Warning: SPOILERS for Loki episode 4, "The Nexus Event"

Loki episode 4 just confirmed the existence and ferocity of vampires in the MCU. While vampires had been mentioned in previous MCU productions, it had always been done within the context of comedic comments. However, "The Nexus Event" left no room for doubt that vampires are real and are counted among the most dangerous creatures in the multiverse.

Vampires have been a frequent source of danger in the reality of Marvel comic books since the Comics Code Revision of 1971, which allowed for mythological monsters to be depicted in a manner consistent with classic literature. This led to a Renaissance of horror titles in American comics and the creation of new vampiric villains and heroes such as Blade. Dracula himself was made into a supervillain with his own comic book and his Tomb of Dracula series proved to be one of Marvel Comics' biggest sellers for many years.

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While vampires have been mentioned in passing in the MCU, it was always in a manner that could be written off as a joke, such as Korg's dismissal of a large wooden fork as a weapon in Thor: Ragnarok, saying it was "not really useful, unless you're fighting off three vampires that are huddled together." However, Mobius confirmed that vampires are real in Loki episode 4, "The Nexus Event," as he spoke to Hunter B-15 about the problems he was having dealing with multiple Loki variants, lamenting that "we brought in Kree, Titans, vampires... Why is it the two orphan demigods are such a pain in the ass?" Given that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel established the Kree as one of the most fearsome warrior races in the MCU and that Thanos was a Titan, this suggests that vampires are formidable threats.

Blade standing alone in an empty room in Blade (1998).

This seems a fair assessment provided the powers possessed by vampires in the MCU are comparable to those of the vampires in the comics. Most vampires in Marvel comics possess superhuman strength at least 10 times greater than they did in life, as well as enhanced reflexes that made them quicker than the human eye can perceive. They're immune to all diseases, do not age, and do not need to breathe. In addition to being immune to most forms of physical damage, vampires possess a healing factor that allows them to recover from most injuries in time. Finally, vampires, even half-vampires like Blade, possess perfect night vision, the power to hypnotize mortals, the ability to command certain animals associated with darkness (such as bats and wolves), and the power to shapeshift into a cloud of mist, a bat or a wolf at will.

Given that, comparing a single vampire to MCU's Thanos without the Infinity Gauntlet seems to be understating just how dangerous vampires are. Of course, there's no measure yet for just what powers the vampires of the MCU possess and this question is unlikely to be addressed before the release of the new Blade movie, which is currently scheduled for release sometime in 2023. That said, it is still impressive that Loki is managing to expand the MCU and lay the ground for future Phase 4 projects in such a smooth and subtle fashion.

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Loki releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.

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