A mysterious figure and artist who calls himself Muse finds beauty inside anything by cutting it open with his own carved knife.
No Oil Painting
Dubbed by the media as Vincent van Gore for his horrific murals painted in human blood, Muse is a killer and an artist who wants credit. He charges the public to view his work, until the legal system disrupts his business. His murdering ways catch the attention of the protector of Hell’s Kitchen, Matt Murdock, AKA Daredevil, whom Muse has a run-in with on the rooftops in New York City. Muse inquires about whether Daredevil likes his work, and once he gets his answer, he uses a stun grenade to cover his escape. When Muse murders Inhumans, the New Attilan Security Service steps in to take him down.
A Man in a Mask
Muse possesses superhuman reflexes as he can catch projectiles thrown at him with ease. He may also boast superhuman strength as he’s known to tear bodies apart. He can also avoid being detected thanks to his ability to pull in sensory information around him as if a vortex, information including scents and sounds.
He’s also a capable hand-to-hand combatant, going toe-to-toe with seasoned vigilantes and those just coming up. He’s a capable artist and muralist as well.
Artistic Blocks
Muse doesn’t seem to have any allies, but his enemies abound. Inhuman Detective Frank McGee under the authority of the Queen of the Inhumans, Medusa Amaquelin Boltagon, AKA Medusa, hopes to arrest Muse for killing their kind. McGee works with Matt Murdock, who also views Muse as a threat to everyone in the city. Daredevil’s young protégé Samuel Chung, AKA Blindspot, assists Daredevil in helping capture Muse, and interrupts his artistic endeavors.
Painting the Town Red
After running into Daredevil, Muse held an entire courtroom hostage, a courtroom where Blindspot was in attendance and who called Daredevil to his side. When cops swarmed Muse, he killed one and took Judge Laird hostage. Outside of the courthouse, Muse let off fireworks to distract the cops and absconded with the judge into the sewer system where he held Councilwoman Pearson, and two cops, officers Scott and Menendez, hostage—the four people who shut down the public’s access to his bloody mural. Though his work was interrupted by Blindspot who had followed him. Blindspot ran the other direction and Muse followed. But Blindspot suddenly went invisible and doubled back to free the hostages. Muse caught up with Blindspot and took him to his secret hideout, where he conducts his mutilations and his killings. Muse admitted that some of the people he used for the mural were still alive and Daredevil soon crashed through a nearby window. Muse destroyed Blindspot’s eyes before Daredevil could stop him and fled, but McGee and his Inhuman task force caught Muse on the roof before he could escape. Daredevil demanded justice so Muse broke his own fingers in an attempt to appease him. Daredevil then unmasked Muse to reveal his true face, which matched his masked costume, and the vigilantes liberated more than 100 people from Muse’s hideout. Muse was taken to New Attilan and placed in the high-security detention level.
While imprisoned, Muse watched the news and overheard the stories that Daredevil had become public enemy No. 1. He then thanked the guard for their hospitality and escaped custody to return to the streets where he could conduct his work. Having been inspired by the vigilante, he started leaving murals around New York City featuring the city’s well-known costumed crimefighters. He was soon caught during the creation of his next mural by passersby who wanted their picture with him. But he ultimately threatened them but a half a dozen cops soon had him surrounded and at gunpoint. Muse, in turn, brutally killed the six cops and he escaped again.
Blindspot, with his eyes returned thanks to help from Lu Wei, the Beast and the Hand, defaced one of Muse’s murals. In response, Muse pushed Blindspot off of the opposite building to the mural. Blindspot nearly fell to his death but grabbed hold of an escape ladder. Blindspot made his way back up to the roof and the pair fought, a fight that led to a fire. Blindspot demanded to understand why Muse hurt people, and Muse claimed it was the same reason Blindspot wanted to kill him at that moment, that it made him feel stronger, better, more powerful, and that it was art. But Blindspot resisted the urge to kill him. Muse couldn’t accept this outcome and instead walked into the fire, burning to death.
