Aburtov and lettered by Joe Caramaga), the Red Triangle Protocol is an anti-telepathy measure taught by Charles Xavier. In X-Men: Hellfire Gala (2023) #1, a data page gives a deeper explanation of the Red Triangle Protocol, explaining that it’s not just a method of defense, but also an alarm to let someone know that they’re being psychically attacked.

The power of the Red Triangle is demonstrated firsthand during the Gala, when the mutants who have learned the protocol are able to resist Xavier’s psychic commands seemingly instinctively. Now, the recent Invincible Iron Man (2022) #12 (written by Gerry Duggan, drawn by Ig Guara, colored by Bryan Valenza and lettered by VC’s Joe Caramagna) reiterates that the Red Triangle is here to stay.

X-Men: Hellfire Gala (2023) #1 is written by Gerry Duggan and lettered by Virtual Calligraphy, but the art duties are split, with pencils and inks by Adam Kubert, Luciano Vecchio, Matteo Lolli, Russelll Dauterman, Javier Pina, R.B. Silva, Joshua Cassara, Kris Anka and Pepe Larraz. The colors are by Rain Beredo, Ceci De La Cruz, Matthew Wilson, Erick Arciniega and Marte Gracia.

The Red Triangle Protocol is Here to Stay

In Invincible Iron Man #12, Emma Frost, in her disguise as Tony’s Stark’s wife Hazel Kendal, is psychically probed by Riri Williams, who doesn’t recognize her. Usually, Emma would be able to resist a psychic intrusion with ease, but she’s currently wearing a ring designed to dampen Emma’s mutant abilities to make her invisible to Sentinels. Instead, the Red Triangle Protocol kicks in automatically, proving that, as the Gala’s data page indicated, the protocol is instinctual.

While it’s the most prominent example, the Red Triangle is far from the first time that the X-Men have had psychic defenses. For example, in 2011's Wolverine and the X-Men #1 (written by Jason Aaron, penciled by Chris Bachalo, inked by Tim Townsend, Jaime Mendoza and Al Vey, colored by Bachalo and lettered by Rob Steen) readers get to see a class on psychic self-defense led by Rachel Summers at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. Both this and the Red Triangle Protocol are acknowledgments that the first move of many X-villains is mind control, so it’s amazing in-universe that the X-Men are prepared for that exact possibility.

The X-Men Aren't the Only Ones with Psychic Defenses

There’s also a fun parallel to the Red Triangle within the X-Men’s current foes, Orchis. In Children of the Vault #3 (written by Deniz Camp, drawn by Luca Maresca, colored by Carlos Lopez and lettered by VC’s Cory Petit) Cable deliberately trips Orchis’ psychic defenses by leaving an obvious clue that he’d messed with an Orchis member’s mind. This causes the Orchis member to deliberately cede control to organic AI in the form of test-tube brains that can’t be manipulated. Even the X-Men’s enemies have their own version of the Red Triangle Protocol, which only proves just how valuable psychic defenses are in a superhero universe.

Invincible Iron Man (2022) #12 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.