Marvel has just established a new women-led team that could be the next Thunderbolts, but with a supernatural twist.
In this summer’s ongoing Blood Hunt event, the world has been made to bow before hordes of ancient vampires. As the streets of New York City run red with the blood of innocents, the Blood Hunters will be there to kill the things that go bump in the night.
The fourth issue of the anthology series Blood Hunters includes the final installment of the story “Once More Into the Darkness,” by Erica Shultz and Bernard Chang. As the group comes together to fight the vampires, they work so well as a team that they’re getting another short series later this year.
The team, consisting of Dagger, White Widow, Elsa Bloodstone, and Hallows’ Eve, has some serious staying power and could go on to become Marvel’s next Thunderbolts-styled squad. Once the Earth is safe from the legions of undead, there will be new supernatural threats to face, and one team ready to take them on.
The Blood Hunters are a New Chance of Life for Marvel’s Underappreciated
It’s Time for Marvel to let the Women Take Charge
It’s no secret that the majority of comics’ most prominent heroes and villains are men. While Marvel Comics has embraced more inclusivity in the last couple of decades, there is still plenty of room for characters, new and old, to shine in the spotlight. The Blood Hunters offer an opportunity for Marvel’s underrepresented and underappreciated to rise above their proverbial prison of side stories and guest appearances to embrace a new realm of stories all for their own. Unfortunately, the team’s current lineup has already suffered this fate, but there is hope for something better.
“They’re fun, they’re clever, and they have the combined strength to challenge even Marvel’s most macabre monstrosities.”
Dagger is usually seen next to Cloak. White Widow, while she had her own miniseries, still remains in Natasha Romanoff’s shadow. Elsa Bloodstone has always been a temporary supporting character in someone else’s story. And Hallows’ Eve is still a freshly revamped character, but one whose backstory has been defined as being Ben Reilly’s love interest. Each of these women are powerhouses who, if given the chance, could dominate as Marvel’s next morally questionable monster-hunting team. They’re fun, they’re clever, and they have the combined strength to challenge even Marvel’s most macabre monstrosities.
When the Blood Hunt is Over, There Will be More Monsters to Face
Doctor Strange and Ghost Rider Aren’t Strong Enough to Stop the Supernatural Themselves
The paranormal side of Marvel Comics is full of threats that never seem to cease. Yet, there are only so many heroes with the expertise to take them on. Fortunately, the Blood Hunters’ roster already possesses the world’s greatest monster hunter. Imbued with the immortal power of the mystical bloodstone, Elsa Bloodstone has been slaying beasts and taking names since the year 2000. Despite her profession, Elsa has an open heart for the wayward travelers and is currently good friends with Frankenstein’s Monster and a pureblood vampire lawyer.
However, Bloodstone isn’t the only member who packs a paranormal punch. Hallows’ Eve aka Janine Godbe returned to comics immediately preceding the Dark Web event. Gifted with demonic magic by Madelyne Pryor, Hallows’ Eve possesses a bottomless bag containing various masks that, when worn, imbue her with powers reflective of the mask’s appearance. Dagger also comes well-equipped with otherworldly powers; using the Lightforce, Dagger can purge toxins, diseases, and curses from the afflicted. As Marvel continues to embrace new supernatural threats moving forward, it will need new supernatural heroes to stop them.
Defeating Marvel’s Monsters May Require Questionable Morality
Dark Magic is Rarely Restricted by the Laws of Mortals
Like the many iterations of the Thunderbolts, the Blood Hunters could be the second chance some villains need to embrace their inner heroism. Yelena Belova, a master assassin and product of the Red Room’s brainwashing, has actually been a recurring support character for the Thunderbolts since 1999. Likewise, Hallows’ Eve recently plunged into villainy to support Chasm and Madelyne Pryor’s insidious cause. Fortunately, all it takes is an opportunity, a platform, and a passionate writer to transform a good villain into a great hero.
“The Blood Hunters are a solid team of women with enough power and skill to stand firmly against Marvel’s many monsters.”
