As the recently reformed and reborn son ofWolverinesets off onto the road, now equipped with his very own Spirit of Vengeance, he may soon find himself in the company of one major devilish fiend. Now considered a Ghost Rider, Akihiro is playing a different game entirely. Gone are the days of the X-Men, because the Hellverine is entering a new world of supernatural horrors.
Hellverineis an upcoming series by Benjamin Percy and Raffaele Ienco that follows Akihiro, Wolverine’s once long-lost son, who spent most of his life as an enemy of his iconic X-Men father. However, after being torn apart and killed by Sabertooth, the spirit of Mephisto’s pet demon, Bagra-ghul,chose Akihiro’s mutilated corpseas its newest host. More is revealed in the solicitation for February’sHellverine#3.
HELLVERINE #3 (2025)
February 26th, 2025
Variant Covers:
Dave Wachter; David Mack
SPIRITS OF THE PAST WREAK VENGEANCE! AKIHIRO confronts the spirits of the dead at his birthplace in Japan! But what does BAGRA-GHUL want with them, and how is the demon linked to MEPHISTO? HELLVERINE is caught between two worlds…and only the combined will of Akihiro and Bagra-ghul will cut through the hellspawn in their way!
The freshly renewed demonic mutant, now on a spiritual path back to his homeland, feels his demon’s call and Mephisto’s need for aGhost Rider in Japan.
Wolverine History Changes Forever as an Ancient Demon Awaits in Akihiro’s Birthplace
Hellverine#3 Variant Cover by Dave Wachter
While the series has yet to debut, Marvel has released some previews of the upcoming issues, revealing some of the story that’s to come. Unlike many of the Ghost Riders,Akihiro has a direct link with Mephisto. While it may seem thatthe Spirits of Vengeanceare inherently linked with the Devil, that’s not actually the case. Aside from Johnny Blaze, who even now is an exception, Bagra-ghul is one of the last known remaining Spirits of Vengeance who is owned by Mephisto. This state of affairs, unfortunately, puts Akihiro in a particularly dubious situation.
Wolverine’s Son Reveals New Design & Powers As He’s Reborn With HUGE Upgrade
Reborn with the power of a Spirit of Vengeance, Wolverine’s son returns from the grave with a hellish new set of powers that rivals the Ghost Rider.
Issue #3 teases that Bagra-ghul and, by extension, Mephisto are drawing Akihiro back to his birthplace of Japan to investigate the presence of an ancient demon. This demonic presence has intertwined itself with spirits who are most likely Akihiro’s ancestors. Long beforebecoming the Hellverine, Akihiro’s bloodline may have already had prior interactions with Mephisto. This scenario wouldn’t be the first time that there was proof thatMephisto’s Ghost Riders had ties with Japan’s past.
Mephisto’s Ghost Riders Have Frequently Appeared Throughout Japan’s History
Ghost Rider History, Explained
So far, at leastone known historical Ghost Rider has a direct connection to Mephisto: Musashi Miyamoto. More popularly known as the Ghost Ronin, Miyamoto bore the demon Zarathos during Japan’s Edo era. While he may not have a direct link with Akihiro, it’s a connection still worth considering, knowing thatMephisto’s influencehas broken into a predominantly non-Abrahamic land. Mephisto has maintained an influence over Earth since, potentially, the age of the Elder Gods, and spiritual bloodlines aren’t a unique concept either.
The Devil doesn’t deal in coincidences; everything is part of a greater picture.
It wouldn’t be surprising that Akihiro’s ancestral spiritual line made some sort of deal with the Devil that led, through the strings of fate, to Akihiro bonding with Bagra-ghul. Mephisto’s last fiery puppet had a similar connection with the evil entity. Zarathos bonding with Johnny wasn’t an accident, and there’s a good chance that Bagra-ghul bonding to Akihiro wasn’t either. The Devil doesn’t deal in coincidences; everything is part of a greater picture. Until theHellverineseries debuts later this December, readers won’t know for certain, but it looks like the son ofWolverineis more than the Devil’s pawn.
Hellverine#3is available February 26th, 2025 from Marvel Comics.
Wolverine
The human mutant Wolverine (a.k.a. Logan) was born James Howlett, blessed with a superhuman healing factor, senses, and physiology. Subjecting himself to experimentation to augment his skeleton and claws with adamantium, Logan is as deadly as he is reckless, impulsive, and short-tempered. Making him the X-Men’s wildest and deadliest member, and one of Marvel Comics' biggest stars. He’s played in Fox and Marvel’s movie franchises by Hugh Jackman.
