Summary
Warning: Contains spoilers forX-Men: Blood Hunt - Laura Kinney the Wolverine #1
TheBlood Huntcrossover event has scaled upMarvel’svampire threat to a previously unseen degree – including making Marvel’s blood-drinkers the perfect enemies for theX-Men. As if covering the world in darkness and unleashing tens of thousands of undead wasn’t enough, the blood drinkers just discovered extra perks that come with making a meal out of mutantkind.
X-Men: Blood Hunt –Laura Kinney the Wolverine#1reveals that by consuming mutant blood, vampires gain extra abilities that seem to line up with their victims.The issue kicks offwithLaura, as Wolverine, rescuing her little sister, Gabby Kinney, from a hospital. Gabby hurriedly tells her that vampires are bleeding mutants for food and that they’ve taken her blood, too.
This major change to Marvel’s vampire lore radically reshapes them into uniquely dangerous antagonists for Marvel’s mutant population, something that will have repercussions even afterBlood Huntis over.
Marvel’s Blood Hunt Pits Psylocke Against Monsters Way Worse Than Vampires
As darkness descends on Japan, Kwannon is left to grapple with something far more disturbing than blood drinkers, when monsters from folklore emerge.
Marvel Reveals That Feeding Mutants Gives Vampires A Taste Of Their Powers
X-Men: Blood Hunt - Laura Kinney the Wolverine#1 – Written By Stephanie Phillips; Art By Robert Gill, Nolan Woodard, & Travis Lanham
Marvel’s vampires will no doubt capitalize on their discovery, setting them up to be enemies for all mutantkind – a terrifying idea that could “bleed” into the MCU.
Gabby’s story is enough to convince Laura to go on a rescue mission, though it later turns out that it was all a cover forrescuing Dracula’s son, Xarus, from being a guinea pig for the vampires to test the effects of consuming mutant blood. During a fight in the issue, Xarus displays red energy blasts, while other vampires display Gabby’s healing factor, proving thatvampires can gain mutant abilities from blood, making them poised to become horrifying villains for the X-Men.
There are millions of mutants in the world, and it was inevitable that they’d become targets for the vampires – but this reveal changes everything.The X-Men are well-trained to fight back; that said, noteveryone with an X-Genecan put up that kind of defense. Safety concerns about mutant blood kept the vampires at bay, but using Xarus as a test subject put that idea to rest. Mutants are safe to drink, and powers evidently flow with their blood. Marvel’s vampires will no doubt capitalize on their discovery, setting them up to be enemies for all mutantkind – a terrifying idea that could “bleed” into the MCU.
This Lore Change Makes Vampires A Long-Term Threat To The X-Men
And The Marvel Universe At Large
The active vampires have already failed to fight the dark impulses that come with their curse, and they may not have the kind of willpower it takes to handle mutant abilities.
InBlood Hunt–Laura Kinney, Xarus didn’t express how much blood he consumed, or how many victims it was taken from, so there are still plenty of questions about how the process works. A single drop of mutant blood could grant abilities or it could require a great deal more.Gabby Kinney’s healing abilityseemed to transfer directly, but there’s no proof yet that vampires receive the exact powers as their mutant victims. For now, the knowledge that mutant blood gives them a boost is unsettling enough, and it means the X-Men could have a serious threat on their hands.
Controlling mutant abilities is notoriously difficult.Many X-Men have tragic storiescentered around their first display of power, and they spend years learning to harness their abilities. Xarus seemingly had no way to reign in the blasts he developed, and that could only be the beginning. The active vampires have already failed to fight the dark impulses that come with their curse, and they may not have the kind of willpower it takes to handle mutant abilities.The news that mutant blood gives vampires extra powers puts theX-Menin danger, but they won’t be the only ones.
X-Men: Blood Hunt - Laura Kinney the Wolverine#1is available now from Marvel Comics.
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
