The true villain behind the events of Marvel’s Blood Hunt has been revealed, and he is on a collision course for the daughter of Blade.

Dracula: Blood Hunt #3 picks up shortly after the unexpected duo of Dracula and Brielle Brooks, better known as Bloodline, are attacked by the ancient evil known as Varnae, the very first vampire. As it turns out, it is Varnae who has possessed Brielle’s father Blade and used him to unleash Hell on Earth in the form of a global vampire swarm. Worse still, it is Bloodline who stepped into the crossfire, and it doesn’t look like she has any hope of escaping.

Written by DANNY LORE Art by VINCENZO CARRATÙ Colors by DAVID CURIEL Letters by VC’s JOE SABINO Design by JAY BOWEN Main cover art by ROD REIS Variant cover by MATEUS MANHANINI

The events of Marvel’s Blood Hunt began shortly after Blade’s final encounter with the living embodiment of evil known as the Adana. After months of hunting the Adana across continents and being hounded by monsters of every ilk, Blade managed to catch up with his foe for one final battle. Unfortunately, slaying the Adana only ended with Blade becoming corrupted by another malevolent force, now known to be Varnae, though how that came to pass is still not clear.

Introduced in Steve Perry and Steve Bissette’s story, “Tomb of Dracula: The Blood Bequest,” from the pages of 1982’s Bizarre Adventures #33, Varnae was once a human sorcerer who called Atlantis his home. A powerful mage, Varnae’s abilities were amplified during his time spent studying under the evil wizard Thulsa Doom as a member of the Darkholders cult. After being gravely wounded in battle, Varnae offered himself up as a ritual sacrifice to the Dark Elder Gods, resulting in his transformation into the first vampire of the Marvel Universe.

Brielle first appeared in Danny Lore and Karen S. Darboe’s story, “Bloodline,” from the pages of 2022’s Free Comic Book Day 2022: Avengers/X-Men #1. Born to Blade’s old love Safron Caulder, Brielle grew up in a mostly empty home. Though her father was dedicated to her and Safron, he left to spare them the horrors of the vampire hunting lifestyle. Eventually, Brielle’s powers manifested, and she was drawn into her own sprawling tale of horror, necessitating her father’s return so that she could be properly trained in the family business.

Dracula: Blood Hunt #3 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.

Source: Marvel Comics