Diablo (Esteban Corazón de Ablo) is a
supervillain
A supervillain or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character that is commonly found in American comic books, usually possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero.
Supervillains are oft ...
appearing in
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. The character is depicted as an evil alchemist, and an
enemy
An enemy or a foe is an individual or a group that is considered as forcefully adverse or threatening. The concept of an enemy has been observed to be "basic for both individuals and communities". The term "enemy" serves the social function of d ...
of the
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
. Created by writer
Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
and artist
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gr ...
, the character first appeared in ''
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
'' #30 (September 1964).
Publication history
Diablo was created by writer
Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
and artist
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gr ...
, and first appeared in ''
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
'' #30 (September 1964).
In a 2013 interview with
Chris Hardwick
Christopher Ryan Hardwick (born November 23, 1971) is an American comedian, actor, television and podcast host, writer, and producer. He hosts ''Talking Dead'', an hourlong aftershow on AMC affiliated with the network's zombie drama series '' The ...
of
Nerdist
Nerdist Industries, LLC is part of the digital division of Legendary Entertainment. Nerdist Industries was founded as a sole podcast (The Nerdist Podcast) created by Chris Hardwick but later spread to include a network of podcasts, a premium conte ...
, creator Lee said that Diablo was his greatest regret because he could not remember the character aside from his name, who he is, and why he did what he did, saying, "When you create a character you should feel you know him".
Fictional character biography
Esteban Corazón de Ablo was a powerful alchemist in 9th century
Saragossa
Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributari ...
, who sold his soul to the demon
Mephisto
Mephisto or Mephistopheles is one of the chief demons of German literary tradition.
Mephisto or Mephistopheles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Méphisto'', a 1931 French film
* Mephisto (1981 film), ''Mephisto'' (1981 film), a German- ...
to lengthen his life far beyond a human span.
Years later, Diablo set up a base in
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
where he made a pact with the
Vampires
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deaths ...
.
The villagers had enough of him where they formed an angry mob and buried him within a stone crypt under his castle. Another century later, the Fantastic Four appeared in Transylvania on a vacation, when a local named Baron Hugo told them the legend of Diablo. That night, Diablo whispered to The
Thing
Thing or The Thing may refer to:
Philosophy
* An object
* Broadly, an entity
* Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant
* Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuses ...
to awake and free him from his prison by pulling out the stone plug on his crypt and smashing the stone slab that covered him. Freed, Diablo offered a potion to the Thing that would turn him halfway into a human. In exchange for Ben's services for a year, he would give him the other potion that would finalize the change. When the rest of the Fantastic Four arrived, they found Ben working for Diablo. They fought with him and tried to convince him to leave his service, but Ben refused, and the three were forced to leave him behind. Diablo soon made his appearance known to the world, and sold his alchemic chemicals internationally, making him the richest man on the planet. Shortly before the rest of the world,
Mister Fantastic
Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace a ...
discovered that Diablo's chemicals worked, but only for a short while, before failing. The world turned on Diablo, but he had already built up an army of loyal followers and was prepared to use his alchemic powers to conquer the planet. But once Diablo had revealed his true intentions, the Fantastic Four were free to attack him. At the same time, the Thing had also discovered that the potion he was given wore off, and he turned on Diablo, but Diablo used one of his chemical pellets to knock him out and seal him in an unbreakable, glass capsule. The remaining three members of the Fantastic Four soon attacked Diablo's fortress, but after a struggle, Diablo managed to capture them with his chemical pellets. Diablo sealed up the last of the Fantastic Four in the same capsules, but Ben quickly escaped when his broke down. Angered, he chased Diablo through his own castle, until he crushed a suit of armor into a giant ball, and threw it after him. Diablo ran from it, hiding within the crypt that the villagers had sealed him in. The Thing followed behind him and reinserted the giant, stone plug, and then smashed it with both fists, causing the entire castle to come crumbling down upon the crypt. The Fantastic Four were later freed, and the Human Torch melted the stone into slag to harden Diablo's prison.
But Diablo eventually used his potions to destroy his melted stone prison, and escape to get revenge on the Fantastic Four. His next move was to travel to North America and New York's State University, where he helped Professor Gilbert to animate his android creation,
Dragon Man. He turned the Dragon Man against the Fantastic Four, but it eventually turned on him and drove both of them underneath a frozen lake, where he was lost for a time. Diablo later reactivated the Dragon Man, creating a whole army of Dragon Men. He was defeated by the
Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
, however.
Diablo later clashed with
Doctor Doom
Doctor Victor Von Doom is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appeared in ''The Fantastic Four'' #5 in July 1962. The monarch of the fi ...
. He next took the
Inhuman
Inhuman may refer to:
Comics
*Inhumans, a fictional race in Marvel Comics
** ''Inhuman'' (comics), a comic book series focusing on Inhumans
** ''Inhumans'' (TV series), a television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
*Kristoff Vernard, ...
,
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...
, captive. He took control of Terra Verde, but was ultimately defeated by the
Human Torch
The Human Torch (Jonathan "Johnny" Storm) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of ...
. Diablo later recruited
Darkoth
Darkoth (a.k.a. Darkoth the Death Demon) is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. His first appearance was in '' Fantastic Four'' #142 (Jan. 1974), and he was created by Gerry Conway ...
as a pawn to battle Doctor Doom, but was betrayed by Darkoth. Diablo later sent elementals to battle the Fantastic Four, and battled
Iron Man
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...
after that.
It was later revealed that Diablo had a romantic relationship with the woman who became the criminal
Gilded Lily. Diablo was freed from prison by Gilded Lily, though he turned against her and was defeated by
Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight is a fictional team of Canadian superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters premiered in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #120 (April 1979), and were created to serve as part of the X-Men member Wo ...
. Diablo later attacked the Fantastic Four, again using elementals against them. Diablo conquered the country of Tierra del Maiz, and in another clash with Alpha Flight, he was apparently killed.
However, Diablo survived and reappeared again later. He was later responsible for the destruction of the Fantastic Four's headquarters, Pier 4. He aided the Fantastic Four in driving the chaos demon
Shuma-Gorath
Shuma-Gorath () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
Shuma-Gorath first appears as an adversary for Doctor Strange in ''Marvel Premiere'' #10 (September 1973), created by wr ...
back to its home dimension.
Diablo has also fought
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
. After escaping Spider-Man, he is approached by
Ana Kravinoff who states that her mother would like to speak with him.
Some time later, he has become a subject of the new
Night Thrasher In comics, Night Thrasher may refer to:
* Night Thrasher (Dwayne Taylor), the first Night Thrasher, a fictional superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics
* Donyell Taylor
N'astirh
N'Garai
N'Kantu, the Living Mummy
Naga
Nahr ...
's interest.
He was later seen in
Vieques
Vieques (; ), officially Isla de Vieques, is an island and municipality of Puerto Rico, in the northeastern Caribbean, part of an island grouping sometimes known as the Spanish Virgin Islands. Vieques is part of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, ...
, an
island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
–
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
of
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
, where he helped Spider-Man and the Human Torch defeat a giant radioactive sea monster that was devouring the residents and tourists.
During ''
The Gauntlet'' storyline, Diablo is present with
Electro, Ana Kravinoff, Sasha Kravinoff, and
Alyosha Kravinoff
Kraven the Hunter (Sergei Kravinoff; Russian language, Russian: Сергей Кравинов) is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' issue ...
when
Mattie Franklin
Spider-Woman (Martha "Mattie" Franklin) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is the third character to be called Spider-Woman.
Publication history
The character first appeared in ''Spectacula ...
is sacrificed as part of a ritual that resurrects
Vladimir Kravinoff as a humanoid lion creature.
During the ''Origin of the Species'' storyline, Diablo is invited by
Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus (Dr. Otto Gunther Octavius), also known as Doc Ock for short, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appeared in ''Th ...
to join his supervillain team where he promises them that they will receive a reward in exchange for securing some specific items for him. Ever since Lily Hollister's baby was stolen by the Chameleon, Spider-Man had been going on a rampage against any villains involved. The police recovered a web ball containing
Spot
Spot or SPOT may refer to:
Places
* Spot, North Carolina, a community in the United States
* The Spot, New South Wales, a locality in Sydney, Australia
* South Pole Traverse, sometimes called the South Pole Overland Traverse
People
* Spot (produ ...
, Diablo, and
Overdrive
Overdrive may refer to:
Organizations
* OverDrive, Inc., a digital distributor of entertainment media
** OverDrive Media Console, a media player developed by OverDrive, Inc.
* Overdrive PC, a subsidiary of Velocity Micro
Technology
* Overdrive ...
.
Diablo is later recruited by Max Fury to join the
Shadow Council
The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several fictional teams and organizations and this page lists them.
0–9 198
A A-Force
A-Next
A.I. Army
Because of his revelation that he is now a simulated A ...
's incarnation of the
Masters of Evil
The Masters of Evil is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in '' The Avengers'' #6 (July 1964), with the lineup continually changing over the years.
Publicatio ...
.
Sometime later, Diablo kidnaps
Maria Hill
Commander Maria Hill ( ) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch, the character first appeared in '' The New Avengers'' #4 (March 2005). As a form ...
in order to acquire the security code clearances to all active helicarriers and the Triskelion but is defeated by a reformed Doctor Doom.
Diablo is later shown using a cloning spell on a Moloid to excavate a mystical artifact when he is ambushed by the Inhuman known as Mosaic, who destroys the artifact and forces him to surrender.
Powers and abilities
Diablo is a practitioner of the alchemic sciences, based upon reconstructing molecules by mystical means, and has obtained this knowledge through study. Thanks to his tutors, he was educated and is self-taught in these arcane arts. His youth and vitality have been lengthened, due to a longevity serum. He can affect his own body by changing the appearance to look like a different person or become "nerveless protoplasm", which protects him from certain forms of harm.
Diablo employs a huge arsenal of alchemical weapons that he discovered or invented, and conceals within hidden pouches and pockets in his costume. But unknown to science, his concoctions are almost
magical in nature. Although the range of his power is wide, these effects are temporary unless Diablo provides a second dose, with the exception of an
elixir
ELIXIR (the European life-sciences Infrastructure for biological Information) is an initiative that will allow life science laboratories across Europe to share and store their research data as part of an organised network. Its goal is to bring t ...
he used on Dragon Man. His mixtures include nerve gas pellets, freezing potions, and pills that make people susceptible to Diablo's
hypnotic
Hypnotic (from Greek ''Hypnos'', sleep), or soporific drugs, commonly known as sleeping pills, are a class of (and umbrella term for) psychoactive drugs whose primary function is to induce sleep (or surgical anesthesiaWhen used in anesthesia ...
orders. He can also transmute non-organic matter (stones to feathers, water to ice, etc.), unleash explosive blasts, model surface features, give life to inanimate objects, and create beings formed from the elements of earth, fire, wind, and water called "elementals". Other concoctions utilize teleportation for quick escapes.
Other versions
Age of Apocalypse
In the ''
Age of Apocalypse
"Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 comic book crossover storyline mostly published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The ''Age of Apocalypse'' briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616 and had ramifications in the main Marvel Comic ...
'' reality, Diablo and the
Absorbing Man
Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Journey into Mystery'' #114, cover dated March 1965, created by writer Stan Lee and writer/artist Ja ...
work as prison wardens for one of the many prisons maintained for
Apocalypse
Apocalypse () is a literary genre in which a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a human intermediary. The means of mediation include dreams, visions and heavenly journeys, and they typically feature symbolic imager ...
. This particular one is located in a section of Aztec ruins in Mexico. He is killed by
Nightcrawler during X-Men's mission to rescue
Robert Kelly, a mutant-human peace activist.
Marvel Zombies
In the ''
Marvel Zombies
''Marvel Zombies'' is a five-issue limited series published from December 2005 to April 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam. It was the first series in the ''Marve ...
'' reality, Diablo appears as one of the many zombiefied super-powered beings hoping for access to the Kingpin's human cloning vats. He successfully trades several cans of cat food for his desired time. He then made friends with zombie Scorpion. Zombie Diablo then kills himself by ripping out the skull and severely crushed it after one of his arms are ripped apart.
Ultimate Marvel
The
Ultimate Universe
Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint (trade name), imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Univers ...
version of Diablo is named Menendez Flores instead of Esteban Corazón de Ablo. He made his Ultimate Universe debut in ''
Ultimate Fantastic Four
''Ultimate Fantastic Four'' is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running ''Fantastic Four'' comic book franchise as part of the Ultimate Marvel imprint. The Ultimate ...
'' #39. In that issue, it was revealed that he was an evil alchemist who had been confined by the good alchemist Andrea Vecchiato to a "tower with no door" in 15th century Milan. Along with the help of his hunchback henchman Peppone, he reached across time to kidnap people close to the Fantastic Four, only to challenge them to a contest. He intended to use Reed's sister as an important part of his plan for immortality. The Four, along with a contingent of soldiers led by
Willie Lumpkin
William Lemuel "Willie" Lumpkin is a fictional supporting character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is best known as the mailman of the Fantastic Four in their self-titled comic book.
Willie Lumpki ...
, head back in time to oppose him. He was defeated and vanishes after being touched by Reed's temporarily super-powered sister Enid.
In other media
Television
* Diablo appeared in the 1967 ''
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
'' episode "Diablo", voiced by
Regis Cordic
Regis John Cordic (May 15, 1926 – April 16, 1999) was an American radio personality and actor, also known and credited as Rege Cordic.
His career in entertainment was divided roughly in half. From 1948 to 1965, he was the dominant mornin ...
.
* Diablo appeared in the ''
Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes'' episode "Johnny Storm and the Potion of Fire" voiced by
Trevor Devall
Trevor Devall (born November 10, 1972) is a Canadian-American voice actor and podcaster. He worked for various other studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for years, before he relocated to Los Angeles, California, US in 2013.
Early life ...
. He performs a ceremony to attain the vast power of the elements through special potions to rule the world. However, the ceremony is disrupted by
Johnny Storm
The Human Torch (Jonathan "Johnny" Storm) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of a si ...
, who crashes into the fire potion, which affects his own fire powers and mind. Diablo secretly makes the element of fire grow inside of him using his alchemical potions. Even in spite of Johnny overcomes its power, Diablo steals the fire potion back and completes the original ceremony before
Mister Fantastic
Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace a ...
uses a magic neutralizer he built to stop him once and for all.
*Diablo appeared in the
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series ''
Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers'', voiced by Tomohisa Aso in Japanese and
Matthew Mercer
Matthew Christopher Miller (born June 29, 1982), better known as Matthew Mercer, is an American voice actor. He is best known for his work with Studiopolis, Funimation, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Viz Media, and NYAV Post in anime, cartoons, and ...
in English.
Video games
* Diablo appears in the 2005 ''
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
'' video game, voiced by
André Sogliuzzo
André Sogliuzzo (born August 10, 1966) is an American voice actor. His voice-work includes several animated series, including ''American Dad!'', ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'', ''Harvey Beaks'', ''Jackie Chan Adventures'' and '' Star Wars: Clone ...
. He and his army of jungle warriors seek to find cosmic-powered meteors that landed on Earth following the cosmic storm that gave the Fantastic Four their powers to rule all of mankind, putting him in conflict with the team as they seek the rocks to power a machine that could turn the
Thing
Thing or The Thing may refer to:
Philosophy
* An object
* Broadly, an entity
* Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant
* Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuses ...
back to normal.
* Diablo appears in the mobile game ''
Marvel Contest of Champions
''Marvel Contest of Champions'' is a 2014 Fighting video game, fighting video game developed and published by Kabam. It was released on December 10, 2014, for iOS and Android (operating system), Android. The fighting game is primarily set in the ...
''.
References
External links
Diabloat Marvel.com
Diabloat Marvel Database
at Marvel Directory
Diabloat Comic Vine
{{Jack Kirby
Comics characters introduced in 1964
Characters created by Jack Kirby
Characters created by Stan Lee
Fantastic Four characters
Fictional alchemists
Fictional characters with immortality
Marvel Comics characters who use magic
Marvel Comics male supervillains
Marvel Comics mutates
Marvel Comics supervillains