In terms of comic book characters, the supervillain known as Muse is very recent creation. Created by writer Charles Soule and artist Ron Garney, the character debuted in Daredevil Vol. 5 #11 back in 2016. The idea behind Muse is that he’s a superpowered serial killer who sees himself as an artist. Instead of paint or sculpture, he uses his murder and mayhem to create what he sees as his “art.” Marvel killed the character off a mere two years later, but death is but a minor inconvenience in comics. Thanks to his upcoming MCU debut in Daredevil: Born Again, he’ll return to the pages of Marvel Comics in 2025. Here’s what you need to know about one of Marvel’s most psychotic villains.
The Marvel Comics Debut of Muse
In his first appearance, Muse created a mural in the streets of New York, painted with the blood of over a hundred victims. Muse, wearing a creepy mask, had super speed and limited super strength. He could also create a sensory vortex around his person making him nearly impossible to track. In Muse’s twisted thinking, he believed the lives of his victims were worthless. But only worthless until the moment they became a part of his so-called art. As his second big “art instillation,” Muse took the dead bodies of six Inhumans, posing them to emulate mundane chores.
As Muse prepared his next murder/art piece, where he took an entire courtroom hostage, the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen and the vigilante Blindspot confronted him. It was during this encounter that he gouged out Blindspot’s eyes. Daredevil removed Muse’s mask, seeing his true face was almost identical to his disturbing mask. This only served to make him come across as more unhinged. Muse was truly a complete psychopath in the Joker tradition, with no regard for human life whatsoever. The authorities incarcerated him after his courtroom, but this was not the end of Muse.
Muse Becomes a Pawn for Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin
During the time Muse was in prison, Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin became the Mayor of New York City, running largely on a platform of anti-vigilantism. Muse escaped from prison during this time, even though it was a prison in which the superpowered race of Inhumans were in charge. With the vast majority of vigilantes in New York now branded as criminals, Muse defiled many New York landmarks with graffiti honoring them. He even honored the ones who once fought him.
When he was creating a tribute to the Punisher, local police confronted and tried to arrest him. He then murdered the officers, and then turned their bodies into part of his art. Mayor Fisk used this act to further his extreme anti-vigilante laws. Not long after, Muse fought Blindspot again, this time committing suicide rather than being caught. He let himself become consumed by a raging fire. That was seemingly the end of Muse. Yet in comics, few stay dead for very long.
Muse’s Backstory Remains a Mystery
We know very little about Muse’s true nature. And his backstory before encountering Daredevil and Blindspot remains a mystery. We don’t even know his real name, although in the Marvel Comics Universe, the media gave the serial killer the nickname “Vincent Van Gore.” We don’t even know how he got his powers. He might be a mutant, given that he targeted several members of the Inhuman community during a time when mutants and Inhumans were at war. But he could just as easily have been an Inhuman with a grudge against his own people.
The MCU Version of Muse in Daredevil: Born Again
In the MCU, Muse looks very similar in design to his comic book counterpart, as evidenced by the Daredevil: Born Again trailer. We know that Wilson Fisk is the newly elected Mayor of New York in the series. This is just like the comics at the time of Muse’s debut. We also see the Punisher in the trailer. Could Muse’s murderous art actually be used to implicate Frank Castle in more heinous crimes? That’s a possible direct link to the comic stories from the MCU. The only thing they likely won’t address is any Inhumans, as they are not really a thing yet in the MCU. We’ll know for sure when Daredevil: Born Again hits Disney+ on March 4.
