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Blade
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Creation & Design

Blade was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Gene Colan, first appearing in 'The Tomb of Dracula' series. His character was designed to be a vampire hunter with a unique heritage, being half-vampire himself.

Early Years

Blade's early years were spent battling Dracula and other supernatural threats, establishing himself as a formidable vampire hunter. His character gained popularity through various appearances in Marvel comics.

Character Development

Over the years, Blade has evolved from a supporting character in horror comics to a leading figure in the Marvel Universe, often exploring themes of identity, heritage, and the struggle against darkness.

Cultural Reception

Blade has been well-received by fans and critics alike, particularly for his unique blend of action and horror elements.

Character Details

Real Name:
Eric Brooks
First Appearance:
Comic Reader #95
Aliases:
Daywalker, The Vampire Hunter
Species:
Human
Gender:
Male
Affiliations:
The Nightstalkers, The Avengers, Midnight Sons
Abilities:
Superhuman strength, Regeneration, Vampire immunity, Expert martial artist, Weapon proficiency
Equipment:
Silver weapons, UV light weapons, Vampire serum
Weight:
180lbs
Height:
6' 1"
Eye Color:
brown
Hair Color:
black
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Comic Reader #95
Street Enterprises ⋅ 1973
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Comic Reader #95
 
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$30

Key Facts

Preview of Blade on an image of the Tomb of Dracula #10 cover

Tomb of Dracula #10
Marvel ⋅ 1973
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Tomb of Dracula #10
 
Low
$180
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$1.5k

Key Facts

1st appearance of Blade

Tomb of Dracula #12
Marvel ⋅ 1973
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Tomb of Dracula #12
 
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$15
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$150

Key Facts

2nd appearance of Blade

1st appearance of Safron Caulder, the girlfriend of Blade and mother of Brielle

Tomb of Dracula #13
Marvel ⋅ 1973
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Tomb of Dracula #13
 
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$20
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$80
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$250

Key Facts

3rd appearance and origin of Blade

1st cameo appearance of Deacon Frost, the vampire who bit Blade's mother as she gave birth

Tomb of Dracula #17
Marvel ⋅ 1974
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Tomb of Dracula #17
 
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Key Facts

Blade is bitten by Dracula

Tomb of Dracula #19
Marvel ⋅ 1974
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Tomb of Dracula #19
 
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Key Facts

Blade discovers he is immune to vampirism because he is part vampire

Fear (Adventure Into) #24
Marvel ⋅ 1974
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Fear (Adventure Into) #24
 
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Key Facts

First appearance of Blade outside of Tomb of Dracula

First meeting of Blade and Morbius

Marvel Value Stamp Series A #38 - Red Sonja

Vampire Tales #8
Curtis ⋅ 1974
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Vampire Tales #8
 
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$20
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$215

Key Facts

First solo story featuring Blade

Marvel Preview #3
Curtis ⋅ 1975
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Marvel Preview #3
 
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$12
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$40
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$125

Key Facts

1st appearance of Afari, Blade's vampire mentor

1st appearance of Dai Thomas, a detective who specializes in magic and paranormal activities

Origin of Blade, how he met Safron Caulder, the mother of his daughter Brielle

[May 2023 - Afari rumored for Blade to be depicted by Saul Williams]

Tomb of Dracula #44
Marvel ⋅ 1976
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Tomb of Dracula #44
 
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$45

Key Facts

First meeting and battle of Doctor Strange and Dracula

First meeting of Blade and Hannibal King

Part one of a two-issue crossover that continues in Doctor Strange #14 (1976)

Tomb of Dracula #45
Marvel ⋅ 1976
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Tomb of Dracula #45
 
Low
$5
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$15
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$55

Key Facts

1st full appearance of Deacon Frost, the vampire that caused Blade’s creation

1st appearance of Domini, the bride of Dracula

1st team appearance of the Church of the Damned

Marvel Preview #8
Curtis ⋅ 1976
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Marvel Preview #8
 
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$10
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$110

Key Facts

Cover art by Ken Barr featuring Blade and Morbius

Tomb of Dracula #58
Marvel ⋅ 1977
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Tomb of Dracula #58
 
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$45

Key Facts

Solo Blade issue

Castle of Horror #2
Portman ⋅ 1978
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Castle of Horror #2
 
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$0
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$0
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$0

Key Facts

Reprint of Vampire Tales #8, origin of Blade

Reprint of the Amazing Spider-Man #102, origin of Morbius

Value unknown

Doctor Strange #61
Marvel ⋅ 1983
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Doctor Strange #61
 
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Key Facts

Origin of vampires and how they are linked to the Darkhold

First meeting of Doctor Strange and Blade

First team-up of Blade, Hannibal King and Frank Drake who would later form Borderline Investigations aka the Nightstalkers

Doctor Strange #67
Marvel ⋅ 1984
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Doctor Strange #67
 
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Key Facts

1st official team appearance of Blade, Hannibal King and Frank Drake who would later form Borderline Investigations aka Nightstalkers

Ghost Rider #28
Marvel ⋅ 1992
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Ghost Rider #28
 
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$2
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$8
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$25

Key Facts

1st cameo team appearance of The Nine aka the Midnight Sons: Ghost Rider (Ketch), Johnny Blaze, Morbius, Blade, Hannibal King, Frank Drake, Sam Buchanan, Victoria Montesi, Louise Hastings

1st appearance of the Caretaker

1st appearance of Lilith, mother of demons

1st appearance of Meatmarket, offspring of Lilith

View more (1)

[July 2021 - reports that Marvel registered the LLC, Richmond Street Productions for a streaming series leading speculators to believe that it is a reference to the location of the cemetery where Dan Ketch was resurrected as the Ghost Rider / July 2022 - Midnight Sons was trademarked by Marvel along with other titles that are proven to be official / May 2023 - Mia Goth confirmed to portray Lilith in Blade]

Morbius: The Living Vampire #12
Marvel ⋅ 1993
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Morbius: The Living Vampire #12
 
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Key Facts

First meeting and battle of Werewolf By Night and Blade (as Switchblade, after summoning Chthon and agreeing to becoming the new Demogorge in Nightstalkers #10)

Nightstalkers #10
Marvel ⋅ 1993
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Nightstalkers #10
 
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Key Facts

Blade becomes Switchblade after Chthon makes him the new Demogorge

Blade: The Vampire Hunter #1
Marvel ⋅ 1994
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Blade: The Vampire Hunter #1
 
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$4
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$40

Key Facts

First solo titled series featuring Blade

Blade: The Vampire Hunter #8
Marvel ⋅ 1995
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Blade: The Vampire Hunter #8
 
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$25

Key Facts

Cover art featuring Blade and Morbius

Blade: The Vampire Hunter #9
Marvel ⋅ 1995
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Blade: The Vampire Hunter #9
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Crossbow, an alternate dimension version of Blade

Blade: Movie Preview Edition #1
Marvel ⋅ 1997
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Blade: Movie Preview Edition #1
 
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$2
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$25

Key Facts

Preview comic distributed at San Diego Comic Con 1997 to promote the first Blade film

Blade #1
Marvel ⋅ 1998
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Blade #1
 
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$1
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$15

Key Facts

Copies ordered by retailers: 15,002

Blade Sins of the Father #1
Photo Cover ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 1998
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Blade Sins of the Father #1
 
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Key Facts

Promotional one-shot given away exclusively at theaters for the Blade movie

Approximately 2,000 copies printed

Blade Sins of the Father #1
Marvel ⋅ 1998
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Blade Sins of the Father #1
 
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$1
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$18

Key Facts

One-shot released at the time of the first Blade film

Blade #1
Photo Cover ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 1998
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Blade #1
 
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Key Facts

Variant photo cover featuring Wesley Snipes as Blade

Marv Wolfman filed a $35 million lawsuit against Marvel, New Line Cinema and Time Warner regarding ownership of Blade but lost the case two years later

Blade: Vampire Hunter #1/2
Marvel ⋅ 1999
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Blade: Vampire Hunter #1/2
 
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Key Facts

One-shot distributed by Wizard, includes Certificate of Authenticity

Standalone story 'Bane of the White Worm'

Peter Parker: Spider-Man #8
Marvel ⋅ 1999
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Peter Parker: Spider-Man #8
 
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Key Facts

Blade is bitten by Morbius officially turning him into a Daywalker

Prior to this issue, Blade was immune to vampire bites and had a sensitivity to light but a bite from a genetically-modified Morbius changed his physiology

The 2006 Blade comic book series retconned this event and the origin of Blade to him being born a Dhampir (vampire/human hybrid)

Blade: Vampire Hunter #1
Marvel ⋅ 1999
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Blade: Vampire Hunter #1
 
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Key Facts

1st team appearance of Silvereye, a covert S.H.I.E.L.D. organization mobilized to eradicate vampires

1st appearance of Saracen, a vampire

Blade: Vampire Hunter #1
Variant ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 1999
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Blade: Vampire Hunter #1
 
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$18
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$40
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$190

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Bart Sears

Blade II: Movie Adaptation
Marvel ⋅ 2002
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Blade II: Movie Adaptation
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Abraham Whistler, a mentor to Blade played by Kris Kristofferson in the film

Blade #1
Marvel ⋅ 2006
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Blade #1
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Lucas Cross, the father of Blade and a vampire

2nd appearance of Afari and first appearance in a standard comic book, previously appeared in Marvel Preview #3

Blade #5
Marvel ⋅ 2007
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Blade #5
 
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$18

Key Facts

First meeting and battle of Wolverine and Blade - appeared in the same panel in Black Panther #18 (2006) but did not officially meet

Captain Britain and MI 13 #5
Marvel ⋅ 2008
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Captain Britain and MI 13 #5
 
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Key Facts

Blade joins MI 13

Captain Britain and MI 13 #8
Marvel ⋅ 2009
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Captain Britain and MI 13 #8
 
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Key Facts

First Blade and Black Knight appearance in the same panel - no official introduction

Blade joins MI 13 in issue #5

Ultimate Avengers 3 #1
Non-Key
1:25 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2010
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Ultimate Avengers 3 #1
 
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Key Facts

Variant cover art by Leinil Francis Yu

Foilogram edition

X-Men #2
Marvel ⋅ 2010
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X-Men #2
 
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Key Facts

First team-up of the X-Men and Blade

X-Men #2
2nd Print ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2011
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X-Men #2
 
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$3
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$35

Key Facts

Second printing

Mighty Avengers #1
Marvel ⋅ 2013
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Mighty Avengers #1
 
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Key Facts

1st team appearance of the Mighty Avengers: Luke Cage, Spider-Man (Octavius), Spectrum and Spider-Hero

1st appearance of Blade as Spider-Hero

Monica Rambeau becomes Spectrum, formerly Photon, Pulsar and the second Ms. Marvel

Mighty Avengers #4
Marvel ⋅ 2014
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Mighty Avengers #4
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of the fourth Ronin, later revealed to be Blade

1st appearance of Jason Quantrell, later becomes the avatar of the Beyond Corporation

Mighty Avengers #9
Marvel ⋅ 2014
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Mighty Avengers #9
 
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Key Facts

Blade reveals himself to be the fourth to wear the Ronin costume

1st appearance of Evald Skorpion who is later turned into Neohedron by The Maker

1st full appearance of Kevin Brashear, eldest son of the Blue Marvel

Spirits of Vengeance #1
Marvel ⋅ 2017
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Spirits of Vengeance #1
 
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Key Facts

1st team appearance of a new Spirits of Vengeance: Ghost Rider(Johnny Blaze), Daimon Helstrom, Satana, and Blade

Iron Man #596
Marvel ⋅ 2018
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Iron Man #596
 
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Key Facts

First meeting of Ironheart and Blade

Defenders #10
Marvel ⋅ 2018
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Defenders #10
 
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Key Facts

First team-up of Blade and Moon Knight

This is not an official team but the heroes are gathered in the final panel of the last issue in the series to battle the Hood

Avengers #12
Marvel ⋅ 2019
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Avengers #12
 
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Key Facts

1st team appearance of the Agents of Wakanda: Black Panther, American Eagle, Fat Cobra, Dr. Nemesis, Ka-Zar and Zabu, Gorilla Man, Odin, Wasp, Okoye and Rosalind Solomon

1st cameo appearance of Shadow Colonel, later revealed to be Xarus

Blade joins the Avengers

Wolverine vs. Blade #1
Non-Key
1:50 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2019
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Wolverine vs. Blade #1
 
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$4
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$12
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$45

Key Facts

One-shot featuring Wolverine vs Blade

Variant cover art by Gabriele Dell'Otto

Strikeforce #1
Marvel ⋅ 2019
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Strikeforce #1
 
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$4

Key Facts

1st team appearance of Strikeforce: Angela, Blade, The Winter Soldier, Spider-Woman, Wiccan, Spectrum, Daimon Hellstrom

1st appearance of Count Ophidian and the Vridai

Darkhold: Blade #1
Non-Key
1:25 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2021
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Darkhold: Blade #1
 
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Key Facts

Variant cover art by Mico Suayan

Free Comic Book Day 2022: Avengers / X-Men: Judgment Day #1
Marvel ⋅ 2022
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Free Comic Book Day 2022: Avengers / X-Men: Judgment Day #1
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Bloodline, Brielle, the daughter of Blade

[September 2022 - an insider source informs us that the Blade movie will be a hand-off film to a younger character]

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