Marvel Comics has inadvertently leaked the identity of writer Al Ewing’s mystery member of his “Mighty Avengers” team. Ewing’s script for “Mighty Avengers” #1, posted online with the intent of helping to create portfolio review sample art for Festo Comic Con reveals the full identity of the character in the Spider Hero costume as Blade, Marvel’s resident vampire hunter, reports Bleeding Edge.
Debuting in the series as a silhouette figure during a conversation with Monica Rambeau, according to the script, Blade’s appearance in “Mighty Avengers” may signal the resurgence of vampires in the Marvel Universe.
There’s a silhouette in the doorway, leaning out — BLADE’S. The reason I want to do it this way is so as not to let the readers know who this is until further down the line. So we hide Blade’s identity this way, and tell it in Monica’s reaction — he’s someone she knows or has heard of, and she’s a little surprised to see him here, but she knows what it means if he shows up: vampires. Blade explains that he needs her help.
Just in case there was any doubt that Blade is the one in the Spider Hero suit, the script goes on to confirm the character’s identity during his first appearance as Spider-Hero.
Enter Blade, in the SPIDER HERO suit. This is basically a spandex, old-style spider-man costume, in a hideous combination of neon pink and neon green with SPIDER HERO written across the chest in place of the spider logo. It’s incredibly cheap looking. He’s going to be wearing this at least until issue #4, when probably he’ll change into the Ronin outfit.
The last time Blade held a significant role in the Marvel U was during Victor Gischler’s debut arc of “X-Men” in 2010 for his “Curse of the Mutants” storyline involving vampires and Dracula. The character most recently appeared in Marvel NOW! in a cameo appearance in “X-Men Legacy” #13 as a part of MI-13. Time will tell what kind of plans Ewing has in store for the character.
