ANCIENT

Classification: Vampire race

Location/Base of Operations: Various locations on Earth-616

Known Members: Boy, Maracen, Saracen

Affiliations: Purebloods, Reaper and his girls
possibly Lamia, Varnae, Verdelet (see comments)

Enemies: Blade, Scribe, Silvereye

First Appearance: Blade: Vampire Hunter II#1 (December, 1999)

Powers/Abilities: They all possessed superhuman strength, speed, durability and longevity. They were able to regenerate from almost any injury. Their healing factor even allowed them to grow back a new body from a severed head. As long as they consumed blood their vampiric powers were superior to those of other vampires due to their age and the fact that they were among the first vampires on Earth. Therefore their bloodline wasn't tainted and they possessed the full extent of strengths a vampire could possess. Like other vampires they could be injured or even killed by sunlight, garlic, silver and other typical vampire weaknesses.

Traits: Like the name suggested they were an ancient race of vampires. Humans were just cattle for them. They were brutal and merciless to all their enemies.

History:

(Blade: Vampire Hunter II#3 (fb) - BTS) - The Ancient were the first vampires. They were the fathers of all vampires.

(Blade: Vampire Hunter II#1/1 (fb) - BTS) - Saracen slept the sleep of the aegis and awakened in recent years.

(Blade: Vampire Hunter II#1/1 (fb) - BTS) - Maracen was decapitated and his head was sent to Saracen by Scribe.

(Blade: Vampire Hunter II#1/1) - In a hidden place deep within the earth beneath the hallowed ancient halls of the Vatican the Ancient Saracen sat in his throne after drinking the blood of several men. His most humble servant Boy mocked him and told him about the return of Scribe and showed him the present he sent to Saracen. It was Maracen's head and Saracen took it and tried to talk to it, but Maracen couldn't speak anymore. Boy told his master that it was a message from Scribe that he would destroy everything around Saracen until only he was left. Saracen cursed Scribe and his prophecies and planned to summon the Reaper.

(Blade: Vampire Hunter II#1/2) - Accompanied by Purebloods the Ancient Saracen and Boy went to the Coliseum in Rome to awaken Reaper. The blood was ready and only Saracen's presence was awaited to finish the ceremony. Agents of Silvereye watched the arrival of the two Ancient.

(Blade: Vampire Hunter II#2) - In a recent temple beneath the Coliseum Saracen finished the ceremony to awaken the Reaper. With blood of several animals flowed through the room and Saracen spoke verses in an old vampire language. Suddenly Reaper and his girls broke through the statue and Boy was surprised that the Reaper really existed. Saracen talked to the Reaper and it bowed before him. Afterwards Reaper explained to Reaper that Scribe had risen and thought his prophecies were true. Saracen wanted Reaper to slay the Daywalker Blade to proof Scribe wrong. After Saracen was finished, Boy told him that their dinner was approaching. Silverfang Units attacked the Purebloods. They were after Saracen, but Boy confronted them and reflected all their bullets. Quickly the Silverfang Units were outnumbered and fled, but Boy and Saracen let them go because they knew that they were already dead because Reaper would kill them.

(Blade: Vampire Hunter II#3) - Boy told Saracen how surprised he was that the Reaper really existed. He thought that the Reaper was just a story Saracen made up.

(Blade: Vampire Hunter II#5 - BTS) - Venginian thought that Saracen was a fool because he awakened the Reaper.

(Blade: Vampire Hunter II#4-6 - BTS) - Reaper followed Saracen's orders, but failed to kill Blade.

Comments: Created by Bart Sears (writer/pencils), Raymond Krissing & Andy Smith (both inks).

If they were really the first vampires on Earth a connection to Varnae and pre-Cataclysmic Atlantis is very likely. In this case Lamia would probably also be an Ancient.

In Nightstalkers#17 vampires called the Ancients were mentioned by none other than Blade after Dr. Strange told the Nightstalkers that a Lord of Vampires would return. In the end it was Varnae who returned. Ancient = Ancients? I don't know, but an "s" too much isn't too far away.

In Blade III#12 a prophecy was fulfilled that brought back all vampires that ever died. This most likely included Maracen and the destroyed Purebloods as well. We'll have to wait if they resurface.
--Markus Raymond

Profile by Markus Raymond.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Ancient have no known connections to

• Ancient One, former Sorcerer Supreme of Earth-616 @ Amazing Adventures I#1
• Ancient One, massive stone-man, fought Captain Britain @ Hulk Comic#4/2
• Ancient Ones, mystic order that formerly included the Ancient One (Sorcerer Supreme mentioned above)
• Ancients, group of Lemurian telepaths @ Sub-Mariner I#10
• Ancients, extraterrestrial race @ Incredible Hulk III#21
• any other ancient character

Boy has no known connection to:

• Boy, led rampage during the approach of Golgotha @ X-Men II#167
• any other boy

Maracen has no known connection to:

• Mara, travelled to Earth with Prince Wayfinder @ Micronauts I#31
• Mara, Eternal female @ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#6
• Mara (Martin Aaronson), of the Nest @ Marvel Team-Up Annual#1
• Mara, Tiger-Shark's wife @ Namor I#34
• Mara, ally of Ant-Man (Lang) @ Marvel Double Shots#3/2
• any other character with a similar name

Purebloods have no known connection to:

• Pureheart, formed during Infinity Crusade @ Darkhawk#30
• any other pureblooded character

Saracen has no known connection to:

• Saracen, middle eastern mercenary @ Punisher II#22
• any other character with a similar name

Boy

Boy was Saracen's servant for some time. Though he was eons old he looked like a kid. He was stronger, faster and far more durable than most other vampires.

--Blade: Vampire Hunter II#1/1 (Blade: Vampire Hunter II#1-3

Maracen

The Ancient Maracen was decapitated (possibly by Scribe). Scribe put the head in the essence of garlic, flaked with silver to keep Maracen's body from regenerating. As a message Scribe sent the head to the Ancient Saracen, who destroyed the vessel it was kept in and took the head. Maracen tried to speak, but he couldn't. Saracen seemingly destroyed the head.

--Blade: Vampire Hunter II#1/1

Purebloods

Some Purebloods followed Saracen and Boy around in Rome and served them as bodyguards. They were observed by Silvereye agents when they entered the Coliseum with their master. They watched the summoning of Reaper and fought the attacking Silverfang Units in the secret temple below the Coliseum. Some of them were shot, but in the end the Silerfang Units had to flee from them and Boy.

The only named Pureblood was Damien and he never played a role in this or any other story. In Damien's profile you can learn more about Purebloods.

(Death of Dracula#1) - Some Purebloods participated in a once-a-century vampire clan meeting on an abandoned Greek Island.

   After Xarus had slain his father Dracula to become Lord of Vampires the Purebloods decided to not side with anybody and wait it out.

--Blade: Vampire Hunter II#1/2 (Blade: Vampire Hunter II#1/2-2, Death of Dracula#1

Saracen

He was an Ancient who had just recently awakened from a very long slumber. In modern days he lived deep beneath the Vatican and became slothful from all the blood he drank. Like all Ancient he was stronger, faster and more durable than most other vampires. He hated Scribe and his prophecies and went to war against the Daywalker Blade by sending Reaper after him to proof Scribe wrong. He presumably was the creator of Reaper.

--Blade: Vampire Hunter II#1/1 (Blade: Vampire Hunter II#1-3

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Blade: Vampire Hunter II#2, p1, pan2 (Ancient temple)