BLOODBATH
Real Name: Mordechai Kovax
Identity/Class: Human with an anomalous blood disorder; possibly a mutant or mutate (see Comments)
Occupation: None
Affiliations: Former patient of Dr. Emil Kovax
Enemies: Morbius
Known Relatives: Dr. Emil Kovax (father, deceased), Klara (mother)
Aliases: Bloodbather; "Subway Vampire Killer"
Base of Operations: Presumably in a previously Soviet Republic or Russia proper (former); the subway tunnels of New York City (former); currently unknown
First Appearance: Midnight Sons Unlimited#2 (July, 1993)
Powers: Due to (or accelerated by) a blood-based solution, Bloodbath had several calcified spikes protruding from his body. These protrusions concentrated around his wrists and chest. He would impale people on these spikes in an attempt to gain nourishment through them from the blood of others. Initially, he probably lanced people in order to sample blood types that would sustain him (taste testing, if you will). In time, he gained the ability to "sense" the rare blood type that would nourish him. Later, his father outfitted him with a powerful exo-skeleton, granting him the necessary life-preserving nutrients he needed, as well a degree of superhuman strength and durability. Despite the bulky appearance of the armor, it was rather maneuverable. The armor was form-fitted and more than likely vacuum-sealed around Bloodbath’s body spikes, allowing him to feed without making a mess within the exo-skeleton and on his body (his armor was basically a giant, powerful, and deadly baby bib).
Weaknesses: Bloodbath suffered from an
anomalous blood disorder which made his only source of sustenance
blood-- but only a certain rare blood type could actually support
him. His lack of regular human interaction or some kind of mental
deficiency prevented him from performing normal social
interaction (see Comments). This was further compounded because
of his inhuman appearance. The protective head-dome of his armor
was not as durable as the rest of his suit. If the armor were
compromised, Bloodbath would become incapacitated as his
life-sustaining fluids drained out of his exo-skeleton, resulting
in decompression and probable power/mobility loss (if the fluid
acted in a hydraulic-like fashion). 
History:
(Midnight Sons
Unlimited#2 (fb)) - The man who would
become known as Bloodbath and the "Subway Vampire
Killer" was born from an affair between genetic scientist,
Dr. Emil Kovax, and a Latverian-Transylvanian patient of his,
Klara. Unfortunately, Klara passed down a variant of a rare blood
disease to her son and died either during childbirth or shortly
thereafter. From his high standing and connections within the
Communist community he worked for, Dr. Kovax was able to study
his son in private, keep him alive, place him in an armored suit,
and finally move them both into a make-shift laboratory beneath
New York City within its abandoned subway tunnel system.
Bloodbath killed his father while making him a meal. He then committed a number of grisly murders while trying to feed, and he was dubbed the Subway Vampire Killer by the media.
(Midnight Sons Unlimited#2) - Bloodbath killed a thief in the subway tunnels and later watched as the authorities and the media discovered the body. Later, he encountered one of the news crews that stayed to look for him. The commotion created by this attracted the nearby living vampire/criminal stalker, Morbius who was investigating the gruesome subway murders to clear his own wrongful association with the case. Morbius incapacitated the killer after he drove a wrist spike into Bloodbath’s head-dome.
Comments: Created by Mort Todd and Rurik Tyler.
Bloodbath’s ability to "sense" the necessary blood type for feeding and his body spikes both seem unlikely to be attributed solely to an anomalous blood disorder. From this, it can be conjectured that his father’s treatment caused theses changes (making him a mutate) or exacerbated these changes (making him a mutant).
In Bloodbath’s origin, his father does not state that his son suffered from a mental deficiency due to his disorder. Of course, this does not rule out the possibility of some form of mental deficiency, resulting in Bloodbath’s lack of social grace (although all he really wanted to do was give people a hug).
Despite an apologetic and remorseful video confession, it may be that Bloodbath’s father had a more sinister, scientific motivation rather than a paternally benevolent one for his offspring by treating his son like an experiment rather than a child. This type of origin seems more in line with the dark tone of a horror story (which, I ASSume, was partial motivation for the Midnight Sons comics); could make the story less coincidental and more believable; could have contributed to Bloodbath’s emotional/intellectual limitations; could partially explain why the good Doctor encased his son in a moderately powerful armored suit-- other than blatant stupidity, that is. Given, he was just a geneticist and not a rocket scientist so...
With his Romanian (Transylvanian) descent and his powers, the Impaler may be an interesting nom de guerre for Bloodbath (I’d like to see him return in a WELL DONE horror series/line put out by Marvel, but this will probably never happen- him returning or a well-done horror line, that is).
by Kyle Smith
Clarifications: Bloodbath should not be confused with:
Appearances:
Midnight Sons Unlimited#2 (July, 1993) - Mort Todd (writer), Rurik Tyler (pencils), Malcolm Jones III (inks), Hildy Mesnik (editor)
First Posted: 08/01/2002
Last updated: 08/09/2002
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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