Blackheart
Encyclopedia
Blackheart is a fictional demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...

 in the . The character was created by Ann Nocenti
Ann Nocenti
Ann "Annie" Nocenti is an American journalist, writer, editor, and filmmaker best known for her work on comic books and magazines. As an editor for Marvel Comics, she edited New Mutants and The Uncanny X-Men...

 and John Romita, Jr.
John Romita, Jr.
John Salvatore Romita, Jr. is an American comic book artist best known for his extensive work for Marvel Comics from the 1970s to the 2000s...

, and first appeared
First appearance
In comic books and other stories with a long history, first appearance refers to the first occurrence to feature a fictional character.-Monetary value of first appearance issues:...

 in Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...

(vol. 1) #270 (Sept. 1989). In the 2007 film Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider (film)
Ghost Rider is a 2007 superhero film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson. Based on the character of the same name which appeared in Marvel Comics, the film stars Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze, a stunt motorcyclist who sells his soul to the Devil and transforms into thevigilante Ghost...

, Blackheart is portrayed by actor Wes Bentley
Wes Bentley
Wesley Cook "Wes" Bentley is an American film actor known for his role of Ricky Fitts in American Beauty.-Early life:Bentley was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the son of Cherie and David Bentley, who are United Methodist ministers....

 and took the role of the main antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...

.

Fictional character biography

Centuries of murder in a locale named Christ's Crown, New York, draws the attention of a demon-lord, Mephisto
Mephisto (comics)
Mephisto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Silver Surfer #3 and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema, loosely modeled on Mephistopheles - a character from the Faust legend.Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books,...

, 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
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...

 and Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...

. Mephisto and Blackheart once tormented Daredevil, Brandy Ash, the genetically engineered Number Nine, and the Inhumans
Inhumans
The Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This race appears in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics and exists in that company's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe....

 Gorgon, Karnak
Karnak (comics)
Karnak is a fictional martial artist published by Marvel Comics. He first appears in Fantastic Four vol. 1, #45, and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...

, and Ahura
Ahura (comics)
Ahura is a fictional character that appears in the Marvel Universe and is a member of the Inhumans species. Ahura was created by Ann Nocenti and Bret Blevins and first makes an appearance in Marvel Graphic Novel: The Inhumans ....

, 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
Warheads (comics)
Warheads was a Marvel UK comic book series which ran for 14 issues in the early 1990s and was followed by the two-issue mini-series Warheads: Black Dawn. The stories contained in the comic were also serialised in the UK comics anthology Overkill...

 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
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....

. 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
Ghost Rider (Daniel Ketch)
Ghost Rider is a comic book character, a supernatural superhero in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. He is the third Marvel character to use the name Ghost Rider, following the Western hero later known as the Phantom Rider, and Johnny Blaze, the first supernatural Ghost Rider.-Publication...

, Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...

, and Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...

 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
Grim Reaper (comics)
Grim Reaper is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in The Avengers #52 May , by Roy Thomas and John Buscema.-Fictional character biography:...

, Blackheart brings Wonder Man
Wonder Man
Wonder Man is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Avengers #9 .-Publication history:Wonder Man debuted in the superhero-team title The Avengers #9 Wonder...

 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
Noble Kale
Noble Kale, the man who would be Ghost Rider, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Background and history:Noble grew up with his abusive father, Pastor Kale, and his younger brother, Dante, in the eighteenth century...

. 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.

He is later seen alive and attending a meeting with Mephisto
Mephisto (comics)
Mephisto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Silver Surfer #3 and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema, loosely modeled on Mephistopheles - a character from the Faust legend.Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books,...

, Satannish
Satannish
Satannish is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Satannish is a very powerful extra-dimensional demon who has clashed with Doctor Strange. Satannish is known for granting mortals mystical power in exchange for their souls...

, Hela
Hela (comics)
Hela is a fictional character, the Asgardian goddess of death in the Marvel Comics universe, based on the Norse goddess, Hel. The ruler of Hel and Niffleheim, the character has been a frequent foe of Thor...

 and Dormammu
Dormammu
Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a...

 about a disturbance created by the newly resurrected Magik
Magik (comics)
Magik is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men. She is the younger sister of the Russian X-Man Colossus.-Publication history:...

, 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.

Powers and abilities

Blackheart is a powerful demon
Demons (Marvel Comics)
The Marvel Comics universe hosts a number of demons, many of whom are at times at conflict with gods and angels. All possess varying degrees of mystical power, feed upon souls for self-sustenance, and are inclined towards dark or “black” magic - evil....

 created by Mephisto
Mephisto (comics)
Mephisto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Silver Surfer #3 and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema, loosely modeled on Mephistopheles - a character from the Faust legend.Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books,...

, possibly from the essence of Darkforce. He possesses vast inherent supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...

 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

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
Zadkiel (comics)
Zadkiel is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He was a former Archangel in the service of Heaven and an enemy of the Ghost Rider.-Fictional character biography:...

 – 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
Madcap (comics)
Madcap is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He first appeared in Captain America #307 . He has clashed with Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Hawkeye, Nomad, the Power Pack, Quasar and She-Hulk.-Fictional character biography:...

 and Scarecrow
Scarecrow (Marvel Comics)
The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe, in which he is an enemy of Captain America, Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, and Iron Man. His first appearance was in Tales of Suspense #51....

, he and Sara became separated from them. Taking refuge in a deconsecrated church, Kid Blackheart decided to reveal his true goal. Master Pandemonium
Master Pandemonium
Master Pandemonium is a supervillain in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Martin Preston was born in Rutland, Vermont. He was originally an actor who lost an arm in a car crash, and made a pact with Mephisto to regain his limb. Mephisto instead took the man's other three limbs,...

 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.

Film

  • In the 2007 film Ghost Rider
    Ghost Rider (film)
    Ghost Rider is a 2007 superhero film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson. Based on the character of the same name which appeared in Marvel Comics, the film stars Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze, a stunt motorcyclist who sells his soul to the Devil and transforms into thevigilante Ghost...

    , Blackheart is portrayed by Wes Bentley
    Wes Bentley
    Wesley Cook "Wes" Bentley is an American film actor known for his role of Ricky Fitts in American Beauty.-Early life:Bentley was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the son of Cherie and David Bentley, who are United Methodist ministers....

     as the main antagonist, alongside his father Mephisto
    Mephisto (comics)
    Mephisto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Silver Surfer #3 and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema, loosely modeled on Mephistopheles - a character from the Faust legend.Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books,...

     (portrayed by Peter Fonda
    Peter Fonda
    Peter Henry Fonda is an American actor. He is the son of Henry Fonda, brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget and Justin Fonda...

    ). 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
    Sulfur
    Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...

     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
    Legion (demon)
    Legion is a group of demons referred to in the Christian Bible. The New Testament outlines an encounter where Jesus healed a man from Gadarenes possessed by demons while traveling, known as Exorcising the Gerasenes demonic.- In the Bible :...

    , 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
    Legion (demon)
    Legion is a group of demons referred to in the Christian Bible. The New Testament outlines an encounter where Jesus healed a man from Gadarenes possessed by demons while traveling, known as Exorcising the Gerasenes demonic.- In the Bible :...

    , 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 now catatonic body presumably back to Hell.

Video games

  • Blackheart is a playable character in the arcade fighting games Marvel Super Heroes
    Marvel Super Heroes (arcade game)
    is a fighting game developed by Capcom. Originally released in the arcade in 1995 on the CPS-2 arcade system, it was later ported to the Sega Saturn and PlayStation in late 1997...

    , Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter
    Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter
    is the fourth Marvel Comics-licensed fighting game produced by Capcom . It is a sequel to X-Men vs. Street Fighter which replaces most of the X-Men characters with characters from Marvel Super Heroes. In an attempt to balance the previous games' problems, the game engine was altered, although it...

    and Marvel vs. Capcom 2
    Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes
    is a fighting game, developed and published by Capcom. It is the fourth game in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. With the fourth installment of this series, Capcom simplified the controls to make the gameplay more accessible for casual players. The button configuration was trimmed down to 4 main...

    .
  • Blackheart appears as a boss in Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems
    Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems
    Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems is the title of a side-scrolling video game based on the events of Marvel Comics' series, Infinity Gauntlet. Adam Warlock calls upon Earth's greatest super heroes to seek out the Infinity Gems before they fall into the wrong hands. In a series, the game is...

    .
  • Blackheart appears in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
    Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
    Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox...

    voiced by David Sobolov
    David Sobolov
    David Sobolov is a Canadian voice actor. David began his creative career as a french horn player in pit orchestras and small ensembles, then studied acting in New York with the legendary Sanford Meisner at The Neighborhood Playhouse...

    . He is a member of Doctor Doom
    Doctor Doom
    Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...

    's Masters of Evil
    Masters of Evil
    The Masters of Evil is a name for a number of fictional supervillain teams that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6 , with the lineup continually changing over the years....

    . He confronts the heroes during their attempt to rescue Nightcrawler
    Nightcrawler (comics)
    Nightcrawler is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe. He has been associated with both the X-Men and Excalibur, originally appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1...

     and Jean Grey
    Jean Grey
    Jean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men, for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her...

    . 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
    Ghost Rider (video game)
    Ghost Rider is a third-person game based around the movie of the same name. The game's storyline is a sequel to the movie, and was penned by Marvel writers Garth Ennis and Jimmy Palmiotti. Players can play as Ghost Rider both on foot, or on the Hellcycle. The villains are both from the movie and...

    video game voiced by Robin Atkin Downes
    Robin Atkin Downes
    Born in London, England, Robin Atkin Downes is an English actor who is one of the most prolific voice-over actors in Los Angeles. He is well known for his work in film, television and voice acting...

    . 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
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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