Blade (Marvel animated universe)

Blade appeared in the Spider-Man animated series episode "Neogenic Nightmare: Chapter 9: Blade the Vampire Hunter" voiced by J. D. Hall. He was shown in a costume based on his appearance in the Nightstalkers comic book series. This episode also introduced Whistler, a character (who would later be introduced into the New Line Cinema movies) not previously seen in the Blade mythos. Here Blade hunts Morbius, and in this version of his origin, he was the son of a vampire man and a human woman, whose mother left him in foster care after she was bitten by a vampire. Blade and Morbius both also appear in the following episode, "The Immortal Vampire". Blade is also shown to have a slight love interest in Terri Lee, a detective who frequently works with Spider-Man, though he usually abandons this out of his need for the hunt. In "Partners in Danger, Chapter 7: The Vampire Queen", Blade hunts the Vampire Queen, who he then learns is his mother. Blade made his final appearance in the show in the season five episode "Secret Wars, Chapter 2: Gauntlet of the Red Skull", where he teams with Morbius and the Black Cat against the Vampire Queen.

Morbius, the Living Vampire
Morbius appeared in Spider-Man: The Animated Series in the 1990s, played by Nick Jameson. Morbius first appeared in his human form in "The Insidious Six" (Season #2, episode 1) and the episode that followed his debut, Battle of the Insidious Six. In these episodes, he has a romance with Felicia Hardy (the Black Cat in the future). In the episode entitled "Morbius", he stole a vial of Peter Parker's blood in the belief this was part of Parker's entry in a science competition they were both competing in. While examining the blood in his laboratory, one of the vampire bats he was experimenting on escaped, and began to lap it up. When Morbius tried to scare the bat away, it bit him. The bite infected him with Parker's irradiated blood, transforming him into a living vampire.

He appeared as a villain in the following four episodes: Enter the Punisher, Duel of the Hunters, Blade the Vampire Hunter, and The Immortal Vampire. At the end of The Immortal Vampire Felicia manages to appeal to Morbius' humanity and Morbius redeems himself at the end of this episode. Later Morbius appears in the episodes "The Awakening" and "The Vampire Queen" in Season #4. At the end of "The Vampire Queen", Morbius joins forces with vampire hunter Blade and Black Cat to stop Blade's evil mother, Mirium. Morbius made a cameo at the beginning and end of the second episode of the animated version of "Secret Wars," along with Blade, who were not only concerned about stopping Mirium but curious where Black Cat went (she was transported from Earth to the Secret Wars planet to fight alongside Spider-Man). That was the last appearance of Morbius in the show.

Fundamental changes were enforced upon his depiction by Fox, who imposed a heavy level of censorship on the series. These changes include being unable to bite anyone, despite having fangs and clearly being a vampire. Instead he was rendered with suckers on his palms to drain his victims, similar to another "Living Vampire" from the Marvel Universe, Bloodscream. The word 'blood' was not allowed to be used in any capacity, and was replaced with 'plasma'.

Abraham Whistler
Abraham Whistler is a vampire hunter and mentor to Blade. Screenwriter David S. Goyer used him for the 1998 film Blade (played by Kris Kristofferson), but he first appeared on screen in Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and was voiced by Malcolm McDowell.

Episodes

 * "Blade the Vampire Hunter"
 * "The Immortal Vampire"
 * "The Vampire Queen"