The Full Story Breakdown of Blade: Red Band #1

Blade is back, and this time, Marvel is taking the gloves off. Under the “Red Band” label, this series promises explicit violence and a darker, grittier tone for the Daywalker. Following the traumatic events where he was possessed by Varnae (the first vampire) and nearly killed by his own daughter, Bloodline, Eric Brooks has exiled himself. Here is a page-by-page breakdown of the full story from Blade: Red Band #1, explaining exactly what happens in this blood-soaked debut.

The Setup

The issue opens with a recap of Blade’s origin: born Eric Brooks, a half-human/half-vampire hybrid. It highlights his recent trauma—his possession by Varnae, which forced his daughter to nearly kill him to save the world. Physically, he has recovered. Mentally and spiritually, he is broken. He seeks isolation to deal with the havoc his hands wrought while possessed.

The Exile

Location: Lupui Island, Southeast Asia.

• Pages 3-5: We find Blade living in total isolation. His internal monologue reveals a man who wants to be “no one.” He lives as if he is already dead to gain freedom from the memories of what he did. He is ambushed by a vampire/creature in the jungle. Blade dispatches it effortlessly, calling it “mad” and noting, “You’re not the hunter, my friend.”

• Pages 6-9: Blade has taken up residence in an abandoned forge. He spends his days working heated steel with ancient tools. The physical pain of the heat and the repetitive “clank” of the hammer helps him focus, drowning out his thoughts. He believes he deserves this pain. It is a ritual of self-flagellation—melting himself down and forging himself anew, just like the steel.

The Messenger

• Pages 10-12: A stranger interrupts Blade’s solitude. The man, a projection of consciousness named Damien, mocks Blade’s attempt to hide. Damien introduces himself as the “Hand of the Spellguard,” a group claiming to be the “Keepers of the Balance.”

• Pages 13-15: Damien tells Blade his penance is over; it is time to kill again. He offers a target: Pontious Van Helsing. Blade is skeptical, dismissing the Spellguard as just another “little cult.” He threatens to kill Damien, but Damien reveals that because Blade was possessed by Varnae, he is now “known” to the magical world. They are not asking; they are summoning him.

The Meeting

• Pages 16-18: A helicopter arrives to collect Blade. Despite his resistance to authority, Blade’s curiosity—and perhaps his need for a purpose—wins out. He boards the chopper, noting that sometimes you just have to see where the ride goes. They travel to a “civilized” location where he meets Damien in the flesh.

• Pages 19-21: Damien leads Blade to a room where two guards hold a hooded captive. Damien removes the hood to reveal a man who has been horrifyingly experimented on. Damien explains that a hidden vampire sect has found “new power” in magic and is experimenting on innocents. He frames the Spellguard as a benevolent force of balance, claiming he spared Blade the sight of what this sect did to children.

The Target & The Turn

• Page 22: Damien tries to use “low magic” to influence Blade’s mind, attempting to blend his own desires with Blade’s. He commands Blade to kill the pitiful, tortured captive as a mercy.
• Page 23: Damien explains the target: Pontious Van Helsing. According to Damien, Pontious was a hunter charged with destroying this sect but was instead seduced and corrupted by them. He claims Pontious killed the sect’s leader and took over, now seeking the darkest magic.
• Page 24 (The Twist): Damien pushes too hard, demanding Blade “Show your worth” and “End the disbeliever.” Blade, realizing Damien is trying to control him with his voice (“You’re a talker, right?”), makes his move.

• Page 25: In a sudden burst of violence, Blade rejects the control. He attacks Damien, slicing his throat/silencing him permanently (“Shhh”). Blade decides he will look into this Pontious Van Helsing, but strictly on his own terms, not as a pawn of the Spellguard.

The Hunt Begins

• Page 26: Blade takes a magical dagger from the scene, recognizing it as “a weapon made to guide.” He realizes the Spellguard has risen to fill a power vacuum left by the recent vampire wars.
• Pages 27-28: The scene shifts to Son La, Southeast Asia, in “Contested Territory.” We see Father Pontious Van Helsing. He is aware of the events that have just transpired through a “window of vision.”

• Page 29: Pontious speaks to an unseen ally or himself, correcting the assumption that the Spellguard sent a “man” to kill him. The issue ends with the chilling realization: “They have sent a Blade.”