Warning: contains spoilers for Blood Hunt #4!
Summary
The entireMarvel Universeis about to undergo a shocking evolution, as Marvel confirms its darkBlood Huntevent will end with"a dramatic shift for the future of the Marvel Universe.“The story has seen a massive attack on the human world by Marvel’s vampires, led by expert vampire hunter Blade in a shocking turn to villainy. However, the consequences of the vampire apocalypse may be even worse than the attack itself.
In recently released solicit information, Marvel has confirmed that theBlood Huntevent will end with a major change to Marvel’s status quo going forward. While the summary doesn’t tell fans exactly what it will be,a recent twist inBlood Hunt #4leaves fans with a good idea of what’s about to happen.
Cover Artist:
Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia
Doctor Strange is presented with a dread bargain to gain a chance to save the world. The Avengers ride into a battle they cannot win. The dead battle the undead across the globe. Will it be enough? Will the world be saved, and how will it be changed if it is? Featuring a dramatic shift for the future of the Marvel Universe!
InBlood Hunt #4,Doctor Strange gathers together the ingredientsto dispel the Dark Force energy that’s hiding the Sun and allowing the vampire army to run wild. However, because he’s in an astral form after his own body was bitten, he’s unable to cast the spell itself. Doctor Doom agrees to perform the magic, but he has a price -if Strange wants Doctor Doom to save the world, he needs to hand over the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme. Doom’s promotion is highly likely to happen, since fans already got a glimpse of this potential future in 2023’sTimeless #1(Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly and Juann Cabal), where a glimpse at future events showed Marvel’s heroes bowing to Doom, who is holding Strange’s cloak and the Eye of Agamoto.
Doctor Doom Stole Galactus’ Mantle as the Devourer of Worlds
Doctor Doom is already a power-hungry despot, but when an alternate Victor gained the strength of Galactus, his hunger nearly destroyed his universe.
Doctor Doom Is Poised to Become the New Sorcerer Supreme
Marvel Is Promising a Huge Status Quo Change & This Fits the Bill
So far,Blood Hunthas been a breakneck story full of twists and turns, with the recent reveal that the main antagonist isn’t Blade, but ratherthe ancient demon Varnae, who is possessing the Daywalker’s body. Varnae reveals in issue four that while he created vampires, they were always meant to evolve into a higher lifeform- a dark cosmic god that feasts on all light and life. The vampires must be stopped before Varnae evolves into this supreme form. With this ticking clock in mind and the fact that Doctor Doom is the only person who was actually prepared for the vampire attack, Doctor Strange is in a truly tight corner.
Doctor Doom’s Promotion Will Make Him an Unavoidable Ally for Marvel’s Heroes
He May Also Take Over Strange’s School for Young Sorcerers
InBlood Hunt #4, Strange discovered Doom’s plan to become the Sorcerer Supreme, and was shocked to learn that as part of his gambit, Doom has gatheredthe magical students from his Strange Academy. This suggests thatif Doctor Doom becomes Sorcerer Supreme, he will not just gain unrivaled magical power but become the mentor for the next generation of magic-users. Given how often Doctor Strange is called on by other heroes, Doctor Doom becoming Sorcerer Supreme would mean not just a huge power upgrade, but a new position of grudging respect among Earth’s defenders.
Doctor Doom has long coveted the Sorcerer Supreme role - in fact,Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom competedfor the title at the same time, with Strange winning out (as seen in Roger Stern and Mike Mignola’sDoctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph & Torment.)
Of course, not everyTimelessprediction has come exactly true, and there’s unlikely to just beoneconsequence of such a big event. Other fallout is likely to include the resurrection of Marc Spector’s Moon Knight, the freeing of Khonshu from his imprisonment in Asgard, and the innocent Blade becoming public enemy number one. Fans will find out how all these events will change theMarvel UniverseasBlood Huntcomes to its blood-soaked conclusion this July.
