Blade Shakes Up Marvel's Vampire Lore With a Surprising Revelation
Eons before Blade became the world’s greatest vampire hunter, a primordial and eldritch evil cursed the Earth with its first monstrosities. The first of these profane creatures were forged from the Elder God’s closest followers, but over time the monsters have grown weaker. Buried under the complex lore of Marvel’s earliest gods, is a recently revealed fact that brings new meaning to the powers and origins of Marvel’s vampires.
In Blade: Red Band #4 (2025) - by Bryan Hill, Federica Mancin, & C.F. Villa - Blade and his vampire-hunting companion Elena continue their mutual quest to destroy the vampiric cult of Pontius Van Helsing. The heroes have been left in a stalemate as Elena continues to distrust her half-vampire partner.
The two are attacked by a horde of wildly ravenous vampires which Blade immediately recognizes as Pontious’s cult. Passingly, Blade informs Elena that only the oldest vampires can create the mindless spawn they just fought. He says that the victims are only a “step away from demons.”
Marvel’s First Vampires Created Demons, Not Modern Bloodsuckers
Blade: Red Band #4 (2025) - Written by Bryan Hill; Art by Federica Mancin & C.F. Villa; Color by Java Tartaglia & Matt Milla; Lettering by VC’s Cory Petit; Cover Art by C.F. Villa & Federico Blee
In the primordial era of Earth’s early existence, the Elder Gods reigned as the world’s ultimate power. Soon, corruption infected the gods, transforming many into killers and cannibals. Chthon reigned supreme as the most evil of the Elder Gods, using his power to craft a tome of the world’s first dark magic from the flesh of his devoted followers. Following its creation, the Darkhold became one of the most sought-after sources of profane otherworldly power. Among the Darkhold’s earliest devotees was Varnae, Earth’s first vampire.
Varnae and the Darkhold’s closest devotees offered their souls to become the world’s first monsters. However, according to Blade’s subtle addition to Marvel’s vampiric lore, Varnae and the earliest vampires aren’t anything like today’s standard breed. Varnae’s specific breed of ancient vampires don’t create other vampires from their victims, they create demons. Heroes like Black Panther and Miles Morales have had to seek gods to cleanse them of Varnae’s curse. When they were turned into his breed of vampires, their souls were infected with Varnae’s demonic energy. Chthon designed the demons to spread his power like a plague.
Vamprisim’s Demonic Origins Explain the Potency of Varnae’s Curse
Varnae Turned Blade Into a Demon
While the twist doesn’t necessarily alter Marvel’s vampire lore in any significant way, it does give better context to the curse’s true nature. Vampirism today spreads more like a disease; it’s more akin to a blood-borne medical condition. The hero Dagger, who traditionally can cleanse diseases and toxins in someone’s body, has been shown to cure vampirism too, insinuating that the modern curse is primarily biological. Even so, no true vampire is completely independent of the Darkhold’s early corruptive powers.
Chthon found purpose in the comparatively insignificant lives of his first followers. The Darkholder sorcerers who were the first to praise Chthon’s name were transformed into monstrosities designed to spread his influence. Varnae and his vampires possess the most potent form of dark magic, imbuing them with the powers of demons and the ability to spread the transformative magic to others. Blade’s speedy warning to his vampire-hunting ally serves as a brief but important reminder of the unholy origins of Marvel’s vampiric characters.
Blade: Red Band #4 is now available from Marvel Comics.
