Membership: Captain America, Falcon, Giant-Man, Hawkeye, Wasp and Polaris
First Appearance: Exiles (1st series) #31
Last Appearance: Exiles (1st series) #32
BEFORE
- Their reality was originally quite similar to Earth-616.
- Captain America and the Invaders fought in War World II against the Axis powers, including Baron Blood.
- When Baron Blood resurfaced in the modern era, Captain America and the contemporary Union Jack opposed him. However, the point in which that reality primarily diverged was that both Cap and Union Jack were turned into Vampires following this confrontation.
- Ever strong-willed, Captain America killed Baron Blood a year after his transformation, becoming the “Vampire King.”
- The Avengers of this reality were also turned into Vampires. This was said to be by the “Vampire King.”
- The Vampire Avengers were apparently “popular” online, in much the way serial killers are, apparently inspiring fan sites, chatrooms etc.
- Three years before the start of the story, Captain America and Union Jack fought, leading to Union Jack retiring from public life and leaving him with severe facial burns. It was not known to the public that he was also a vampire.
- The Exiles were a team of superhumans, primarily mutant/x-related heroes, who were sent to alternate realities by a being called the Timebroker. When one mission was accomplished, they would be sent on the next.
CHRONOLOGY
Following their transformation, the Vampire Avengers were quite solidly villains. Captain America came up with a plan for them to enslave the entire city of San Francisco using the Macodibe enchantment. He led his team into a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility to steal a magical totem that was required for the spell. Initially, they had attempted stealth but, when discovered, it was a bloodbath much to the glee of the team.
The Exiles (Mimic, Nocturne, Morph, Magik, Sasquatch, Sunfire) had been sent to this reality by the Timebroker to “stop the vampire king from releasing the enchantment that will enslave a city.” Given that the Timebroker was providing such limited detail, Morph took to the internet and researched their foes and found out about the Falsworths/Union Jack as the family opposing Baron Blood and vampires for generations. Mimic found Union Jack's contact information and phoned him for help/advice on how to deal with the threat. Union Jack was surprisingly candid, and provided helpful information to the Exiles as to what they needed to do stop his rival, Captain America. He told Mimic that, to complete the enchantment, Rogers only had limited locations in which he could cast the spell, two of which were in San Francisco. Given his help, Mimic did ask Union Jack to re-enter “service” and help them in their mission but he declined, stating that he had retired.
The Avengers were on top of the San Francisco skyline in the site of the former temple of the high lord Kolock, the location apparently having all the mystical properties they needed. As Falcon and Hawkeye were about to create the wooden altar they claimed they required, Polaris was staked by Magik. The rest of the Exiles started to pair off with the Avengers. During the melee, Hawkeye bit Sunfire and was quickly killed by Nocturne. Mimic gained the upper hand on Captain America and successfully decapitated him but he simply put his head back on, seemingly indestructible as the Vampire King. Mimic was very unnerved by this and, as Cap was about to deliver a final blow, Sasquatch burst from the ground, having dispatched her own sparring partner, Giant-Man. Having lost three teammates and now outnumbered, Wasp advocated for retreat, to which Cap agreed. The Exiles focus was now on Sunfire, who had been infected, and they did not pursue the Avengers at this time.Three hours later, the remaining Vampire Avengers (Captain America, Falcon and the Wasp) had journeyed to the second site and Cap started the enchantment anew. As he was speaking, the Exiles member Nocturne grabbed the totem from his hands and mocked him. As he pursued her, Union Jack jumped on him, Cap now realized that the Exiles must have recruited Union Jack after their last skirmish, though the heroes were still unaware of his true nature. As Union Jack and Cap fought, Wasp and Falcon attempted to intervene but they were overwhelmed by the other Exiles and becoming weaker anyway as the dawn approached. In reality, Union Jack was acting as a distraction so Magik could sneak up on Captain America and impale with him with her soulsworld, a weapon that had the mystical power to kill a Vampire King. Cap fell to the ground, seemingly shocked by being outmaneuvered at the end by his rival.
Union Jack then began to laugh manically, disturbing Magik who was standing nearby. Taking off his mask to show his own fangs, he announced he was the “Vampire King” and that Captain America had stolen his birthright and title by killing his uncle Baron Blood. Union Jack wanted to thank Magik for her help and could see no better way of doing that then by bringing her into the fold and siring her. As he attempted this, he was hit by a pyrotechnic blast from Sunfire, who had regained consciousness following Captain America's death. Union Jack was shocked at who would dare to attack him at the time of his ascension. Sunfire continued to blast him and Wasp and Falcon who were now standing behind him. While she was effectively still incinerating them, before he died, Union Jack cursed the Exiles as they were teleporting to another reality for their next mission, separating them.
NOTE
- The fan sites Morph studied claimed that Captain America was turned by Baron Blood but an argument could be made that it makes more sense that Union Jack sired him and all the others as upon the destruction of Captain America, Wasp and Falcon remained Vampires, now seemingly loyal to Union Jack.
- What conflicts with this is that Union Jack claimed that, to cure Sunfire, the Exiles needed to end the bloodline and kill Rogers, as he had sired Hawkeye, who in turn infected Sunfire. Sunfire was unconscious at the start of Exiles (1st series) #32 but she appeared cured and awoke after Rogers death. Possibly, Union Jack and Captain America were both sired by Blood and were “siblings” and that as Sunfire's transformation had not fully taken place it was possible to cure her but for Wasp and Falcon it was too late.
- Given that Union Jack was being deceptive throughout the story, it's hard to know if what he was saying was truthful or not.
AFTERWARDS
- As a result of the Union Jack's curse, the Exiles were separated across realities but for vastly different time periods.
- Heather Hudson (Sasquatch) and Morph ended up in her home reality briefly interacting with her husband Wolverine, before being teleported back into service. They were there only about an hour.
- Nocturne and Sunfire ended up in the reality where the team had previously helped that world's Avengers find a cure for the Vi-Lock virus. Sunfire had met that world's version of Mary Jane Watson (aka Spider-Woman) while there initially and the two rekindled their romance. They were there six weeks.
- Magik claimed she ended up in a reality where she was dropped in the ocean for ten minutes.
- Mimic ended up on an Earth consumed by the alien the Brood for six months. During that time, he was infected and, when he was eventually reunited with the team and the infection took hold, he killed Sunfire, who at that point had been a mainstay of the Exiles. [Exiles (1st Series) #33-37]
- A later incarnation of the Exiles were imprisoned by the Squadron Supreme, fearing the power they had. The Exiles had since realized that the Timebroker wasn't actually real and was a construct for these bug-like creatures who resided in a place outside of reality called the Crystal Palace. The bugs had damaged alternate realities during their exploration and recruited the Exiles to fix their mistakes. The Exiles took control of the Crystal Palace upon finding out the truth, with the bugs functioning as support staff. Heather Hudson (formerly Sasquatch) used the Crystal Palace technology to remotely communicate examples of Exiles heroic deeds to convince the Squadron that the Exiles were the “good guys.” Their destruction of the Vampire Avengers was one of these examples she used. Knowing just how much good they had done humbled the Squadron, who released them. [Exiles (1st Series) #78]
MEMBERS
Captain America
First appearance: Exiles (1st series) #31
All Vampire Avengers appearances: Exiles (1st series) #31-32
Powers: Presumably equivalent to Earth-616, with the Super-Soldier Serum providing him peak human strength, speed, agility, endurance, reflexes, immune system, and recuperative powers, carries an Adamantium-Vibranium alloy shield, further enhanced as a vampire
Notes:
- Was killed by Magik using her soul sword.
- Captain America knew a version of Mimic and was surprised to see him as he believed he was still a mercenary/bad guy.
- Captain America would claim that he had killed and turned countless other heroes and was now largely avoided by superhero types while he was fighting Mimic.
Giant Man
First appearance: Exiles (1st series) #31
All Vampire Avengers appearances: Exiles (1st series) #31
Powers: Presumably equivalent to Earth-616, using Pym Particles to achieve proportionately increased size and mass, augmented his strength and durability as well, further enhanced as a vampire
Notes:
- Giant Man was the only member of the group whose death was not seen on panel but presumably he died at the hands of Sasquatch.
Falcon
First appearance: Exiles (1st series) #31
All Vampire Avengers appearances: Exiles (1st series) #31-32
Powers: Presumably equivalent to Earth-616, utilizing Wakandan tech for jet-propelled gliders wings allowing him to fly, further enhanced as a vampire
Notes:
- Falcon was incinerated by Sunfire.
Hawkeye
First appearance: Exiles (1st series) #31
All Vampire Avengers appearances: Exiles (1st series) #31
Powers: Presumably equivalent to Earth-616, a marksman with keen eyesight and coordination, employing specially-designed trick arrow shafts, further enhanced as a vampire
Notes:
- Hawkeye was staked by Nocturne.
- Hawkeye bit Sunfire causing her transformation into a vampire.
Wasp
First appearance: Exiles (1st series) #31
All Vampire Avengers appearances: Exiles (1st series) #31-32
Powers: Presumably equivalent to Earth-616, using Pym Particles to proportionately reduce her size and mass, gaining enhanced strength, wings for flight, and bio-electric stings while at wasp-size, further enhanced as a vampire
Notes:
- Wasp was incinerated by Sunfire.
Polaris
First appearance: Exiles (1st series) #31
All Vampire Avengers appearances: Exiles (1st series) #31
Powers: Presumably equivalent to Earth-616, a mutant with the ability to manipulate electromagnetic forces, levitating ferrous material, casting magnetic force fields and bolts, and flight, further enhanced as a vampire
Notes:
- Polaris was killed by Magik first while the Exiles still had the element of surprise. Presumably she considered her the biggest threat due to her mutant powers.
- Interestingly, her costume was very similar to her Mutant X counterpart and her life may have had a similar trajectory.
- Polaris seemed to be filling “Scarlet Witch’s” role in this version of the Avengers, as her presence here was atypical, even for an alternate reality version of the Avengers.
Unclear Status
Union Jack
First appearance: Exiles (1st series) #31
All Vampire Avengers appearances: Exiles (1st series) #31-32
Powers: Presumably equivalent to Earth-616, demonstrating no enhanced abilities at baseline, but further enhanced as a vampire and the presumptive Vampire King
Notes:
- Union Jack's inclusion on the team is up for debate. Wasp and Falcon seemed to instinctively defer to him upon the death of Captain America and, based on vampire hierarchy, by default he may have been their leader.