Blade (Marvel)

Blade (real name Eric Brooks), also known as the Daywalker, is a fictional comic book character, superhero, half-vampire hybrid and a vampire hunter of the Marvel Universe. He appears as the main protagonist of the titular comics, and a supporting character in other individual's comics.
Born Eric Brooks, he became a dhampir after the vampire Deacon Frost feasted on his mother while he was still in the womb. As a result, Brooks can walk into the daylight without being burning to death. He was eventually trained to fight the undead, and would later become an ally of many superheroes and monsters within the Marvel Universe. He is also a member of the Avengers and the Midnight Sons, where he protects the world from supernatural and otherworldly threats.
Since his debut in the comics, Blade has appeared in numerous media, such as in his own titular films, tv series, and video games. He was portrayed by Wesley Snipes in the Blade trilogy, Sticky Fingaz in live-action TV series, and by Mahershala Ali in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He was created by , and the late , and first appearing in Tomb of Dracula #10 in July of 1973.
==History==
===Background===
Eric Brooks became half-vampire after Deacon Frost feasted on his mother while he was still in the womb, allowing him to become a dhampir. After being trained by Jamal, Brooks took the title of "Blade" and decided to hunt down vampires to avenge his mothers death. Blade would later stop other supernatural threats with the aid of Quincy Harker, The Mighty Avengers, the X-Men, and The Midnight Sons.
Though Blade is crusading against forces that are a threat to humanity, he is also a loner by nature and does not take orders well. For this reason and also the nature of the foes he fights he often operates outside society, and rarely interacts with other superheroes.
==Biography==
===Early Life===
Eric Brooks, the man later known as Blade, was born in 1929 in Soho, London, England, United Kingdom. His father, Lucas Cross, a member of the secret society the Order of Tyrana, sent his pregnant wife Tara to England before he was taken prisoner in Latveria. There she took the name Vanessa Brooks and found shelter with brothel owner Madame Vanity, another member of the Order of Tyrana. Experiencing labor complications, Tara was forced to seek a doctor's assistance.
The doctor, Deacon Frost, was actually a vampire and feasted on the woman as she gave birth, passing on a series of enzymes that altered her baby. The enzymes entered the infant's bloodstream, transforming him into a Dhampir - a being tainted by a vampire's kiss, but not converted. In other words half-man, half-vampire. Frost was driven away before he could slay the child, but Tara perished, leaving the orphaned Eric Brooks to be raised at Madame Vanity's brothel. Eric would met and be fostered by veteran vampire hunter Jamal Afari, who would teach the boy how to hunt and kill vampires.
===Becoming Blade===
Wanting revenge for his mother's death, he would take the mantle of Blade after his sharp weapons. Blade would separate from Afari after Jamal willingly took the fall for murder when Blade killed man, whom he believed was a vampire. After stalking the night for vampires, Blade became a part of a small band who were hunting Dracula - Musenda, Orji, Ogun, and Azu.
Blade went to Dracula and told him he represented a group of men who believed that vampires would rule the world, and would offer his and his associates assistance to carry on Dracula's bidding during the daytime. Dracula went with Blade to meet his associates, but realized it was a trap set to kill him. The group nearly succeeded in destroying Dracula, but he was soon resurrected by his servants, and exacted revenge by murdering the band (except for Blade and Musenda).
In 1972, the murder of a bat-like monster in New York got Blade's attention, and discovered Kaluu when looking for the corpse in a morgue. Blade attacked Kaluu (thinking he was vampire), but stopped when detective James Lucas, Constance Molina and Adam Brashear, realizing he was among allies. The group started investigating the murder when the Bear appeared, and presented herself as the killer of that creature, due to self-defense. The Bear explained that she was a result of a failed attempt of the Deathwalkers to extinguish humanity in 1908, and that they would try to do it again. With the mystery solved, the group formed the Mighty Avengers, and went to find the Deathwalkers. The team disbanded after stopping the Deathwalkers, and Blade recovered the Talisman of Kamar-Taj.
==Portrayals==
===Films===
*In the titular live-action films, he was portrayed by . This version as well as the actor who portrayed him would be brought back for the 2024 film Deadpool and Wolverine, apparently one of the last survivors of the destroyed Fox and New Line universes of superhero films, alongside Jennifer Garner's Elektra and various other former X-Men superheroes.
*In the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movie of the same name, the character will be portrayed by Academy Award winner , who also played Juan in Moonlight.
===Television===
*In Spider-Man: The Animated Series, he was voiced by J.D. Hall.
*In the titular live-action tv series, he was portrayed by Sticky Fingaz.
*In Marvel Anime: Blade, he was voiced by Akio Ōtsuka in the Japanese version and Harold Perrineau in the English dub. Ōtsuka also voiced Ryoma Hoshi in Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, Shunsui Kyoraku in Bleach, Rider in Fate/Zero, and Solid Snake in the Metal Gear games. Perrineau also played Mercutio in Romeo + Juliet, Augustus Hill in Oz, Link in The Matrix, and Michael Dawson in Lost.
*In Ultimate Spider-Man, he was voiced by Terry Crews, who plays Terry Jeffords in Brooklyn Nine Nine, and also played Julius Rock in Everybody Hates Chris and Bedlam in Deadpool 2, and voiced Officer Earl Devereaux in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.
**Crews reprised his voice for the character in Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.
*In Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers, he was voiced by Hiroki Yasumoto, who also voiced Yasutora Sado in Bleach, Asura in Asura's Wrath, King in One Punch Man, and Azan in Berserk.
===Video Games===
*In the titular video game, he was voiced by Redd Pepper.
*In Blade II, he was voiced by Tom Clarke Hill.
**Hill reprised his voice for the character in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2.
*In Marvel Ultimate Alliance, he was voiced by Khary Payton, who voices Cyborg in numerous media, played Ezekiel in The Walking Dead, and also voiced Knox in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Azrael in the Batman: Arkham series, Sticky Joe in Teen Titans Go! and Wasabi in the Big Hero 6 animated series.
**Payton reprised his voice for the character in Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2.
*In the Ghost Rider tie-in game, he was voiced by Fred Tatasciore, who also voiced Nikolai Belinski in the Call of Duty zombie series, Poseidon in God of War (2005), Zeus in God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Zeratul in the StarCraft series, Mario Auditore in the Assassin's Creed series, Shifu in Kung Fu Panda: Legend of Awesomeness, and voices Damon Baird and Tai Kaliso in the Gears of War series.
*In Marvel Super Hero Squad Online, he was voiced by Tony Todd, who also played Kurn in the Stark Trek series, Ben in the remake of Night of The Living Dead, and Leonard Anderson in Babylon 5.
*In Lego Marvel Super Heroes, he was voiced by Phil LaMarr, who voices Kotal Kahn in the Mortal Kombat series, and also voiced Samurai Jack in the titular animated series, Bail Organa in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, and Static in Static Shock.
*In Marvel Heroes, he was voiced by Dave Fennoy, who also voiced Lee Everett in Telltale's The Walking Dead, Gabriel the Warrior in Minecraft: Story Mode, and Lucius Fox in Batman: Arkham Knight.
*In Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, he was voiced by Imari Williams.
*In Marvel's Midnight Suns, he was voiced by Michael Jai White, who also played Spawn in the titular 1997 film, Jax Briggs in Mortal Kombat: Rebirth and Mortal Kombat: Legacy and Ben Turner in Arrow.
==Gallery==
===Images===
Blade-early-comics.jpg|Blade as he appeared in early comics.
Blade-Eric brooks.jpg
Blade.png|Blade as he appears in the Live-Action movie interpreted by Wesley Snipes.
Blade_animated.jpg|Blade in the Spider-Man animated series.
Blade-Marvel-Avengers-Alliance.png|Blade in Marvel: Avengers Alliance.
Blade LEGO Marvel Super Heroes.png|Blade in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes.
Blade (MUA3).png|Blade in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order.
Blade Marvel Super War.png|Blade in Marvel Super War.
Blade Marvel Midnight Suns.png|Blade in Marvel Midnight Suns.
==Trivia==
*Ranked 63rd greatest comic book character by IGN.
*Ranked 4th on a listing of Marvel Comics' monster characters in 2015.
*UGO Newtworks placed Blade as one of the top heroes of entertainment.
*Madness Combat’s Protagonist, Hank J. Wimbleton, is influenced by Blade himself, the Terminator (800 Series, Model 101), and the Grammaton Clerics.
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