Doctor Strange's Death Redefines a Long-Rumored MCU Dynasty
Warning: contains a preview of Death of Doctor Strange: Bloodstone #1!
The death of Doctor Strange is about to have major consequences for Elsa Bloodstone, the current heir of Marvel's vicious monster-hunting dynasty. The story of the Bloodstone family runs all the way back to the Hyborian Age, some 10,000 years ago, when a hunter-gatherer named Ulysses Bloodstone stumbled upon an enchanted artifact called the Bloodstone. He was granted immortality, and over the millennia he became one of the world's greatest monster hunters.
Monster hunting is a family business for the Bloodstones, although Ulysses wasn't exactly father of the year; his children were brought up to be warriors first, people second, and after his death, his daughter Elsa Bloodstone took over his mission. She's inherited some of her father's gifts, but also wears an enchanted Bloodgem on a choker around her neck, granting her some basic superhuman powers. Her younger brother Cullen has bonded with a monster called a Glartrox, becoming more of a villain than a hero, and even hunting mutants in Tini Howard's Excalibur.
According to Marvel Comics, Death of Doctor Strange: Bloodstone will introduce a new member of the Bloodstone family - the never-before-seen Lyra Bloodstone. The one-shot is written by Tini Howard and features art by Ig Guara, and it will see Elsa and Cullen forced to work together to protect Lyra from mystic threats unleashed by the death of Doctor Strange. "Equipped with awesome powers of her own, Lyra’s unique Blood gem has placed a target on her back, and the worst horrors from beyond this realm are on the hunt," Marvel reveals. The design for Lyra can be seen on Guara's variant cover, which also includes a sketch of her apparently "glowing when using darkness," while the cover from David Nakayama shows Elsa brandishing her weaponry at the reader.
Marvel's teaser suggests Death of Doctor Strange: Bloodstone will be the beginning of a new arc for the Bloodstone family, promising big things are in store for these three legacy monster hunters. Interestingly, there have been persistent rumors over the last few years that Elsa Bloodstone could be coming to the MCU, which would be fitting given her greatest enemies are vampires - and Mahershala Ali made his MCU voice debut as Blade in Eternals' post-credits scene. It would make sense for Marvel Comics to increase her profile if the film studio does indeed have plans for her.
Whether or not that happens, however, fans will be glad to see Bloodstone return. While Elsa's family are seldom given their own series, appearances in comics like Nextwave, Deadpool, and Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade have endeared the sardonic monster hunter to fans, and a new addition to the family is likely to offer a new perspective on the past sins (and secrets) of her monstrous father Ulysses.
Death of Doctor Strange: Bloodstone promises to be an essential read for fans of the character. The book is due out on January 12, and will expand both Elsa's world and her family. It will be interesting to see whether Marvel intend to connect Elsa Bloodstone more strongly to the X-Men, given writer Tini Howard is particularly associated with the current X-Men range; the line between mutants and sorcerers is blurring in Marvel right now, and the Bloodstones could fit perfectly in both worlds.
Source: Marvel