How the Bloodstone family became monster hunters
Marvel Comics
To understand who the Bloodstone family is in the pages of Marvel Comics, you have to start very long ago. In 8250 B.C., a hunter spied a mysterious cavern near his tribe. He entered it and encountered Ulluxy’l, an immortal, god-like guardian of the Bloodstone gem. The interdimensional being gave the hunter power and asked him to bring his tribe to the cavern so they could receive power. Sadly, the ritual failed and destroyed the hunter’s entire tribe. However, the hunter leaped onto the gem, shattering it. A portion of the gem lodged itself in the hunter’s sternum, imbuing him with immortality and vitality. Ulluxy’l became the hunter’s eternal enemy, as both sought revenge for what the other took from them.
The hunter took on the name Ulysses Bloodstone. For centuries, Ulluxy’l unleashed monsters to attack the immortal man. This paved the way for him (and his family) to become Marvel’s premier monster-hunting family. Ulysses gained power and influence through mercenary work and faced creatures like Dracula, the Mummy, alligator men, cannibals, and zombies. However, becoming the world’s best monster hunter made Ulysses incredibly ruthless. He sent his wife, Elise, to a mental institution when she interfered with his career and their daughter’s monster hunting training. He threw an infant Elsa into a battle with a Blight Beast! And a long time ago, he cast his secret daughter, Lyra, into the cosmos.
How does the series tie into the MCU?
Disney Platform Distribution
Based on the ominous ending of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and Wong’s growing role in the MCU, my money is on the special functioning an incredible platform to launch a version of the Midnight Sons, who save Stephen Strange from damnation after he uses the Darkhold. Jack Russell, Wong, Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Elsa Bloodstone, Morbius, Spider-Man, and Blade have served on this team. Elsa even battled the evil Scarlet Witch, who, let’s face it, is powerful enough in the MCU now to avoid that death by a surprise avalanche at the end of “Multiverse of Madness.” All of these characters share complicated and compelling stories about defeating the dark arts and evil monsters.
However, I don’t think we’ll see the fully formed team anytime soon. Remember, Marvel Studios geared up its Avengers team through a series of standalone films that started in 2008 and didn’t connect them all until 2012. Let’s not forget the ongoing (and incredibly confusing) timeline of Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios’ conversations about who owns the rights to Spider-Man! I think this serves more as an early who’s who guide to Elsa and Jack, with maybe some Darkhold references. Regardless, the creepy potential is there if Marvel Studios dares to dip its toes in the realms of mummies, bloodsuckers, mythic beasts, and other unimaginable horrors.
Disney Platform Distribution
By Cass Clarke/Sept. 19, 2022 5:11 pm EST
Censorship delayed Werewolf’s solo series
Marvel Comics
Then, things get complicated. A book called “Seduction of the Innocent” debuted in 1954, arguing that comics corrupted children. Afraid of how this moral crusade (there were comic book burnings!) would affect Atlas’ bottom line, Goodman and other publishers created the Comics Code Authority, an agreement to strike things like sex, monsters, queerness, and vulgarity from comics. Authority figures like cops and politicians also had to be respected. As you can imagine, these guidelines made it easier to publish superhero stories that vilified chaos agents like Loki than craft complicated tales about actual corruption. Ironically, this censorship occurred while America devasted Korea in the Forgotten War.
Things get weird again in the ’70s!
During the 1970s, CCA revisions ultimately ruled it was fine for vampires, werewolves, and creatures to appear in comics — but only if rendered classically. Why does the Werewolf we meet in 1972’s “Marvel Spotlight” #2 seem like a monologue from a Universal Horror film? How come he kills someone in every issue but we never see any bloodshed? That’s how he had to be. In the two subsequent issues, his conflict is limited to his monstrous infliction. However, the success of his stories opened the door for now-iconic Marvel characters like Ghostrider, Moon Knight, Spider-Woman, and Son of Satan.
Who is Jack Russell?
From the ’80s onward, Russell’s control over his form and incredible strength fluctuate. Sometimes, he’s more of a rampaging beast like in the “Moon Knight” series by Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz. In others, he teams up with characters like Morbius to fight a zombie outbreak as in 2009’s “Marvel Zombies” series. Regardless, Jack reminds readers a bit of the brooding Angel from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” denying what he wants (and hurting others in the process) because he can’t come to terms with who he is.
Moon Knight’s complicated history with Jack
How is Jack tied to the Darkhold?
Thanks to this dark grimoire, he’ll face off against powerful enemies like sorcerer Morgan le Fey, Braineaters, and Switchblade (a Darkhold-controlled Eric Brooks).
Allies and foes
Sony Pictures
While Jack’s werewolf side might come from a Darkhold connection, he spends most of his time fighting alongside those who don’t want its evil powers unleashed on the masses. He’s been part of several mythic-powered teams. including the Midnight Sons (Doctor Strange, Blade and the Nightstalkers, Morbius, Vengeance, and the Darkhold Redeemers) and the Legion of Monsters (Man-Thing, Morbius, and Ghost Rider).
Understandably, he’s no fan of Dracula nor the Committee, as they’re beings who abuse their powers for selfish reasons. Typically, Jack is fairly humane in how he handles the world, especially since he knows what happens when power goes unchecked. (He almost slaughtered Buck in werewolf form and his wolf side has killed heaps of humans. Yikes!)
On October 19, Marvel will release the one-shot comic “Crypt of Shadows,” an anthology told from the perspective of Doctor Strange’s vampiric brother, Victor Strange. He retells stories about Morbius, Werewolf by Night, Moon Knight, Elsa Bloodstone, Man-Thing, and Blade’s daughter, Bloodline, so I’m sure we’ll learn plenty more secrets there, too!
How the Bloodstone family became monster hunters
To understand who the Bloodstone family is in the pages of Marvel Comics, you have to start very long ago. In 8250 B.C., a hunter spied a mysterious cavern near his tribe. He entered it and encountered Ulluxy’l, an immortal, god-like guardian of the Bloodstone gem. The interdimensional being gave the hunter power and asked him to bring his tribe to the cavern so they could receive power. Sadly, the ritual failed and destroyed the hunter’s entire tribe. However, the hunter leaped onto the gem, shattering it. A portion of the gem lodged itself in the hunter’s sternum, imbuing him with immortality and vitality. Ulluxy’l became the hunter’s eternal enemy, as both sought revenge for what the other took from them.
The hunter took on the name Ulysses Bloodstone. For centuries, Ulluxy’l unleashed monsters to attack the immortal man. This paved the way for him (and his family) to become Marvel’s premier monster-hunting family. Ulysses gained power and influence through mercenary work and faced creatures like Dracula, the Mummy, alligator men, cannibals, and zombies. However, becoming the world’s best monster hunter made Ulysses incredibly ruthless. He sent his wife, Elise, to a mental institution when she interfered with his career and their daughter’s monster hunting training. He threw an infant Elsa into a battle with a Blight Beast! And a long time ago, he cast his secret daughter, Lyra, into the cosmos.
The hunter took on the name Ulysses Bloodstone. For centuries, Ulluxy’l unleashed monsters to attack the immortal man. This paved the way for him (and his family) to become Marvel’s premier monster-hunting family. Ulysses gained power and influence through mercenary work and faced creatures like Dracula, the Mummy, alligator men, cannibals, and zombies. However, becoming the world’s best monster hunter made Ulysses incredibly ruthless. He sent his wife, Elise, to a mental institution when she interfered with his career and their daughter’s monster hunting training. He threw an infant Elsa into a battle with a Blight Beast! And a long time ago, he cast his secret daughter, Lyra, into the cosmos.
What’s Elsa Bloodstone’s deal?
Why is Man-Thing in the trailer?
How does Blade fit into this?
20th Century Studios
How does the series tie into the MCU?
Based on the ominous ending of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and Wong’s growing role in the MCU, my money is on the special functioning an incredible platform to launch a version of the Midnight Sons, who save Stephen Strange from damnation after he uses the Darkhold. Jack Russell, Wong, Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Elsa Bloodstone, Morbius, Spider-Man, and Blade have served on this team. Elsa even battled the evil Scarlet Witch, who, let’s face it, is powerful enough in the MCU now to avoid that death by a surprise avalanche at the end of “Multiverse of Madness.” All of these characters share complicated and compelling stories about defeating the dark arts and evil monsters.
However, I don’t think we’ll see the fully formed team anytime soon. Remember, Marvel Studios geared up its Avengers team through a series of standalone films that started in 2008 and didn’t connect them all until 2012. Let’s not forget the ongoing (and incredibly confusing) timeline of Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios’ conversations about who owns the rights to Spider-Man! I think this serves more as an early who’s who guide to Elsa and Jack, with maybe some Darkhold references. Regardless, the creepy potential is there if Marvel Studios dares to dip its toes in the realms of mummies, bloodsuckers, mythic beasts, and other unimaginable horrors.
However, I don’t think we’ll see the fully formed team anytime soon. Remember, Marvel Studios geared up its Avengers team through a series of standalone films that started in 2008 and didn’t connect them all until 2012. Let’s not forget the ongoing (and incredibly confusing) timeline of Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios’ conversations about who owns the rights to Spider-Man! I think this serves more as an early who’s who guide to Elsa and Jack, with maybe some Darkhold references. Regardless, the creepy potential is there if Marvel Studios dares to dip its toes in the realms of mummies, bloodsuckers, mythic beasts, and other unimaginable horrors.
