If the previous issues were about setting the stage, Blade: Red Band #3 is about the collision course. The uneasy alliance between Blade and the vampire-hating hunter Elena hits the road—literally. But as they drive deeper into the war zone to find Pontious Van Helsing, they discover that the villain isn’t just building an army; he’s building a religion. And in a shocking twist, we learn just how far Elena is willing to go to kill him. Here is a page-by-page breakdown of the full story, explaining exactly what happens in this explosive third chapter.
Part 1: The Triage
Location: A Triage Center in an Undisclosed War Zone.
- The story opens away from Blade, focusing on Dr. Shay Marcus. She is frantically trying to save a female patient who needs a blood transfusion. The war has blocked all supply lines, and despite their efforts, the patient flatlines. Dr. Marcus is devastated, but a voice from the shadows tells her to have “patience.”
- Pontious Van Helsing steps out of the shadows. He tells the doctor to look past her horror and listen. The woman on the table suddenly gasps back to life—not healed by medicine, but by the “second death” (vampirism). Pontious has turned her to save her.
- Pontious explains his philosophy to the terrified doctor. He admits the violence outside is not his doing, but he is willing to use it. He wants a nation of his own—a region at peace where he can pursue magic and make the universe fold to his will. He offers Dr. Marcus a deal: “Keep your oath. Save people. Then bring them to me.”
- The conversation is interrupted by armed militia storming the tent, screaming “No medicine!” and demanding the doctors come out. Pontious calmly tells Dr. Marcus to “Choose life.” In a blur of violence, he slaughters the soldiers, feeding on them to protect his new investment. He has “saved” the doctor, but at a terrible price.
Part 2: The Road Trip
Location: The road to the War Zone.
- We cut to Blade and Elena in the middle of a high-speed chase. Blade is driving (after Elena presumably drove recklessly earlier), while Elena hangs out the window, blasting enemy vehicles with her heavy weaponry.
- Elena blows up a pursuing car, prompting Blade to ask if she’s just “acting out a movie trailer.” Elena retorts that she gets antsy sitting still. Their banter reveals the tension: they are allies of convenience, nothing more.
- They discuss their destination. Elena is taking them to see Dr. Shay Marcus (the woman from the intro), believing she is “one of the few good people” left out here and that she can help them locate Pontious. Blade remains skeptical but drives on.
Part 3: The Message
- They arrive at the triage center, but it is silent. The devastation is evident. Blade notes it “looks bad.”
- They enter the tent to find a house of horrors. Elena calls out for Shay, but there is no answer. She finds the doctor—but not alive.
- The scene is gruesome. Pontious has left Dr. Marcus’s body twisted into a display of “art.” It is a message. Blade realizes that Pontious knew they were coming. The villain has left this gruesome tableau specifically to taunt them.
Part 4: The Betrayal
Blade stares at the body, his supernatural senses flaring. He tells Elena, “I have a sense of him now… He killed my friend and turned her into a message for you.” He realizes Pontious is goading them. Blade apologizes to Elena for her loss, showing a moment of genuine empathy.
The Twist:
- The Shot: Suddenly, a gunshot rings out—BLAM. Elena shoots Blade at point-blank range.
- The Reveal: As Blade falls, Elena stands over him coldly. She admits the truth: “I lied. I don’t know where he is.” She reveals that she was just hoping Blade could find Pontious so she could save her friend.
- The Plan: Now that she knows Shay is dead (“Too late for her”), she has a new plan. She realizes that if Pontious left a message for Blade, then Blade matters to him. She decides to use Blade as bait.
- The End: She looks down at the wounded Daywalker and says, “Just in time for you… I’ll be driving from here on out.”
