Marvel’s Version of Two-Face Is A Combination Of Red Skull and Venom

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Heroes Reborn #5

In the latest issue of Heroes Reborn, it’s been revealed that Marvel’s version of Batman known as Nighthawk has his own version of DC villain Two-Face who is a deadly combination of the Red Skull and Venom. In the new issue, Nighthawk has received a report from Commissioner Luke Cage that there’s been riot at the Ravencroft Institute, with many of the dark vigilante’s greatest rogues having been set free to wreak havoc upon the staff and guards. One such foe is the Black Skull, whose competing duality makes him a dead ringer fo Harvey Dent’s Two-Face.

Thus far in Heroes Reborn, the entire Marvel Universe has been altered to a reality where the Squadron Supreme of America have always been Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, as the Avengers never assembled. As a result, this has created a massive domino effect where other changes have occurred for heroes and villains alike. For example, Peter Parker was never bitten by a radioactive spider, and as such he never became Spider-Man. This leads to many of the villains who would have been a part of his rogues’ gallery being taken by Nighthawk, albeit with twists that make them very similar to the Batman villains of the DC Universe.

Heroes Reborn #5 from Jason Aaron, R.M. Guéra, and Ed McGuinness sees villains such as the Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus having become analogs for the Joker and Penguin, respectively. However, Black Skull is revealed to be a very dynamic take on Two-Face, along with hints of Black Mask as well. Interestingly enough, as soon as Black Skull lays eyes on Nighthawk and his attempts to get Ravencroft under control, his symbiote half tries to convince the vigilante to take it back, seeing as how Nighthawk once wore the symbiote as a new suit, not unlike Spider-Man in the standard Marvel Universe.

Clearly, the Red Skull and his equally worse half have some issues they need to sort though, leaving Nighthawk to deal with larger threats such as the Goblin, who’s already killed Nighthawk’s partner Falcon, the Robin to his Batman. Mirroring the “Death in the Family” Batman story where the Joker killed Jason Todd’s Robin, it’s clear that Nighthawk has a personal agenda and would like nothing more than to beat Goblin to a pulp before locking him up once more.

In any case, the Black Skull certainly seems to be one of Nighthawk’s most deadly and volatile foes, not unlike the the actual Two-Face and/or Black Mask themselves. However, it seems as though Marvel’s Batman is going to have much more to worry about in the coming issues than just the combination of Red Skull and Venom. At the issue’s end, Nighthawk has just become aware of a mysterious group of people that’s slowly growing, being the few Avengers who remember the world as it was and no doubt want to restore the natural order of the Marvel Universe in future issues of Heroes Reborn.

About The Author

Kevin Erdmann
(2557 Articles Published)

Kevin Erdmann is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers. With a major in Cinema Studies and a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin is pretty sure he’s writing for the right site. While Kevin is a huge Marvel fan, he also loves Batman because he’s Batman and is a firm believer that Han shot first. Disney also shares a big part of his fan patronage. Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

More From Kevin Erdmann