Warning: Contains spoilers for Werewolf by Night #1!Marvel has proven that one comic-accurate MCU hero romance could work. Last fall, mainstream audiences met both Jack Russell aka the Werewolf by Night and Elsa Bloodstone in a special airing on Disney+. Both characters have been staples in the comics for years, even sharing a fling once, and in Werewolf by Night #1, their paths cross again—with hints they could be lovers again.
Werewolf by Night #1 is written by Derek Landy, drawn by Fran Galan and lettered by Joe Sabino. The Werewolf has descended on a fortress in the Rocky Mountains, where his foe Doctor Nekromantic lurks. Unbeknownst to the Werewolf, Elsa Bloodstone is also on Nekromantic’s trail, seeking a young girl he abducted. Bloodstone and the Werewolf fight their way through Nekromantic’s hordes, eventually bumping into each other. Both are surprised to see the other. After a brief review of their history together, the two team up to stop Doctor Nekromantic from unleashing other-dimensional horrors upon the world. After the villain is defeated. Elsa gets to see Jack in his human form. She teases him about his new beard and long hair, saying the next time she will “bring clippers.” As the two part ways, they reflect on their lives, making it clear that despite their surface level differences, they are good for each other.
Opposites Really Do Attract Each Other
Elsa Bloodstone and the Werewolf are proof that the maxim of “opposites attract” still holds true. Jack Russell is the heir to a curse that transforms him into a werewolf; on the opposite side, Elsa Bloodstone is one of Marvel’s preeminent monster hunters. While this may seem to put them at odds, various creative teams have teased a romantic relationship between them, most notably during the recent Legion of Monsters title. Their recent paths have taken them apart, especially with Jack becoming the King of Wolves–but this issue shows there is still plenty of potential there.
Bloodstone and the Werewolf by Night Are Mismatched—Or Are They?
While this relationship was absent from the MCU’s Werewolf by Night special, this issue shows that it can work both there and in the comics. There is no denying that Elsa and the Werewolf work well together; they handedly defeat Nekromantic and his monsters. The two do not merely use brawn to fight, but also try to outthink their opponent. After Nekromantic’s defeat, Elsa and the human Jack share a moment. It is clear that, on the surface, Elsa still likes him; Jack tries to play it down, but as the two walk away at the end, it is clear he still harbors feelings for her as well.
Such a relationship could easily carry over into the MCU, should the Werewolf and Elsa Bloodstone ever return. The MCU’s Werewolf by Night ended with a truce between Jack and Elsa, and future writers could flesh their new relationship out further–maybe even bringing in their romance from the comics. A love affair between the King of Werewolves and the world’s best monster hunter would make for not a compelling story not only in the comics, but in the MCU as well.
Werewolf by Night #1 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!
