Marvel’s New HELLFIRE WARRIOR Combines Ghost Rider’s Powers with an Iconic MCU Hero

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Hellverine #4

Many years ago, a demon named Bagra-ghul was bound to the soul of the MCU’s newest hero, Wolverine, imbuing the mutant with the powers of Hell, thus creating the first Hellverine. After a swift intervention from the Ghost Rider, Bagra-ghul was exorcised from Wolverine and bound into an earthly prison. However, after regaining its strength, the demon was released and bound itself to a new host, Wolverine’s deceased son Akihiro.

Hellverine #4 – written by Benjamin Percy, with art by Julius Ohta – follows Wolverine’s struggle to save his son, who he has failed so many times before, from damnation.

Combined with the demon’s twisted sense of morality, partially altered by its time with Wolverine, Akihiro became a predator of predators, exacting lethal vengeance against the shadow organization, known as Project Hellfire, that originally bound Bagra-ghul to Logan. However, when Wolverine finally catches up with his son, who had been dead for years at this point, Bagra-ghul abandons Akihiro’s degrading corpse for Logan.

As HELLVERINE, Wolverine Combines His Animalistic Ferocity With The Ghost Rider’s Demonic Fury

Hellverine #4 – Written By Benjamin Percy; Art By Julius Ohta; Color By Frank D’Armata; Lettering By Travis Lanham

During Project Hellfire’s conception, its leaders desired to create a new breed of super soldiers bound by a power that very few of Earth’s heroes could handle. After their initial failure, the program returned, this time pumping the bodies of deceased soldiers with cursed blood and hellfire, creating a horrific band of hellish and technologically enhanced walking corpses. For unknown reasons, Bagra-ghul seeks to slaughter the other victims of Project Hellfire and most likely the organization itself. However, in order to do so successfully, the fiend has decided that the living Weapon X is a better candidate than his son.

No longer bound to the infernal demon, Akihiro’s deanimated corpse has been left to decay in his father’s hands, while Wolverine reluctantly offers to be Bagra-ghul’s host once more. It’s hard to predict what is to come based on the preview of Hellverine #4, but the new series has already set up the foundations for a horrific and bloody horrorfest as the Project Hellfire rogue Destroyers conflict against the rampaging hell-spawn. Logan isn’t a man known for his patience, and now that he has had to lose his son again, there will be hell to pay for the monsters responsible.

Hellverine Makes Logan Central To Marvel’s New Era Of Supernatural Stories

The Horror, The Horror…

Hellverine has the potential to become another staple of Marvel’s ongoing attention to its supernatural repertoire. Danny Ketch is the new Ghost Rider, the Scarlet Witch is currently exploring the Darkhold, and now a heartbroken Wolverine is bound with a vengeful demonic spirit hellbent on its enemies’ destruction. While the series is still young, fans of Marvel’s more macabre tales should consider picking up new issues of Hellverine before the heat of an upcoming satanic war sparks an uncontrollable flame. Wolverine’s return as the Hellverine is sure to bathe the Marvel Universe in a fiery wash of blood and gore.