Why is Blade Marvel’s Deadliest Vampire Hunter?

To many, the foulest of villains in the Marvel universe are the likes of the Red Skull, Magneto, or Doctor Doom. Even less powerful villains such as Melter, Porcupine, and the Beetle cause untold destruction and heartache to innocent people only looking to live their lives in peace and safety. But there are worse threats to humanity than most will ever know, threats that would make the bravest of men turn pale with fear. Monsters, horrors, and aberrations of the most unnatural order prowl among the darkened places most fear to tread. Chief among these nocturnal beasts are vampires, the bloodsucking monsters of antiquity. Only a select few heroes on Earth are privy to their existence, and fewer still are adequately equipped to combat them. The most powerful of these champions of light is Blade, Marvel’s chief vampire hunter.

Blade debuted in 1973’s Tomb of Dracula #10 (by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan.) As vampires run rampant throughout London late one night, Blade appears and saves a young couple from a terrible fate. As Blade and other vampire hunters pool their efforts, a showdown occurs on a private cruise ship. Dracula, lord of the vampires, reveals himself only to be defeated by a mixture of skill and luck on behalf of the vampire hunters. Dracula vowed vengeance against Blade and promised to defeat him soundly in their next battle. As time has proven, Dracula’s threat was an empty one, as the mysterious vampire hunter has since become the world’s greatest vampire hunter.

Blade’s Origins are Dark, Grim, And Horribly Fitting for the Vampire Hunter

Born Eric Cross Brooks in Soho, London, Blade suffered a calamity before he was even born into the world. As his mother was wracked with pain from child labor late one night, a doctor was called to help her. What no one present suspected was that the doctor was not human but in actuality the vampire Deacon Frost. Masquerading as a human doctor, Deacon Frost killed Blade’s mother while she was in labor, draining her of every drop of blood she had in her body. Blade was delivered after his mother’s death, never even able to experience the warm embrace of his own mother. However, Deacon Frost’s decision to drain Blade’s mother during childbirth resulted in trace amounts of vampiric enzymes entering Blade’s unborn body. These enzymes imbued Blade with special properties that no other human possessed.

Raised and trained by the vampire hunter Jamal Afari, Blade quickly became an extremely talented hunter. Afari’s training turned Blade into an Olympic-level athlete and martial artist. Blade became an expert at all manner of bladed weapons, so much so that he took the nickname “Blade”. As Blade matured, he embarked out into the world, joining forces with various vampire hunters. His trail of vampiric eradication took him from Europe to Asia and North America. Over the years, Blade has lost countless friends to the forces of darkness, the bitter sting of death tempering him, fueling his hatred for all vampires. Blade often works alone for fear of losing those close to him, but his legend and prowess have made him a living bogeyman to the vampire race, a fact he enjoys very much.

Blade Possesses the Powers of a Vampire, Making Him Supremely Deadly

Over the years, Blade has gained many new powers to augment his endless battle against the undead. During his early years, Blade was simply human, possessing only the skills and powers he gained through his training under Afari. The one true power he gained from Deacon Frost’s enzymes was immunity to a vampire’s bite and hypnotism. It wasn’t until years later when he was bitten by Morbius, the Living Vampire that Blade became a dhampir, a half-human half-vampire hybrid. With his newfound vampiric powers, Blade gained super strength, speed, stamina, and a dramatically increased healing factor. The already legendary vampire hunter became akin to a vampire himself, meting out even more justice against the monstrous ranks of the undead.

What sets Blade apart from other vampire hunters is his intrinsic connection to them. Blade has a deep connection to vampires, and it is a fact that he has struggled with his entire life. Vampires killed his mother and robbed him of a normal life, but they also granted him wondrous powers most people only ever dream of attaining. With vampiric essence coursing through his veins, Blade feels distanced from the rest of humanity. He exists to kill vampires and if that involves saving humans, then so be it.

As far as Blade is concerned, the human race can keep to itself, and he can keep to himself. This is often why Blade has worked solo over the years; not only is he afraid of losing more friends, but he also harbors very different feelings for the world than other superheroes. Blade certainly fights for the greater good, but he doesn’t hold himself in the same regard as more well-known superheroes like Captain America or Spider-Man.

Blade Is One of Marvel’s Most Unique and Original Characters

Throughout the ‘70s Marvel released a staggering amount of horror-themed content. From anthology collections of science fiction and horror stories such as 1973’s Monsters Unleashed and 1974’s Haunt of Horror to larger magazine-style publications such as 1973’s Tales of the Zombie and Vampire Tales. There was no ghoul too gruesome, no beast too feral for Marvel to put into the spotlight. Marvel released tale after tale after tale of horror-themed goodness, but for all the characters and creatures they gave fans, very few persisted beyond their initial stories. Blade is an exception to this rule as he is one of the very few characters to not only continue out of his horror book origins but also to enjoy such a steep rise in popularity over the years.

Blade made sporadic appearances over the decades, mostly being relegated to support roles and guest appearances in other titles. The early ’90s saw Blade star in the Midnight Sons event alongside Ghost Rider, Morbius, and Doctor Strange. Blade received a handful of mini-series and one-shots such as 1998’s Blade: Crescent City Blues (by Christopher Golden and Gene Colan) and Blade (by Don McGregor and Brian Hagan.)

This makes it all the more amazing and incredibly surprising that Blade was chosen to star in one of the biggest comic book feature films of the decade. Blade, released in 1998 and starring Wesley Snipes, truly put the character on the map, was Marvel’s first seriously successful movie and has since become one of Snipe’s most definitive roles. For an obscure Marvel horror character who barely had a solo series to his name, it’s outstanding that his first journey to the silver screen was so successful and impactful.

Blade’s Future Looks Bright With His Upcoming MCU Film and AAA Video Game

Blade has always existed as a unique comic character ever since his very first appearance. As a black man, Blade was immediately established as a strong, capable, and independent hero. He wasn’t a sidekick or an ex-con or a walking punchline. He was his own man, maintaining a sense of strong autonomy that has gone on to define him as a character. Blade’s origins in the haunted halls of Marvel’s horror catalog give him an air of supernatural mystery and allure, an origin far removed from the typical scientific accidents of other Marvel heroes.

With Marvel’s upcoming Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali in the works, as well as Arkane Lyon’s surprising announcement of a brand-new Blade video game in development, it seems as if the nocturnal hunter’s fame is reaching new heights. It’s high time Blade received his due. Beyond his original trilogy of films in the late 90s to early 2000s and a handful of appearances in other video games, Blade hasn’t had a strong time to shine in recent years. A dedicated spot in the MCU with a AAA video game to boot is a solid means of sending a pretty clear message to vampires all across the globe: Blade is back and there’s no shadow deep or dark enough you can hide in.