Deacon Frost
Deacon Frost | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | The Tomb of Dracula #13 (Oct 1973) |
Created by | Marv Wolfman Gene Colan |
In-story information | |
Species | Vampire |
Notable aliases | Whitehair |
Deacon Frost is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He appears in The Tomb of Dracula, and is an enemy of Blade. In the comics, Deacon Frost was depicted as a tall, white-haired, late middle-aged gentleman with red eyes, and wearing 1860s Germany period clothing. His doppelgänger sported an accent and attire that suggested a Southern preacher.
The character appeared in the 1998 film Blade, portrayed by Stephen Dorff.
Publication history
Deacon Frost first appeared in The Tomb of Dracula #13 (October 1973), and was created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan.
Fictional character biography
Deacon Frost was allegedly a scientist looking for the key to immortality. For one of his experiments, he kidnapped a young woman in order to inject his victim with the blood of a recently killed vampire. The girl's fiancé broke into the lab, and (in the resulting scuffle) Frost was accidentally injected with the blood himself. The result was that Frost became a vampire but (due to the unusual method of becoming one) he was endowed with a unique characteristic. Anyone he turned into a vampire would generate a doppelgänger. He could create an unlimited number of doppelgängers by biting each doppelgänger, and they would all be under his mental control. Frost intended to use this ability to contend for the position of Lord of Vampires, a position that was presently held by Dracula. Frost is the vampire responsible for the death of Blade's mother; Blade's initial mission is to exact revenge against the woman's killer.[volume & issue needed] It was also Frost who turned Hannibal King into a vampire.[volume & issue needed] Blade and King (while initially distrusting each other) eventually teamed up to fight Frost's army of doppelgangers of Blade and King.[volume & issue needed] The two of them managed to defeat and apparently destroy Frost in his underground hideout, stabbing him twice and leaving his body to be consumed as his hideout exploded.[volume & issue needed]
Many years later, Blade encountered a vampire that called itself Deacon Frost.[volume & issue needed] This vampire had a different appearance and personality to the original, and was later identified as being a doppelgänger.[volume & issue needed] The doppelgänger attempted to summon a powerful demon, only to be devoured by said creature.[volume & issue needed] In a later one-shot story set in New Orleans, Frost was encountered yet again, but he appeared as he did in The Tomb of Dracula. He also confirmed that the previous encounter was indeed an imposter (as Blade suspected) who was created using science and magic. Blade and King, with the help of Brother Voodoo, foiled Frost's attempt to gain control of Garwood Industries through Donna Garth (daughter of Simon Garth the Living Zombie). Frost escaped this encounter vowing revenge.[volume & issue needed] More recently, Frost appeared at the summons of Dracula to defend the Lord of Vampires as he underwent a magical ritual, only to be staked by Blade.[volume & issue needed]
Other versions
Earth-9991
While roughhousing, two boys enter the parking garage where Frost is located with his latest creation, a monster called the White Worm. Frost sics the White Worm on the children, then flees when he senses the approach of Blade.[1]
Ultimate Marvel
The Ultimate version of Deacon Frost appears with a youthful appearance. He has been captured in order to convince Blade to join Nick Fury's Black ops team.[2]
In other media
Television
- Deacon Frost appears in Marvel Anime: Blade,[3] voiced by Tsutomu Isobe in the Japanese version and by JB Blanc in the English Dub.[citation needed] In this series, Deacon Frost is the leader of an organization he created called Existence (the symbol of the organization being a bat with DNA threads), whose membership comprises hordes of vampires, most of which are genetically altered by his own science to become more powerful and humans who have been deceived into helping them in exchange for fulfilling their own desires. Frost is known as the four-fanged vampire and famed as powerful even for vampire standards, with his organization greatly spreading its influence in Asia, this puts him in conflict with the council of pure-blood vampires who have ruled Europe for many centuries. While responsible for many tragedies surrounding Blade and others, Frost suffered his own tragic event while human. Having witnessed his son Edgar killed by a vampire and further infuriated by corrupt police that were not looking into the case, Frost decided to research vampires with the help of many vampire hunters he hired to the purpose of turning himself into a stronger breed of vampire. This ultimately motivates Frost's goal to wipe out the old vampire race, then rule the world with a race of genetically altered vampires created from Blade's own Daywalker blood. Deacon Frost has done experiments on the Mandurugo, the Manananggal, and the Sundel bolong. By the end of the series, Deacon Frost drinks the blood in his daywalking vampires to assume a stronger form, but is slain moments after in a final showdown with Blade, using his mother's and Makoto's silver weapons.
Film
- Deacon Frost appeared as the main antagonist of the 1998 film Blade, portrayed by Stephen Dorff. This depiction was a younger and more updated version for the 1990s while retaining his upstart ambitions. His main objective was to become the vampire God La Magra and rid the world of humans, believing it belongs to the vampire race. After killing the House of Erebus' leaders as part of the ritual, Blade and Karen Jenson spoiled Frost's plans. Despite their efforts however, Frost managed to complete the ritual and be one with La Magra, engaging Blade in a sword battle. During the fight, Blade managed to gain the upper hand, cutting off Frost's right arm and then proceeded to cut him in half, only for Frost's top half to re-connect and regrow his right arm. But after a stand-off, Frost was finally killed by Blade's use of EDTA darts which caused him to explode.
- Deacon Frost was mentioned in Blade II as not being well liked in the vampire community; vampire warlord Eli Damaskinos and "familiar"/lawyer Karl Kounen said that Blade "actually did [them] a favor" with Frost's death.
- Stephen Dorff told Wordpass.com in 2009 that there was a prequel trilogy with his character in development and that Stephen Norrington would be involved in the project.[4] However, in 2012 the rights for Blade returned to Marvel Studios.[5]
Video games
Deacon Frost appears as the main antagonist on the Blade table in Marvel Pinball.
References
- ^ Bart Sears (w), Bart Sears (p), Bill Sienkiewicz (i), Mark McNabb (col), Dave Sharpe (let), Ralph Macchio (ed). "Bane of the White Worm" Blade: Vampire Hunter, vol. 1, no. ½ (1999). United States: Marvel Comics.
- ^ Ultimate Avengers vs. New Ultimates #2
- ^ "Blade, Fairy Tail, Ro-Kyu-Bu! Promo Videos Streamed". Anime News Network.
- ^ "'BLADE' Spinoff In Development: Will Feature STEPHEN DORFF Reprising DEACON FROST Role". Dietrichthrall.wordpress.com. 2009-07-08. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
- ^ Kit, Borys (August 14, 2012). "Fox's Daredevil Rights on Verge of Reverting to Marvel as Ticking Clock Looms (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 15, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help)
External links
- Deacon Frost at The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
- Blade (comics)
- Characters created by Gene Colan
- Characters created by Marv Wolfman
- Comics characters introduced in 1973
- Fictional scientists
- Fictional mass murderers
- Marvel Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds
- Marvel Comics characters with accelerated healing
- Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength
- Marvel Comics supervillains
- Marvel Comics vampires
- Superhero film characters