Facts about Blade:
Fans lost their minds when Marvel announced a new Blade movie and that too with the Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali as the lead. Wesley Snipes’ portrayal of the character was fantastic and we have been huge fans of the character since then and we have no doubt that Ali will take the Vampire-hunter to even bigger heights with his portrayal.
#1: Creation and Debut
Blade was created back in July 1973, by the popular writer Marv Wolfman and he was drawn by the penciller Gene Colan. His first appearance in the Marvel universe was in the comic book “The Tomb of Dracula” #10. He started as a supporting character, but after he became popular, he was promoted as a primary character.
#2: Origin and History
Blade or Eric Brooks was born in 1929 in London. Eric’s mother, Tara Brooks, was a prostitute at Madame Vanity’s Brothel. She had some complications during birth so she called for a doctor. The Doctor actually turned out to be Deacon Frost, a vampire who feasted on her during Eric’s birth and killed her. By doing that he inadvertently passed along certain enzymes to the infant which resulted in Eric’s quasi-vampire abilities.
#3: He has all the Strengths of a Vampires, but none of the Weaknesses
Blade is one of the most powerful supernatural beings in the Marvel Universe and he has a wide range of powers. He is a skilled swordsman and marksman. He has superhuman strength, speed, agility and stamina, Super Accelerated Healing Factor, Immunity to the bites of vampires, and immunity to vampire hypnosis, he ages really slowly and he has the ability to sense any supernatural creature.
#4: He has been a part of Many Superhero teams
Blade has a long history in the Marvel Universe and he has worked with a majority of superheroes to defeat evil. He has been a part of the Avengers, MI: 13, Nightstalkers, Vanguard, Midnight Sons, Mighty Avengers, Avengers of the Supernatural. It would be interesting to see how he’ll be incorporated in the MCU.
#5: He had a Mentor
Blade lost his mother when she was delivering him and he had no father figure. So, to help him out, Jamal Afari took him under his wing. Blade learned everything about vampire lore, from their strengths to their weaknesses, and how he could use his powers and skills to hunt down vampires’ so he could fight and kill them from Jamal.
#6: He has mastered various Fighting Styles
On top of being a Vampire, Blade is also a Master Martial Artist. He has mastered many styles such as Boxing, Capoeira, Escrima, Jeet Kune Do, Hapkido, Jujutsu, Shotokan Karate, Kung Fu and Ninjutsu. He is also a skilled swordsman, marksman, and street-fighter. In short, if you see Blade coming towards you, the best course of action is to run like the wind.
#7: He Fought Evil Captain America
In the Alternate storyline, “Ultimate Comics: Avengers”, the world was attacked by the Vampires, who even turned some of our beloved superheroes into Vampires. Blade became the centre of attention in that storyline as he infiltrated the Triskelion where he came across and fought the Vampire Captain America and ultimately subdued him.
#8: He is a Dhampir
Blade is a Dhampir, that is, half-human and half Vampire. A dhampir is one of the rarest creatures in the entire Marvel universe. This means that his skeletal and cardiac muscle system is altered on a cellular level. His muscles are dense, more efficient and faster, which gives him the liberty to produce way more force than a normal human being.
#9: He has Heightened Senses
Blade’s senses are on another level when compared to a mere human. His sense of sight and hearing are just like that of a Vampire. He can see in the dark and at much greater distances. His hearing allows him to listen to sounds which a human being cannot hear at all.
#10: He has fought Dracula several times
Dracula has been a recurring character in Blade’s comic books. In the comics, Dracula is the one who indirectly kills Blade’s mentor Jamal Afari. Dracula attempted to turn Jamal by biting him. So, Blade had to mercy-kill his mentor after he rose as a Vampire to prevent him from becoming a monster.
