Marvel’s coolest UK hero is diving into the Avengers‘ vampire-infested Blood Hunt event, as Union Jack makes his blood-soaked return. A rare working-class superhero, Joey Chapman is the latest in a line of heroes stretching back to World War I. Debuting in 1976 as an ally of Captain America, Union Jack is one of Marvel’s most committed vampire hunters, with a tragic link to the classic blood-sucking villain Baron Blood.
Now – as Marvel’s vampires rise up to attack the Earth in Blood Hunt – Union Jack will star in his own three-issue spin-off series, Union Jack the Ripper: Blood Hunt. Coming from Cavan Scott and Kev Walker, the story promises that Chapman will have an arsenal of weapons, taking on the vampires in a way “that would make the Punisher envious.” Union Jack will be taking on a vampire leader known only as the Hunger, wielding grenades, a medieval longsword, and his iconic Webley pistol, which has been modified to fire silver bullets.
UNION JACK THE RIPPER: BLOOD HUNT #1 (OF 3) | |
|---|---|
 | |
Release Date: | May 15, 2024 |
Writer: | Cavan Scott |
Artists: | Kev Walker |
Cover Artist: | Ryan Brown |
Vampires have inherited the Earth, and one lone man has made it his mission to protect it. But what does Joey Chapman have up his sleeves? And will it be enough? And who will Union Jack have to face to keep London from falling? | |
Previously starring in self-titled solo series in 1998 and 2006 – and most recently as the leader of a team of reformed UK supervillains called the Union – Jack is often seen as an ally of Captain America whenever Steve Rogers finds himself in the UK. In Marvel lore, the UK is a particular target for vampiric attacks, with 2008’s Captain Britain and MI13 depicting an all-out war between the country’s heroes and Dracula. It therefore makes sense that Jack would get his own Blood Hunt spin-off, as Marvel’s vampires attack like never before. Speaking about the project, Scott says:
It’s going to be more brutal than anything we’ve seen from Union Jack as his methods shift to match the ferocity of an empowered enemy. Working with Kev Walker on this book is a dream, as we both embrace our love of horror in every panel. But it’s not going to just be a gorefest for all involved. The miniseries will be asking some big, heartfelt questions appropriate for a character who wears his country’s flag on his chest. What does that mean when everything you believe in is turned on its head, when everything you’ve always taken for granted shifts beneath your feet?
T’Challa the Vampire: Black Panther Gets a Terrifying New Form as He Uncovers Wakanda’s Secret History
Marvel reveals that Black Panther: Blood Hunt will see T’Challa as a vampire, fighting between his urge to protect Wakanda and his new bloodthirst.
Marvel’s Blood Hunt Event Is a Gory Avengers vs Vampires War
Marvel Will Be Releasing Adults-Only Editions of the Series
Marvel’s Blood Hunt is coming in May, and will see the Avengers face off against a vampire uprising. The series is notable for Marvel’s plans to release two versions of each mainline issue – one regular issue and an R-rated version of the issue with mature violence too explicit for younger readers. Walker suggests that this spirit of blood-soaked violence will also influence Union Jack the Ripper, saying:
There’s a couple of firsts here for me. I haven’t done anything this dark, either emotionally or figuratively, before. Most of the horror I’ve done before (MARVEL ZOMBIES 3 and MARVEL ZOMBIES 4) has come with large doses of humor in the mix. Any humor here is definitely black. It’s also the first time I’ve actually had the chance to draw something set in my part of the world. Since I live in the North of England (the opposite side of the Pennines, but near enough), it actually feels more personal. This story is also pretty blunt and brutal, like something I might have drawn at the beginning of my career in comics, so it’ll be interesting to see if I’ve mellowed over the last 35 years.
Recently in Marvel lore, Dracula has established his own nation of vampires in the area around Chernobyl. While iconic vampire hunter Blade (another Marvel hero originally from the UK) agreed to act as the Vampire Nation’s sheriff to keep an eye on the blood-suckers, his attention has recently been pulled in a new direction by the threat of the otherworldly Adana. Sadly, it seems his suspicions of a larger vampire plot will be proved correct as Blood Hunt descends on the Marvel Universe. Alongside the Avengers, the series promises a particular focus on Spider-Man, Tigra, Doctor Strange, Moon Knight’s brother Hunter’s Moon, and Blade himself.
Union Jack Is the Perfect Choice for Marvel’s Blood Hunt Event
The Hero Has a Long History of Slaying Vampires
Possessing no superhuman powers, Union Jack is a patriotic hero who – like Captain America – often clashes with his own country’s power structure and has a history of taking down corrupt agents of the state. However, his most frequent villains are Britain’s vampires, and especially Baron Blood. This title has been held by several Marvel vampires, but most personally belongs to Kenneth Crichton – a close friend of Joey’s who was meant to become Union Jack but instead chose to pass on the mantle to Chapman. Union Jack also has an on/off romance with Spitfire – a super-fast heroic vampire who has defied Dracula and Brother Blood at every turn.
Despite his relative obscurity, the Union Jack name may be familiar to movie fans, especially given years of rumors that he’ll appear in the film canon. While Union Jack doesn’t yet exist in the MCU, his original civilian identity and family do. Captain America: The First Avenger included James Montgomery Falsworth (played by JJ Feild) – the original comic Union Jack – while Secret Invasion included his descendant Sonya Falsworth (played by Olivia Colman.) If Blood Hunt gets a movie or TV adaptation down the line, it could finally be Union Jack’s chance for live-action fame.
“Everything Is Planned”: Secret Invasion Stars Discuss The Comic History Of The Falsworth Name
Exclusive: Secret Invasion stars Olivia Colman and Samuel L. Jackson discuss the Marvel Comics history of Falsworth and the planning of Marvel.
Union Jack’s Fellow Heroes Wouldn’t Approve of His New Codename
Jack the Ripper Is a Sensitive Subject for Marvel’s UK Heroes
While fans around the world will be excited to see Union Jack back in his own blood-splattered series, his new nickname may raise some eyebrows in his home country. ‘Union Jack the Ripper’ references the real-life serial killer active in London’s Whitechapel district during the late 1800s. Depictions of Jack the Ripper are often accused of sensationalizing and even celebrating a real killer, especially in the context of the respect shown towards his victims.
This concept was explored in 2006’s Wisdom (from Paul Cornell and Trevor Hairsine), which followed the mutant hero Pete Wisdom – a frequent ally of Union Jack (as well as the X-Men.) The series’ main villain is an obsessed Jack the Ripper tour guide who summons various versions of the killer to London, with Wisdom #5‘s cover depicting the titular hero beating up the ‘Ripperologist’ on the backdrop of the Union Jack flag – a clear show of disdain for those who valorize the killer’s ‘mythology.’ Wisdom and his allies certainly wouldn’t approve of Chapman going by the name of the killer, and it will be interesting to see how this decision is treated in-world.
Blood Hunt Is the Major Story Union Jack Deserves
This Avengers-Adjacent Story Could Vastly Increase Union Jack’s Fandom
Joey Chapman rarely gets the attention he deserves as a powerless, Batman-style hero without anything like Bruce Wayne’s resources. A natural leader and incredibly capable fighter, Union Jack has accomplished some major feats, but it certainly seems that Blood Hunt will test him like never before. Union Jack is returning to Marvel Comics with Blood Hunt – a story that will offer the underrated character a new lease on life alongside the Avengers, turning him into a major player in the fate of humanity.
Union Jack the Ripper: Blood Hunt #1 is coming May 15 from Marvel Comics.
