REAL NAME: Blackheart
KNOWN ALIASES: Lord Blackheart, Black King, Voice
IDENTITY: Existence unknown to general public
OCCUPATION: Demon
CITIZENSHIP: Realm of Hell
PLACE OF BIRTH: Christ’s Crown, New York
KNOWN RELATIVES: Mephisto (father), Mephista (half-sister); Diamon and Satana Hellstorm, Mikal Drakonmegas (quasi-siblings)
GROUP AFFILIATION: Leader of the Hellfire Club, Spirits of Vengeance, Corrupt
EDUCATION: Self-taught and tutored by Mephisto
FIRST APPEARANCE: Daredevil #270 (1989)

HISTORY: Centuries of murder saturated the Christ’s Crown area with evil until the attempted rape of a young girl named Sarah drew Mephisto to create a “son,” Blackheart, from the accumulated wrongs. Slaying both rapist and victim, Blackheart explored the nature of evil under his father’s tutelage, clashing with and failing to corrupt Daredevil and Spider-Man. Mephisto and Blackheart soon drew Daredevil, Brandy Ash, the genetically engineered Number Nine, and Inhumans Gorgon, Karnak, and Ahura into Hell.

Observing these mortals led Blackheart to rebel against his father and seek a newer form of evil; in retaliation, Mephisto diminished Blackheart’s power. Focusing on those who walked the line between good and evil, Blackheart tried and failed to recruit Wolverine, the Punisher and the Ghost Rider (Dan Ketch) to his rebellion. Blackheart also aided Wonder Man against and helped Misha of the mercenary Warheads as her telepathic “Voice,” using Mys-Tech’s Rathcoole to obtain a mystic sword which could harm Mephisto. Returning to Christ’s Crown, Blackheart altered his followers into the Corrupt, and employed Wolverine, Punisher and Ghost Rider as a feint to allow him to anoint the sword with an innocent’s blood. He apparently slew Mephisto, banishing his “father” from Hell and restoring his own powers to full strength.

As Hell’s ruler, Blackheart focused on corrupting the Ghost Rider, aiding the Furies to possess mortal bodies to torment Ghost Rider and resurrecting the Scarecrow (Ebenezr Laughton) to send after Ketch. From his palace in the Burning Flesh district, Blackheart created his own Spirit of Vengeance: his consort Black Rose (the deceased Roxanne Simpson, ex-wife of Dan Ketch’s brother, Johnny Blaze), Verminus Rex (a spirit who had battled the Ghost Rider during World War I), Wallow (a homicidal mortal suicide whom Ghost Rider had thwarted), Doghead (a downtrodden immigrant), and Poa Fu (who had died in the arms of Ghost Rider as he tried to save her). Blackheart bargained to free Ghost Rider’s relatives from their curse; in return, Ghost Rider agreed to lead Blackheart’s Spirits. However, the pair fell out and Ghost Rider destroyed Blackheart, banishing him from Hell.

While ruler of Hell, Blackheart had tormented the soul of the mutant Stryfe by X-Force group, which attracted the attention of the mutant sorceress Selene. After banishment from Hell, Blackheart allied with Selene as the Hellfire Club’s temporary Black King. After defeating Selene’s enemy Alyssa Moy, Blackheart battled the Fantastic Four, Mechamage, Hellstorm, and Margali Szardos; they ultimately defeated Blackheart, binding him beneath New York’s Hellfire Club. Trapped there, he continued to aid Selene in an attempt to corrupt Sunspot despite opposition from X-Force, while awaiting his inevitable release.

HEIGHT: Variable
WEIGHT: Variable
EYES: Black (Variable)
HAIR: Black (Variable)

SUPERHUMAN POWERS: Blackheart can regenerate from most physical harm; teleport extradimensionally; change the size and physical form of himself and willing other; generate concussive blasts of black energy; and survive without food, water, or sleep. Though he can assume human form, Blackheart usually appears as a black spine covered humanoid with a long tail. He smells unpleasantly of burning ink and roses, and has no discernible heartbeat. He likely possesses further unrevealed abilities.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES:
Confronted Daredevil and Inhumans (Daredevils #278-282, 1990)
Opposed Mephisto over Wonder Man (Wonder Man #22-25, 1993)
Revealed as Voice (Warheads #10, 1993)
Slew Mephisto (Ghost Rider/Wolverine/Punisher: The Dark Design, 1994)
Banished by Ghost Rider (Ghost Rider#93, 1998)
Bound beneath Hellfire Club (Fantastic Four Annual 1999)

NOTE: Updated from The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Horror 2005