Drake (Blade)

Drake is the primary antagonist of Blade: Trinity. He is the progenitor of the vampire race and has walked the Earth for centuries. In that time, he has gone by many names; the people of Babylon once worshipped him as Dagon, but since the Middle Ages he has been primarily known by the name Dracula.

History
Dracula - or Drake, as he is known in modern times - was the very first vampire to ever walk the Earth. Whereas the rest of the vampire race has undergone multiple mutations over the ages, Drake was born as the apex of vampiric evolution, suffering none of the weaknesses associated with vampires in the modern era. He is immune to garlic and silver and is able to move freely by daylight without ill effects.

For countless ages, Drake had been carving a path of blood and destruction across the world. However, some time following the death of Christ, he disappeared without trace, apparently having become disillusioned with the world as mankind continued to develop. In the early 21st century, his tomb was discovered in Iraq by the House of Talos and he was awoken.

Drake joined Danica Talos and travelled to America. Danica informed Drake that she required his blood in order to rid their race of their genetic impurities and also asked for his help in killing the hunter known as Blade. As Blade and the Nightstalkers began hunting down the Talos family's Familiars, Drake made himself known to Blade after taking on the guise of Dr. Edgar Vance. Drake killed the doctor and took his form, but his deception was quickly noticed as the doctor's body had been left out in the open. Drake addressed Blade and expressed his disdain for humanity, likening them to insects that knew nothing about honour.

Later on, Drake took on the form of Blade's deceased partner Abraham Whistler and infiltrated the Nightstalkers' hideout. After slaughtering most of the group, he returned to Danica's lair with Hannibal King and Zoe Sommerfield as hostages. Whilst holding her captive, Drake asked Zoe if she would like to remain a child forever, hinting that he would turn her into a vampire so that she would never age or die. Zoe wasn't swayed by Drake's offer and warned him that her friends were coming to kill him. When Blade and Abigail Whistler arrived to rescue King and Zoe, Blade confronted Drake in a final showdown. The two were highly skilled in swordplay, but Drake was more brutal and had centuries of experience to draw upon. Worse, he possessed a terrifying monstrous form that was stronger than his human form. Drake managed to overpower Blade, but before he could deliver a killing blow, Abigail fired an arrow equipped with a vial of Daystar virus, the only thing that might be able to kill him. Drake caught the arrow in midair, then dropped it as he roared at Abigail. Blade grabbed the Daystar arrowhead and stabbed Drake in the thigh with it, injecting him with the virus.

As the virus amplified within his body, Drake roared and released a cloud of infected blood into the air. The airborne virus spread throughout the lair, killing off all the remaining vampires. Before he died, Drake turned back to his human form, congratulating Blade on his victory and telling him that the future of the vampire race rested with him.

Appearance
In his human form, Drake appears as an attractive male in his mid- to late-twenties. This is merely a chosen form, however, as he possesses shape-shifting abilities that allow him to take on the form of any human. His true form resembles a demon, displaying deep-red skin, numerous spikes growing from his shoulders and head, and luminescent blue veins visible on his shoulders and chest. His mouth is filled with sharp teeth and his jaw can split open into a horrific set of mandibles similar to those of the Reapers.

Personality
Drake is shown to be cold and aloof; he holds humanity in contempt, considering them to be lacking in honour. He holds his own species in low regard as well, considering modern vampires to be merely a shadow of their former selves due to the various weaknesses they've developed over millennia of mutation. Drake was quite content to remain in his dormant state forever and openly chastised Danica Talos for awakening him, though he still went along with her plan to enhance the vampire genome using his pure DNA.

Most notably, Drake held a certain degree of respect for Blade. He saw in Blade a kindred spirit, someone like him who lived by the sword and had a sense of honour. After being defeated by Blade in battle, Drake congratulated his adversary and stated that the future of the vampire race rested on the Daywalker's shoulders.

Powers and Abilities

 * Immortality - Biologically speaking, Drake can live forever since he does not age and cannot be affected by any known disease.
 * Accelerated Healing - Like other vampires, Drake can rapidly heal any wound and even regenerate lost limbs.
 * Superhuman Strength - Drake possesses strength far greater than that of humans and of most vampires.
 * Superhuman Senses - Drake has enhanced senses of sight, sound, taste and smell.
 * Mimicry - Drake has also displayed a level of shape-shifting ability. While he cannot turn into mist or other animals like Bram Stoker's interpretation of him, he is able to take on the appearance of any human. He also can assume a more monstrous form reminiscent of classic interpretations of demons.
 * Martial Arts - Drake is a master of combat, possessing impeccable hand-to-hand fighting ability and skill in swordplay.

Weaknesses
Drake possesses none of the common weaknesses inherent in modern vampires; he can walk in sunlight, he is immune to silver and garlic and is believed to be immune to blood-thinning agents like EDTA. While he does require human blood to sustain himself, it is unclear if blood starvation can kill him or if it merely incapacitates him in some form. His only known weakness is Daystar, a biological weapon specifically tailored to his physiology.