VARKIS
Real Names: Varkis
Identity/Class: Human mutant vampire
Occupation: Predator, vampire messiah
Group Membership: The Creed (Count von Stadt, Dragoness/Tamara Kurtz, others)
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Blade (Eric Brooks), Wolverine (James "Logan" Howlett)
Known Relatives: The Creed (creators), Wolverine (James "Logan" Howlett; genetic progenitor)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: A temple in Belize, Central America
First Appearance: Wolverine vs. Blade Special#1 (September, 2019)
Powers/Abilities: Varkis possessed the healing factor of Wolverine in addition to the regenerative abilities of a vampire, though even his healing factor had its limits. He possessed superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes and superhumanly acute senses of smell and sight. He was extremely long-lived and immune to poisons, drugs, diseases and can heal through vast physical injuries within seconds, even a stab through the heart. His skeleton included six retractable foot-long claws, three in each arm, he can release at will. He also possessed claw-like fingernails and retractable vampire fangs. He presumably had to drink blood to survive, though it is possible his need to consume blood was vastly decreased due to his mutant healing factor. He presumably possessed other vampire abilities though none were shown, including shapeshifting into a bat, wolf or mist or turning victims into vampires by draining them completely. He was presumably affected by the usual vampire weaknesses including sunlight, religious symbols and garlic.
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 195 lbs.
Eyes: Yellow
Hair: Black
History:
(Wolverine vs. Blade Special#1 (fb) - BTS) - Members of the vampire cult known as the Creed lured Wolverine to a temple in Madripoor.
Blade learned about the temple in Madripoor from an informant named Desmond, who didn't tell him about the rumors that the Creed were turning mutants into vampires because according to their lore their messiah Varkis was supposed to be a mutant.
(Wolverine vs. Blade Special#1 (fb) ) - At the temple Blade and Wolverine fought the Creed as planned. During the battle a member of the Creed cut off a piece of meat from Wolverine's shoulder.
(Wolverine vs. Blade Special#1 (fb) - BTS) - The Creed member escaped with the piece of meat before the temple was blown up by Blade. The Creed later used vampire magic to grow a quasi-clone of Wolverine from the piece of meat, which became their prophesied messiah Varkis.
(Wolverine vs. Blade Special#1 - BTS) - Six months after the incident in Madripoor Wolverine fought the mutant Dragoness in New York City. He was sent after her by X-Force after she had started killing mutants and humans alike. He realized she had been turned into a vampire when he slew her and she turned to dust. At the construction site she was guarding Wolverine found a box. He recognized the markings on the box were similar to the ones he had seen six months earlier at the Creed temple.
Meanwhile Blade fought the vampire Count von Stadt in Von Stadt, Germany and learned that the incident in Madripoor six months earlier was part of a prophecy.
Wolverine took the box to the Sanctum Sanctorum where Doctor Strange revealed everything he knew about the Creed and Varkis, the messiah worshiped by them because he was supposed to unite all vampire houses under his banner. Strange opened the box and it contained the Khandra, an ancient parchment that showed how Varkis would die. The parchment showed Wolverine and Blade fighting each other.
Blade confronted Desmond after his battle against Count von Stadt to learn what else he knew about the Creed. Desmond revealed how Count von Stadt was a mutant, who had been turned into a vampire by the Creed because they believed their messiah Varkis was a mutant. They were trying to find the right mutant by turning as many as possible of them into vampires.
Doctor Strange used a locator spell, which led Wolverine to a Creed temple somewhere in Belize. Blade was already at the temple and a fight broke out between the two because each of them believed the other be the Creed's messiah Varkis. Wolverine showed Blade the Khandra parchment, which showed them fighting each other.
(Wolverine vs. Blade Special#1) - Varkis entered the scene and Wolverine immediately attacked him even though Blade asked him to wait. Varkis revealed how he was grown from the chunk of meat cut from Wolverine's shoulder through vampire magic while stabbing Wolverine in the chest with his bone claws. Meanwhile Blade fought other members of the Creed until Wolverine discerned that the Khandra showed Blade killing Varkis. They switched targets and Blade stabbed Varkis through the heart while Wolverine took down several members of the Creed. Unfortunately Blade and Wolverine were both wrong and Varkis easily recuperated due to his mutant healing factor. After the Creed were taken down Wolverine and Blade both attacked Varkis without much success. Blade gave it another thought and discerned the Khandra was actually like an instruction manual and they decided to attack Varkis the way depicted on the Khandra. While Wolverine cut through Varkis' bowels, Blade cut off his head and this finally destroyed Varkis, whose body turned to dust.
Comments: Created by Marc Guggenheim & Dave Wilkins.
This story occurred at some point after Blade III (2006-2007), but during X-Force III (2008-2010) or Uncanny X-Force I (2010-2013).
Profile by Markus Raymond.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Varkis should not be confused with:
images (without ads)
Wolverine vs. Blade Special#1, p31, pan1 (main)
Wolverine vs. Blade Special#1, p32, pan1 (bone claws)
Wolverine vs. Blade Special#1, p37, pan2 (no shirt)
Appearances:
Wolverine vs. Blade Special#1 (September, 2019) - Marc Guggenheim (writer), Dave Wilkins (artist), Darren Shan (editor)
First Posted: 10/19/2019
Last updated: 11/06/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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