Welcome to Up Your Nerd Cred! This week, we’re taking our seats (and our sequins) at the Hellfire Gala — Marvel’s answer to the Met Gala, where mutants, diplomats, and icons walk the same psychic red carpet.

CC (@ciracdavis) and AM (AMDiaz_Art) are joined by special guests Jordan Blaza Olsen (@thegirlwithagreatsmile) and Colby Melvin (@colbymelvin | @coscolby) for a deep dive into the origins of the Hellfire Club, the rise of Emma Frost and Jean Grey as queens of mutant diplomacy, and how fashion, identity, and representation shape Krakoa’s most glamorous night of the year.

We explore:
The real-world inspiration behind the original Hellfire Club
Why mutant politics look like a chessboard
The first Hellfire Gala’s Met-level fashion — and which real celebs canonically showed up
The fan-voted X-Men lineup and what it says about in-universe representation
Emma Frost vs. Jean Grey: the White and Black Queens redefining power
Queer creativity and cosplay community through House of Carnation

Plus, Jordan shares insight from her work with the Transgender Strategy Center, and Colby talks about building safe, joyful spaces for queer creatives online and IRL.

📍 Guests & Links
Jordan Blaza Olsen – @thegirlwithagreatsmile
Colby Melvin – @colbymelvin | @coscolby
House of Carnation – houseofcarnation.com

Transgender Strategy Center – transgenderstrategy.org

About the Show
Up Your Nerd Cred is hosted by CiCi (CC) and AM Diaz, where we celebrate heroes, villains, and the multiversal messes between. From Marvel deep lore to DC anniversaries, we’re here to help you catch up, geek out, and—of course—up your nerd cred.

Follow us on Instagram @UpYourNerdCredPod
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and more.