| Muse | |
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 Muse as featured on the textless cover ofDaredevil vol. 5 #14 (December 2016). Art byDan Panosian. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance |
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| Created by |
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| In-story information | |
| Alter ego |
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| Species | Inhuman (Muse I)[1][2] Human (Muse II) |
| Place of origin | Hell's Kitchen,New York City |
| Notable aliases | Vincent van Gore (Muse I) |
| Abilities | Muse I and Muse II:
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Muse is the alias of twosupervillains appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created bywriter-editorCharles Soule and artistRon Garney, the character first appeared inDaredevil vol. 5 #11 (September 2016). The original Muse is anInhuman serial killer artist who plans shocking mass murders, abductions, and torture as a means of creating his "art", converting them into works of street graffiti. He serves as an antagonist toDaredevil,Punisher, andBlindspot.[3][4] Following the death of the original Muse, his ghost guides fellow artistMorgan Whittier as the second Muse.
A human version of Muse namedBastian Cooper was portrayed byHunter Doohan in thefirst season of theMarvel Cinematic Universe television seriesDaredevil: Born Again (2025).
Muse I first appeared inDaredevil vol. 5 #11 (September 2016) in the story arc "Dark Art", and was created byCharles Soule andRon Garney, while Muse II (Morgan Whittier) first appeared inDaredevil: Unleash Hell – Red Band #1 (January 2025) and was created byErica Schultz andValentina Pinti.
The first mural of Muse was discovered by the vigilanteBlindspot inWashington Heights, painted with the blood of over a hundred people. His second, working in competition with himself, featured the corpses of sixInhumans posed with props as if they were performing everyday tasks. After being tracked down by Blindspot andDaredevil during preparation for his next piece, Muse gouged Blindspot's eyes out to distract the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, and broke his own fingers upon his capture to avoid giving Daredevil the satisfaction.[5]
FollowingWilson Fisk's rise to power as the Mayor of New York and his establishment of anti-vigilante laws,[6] Muse escaped from his prison, killing twelve correction officers, and continued his work,[7] inspired by Daredevil's fight of justice in spite of the persecution.[8] In their way of supporting the vigilantes, Muse vandalized numerous landmarks of Manhattan with giant-sized irremovable graffiti that featured different vigilantes. While Muse was painting aPunisher graffiti, he was intercepted by a group of police officers, whom he killed and adorned the graffiti with their bodies. Mayor Fisk used this to push his anti-vigilantism agenda, blaming Punisher for what happened.[9]
Muse soon came to blows with Blindspot again, with the latter defeating Muse thanks to the power ofthe Hand's Beast. Losing to Blindspot spurred Muse to commit suicide, allowing himself to be consumed by fire.[8]
After the death of Muse, his spirit was sent toHell. While there, he encountered the rejected soul of an artist namedMorgan Whittier and decided to influence her from beyond the grave by giving her art advice and continuing his work as a new Muse. Initially, he appears as a voice to her and later as a ghost-like figure.[10]
Muse's body acts like a vortex which can absorb any kind of sensory information that surrounds him, making Muse incredibly hard to track, with even Daredevil struggling to target him. Muse's superhuman speed also helps with this, as he is able to move faster than the human eye can see, allowing him to remain out of sight. He has levels of superhuman strength that are far beyond normal humans, proved by his power to swiftly lift and move many dead bodies. Muse is also very agile, and may potentially be able to climb walls as well as Spider-Man, as he is able to quickly paint giant murals of several superheroes across the entire facades of buildings. He is also a skilled hand-to-hand combatant, able to take down even the most skilled soldiers or vigilantes.[4]
Muse I appears in thefirst season ofDaredevil: Born Again (2025), portrayed byHunter Doohan.[11] This version is a human namedBastian Cooper who is well-versed intaekwondo.
