Classic Marvel Villain Gets Major Makeover

A major Marvel Comics villain has received a makeover as part of the Marvel Legacy initiative.

That villain is Blackheart, and he’s appearing in a surprising place. Since stepping down as Captain America, Sam Wilson has returned to his previous persona as the Falcon. He’s taken on a new sidekick, Patriot, and he’s returned to his roots as a street-level hero.

However, it turns out that some of the recent street-level violence that he’s been encountering has a supernatural source. Blackheart, the son of Mephisto, has infiltrated the ranks of humanity and is playing sides against one another to cause gang violence to erupt in record numbers.

While he spends much of his time disguised as a human, here’s what Blackheart looks like now in his natural, demonic form:

Blackheart may be best known to some fans as a character in the video game Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes or as the villain of the 2007 Ghost Rider film, but his new look is a clear departure from how he was portrayed in either of those releases.

Blackheart is an unusual opponent in that he is mystical in original and usually a foe for Ghost Rider to handle. ComicBook.com spoke to writer Rodney Barnes about why he chose Blackheart to be Sam’s first villain when the new Falcon series was announced.

“Genre-wise there’s a blending of urban street sensibilities with dark magic. Sam’s never been to the place we’re taking him and it’s going to take more than muscle to overcome the obstacles in his path,” Barnes teased. “My hope is that taking Sam out of his typical environment will cause him to use wits of a different sort. The fight now is from the inside out. And since he’s soul-searching it felt kind of cool to put him in the spiritual realm. Blackheart was a character I’ve appreciated for a long time. I felt his frustration at being a second stringer on the demon totem pole so why wouldn’t he take his shot at shaking up the world? If a bad kid won’t listen to his parents surely a Demon son wouldn’t take well to conformity either.”

Falcon #3 is now on sale.