The Darkhold is going to change the life of Marvel's heroes in drastic ways - including Blade the vampire hunter. The Darkhold: Blade #1 is a newly announced tie-in for the upcoming series, The Darkhold. After reading the mystical tome, Blade's life will be very different from what fans have known thus far.
Recently, Blade has been part of the Heroes Reborn series that re-envisioned what the world would be like without the Avengers. Soon, he'll be involved in a new series where his world is turned upside down. The Darkhold is an upcoming series that will kick-off with The Darkhold: Alpha #1 on September 22, 2021, before being told through character-focused one-shots. Blade will be the focus of one of these issues.
The cover for Blade's tie-in issue as well as his new design for this series have been revealed by Marvel Comics. Written by Daniel Kibblesmith with art by Federico Sabbatini and a cover by Juan Ferreyra, The Darkhold: Blade #1 will reveal what happens to Blade when he tries to save the Multiverse. Blade's horrifying redesign, referred to as "Blade 'Defiled'" was created by Cian Tormey. This one-shot arrives in October 2021. Check out Blade's cover and new character design here:
After reading from the cursed Darkhold, Blade attempts to enter Chthon's dimension and stop the ancient god from destroying the Multiverse. But reading the book has changed all their lives and histories...and for Blade, the consequences are far-reaching. Vampires rule the world, and he rules over them all. But there are some heroes left - and Blade is not as omniscient as he thinks.
This Marvel series is being framed as a horror story and it's pretty easy to see why. The new "Defiled" design is creepy, to say the least. Blade has a pair of hyperextended fangs, clawed hands with longer fingers than normal, and his feet are utterly grotesque and claw-like as well. Blade also has a new outfit to go with this shift, which is a big departure from his black coat and leather clothing. His new outfit is red with a single-shoulder pauldron on his left side. This pauldron matches the belt of the outfit with an insignia that isn't part of his usual appearance. Blade's hair has also grown out, which is a significant departure from the super short style he usually sports.
Although the synopsis provides quite a bit of detail as to how Blade's life is different - it doesn't provide what things have actually changed. For example, it says vampires have taken over and he rules them, but what does this mean for his origin? Blade is a master martial artist with a healing factor and super skills, and presumably he'll keep him vampiric abilities, but what about his weapons training and martial arts knowledge? Will he still have it? Will he learn it from another source? Blade's new claws suggest he may not have a need for the same skills he usually uses it. Presumably if he's ruling vampires, he isn't hunting them - so what are his responsibilities as vampire king? Is the Darkhold going to turn him into a villainous version of himself? Many of these questions will likely be answered when The Darkhold: Blade #1 arrives on October 27, 2021.
Source: Marvel