The Blood Brothers are a
supervillain duo appearing in
American comic books published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
.
Publication history
The Blood Brothers first appeared in ''
Iron Man'' #55 (Feb. 1973) and were created by
Jim Starlin
James P. Starlin (born October 9, 1949) is an American comics artist and writer. Beginning his career in the early 1970s, he is best known for space opera stories, for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock, an ...
.
Following their debut, the Blood Brothers returned in a Starlin/Friedrich story in ''
Marvel Feature
''Marvel Feature'' was a comic book showcase series published by Marvel Comics in the 1970s. It was a tryout book, intended to test the popularity of characters and concepts being considered for their own series. The first volume led to the launc ...
'' #12 (Nov. 1973), again fighting the
superhero Iron Man, here teamed with
Fantastic Four member
The Thing. The Blood Brothers continued as Iron Man antagonists in ''
Iron Man'' #88-89 (Aug.-Oct. 1976), then disappeared from publication for several years before resurfacing to battle the titular superhero team in ''
The Avengers'' #252-253 (Feb.-March 1985). Following appearances in ''
Quasar'' #12 (July 1990), and ''
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to lo ...
'' vol. 2, #107 (Dec. 2000), they temporarily switched alliances to aid Earth's superheroes against a common threat in the three-issue miniseries ''Maximum Security'' (Dec. 2000-Jan. 2001; first two issues released same month). They were next seen as interplanetary prison escapees on Earth in the four-issue miniseries ''
Drax the Destroyer
Drax the Destroyer (Arthur Douglas) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 (February 1973).
The character's ...
'' #1-4 (Nov. 2005-Feb. 2006), where one Blood Brother died.
They are unrelated to the high-tech
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
gang the "Blood Brothers", seen in ''
X-51'' #10-12 (May–July 2000).
Fictional character biography
The Blood Brothers are large twin ape-like aliens called Roclites originally in the service of the mad Titan
Thanos
Thanos is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, and first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 ( cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Deviant w ...
, acting as the guardians of his first base on Earth. When
Iron Man receives a mental signal sent by an imprisoned
Drax the Destroyer
Drax the Destroyer (Arthur Douglas) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 (February 1973).
The character's ...
, he becomes a target for the Blood Brothers, who ambush him and take him to Thanos' base where Drax is being held. When the two heroes overpower the brothers, Thanos detonates an explosion, forcing the heroes to flee, leaving the Blood Brothers behind. When Thanos later obtains the
Cosmic Cube
The Cosmic Cube is a fictional object appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. There are multiple Cubes in the Marvel Universe, all of which are depicted as containment devices that can empower whoever wields them. Although th ...
, Iron Man returns to Thanos' base to search for him, and is taken by surprise by the Blood Brothers, who are still alive, and remain loyal to Thanos. They attempt to kill Iron Man, but he and the
Thing
Thing or The Thing may refer to:
Philosophy
* An object
* Broadly, an entity
* Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant
* Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuse ...
, who saw Iron Man's flight overhead and followed him to the base, overpower the Blood Brothers. With the henchmen defeated a second time, Thanos teleports the Blood Brothers to an unrevealed location.
They reappear years later in the service of the villain the
Controller
Controller may refer to:
Occupations
* Controller or financial controller, or in government accounting comptroller, a senior accounting position
* Controller, someone who performs agent handling in espionage
* Air traffic controller, a person ...
, and battle Iron Man once more. Iron Man defeats them both with the aid of the hero
Daredevil. Sometime later, the United States military discovers Thanos' old Earth base in
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
and, after activating some of the machinery, accidentally teleports in the Blood Brothers. The two battle the
Avengers and are eventually depowered by Thanos' brother,
Eros
In Greek mythology, Eros (, ; grc, Ἔρως, Érōs, Love, Desire) is the Greek god of love and sex. His Roman counterpart was Cupid ("desire").''Larousse Desk Reference Encyclopedia'', The Book People, Haydock, 1995, p. 215. In the ear ...
.
The Blood Brothers are imprisoned, but are later released by the hero
Quasar and left on the planet Mars. They later attempt to stop
Rogue of the
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to lo ...
from rescuing a
mutant
In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It ...
extraterrestrial of the
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They originated fro ...
race. The brothers later fight alongside Earth's metahumans against an invasion by
Ego the Living Planet
Ego the Living Planet is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in ''Thor'' #132 (September 1966) and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby.
The character ha ...
, but are later imprisoned with alien criminals
Paibok the Power Skrull and
Lunatik
Lunatik is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
Lunatik first appeared in ''Defenders'' #51 (September 1977), though a later retcon identifies him as an incarnation of Arisen T ...
. The pair eventually escape and crash-land on Earth. They help enslave a small Alaskan town in an attempt to craft a space-worthy ship. This fails, due to the intervention of Drax the Destroyer, where one brother is apparently killed. The second brother, however survives, and is later seen escaping the Raft, a floating prison for supervillains.
The surviving Blood Brother later joins the
Hood
Hood may refer to:
Covering
Apparel
* Hood (headgear), type of head covering
** Article of academic dress
** Bondage hood, sex toy
* Hoodie, hooded sweatshirt
Anatomy
* Clitoral hood, a hood of skin surrounding the clitoris
* Hood, a flap of ...
and his criminal empire, and helps fight the alien shape-shifting race the
Skrulls during the
Skrull invasion of Earth. He joins with the Hood's gang in an attack on the New Avengers, who were expecting the
Dark Avengers
''Dark Avengers'' is a 2009–2013 American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is part of a series of titles that features various iterations of the superhero team the Avengers, with this version of the team - unbeknownst to the pu ...
instead. When
Jonas Harrow, one of the many members of Hood's syndicate, develops a power drainer, the surviving Brother is part of the splinter group that forms and rebels against Norman Osborn's power structure. Most of this confrontation takes place in New York City's Times Square. This ends when Harrow is killed by the Hood.
Once again under command of Norman Osborn, the Blood Brother is part of the many villainous forces sent in as part of
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...
of
Asgard
In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr'' ; "enclosure of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in a multitude of Old Norse sagas and mythological texts. It is described as the fortified home of the Æsir ...
, a plan which ends with the sibling's severe wounding.
In the crossover series ''
The Black Vortex
"The Black Vortex" is a 2015 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics involving the All New X-Men and the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Plot
Prologue
Star-Lord (Peter Quill) tries to avoid the Slaughter Lords and those hunting him for a boun ...
'', the Blood Brother is shown to be wasting away without his brother's life force to sustain him.
Mister Knife exposes him to the titular artefact, which transforms him into a new, more powerful form (which Knife christens Brother Blood), and inducts him into his Slaughter Lords, alongside other beings who have been exposed to the Vortex's energies.
During the ''
Avengers: Standoff!'' storyline, the Blood Brothers were inmates of Pleasant Hill, a gated community established by S.H.I.E.L.D. They attempt to kill S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Avril Kincaid at Pleasant Hill's Day Care Center only to be defeated by Sam Wilson, the current
Captain America, and
Winter Soldier.
The Blood Brothers later appear as members of the
Grandmaster's Lethal Legion
The Lethal Legion is the name of seven teams of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
The first version of the Lethal Legion appeared in '' The Avengers'' #78 (Jul. 1970).
The secon ...
, where they compete against the
Challenger's Black Order in a contest where Earth is the battlefield.
Powers and abilities
Each Blood Brother's tremendous strength and durability is dependent on his proximity to his twin. When standing together, the two have a high degree of superhuman strength, but if separated weaken to below even normal human levels. The Brothers also drain the blood of victims in the manner of a
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deat ...
, although it is unclear as to whether they totally rely on blood for sustenance.
In other media
Television
* The Blood Brothers appear in ''
Avengers Assemble'', voiced by
David Kaye and by
Liam O'Brien. In the episode "Hulked Out Heroes", they ambush the
Hulk at the top of
Avengers Tower until
Captain America,
Falcon
Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene.
Adult falcons ...
,
Hawkeye and
Iron Man arrive. When the Blood Brothers have Hulk pinned down, they attach
MODOK
MODOK (also written as M.O.D.O.K.; an acronym for Mental/Mobile/Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first MODOK is George Tarleton, a former e ...
's device to Hulk's back that siphons Hulk's gamma energy, causing the Avengers to be infected with an unstable gamma energy virus. The Blood Brothers contact
Iron Skull to tell them that their mission was a success. Red Skull cuts off the call from the Blood Brothers when they start to ask about payment.
* The Blood Brothers appear in ''
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Guardians of the Galaxy is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
It may more specifically refer to:
Comic book teams
* Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), the original 31st-century team fr ...
'', both voiced by
Kevin Michael Richardson. This version can join and split apart into one body and both of them can feel each other's pain. In the episode "Lyin' Eyes", the Blood Brothers were first encountered in their single body as a
bouncer
A bouncer (also known as a doorman or door supervisor) is a type of security guard, employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs, cabaret clubs, stripclubs, casinos, hotels, billiard halls, restaurants, sporting events, schools, concerts, or ...
for a crooked auction house on
Knowhere
Knowhere (pronounced "no where") is a fictional location appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, and related media. It is depicted as the enormous severed head of an ancient celestial being, which serves as an interdimension ...
. When
Drax the Destroyer
Drax the Destroyer (Arthur Douglas) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 (February 1973).
The character's ...
and
Rocket Raccoon
Rocket Raccoon is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Keith Giffen, the character first appeared in ''Marvel Preview'' #7 (Summer 1976). He is an intelligent ...
try to get into the auction house under aliases, the Blood Brothers checked the list which told them to terminate on sight. Upon splitting apart, the Blood Brothers fought Drax the Destroyer and Rocket Raccoon where the two took advantage of the Blood Brothers' weakness to defeat them. Upon Drax the Destroyer and Rocket Raccoon being defeated by
Mantis
Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They ha ...
and Ebony Maw of the
Black Order in the sinus cavity of Knowhere, the two had the Blood Brothers drop Drax the Destroyer and Rocket Raccoon on another planet. Once there, the Blood Brothers threw Drax the Destroyer and Rocket Raccoon into the quicksand. Before leaving the planet, the Blood Brothers told them not to struggle in the quicksand.
Video games
* The Blood Brothers appear as a boss in ''
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
''Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy'' is a 2021 action-adventure game developed by Eidos-Montréal and published by Square Enix's Square Enix Europe, European subsidiary. Based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy (2008 team ...
,'' voiced by
Kwasi Songul and Christian Jadah.
In the game, they are depicted as bounty hunters and members of the
Lethal Legion
The Lethal Legion is the name of seven teams of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
The first version of the Lethal Legion appeared in '' The Avengers'' #78 (Jul. 1970).
The secon ...
who are hired by Lady Hellbender to capture the
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Guardians of the Galaxy is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
It may more specifically refer to:
Comic book teams
* Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), the original 31st-century team fr ...
.
References
External links
Blood Brothersat Marvel.com
Blood Brothersat Marvel Wiki
*
{{Jim Starlin
Characters created by Jim Starlin
Comics characters introduced in 1973
Fictional characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability
Marvel Comics aliens
Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength
Marvel Comics extraterrestrial supervillains
Marvel Comics supervillains