Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Blood Hunt #2! Black Panther is rightly considered one of the deadliest people alive in Marvel Comics, a fact that makes him a powerful ally and member of the Avengers – usually. Now, however, after receiving a dark new upgrade during the ongoing Blood Hunt event, Black Panther just went from being an invaluable asset to the Avengers, to the team’s absolute worst nightmare.

In a preview for Blood Hunt #2 by Jed MacKay and Pepe Larraz, the Earth has been consumed by a world-wide cloud of Darkforce Energy to the point where the sun is completely blocked out. This was done deliberately by the Bloodcoven, so that vampires could rise up and take control of the entire planet. And the man who is leading this dark revolution is none other than the former vampire hunter himself, Blade.

In the previous issue, Blade tricked the Avengers into allowing his Bloodcoven aboard their secret base, Impossible City, at which point the super-vampires easily took down Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and won the day for their master. However, Blade didn’t stop at incapacitating the Avengers, as he quickly progressed to turning them into vampires themselves – and the first on his list was Black Panther.

Blade Turned Black Panther Into His Vampire Minion for 1 Dark Purpose

While Black Panther certainly isn’t the first hero in Marvel Comics canon to become a vampire, his condition is a bit worse than those of others in the past. T’Challa is bound to Blade, and must obey every command given to him by his new vampiric master. This means that Black Panther has become Blade’s own personal minion, and Blade doesn’t waste any time putting his skills to use for one dark purpose: finding Blade’s daughter, Brielle Brooks aka Bloodline.

As shown in this preview, Bloodline is currently in New York City fighting vampires and saving the lives of countless innocents. Like her father before her, Bloodline is an expert vampire slayer, making her one of the greatest assets humanity has at the moment. However, Black Panther has become a super-vampire, as his pre-existing superhuman abilities have only been heightened after he was turned. In other words, Bloodline is in for the fight of her life, and only time will tell if she has what it takes to defeat an immensely deadlier version of the deadliest man alive.

No Hero is Safe Now That Black Panther is a Blood-Thirsty Vampire

While Bloodline is currently Black Panther’s prime target, she’s far from the only hero fighting vampires at the moment. The likes of Spider-Man, Venom, Wolverine, and the Fantastic Four are all neck-deep in this war against the undead, and Black Panther is a grave danger to every one of them. Without vampiric enhancement, Black Panther is an expert hunter and fighter, his agility is neigh-unparalleled, he’s highly intelligent, and he’s incredibly resourceful. Now, with a vampire upgrade and an unrelenting sense of duty to his supernatural master, Black Panther is more dangerous than ever – and no hero is safe.

Perhaps the most frightening part of Black Panther being turned into a mindless vampiric minion controlled by the now-villainous Blade isn’t his own level of deadliness – though that is utterly terrifying – but it’s the idea that T’Challa is just the first of many. If someone as mentally and physically powerful as Black Panther can fall under Blade’s vampiric spell, then any of the other aforementioned heroes can. Black Panther is a living pillar of what awaits all of Marvel’s heroes if Blade isn’t stopped, and that, along with his well-noted deadliness, makes him the Avengers’ worst nightmare.

Blood Hunt #2 by Marvel Comics is available May 22, 2024.