Fallout’s Ghoul Gets Creepy Watercolor Rendition From Comic Artist

Warning: SPOILERS lie ahead for Fallout season 1!

Comic book artist Matías Bergara’s latest piece of artwork turns Walton Goggins’ Ghoul from Prime Video’s Fallout adaptation into a terrifying gun-wielding specter of the wasteland. The show is based on Bethesda’s acclaimed video game franchise, following Vault Dweller Lucy Maclean (Ella Purnell) as she emerges from the safety of her home in search of her kidnapped father. Goggins’ Ghoul is a horrifically scarred bounty hunter whom Lucy encounters, with his own personal quest and complicated history dating back to before the old world ended in nuclear fire.

With the Ghoul emerging as a fan-favorite character following Fallout season 1’s release, artist Bergaras, known for his work on Coda, John Constantine: Hellblazer, Immortal Hulk, and Supergirl, has shared his own reimagining of the pre-war movie star-turned-post-apocalyptic gunslinger.

Shared through Bergaras‘ Twitter account alongside his own thoughts on the character and series, the Ghoul is captured in watercolors, adding another layer of history to the irradiated ruins of Los Angeles’ own man with no name. With sunlight bearing down on Bergaras’ reimagining of the Ghoul, the artwork captures the scarring on the character’s face and displeased demeanor.

How The Ghoul Became Fallout’s Most Tragic Protagonist

Out of all three of Fallout season 1’s protagonists, The Ghoul perhaps possesses the most tragic backstory. While Lucy and Maximus (Aaron Clifton Moten) each have seen their worlds come to an end in some way, Cooper Howard’s apocalypse was especially painful due to his history. A veteran who fought to defend Anchorage and has been exposed to the brutality of war first-hand before becoming a star, Cooper sees what he hoped to prevent come to pass. Furthermore, he had found himself having shocking ties to the past.

Cooper’s star power became an asset to Vault-Tec in selling their products, becoming a regular fixture in their advertisements, even inspiring the Vault Boy mascot. Despite his relationship to executive Barb (Frances Turner), Cooper had grown increasingly conflicted and agreed to spy on the company’s dealings, leading to his hearing of the plot to start a nuclear war revealed in Fallout season 1’s final episode. Shattered by this news, Cooper and Barb seemingly split, and his final pre-war memory is watching an apocalypse his wife potentially brought unfold with their daughter by his side.

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While the Ghoul’s no-nonsense nature, cynical wit, and centuries of gun-totting skill have made Cooper one of the deadliest wanderers of the Wasteland, his tragic pre-war life firmly solidified himself as a fan-favorite of Fallout season 1. Hardened by conspiracy, betrayal, and heartbreak, Cooper’s unique nature on both sides of the Great War and his ties to its pivotal climax make him a compelling figure both longtime fans and newcomers can be captivated by. And as the once-celebrated silver-screen gunslinger searches for his family, Bergara’s artwork envisions Cooper as a ghostly death-dealer ready to do business with any who cross him.

Source: @matiasbergara / Twitter

Fallout

Based on the video game franchise of the same name, Fallout is a drama series set in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. The series follows the survivors of the human race in an alternate 1950s timeline, where nuclear war laid waste to the Earth, spawning large irradiated areas and mutated humans who now roam the planet.

Cast

Walton Goggins , Ella Purnell , Kyle MacLachlan , Xelia Mendes-Jones , Aaron Moten

Release Date

April 10, 2024

Seasons

1

Writers

Lisa Joy , Jonathan Nolan

Showrunner

Lisa Joy , Jonathan Nolan

Creator(s)

Graham Wagner , Geneva Robertson-Dworet