Atlantis and vampires in the MCU. This theory is a bit of a speculation doozy, but it makes a lot of sense. Much of the rumors surrounding Dr. Strange 2 and Black Panther 2 have been focused on Namor, but what if it was another Atlantean? Given the addition of Blade into the MCU’s future, this Atlantean could tie everything together nicely.
At the base of this web of speculation is Earth’s second sorcerer supreme who hails from Atlantis: Zhered-Na. She was a Cassandra of sorts who foresaw the destruction of Atlantis, and helps tie the whole Atlantis and vampire dots together; but as you will see below, not the only key Atlantean. Before moving on, Zhered-Na’s first appearance was in Fear #15 (1973); the book’s latest sales of note is CGC 9.4 that sold for $65 in early 2019; overall the book has a very low volume of sales. Back to the Atlantis/vampire connection...
In the Marvel universe, the original vampires first appeared during the times of Atlantis as a result of Darkhold magic used to save Varnae, an Atlantean sorcerer. When a sorcerer tried to control the undead Varnae, Varnae instead fought back. Everyone he bit became vampires. When Atlantis was destroyed, Varnae survived and subsequently became Earth’s first Lord of the Vampires.
In hindsight, the official inclusion of Blade into MCU’s future plans helps support the theory of an Atlantis/vampire connection. It’s no surprise that the two vampire-themed characters have come up against each other. Before Varnae ultimately settled with the Night Terror as his new vessel, his first choice was Blade. And to tie it all together? The original reason that Varnae needed to seek a new vessel in the first place was having lost a battle with none other than… Dr. Strange.
For a possible central figure in the Atlantis/vampire connection, Varnae’s first appearance book of Bizarre Adventures #33 (1982) has no graded sales and a very low price tag for raw copies. Quick note, Bizarre Adventures was the result of a title change of the Marvel Preview comics magazine starting from #25. The cover might not be the most attractive, but the under $5 prices for raws should more than make up for it.
A quick circle back, Varnae, Zhered-Na, and other magic users were once gathered to deal with the Elder Gods; their conflict could easily be shifted to the Eternals.
While Night Terror isn’t the central figure in all the above Atlantis/vampire speculation, his first appearance book of Ghost Rider Annual #1 (Vol. 3, 1993) is much more affordable compared to the other aforementioned characters. The sales volume is very low, with the latest sales of note being a CGC 9.6 sold in Dec 2018 for $24, and a CGC 9.4 for $11 in Aug 2019. Ghost Rider Annual #1 could be a good pickup for a connection going from Atlantis to Blade; with the hope that Varnae/Night Terror becomes an antagonist in a Blade standalone movie. Who better for Blade to go up against than the original vampire?
Overall, this speculation theory isn’t excluding Namor, but rather proposing that perhaps he will not be the central antagonist. Namor could perhaps be more of a Hulk-like addition, who at first is trouble but then ends up helping Dr. Strange fight against Varnae. Again, most of the rumors are still centered on Namor, but if we broadened it to a general Atlantean character, it does help connect the dots of the Blade plans and all the Atlantean rumors.
“...Little man… The gods I feared died eons ago… I am VARNAE” - Varnae
Not yet a GoCollect subscriber? Subscribe today to get access to the comic book price guide!
