Warning: contains spoilers for Dark Ages #6!
One of Marvel’s most underrated killers is Blade, and his ultimate victory just proved it. Few foes have antagonized Blade as long as Dracula, and in Dark Ages #6, he gets his revenge on not only the Lord of Vampires, but takes Apocalypse out at the same time, saving the planet in the process. The issue, the mini-series’ final, is on sale now in print and digital.
In Dark Age’s opening issue, a powerful entity known as the Unmaker attacked Earth. Several heroes fell during the battle, culminating with the Unmaker releasing an electromagnetic pulse that wiped out all electricity on the planet, effectively bringing society to a halt. Thanks to the combined efforts of the surviving heroes, and a few villains, society was able to rebuild, better than before. Not all were pleased with the new status quo—Apocalypse among them. The villain kidnapped a number of prominent scientists and inventors, such as Iron Man, the Beast, and others, and used the Purple Man’s powers to press them into his service. Apocalypse’s goal was to revive the Unmaker, so that it could finish the job of destroying Earth. The heroes have learned of Apocalypse’s scheme and are amassing on his citadel in Europe for one last stand. The issue is written by Tom Taylor, illustrated by Iban Coello, colored by Brian Reber, and lettered by Joe Sabino.
After killing the Purple Man and freeing his captives, the heroes prepare to confront Apocalypse. Nightcrawler uses his teleportation powers to remove Apocalypse’s armor, and Moon Girl will give the villain a lobotomy of sorts, separating him from his powers. However, Doctor Doom and Dracula have other plans—Dracula attacks Apocalypse, biting him and turning him into a vampire. Just as Apocalypse begins to turn, Blade attacks, driving a stake through both Apocalypse and Dracula; next, the vampire hunter decapitates both vampires with his sword. With Apocalypse now vanquished, the heroes return to their homes, and the rest of their lives.
In one fell swoop, Blade ended two reigns of terror that have stretched through the centuries. Dracula has long been a thorn in Blade’s side, and now Blade is rid of him, perhaps for good this time. Dracula has also antagonized the X-Men over the years, even turning Storm into a vampire in the classic Uncanny X-Men #159; he is currently harvesting blood from mutants for unknown purposes. Much like Dracula, Apocalypse has menaced the X-Men too, forcibly converting innocent mutants into his Horsemen. His “survival of the fittest” mentality has brought him into conflict with the X-Men on numerous occasions. When Blade killed both Apocalypse and Dracula, not only was he getting revenge for himself, but for the X-Men as well.
Blade is viewed as a niche character in the Marvel Universe, whose sole gimmick is hunting vampires. This has made it a challenge for creators to continue to find compelling stories for Blade; the character’s recent arc in The Avengers was proof of this. Blade struggled to find his footing among other heroes, ultimately leaving to become the Sherriff of the Vampire Nation. However, as seen in Dark Ages #6, when it comes to killing vampires, Blade has no equal.
Apocalypse and Dracula have been responsible for untold sorrow and destruction in the Marvel Universe, but both have now fallen before Blade, showing why he is the publisher’s most underrated killer.