Early Life Eric Brooks was born in Soho, London, on October 24th, 1929. His father, Lucas Cross, affiliated with the secret society, the Order of Tyrana, dispatched his expectant wife, Tara, to England to escape his impending imprisonment in Latveria. In England, Tara assumed the alias “Vanessa Brooks” and sought refuge with Madame Vanity, a […]
Eric Brooks was born in Soho, London, on October 24th, 1929. His father, Lucas Cross, affiliated with the secret society, the Order of Tyrana, dispatched his expectant wife, Tara, to England to escape his impending imprisonment in Latveria. In England, Tara assumed the alias “Vanessa Brooks” and sought refuge with Madame Vanity, a brothel owner and fellow member of the Order of Tyrana. A troubled labor compelled Tara to seek medical aid from Dr. Deacon Frost, a concealed vampire, who, whilst assisting with the birth, feasted on her and passed enzymes to the newborn via the blood, inadvertently turning him into a Dhampir—a half-human, half-vampire. Eric was spared a fatal fate when Frost was repelled before he could kill the infant, although Tara tragically lost her life, leaving Eric to be brought up in Madame Vanity’s brothel.
Navigating through the streets of London during his youth, Eric encountered Jamal Afari, an American veteran vampire slayer, and saved him from vengeful vampires. Afari, recognizing Eric’s unique abilities and tragic origins, mentored him, fostering both his physical skills and knowledge of vampire lore. Adopting the moniker “Blade,” referencing the sharp implements he employed against vampires, Eric, still a teenager, shaped himself into a formidable vampire hunter, seeking to avenge his mother’s death.
In 1943, Blade allied with the Secret Invaders, embarking on a mission in the Irish Sea. They located and eradicated U-666, a Nazi U-Boat under the possession of Mephisto, despite being delayed by a skirmish with the Vampire Luftwaffe.
Blade, after years of lone-wolf operations, forged an alliance with Musenda, Orji, Ogun, and Azu, targeting the vampire lord, Dracula. Through deception and strategic alliance baiting, they almost succeeded in annihilating Dracula using wooden knives and traditional staking methods. However, Dracula’s servile acolytes resuscitated him, prompting a vengeful slaughter, sparing only Musenda and Blade.
On November 7, 1972, a bat-like creature’s demise in New York piqued Blade’s interest. Investigating the corpse in a morgue, he encountered Kaluu and mistakenly, due to his vampiric detection, assaulted him. The skirmish concluded upon the arrival of James Lucas, Constance Molina, and Adam Brashear. As the investigation into the creature’s death unfurled, a new alliance, dubbed the Mighty Avengers, was formed to thwart the malicious Deathwalkers. Successfully tracking and preventing a lethal sacrifice by causing a strategic subway collapse, the Mighty Avengers disbanded post-mission.
Blade was birthed into the world as a human/vampire hybrid, his enzymatic blood composition granting him immunity to the standard vampire bite, an unusual affinity for sensing the supernatural, and a resistance to aging. An encounter and subsequent bite from Morbius endowed him with many traditional vampire powers without inheriting their associated weaknesses. His capacities now include superhuman strength, heightened senses, stamina, and a swift healing factor.
Blade’s sight and hearing are amplified to levels that rival those of true vampires. His ability to see objects with unblemished clarity at far greater distances than an ordinary human and even in nearly complete darkness sets him apart. His auditory senses are similarly enhanced, enabling him to perceive sounds undetectable to the human ear and recognize sounds from impressive distances. Furthermore, Blade can sense supernatural beings and forces that would typically be undetected by humans.
Embodying the strength of a vampire, Blade can lift approximately 1 ton thanks to his half-vampire lineage. His incredible strength enables him to overpower beings like a vampiric Spider-Man, make formidable leaps spanning hundreds of feet, and effortlessly sever the head of another vampire using his hands alone.
Blade exhibits the capacity to run and move at speeds surpassing the capabilities of the finest human athletes, along with the ability to rapidly cover short distances, moving faster than the human eye can perceive. Though his speed is not equal to that of a pure vampire, his reflexes are similarly heightened, perceiving the surrounding world as though it were in slow motion.
Blade’s hybrid nature furnishes him with several other enhanced abilities, including:
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