Superheroes across Marvel Comics have undergone all kinds of transformations, whether they’re powerful upgrades, changes to their abilities, or even something far more dramatic. An example that some fans may not immediately consider is vampiric transformations. Dozens of Marvel heroes across both main continuity and alternate timelines have become vampiric creatures that are driven by bloodlust and are often pushed into far darker roles.
Even characters with remarkable willpower, powerful defenses, or healing factors have found themselves vulnerable to the curse at one point or another. While Marvel has had characters like Dracula himself, or Blade and Morbius for decades, other well-known heroes have fallen to and struggled with vampirism in ways that drastically altered their character or the overarching story. In some cases, they eventually regained their humanity, but in others, especially those in alternate realities, the transformation wasn’t as simple to overcome.
Jacqueline Falsworth, better known as Spitfire, was first introduced in 1976 as a British superhero who began her career as a hero during World War II, where she fought alongside some of Marvel’s earliest heroes against the Axis powers. However, a bite early on would shape the rest of her life in the comics and across Marvel publications.
During World War II, her uncle, Baron Blood, attacked and bit her. In order to save her life, the original Human Torch, Jim Hammond, helped with a transfusion of his synthetic blood, creating an unusual reaction between the vampire bite and his own physiology. At first, she had only gained superhuman speed, but a later transfusion further altered her condition, granting her enhanced healing, fangs, and longevity, but without the bloodlust that’s typically associated with vampirism.
T’Challa is the king of Wakanda, a scientific genius, and one of Earth’s most formidable defenders. Since his debut in Fantastic Four #52 in 1966, Black Panther has stood out for his tactical brilliance and enhanced physical abilities. He has served as an Avenger, a member of the Fantastic Four, the Illuminati, as well as several other teams throughout his career, making him one of the most recognizable heroes across all of Marvel.
During the 2024 Blood Hunt event, T’Challa became one of the victims of a global vampire invasion after he was turned himself and exiled from Wakanda. In Black Panther: Blood Hunt, his transformation placed him under the influence of Blade, who had fallen under the control of an ancient vampire named Varnae. However, the Heart-Shaped Herb inside Black Panther’s body eventually purged the vampiric curse, allowing him to regain his humanity.
Marvel’s Ultimate Universe reimagined many of the brand’s most iconic superheroes with a much grittier tone and morally complex personalities. Among the central cast were the Ultimates, an alternate version of the Avengers and a government-backed team assembled under Nick Fury that included its own versions of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, and more. Unlike the Avengers, this team is far more militaristic.
In Ultimate Comics Avengers 3, a vampire uprising brought several of these heroes into direct contact with the undead. Captain America was bitten while investigating the outbreak, although he was able to fight off the infection. Unfortunately, other heroes, including Nerd Hulk, Human Torch, Giant-Man, and Thor, succumbed to vampirism, and nearly all of them were killed when they were exposed to sunlight, with the exception of the Hulk, who was ultimately decapitated.
Stephen Strange was a successful neurosurgeon before a car accident damaged his hands. His search for a cure led him to the mystic arts, eventually setting him on a path to become the Sorcerer Supreme and one of Earth’s most powerful defenders, especially against supernatural threats. That said, even he has fallen to vampirism on more than one occasion in the main Marvel universe.
Most recently, during the 2024 Blood Hunt crossover, Strange found himself turned into a vampire after Blade attacked him at the Sanctum Sanctorum. However, Strange’s wife, Clea, knew the danger he posed given his magical knowledge, so she separated his soul from his vampiric body until they found a way to restore his humanity. Before that, in 1976, Dracula turned Doctor Strange for a short time before the hero cured himself.
Ororo Munroe, best known as X-Men’s Storm, is an Omega-level mutant who can control weather patterns at will. Since her debut in 1975, she’s stood as one of Marvel’s most powerful mutants ever created and has proven herself to be a capable leader, mentor, tactician, as well as a master of hand-to-hand combat. When it comes to vampirism, Storm has transformed multiple times across comics, but only once in the main continuity.
Screen Rant presents the 15 gods, mutants, sorcerers and more that make up the top ranks when it comes to power levels in Marvel Comics vast history.
In Uncanny X-Men #159, Dracula targeted Storm, aiming to turn her into one of his vampire brides. While he succeeded in initiating the transformation, she resisted his mental manipulation through sheer willpower and ultimately escaped his control and returned to the X-Men. Another popular vampiric version of Storm took place in an alternate universe where she became known as Bloodstorm, a darker reimagining of her character that embraced the transformation and stood out as an anti-hero.
Miles Morales became Spider-Man after being bitten by a genetically altered spider, inheriting familiar arachnid abilities as the original Spider-Man, while developing other distinctive powers of his own. Since his debut in Ultimate Fallout #4 in 2011, he’s also stood apart from Peter Parker thanks to abilities like bioelectric venom blasts and optical camouflage.
Like several other Marvel superheroes, Miles Morales was bitten by Blade during the Blood Hunt event in 2024. While Doctor Strange’s magic freed him from supernatural control, Miles remained physically vampiric for several issues, leaving him to deal with bloodlust and other complications involving his bioelectric powers. This transformation extended into his solo series before he was eventually cured after an encounter with the spider god Anansi.
James Howlett, who is better known as Logan or Wolverine, stands as one of the most well-known and popular members of the X-Men. He’s also one of the most formidable due to his accelerated healing, heightened senses, adamantium-laced skeleton, and retractable claws. Throughout Marvel comics, Wolverine has turned into a vampire more than once, but one storyline stands out more than others.
One of the few times Wolverine has been turned happened during the 2010 Curse of the Mutants storyline. In this, Wolverine was deliberately infected with vampirism as part of a plan devised with Cyclops. By suppressing his healing factor, they allowed the infection to take hold so he could infiltrate the vampire nation as a double agent, allowing the X-Men to fight back against the invasion. In the end, Wolverine’s healing factor purged the vampirism, allowing him to regain his humanity.
Jubilation Lee, known better as simply Jubilee, made her debut in Uncanny X-Men #244 in 1989 and became a distinctive member of the X-Men thanks to her energetic personality and explosive mutant abilities. Paired with her bond with Wolverine, she established a definitive place among the team. She also just so happens to stand out as a major example for Marvel superheroes who have been afflicted with vampirism.
Similar to Wolverine, she was turned during the Curse of the Mutants storyline in 2010 after being bitten by Xarus, Dracula’s son. Since then, she’s remained a vampire for nearly eight years, struggling with bloodlust and being forced to adapt to her altered condition. The heroic vampire group, the Forgiven, helped her walk in daylight by giving her an amulet, and Wolverine’s blood helped manage her hunger until Quentin Quire used the remaining power of the Phoenix Force to restore her humanity.
