As the recently reformed and reborn son of Wolverine Sets out on the road, now equipped with his own Spirit of Vengeance, he may soon find himself in the company of a great diabolical demon. Now considered a Ghost Rider, Akihiro is playing an entirely different game. The days of the X-Men are long gone, because Hellverine is entering a new world of supernatural horrors.
Hellverina is an upcoming series from Benjamin Percy and Raffaele Ienco that follows Akihiro, the long-lost son of Wolverine, who spent most of his life as an enemy of his iconic X-Men father. However, after being torn apart and killed by Sabertooth, Mephisto’s pet demon spirit, Bagra-ghul, chose Akihiro’s mutilated corpse as its newest host. More is revealed in the solicitation for February Hellverina #3.
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HELLVERINE #3 (2025) |
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Release date: |
February 26, 2025 |
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Writers: |
Benjamin Percy |
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Artists: |
Raffaele Ienco |
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Cover artist: |
Kendrick Lim |
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Variant covers: |
Dave Wachter; David Mack |
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SPIRITS OF THE PAST AVENGE VENGEANCE! AKIHIRO confronts the spirits of the dead in his hometown in Japan! But what does BAGRA-GHUL want with them and how is the demon linked to MEPHISTO? HELLVERINE is trapped between two worlds… and only the combined will of Akihiro and Bagra-ghul will cut down the infernals in her path! |
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The newly renewed demonic mutant, now on a spiritual path back to his homeland, feels the call of his demon and Mephisto’s need for a Ghost Rider in Japan.
Wolverine’s story changes forever as an ancient demon awaits him in Akihiro’s birthplace
Hellverina #3 Variant cover by Dave Wachter
Although the series has not yet debuted, Marvel has released some previews of the next editions, revealing a little of the story to come. Unlike many of the Ghost Riders, Akihiro has a direct connection to Mephisto. Although it may seem that the Spirits of Vengeance are inherently linked to the Devil, this is not the case. Aside from Johnny Blaze, who is thus far an exception, Bagra-ghul is one of the last known remaining Spirits of Vengeance, which belongs to Mephisto. This situation, unfortunately, puts Akihiro in a particularly dubious situation.
Issue #3 teases that Bagra-ghul and, by extension, Mephisto are luring Akihiro back to his birthplace, Japan, to investigate the presence of an ancient demon. This demonic presence has intertwined with spirits that are likely Akihiro’s ancestors. Long before becoming Hellverine, Akihiro’s lineage may have had previous interactions with Mephisto. This scenario would not be the first time that there was evidence that Mephisto’s Ghost Riders had ties to Japan’s past.
Mephisto’s Ghost Riders have appeared frequently throughout Japanese history
Ghost Rider History, Explained
So far, at least a well-known historical Ghost Rider has a direct connection to Mephisto: Musashi Miyamoto. More popularly known as the Phantom Ronin, Miyamoto gave birth to the demon Zarathos during Edo era Japan. While he may not have a direct link to Akihiro, it’s still a connection worth considering, knowing that Mephisto’s influence pervaded a predominantly non-Abrahamic land. Mephisto has maintained an influence over Earth since, potentially, the era of the Elder Gods, and spiritual bloodlines are not a unique concept either.
The Devil doesn’t deal in coincidences; everything is part of a bigger picture.
It would not be surprising if Akihiro’s ancestral spiritual line made some sort of deal with the Devil that led, through the strings of fate, to Akihiro’s connection with Bagra-ghul. Mephisto’s last fire puppet had a similar connection to the evil entity. Zarathos’ bond with Johnny wasn’t an accident, and there’s a good chance that Bagra-ghul’s bond with Akihiro wasn’t either. The Devil doesn’t deal in coincidences; everything is part of a bigger picture. Until the Hellverina series premieres at the end of December, readers won’t know for sure, but it appears that the son of Wolverine is more than a pawn of the Devil.
Hellverina #3 is available February 26, 2025 from Marvel Comics.