The correct answer is Hemo-Goblin
Hemo-Goblin, a short-lived and highly controversial villain introduced by DC Comics in the late 1980s, remains one of the most offensive and misguided attempts at social commentary in the publisher’s history.
Debuting in New Guardians #1, Hemo-Goblin was a white supremacist vampire who infected his victims with HIV/AIDS, a concept that was not only in poor taste but also failed to effectively address the serious real-world issues it aimed to tackle.
DC Comics has a history of successfully incorporating social commentary into their stories, such as the Green Arrow/Green Lantern run by Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams, which addressed drug addiction, and more recent stories featuring Superman and other heroes fighting against climate change.
However, Hemo-Goblin represents a low point in the publisher’s attempts to address real-world problems, as the character’s execution was both bizarre and insensitive.
Created by the bigoted Janwillem Kroef to eliminate those who did not fit his white supremacist ideology, Hemo-Goblin’s origin story alone was problematic.
The decision to make him a cannibal vampire who targeted non-whites in South Africa was an outlandish and inappropriate way to address the issue of white supremacy.
Furthermore, the revelation that Hemo-Goblin was infecting his victims with HIV/AIDS was not only unnecessary but also trivialized the severity of the disease and its impact on affected communities.
The New Guardians, a diverse team of heroes given superpowers to represent the entire human population, dealt with the consequences of Hemo-Goblin’s actions in subsequent issues.
While the social commentary in these issues was slightly more apt, it still felt outdated and insensitive. Ultimately, Hemo-Goblin’s storyline concluded with his death in captivity after succumbing to HIV/AIDS, a resolution that felt both hasty and unsatisfying.
