The son of Wolverine has fully embraced his mantle as Marvel’s new Hellverine, and he has his very own team of demonic heroes to prove it.

Hellverine #4 picks up only moments after Bagra-ghul, the demon that had possessed and reanimated Akihiro, left its undead host for a new one in the form of none other than Wolverine himself. Surprisingly, Wolverine’s love for his son, willpower, and sheer desperation are enough to drive the demon back into Akihiro’s body. Better yet, by the time the dust has settled, the son of Wolverine not only has complete control over his infernal passenger but his band of similarly Hellish heroes at his side.

Written by BENJAMIN PERCY Art by JULIUS OHTA Colors by FRANK D’ARMATA Letters by VC’s TRAVIS LANHAM Design by CARLOS LAO and GABRIEL MATA Main cover art by RYAN STEGMAN, JP MAYER & MARTE GRACIA Variant cover by RAHZZAH

First seen in a brief cameo appearance in 2006’s Wolverine: Origins #5 by writer Daniel Way and artist Steve Dillon, Akihiro, then known as Daken, was born to Itsu, a woman from Jasmine Falls who shared a short love affair with Logan during his time in Japan. Tragically, Itsu fell victim to Bucky Barnes, then operating as the brainwashed Winter Soldier, who was sent by the villainous Romulus to terrorize Wolverine’s family and draw him out into the open. Unbeknownst to Logan, Romulus also ensured that his enemy’s then-unborn son would survive the attack, who was eventually trained by the villain and turned against his father.

In the years since Akihiro’s introduction, he has gone from an abject villain to one of the most complex heroes that the Marvel Universe has ever known. After learning the truth of his origins, Daken took up a personal effort to right whatever wrongs he could, albeit in some particularly violent ways. As a part of Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers, Daken was present for whatever missions required him, yet he was always working towards his own goals in secret. He has also been a member of X-Factor Investigations, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the X-Men, and even Apocalypse’s infamous Horsemen, not to mention over half a dozen other teams.

Following Akihiro’s gruesome demise at the hands of Sabretooth in the pages of 2024’s Wolverine #41 by writers Victor LaValle and Benjamin Percy and artists Geoff Shaw and Cory Smith, his remains were sought out by the then recently released Bagra-ghul, who sensed the familial connection between the late mutant hero and his father, who the demon had previously possessed. This kicked off a brutal campaign of vengeance, with the demon directing its new host to cut down evildoers as part of a twisted ritual carried out in the name of Mephisto. This drew the attention of the ominous Project Hellfire, a government operation that had created its own demonic soldiers in secret.

Hellverine #4 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.

Source: Marvel Comics