Most of the heroes fans see in comic books have either a human or alien origin story. Whether it’s a young kid who witnesses a tragedy and grows into an adult vigilante or a refugee from another world who uses their near-godlike power to protect humanity, heroes tend to have a direct correlation to what is considered “good” in the world.
The most unique heroes, however, are the ones who have a direct tie or are themselves demonic. Demons are viewed as monsters to fear in the world, but some heroes use this to their advantage. Here are the ten most powerful heroes with demonic origins.
10 Kid Devil
DC Comics is well known for incorporating heroes with demonic origins into their stories. One of the first of these heroes is one who began as a sidekick for another demonic hero, only to grow into his own powerful hero in the process. That hero was Kid Devil.
A gofer for his Aunt in Hollywood, Eddie Bloomberg met Blue Devil on a film set and dreamed of being his sidekick. And succeeds after building a battle suit. However, he grows to have a demonic form and powers after a deal with Neron transforms him into Kid Devil.
9 Spawn
One unique hero who became a demonic being known as a Hellspawn is the one and only anti-hero, Spawn. Born Albert Simmons, Spawn was a Marine turned Secret Service agent and later a CIA operative. Becoming an assassin for the CIA, he loses his life after being set up by his best friend and the director of the CIA and is sent to Hell.
Making a deal to become a demonic agent on Earth in order to see his wife again, he returns to Earth in a demonic form and becomes an anti-hero who destroys evil in brutal fashion.
8 Blue Devil
Kid Devil’s mentor and idol in the world of DC Comics was the Hollywood stuntman turned demonic hero Blue Devil. Real name Daniel Cassidy, Blue Devil was born when Cassidy’s work as a stuntman led to him building a suit that gave him his Blue Devil look.
A demon escaped its confines at the same time and mistook Daniel as a demon himself, and used magic to drain Daniel of his demonic powers. Yet since Daniel wasn’t a demon, the magic instead bonded him to his Blue Devil suit. Later he made a deal with Neron himself and become an actual demon.
7 Satana
The next hero on the demonic side of things comes from the Marvel universe and is the daughter of Satan (later changed to a demon named Marduk Kurios), Satana. Unlike her brother Daimon Hellstrom, she embraced her demonic heritage and was raised and trained in the dark arts by her father.
After being banished to Earth and turned into a succubus, Satana found herself working alongside heroes on Earth, including Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and her brother. While not always a hero, she has worked as a hero often in the Marvel universe.
6 Etrigan The Demon
One of the more powerful demonic heroes in the world of DC Comics is the one and only Etrigan the Demon. Etrigan is the half-brother of the ancient wizard Merlin and the son of the demon Belial. After being unable to gain Etrigan’s secrets, Merlin bonded his half-brother to the Camelot Knight Jason Blood, making him immortal.
In the modern era, Jason works as a demonologist in Gotham City, and calls upon the power of Etrigan in the direst of circumstances, having a grated relationship with the demon housed inside him.
5 Johnny Blaze
One of the most powerful and original demon heroes in the Marvel Universe is known as Johnny Blaze, aka the Ghost Rider. Johnny was a stunt driver and made a deal with the demon Mephisto to save the life of someone close to him, later becoming the demonic hero Ghost Rider.
Transforming his motorcycle into a demonic Hellspawn of a ride, he uses his penance stare to take on demonic and human villains alike and has worked alongside the other heroes of the Marvel Universe on several occasions, most recently taking over Mephisto’s realm himself.
4 Hellboy
One of the most powerful and well known demonic heroes in existence is none other than Hellboy himself. The Dark Horse Comics hero is a type of creature known as a Cambion, or a half-human/half-demon being. Otherwise named Anung un Rama, (and upon his brow is set a crown of flame), Hellboy was summoned to Earth by the Third Reich, aka the Nazi Party.
Rescued by the allied forces, Hellboy became a part of the established United States Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. He would become one of their best agents and heroes.
3 Robbie Reyes
Of all the other heroes to take on the Ghost Rider mantle, one of Marvel fans' favorite characters is the powerful Robbie Reyes. Robbie is a modern-day Ghost Rider who was dying after a drag race gone wrong, and in his desperation was granted life in exchange for becoming Ghost Rider.
Caring for his disabled brother, Robbie becomes a hero and works to protect his brother from the crime-infested streets of their city. He is so powerful he managed to take control of a Celestial to battle an incoming invasion of Earth, joining the Avengers soon after.
2 Daimon Hellstrom
The second most powerful demonic hero to exist is the son of the devil himself, Daimon Hellstrom. Brother of Satana, Daimon was raised by servants after his mother lost her sanity upon learning her children’s and husband’s true nature. He would grow up to become one of the most powerful magic users and demonic heroes of his world.
Using his power and knowledge, he has battled not only demonic villains but his own father’s forces as well and has worked with other Marvel heroes during times of great demonic invasions on Earth.
1 Raven
The most powerful demonic hero to date has to be the daughter of DC Comics' very own Trigon, Raven. Raven’s father is a demonic entity from another dimension, who seeks to dominate all worlds. Born to be a gateway to bring Trigon into the world, Raven ran away from her past to escape her doomed future.
Becoming a Teen Titan, Raven grew powerful enough to house her father’s power and being inside of the crystal gem resting on her forehead. She is also able to separate her soul-self from her body and utilize powerful magic.