Brooks, Eric

Eric "Blade" Brooks is dhampir of African descent who wields wooden daggers to hunt down vampyr. He is the son of Lucas Cross and **Vanessa Brooks**.

## Eric Brooks

### Relatives

Lucas Cross (father), Vanessa Brooks (mother, dead), Jamal Afari (foster father)

### Affiliation

Strikeforce, Avengers of Earth-TRN852, Mighty Avengers, Avengers of the Supernatural, Vanguard, S.H.I.E.L.D., S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Howling Commandos, Initiative, Mighty Avengers (1970s), Noah van Helsing's vampire hunters, Silvereye, Nightstalkers (Borderline Investigations), The Nine, King, Drake and Blade, Quincy Harker's vampire hunters, Orji Jones' vampire hunters, Bloodshadows, Vanguard, Order of Tyrana, Darkhold Defiled, Secret Invaders, Midnight Sons

## History

### Early Years

#### 1929

Eric Brooks was born in Soho, London, on October 24th. 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 ravenous 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 being tainted by a vampyr's kiss, but not converted. In other words half-human, half-vampyr also called a Dhampir. 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.

#### Training

While he was growing up on the street of London, he ran into American veteran Vampire Slayer, Jamal Afari and saved him from being killed by vampyr with a grudge against the old man. Afari soon learned about Eric and his origins and decided to take him under his wing, becoming his mentor and foster-father and helping him to control his powers. Afari taught Eric everything he knew about hunting, fighting, and killing nosferatu.

### Teen Years

#### Vampyr Hunter

Determined to avenge his mother's death, Eric fashioned himself into a vampire hunter like Afari while still a teenager and started calling himself Blade, after the sharp weapons with which he used to kill vampires.

### Adult

Finally, Blade and Afari split up when Jamal willingly took the fall for murder when Blade killed a man (who was suffering from a derangement), whom he mistook for a vampire.

### World War II (1939-1944)

#### 1943

He joined the Secret Invaders on a mission on the Irish Sea's, where he found and destroyed U-666, a Nazi U-Boat being possessed by Mephisto. They turned up late due to fighting the Vampire Luftwaffe.

### 1960s

#### 1968

After stalking the night on his own for a number of years, Blade became a part of a small band of like-minded individuals hunting Dracula consisting of Musenda, Orji, Ogun, and Azu. Blade went to Dracula and told him he represented a group of men who believed that in another sixty years vampires would rule the world, and that realizing humanity had no chance against their "superior," Blade would offer his and his associates assistance to carry on Dracula's bidding during the daytime. Blade further enticed Dracula with this idea telling him that they had facilitated a plan that would speed up global conquest by vampires to only ten years. Intrigued, Dracula agreed to go with Blade to meet his associates. Dracula met these associates: Ogun, Azu, Musenda, and Orji. However, Dracula would soon find that this was all a trap and that they were really a group of vampire killers. They nearly succeeded in destroying Dracula by driving a stake into his heart. It was during this battle that Blade's companion would try out wooden knives of his own design and find that they work just as well as stakes. However, Dracula soon was resurrected by his servants and exacted revenge by murdering the band of vampire hunters, leaving only Musenda and Blade alive.

### Mighty Avengers (1970s)

On November 7, 1972, the murder of a bat-like monster in New York brought Blade's attention. When looking for the corpse in a morgue, he discovered Kaluu investigating the body with magic, and attacked him believing him to be a vampire and an enemy. As soon as detective James Lucas, Constance Molina, and Adam Brashear arrived at the scene, the fight was stopped when Blade realized he was among allies. They started investigating the murder as soon as The Bear appeared, and presented herself as the killer of that creature, in self-defense, as she wanted to prevent the Deathwalkers from using it for a sacrifice.

The Bear explained that she herself was the 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 people present formed the Mighty Avengers, and went to find the Deathwalkers. Kaluu tracked down the magic they used in the were-bat to a secret subway below the City Hall. The Mighty Avengers then attacked the Deathwalkers before they could make their sacrifice. After Blade recovered the Talisman of Kamar-Taj, which was required to perform the sacrifice, Adam Brashear caused the subway to collapse above the Deathwalkers. With the Deathwalkers stopped, the team disbanded.

When Blade was in need of money, he'd often perform at nightclub in London as trumpeter. With time, he noticed there was a beautiful woman who would never miss his performances and, one night, the two finally met after Blade intervened to protect her from a a pimp named Ponce. After this, Blade and the woman, named Safron, became romantically involved.

Still a vampire hunter, Blade would often fight alongside a team led by Quincy Harker, also a great vampire hunter. The company's members included Rachel van Helsing and Frank Drake. Blade and the team battled Dracula and attempted to kill him and rescue Elizabeth Langley. Blade and the hunters chased Dracula across Europe. After being attacked by his thralls they reached Dracula's mortuary. The team managed to outnumber him, and eventually Blade got close enough to the vampire lord to stake him through the heart, effectively killing Dracula. However his death was short-lived and he was resurrected by his minions. Blade attempted to once more slay Dracula. Dracula managed to overpower Blade and fed upon the vampire hunter before leaving him for dead. Quincy Harker came across the body of Blade, and seeing that he had been bitten by Dracula, and him to be dead. Quincy Harker got a stake out and prepared to ram it through Blade's heart. Before Quincy could strike, Blade suddenly revived and to Quincy's surprise, Blade has not changed into a vampire. Blade explained that he is immune to vampire bites due to the fact that his mother was bitten by a vampire while Blade was being born. Blade vowed to use his immunity to his advantage. They traveled to London, and at Quincy's home he tried to convince Blade to stay and continue their quest to destroy Dracula. Blade declined the offer, feeling that he should get back on the case of the vampire responsible for killing his mother. Blade returned to the flat that he shared with Safron to find that a vampire had broken in and was attempting to feed upon his girlfriend. Blade easily destroyed her attacker. A friend, Trudy, explained what happened and Blade agreed to go out looking for Dracula. After putting on his vampire hunting gear, Blade went out into the night and was soon attacked by Dracula in his bat form. Dracula knocked him down into the street with a car speeding toward him. Blade battled Dracula across the city, their fight took them to a sporting goods store. Dracula was forced to retreat when Blade managed to partially impale the vampire lord in the chest with a broken ski pole, and then later with one of his wooden daggers. With the battle over, Scotland Yard let Blade walk away from the scene, and he returned home to Safron and Trudy rest and told them he would explain everything in the morning.

When Dracula traveled to Boston, Blade was also there tracking down the vampire who killed his mother. Blade attacked the Vampire but was easily stopped in his tracks by Dracula who demanded that Blade accompany him back to Harold's home to meet with Quincy Harker. Dracula explained he has nothing to do with the murders and that the coven is acting on their own. Blade had no interest in getting involved in their battle with Dr. Sun as he came to destroy the vampire who killed his mother. When Dr. Sun was about to kill Dracula Blade arrived and offered assistance in killing Dr. Sun. The two work together and destroy Dr. Sun. But after the fight Blade threatened Dracula telling him that if he does not help him find his mother's killer he would die by his hands. Dracula refused to be ordered around, leading to a battle between the two.

### Hannibal King

Blade, still looking for his mother's killer, found a clue leading to their apartment. Blade attacked the occupant, but the vampire was revealed to be Hannibal King, the vampire detective. Hannibal easily defeated Blade but due to their mutual mission, they decided to work together. They waited in Frost's apartment for his recent victim to rise as a vampire. When he awoke, he explained that he had dug up a coffin containing an exact copy of Blade. Blade and Hannibal King continued their hunt for Deacon Frost, they wondered how Frost intended to take over the world with a duplicate of Blade. After a while alone in London, Safron moved to the United States to stay with Blade in Boston, claiming that London "was a drag" without him there.

Around this time, Safron got pregnant with Blade's child, a girl named Brielle.

### Doppelgänger

Blade and King found the "Doppelgänger" and he revealed that he was created to destroy the original. The two fought, but Blade stopped when the two began to fuse together on contact. Hannibal King tried to rush to Blade's rescue, however, he was too late to stop the merger from completing. With the vampire doppelgänger in full control of their unified body, it set its sights on King. The Doppelgänger attacked King, and despite his savage fury, he is easily fought off by King who stabbed the faux-Blade in the chest with one of his own wooden daggers, defenestrating the imitator, allowing Hannibal to escape. King fled from the vampire doppelgänger of Blade and their fight crashed into Dracula's party with Deacon Frost in attendance. Furious of Blade's interruption of his party, Dracula attacked and was shocked to find his longtime vampire hunter foe to be a vampire himself. Blade appears to have the upper hand when he stabs Dracula in the back with one of his wooden daggers. However, Dracula turns around, and mocking the fake Blade's inferior skill to the original impaled the vampire doppelgänger in the chest with a stake, killing him. King enlisted the help of Daimon Hellstrom who exorcised Blade from the Doppelgänger and killed it with King's help. Blade and King eventually caught up with Frost and together they destroyed the Vampire and his vampiric doppelgängers, and forging a lasting friendship.

### Nightstalkers

The agency discontinued after Drake left and Blade was committed to a psychiatric hospital following a battle with a temporarily resurrected Dracula. Doctor Strange later arranged the release of Blade so that he could join Drake and King in reforming Borderline Inc. as the Nightstalkers.

The mother of all demons, Lilith, hired Blade's agency to kill Ghost Rider -- the leather-clad, motorcycle-riding Spirit of Vengeance -- and bad-boy Johnny Blaze, the fiery skeleton's former host. After a protracted battle, Blade and company realized they had been duped. The team joined with Ghost Rider and Blaze against Lilith, battling her monstrous minion Meatmarket. Blade, Drake, and King continued their partnership with Ghost Rider and Blaze. Along with Dr. Strange, Morbius the Living Vampire, and the Darkhold Redeemers, they formed the Midnight Sons, a group dedicated to preserving the boundaries between our world and the dark realms. The Midnight Sons clashed with Lilith and her demonspawn, the Lilin, in a supernatural contest with Earth as the prize. The Midnight Sons proved victorious, destroying Lilith and her brood. Blade also rescued his girlfriend Safron Caulder from the Darkholders, but shortly after they grew apart.

Blade's desire to destroy supernatural enemies led him to be tricked into using the Darkhold. As 'Switchblade' he attacked a number of supernatural beings and stole their power in the 'Midnight Massacre'. Eventually, Blade was stopped and another page of the Darkhold was used to restore things back to normal.

The Nightstalkers also battled other threats, such as Hydra's D.O.A. (Department of Occult Armaments).

Upon the eventual weakening of the Montesi Formula, and the return of vampires, Blade encountered and staked a former ally, a now-vampiric Taj Nital. Blade, Drake, and King, who again had become afflicted with vampirism, began their crusade anew to cleanse the world of all bloodsuckers. Blade and his partners clashed with dread lord Varnae, the supposedly first vampire and the demon who had visited the hellish curse upon men. King and Drake were slain in a bloody and futile battle. The loss of his compatriots only strengthened Blade's resolve to rid the world of vampires, regardless of the circumstances of their creation. Following their victory, King was cured of his vampirism. Subsequently, he and King formed a private-investigation firm.

### Dracula Returns

Deacon Frost teamed up with Marie Laveau to take over organized crime in New Orleans as a staging area for greater conquests. Blade was alerted by Bible John, and the two fought Dracula and later Marie Laveau, who was attempting to resurrect Varnae. It appeared that King and Drake had somehow been merged into Dracula when he was resurrected, but the two had since been freed. Deacon captured Blade, Hannibal King, and Brother Voodoo to establish his rep among the undead in a power grab. The heroes freed themselves from the trap and Blade battled Deacon Frost to a stalemate. Deacon escaped and Blade vowed again to hunt him down.

### Sins of the Father

The daughter of a vampire mafia Don manipulated Blade into attacking her father's estate with a story about seeking vengeance for being turned into one of the undead, but she and her husband really just want to eliminate the Daywalker and remove her father in a power grab. After she and her husband killed her father, Blade slayed the two of them.