The Golden Age of Comics introduced us to the world of superheroes who still continue to inspire us. From tragic pasts to helplessness, we have witnessed heroes rise up against insurmountable odds to become the beacon of light for humanity.
While most of the popular heroes had awe-inspiring origin stories of their own, there have been a few heroes who have had it a bit differently. Blurring the line between good and evil, these characters struck a deal with the devil (sometimes quite literally) to become heroes. Here, we have a list of 10 powerful heroes with devilish origins. Interested? Let’s hop in!
10. Etrigan the Demon
Born to the unholy union of Belial, the Archduke of Hell, and Ran Va Daath, the Serpent Queen, Etrigan the Demon is one of the most powerful demons in the DC Universe.
Years later, Etrigan’s half brother Merlin, a powerful wizard, wished to unravel the secrets of Etrigan. Frustrated, he bonded the demon with a Camelot Knight, Jason Blood. The bond made Jason Blood immortal and granted him the powers of Etrigan when summoned. Etrigan’s demonic status is legendary even among other demons. Extremely powerful, Etrigan can spew hellfire from his mouth. His other powers include super-strength, durability, telepathy, precognition, and energy blasts. As his host, Jason Blood works in Gotham as a demonologist. He has frequently fought alongside Batman and is a prominent member of Justice League Dark. His propensity towards sadomasochism makes him a fearless warrior. Also, kinky!
9. Blue Devil
Dan Cassidy was a stuntman and a special effects specialist who was working on the movie Blue Devil. Having created the entire Blue Devil suit for the movie, a freak accident caused the release of the demon Nebiros from a nearby ancient temple.
Mistaking Dan for a demon, Nebiros tried to drain Dan of his demonic energy. Instead, the magic bonded Dan to his Blue Devil suit since he was not a demon. Later, Dan made a deal with Neron and became a true devil who fought occult evil.
8. Kid Devil
The sidekick of Blue Devil, Edward Bloomberg is not a true demon. Neron did not grant Edward any powers, but rather, activated his mutated gene which gives him devilish powers.
His unique physiology makes his body extremely hot. Apart from the regular powers of most demons, Kid Devil has retractable wings for flight and can teleport anywhere using his tail. He can also turn his skin burning hot which can melt metals when pushed to the limit.
7. Spawn
Created by Todd McFarlane, Spawn is a dark and brutal antihero who doesn’t have any qualm with killing. Prior to becoming Spawn, Albert Simmons was an assassin and a CIA operative. In a twist of fate, he is betrayed by his best friend during a mission and killed.
As a last wish to see his wife, Albert strikes a deal with the devil named Malebolgia and returns to earth as a hellspawn. As a demon with devilish powers, Spawn fights evil in his brutal fashion, striking terror in the hearts of criminals. He is constantly hunted by Angela who regularly hunts hellspawns for fun.
6. Hellboy
Created by Mike Mignola, Hellboy is considered as the World’s Greatest Paranormal Investigator. One of the most popular demonic heroes, Hellboy’s real birth name is Anung Un Rama.
As a last measure to win the war, the Nazi forces summoned Hellboy. Fortunately, he is rescued by the United States Armed Forces and raised by Professor Trevor Bruttenholm. His demonic powers along with his massive physique make him a force of nature as he regularly fights paranormal threats.
5. Raven
Daughter of the interdimensional demon Trigon, Raven is one of the most powerful members of the Teen Titans. A powerful empath, her abilities can induce extreme stress or alleviate pain.
She is also an adept sorceress and can project a raven-shaped shadow which she calls as her soul self. Her soul-self enables her to teleport short distances. She can manipulate energy, time, and emotions which makes her an extremely formidable character. Her gothic attire and persona also add an aura of mystery to her look which helps in terrorizing her enemies. She can also evoke one of the deadly sins (Pride) in others to torment them.
4. Lucifer Morningstar
The archangel and the ruler of Hell, Lucifer Morningstar is considered to be one of the most powerful beings of the DC Universe. As a cosmic entity, he rules over the souls damned to hell.
As the devil himself, he is immortal and has control over energy, matter, and time. His cunning personality makes him a diabolical character as his intentions are never truly revealed. After aeons of ruling hell, Lucifer Morningstar left the post and lived on earth. His antics put him in the path of danger as some of his powers are stripped off whenever he leaves hell.
3. Jim Corrigan
Jim Corrigan was a police officer who was brutally murdered and thrown into the water. Seething with rage, his soul refused to enter the afterlife. The archangel Michael took the opportunity and bonded God’s spirit of vengeance, The Spectre, with Jim Corrigan’s body.
Not a demon in the truest sense, the Spectre is a violent spirit which relishes in brutally murdering criminals. As the Spectre, Jim Corrigan is invincible as he has almost all the powers of God. Yet, the Spectre is affected by strong magic and can become vulnerable after performing a great amount of magic.
2. Daimon Hellstrom
The son of Satan, Daimon Hellstrom gains his powers from his dark lineage. An expert demonologist, Daimon is also adept in the mystic arts.
His demonic heritage grants him some of the powers of Satan himself, making him dangerously powerful. He uses a trident made of Netharanium which amplifies his magical abilities and soulfire. As the son of Satan and a human, his ‘Darksoul’ is the counterpart to his original soul. The Darksoul grants him superhuman abilities and physically manifests itself in the form a pentagram on his chest.
1. Ghost-Rider
The spirit of vengeance, Ghost-Rider is one of the foremost heroes with a demonic origin. The mantle of Ghost-Rider has been passed on to three different characters: Johnny Blaze, Danny Ketch, and Robbie Reyes.
Despite having their own unique powers, the Ghost-Riders are known by their flaming skulls. As the protector of the innocent, the Ghost-Rider purges the soul without leaving any physical scar. The Ghost-Rider’s penance stare is a dreaded ability which causes its victim to experience the pain he/she has caused to others. Insanely powerful, it has been noted that Johnny Blaze could defeat an enraged Hulk in the World War Hulk storyline.
