Blood Hunt

Things are bad, I know. Like all of you, we've been fighting the Vampires since the Sun went out. Like all of you, we've been hurt, been bled, have lost. But we've been here before. And we're still here. This world has seen evil, time and time again. Aliens. Monsters. Tyrants. Madmen. Those who would take our homes, our freedom, our lives. And every time, we, the people of planet Earth, told them: "No." When the Cotati came here, we told them, "No." When Knull came here, we told him, "No." When Hydra took over, we told them, "No." When Galactus came here? "No." If you want our home, you'll have to fight for it. If you want our world, you'll have to take it. If you want our blood, you'll have to pay for every drop. And if you take our lives...we will be avenged. We will avenge the dead. We will protect the living. Because those are the things we owe you when we call ourselves Avengers. Things are bad. But as long as we have breath in our lungs, as long as we have hope in our hearts, we will tell the vampires the same thing we told all the others: "No." We're still here. And we'll win, like we won all those times before. Just hold on until the sun shines again. Because it will.

—Captain America (Sam Wilson)^[src]

Synopsis

The Darkforce Dimension empties onto Earth blocking out the Sun. Scarlet Witch and Iron Man determine that Blackout, Cloak, Darkstar, Dusk, and Silhouette have become portals to the Darkforce Dimension. Elsewhere, Tigra and Hunter's Moon see Shroud in a similar condition. Tigra notes that this incident is expanding across the world before vampires descend. Attacks occur across the world with Doctor Doom having Latveria's borders fortified. Blade contacts the Avengers stating that he has the information and to meet up at specific coordinates. Unfortunately, the Avengers are ambushed by Bloodstorm One (a Hydra clone of Dracula in a new body), Megrim, Cruel, Unusual, Damascene, and Smoke Eater who emerge from Blade's truck and then face off with the Avengers. The Avengers are overwhelmed by the Bloodcoven as Impossible City ends up compromised. Though Black Panther sacrifices himself to have the rest of the remaining Avengers evacuated. Doctor Strange and Clea are also attempting end these attacks. Blade identifies their spell as one that ends all vampires but it requires the Darkhold. Blade states that the vampires have become organized under the Structure which caused the global uprising. The Avengers were defeated by Bloodcoven, an ultra-vampire kill squad that fed on superhuman blood. When Strange asks if Dracula is the leader of the Structure, Blade stabs Strange and states that he is the one who's leading it.^[3]

At Impossible City, Thor and Scarlet Witch have been restrained while Black Panther has been turned into a vampire. Blade dispatches him and the Bloodcoven to Earth where Bloodcoven will find "the girl". In New York City, after saving some people, Bloodline and Dracula are confronted by Bloodcoven. Meanwhile, Hunter's Moon and Tigra are fighting vampires while determining they must find Strange. Miles Morales shows up commenting that he is also going to see Strange. Upon arrival, they are greeted by Strange's astral form as his body has been turned into a vampire. Captain Marvel, Captain America (Falcon), Iron, and Vision show up for a second round with Bloodcoven. Captain Marvel attacks Bloodstorm One as Vision flies through the Darkforce to expose Megrim to some sunlight. Vision returns with enough solar energy to repel the Bloodcoven forcing their retreat. As Captain Marvel tells Captain America that they'll retake Impossible City, Bloodline tells Iron Man that they need to get to Greenwich Village. Upon arrival at the Sanctum Sanctorum, Dracula, Bloodline, and the Avengers meet with Strange's astral form, Hunter's Moon, Miles Morales, and Tigra. Bloodline states she can't find her dad. Miles suddenly turns into a vampire.^[4]

At Impossible City, Blade is told by Black Panther that the item he's looking for is buried deep beneath Wakanda. A trapped Scarlet Witch congratulates Blade for getting everything he wants and noting that one of his Bloodcoven hasn't returned. She then states that the Avengers' eyes are now opened. At the Sanctum Sanctorum, a vampiric Miles Morales attacks only for Vision to subdue him and Doctor Strange's astral form and Clea to restore his mind to normal. Upon finding out what happened to him, Miles learns from Doctor Strange's astral form that Blade did the same thing to his body. When Bloodline informs them what she knows and asks who is responsible, Dracula informs her Bloodline that her father Blade is responsible which surprises her. He states that Blade broke the Avengers, unleashed the Blood Hunt on her, and that she must be ready to strike him down. When Bloodline runs off, Dracula and Miles Morales go after her. Tigra states that the Midnight Mission will put together an army that can't be killed or turned while the Avengers prepare for Round 2 against the Bloodcoven. Captain America then does a broadcast that is seen in Halifax, Impossible City, Manhattan, Mexico City, Asgard, Latveria, Wakanda, stating that they have fought worst opponents that tried to take over Earth before and will tell the vampires that they can't have it. After the broadcast, Captain America (Falcon) states to Iron Man that it was the same speech Black Panther did. Blade then orders Black Panther to re-target the Mass-Translocation Drives where it manifests over Central Park and summons Atlantis' Temple of the First Blasphemy from it's underwater resting place in Wakanda.^[5]

Following the Temple of the First Blasphemy's arrival in New York City, Doctor Strange's astral form and Clea visit Doctor Doom in Doomstadt, Latveria as he starts to talk to Doctor Strange's astral form who noted that they should've visited him first. At the Temple of the First Blasphemy, Black Panther meets up with Blade and the Bloodcoven. When Black Panther asks Blade if he isn't blade, it is then revealed that Blade is actually possessed by Varnae. Back in Doomstadt, Doctor Doom informs Doctor Strange's astral form and Clea about Varnae and how Marie Laveau had prepared Blade to become Varnae's host. When Doctor Strange's astral form mentions that there are no vampires in Latveria, Doctor Doom mentioned that he took precautions in case of a vampire invasion as well as a precaution regarding the Darkforce when Doctor Strange's astral form brings it up. To bring the Sun back, they will need a lot of mages and magical creatures. Doctor Doom took care of one of the requirements by enlisting the Strange Academy students. To enact the next step, Doctor Doom is asking to be given the title of Sorcerer Supreme. In Asgard, Hunter's Moon and Tigra talk about how they would get the Aesir on their side when word of Thor's defeat reaches Asgard. They arrive outside a cell where they are revealed to have brought Wrecker with them to open it. At the Temple of the First Blasphemy, the Varnae-possessed Blade tells Black Panther that he has the power of a god and the living Darkhold in his possession which he needs to complete his ritual. Varnae states that the vampire is his pupal form as he calls the Darkforce to him. Just then, everyone sees a glowing light appear in the sky as the Fists of Khonshu led by a resurrected Moon Knight arrive thanks to the powers of Khonshu. Black Panther reveals that the heart-shaped herb has been healing him bit by bit as he frees Thor. The rest of the Avengers show up as Varnae dares them to face the Unliving Darkforce.^[6]