Summary
Warning: Spoilers for Blood Hunt #4 ahead!The mystery ofMarvel’sBlood Huntis finally laid bare as the miniseries' fourth issue reveals the source behind the plot to darken the sun forever:the vampire lord Varnae. But Varnae’s history runs deeper than most realize, extending not just back to Marvel’s early days, but even before the infamous character of Dracula was ever created.
Blood Hunt#4 by Jed MacKay, Pepe Larraz, and Marte Gracia, opens with dire straits indeed: New York’s darkened skyline is blotted out by an accursed Atlantean temple; Doctor Strange and Clea are forced to turn to Doom for aid; and Black Panther remains at Blade’s twisted beck and call. With his plans at the cusp of fruition, “Blade” drops the ruse and reveals his true identity to a shocked T’Challa.
“[I am] the first vampire, my nomad spirit clothed in my fated vessel, the Daywalker’s skin. I am Varnae,“Blade’s body gloats, revealing thatBlade’s age-old nemesis has been possessing him the whole time.
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“Varnae” Is Literally The World’s First Modern Vampire
Varnae is a major part of Blade’s ongoing loreas the lord of all vampires.He’s the mastermind beind many of Blade’s early adventures, and even first attempted to possess the Daywalker inBlade: The Vampire Hunter (1994)#5. But Varnae’s history in the Marvel universe extends even further than this: the character first appears in Steve Perry and Steve Bissette’s “Tomb of Dracula: The Blood Bequest” from the horror anthologyBizarre Adventures (1981)#33, where he manipulates Dracula into becoming his eventual successor.Much of Varnae’s modern Marvel loreis retained from these early issues, including the nature of his coffin and his Atlantean roots.
Blade: The Vampire Hunter#5 is by Ian Edgington, Doug Wheatley, Steve Moncuse, and Tom Ziuko.
But the name “Varnae” is itself a reference to an even older story:the 1845 penny dreadfulVarney the Vampire,which codified many of the tropes that today make up the modern concept of the vampire.Not only didVarney the Vampireheavily influence Bram Stoker’s writing ofDracula(making the passing of the torch inBizarre Adventures#33 all the more appropriate), the name “Varney” continues to show up in vampire stories as an Easter egg referencing a particularly ancient vampire, such as in the third season of Netflix’sCastlevania(2017).
Varnae Is The Result Of Marvel’s Deliberate Literary Influence
Varnae’s relevance extends beyond the current implications of theBlood Huntevent. Rather, the character’s name and very existence as Marvel’s proto-Vampire shows howearly Marvel writers were inspired by older stories,seeding notions and references to them into their comics. It’s a fascinating reflection on how stories influence stories and how various tropes and elements - like the name “Varney” - are codified and passed down over time.Marvel’sVarnaemay currently be poised to rule over an Earth of total night, but he - and almost all vampire media - owe it to a niche story nearly two centuries old.
