Hellboy.
Formerly known as Anung Un Rama, he is a superhero from Dark Horse Comics, a separate entity from both Marvel and DC.
Dark Horse Comics is the third-largest comic book publisher in the United States, behind Marvel and DC. However, over the years, the rivalry between Marvel and DC has nearly crushed Dark Horse's presence in the mainstream market, leaving it significantly less prominent than its competitors.
That said, even a declining giant is still a giant.
Dark Horse Comics continues to have its own iconic characters and has produced multiple successful adaptations of its works. Some of the most notable include:
Hellboy The Mask Sin City R.I.P.D. 300 Alien vs. Predator
From another perspective, Dark Horse's biggest cultural impact may have come from Zack Snyder's film adaptation of 300, which helped establish the director's signature visual style.
Of course, none of that really mattered right now.
Shazam stared at the red-skinned, horned infant in Constantine's arms, lost in thought.
What the hell is going on?
Did the dimensional walls crack?
The Sword Dragon's summoning ceremony was meant to bring forth a powerful demon—but instead, it had somehow pulled a Dark Horse Comics character into the Marvel universe?
He was surprised. But not that surprised.
The Hellboy incident was something he had already heard about from an ancient mage.
And given the recent signs of the Rebirth Man, this wasn't even the weirdest thing happening right now.
"A demon?"
Pietro and Wanda narrowed their eyes, staring at the baby in Constantine's arms.
His peculiar appearance—red skin, horns, and a tail—was unmistakably demonic.
But no matter how hard they tried to understand it, it just didn't make sense.
The Sword Dragon had sworn that he would summon a mighty demon from the depths of Hell…
Yet, in the end…
All they got was a demon baby who could barely talk?
"So… what do we do with it?"
Constantine looked at Shazam, waiting for an answer.
Shazam, in turn, just stared blankly.
Both of them were equally lost.
And they weren't the only ones.
Outside the castle—standing alongside S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Coulson and Agent Hill—Anton also shared Shazam and Constantine's memories.
He, too, was utterly dumbfounded.
After all this chaos, the grand demonic summoning ritual had resulted in…
A baby Hellboy?
"What's going on?"
Coulson and Hill both noticed Anton's distant expression. Something had changed, and they could tell.
"Nothing," Anton said, shaking his head.
His gaze shifted back to the castle, now completely overrun by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
"It's over."
Coulson nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. It's over."
Straker's death had changed nothing.
Whether he had lived or died, the Hydra base was doomed.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had breached its defenses, and the 13th District's forces had overwhelmed the Sword Dragon.
In the end, the Sword Dragon's greatest mistake was simple—
He overestimated himself.
On the other hand, Daolong had also overestimated Quicksilver and Wanda—or rather, he had underestimated Shazam's strength.
"Let's go."
Shazam glanced at Quicksilver and Wanda before motioning for Constantine to follow. The four of them slowly left the area.
Quicksilver and Wanda didn't resist.
They knew Shazam could kill them in an instant.
Their only option was to stay quiet and comply.
They weren't ready to die—not yet.
Not before achieving their true goal: avenging Tony Stark.
And so, the four of them—carrying a non-human baby—walked out of the chamber.
The battle between Daolong and District 13 was still raging.
But Daolong's chances of victory were slipping away.
One by one, his Four Dark Assassins were being cut down—wiped out under the relentless assault of Ghost Rider Johnny Blaze.
For them, Ghost Rider was judgment itself.
With the Penance Stare, Gan, Wen, Cui, and Shan were consumed by the flames of Hell, their souls burned to nothing. There would be no resurrection.
The Shadow Ninjas, though numerous, lacked the power to turn the tide.
The warriors of District 13 cut through them with ease, and as the number of ninjas dwindled, the momentum of victoryonly grew stronger.
They could see the end.
No one would hesitate now—not when victory was within reach.
"Daolong, you have failed! Surrender!"
The old master's voice rang out.
"Surrender?"
Daolong let out a cold laugh.
"You must be joking, old man."
His sharp gaze locked onto his enemy.
"Do you really think I would ever lose to you? I will never—never—admit defeat!"
"Then let's see about that."
The old master replied calmly.
"The demon you summoned has already arrived. Watch as he is torn apart."
Despite the overwhelming odds, Daolong remained unshaken.
He did not fear the old master's threats.
He did not care that his forces were crumbling around him.
Even the loss of his Four Dark Assassins did not seem to affect him.
As long as the demon he had summoned truly manifested, then all of this—all of these sacrifices—would be worth it.
And he could feel it.
The demon was here.
"Hahahahaha!"
Daolong's mad laughter echoed across the battlefield.
"I can feel it! He's coming! Closer and closer!"
His eyes gleamed with mad anticipation.
"It's over for you!"
"You'll finally understand… what it means to face a true demon from Hell!"
The moment his words fell—
BOOM!
A surge of demonic energy exploded through the battlefield, consuming the entire space.
The old master's expression changed drastically.
Even Jackie Chan and the others—who were less attuned to dark forces—felt an ominous shift in the air.
A sinking dread settled over them.
Had Shazam and Constantine failed to stop the summoning ritual?
"…This is bad."
The old master muttered, his eyes fixed on the altar's entrance—where the summoned demon was about to emerge.
Nearby, Ghost Rider Johnny Blaze had just finished annihilating the last of the Four Dark Assassins.
Now, he turned his gaze toward the entrance—his hollow eyes burning with hellfire.
The enemy was coming.
Or so he thought.
Because when the figure finally stepped into view…
Johnny didn't see an enemy.
He saw a companion.
A soft voice broke the silence.
"Oh?"
There was a slight smile in his voice.
"Daolong, the demon you were talking about—is it him?"
As he spoke, the first thing to emerge from the entrance was a pair of hands—cradling a baby.
Everyone turned toward the source of the voice, and what they saw shocked them.
Constantine stepped out of the doorway, holding a small figure in his arms.
The baby had horns and crimson skin, the color reminiscent of dried blood—something about it was deeply unsettling.
But the most terrifying part wasn't its appearance—it was the energy.
This innocent-looking infant radiated an overwhelming magical aura, an unfathomable power contained within its small form.
"H-He…"
Daolong stood frozen in place.
He stared at the child in disbelief, his eyes flickering between Constantine and the demon baby.
"A devil's child…? A baby?"
His voice trembled with shock and confusion.
"No… No, this isn't possible! I was supposed to summon a great demon! How did I end up with a—
"—a demon baby?"
Constantine adjusted his grip on the child, looking down at the little one in his arms—Anung Un Rama, Hellboy.
The baby's wide, innocent eyes blinked up at him.
And in that moment, Constantine finally understood.
He understood why, in the original story, Professor Broom had willingly adopted this non-human child—a creature born from hellfire, yet carrying no inherent malice.
"Your last hope is gone, Daolong."
A laugh rang out.
The old master spoke, his voice steady and triumphant.
In his hands, the dried lizard talisman began to whisper, its voice echoing through the air.
"The monsters and demons must leave!"
"The monsters and demons must leave!"
A surge of green magical energy erupted from the talisman's mouth—
BOOM!
The spell rushed forward, enveloping Daolong.
His powerful magic—once so vast and unstoppable—was sealed away in an instant.
"NO!!"
Daolong fell to his knees.
His face twisted in despair.
Moments later, the warriors of District 13 stepped forward, securing him in restraints and dragging him away.
At the same time, inside the ancient castle, the battle was coming to an end.
With no leaders left, the remaining Hydra soldiers stood no chance against S.H.I.E.L.D.'s relentless assault.
Strucker was dead.
There would be no reinforcements.
The Hydra forces crumbled, their ranks falling apart.
Many died fighting to the last man.
The rest—those who surrendered—were taken prisoner.
And just like that—
It was over.
Yet, one problem remained.
What should they do… with the demon baby in Constantine's arms?
Kill him?
Even if Constantine didn't interfere, Jackie Chan and the members of District 13 would never bring themselves to do it.
Jackie Chan was decisive in battle—but he was also deeply compassionate. Xiaoyu was fearless, but she wasn't cruel. Papa and Tohru wouldn't even consider it—they would never take an innocent life. Even Captain Black hesitated, torn between duty and morality.
And then there was Johnny Blaze—the Ghost Rider.
He stared at the demon baby, his hellfire eyes studying the child carefully.
And strangely… he felt nothing.
No sin.
No evil aura.
Nothing.
A demon without sin?
That didn't make sense.
Demons were supposed to be evil.
They were supposed to be cunning, malevolent creatures—the very manifestation of humanity's darkest instincts.
And yet—
This baby was just that.
A baby.
Despite the overwhelming flames of his magic, there wasn't a trace of wickedness in him.
For the first time in his life, Johnny didn't feel revulsion toward a demon.
Instead—
He felt curiosity.
"Constantine."
Jackie Chan finally broke the silence.
He turned toward the man holding the demon child, his expression uncertain.
"What… are you planning to do with him?"
At his question, every member of District 13 turned their attention to Constantine.
Even Papa, Johnny, Tohru, and Xiaoyu were waiting for his answer.
Because none of them—not even the Ghost Rider—knew what the right choice was.
And now, the decision lay in his hands.
Constantine looked slightly surprised, then glanced around with amusement.
"Do you think I would kill him?"
His tone was rhetorical.
Jackie Chan sighed, speaking honestly.
"We just… don't see any other way to deal with a child with demon blood."
The others nodded in agreement.
It wasn't just Jackie Chan—none of them could think of a better solution.
"It's simple."
Constantine shrugged.
"Find him a suitable place and let him be adopted."
"Adopt him?"
Jackie Chan and the others exchanged stunned looks.
They hadn't expected that answer.
Sure, technically, it was an option—but realistically?
Who would adopt a demon?
Who would even want to?
Even though they weren't willing to kill an innocent newborn, they also weren't willing to adopt a demon that might one day succumb to its nature.
Sheriff Black suddenly had an idea.
"If District 13 adopted him, it wouldn't be impossible…"
His eyes lit up as he spoke.
"No."
Constantine shook his head immediately.
"If the 13th District takes him in, they'll turn him into a weapon. That defeats the purpose of adoption."
Xiaoyu folded her arms, curious.
"Then who? Batman? Yourself? Or Shazam?"
Everyone turned to Constantine, waiting for his answer.
The idea of Batman adopting a demon was… not entirely impossible.
"No," Constantine said firmly.
"Not Batman. Not me. Not Shazam. He shouldn't be raised by people who have another purpose for him."
Before he could continue, a familiar voice interrupted from behind.
"It's me."
Everyone turned sharply toward the source.
Standing at the edge of the area were Anton, Coulson, and Hill, having apparently been listening for a while.
Anton stepped forward, surveying their shocked expressions.
"I'll adopt him."
His tone was matter-of-fact, as if it was the most logical choice.
"Right now, it seems that I'm the only one capable of doing so."
Coulson and Hill, standing beside him, looked just as astonished as Jackie Chan and the others.
"You?"
Everyone stared at Anton blankly.
Where did he get the confidence—or the sense of responsibility—to adopt a demon?
Anton folded his arms and gave a brief rundown of his credentials.
"I'm a member of the Justice League. I have ties to both the Dark Justice League—where you belong—and District 13. On top of that, I lead the Men in Black, an organization under the World Security Council. I'm also one of the founders of Wayne Enterprises, with strong connections to both the military and the World Council…"
He paused, then added matter-of-factly:
"No one else is more qualified than me to adopt him—legally and reasonably."
The room fell silent.
No one could immediately refute his reasoning.
Sure, there might be other candidates, like Jackie Chan, who was not only part of the Dark Justice League but also an advisor to District 13.
But Jackie Chan glanced at Xiaoyu, feeling uneasy.
If Xiaoyu grew up alongside a demon, things could go very wrong.
Would the demon influence her?
Or worse—would she influence him?
Before the demon even reached adulthood, would it already become a disaster?
"Alright."
Constantine waved his hand dismissively.
"We can discuss this more once we leave. But one thing's for sure—I'll make sure he's placed in the right home, where he can grow up in the right environment."
He hesitated for a moment, then added:
"And maybe… once he's grown… he'll be an ally rather than a threat."
…
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