Do you believe Al Simmons was offered a Faustian bargain? Of course, there were stipulations, and we are all aware of how Spawn was persecuted throughout his undead existence. So, if Malebolgia is the genuine face of evil underlying Spawn’s story, it is only right to bestow this title on her. For those of you who have been considering the Violator as Spawn’s archnemesis, we strongly advise you to reconsider and bestow the title on the devil himself. Let us not forget that Malebolgia was the one who practically made Al Simmons Spawn in the first place!
Todd McFarlane designed it. Malebolgia, often known as ‘the Malebolgia,’ was initially presented in the first issue of Spawn in May 1992, much like the titular hero. Now, it is possible that you are wondering how a name like Malebolgia came to be. After doing some research, we discovered that the word was derived from a term used in Dante’s Inferno to describe Malebolge — the terrible ditches in Hell’s eighth circle. This fictitious supervillain serves as both the main antagonist and the ruler of the Eighth Sphere of Hell in this film. Malebolgia has been for over 70,000 years and is the one who created not only Spawn but all the other Hellspawns as well, in order to gather an army capable of destroying Heaven.
As a result, in today’s video, we will talk about Malebolgia, who is frequently referred to as the “true Grandmaster of Hell,” and we will go into the beginnings of this terrifyingly strong supervillain from the Spawn Universe in great detail. Are you all set?
Who Is Malebolgia?
The character of Malebolgia was the creation of the preceding leader of the Eighth Sphere of Hell, called Leviathan. It goes without saying that Malebolgia turned out to be too powerful, eventually killing his creator and taking over the Eighth Sphere as the new ruler. In fact, he reigned unchallenged for more than 70,000 years and was majorly feared and held in the highest regard by the rulers of the other spheres of Hell.
Often perceived as an equal to Satan, it was Malebolgia who was accountable for the creation of Spawn. His position in Hell’s hierarchy gave him infinite powers and it was his proficiency in Necroplasm, which gave him the exclusive power to create Hellspawn. No wonder, he ended up forming an entire army, one that was not only larger but also pretty much stronger than anything Heaven could handle.
While it is true that he is the one that gave Spawn his powers, one just cannot disregard the fact that it was also Malebolgia who repetitively kept giving Spawn a reminder of how he will become a perpetual servant of Hell once he runs out of his powers. Having said all of that, he intentionally shrouded the memories of Spawn with the sole purpose of corrupting him and eventually making him the killing machine. Malebolgia even sent the Violator to Earth as the demonic guardian to Spawn.
Malebolgia – Alternate Versions
So, there was a time when Malebolgia was reborn during the Mutations mythos. Apparently, he had eaten the remaining Phlebiac Brothers and in the process, absorbed their bodies along with their powers into his very body thus creating his new self. Of course, he had revenge on his mind; therefore, he was determined to bring back the former body of Spawn just so that he could torment him further with the sole fact that he was dead.
After Spawn had killed the re-animated corpse, Malebolgia found his way towards Billy Kincaid in the very pits of Hell. You should not be surprised when we tell you that post-finding Kincaid, Malebolgia integrated some kind of a special tube through his head, one that connected him to a small demon, altering his body in the process.
No wonder post his return back to Earth, Kincaid literally went on a killing splurge – all of this just to get the attention of Spawn. The demon separated himself and managed to run off to alert Malebolgia after the battle ended. On the other hand, an infuriated Spawn ended up transmuting himself into a full-fledged demon as a result of his body and suit reacting. No points for guessing that a transformed Spawn entered Hell to slay Malebolgia but ended up being incapacitated by Malebolgia’s new form and coerced to act as his pet.
But unbeknownst to Malebolgia, Spawn was actually planning his escape. That’s why the story ended with Spawn saying, “You’re a fool, Malebolgia; You may believe you’ve won, but I have a plan of my own. Your days are numbered. Your reign will fall. I will be free.”
Malebolgia Supernatural Powers
When it is the Devil that we are talking about, there are no second thoughts about him being supremely powerful. We all know how Malebolgia gave Al Simmons his powers after he became a Hellspawn. But you do realize that he is a supervillain and in simple words, very much capable of taking away the powers at his will? Well, in this case, at his pleasure of course! His powers include telepathy by which he can read the minds of his victims just to see how they tick.
Of course, there is mind control, psychokinesis, shape-shifting, regeneration, and superhuman strength. Oh, and he is very strong. From knocking Spawn around in the battle to bragging unlimited power, especially in the Eighth Sphere of Hell, you know you cannot take Malebolgia lightly. When it comes to his necro energies, he can raise the dead and also have the power to morph and influence illusions. Let’s not forget that he is also very deceptive; after all, he did manage to fool Al Simmons into serving him for his own cause.
Appearances
MOVIE
If you remember Mark A.Z. Dippé’s superhero flick titled Spawn, then you have every reason to remember Malebolgia, who made an appearance as the main antagonist in the 1997 live-action movie. Just like his comic counterpart, he is introduced as the ruler of Hell. He is intelligent, he is diabolical, and is seen as someone who enjoys deceiving others into doing his work and simply has them terminated if they are not of any use to him. One who even dares to think of betraying him does not really stand a chance.
In the movie, he is first seen in a flashback offering Spawn a deal. He allows him to see his beloved wife Wanda in exchange of him leading his army of Hell. Just to see that he ends up keeping his side of the bargain, Malebolgia even sends Violator as his demonic guardian. He is voiced by Frank Welker in the movie.
TV SERIES
In spite of his significant role and recurrent appearances in the comic book, it is pretty ironic that Malebolgia does not appear in the Spawn television series. Of course, his name is mentioned and there is no denying that his influence is apparent, however one only gets to catch a glimpse of his face and den in the fourth episode. Malebolgia as the unseen overarching antagonist appears to be exceedingly devious. He ends up tricking Spawn not once but twice. Remember how Malebolgia gave him a chance to see his wife along with how he later tricked Spawn into having a child with his wife? Well, he wanted Spawn to do all of this in the first place to execute his own sinister agendas. Pretty wicked, right? Now that’s some villain to define Spawn more than anyone else.
VIDEO GAMES
Voiced by David Sobolov, Malebolgia made an appearance in a couple of Spawn video games. He is literally the secondary antagonist in the game, Spawn: Armageddon. In Spawn: In the Demon’s Hand, he plays the role of a boss. Apart from these, the character of Malebolgia has also made an appearance in the SNES game of the same name as the main antagonist as well as the Gameboy game, Spawn, and Spawn: The Eternal.