Warning: Contains spoilers for Web of Spider-Verse: New Blood #1!The Marvel Comics multiverse has just welcomed a new vampire slayer to rival Spider-Man character evolves into a horror-style hero. With the Spider-Verse gearing up for a war against the Venom-Verse, a new Marvel comic introduces an alternate world where Peter Parker is essentially Count Dracula—while his iconic love interest steps into the role of the universe’s Van Helsing.
Web of Spider-Verse: New Blood #1 features a story titled Count Parker—written by Jordan Morris with art by Sumit Kumar—which reimagines Peter Parker as a sinister vampire villain. However, the tale isn’t told from Count Parker’s perspective; instead, it follows this alternate universe’s fearless vampire hunter, Mary Jane Van Helsing.
Set in the year 198X, MJVH arrives in a small town on a mission to slay Count Parker, the ruler of the local vampire population. Armed with a whip resembling Nightcrawler’s tail, she swiftly dispatches various Fangs before finally tracking down the Spider-Dracula himself.
Mary Jane Van Helsing: Spider-Man’s Iconic Love Interest Becomes the Marvel Multiverse’s Ultimate Vampire Slayer
Web of Spider-Verse: New Blood #1 - “Count Parker” Written by Jordan Morris; Art by Sumit Kumar; Colors by Dee Cunniffe; Lettering by VC’s Joe Caramagna
As the Web-Heart explores the Spider-Verse for new heroes in this comic, Mary Jane the vampire slayer is perhaps the most unique from the group to debut. Since Mary Jane Van Helsing makes her debut in a shorter story within the Web of Spider-Verse: New Blood anthology, not much is known about her and Count Parker’s universe, but their twisted take on the classic Dracula story makes MJVH the Spider-Verse’s premier vampire hunter, with potential to be one of the Marvel multiverse’s coolest overall. However, the story’s surprise ending even sees Mary Jane go through her very own vampire transformation.
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Before becoming a vampire, Mary Jane has a vision of her romance with Peter across the multiverse, and she even becomes connected to the Great Web once bitten by Count Parker. The end of the story removes some of her vampire slayer credibility, with her seemingly turning evil alongside Count Parker as her fated lover. Mary Jane’s descent into villainy means Blade’s status as Marvel’s top vampire hunter is likely safe, but there’s definitely more of Mary Jane’s story to be told that could unpack her origins as a Van Helsing and history as a vampire slayer in the 80s.
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Will Count Parker and MJVH Make a Sinister Return?
Even though the ending removes some of Mary Jane’s cool factor as a new vampire-hunting hero, the Web-Heart still recognizes her as a powerful threat in the Spider-Verse that could possibly take on the Venom-Verse’s champion in a fight. Count Parker and the transformed Mary Jane Van Helsing become a vampire power couple with a family of Spidey villains, meaning both characters could return as either a supervillain or anti-hero in future Spider-Verse adventures. Their retro vampire love affair is officially on the table and reigning supreme in this corner of Marvel’s multiverse, and they’re destined to return soon.
The duo is all but guaranteed to pop back up in the Spider-Verse vs. Venomverse limited series, even though the Web-Heart ultimately chose Spider-Prowler as its fighter in “the Great Game”. Hopefully, MJVH returns with some of the swagger she displayed in her first appearance as a vampire slayer because that version of Mary Jane is one of the character's coolest superhero turns in Marvel Comics, possibly even worthy of a chapter in the MCU's Multiverse Saga. As a unique vampire hunter, Mary Jane Van Helsing brings new blood to both the Spider-Man franchise and Marvel’s lineup of monster-hunting heroes.
Web of Spider-Verse: New Blood #1 is available now from Marvel Comics!
- Created By
- Steve Ditko
- First Appearance
- Amazing Fantasy
- Alias
- Peter Parker, Ben Reilly, Otto Octavius, Yu Komori, Kaine Parker, Pavitr Prabhakar, William Braddock, Miles Morales, Kurt Wagner
- Alliance
- Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Secret Defenders, Future Foundation, Heroes for Hire, Mighty Avengers, New Avengers, Web-Warriors
- Race
- Human
- Franchise
- Marvel, Spider-Man
