the Black Skull’s brutal torture of one of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’s main heroes proves that this terrifying villain will likely never debut in the MCU.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Avengers Forever #1-2, now on sale from Marvel Comics.
One of the many reasons that the symbiotes of the Marvel Universe are so popular with readers is the radical alterations they make to their hosts’ appearance and abilities. Once they’ve merged with a host, the amorphous symbiotes mold and twist them into horrifying new forms, and many of Marvel’s most iconic heroes have undergone unforgettably nightmarish transformations while under the influence of the symbiotes. With the post-credits scene of Spider-Man: No Way Home finally introducing the Venom symbiote into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, many fans are looking forward to seeing the symbiote-infected versions of heroes and villains that could appear in Phase 4 and beyond.
However, the symbiotes are also known for amplifying their hosts’ worst attributes, and there are many symbiote heroes and villains that will probably never appear in the MCU due to their excessive cruelty and lust for violence. One of these is the Black Skull, a member of the Multiversal Masters of Evil and a horrifying fusion of the Venom symbiote and the Red Skull that debuted in Avengers Forever #1 (by Jason Aaron Aaron Kuder, Cam Smith, Jason Keith, Triona Farell, and VC’s Cory Petit). While there is a slim possibility that this character could make an appearance, the Black Skull’s brutal torture of one of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D‘s main heroes proves that this terrifying villain will likely never debut in the MCU.
Following the events of the multiverse-shattering Avengers #50 (by Jason Aaron, Christopher Ruocchio, Carlos Pacheo, Aaron Kuder, Ed McGuiness, & Steve McNiven) Robbie Reyes’ Ghost Rider was taken to Earth-818, a desolate world where the Black Skull has imprisoned what remains of humanity within concentration camps. Overcome by the unpunished evil that infested this reality, Robbie attempts to rescue a group of prisoners from the Black Skull’s War Machine enforcers but is quickly overpowered and captured by the Black Skull himself. Realizing that Robbie’s different from the other Ghost Riders he’s encountered, the Black Skull savagely tortures the Avenger for information over the course of Avengers Forever #2 (by Aaron, Kuder, Cam Smith, Carlos Magno, Scott Hanna, Roberto Poggi, Cam Smith, Guru-eFX, and Petit), using his symbiote tendrils to stretch and pull Robbie apart from the inside and using a bone saw to slowly saw his leg off.
At first, Robbie manages to resist the Black Skull’s torment and attempts to kill the demented dictator whenever an opportunity arises, but the Spirit of Vengeance begins to slowly lose the battle for his sanity as the unrelenting torture continues. Eventually, the Black Skull seemingly allows Robbie a day of respite, only to lure the Avenger into a room full of versions of himself from alternate realities that have been driven to madness by similar torture. Having falsely promised that he would allow the last surviving Robbie to leave, the Ghost Rider is forced to kill himself over and over again to survive while the Black Skull watches and laughs.
On his own, the Red Skull is already one of the most despicable beings in the history of the Marvel Universe. Having served as Adolf Hitler’s right-hand man, the Red Skull is already complicit in the countless atrocities that Nazi Germany committed before and during World War II, personally overseeing the destruction of entire cities and ordering the executions of hundreds of innocent civilians. The Red Skull’s evil is so strong that it ultimately outlives the Nazi regime, with the Red Skull managing to survive into the modern era to continue his quest for world domination.
Having merged with the Venom Symbiote, which would have been denied the compassion and understanding that it received from hosts like Eddie Brock and Flash Thompson within the alternate history of Earth-818, the Black Skull is truly the product of two absolute evils and the mutilated state of the world he rules over stands as proof that he may be the worst iteration of both the Red Skull and the Venom Symbiote to ever exist.
While the MCU has addressed some very dark subject matter over the years, and the presence of both Red Skull and the Venom symbiote does make the creation of the Black Skull possible, the villain’s unrivaled cruelty and thirst for violence makes it likely that he’ll never appear within a film or television series. Disney has gone to great lengths to ensure that the media it produces reflects its family-friendly reputation, and the company has shied away from incorporating some of the Marvel Universes’ more “mature” characters many times before. Given the graphic nature of the Black Skull’s torture of Robbie and the fact that the world he inhabits is molded in the image of one of history’s most brutal dictatorships, the character has almost certainly crossed a line that will prevent him from ever appearing within the MCU.
About The Author
For all the latest Comics News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
