Bloodlines (comics)
| Bloodlines | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Format | one-shot |
| Publication date | Issue #1 early December 1993 Issue #2 late December 1993 |
| No. of issues | 2 |
| Main character(s) | Justice League of America |
| Creative team as of December 1993 | |
| Created by | Alan Grant Dan Raspler Christian Alamy |
| Written by | Dan Raspler |
| Penciller(s) | Chuck Wojtkiewicz Sal Velluto |
| Inker(s) | Agop Gemdjian Jeff Albrecht Del Barras |
| Colorist(s) | Stuart Chaifetz |
Bloodlines was a intracompany crossover that spanned all of the annuals published by DC Comics in 1993. And was bookended by two Bloodbath specials written by Dan Raspler, issue one was drawn by Chuck Wojtkiewicz, issue two was drawn by Sal Velluto. The parasites premiered in Lobo annual vol. 2 #1 written by Alan Grant and drawn by Christian Alamy.
History
The villains of the crossover were the formerly imprisoned survivors of a race of alien parasites named Angon, Gemir, Glonth, Lissick, Pritor, Ragnorak, Venev, and Slodd that could shapeshift into humanoid form. The bite Bloodlines Parasites' bite was administered to the back of the neck by a mouth-within-a-mouth obviously intended as a reference to the titular creature of the Alien series. This bite usually killed the victim for food but occasionally awakened superhuman powers in the recipient, as this was also the means by which the creatures could reproduce.
Each of the annuals involved in the crossover uses this plot device to introduce a new super-powered character to the DC Universe. The only one of these characters to attain any long-standing notoriety was Hitman, who first appeared in that year's Demon Annual and went on to star in his own sixty-issue ongoing series.
The Bloodlines crossover event spanned 23 of DC's regular titles and wrapped up in the 2-part mini "Bloodbath". The three alien parasites that came to Earth to gather spinal fluid sacrificed themselves to help birth a gigantic alien known as the Taker. A number of the so-called "New Bloods", former members of a nineties team called the Blood Pack were killed off in the final issue of 2005-2006's Infinite Crisis event.
Story Order
Bloodlines was divided into four "chapters": Outbreak, Earthplague, Deathstorm, and Bloodbath. The order of the storyline is as follows:
Bloodlines: Outbreak
- Lobo Annual #1
- Superman: The Man of Steel Annual #2
- Batman: Shadow of The Bat Annual #1
- Flash Annual #6
- New Titans Annual #9
- Superman Annual #5
- Green Lantern Annual #2
- Batman Annual #17
- Justice League International Annual #4
Bloodlines: Earthplague
- Robin Annual #2
- Action Comics Annual #5
- Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #4
- Green Arrow Annual #6
- Detective Comics Annual #6
- Justice League America Annual #7
- Adventures of Superman Annual #5
- Hawkman Annual #1
Bloodlines: Deathstorm
- Deathstroke Annual #2
- Eclipso Annual #5
- Demon Annual #2
- Batman: Legends of The Dark Knight Annual #3
- Team Titans Annual #1
- L.E.G.I.O.N. Annual #4
Bloodlines: Bloodbath
- Bloodbath #1
- Bloodbath #2
New Bloods
The superhumans whose powers were awakened by the alien parasites were known collectively as "New Blood." Individually, they were:
- Action Comics Annual #5 — Loose Cannon: "super-strong ex-cop, a mood ring version of the Hulk whose color changes as he gets angrier"
- Batman Annual #17 — Ballistic: "Korean-American hero and an armed and dangerous vigilante" (dead)
- Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Annual #3 — Cardinal Sin: "disillusioned priest"
- Batman: Shadow of the Bat Annual #1 — Joe Public: "strength-siphoning patriot"
- Deathstroke Annual #2 — Gunfire: "Able to explosively convert matter to energy."
- Demon Annual #2 — Hitman: "the name sez it all!" (dead)
- Detective Comics Annual #6 — Geist: "ghostly night-hero, ironically only becomes visible in the dark." (dead)
- Eclipso Annual #1 — Prism: "light-manipulating scientist"
- Flash Annual #6 — Argus: "shadow-melding undercover agent from Central City"
- Green Arrow Annual #6 — Hook: "hook-handed former soldier"
- Green Lantern Annual #2 — Nightblade: "Chinese-American regenerating martial artist, survived Mongul's destruction of Coast City" (dead)
- Hawkman Annual #1 — Mongrel: "darkforce-blasting African American-Vietnamese hero" (dead)
- Justice League America Annual #7 — Shadowstryke: "tragic hero, dark force energy"
- Justice League America Annual #7 — Krag: "stone bodied hero, super strength"
- Justice League International Annual #4 — Lionheart: "armored high-tech knight, hero of Great Britain"
- L.E.G.I.O.N. Annual #4 — Pax: "last of his race, space-shaman"
- Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #4 — Jamm: "prodigious surfer-dude"
- Lobo Annual #1 — Layla, "tough-as-nails space explorer"
- New Titans Annual #9 — Anima: "Animus-summoning grunge rocker"
- Robin Annual #2 — Razorsharp: "sword-armed hacker" (dead)
- Superman Annual #5 — Myriad: "personality-absorbing assassin"
- Superman: The Man of Steel Annual #2 — Edge: "blade-hurling community hero"
- Team Titans Annual #1 — Chimera: "illusion-creating heroine of India"
- Showcase '94 #12 — Loria: "woman who could transform into living metal, super strong agent of the Quorum" (dead)