Warning: Contains spoilers for Avengers Assemble #3!!

The Marvel Universe turned upside down after the events of Blood Hunt, which pitted the Avengers and many other superheroes against a world filled with darkness and thirsty vampires. By its conclusion, vampires could walk in the sun unharmed, but a horrifying vampire-hunting group called The Nightstalkers is trying to end the updated status quo. It's up to the Avengers Assemble squad to stop the Nightstalkers' crusade - if they can.

The preview for Avengers Assemble #3, by writer Steve Orlando and artist Marcelo Ferreira, introduces the newest vampire-hunting group: The Nightstalkers. They're intimidating from the jump and are clearly prepared (and eager) to take on a world filled with freshly sunbathing vampires. Each member of the team seems uniquely suited for the hunt.

Marvel's best-known Daywalker, Blade, has been a hunter for decades, but in his years of experience, he's never dealt with a situation like Blood Hunt left behind. Many innocent civilians were left with fangs, and the Nightstalkers don't seem ready to make any exceptions - leaving them at odds with the Avengers and the unexpected state of the Marvel Universe.

What The Nightstalkers Means For Marvel's Vampire Future

The Avengers Face off Against Vampire-Hunting Nightstalkers As Terrifying as Their Prey

While the preview only offers a taste of the new vampire-hunting group, they immediately make an impression. The Nightstalkers have five : their leader, Abby Morris, Coma, Frank Drake, Voracious, and Bloodscream. They're each seemingly equipped with unique weapons, including silver fangs on Voracious, which he sinks into the neck of one of the vampires. Both Voracious and Bloodscream are possibly of the vampire or undead persuasion themselves, while Coma sports blue skin and cyborg attachments, giving the group an overall violent, cyberpunk-like vibe. They're more eye-catching than the vampires they're attacking, and they make themselves hard to miss.

The Nightstalkers' seem to have a line-up of impressive abilities accompanying their killer appearance. Abby Morris claims to be raised for the job, possibly meaning she comes from a family of monster hunters, Coma can absorb electricity, and Voracious is (potentially) a vampire turned against his own kind. Frank Drake and Bloodscream are a unit unto themselves, with Drake acting as a "pet lich" and vessel for nothing but slaughter, directed by Bloodscream. Even if their supposed goal is to rid the world of vampires, the Nightstalkers are clearly not claiming to be heroes like the Avengers (or look the part).

Our Take: The Nightstalkers Are Prepared to Handle Vampires, Not Avengers

Vampires walking in the sun by the thousands isn't an easy pill to swallow, and the Nightstalkers aren't the only ones taking issue with their presence, but the Avengers won't abide by the group's approach. It goes beyond Blade's long crusade since they're targeting blameless vampires along with the guilty. Their first hit is a town supposedly running on "donated blood", which means taking innocent lives. They're obviously equipped to handle blood drinkers, but a squad of hand-picked superheroes is another matter. The vampire-hunting Nightstalkers are terrifying, but silver-tipped fangs and crossbows likely won't keep the Avengers off their backs.

Avengers Assemble #3 is available 11/20 from Marvel Comics.