In 1992, Marvel Comics debuted a new X-Men character known as ‘Hell's Angel,’ an untraditional mutant with a formidable mix of mutant powers and supernatural magic. At the time, she was considered by Charles Xavier to be one of the world’s most formidable powers. However, following a complicated series of real-world legal battles between Marvel, a motorcycle gang, and other publishers, the character was never seen again.
Hell’s Angel, aka Shevaun Haldane, debuted in Hell’s Angel #1 by Bernie Jaye and Geoff Senior. After watching her father betray a pact with Mephisto and his ultimate death, Shevaun vowed to right the wrongs that her father’s dealings with the Devil had wrought. When the Angel of Death appeared to take her father, it took pity on Shevaun and imbued her with a portion of the universe, granting her cosmic power and knowledge.
Despite Hell’s Angel’s unique premise, her name was identical to an active American biker gang, which ultimately led to Marvel scrapping the character entirely.
The 'Hells Angels' Biker Gang Took Down Hell's Angel
Hell’s Angel #1 - Written by Bernie Jaye; Art by Geoff Senior; Inking by Cam Smith; Color by Helen Nally; Lettering by Gary Gilbert
When she debuted, Hell’s Angel had a fairly active presence with both the X-Men and numerous other Marvel characters related to the supernatural and occult. While Shevaun rarely appeared outside of her own comic series, she frequently interacted with some of Marvel’s most prominent characters. Hell’s Angel often worked alongside the X-Men, who aided the hero in her techno-magical quest to take down her father’s evil ex-company. But all of this would come to a screeching halt only months after her debut when the motorcycle gang “Hells Angels” sued Marvel Comics for trademark violation.
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The Hells Angels was founded in 1948 as a club for WWII veterans. By 1966, they had turned into an anti-establishment counterculture movement, officially trademarking both their name and various logos. This became the basis for the legal issue that Marvel would face years later. The motorcycle gang accused Marvel of “getting a free ride” and lambasted that Marvel used their “highly recognizable and powerfully evocative” name for a woman. In the ensuing court case, the Hells Angels won, and Marvel was ordered to donate $35,000 to the Ronal McDonald House and officially change the character’s name.
Hell’s Angel Continued to Face More Trademark Violations
Even Her New Name Had Legal Problems
After the court case concluded, Marvel officially renamed Shevaun’s superhero identity and her comic’s title to “Dark Angel.” Now under the Dark Angel title, Marvel continued to release new comics following Shevaun’s crusade to counteract her father’s crimes. The comic series excelled at telling a story riddled with action-packed thrills, conspiratorial mysteries, and frequent cameos from Marvel Comics’ biggest names. However, shortly after the character’s name-change, Marvel found itself the target of yet another lawsuit by the comic publisher Boneyard Press and its founder Hard D. Fisher. At the time, Boneyard Press already had a comic character named “Dark Angel.”
Now facing another trademark violation case, Marvel Comics was given the choice to either rename the character and her series again or completely cancel the publication altogether. Ultimately, Marvel decided that Shevaun was not worth the hassle and chose to cancel the Dark Angel series after its final issue, Dark Angel #16, in 1993. Fortunately, Shevaun did later return in Iron Man #23-27 (2014) - written by Kieron Gillen - as a ing character for Tony Stark in his war against Malekith and the Ten Rings. While it was only a secondary role, her return after 20 years of absence was gratifying.
Marvel Needs to Bring Back Shevaun's Character, By Any Name
She Is Unique Enough to Fit Into Any Story
Shevaun Haldane’s comic career may have been limited and riddled with legal issues, but it doesn’t take away from how cool she was and could have continued to be. Like the X-Men’s Magik or Madelyn Pryor , Shevaun brought a new sense of supernatural wonder to a franchise traditionally defined by giant robots, stealth jets, and time traveling. Artist Geoff Senior truly made the demonic threats Shevaun faced terrifying, thus plunging a small portion of Marvel Comics into modern horror. Truly, Hell’s Angel / Dark Angel has a little bit of everything that surprisingly blends together well.
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However, there is still hope that Dark Angel may return to the comics. In the U.S., trademarks are only valid for a decade until they must be renewed. Even if Marvel wasn’t legally allowed to publish any comics using “Dark Angel,” that shouldn’t be a reason to exclude the character from modern stories altogether. Dark Angel perfectly marries the seemingly incongruent sci-fi and supernatural themes of her stories and could easily continue to do so today. As the X-Men continue to readjust in the post-Krakoa landscape, now is the best time for a mutant techno-sorceress to return to help.
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
