Elsa Bloodstone
Encyclopedia
Elsa Bloodstone is a fictional character
, appearing in comic book
s published by Marvel Comics
. She first appears in Marvel's Bloodstone mini-series
of 2001
written by Dan Abnett
and Andy Lanning
. She is the daughter of the previously established Marvel Universe
character, Ulysses Bloodstone
.
As she is a young, female monster-hunter there are potential similarities with Buffy the Vampire Slayer
, although when asked about this the authors said "neither of us have seen an episode of Buffy all the way through! I know we're missing out on some great TV but we've determined to steer clear of Buffy at least while we're doing Bloodstone."
.
Other versions of her have appeared in Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
and as a team member in the Nextwave
series.
; she has befriended Charles Barnabus, a pureblood vampire lawyer and executor of the Bloodstone estate. Together along with Dracula
they defeat Nosferatu and his clan of vampires.
to create an electronic encyclopedic reference guide for the numerous monsters and alien beasts in the Marvel Universe
(published by Marvel as Marvel Monsters: From the Files of Ulysses Bloodstone and the Monster Hunters).
, but the series' connection to the Marvel Universe is unclear - it was initially out-of-continuity and was later implied to be the adventures of tourists from Earth-A
. However Civil War
: Damage Report suggest that at least parts of the adventures of the team were set in the main continuity: the others may have been delusions brought by constant use of drugs, mental conditioning and deceptions by their H.A.T.E.
employers. Her delusional state could also account for her "memories" of being routinely subjected to abusive monster-hunting training by her father, like being left alone in childhood with a robotical nanny programmed to torture her whenever she wasn't able to reply to a question regarding monsters, or being forced by her father to kill monsters, as a toddler
, armed with simple cutlery
.
The character elected to suspend her college studies upon being recruited by Dirk Anger
of H.A.T.E.
to fight Unusual Weapons of Mass Destruction (UWMD) alongside Monica Rambeau
, Tabitha Smith
, Aaron Stack
, and The Captain
. Shortly after this recruiting Elsa and her teammates found H.A.T.E. to be funded by the Beyond Corporation©
, which is in fact a terrorist organization. Using the stolen Marketing Plan of Beyond, the Nextwave squad traveled across the country destroying hidden UWMDs which included Fin Fang Foom
, Mindless Ones
, and Forbush Man
.
She suffers constant abuses by her teammembers, like being confronted by Tabitha Smith
about her European origins and accent (referred even in the Nextwave Theme Song as her main characteristic), and constantly ogled by Aaron Stack
, attracted by her large chest
.
. Elsa has been identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear to have signed the Superhuman Registration Act and become part of the Initiative. She later returns to her monster-hunting adventures: still with her brasher mind-set, seen in her Nextwave days, she vows solemnly to never have children on her own, since she feels the responsibility of being a Bloodstone too heavy to be forced on another living being. Instead, she chooses to end her legacy once and for all, completing the task of freeing humanity from monsters before dying.
In the Bloodstone series, Elsa claimed that she had inherited at least some of the Bloodgem power genetically, but it has also been shown that her powers of strength and invulnerability were bestowed upon her by the Bloodgem fragment she wears on a choker, although she does not appear to be wearing it in Nextwave #8 flashbacks to her childhood training sessions. She has also been portrayed as an expert marksman
.
She has been shown to use a removable Bloodgem on a choker as well as a number of artifacts gathered by her father. These include a lamp which contained a genie
whom Ulysses had enslaved years ago. This serves as an early warning system, lighting up during times of supernatural crisis, and transporting him to said crisis. In Nextwave, she carries a guitar case with a false cover, containing two Uzis and a rifle.
. She sells this statue to Tony Stark for the opening of his new casino only for the statue to release the actual dragon himself from his stone tomb.
" in the third issue of the Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
to save Ash
from a zombified
Power Pack
, before being "humiliatingly and ruthlessly dispatched off-panel" moments later.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, appearing in comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. She first appears in Marvel's Bloodstone mini-series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
of 2001
2001 in comics
-Year overall:* Marvel Comics withdraws from the Comics Code Authority and established its own rating system for its publications.- January :* January 23: Fred Ray, Superman's primary cover artist of the 1940s, passes away at age 80.- September :...
written by Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett is a British comic book writer and novelist. He is a frequent collaborator with fellow writer Andy Lanning, and is known for his work on books for both Marvel Comics, and their UK imprint, Marvel UK, since the 1990s, including 2000 AD...
and Andy Lanning
Andy Lanning
Andy Lanning is a British comic book writer and inker, known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, and for his collaboration with Dan Abnett.-Career:Lanning works primarily at Marvel Comics and DC Comics as an inker...
. She is the daughter of the previously established Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
character, Ulysses Bloodstone
Ulysses Bloodstone
Ulysses Bloodstone is a fictional character, an immortal monster-hunter in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:John Warner has explained the development of Ulysses Bloodstone: "Len Wein and Marv Wolfman came up with the spark that would become Bloodstone—the premise of a man who fights...
.
As she is a young, female monster-hunter there are potential similarities with Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
, although when asked about this the authors said "neither of us have seen an episode of Buffy all the way through! I know we're missing out on some great TV but we've determined to steer clear of Buffy at least while we're doing Bloodstone."
Publication history
Elsa appeared as the lead character in the Bloodstone mini-series and has been mentioned in the aftermath of the Civil WarCivil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
.
Other versions of her have appeared in Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness is a five-issue 2007 comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in association with Dynamite Entertainment, an intercompany crossover in which Ash Williams, hero of the popular Evil Dead film and comic book, finds himself in the Marvel Zombies...
and as a team member in the Nextwave
Nextwave
Nextwave is a comic book series by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen, published by Marvel Comics between 2006 and 2007.-Concept:The series was written exclusively in two-issue story arcs, a choice deliberately bucking the trend in modern American comics toward decompression...
series.
Bloodstone
Elsa lives in Bloodstone Manor with her mother and ally Adam the Frankenstein MonsterFrankenstein's Monster (Marvel Comics)
Frankenstein's Monster is a fictional character based on the character in the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. The character has been adapted often in the comic book medium...
; she has befriended Charles Barnabus, a pureblood vampire lawyer and executor of the Bloodstone estate. Together along with Dracula
Dracula (Marvel Comics)
Dracula is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. He is based on the vampire Count Dracula from the novel of the same name by author Bram Stoker, and is also influenced by Universal Studios' version of the character.-Publication history:A...
they defeat Nosferatu and his clan of vampires.
Marvel Monsters
Pursuing a monster-hunting occupation, she begins an online blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
to create an electronic encyclopedic reference guide for the numerous monsters and alien beasts in the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
(published by Marvel as Marvel Monsters: From the Files of Ulysses Bloodstone and the Monster Hunters).
Nextwave
Elsa Bloodstone has also appeared in NextwaveNextwave
Nextwave is a comic book series by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen, published by Marvel Comics between 2006 and 2007.-Concept:The series was written exclusively in two-issue story arcs, a choice deliberately bucking the trend in modern American comics toward decompression...
, but the series' connection to the Marvel Universe is unclear - it was initially out-of-continuity and was later implied to be the adventures of tourists from Earth-A
Earth-A
Earth-A is a universe in the Marvel Comics Multiverse. It first appeared in Fantastic Four #118. It was given the numerical designation of Earth-721 in the Marvel Encyclopedia Vol...
. However Civil War
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
: Damage Report suggest that at least parts of the adventures of the team were set in the main continuity: the others may have been delusions brought by constant use of drugs, mental conditioning and deceptions by their H.A.T.E.
H.A.T.E.
The Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort, better known by its acronym H.A.T.E., is one of two antagonistic organizations in Marvel Comics' Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E., a series created by Warren Ellis....
employers. Her delusional state could also account for her "memories" of being routinely subjected to abusive monster-hunting training by her father, like being left alone in childhood with a robotical nanny programmed to torture her whenever she wasn't able to reply to a question regarding monsters, or being forced by her father to kill monsters, as a toddler
Toddler
A toddler is a young child, usually defined as being between the ages of one and three. Registered nurse, midwife and author, Robin Barker, states 'Any time from eight months onwards your baby will begin to realise he is a separate person from you...
, armed with simple cutlery
Cutlery
Cutlery refers to any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in the Western world. It is more usually known as silverware or flatware in the United States, where cutlery can have the more specific meaning of knives and other cutting instruments. This is probably the...
.
The character elected to suspend her college studies upon being recruited by Dirk Anger
Dirk Anger
Dirk Anger is a satiric Marvel Comics character appearing in the book Nextwave. He was created by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen.Anger is a thinly veiled, over-the-top parody of Nick Fury...
of H.A.T.E.
H.A.T.E.
The Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort, better known by its acronym H.A.T.E., is one of two antagonistic organizations in Marvel Comics' Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E., a series created by Warren Ellis....
to fight Unusual Weapons of Mass Destruction (UWMD) alongside Monica Rambeau
Monica Rambeau
Monica Rambeau is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. Initially known as Captain Marvel, the character became a leader of the Avengers...
, Tabitha Smith
Tabitha Smith
Tabitha Smith is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom, the character first appeared in Secret Wars II #5 . She later appeared as a member of the X-Force and, more recently, as a member of Nextwave...
, Aaron Stack
Machine Man
Machine Man is a fictional character, an android superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. The character was created by Jack Kirby for 2001: A Space Odyssey #8 , a comic written and drawn by Kirby featuring concepts based on the eponymous Stanley Kubrick film and Arthur C. Clarke novel...
, and The Captain
Captain (comics)
The Captain is a fictional character, a satiric Marvel Comics superhero appearing in the book Nextwave...
. Shortly after this recruiting Elsa and her teammates found H.A.T.E. to be funded by the Beyond Corporation©
Beyond Corporation©
The Beyond Corporation© is a fictional multinational corporation that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The corporation acts as a recurring antagonist in the Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. series, appearing in every story arc....
, which is in fact a terrorist organization. Using the stolen Marketing Plan of Beyond, the Nextwave squad traveled across the country destroying hidden UWMDs which included Fin Fang Foom
Fin Fang Foom
Fin Fang Foom is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #89 Fin Fang Foom is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #89 Fin Fang...
, Mindless Ones
Mindless Ones
The Mindless Ones are fictional monsters appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. Their first appearance was in Strange Tales They are extra-dimensional creatures summoned via magic to do the bidding of others . They appear to have a thick, roughly humanoid shape standing taller than most men and a...
, and Forbush Man
Forbush Man
Forbush Man , is a fictional character published by Marvel Comics. Originally the mascot of Marvel Comics' Not Brand Echh, he is the alter-ego of Irving Forbush, a fictional employee of Marvel Comics...
.
She suffers constant abuses by her teammembers, like being confronted by Tabitha Smith
Tabitha Smith
Tabitha Smith is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom, the character first appeared in Secret Wars II #5 . She later appeared as a member of the X-Force and, more recently, as a member of Nextwave...
about her European origins and accent (referred even in the Nextwave Theme Song as her main characteristic), and constantly ogled by Aaron Stack
Machine Man
Machine Man is a fictional character, an android superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. The character was created by Jack Kirby for 2001: A Space Odyssey #8 , a comic written and drawn by Kirby featuring concepts based on the eponymous Stanley Kubrick film and Arthur C. Clarke novel...
, attracted by her large chest
Breast
The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...
.
The Initiative and Beyond
Recently Elsa joined up as part of Iron Man and the government's Fifty State InitiativeFifty State Initiative
The Fifty State Initiative, often referred to as simply The Initiative, is a fictional governmental plan that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those related to The Avengers...
. Elsa has been identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear to have signed the Superhuman Registration Act and become part of the Initiative. She later returns to her monster-hunting adventures: still with her brasher mind-set, seen in her Nextwave days, she vows solemnly to never have children on her own, since she feels the responsibility of being a Bloodstone too heavy to be forced on another living being. Instead, she chooses to end her legacy once and for all, completing the task of freeing humanity from monsters before dying.
Powers, abilities and equipment
Elsa has exhibited superhuman strength, speed, durability and endurance, and a regenerative ability. She appears to possess all of the abilities her father once had. In addition, she has demonstrated immunity to vampire bites (her blood will destroy a vampire if consumed and the original Bloodgem fragment itself is anathema to vampires).In the Bloodstone series, Elsa claimed that she had inherited at least some of the Bloodgem power genetically, but it has also been shown that her powers of strength and invulnerability were bestowed upon her by the Bloodgem fragment she wears on a choker, although she does not appear to be wearing it in Nextwave #8 flashbacks to her childhood training sessions. She has also been portrayed as an expert marksman
Marksman
A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision, or a sharpshooter shooting, using projectile weapons, such as with a rifle but most commonly with a sniper rifle, to shoot at long range targets...
.
She has been shown to use a removable Bloodgem on a choker as well as a number of artifacts gathered by her father. These include a lamp which contained a genie
Genie
Jinn or genies are supernatural creatures in Arab folklore and Islamic teachings that occupy a parallel world to that of mankind. Together, jinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of Allah. Religious sources say barely anything about them; however, the Qur'an mentions that...
whom Ulysses had enslaved years ago. This serves as an early warning system, lighting up during times of supernatural crisis, and transporting him to said crisis. In Nextwave, she carries a guitar case with a false cover, containing two Uzis and a rifle.
Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas
In an archaeological expedition, Elsa and her team find the stone statue of Fin Fang FoomFin Fang Foom
Fin Fang Foom is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #89 Fin Fang Foom is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #89 Fin Fang...
. She sells this statue to Tony Stark for the opening of his new casino only for the statue to release the actual dragon himself from his stone tomb.
Marvel Zombies
Elsa Bloodstone alongside the other members of Nextwave show up "in a purely superfluous cameoCameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
" in the third issue of the Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness is a five-issue 2007 comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in association with Dynamite Entertainment, an intercompany crossover in which Ash Williams, hero of the popular Evil Dead film and comic book, finds himself in the Marvel Zombies...
to save Ash
Ash Williams
Ashley J. "Ash" Williams is the protagonist in the Evil Dead horror film franchise, played by Bruce Campbell, and created by director Sam Raimi. Throughout the series, Ash has to face off against his loved ones inside an abandoned cabin as they are possessed by "deadites", the evil souls of the dead...
from a zombified
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
Power Pack
Power Pack
Power Pack is a fictional team of comic book superheroes consisting of four young siblings who appear in books published by Marvel Comics. They were created by writer Louise Simonson and artist June Brigman and first appeared in their own series in 1984. The series lasted 62 issues...
, before being "humiliatingly and ruthlessly dispatched off-panel" moments later.
External links
- Elsa Bloodstone at the Marvel Universe
- Mini-series details