In Marvel Comics' Blade universe, Vampires (Homines Nocturnae) are a sub-offshoot of Humanity descended from Drake (also known as Dracula or Dagon), an ancient Sumerian who was worshipped as a God. His progeny are known as "Pure-Bloods", while those beings who are turned by Drake or his descendants are merely byproducts of Vampirism.
This genealogy is the background to the Blade comics, the movies Blade, Blade II, and Blade: Trinity; and the Blade TV series.
The series is named for its hero, a vampire-killer named Blade.
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Vampirism in the Blade universe broadly shares many of the characteristics of vampirism in wider folklore and popular culture, but also differs in certain details. A significant difference between Blade vampires and the folkloric depiction of vampires is the definition of vampirism as a biological condition and not just a supernatural affliction. Blade vampires are not affected by religious symbols such as crucifixes and holy water. Other attributes traditionally associated with the folkloric description of vampirism such as turning into mist or a bat, or living hermit-like lives, are not depicted in the Blade universe. Blade vampires are intricately involved in modern human society and live high-tech lives. The Blade vampire races also possess their own language, which all vampires speak. A majority of all vampires also speak human languages.
In the Blade universe, vampirism is a virus transmitted through the vampire's saliva during a neck bite, made by the vampire's fangs when feeding, or by dying with vampire blood in one's system or after being bitten. It takes approximately 72 hours after infection for the virus to effect a mutation in the victim to become a vampire, considered here as a new life form. This life form's blood cells cannot produce haemoglobin and so must feed on human blood. The diet of humans is edible to vampires, but provides little to no nutritional value. This need for human blood is known as "The Thirst".
This mutation endows the vampire with an improved metabolism and other biological functions that grant numerous improved or even superhuman capabilities. These are made possible via new specialized organs created during the mutation process.
Such physical capabilities include:
Vampires in Blade universe belong to different Tribes. Dependent on their Tribe, Vampires will additionally possess specific strengths and weaknesses. For example, the Reapers are able to scale almost any surface like spiders, or even standing perpendicular to the wall (as seen in Blade II). Additionally a Reaper's only weakness is exposure to sunlight or ultra-violet rays which can result in spontaneous combustion or turning into ash. This process is known by fans as 'ashing'.
The pure blood or non-pure blood status of a vampire also affects their social standing and physical abilities. In later versions, new strains such as the 'Reaper' strain also affect the vampires' abilities.
In the Curse of the Mutants storyline, Dracula's son Xarus overthrows him by killing him and unites all of the Vampire Sects under him. These sects include the Claw Sect Vampires (a clan of vampire warriors), the Charniputra Sect Vampires, the Mystikos Sect Vampires (a clan of business vampires), the Nosferatu Sect Vampires, the Krieger Sect Vampires, the Atlantean Sect Vampires, the Moksha Sect Vampires (a clan of vampire seers), and the Siren Sect Vampires (a clan of vampire seductresses). Xarus' allies in the Mystikos Sect managed to invent a special device which can block the frequencies of light that are harmful to Vampires. Xarus decided to use this device to create a new, more dominant place in the world for vampires as he has each device handed out to his vampire allies. Upon attacking the fortress of the Krieger Sect Vampires, Xarus' allies eliminate the clan's elder leadership. He has the Claw Sect not declare itself for him, so it can hang back and be contacted by any would-be traitors seeking an alliance like his brother Janus Tepes and the peaceful Anchorite Sect. Following an attempted betrayal from the Siren Sect Vampires, Xarus foolishly allows its leader Alyssa to live and keep serving him. Alyssa secretly slips one of the light-deflecting pendants to Janus which enabled him to escape after the Claw Sect betrayed him to Xarus. While wearing a light-deflecting pendant, Xarus declares himself Lord of the Vampires in front of his vampire army.[1]
This resulted in the X-Men and Blade banding together to fight the forces of Xarus. Blade objects to Cyclops' plan to resurrect Dracula which ends up happening. In the climax of the battle, Xarus is killed by Dracula who reclaims control of the vampire clans yet does not do anymore hostilities towards the mutant community.[2]
Vampires are divided into two specific species categories, pure blood and non-pure blood, which carry specific connotations reflected in their society and hierarchy. Pure bloods are born as vampires, the offspring of two people who are already vampires. Non-pure blood, or 'turned', vampires have had a human existence before being turned into a vampire.
Pure bloods remain youthful during very long lives. For example, Charlotte, a pure blood vampire of the House of Chthon in Blade: The Series, is about 300 years old and still maintains the youthful appearance of an adolescent girl. A pure-blood vampire that looks like a full-grown adult is truly ancient.
This youthfulness is due to pure blood ability to biologically regenerate from birth, meaning that unless injured with silver, they will heal all injuries flawlessly. It is also implied that they can see in light levels considerably below that of human visibility. While all vampires are capable of having offspring both through reproduction and 'turning', the birth-rate between mating pure bloods is so low that it is practically non-existent.
A pure-blood vampire is unable to become a human again, due to the condition being fixed in their DNA. This is not the case with non-pure bloods. In the first Blade film, a retrovirus is found that can return non-pure bloods to their human status.
These differences result in a class system divided according to pure blood or non-pure blood status. Pure bloods derive their importance from the 'incorruptibility' of their lineage and accordingly tend to take positions of dominance, regarding themselves as superior. Non-pure bloods are often in lower positions such as lackeys, minions or lieutenants. Non-pure blood reaction to this state of affairs is diverse; some accept the hierarchy as natural or even regard pure bloods as gods, while others look upon pure bloods with disdain.
| Nomak | |
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Luke Goss as Jared Nomak. |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | New Line Cinema |
| First appearance | Blade II |
| Created by | Guillermo Del Toro, David S. Goyer |
| In-story information | |
| Team affiliations | Reapers |
| Abilities |
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Reapers appear for the first time in Blade II. The character Eli Damaskinos (played by Thomas Kretschmann), an ancient vampire elder, created this strain of the breed in a quest to eliminate the weaknesses of the vampire race. Carriers of the Reaper strain are known as 'Reapers'. Their heightened metabolism prompts them to feed more often, which causes the strain to spread rapidly. With the exception of the first Reaper, Jared Nomak (played by Luke Goss), they are incapable of human speech, communicating through snarls and growls, though they retain enough intelligence to follow Nomak's orders, attack in an organized way, and set traps for their enemies and prey.
Reapers gain distinct advantages over other vampires.
The only Reaper weaknesses are their intolerance to sunlight and/or ultraviolet rays, which causes them to combust almost instantly; as well as the constant pain caused by the virus in their systems. Impaling a Reaper through the heart is possible, but difficult due to the extra layer of bone. Additionally, with the exception of Nomak, all other Reapers are so dependent on blood that their bodies will start to consume themselves if they are unable to feed for a couple of hours, although their bodies will still try and 'feed' even after their brains die.
Reapers have a greenish complexion and little hair. They have a thin scar starting from the lower lip that ends at the base of the neck.
A feeding tube with sharp teeth for penetration is used for feeding.
Jared Nomak, the first Reaper, is the main antagonist of the film Blade II and is played by actor Luke Goss in a narrative that uses themes of family estrangement to develop conflict between different strains of vampire as well as vampire-killers. Nomak is the son of the vampire elder Eli Damaskinos, who created and gave the Reaper strain to him. Damaskinos is apparently estranged from both Nomak and Nomak's sister Nyssa, so Nomak becomes a renegade and sets out for revenge, in a campaign to transform others into Reapers.
This effort is resisted by Damaskinos through an alliance with the hero of the series, Blade. Damaskinos offers his elite pack of killers (the 'Bloodpack'), originally trained to slay Blade, to hunt and kill Nomak and his Reapers. Nomak also initially offers an alliance to Blade, who refuses, and they battle.
It is later revealed that Damaskinos created the Reapers in an attempt to create a strain of vampire called Daywalkers, and that Nomak is the result of this failed attempt. This contributes to their estrangement.
Due to his superior Reaper powers, Nomak succeeds in killing Damaskinos and transmitting the Reaper strain to Nyssa, before being killed by Blade.
Nomak possesses the common powers of the Reapers. However in addition to this, perhaps as he is the first Reaper, Nomak seems to be in much more control of his 'thirst' than the other Reapers he turns, and his physiology allows him to go for longer periods between feedings than his fellows. Nomak also retains all of his higher brain functions, not only relying on his basic instincts to feed, but also being able to formulate plans and initiate dialogue.
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