The mask isn't for hiding, it's to show you who sent me.
Diablo (Devil in Spanish) is a comic book character from Chilean Media, created by Mauricio Herrera (aka El-Grimlock on DeviantArt) and Javier Ferreras (aka FERRE), made in The '90s that became a flagship for Chilean comic books that for first time started to sell good as (or even better than) US giants like DC Comics, Marvel Comics, manga, and European comic books. The comic book and its protagonist became very famous in Chile, a success only gained previously by other properties like Condorito and Mampato. Although Herrera and FERRE were the creators, in a similar way than US comic books, this character was drawn and written by diverse contemporary Chilean artists, like DREG, Miguel Higuera, Gabriel Rodriguez and Juan Vásquez, another known Mitos y Leyendas artist like Herrera. The series was released under "Visual Editores" (later "Visuales") publisher, being one of their most known titles ever.
The story is about Alex, an Unlucky Everydude who rescued his Unlucky Childhood Friend Carla at the hands of a pair of Dirty Cops who wanted to rape her. But instead that, he received a couple of bullets in his body causing him the death. Then he awake in Entropía, a Crapsack World full of monsters where the Lord of Entropía was waiting for him. He makes an offer he can't refuse: take the place of his father and come back to the human world to make suffer the human race, or burn eternally in Entropía. With no choice, Alex accepts and revives with new powers. But instead of a Face–Heel Turn, Alex converts into "Diablo", a supernatural vigilante that keeps Santiago city safe from thugs, corrupt cops, mobsters and even supernatural menaces as angels, other demons and a Witch Doctor, all watched and guided by the Hot as Hell (literally) devil called Cénit.
The publication irregularly released 12 issues between 1996 and 2001, having a Sequel Gap called Diablo: Crónicas (Diablo: Chronicles) in 2006, a black and white compilation of 3 numbers, each one with 3-4 stories drawn by diverse Mexican artists as well some Chilean ones who worked in the first Diablo series to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the first issue and to fill some of argumentative holes of the first series. Also, Cénit became an Ensemble Dark Horse and gained a couple of Spin-Off, one of them called Cénit: Trilogy, made during the first series, and the other is Cenit: La aventura tiene rostro de mujer (Cénit: The adventure has the face of a woman), a Graphic Novel released in Chile during the Turn of the Millennium. Recently Diablo reborns again with a compilation of 3 books that compile the 12 issues and a new graphic novel titled Diablo: La Resistencia in 2018.
Diablo is considered a Cult Classic between Chilean comic book fans, at the point of having his own Fan Film and a lot of Fanarts on the internet, included the artwork made by the same Mauricio Herrera. Also has a lot of fans in Mexico, where Herrera went to live and released Crónicas under Berserker Comics, his own publishing house.
If you want to know more about this Chilean vigilante, there's the official website
(offline, hosted by Wayback Machine) and the complete collection Rereleased for Free on the internet.
Don't be confused for the name, Diablo is an Original Generation creation, see In Name Only below for more details.
Let luck decide the tropes you'll see here:
- '90s Anti-Hero: Diablo is the Chilean representative of the genre.
- Aborted Arc: Apart of the cancellation of the comic books, in the first arc there was the story of the angelic lovers and their revenge against the Lord of Entropía. After the first arc, there's no mention of them in the rest of the issues.
- And I Must Scream: Redempting by converting into Catholicism didn't work to save the soul of Alex's father. Now he's living corpse bonded to the Hell where is suffering for the eternity, place Alex went to visit as a devil himself in the Infernus arc.
- Anti-Villain: Cénit
- Back from the Dead: After accepting the deal his father left, Alexwent back to the living with no injuries at all.
- Badass Boast/Catchphrase: "Let the luck decides." Also, the badass quotes of the pic and the end of this page are considered as this.
- Badass Longcoat: He usually wears a light brown one or navy blue one in his appearances.
- No Shirt, Long Jacket: As seen in his first appearances.
- Betty and Veronica: Carla and Cénit.
- Biblical Motifs:
- The Lord of Entropía is obviously the Devil himself and Entropía is the Hell.
- This direct quote from the Bible that is important part of the plot (especifically the bold part):You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.—Exodus 20:5
- The appearance of angels as perfect beings just like in the Bible.
- The interpretation of Hell in Infernus arc, similar than Dante Alighieri's Inferno.
- Bilingual Bonus: La Resistencia is The Resistance in Spanish as well the name of the Santiago's suburb where this story happens.
- Canon Immigrant: In the second arc, there's a young boy who's a feared hitman that team-up with Diablo. That kid is nicknamed as "Sicario" (as the Mexican hitmans) and after that story
he gained his own comic books. - Clark Kenting: This is an interesting case. After come Back from the Dead, Alex made the Diablo disguise of hide from other people, but he's already dead for their close ones, included his Love Interest, Carla.
- Cool Mask/Evil Mask: His signature red mask that makes him look like a devil.
- The Cowl: He certainly doesn't wear one, but the trope is well applied here (especially being an expy of Batman). After decades, finally this trope goes straight with his Final Battle look in La Resistencia, with a long red cowl.
- Crapsack World: Entropía.
- Creator Provincialism: Diablo's creators are from Santiago, Chile's capitol, where all most of the adventures are developed (except when Alex travelled to Hell.)
- Darker and Edgier/He Who Fights Monsters: Alex is becoming slowly as this after all he witnesses and suffers as Diablo.
- David Versus Goliath: Mostly seen during the Tournament Arc where he has to face giant monsters to survive, also applied to tough enemies he can't defeat at all.
- Death by Origin Story: Diablo's story starts with Alex being killed.
- Deal with the Devil: Alex's father voluntarily makes the deal, but Alex is obligated to this if he wants to revive and not to pay his father's sins (which in this case was his conversion to Catholicism before he died.)
- Demon Lords and Archdevils: The Lord of Entropía is the one who reigns in the underworld, made the deal with Alex's father and later with Alex himself. Also Vardan, who organizes Last Stand sadistic tournaments For the Evulz.
- Devil Complex: Played with. After making a Deal with the Devil to come Back from the Dead as the Lord of Entropia's herald, Alex got the disguise and the codename of "Diablo" (Devil in Spanish), but he says he serves the Devil himself instead of being one, as said in the first issue:Alex/Diablo: The mask isn't for hiding, it's to show you who sent me.
- Devil's Job Offer: The deal with Alex (and his father) is giving a new life, protection and powers (in the case of Alex) in exchange of make suffering to the world. Alex's father focused on this being one of Pinochet's torturers during his dictatorship in The '70s and The '80s, but Alex prefered to focus in the scum of society instead, since thugs to corrupt cops, and even he has to fight supernatural menaces.
- Dirty Cop/Police Brutality: Various cops are shown like this, especially the ones who almost raped Carla (and probably raped other girls like her, mostly hookers), which also have high ranks in the police force and who won't hesitate to kill to mantain their status quo.
- Distracted by the Sexy: Alex struggles constantly with this, trying to focus on Cénit's missions or advices instead of her generous curves and her lack of clothes.
- Dragon with an Agenda: Vardan, The Dragon of Lord of Entropía, who has his own plans apart of his boss, seeing in Diablo no.11 (he organized the deadly tournament) and La Resistencia (he sent the demon troops to kill innocent people).
- Eiffel Tower Effect: Santiago has the Entel Tower, which appears specially in the first number, not just in the cover, as well in various issues of the series.
- Evil Is Not a Toy: After getting back to the land of the living, Alex soon discover he can summon demons to aid him. But, these ones can devour and destroy every human present in the place, no matter if they're The Cartel or just a bunch of friendly homeless people.
- Evil Redhead: Cénit.
- Expy: Known by many as the Chilean Spawn with a few touches of Batman and The Crow.
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Fountain of Expies: The big success of Diablo provoked a lot of new Chilean titles entered to comic book stores.
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- Fan Film: The fame of Diablo is so bigger in Chile that there's a short movie made by fans.
- Femme Fatale: Cénit.
- Good Bad Girl: Cénit.
- Good Is Not Nice/Soft: The methods of Alex and Cénit.
- Gorn: Good part of the comic book is very explicit about death and blood as seen in this double page of issue no.12◊.
- Golem: A story involves a golem created by a rabbi to take revenge on a voodoo sorcerer, unfortunately the story was incomplete and without a true ending.
- Guns Akimbo: Diablo carries a couple of guns mostly in the first arcs of the series.
- Healing Factor: Alex recovers quicker than other humans, this is because the devilish protection he has now.
- Heroic Self-Deprecation: Alex thinks he doesn't deserve to be called a hero, as seen in La Resistencia.
- Hero, Rival, Baddie Team-Up: In La resistencia, Diablo was trapped in a suburb with a Mob War between two hooligan gangs from rival soccer teamsnote . That, until demons sent by Vardan, The Dragon of Lord of Entropia, who go for human flesh, no matter in which the side they're on. To avoid a big massacre, Diablo has to team up with both gangs to stop the demons and as a third side, the religious people of the suburb who also stand against the demons as the gangs.
- Hooker with a Heart of Gold: Carla, the Unlucky Childhood Friend who became a striptease dancer only for the money.
- Hot as Hell: Cénit, who also is a Horned Humanoid. Also Nadir, Cénit's sister and The Dragon of Vardan.
- Hot-Blooded: Alex is very impulsive in general. And sometimes, also is Cénit.
- Identical Stranger: In-Universe. The devil Diablo has to fight with and Vardan's Dragon resulted to be Cénit's sister Nadir.
- I'm Not a Hero, I'm...: In La Resistencia, a kid from this suburb is a fan of Diablo and follows him since the beginning, calling him a hero/superhero. Diablo says he's anything but that and he should stop calling him as a hero or superhero.
- In Name Only: Apart of the video game series, this Diablo has nothing to do with Marvel's Diablo, a villain of the Fantastic Four, nor DC Comics' El Diablo, name for various anti-heroes during DC's history, the most recent one a member of Suicide Squad (and its movie) during the New 52.
- Irisless Eye Mask Of Mystery: Everytime Alex puts the red mask on to be Diablo.
- Journey to the Center of the Mind: One of the arcs of Diablo was about that, in which Diablo converts into a real devil and travels into Hell and tries to find his way out (and he found his father trapped and bonded for the eternity where he gets a final conversation with him).
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Vardan.
- Love Interest: For Alex is Carla. Later, he becomes one for Cénit.
- Love Triangle: Implied, between Alex/Diablo, Carla and Cénit.
- Man of Wealth and Taste: The Lord of Entropía and Vardan.
- Meaningful Name:
- Diablo literally means Devil in Spanish.
- Cénit is the Spanish name of Zenith (even have the same pronunciation), an imaginary point directly "above" a particular location, on the imaginary celestial sphere.
- The Men in Black: The look adopted by the Lord of Entropia and Vardan.
- Mob War: Diablo is involved in one during La Resistencia.
- Mon: Cénit's little devil who's also her mascot.
- Moral Luck: Instead of killing his victims, Diablo prefers to let their own luck save them or kill them. Some examples are shown in the first arc, when he leaves an Abusive Parent hanging on the Entel Tower and bonds a Dirty Cop to the hood of a car running without anyone driving it. In both cases there's Serendipitous Survival.
- Ms. Fanservice: Cénit. Just◊ Cénit◊. Period◊.
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed
- In Entropía, one of the first characters Alex saw was Arturo Prat, one of the most famous national heroes of the War of the Pacific.
- Alex's father looks a lot like Pablo Escobar, the famous Colombian drug kingpin of The '80s.
- Augusto Pinochet appeared mentioned in Alex's father backstory, being a member of DINA/CNI as one of his torturers for his dictatorship in The '70s and The '80s. Also, in Crónicas, Alex went to visit Pinochet himself (or at least is implied) to his house just to torment him.
- In Entropía, one of the first characters Alex saw was Arturo Prat
- An Offer You Can't Refuse: Alex's choice made by the Lord of Entropia: stay in hell or being revived as his herald. Of course, the latter option was taken.
- Only One Name: Diablo is only known as Alexnote . Also, other characters are known by this as Carla and Cénit.
- Our Angels Are Different: In the first arc, there're a couple of angels that came to Earth to enjoy the terrenal world, or at least the female one. Both are disguised as naked humans with light blue skin, purple trival marks and feathered white wings. They appear a decade later in the Cénit Spin-Off of the 2000s.
- P.O.V. Boy, Poster Girl: Diablo and Cénit, a kind of non-manga/anime example.
- Real Life Writes the Plot:
- Alex's father, the one who made the Deal with the Devil and who passed the deal to his son, was a DINA/CNI agent and torturer for Augusto Pinochet's regime.
- La Resistencia is about a Mob War between hooligans from Colo-Colo and Universidad de Chile, two major football/soccer teams that have a literal war between their "fans" since decades ago.
- Real-Place Background: With the exception of Entropía, all the action occurs in the Chilean city of Santiago. Even the first evildoer Diablo executes left him hanging on the Entel Tower◊, a Cult Classic scene in Chilean comic books.
- Red Is Violent: Mostly distinguished by his red devil mask and sometimes by a red gauntlets he wears. Also Cénit.
- Redemption Equals Death: Few time before his death, Alex's father converted into Catholicism again to get forgiven of his sins. This is the reason why the Lord of Entropía took Alex to continue the deal his father broke by his conversion. Subverted in Infernus arc. See And I Must Scream.
- Roofhopping: The way he often moves in the city.
- Shout-Out: Various during the series:
- The motivations and the Deal with the Devil are just like in Spawn, the reason why is oftenly compared with him.
- The scenes where Alex is standing over gargoyles statues are shown in other famous heroes like Batman and Spider-Man.
- The Badass Longcoat and the gunman skills in the first arcs may be inherited by Grifter.
- Cénit could be based on fictional succubi like Morrigan Aensland as well the redhead ones◊ from Castlevania series.
- A non-fiction reference: in La Resistencia, Alex's mask is broken, so for the Final Battle it was given one from Fiesta de La Tirana's Devils, a Chinese-Catholic celebration made in the North of Chile.
- Also from La Resistencia, Diablo's look for the Final Battle without La Tirana's devil mask makes him look like Tetsuo Shima.
- Southern Gothic Satan: Diablo has the Lord of Entropia, a bespectacled Man of Wealth and Taste who's dressed as a man in black and he was the one who made An Offer You Can't Refuse to Alex and so becoming in the Anti-Hero Diablo. Also counts for Vardan, The Dragon of Lord of Entropia, who dresses as him but he's a Long-Haired Pretty Boy instead.
- Spin-Off: Cénit gained a couple of them, usually showing her Origin Story: Cénit: Trilogy, a 2-issue miniseries released during the original run; and Cénit: La aventura tiene rostro de mujer (The adventure has the face of a woman), a 2009 Graphic Novel.
- Sympathy for the Devil: More than sympathy, Alex likes A LOT Cénit, especially for her hot body, at the point of giving her a kiss in one issue.
- Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Alex, noticed by Cénit since the first time. Also the Lord of Entropía and Vardan qualify.
- To Hell and Back: The first arc and the Infernus arc.
- Tournament Arc: One of the arcs of Diablo is being invoked by the Lord of Entropía to his own gladiator-like tournament in which the winner is the Last Stand, just For the Evulz.
- Tsundere: Cénit, who always has a bad mood with Alex but deep inside her she loves and cares him.
- Unlucky Everydude: Alex, before getting dead and revived as Diablo.
- Vigilante Man: Diablo is the Trope Codifier of Chilean comic books.
- (Walking) Shirtless Scene: There're various in the comic book showing Alex shirtless, most noticeable in the Tournament Arc.
- Witch Doctor: Do Santos, a Brazilian witch doctor who appeared in the last arc of the original run and in one issue of Crónicas.
My name is Alex, I was in what you could call Hell... And despite your very, I serve TO THE DEVIL HIMSELF!
