Blackheart

This article is about the Marvel Comics character. For other uses, see Blackheart (disambiguation).

Blackheart
Blackheart as he appears in "Marvel vs Capcom 2".
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Daredevil (vol. 1) #270 (September 1989)
Created by	Ann Nocenti John Romita Jr.
In-story information
Team affiliations	Hellfire Club
Notable aliases	Black King, Voice, Son of Satan, Legion
Abilities	High intelligence Energy manipulation Reality warping Magical and mystical powers Shape-shifting Telepathy Telekinesis Accelerated Healing Factor Superhuman physical attributes

Blackheart is a fictional demon in the Marvel Comics Universe. The character was created by Ann Nocenti and John Romita, Jr., and first appeared in Daredevil (vol. 1) #270 (Sept. 1989). In the 2007 film Ghost Rider Blackheart is portrayed by actor Wes Bentley and took the role of the main antagonist.

Fictional character biography

Centuries of murder in a locale named Christ's Crown, New York, draws the attention of a demon-lord, Mephisto, who creates a "son", Blackheart, from the energy of the accumulated evil. Blackheart explored the nature of evil under his father's tutelage, clashing with and failing to corrupt Daredevil and Spider-Man. Mephisto and Blackheart once tormented Daredevil, Brandy Ash, the genetically engineered Number Nine, and the Inhumans Gorgon, Karnak, and Ahura, manipulating their emotions and tricking them. They were soon drawn into hell for worse torments. Brandy Ash did not survive.

Later, in an attempt to be free of captivity, Blackheart makes contact with Misha from the group Warheads and becomes the source of her pre-cognitive visions. Eventually Misha's squad, Kether Troop, invades Hell itself and frees Blackheart, who was temporarily in the disguise of Doctor Strange. Blackheart's plan to have the Troop slay Mephisto falls apart.

Mephisto sent Blackheart to Earth with diminished powers to learn humility. Blackheart returns to Christ's Crown and tempts Ghost Rider, Punisher, and Wolverine to the town itself in an attempt to corrupt them. Blackheart brainwashes the entire town and kidnaps a young girl all three men had befriended. His stated goal was to get the three men to cross their own personal line of not harming the innocents; Blackheart states crossing this line would soon allow the trio to destroy Mephisto. The group eventually follows Blackheart and the girl back into his own realm for a final confrontation. Blackheart is defeated and everyone leaves safely.

He later again attempts to commission their services, using them to help him finally destroy Mephisto, and taking over his portion of Hell.

Alongside the Grim Reaper, Blackheart brings Wonder Man to Mephisto's realm to battle Mephisto.

Blackheart is killed during the final issues of the second volume of Ghost Rider. Blackheart had created a group of Spirits of Vengeance, in order to oppose the Ghost Rider, who he recently found out was Noble Kale. Blackheart tricked Kale and tried to make him as a member of his group of Spirits of Vengeance, promising Kale the power to rule in Hell alongside Blackheart. In the end, the Ghost Rider double crossed Blackheart and killed him, freeing the other Spirits of Vengeance, and gaining rule over Blackheart's portion of Hell.

Having somehow survived, Blackheart is seen attending a meeting with Mephisto, Satannish, Hela and Dormammu about a disturbance created by the newly resurrected Magik, who is looking for the soulsword and the original Bloodstone amulet. Belasco's daughter, Witchfire appears during the meeting and reveals she is now the current owner of the original amulet and vows to take her father's place as ruler of Limbo and seat at their table.

Blackheart later concocts a scheme to bring Hell to Earth and steal the souls of the planet's residents. As part of the plan, he takes human form and runs an operation in Las Vegas that sees him create several clones of X-23 and bond them to genetically created symbiotes. After Ghost Rider accidentally transports Hell to Las Vegas, Blackheart is confronted by the Ghost Rider, Venom, Red Hulk, and X-23, and summons four creatures that represent the antitheses of the four and sets them against the heroes.

Powers and abilities

Blackheart is a powerful demon created by Mephisto, possibly from the essence of Darkforce. He possesses vast inherent supernatural powers, including superhuman strength, speed, and endurance which are magical in nature. He also has telekinetic and telepathic powers, and can levitate, teleport inter-dimensionally, change his size and physical form, enter and leave different planes of existence and dimensions at will, heal himself at the sub-molecular level, and has the ability to generate various forms of energies for destructive purposes such as powerful concussive blasts of black energy. He also possesses very high intelligence. Blackheart has demonstrated the ability to call forth armies from the pits of hell. He has also shown his telekinetic powers by ripping an entire planet apart by the force of will. He can teleport himself and others to the Darkforce Dimension where he is at his strongest. He has no soul.

Kid Blackheart

Kid Blackheart
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Ghost Riders: Heaven's on Fire #1 (Sept. 2009)
Created by	Jason Aaron
In-story information
Alter ego	Unknown
Notable aliases	Antichrist
Abilities	As the Antichrist, Kid Blackheart potentially has unlimited power, however, he is still not strong enough to survive a battle with God's greatest weapon, the Ghost Rider.

Devil worshippers, looking to give Satan the perfect son, began the Blackheart Project. They mated some of the vilest individuals in different combinations, hoping to find the right mix to breed the Antichrist. They finally succeeded, but in doing so, they caught the eye of Zadkiel – a betrayer of God and usurper of Heaven. Zadkiel wanted to slay the Antichrist so the apocalypse would never come to pass, and he would remain forever. The Black Host made quick work of his enemies and just about every man, woman and child were massacred except for his intended target. Kid Blackheart settled in New York, but he could not stay hidden forever. Subjected to another assassination attempt, he would have perished if not for Jaine Cutter and her Breathing Gun. Jaine and the Antichrist fled but were again trapped by a group of mindless minions. Hellstorm, also tracking the boy so he might kill him, ended up having no choice but to defend him from his attackers. Kid Blackheart ran but did not get far because the arrival of Daniel Ketch. Snatching the boy from the streets and delivering him back to his saviors, Ketch was not surprised to see his brother, Johnny Blaze, and his Caretaker already in their company. Ketch explained how he made a deal with the devil to keep the boy safe in exchange for the keys to Heaven to stop Zadkiel.

The group split up and the Antichrist played along, staying close to Sara, the Caretaker. When Jaine Cutter and Hellstorm were assaulted by Madcap and Scarecrow, he and Sara became separated from them. Taking refuge in a deconsecrated church, Kid Blackheart decided to reveal his true goal. Master Pandemonium ambushed Sara, knocking her unconscious, so she could be chained and bound. The Antichrist then said a few words in an unintelligible language and exposed Sara for what she truly was – a gateway to Heaven. Kid Blackheart, seeking to destroy Heaven for his father, led a horde of demons through her and into the shining city. Too bad once he arrived there was an army of Ghost Riders waiting on the other side. His troops did not stand a chance, and he was forced to flee, but not before suffering a few blows from Knuckles O'Shaugnessy. Kid Blackheart met with Master Pandemonium and Blackout for some rest and relaxation before they made another go at conquering the world for Satan.

In other media

Film

• In the 2007 film Ghost Rider, Blackheart is portrayed by Wes Bentley as the main antagonist, alongside his father Mephisto. Unlike his comic book-counterpart, in which he is a large black-skinned demon with quills on his head, a tail and red eyes, in the film Blackheart assumes his human form, with pale white skin and black hair, though at many points in the film, he briefly shows his demonic facial features (having black eyes and large fangs). Despite having many presumed supernatural powers, he mainly uses his hands to kill people with a 'lethal touch', its effects having the characteristics of sulfur poisoning, (hellfire). He also reveals the ability to sense people by 'smelling' their fear. Though he has all of his father's powers, Blackheart is unaffected by anything holy, as he entered both a church and later sacred funeral ground, allegedly due to him having been 'born' in Hell and hence never having fallen from Heaven in the first place. He is immune to the Ghost Rider's Penance Stare, as he has "no soul to burn". At the end of the film, when he becomes Legion, his skin turns dark bluish with red eyes and his powers are greatly enhanced, becoming nearly invincible with the ability to regenerate from even being blown to pieces. Blackheart first appears in the film, searching for the Three Fallen Angels a.k.a. "The Elementals" (a.k.a., "The Hidden"), Abigor (Wind Demon), Wallow (Water Demon) and Gressil (Earth Demon), in a bar, where he kills all the humans. He aligns The Hidden with him on a quest to obtain the contract of San Venganza (that allows the user access to the power of a thousand evil souls). But when Mephisto finds out about his son's search for the contract, he forces Johnny Blaze to serve his purpose as his Ghost Rider to track down and kill Blackheart and his minions. The Rider overcome each of the Hidden by attacking the element they each hide in with his 'fire element'. First he kills Grissel (by baking him) at an empty train station, and then kills Abigor (by using his chain to create a fiery tornado which sucks Abigor inside, superheats the air and disperses him) on top of a building. However, when Blackheart killed Johnny's manager/friend Mack and kidnapped Roxanne Simpson, Johnny was forced to travel to San Venganza to give him the contract. By the time he arrived, the sun rose within minutes of the ensuing struggle, Blaze having been ambushed by Wallow outside the town (whom he killed under water by boiling the lake). Once gaining the contract, Blackheart calls for all one thousand cursed souls to enter his body, taking on the name of Legion, proving powerful enough to pull himself back together even after being shot apart by a Hellfire-enhanced shotgun. However, Blaze took advantage of this, as Blackheart/Legion was now vulnerable to the Penance Stare a thousandfold due to the souls he had absorbed. Mephisto took Blackheart's lifeless, soulless body presumably back to Hell.

Video games

• Blackheart is a playable character in the arcade fighting games Marvel Super Heroes, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes.
• Blackheart appears as a boss in Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems.
• Blackheart appears in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance voiced by David Sobolov. He is a member of Doctor Doom's Masters of Evil. He confronts the heroes during their attempt to rescue Nightcrawler and Jean Grey. First he is seen attacking Nightcrawler, and later captures Jean when she appears in Mephisto's Realm. He appears as a boss in the game, guarding Jean and Nightcrawler.
• Blackheart appears in the Ghost Rider video game voiced by Robin Atkin Downes. In this game, he can take forms that resemble both his movie and comic book versions' appearances. Mephisto calls on Ghost Rider when some demons planned to restore Blackheart back to good health.

External links

• Blackheart at Marvel.com
• MDP: Blackheart – Marvel Database Project