Blade 3 spoiler: Hannibal King (Huh?)

Mercule · Aug 23, 2004

He's an ex-vampire? Him being an "innocent" vampire was kinda important for his character.

Viking Bastard · Aug 23, 2004

Perhaps there's a twist.

Hand of Vecna · Aug 24, 2004

Eh, in the original comics, the only powers Blade has was an immunity to the venom of a Vampire's fangs (the stuff that turned you into a vamp). He exercised intensively & was very skilled, but he didn't have any "Vampire Powers" (super-strength or stealth). It's fairly clear the movies are taking sweeping liberties with the characters.

Cthulhudrew · Aug 24, 2004

King was cured of his vampirism when the Doc Strange used the Montesi Formula to destroy all other vampires, so he was sort of an ex-vampire (though he's since gone back to being a vamp again.)

Since the Blade movies exist in their own little cosmos (and as Hand of Vecna points out, there have been liberties taken with the actual characters), I don't imagine they're going to use Doc Strange and/or the Montesi Formula/Darkhold, so having King as an ex-vampire is probably as close as you're going to get to them going through the whole sordid storyline.

Barendd Nobeard · Aug 24, 2004

CthulhuDrew said:
King was cured of his vampirism when the Doc Strange used the Montesi Formula to destroy all other vampires, so he was sort of an ex-vampire (though he's since gone back to being a vamp again.)

When (and in what comic) did this happen, Cthulhudrew? I used to collect/read all the old "Tomb of Dracula" comics, but didn't follow the characters into any other books (except the two explicit cross-over issues with "Werewolf by Night" and "Doctor Strange" which were just single issue cross-overs).

TIA for any info.

Hand of Vecna · Aug 25, 2004

I'm prety sure Strange read/incanted the Montesi Formula in an ish of the Dr. Strange comic. It destroyed/banished all Vampires, escept King (who'd never tasted human blood and so was 'pure') and Strange's own brother (who was in some sort of suspended aniamtion, I believe).

Bill Scott · Aug 27, 2004

Barendd Nobeard said:
When (and in what comic) did this happen, Cthulhudrew? I used to collect/read all the old "Tomb of Dracula" comics, but didn't follow the characters into any other books (except the two explicit cross-over issues with "Werewolf by Night" and "Doctor Strange" which were just single issue cross-overs).

TIA for any info.

It happened in a several issue story arc in Dr Strange, and a couple Avengers, back in the late 80s if I recall correctly. It could have been the early 90s. I don't remember the details but in the end of the story line, I recall seeing panels of various marvel vampires, including Lilith, disolving into smoke as the spell was cast.

Cthulhudrew · Aug 27, 2004

Bill Scott said:
It happened in a several issue story arc in Dr Strange, and a couple Avengers, back in the late 80s if I recall correctly. It could have been the early 90s. I don't remember the details but in the end of the story line, I recall seeing panels of various marvel vampires, including Lilith, disolving into smoke as the spell was cast.

According to the OHOTMU book of the dead, it took place in Doctor Strange #62, so I think it was during the 80s, yeah.

Basically, Strange used the Montesi formula in the Darkhold to wipe out all vampires living on earth at the time, good or evil. As Hand of Vecna pointed out, King wasn't affected as he'd never tasted human blood (or at least living human blood). Pseudo-vampire Morbius wasn't affected either.

However, during a period in the 90s, following on the success of the Ghost Rider series, Marvel started several "Horror" titles, among them a series called Darkhold and one featuring the "triumvirate" of vampire hunters- Frank Drake, Blade, and Hannibal King. Sometime around here (actually slightly before, as otherwise having vampire hunters probably wouldn't make sense), the Montesi formula was undone by someone- I think it might have been connected to Doc Strange's brother, who had been in suspended animation as HoV again pointed out. He had revived and begun to act as a vigilante superhero (under the moniker Baron Blood- the second to take on that title), and I think that somehow undid the effects of the spell.

In any event, the old Vamp crew was back, and vampires could again exist on Marvel earth. Lilith came back (though she's evil now), Dracula came back, and King reverted to a vampire.

At some point during their series, King was merged with Frank Drake... again, not clear on how that happened or how it turned out, but the last I saw of King he was no longer merged with Drake, but still a vampire, and still hunting down other vamps.

Barendd Nobeard · Aug 27, 2004

Thanks for all the info on Hannibal King. His debut in "Tomb of Dracula" was the first issue I ever read. And the twist ending that he was a vampire really floored me (I was about 8 at the time).

If I had known they would continue these characters when ToD ended, I probably woulc have collected some of these other titles, too.