Warning: Contains spoilers for Avengers Academy: Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic #26The demonic lord Mephisto has been behind some of the most heartbreaking and vile tragedies in Marvel Comics history, and his latest curse is no different and this time... he keeps it in the family. Avengers Academy: Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic #26 sees Mephisto's son Blackheart punished by his father, stripped of his demonic powers and immortalityand forced to live as a mortal among humanity.
Blackheart has been a consistent villain since his debut in 1989 Reckless #270, known for his many attempts to dominate the world with demonic armies or take power from his father, Mephisto, and sit on the throne of Hell himself.
Avengers Academy: Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic #26, from writer Anthony Oliviera and artist Bailie Rosenlund, follows Blackheart as he deals with the consequences of allowing young Speed and Wiccan to live in the previous issue, angering his father Mephisto and condemning himself to mortality.
Mephisto's son Blackheart was transformed into a mortal
He failed his father for the last time...
Mephisto created the demon Blackheart from the dark energy accumulated in the city of Christ's Crown, meaning that Blackheart was born from human darkness. The primordial evil entity named Mephisto has long ruled an extradimensional realm he calls "Hell" - although canonically not the Christian Hell - tricking mortals into submitting their will to him, and although he enjoys ruling his realm, his true desire is to rule the entire Earth. Blackheart was created to be an agent and assassin for Mephisto but has failed several times in the past, causing Mephisto to drain his powers and banish him to Earth on at least two separate occasions.
Although Mephisto exiled Blackheart to Earth several times, he never took away his immortality, forcing the demon to live - and perhaps die - as a true mortal. Blackheart is typically shown as evil, wicked and conniving, doing your good deeds in Avengers Academy all the strange. The demon spares Billy and Tommy from Mephisto's wrath by keeping two pieces of his father's soul away from him, which causes Mephisto great frustration. As punishment, Mephisto turns Blackheart human, stripping himself of his demonic form and revealing a human underneath, telling his son that he will live among humanity until he crawls back to his father and Hell.
Avengers Academy students want to forgive past sins
Blackheart is now experiencing human feelings for the first time in his long life and has arrived at the gates of the Avengers Academy looking for help... but what is he really seeking? Blackheart wants to remain human and atone for his past, or he simply wants to manipulate the Academy's heroes into restoring him to power? The Avengers Academy students are Marvel heroes, so they almost always want to believe in someone's inherent goodness, but working with Blackheart may reveal to them that everyone also lives with inherent darkness.
Blackheart, although he enjoys power and immortality, has always been envious of the epic highs and lows that humanity experiences. Your father Mephisto is trying to punish his son for his failure, but at the end of the day, the demon lord of Hell may have actually given Blackheart his freedom.
Avengers Academy: Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic #26 from Marvel Comics is now available on the Marvel Unlimited app.