WARNING! Spoilers for Fantastic Four #29

Vampires have long been a threat within the Marvel Universe, especially during last year's Fantastic Four have come up with a way to solve the problem in a big way. Although a true cure for vampires remains out of reach for the time being, Reed Richards just invented a different treatment that will prevent vampires from posing an imminent threat to humanity.

In Fantastic Four #29 by Ryan North, Cory Smith, Jesus Aburtov, and Joe Caramagna, the heroes take in two vampire children who lost their parents to an angry human mob. As the kids slowly lose themselves to their insatiable hunger for blood, Mister Fantastic devises a solution that will keep them from hurting others in pursuit of a meal.

Using his scientific genius, Reed Richards creates a synthetic hemoglobin that can replicate the protein found in red blood cells, allowing vampires to nourish themselves without requiring actual blood. At long last, vampires are no longer as dangerous in Marvel lore.

The Fantastic Four Just Solved Marvel's Vampire Problem Once and For All

Thanks to Reed Richards, Vampires Don't Need Blood to Survive

Vampires have been a haunting presence within the Marvel Universe since "Tomb of Dracula: The Blood Bequest" from 1982's Bizarre Adventures #33, though it wasn't until 2024's Blood Hunt by Jed MacKay and Pepe Larraz that Dracula and his Vampire Nation became the biggest antagonistic force against the world. While the larger conflict has concluded, vampires now continue to live among humanity. However, young vampires Brooke and her brother reveal to the Fantastic Four that their hunger sends them into a frenzy if they don't consume blood regularly. For as long as this violent hunger persists, Marvel's vampires can't coexist with living beings.

Reed Richards applies his genius to the daunting task of curing vampires, which turns out to be a fruitless task, especially since he barely acknowledges that vampires are real at all due to his disbelief in magic. Then, he settles on a more feasible idea to quell the vampires' hunger without fully erasing their supernatural status. He creates what he describes as "a set of four plant-based synthetic globins - enough to chemically mimic hemoglobin, at least to a digestive tract". In simple , vampires can eat this food and experience the effects of drinking blood without actually consuming it, ridding them of their terrifying appetites.

Reed Richards Struggles With the Supernatural, But He Finally Beat It With Science

Helping Vampires Is A Big Step Towards Mister Fantastic Mastering Magic

A staple of Black Knight - have always had an advantage over him when facing off against the supernatural. With that being said, Reed's work to combat vampire hunger suggests that his attitude towards magic is evolving.

Reed's work to combat vampire hunger suggests that his attitude towards magic is evolving.

Mister Fantastic has expressed his disdain towards magic on countless occasions, and he also harbors a specific difficulty with wrapping his head around vampires as a concept. Fantastic Four #21-22 pitted Reed against vampires, and even as he worked on a device that affects vampire cells, he could barely say the name of the creatures without backtracking and reiterating that he didn't believe they existed. Now, he's not only acknowledged vampires, but he's also used what he's learned about them to improve their lives. Doctor Doom's Sorcerer Supreme takeover has stumped Reed, but this brings the Fantastic Four closer to toppling his rival's empire.

The Fantastic Four's Triumph Over Vampires Gives Heroes a Much-Needed Win

Doctor Doom's Anti-Vampire Propaganda Has Become Less Powerful

After Reed formulates his quick fix for vampires' primal hunger, he doesn't hesitate to share it with the entire world so that every vampire can enjoy a more peaceful life alongside humans. This victory gives the heroes an advantage over Doctor Doom, whose assistance with Reed's food for vampires being spread, Doom isn't the only one eliminating their dangers. Thus, the Fantastic Four have officially knocked Doom down a peg by solving the vampire issue in a way he couldn't.

Did you miss Doctor Doom's victory over the Fantastic Four and the rest of Marvel's heroes? If so, be sure to check out One World Under Doom #1 by Ryan North and R.B. Silva, out in comic stores now!

Invisible Woman's narration stresses the importance of the Fantastic Four getting a win during this tumultuous period, as the situation has seemed otherwise bleak for all superheroes. When Doom cemented his rule over the world by framing himself as a savior and the heroes as villains, it looked like there was no way for the good guys to bounce back. Here, though it doesn't undo the propaganda altogether, Reed Richards has shown that he and his allies are actively helping both vampires and humans. Because of the Fantastic Four's noble efforts, the inhabitants of the Marvel Universe can stop fearing vampires.

Fantastic Four #29 is available now from Marvel Comics!