Forget Dracula because Blade could introduce Lilith Drake instead.

Originally written as Dracula’s daughter, Lilith was part of the massive wave of horror characters introduced to Marvel readers in the 1970s. Under the iron fist of the Comics Code Authority, classic monsters were not allowed if a publisher wanted the all-mighty CCA stamp of approval. By the Bronze Age, the reins began to loosen, and literary characters were permitted, thus opening the door for Stan Lee and friends to include their versions of vampires, zombies, werewolves, and the lot. 

After debuting Dracula in 1972, the House of Ideas decided to give the vampire of vampires a daughter, appropriately named after the Biblical mother of monsters, Lilith. Eventually, she would become an antihero who could not kill Dracula but is bent on thwarting him at every turn.

Since the MCU Blade reboot was announced, there’s been speculation that Dracula would be the primary antagonist. Then again, he was also rumored for Moon Knight, and that clearly didn’t pan out. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Marvel steer clear of Dracula in favor of a character with fewer fan expectations. Then again, we could see her join Blade to fight the creatures of the night. In either case, you’ll want to roll the dice on her keys.

VAMPIRE TALES #4

The first time readers met Lilith was in the pages of the aptly titled Vampire Tales #4. Two years after Marvel’s version of Dracula was introduced to the masses, fans met his daughter. She only appears in a cameo, but it remains her first appearance all the same. How much can you expect to pay?

There hasn’t been a graded 9.8 to trade hands online since 2019 when a copy brought $550. However, last year saw a 9.4 sell for $807, so the next 9.8 should have quite the inflation.

GIANT-SIZE CHILLERS: DRACULA #1

So far, this has been the top of the food chain in terms of Lilith keys. Although not her first appearance, she is front and center on the cover in her full comic debut. Last year, a graded 9.8 sold for $2,880. More recently, a 9.6 brought $875 earlier this month, which was a noticeable drop compared to 2022’s average of $1,082.

LEGION OF MONSTERS #1

This is more of an indirect link, but it’s worth noting all the same. Although Lilith was not a founding member of the Legion of Monsters, she did have a stint with the group in 2007. She also has ties with Nick Fury’s Howling Commandos and the S.H.I.E.L.D. Paranormal Unit.

With so many monsters being added to the MCU in the coming years, there’s a good chance that Blade could lay the groundwork for one or more of these groups hitting the big or small screens. That makes Legion of Monsters #1 an issue worth a roll of the dice. A year ago, a graded 9.8 sold for $750. The highest grade to trade hands this year has been the 9.0, which earned $184 in March.

THE TIME IS NOW

With Elsa Bloodstone having been introduced in Werewolf By Night, adding Lilith to the mix would be a nice counterweight to Elsa in terms of story. At some point, I imagine we'll see the various monsters from across the MCU come together, and that could be when they face off with Dracula. Having Lilith established ahead of that big Thanos-style introduction would make for a smooth transition to that moment.