Meet Bloodline, Daughter of Blade

Known as Blade, the half-human, half-vampire Daywalker Eric Brooks is the final word on bloodsucker slaying. Although he is near-infamous for being a solo act, he's not as alone as it seems. Even broody, always-on-the-move Blade has a family to go back to: his longtime love Safron Caulder and their teenage daughter Brielle Brooks. 

Despite magical deals and years of work to ensure his kid would lead a normal life, Bri takes after her father, complete with a vampiric side of her own. Though her relationship with her father and her powers are all-new, both will be put to the test during the vampire apocalypse of BLOOD HUNT (2024). So, before she throws down in the dark with the bloodsucking masses, let's get to know Bloodline, daughter of Blade.

WHO IS BLOODLINE?

Brielle's story starts with her parents. Safron Caulder, Blade's longtime girlfriend and a regular human, first met Eric when they both lived in London. She has stuck by the Daywalker through some of his toughest times, including his death in TOMB OF DRACULA (1972) #49 by Marv Wolfman, Michele Wolfman, Gene Colan, John Costanza, and Tom Palmer as well as the defeat of his vampiric progenitor Deacon Frost in TOMB OF DRACULA (1972) #53.

As a couple, Eric and Safron have a long history, though Blade's line of work meant he usually couldn't linger for too long. Despite this, they gave their relationship a serious chance and, when Safron became pregnant with Bri, Blade even gave retirement a go.

As her parents explained in BLOODLINE: DAUGHTER OF BLADE (2023) #3 by Danny Lore, Karen S. Darboe, Cris Peter, and VC's Joe Sabino, Eric's reputation as a legendary slayer was both a blessing and a curse. Just as there were creatures that steered clear of the daywalking Avenger, nearly as many were willing to test themselves by attacking him and his loved ones. 

On top of that, in a world of magic, monsters, and mad villains, anyone truly determined to find Blade and his family surely could, especially given his notoriety. In the case of his daughter, there was the additional unknown of how Brielle's quarter-vampire powers would manifest—or if they'd even manifest at all.

BLADE'S DEAL WITH DOCTOR STRANGE

In a bid to give Bri a normal life, Blade made a deal with Doctor Strange, who performed a ritual that completely hid his daughter from the supernatural world. As a bonus, Strange's spell also kept Brielle's dhampir powers from appearing. Although it cost him his relationship with his only daughter, Blade's efforts meant Safron and Brielle could enjoy a peaceful life in their Atlanta home. 

Unfortunately, once the good Doctor died in DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE (2021) by Jed MacKay and Lee Garbett, the magic keeping Bri hidden from the vampire world came undone, her powers manifested, and her normal life ended before she even knew it. Despite her lack of skills or knowledge of the supernatural underworld, Bri committed herself to protecting her mother and her friends from the sudden onset of vampires around them—even if it meant keeping secrets.

BLOODLINE MEETS BLADE

Thankfully, in BLOODLINE: DAUGHTER OF BLADE (2023) #2, Safron called up dear old dad to reintroduce himself and teach Brielle about her powers. Blade's abilities as a half-vampire dhampir are well known and well documented; however, as possibly the only quarter-vampire in existence, Bri's powers leave a lot of room for speculation. What is known is that they only fully manifest at night, leaving Brielle completely depowered during the day. 

Despite this major caveat, Bri has fully inherited her father's vampire strength, speed, reflexes, and senses, though the power of these abilities fluctuate during sunrise and sunset. Brielle also shares her father's weakness for human blood, as the sight of it once caused her to go into a feral rage that could only be quelled by feeding, mental focus, or a shot of plasma from dad's slayer toolkit.

BLOODLINE'S TRAINING

After Blade reentered her life, Bri convinced him to train her in the "family business" of vampire hunting. They began with basic combat skills, specifically focusing on Bri's control of her powers during the times of day when they're in flux—but it was only after using those skills to deal with the cult of a Deacon Frost clone during BLOODLINE: DAUGHTER OF BLADE (2023) #5 that Bri's real training began. 

Blade clearly took his daughter's education seriously, because when the dhampir duo turned up in Brooklyn for MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN (2022) #11 by Cody Ziglar, Federica Mancin, Bryan Valenza and VC's Joe Caramagna, Brielle had levelled up in a major way. She and Blade arrived in New York to deal with an infestation of energy vampires led by R'ym'r the Insatiable One, and when Spider-Man joined them, it was clear she had gained a lot more experience since BLOODLINE: DAUGHTER OF BLADE (2023). 

Throughout the night, Bri synchronized with and supported her father like an old pro, tossing him weapons and backing him up in fights. She could hold her own against vampire hoards much easier and, most notably, really knew her stuff about dealing with different kinds of bloodsuckers—a far cry from the Bri who didn't even know what a vampire nest was.

Bri's ride-alongs with her vamp-hunting dad have clearly brought her a long way towards becoming a true slayer in a short amount of time. So, when darkness takes hold of the planet in BLOOD HUNT, she'll need to call on everything she's learned to survive Earth's final night. Even with her dad's lessons and Dracula himself in her corner, no level preparation will be enough to survive the horrors of a vampire-controlled world.

Catch Bri's team-up with Dracula in DRACULA: BLOOD HUNT #1, on sale now!

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