While the dark and demonic has been a part of the primary Marvel Universe nearly as long as any of its costumed superheroes, that particular breed of horror has only recently begun to take a prominent role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thanks to entries such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Werewolf by Night, fans can at least rest assured that their favorite genre has a place in the MCU, even if the content hasn’t exactly been flush. Of course, that only means that there is room to grow when it comes to horror in the MCU, and one of Marvel’s most obscure villains could be just what it needs to usher in a new era for all the things that go bump in the night.
Of all the mystical tomes in the Marvel Universe, there are none as threatening as the Darkhold. This ancient text, written by the dark elder god Chthon himself, has long been the source of some of the worst spells and curses to ever be seen. This has made it all the more tempting for those who would seek to use its power for their own gain. Others, on the other hand, are far more than happy to dispense the Darkhold’s mysteries to unsuspecting victims, though none so much as the Darkhold Dwarf. First introduced in 1992’s Darkhold: Pages from the Book of Sins #1 (by Christian Cooper and Richard Case), little is known about this minuscule menace besides the fact that he is somehow connected to the Darkhold, and that his black envelopes always contain its pages.
The Darkhold Dwarf Could Change the MCU Forever
Even though the Darkhold Dwarf never posed much of a direct threat to anyone over the course of his early appearances, it was clear from the start that he only had the worst in mind for those who crossed his path. With a jacket full of Black Envelopes and an unsettlingly wide grin, the Darkhold Dwarf nudged others in the worst of directions, providing them just what they needed to sow death and destruction as he watched on with glee. This led the Darkhold Redeemers to hunt down the demonic tome’s errant pages, providing the Darkhold Dwarf with both the closest thing he ever had to enemies and an audience to witness the aftermath of his various visits, yet none that he was ever forced to contend with in any meaningful way.
When the Darkhold Dwarf was last seen in the pages of 2016’s Carnage #8 (by Gerry Conway and Mike Perkins), he was given a chance to finally showcase at least some amount of his own power by nearly stripping the titular symbiote from its host with a mere wave of his hand. As impressive as that was, it still didn’t put the Darkhold Dwarf at the front and center of the story. Then again, that wasn’t at the time nor has it ever been his place. Instead, the Darkhold Dwarf has always been a facilitator at the absolute most, and that is exactly where he would slot perfectly into the MCU.
The Darkhold Dwarf is A Perfect Agent of Chaos
Much like the iconic Crypt Keeper before him, the Darkhold Dwarf’s most fitting place is on the sidelines where he can join audiences in watching untold horrors unfold. The Darkhold Dwarf could provide the MCU with its own anthology series filled to the brim with new and returning characters. As the Darkhold is already an established albeit currently destroyed part of the MCU, it would be easy enough to make room for the character, especially since death or destruction is hardly ever the end for anything when it comes to the realm of comics.
The Darkhold Dwarf could even be a natural way for the Darkhold to make its hellish return to the big and small screens. After all, every comeback has to start somewhere, and in terms of the Darkhold specifically, there really doesn’t seem to be a better place than with someone for whom Chthon’s work is their literal namesake. That is, assuming the Scarlet Witch doesn’t already have plans of her own for it.
