Superheroes are not to be afraid because they serve as protectors while fighting bad powers. Is that what you have been told for the past few years? Reconsider your position! While this is mainly true and appropriate in the vast majority of cases, there are monster kinds of superheroes who give even the evilest villains a run for their money.
These super forms are the result of something, and once they are in these forms, the superheroes can be rather formidable. We have seen a lot of stories like this centered around Batman. It must have been tempting for the writers to bestow enormous abilities on a famous superhero who possessed none!
But even the others have not been spared, and we have selected some of the most horrifying superhero forms that both highlight and intimidate their nasty nature. We have brought you some superheroes with an alternate form in this film, which is frequently a representation of the inner demons they are fighting!
THE DOOM THAT CAME TO GOTHAM
This was a three-issue comic book miniseries, and it was written by Mike Mignola and Richard Pace. The narrative explores the life of an alternate Batman from the 1920s, who fights against certain supernatural powers that are taking over Gotham. The writers blended Batman with HP Lovecraft and this winning combo takes off after Bruce Wayne unearths an unspeakable horror that was trapped in the Antarctica ice.
Some terrifying creatures like Thoth, Sh’thgloths, Yogs, and some of the usual Batman villains make life difficult for Batman, who must find a way to right his wrongs. We loved the idea of Batman in a Gothic horror setting and bringing in the Cthulhu Mythos which works like a charm.
The character of Batman can be twisted and changed quite a bit because of the adaptability of the superhero. He fits into a futuristic narrative just as easily as he fits into a story from the 1920s.
In this instance, Bruce Wayne is shown to roam the world for over twenty years acquiring the skills required to take on his enemies. His parents were killed by an armed assailant, and just as young Bruce tried to run into a nearby church to save himself, he met a man who had been hanged.
The man warned Bruce about the future arrival of The Thing, and he also revealed that only Bruce could stop it. This prompted Bruce to leave Gotham, and after twenty years he was finally ready to face the threats. Ra’s al Ghul was portrayed as a maniacal cultist, and he wanted to free Iog-Sotha from its prison. Batman has a deadly confrontation with Ra’s who is powered by Iog-Sotha.
Thus, Bruce also went through a strange transformation, where he became a man-bat-like monster. This was the only way to match up to the powers of Ra’s al Ghul and reseal the evil that had been unleashed. Bruce Wayne retired from public view, and Batman was there to protect Gotham from future threats of this magnitude!
The Devil Hulk
One might argue that Hulk in itself can be quite terrifying, so wait till you come across the Devil Hulk! It was created by Bruce back when he was a child, and it was supposed to be his comfort in his troubled childhood. He was abused by his father Brian Banner, and he longed for a fatherly figure in his life who would love and protect him as a father does.
This was more of an imaginary friend who would watch over him, but it turned out to be something far more sinister. To give you a rough idea, the Devil Hulk was several times bigger than the Savage Hulk and extremely vengeful towards those who hurt Bruce. He was way more violent than the regular Hulk, but he genuinely cared for Bruce.
The Devil Hulk also seemed to have a soft spot for children, probably because Bruce has such a rough childhood. There is one instance, where he severely punished a convenience store robber who was responsible for the death of a 12-year-old girl.
He had rough, scaly skin, and his red eyes were indicative of his evil side. He also had sharp shark-like teeth, and this was basically a representation of the evil within Banner, just like the Savage Hulk was a representation of his pent-up rage. He had all the powers that Hulk possessed, but his vicious nature made him a deadlier opponent.
The Devil Hulk even forced Bruce to transform into this monstrosity at night, and it took Bruce quite some time to lock away his evil alter-ego. However, he still managed to take control of Bruce’s system and helped him in several instances. While this appearance was certainly one of the most terrifying Hulk moments ever, you also must remember that this also had a rather tragic origin. Sometimes, the suppressed demons in us do emerge in strange ways!
FRANKEN-CASTLE
If you have known the Punisher to be one of the most serious Marvel superheroes, you surely haven’t seen the silly, goofy side of him in the Franken-Castle period! We don’t blame you one bit! It is a common notion that the Punisher is one of the most grounded, gritty, and serious fellows out there, and Frank Castle is known to be anything but weird. The Punisher Max brings you into this strange world, where superpowers do not exist. But what if you get to witness it, first-hand how would it look, if the Punisher was just as weird as Frank Castle?
This is exactly what happened in the Marvel comic book series that featured Frank Castle as the Punisher. This limited series followed the story of Frank Castle’s death after he committed suicide.
His family was killed by a demon, and he was resurrected as an angel of vengeance, who would hunt down the rogue demons with his special weapons. Later, another Punisher series explored the narrative, and the series was known for embracing the B-movie cheesiness in the storytelling.
The one-liners heard from Punisher were unforgettable, and we also couldn’t get over the Frankenstein’s monster that Frank Castle had become. Clearly, this monster lacked the Punisher’s moral parameters, and he took up the role of the city’s defender in a hideous form.
This character still had shades of the Punisher because it continued to punish the bad guys, but the thing was a laugh-riot, and the mutilated, gigantic form was the weirdest thing that we have seen in a long time! The ridiculousness of the story was what made it so much fun, but it also ended up being the reason behind its short run.
CAPWOLF
Steven Rogers is probably the epitome of morality and righteousness when it comes to the Marvel superheroes. Captain America has seen it all and his determination and will to fight for the right cause has often been the X-factor behind his victory against superior forces. But, what if we were to tell you that Marvel’s Sentinel of Liberty actually transformed into a deadly werewolf in one of the story arcs! That is exactly what happened in Captain America #402-408, and the fans were shocked to see a new side of the gallant Cap.
It all starts, when Colonel John Jameson goes missing, and Captain America is leading the investigation. He is bothered by a trail of evidence that links some recent werewolf killings to his disappearance. The Colonel could transform into a Man-wolf, and Steve Rogers was smart enough to do the basic math!
Even the moonstone that caused him to transform went missing, and Captain America was determined to get to the root of the matter along with a fellow Avenger, Dr. Druid. They get attacked by Ferocia, a wolf from the mystical city of K’un-Lun, and soon they uncovered a much bigger plot behind the whole werewolf fiasco.
The most shocking part was when Cap found himself transformed into a vicious werewolf. This was done by using the wolf serum that was developed, and luckily for the righteous Captain, he retained his free will even in his transformed state. His super-soldier serum ensured that he did not give in entirely to his bodily changes, and he had to fight a transformed Wolverine to escape from his captors.
The Capwolf form was quite intimidating, and he appeared as a giant wolf in his Captain America suit. However, it all ended on a positive note after an evil Captain America doppelganger teleported in. Cap reverted back to normal just in time, and he fought and destroyed his evil counterpart. It might have been a rather short stint, but the storyline was intriguing enough to stir the interest of the fans. Capwolf deserves an extended run, what do you think?
Hulkverine
After the Incredible Hulk proved to be a massive success, the creators pondered over the idea of using the same gamma radiation to transform other superheroes or normal individuals into Hulk-like entities. With time, there have been several instances, where a superhero was seen in Hulked proportions, and Wolverine was one of these cases.
Comic book lovers are familiar with the multiple fights between Wolverine and the Hulk, and some of these tussles have been way too violent for comfort. They fought against each other in Old Man Logan’s dystopian future, which is probably one of their most disturbing battles.
However, in Hulkverines written by Greg Pak, we saw a synthesis of Wolverine and Hulk that we hadn’t seen before! It all started when a Weapon X Program transformed an ordinary soldier named Clay Cortex into a Hulk-Wolverine hybrid that had the best of both worlds. He had adamantium in his skeleton, remarkable healing abilities, and gamma energy in his blood.
However, the quest for creating a deadly weapon became a dangerous superhero Weapon H, who had enough of death! To make matters interesting, Wolverine and Hulk go after this dangerous creation, and the mouth-watering fights are a must-watch for all the fans out there. It was a sight to behold as a gigantic Hulk-like entity had the powers and claws of Wolverine, and it is a pity that the comic series only lasted three issues!
Man-Spider
This is not your friendly neighborhood superhero! Man-Spider, in fact, is a deadly mutated form of Spider-Man, the final stage of his initial genetic mutation. When Dr. Curt Connors was analyzing Spider-Man’s DNA, he found out more about the process that had turned him into Spider-Man.
He discovered that the process did not end with the powers of Spider-Man, and it was merely the beginning of the transformation. The mutagenic factor in Spider-Man’s DNA would continue to change, and when it accelerated beyond a point, Spider-Man would be far from his humanistic form!
True to his findings, Spider-Man was soon bothered by his rapidly mutating condition. He sought the help of Dr. Mariah Crawford, and she offered him a possible cure. Unfortunately, the effects were the exact opposite, and Spider-Man’s changes accelerated even more. He grew four extra arms, eight limbs, six arms, and two legs, and finally, he mutated further to turn into a monstrous creature called Man-Spider!
As Man-Spider, he had very little of Peter’s memories, but he still possessed some of the feelings. Punisher arrived to kill him, and he continued to search for Morbius while fighting Punisher. Finally, Kraven the Hunter was able to administer a cure that reversed the effects, and he did so just in time as Man-Spider had captured Punisher and taken him to the World Trade Center parking garage.
This was only a temporary stop to the process because there would be times when the mutation went out of control. Spider-Man would pay regular visits to Dr. Curt Connors when one of his mutations started acting out. In order to deal with the issue, he had to use a Neogenic Recombinator to stop the mutation process.
Later, even Vulture contracted the problem from Spider-Man, and that is a story for another time! We could never imagine Spider-Man being scary, but that was until we came across the hideous beastly figure of the Man-Spider!
Nightwing as a monstrous Man-Bat
Nightwing has been a trusted ally of Batman, but there have been times when an evil alternate version of Nightwing has been explored. Today, however, we bring you the time when Nightwing was transformed into a terrifying monster!
In the comic book, Batman – Night of the Monster Men, the story picks up rather innocuously with Nightwing fighting alongside Batman and Batwoman as they struggle to deal with a strange threat. It is a night of hostile weather conditions and some mutated monsters are on a rampage. This six-part story ran across two issues and explored the attempts made by Batman and his allies as they fought to keep the city of Gotham safe.
In the course of the narrative, there comes the dreaded moment, where Nightwing and Gotham Girl transform into monstrous forms. Nightwing looks uncannily like the Man-Bat, and there is also a hint of wolf-like qualities in him. An infected Nightwing posed a threat to the city, but it was rather anti-climactic because he was cured within an issue.
It would be a stretch to call the story arc a genius, but the narrative surrounding Nightwing’s transformation was quite adrenaline-pumping. It was exciting to see the meek ally change into a vicious gigantic monster, and with the right story, things could have been even better!
HELLBOY’S FINAL FORM
In all the times we have seen Hellboy fight, we have seen him rely a lot more on grit, determination, and his diverse range of powers. However, the fans shouldn’t mistake him for a pure brute because his long list of powers and forms might just surprise them! You simply cannot forget that Hellboy is a half-demon, and he might not use his darker powers very often, but he certainly has them all. You may have been used to the sight of Hellboy fighting monsters, but this time we bring you Hellboy in a monstrous form himself!
There are a few occasions, where we have seen Hellboy shapeshifting into a demonic form. This allows him access to some special powers, and even the form in itself is quite powerful. In his demonic form, he can control the fires of Hell, and he has the power to create infernos strong enough to destroy everything in its path.
Hellboy rarely uses these powers, but when he does, it is absolutely breathtaking to watch. In his final form, he also has the power of flight, and wings sprout from his body. Another unforgettable Hellboy moment is in the movie when he picks up the flaming sword and walks around like the devil to get his vengeance! Hellboy has quite a few monstrous forms, and let us know in the comment section which one is your favorite.
THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS
The Dark Multiverse often throws up some unthinkable versions of our favorite superheroes and Batman was no exception. The Batman who Laughs was basically Bruce Wayne from the Dark Multiverse, and he had a similar story as the caped crusader. As a young boy, he watched his parents being murdered, and he trained all his life to fighting against crime. He became a vigilante fighter, and he fought crime alongside the likes of Nightwing, Red Robin, Batgirl, and the others.
It all changed when Joker went on a killing spree across Gotham, and he even killed all of Batman’s enemies. He also killed Commissioner Gordon, and a drugged and paralyzed Batman was made to witness a tragic massacre, where Joker slaughters the parents of young children in front of him as he watched helplessly.
After regaining his strength, Batman killed the Joker by snapping his neck, but he got infected with a toxin. Soon, the allies Batman began to notice some abrupt changes in him, and Batman refused any help. He shot them all dead so that the other superheroes would never know about his worsening condition.
He went on to become the Batman who Laughs, which is basically a crazy Joker-like version of Batman. He slaughtered superheroes and immortal men, and he annihilated anything in his path. He went into the Dark Multiverse and assembled the evilest and twisted versions of Batman to help him conquer the main Multiverse.
This demented version of Batman did not please all the fans, but we have to agree that it added a curious spin to the tale. The Batman who Laughs was like a hybrid of Joker and Batman, and in a final battle across space and time, the Darkest Knight is thrust into the sun, killing him for good!
RedHulk +Ghostrider + Venom Symbiote In One Entity
There are certain situations thrown into comic books, where the strength and goodwill of an individual are not enough. He or she must test the extremities and even tread the line between the usual and the uncertain to get things done.
Such situations have brought us some bizarre conditions in superheroes, and the extreme conditions have often called for some ridiculous measures being taken. Such was the case for Red Hulk, who once had to assimilate the powers of the Venom symbiote and Ghost Rider’s Spirit of Vengeance to face a threat of unnatural proportions.
In this Circle of Four crossovers, Red Hulk has to fight the superior forces of Hell, which are threatening to take over the planet. Now, he is not strong enough to take them on single-handedly, and he opts for a combination of epic proportions.
It all starts off as Ghost Rider Alejandra Jones, Flash Thompson’s Venom, and Red Hulk Thaddeus Ross find themselves in Las Vegas for various reasons. It turns out that one of the casino owners is Mephisto’s demonic son, and Ghost Rider is tricked into opening a portal to Hell. When the demons and other monstrosities are released, the situation demands something rather extreme to be controlled.
Flash finds it tough to control the symbiote, and we see a combined force of Venom, Red Hulk, and Ghost Rider. Finally, they do succeed in setting things back to normal, but the sight of the three unlikely partners as one entity is something that we can never get out of our minds!
THE DEVASTATOR
The Devastator is just a version of Bruce Wayne, and he is a member of the Dark Nights, vigilantes from the Dark Multiverse. They simply want to create chaos in the central DC Multiverse by assisting the deity Barbatos. It all started with Batman always fearing the worst for Superman.
He believed that with such supreme powers if Superman ever went rogue there would be no saving grace. When his fears proved to be real after Superman murdered Lois Lane and went on a killing spree, Batman had to fight the strongest superhero all by himself.
Realizing that he would be no match for Superman, Batman distracted him and injected himself with a modified Doomsday Virus, which transforms him into a massive creature. He crushed Superman with his powers, but now, the virus was rapidly spreading across the planet and turning people into mindless monsters.
Batman was clueless about how to contain the virus, and he accepted an offer from The Batman who Laughs and joined the Dark Knights. He was now known as the Devastator, and after some strange turn of events, he was finally defeated by Superman in Element X armor.
The Devastator looked like a Hulk version of Batman, and the vicious nature of this transformation was evident from his appearance. The narrative surrounding Batman’s worst nightmares is actually quite interesting, and you cannot get enough of this new-look Batman!
There are some other instances as well, where the Superheroes have been forced to embrace their monstrous versions. In some cases, it was forced and in others, it was done willingly, but they all proved that all superheroes could fall and this human nature in our favorite characters made them all the more appealing!