CROSSBOW

Real Name: Eric Brooks

Identity/Class: Extratemporal (Earth-99409) human cyborg (see comments)

Occupation: Vampire-Hunter

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Bible John, Blade, Frank Drake, Hannibal King, Julia Suarez, Mariella Suarez

Enemies: Dracula, vampires in general

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Blade

Base of Operations: New York City on Earth-616

formerly: Mobile on Earth-99409

First Appearance: (in shadows) Blade the Vampire-Hunter I#3 (September, 1994), (full appearance) Blade the Vampire-Hunter I#9 (March, 1995)

Powers/Abilities: Crossbow used technology from his future timeline which probably replaced parts of his body. He was heavily armored and although he wasn't seen using any weapons he had some packed up for sure (I think I see the handle of a gun and a sword on the right image). He used a camouflage field to hide his true identity in the present. It enabled him to look like other people or his surroundings (chameleon suits rule!). Powers he had in common with Earth-616's Blade likely included an enzyme in his blood that made him immune to vampire bites, the ability to sense the presence of the supernatural and the fighting skills including martial arts and the use of edged weapons like swords and daggers.

History:
(Blade: Vampire Hunter I#3/OHotMU Marvel Knights 2005 (fb) - BTS) - In an apocalyptic future Blade became under unknown circumstances as Crossbow. He traveled back in time to Earth-616 to help Blade prevent this future from happening.

(Blade: Vampire Hunter I#3) - Crossbow gave Julia Suarez a call from a phone cell in front of her house, but didn't say a word when she answered it. (see comments)

(Blade: Vampire Hunter I#4) - Crossbow (now as a long-haired dude) followed Julia on her way home and she ran away from him.

(Blade: Vampire Hunter I#9) - Crossbow watched Julia's house from a roof across the street. A minute later he was already in a dark alley and saw how Mariella was welcomed by her mother Julia. He left again although he would've liked to touch them after all this time. Later that evening Crossbow went to the Chiaroscuro to save Bible John's life. Crossbow watched Blade sleep after his fight with the Vampz.

(Blade: Vampire Hunter I#9 - BTS) - Crossbow injected a serum from the future into Bible John and then left the Chiaroscuro.

(Blade: Vampire Hunter I#10) - His serum healed Bible John and the next day Morbius isolated it from John's bloodstream and planned to analyze it. Crossbow accompanied Julia home while posing as Blade. Mariella was surprised to see Blade so soon again and asked him if he wasn't expected uptown. After the women were gone Crossbow changed back into his true form. Now he realized that his interference into John's destined death accelerated the coming of the first Dark Age and that John's dreams had led Blade directly to the Chrysler Building (Postmortem's HQ). Later that night Crossbow was on the same roof as Blade, who had just defeated Postmorten. Unseen by the young vampire-hunter Crossbow thought about the bad things the future would bring for Blade.

(OHotMU Marvel Knights 2005 - BTS) - Crossbow helped Blade and Bible John to separate Hannibal King and Frank Drake from Bloodstorm (they formed the new monstrous version of Dracula).

Comments: Created by Ian Edginton (writer), Douglas Wheatley (pencils), Chris Ivy & Steve Moncuse (inks).

  The silhouette seen in the phone cell looks like a woman to me (I thought it was Mariella's first appearance) and the guy in #4 had long hair, but in the letters page to Blade: Vampire Hunter I#10 it was revealed that it was both times Crossbow who used his camouflage technology to hide his true identity.

  Not much was revealed about Crossbow, but I'm pretty sure that he was a cyborg (he was created in the early 90s).

  The apocalypse in Crossbow's timeline maybe had something to do with Dracula and the nanites Postmortem was working on for him. This is also the reason why I listed Dracula under foes.

  I didn't include it, but most likely Crossbow had the same allies and enemies as Blade had up to the point of the divergence of Crossbow's Earth.

  By the rules of time travel Crossbow's actions to stop the events that led to his future on Earth-616 didn't prevent this future in his timeline. I hope Crossbow knew this and didn't return home with a smile on his face only to see that nothing had changed.

Profile by Markus Raymond

CLARIFICATIONS:
Crossbow has no known connections to

  • Crossbow, hired to kill Micah Synne @ Daredevil I#204
  • any other time-travelling cyborg or characters with similar names

images: (without ads)
Blade: Vampire Hunter I#9, p21 (main image)
  #10, p23, pan1 (head shot)


Appearances:
Blade: Vampire Hunter I#3-4 (September-October, 1994) - Ian Edginton (writer), Douglas Wheatley (pencils), Steve Moncuse (inks), Chris Cooper (editor)
Blade: Vampire Hunter I#9-10 (March-April, 1995) - Terry Kavanagh (writer), Douglas Wheatley (pencils), Steve Moncuse (inks), Chris Cooper (editor)


Last updated: 01/29/06

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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