| Jamal Afari | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Marvel Preview #3 (1975) |
| Created by | Chris Claremont Tony DeZuniga |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Jamal Afari |
| Abilities | attributes of a vampire superhuman strength skilled fighter and martial artist |
Jamal Afari is a fictional character and vampire hunter in the Marvel Universe, a former mentor of Blade and a sometime jazz player who is best known for his wise teachings of vampires. Afari first appeared in Marvel Preview #3 in 1975. Since then, he has only appeared in these series, or the Blade series.
Afari grew up a daring adventurer on the mean streets of Harlem, fighting vampire foes such as Dracula as a youth with only his amazing combatant abilities. This gained him honorable respect from many other street dwellers. Over time, Jamal began to give up his young life as a dark adventurer and learned to play the jazz horn with exceptional skill. This happiness was proved short-lived due to Afari's later drug abuse, and he was soon sent to a hospital to get over his addiction. After Jamal's recovery, the former vampire slayer was ready to give up on his life completely, when one night a ruthless band of vampires attacked his home. During the battle, a nine year old Blade arrived on the scene to help Afari battle the villains. Together the vampires were defeated. Jamal thought that this was a sign he should continue his adventuring life, and he became the mentor of Blade and taught the hero everything he knew about fighting. Over time, Blade became very skilled in this practice. Afari would always test his skills for training, hunting, and patrolling, and he taught the young man.
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