Blade is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciler Gene Colan, the character first appeared in The Tomb of Dracula #10 in July 1973. Blade is a dhampir, a human with vampire strengths but not their weaknesses, who dedicates his life to hunting and destroying all vampires. His mother was bitten by a vampire during childbirth, passing on immunity to vampire bites and a prolonged lifespan.
The character was initially a supporting figure in the horror-themed The Tomb of Dracula series, where he was depicted as a tough-talking human vampire hunter relying on wooden stakes and sheer determination. Over the decades, Blade's origin was retconned to make him a daywalker—a dhampir with all the powers of a vampire and none of their fatal weaknesses, such as sunlight and silver. This transformation, largely developed in the 1990s, redefined him as a more formidable and supernatural antihero.
Blade's visual signature—a long black leather trench coat, sunglasses, and an arsenal of edged weapons—became iconic during the 1990s, particularly through his solo series and appearances in titles like Ghost Rider and Nightstalkers. His stories blend superhero action with gothic horror, exploring themes of identity, vengeance, and the thin line between humanity and monstrosity. As one of Marvel's most prominent Black superheroes, Blade holds a significant place in comic book history and paved the way for darker, more mature superhero narratives in other media.
