Arcade (Marvel Comics)

Arcade
Arcade as depicted in X-Factor vol. 3 #30 (June 2008).
Art by Glenn Fabry.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceMarvel Team-Up #65
(January 1978)
Created byChris Claremont
John Byrne
In-story information
Place of originMurderworld
Team affiliationsCrazy Gang
Notable aliasesMister A, "Mad Monk," Pinball Wizard, A.R. Cadenski
Abilities
  • Genius intelligence
  • Skilled inventor and engineer

Arcade is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in 1978's Marvel Team-Up #65, the creation of writer Chris Claremont and/or writer/artist John Byrne. The character is a combination of an evil genius and a hitman who carries out his assassinations via a personally designed amusement park outfitted with elaborate traps, often referred to as Murderworld.

Over the years Arcade has targeted a multitude of Marvel heroes, often focusing on the X-Men and associated members of X-Factor, X-Force and Excalibur. In what is considered the "game changer" for Arcade, Avengers Arena, he kidnaps 16 superpowered teens and forces them to kill each other for survival in Murderworld; unlike most Murderworld schemes, this endeavor yields several casualties.

Arcade has appeared in a number of other Marvel properties outside of comic books, in X-Men: Evolution voiced by Gabe Khouth, and in the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series voiced by Eric Bauza. The character made his live-action debut in the 20th Century Fox film Deadpool 2 (2018) portrayed by co-writer Paul Wernick. He has also appeared as one of the main villains in a number of video games, including X-Men: Madness in Murderworld, Spider-Man/X-Men: Arcade's Revenge, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Spider-Man: Edge of Time and Marvel: Avengers Alliance.