The Deadly Hunger of... The Blood Brothers!

 

Two Hulk-sized, super-strong alien bruisers whose name is partially derived from the fact that they feast on blood--wouldn't you have liked to have been a fly on the wall when Jim Starlin pieced together that character concept, which saw print in 1973 in the form of the Blood Brothers, enforcers of the will of Thanos during the time the villain held Drax the Destroyer prisoner in his base located in the Arizona desert. It was Drax who would reach out to Iron Man and provide him with knowledge of the rise of Thanos of Titan--as well as a hurried warning about the Blood Brothers, who were sent to retrieve the golden Avenger when Drax's telepathic contact had been detected, and return with him to Thanos's base. As we'll see, despite his confidence, Iron Man's resistance to the unexpected might of the Blood Brothers comes to naught (which is putting it mildly)--but at his destination, he successfully breaks away in order to conduct his search for Drax.

It's at the point when Iron Man attempts to free Drax that we're present for Starlin's introduction of... well, let's just say a character whose name came to be known in years to come by thousands of readers and moviegoers alike and who helped to make Marvel Studios and the folks at Disney a lot of money. Kudos to you, Mr. Starlin.

With unexpected assistance from Titan, Iron Man is finally successful in freeing Drax--which means it's open season on the Blood Brothers, now that it's no longer a matter of two against one.

As for Thanos, he escapes but detonates his base using a robot double of himself, though fortunately our heroes caught on in time to save themselves.

It's anyone's guess whether Starlin at this point had meant for the Blood Brothers' name to signify that they were "out for blood" not only as killers but as creatures that actually consumed the blood of their foe(s), given that we see no sign or mention of it here.* But that would be cleared up nine months later, when we would come across the Thing in this neck of the woods (er, desert) following a battle with the Hulk that led to a confrontation of both the Leader and Kurrgo, the former Master of Planet X. Having no ability to leap his way home, Ben Grimm is forced to grumpily hoof it--but sighting Iron Man, Ben is encouraged by the prospect of hitching a ride, only to see the Avenger zoom past him.

*Nor is it yet revealed that their might increases from their proximity to one another. In this story, Starlin attributes their strength to Earth's gravity, in conjunction with their tendency to attack as one.

As you can imagine, the apparent snub doesn't do much to improve Ben's mood, and prompts him to head in the same direction in order to "convince" the Avenger to help him; but as for Iron Man, he's focused on investigating activity he's picked up at Thanos's former base. (Which somehow remains reasonably intact after the devastating explosion triggered by Thanos--beats me, folks.) What he discovers, however, is two foes who have a bone to pick with him after their last encounter.

It looks like Ben's arrival is a timely one where the pressed-upon Iron Man is concerned--but how quickly good fortune can lead to disaster, for both men.

We've already seen that the Blood Brothers are in a feasting mood, which is only exacerbated when Thanos communicates with his underlings to slay Iron Man and the Thing. But one of these bruisers will learn the hard way that just because the Thing isn't wearing armor doesn't make him the more delectable victim.

The formal classification of the Blood Brothers as "vampires" no doubt serves to further raise the profile of these two, whereas we might otherwise have simply considered them to be brutish carnivores. Yet it's likely we won't see their vampiric aspect manifest as often as we do with traditional vampires, just as we tend to think of a vampire's abilities in ways apart from physical strength--though it can be quite the surprise for those battling them hand-to-hand.

But it's the strength as well as the coordinated attacks of the Blood Brothers that will prove difficult for even the rampaging Thing to handle unless this team player forms up with another of his ilk, in a sequence that sees Starlin once again collaborating with inker Joe Sinnott.

(I don't know--that landslide looked like it caught everybody napping, but writer Mike Friedrich is calling the shots here.)

Unfortunately for the Blood Brothers, their battle has been observed by an individual whom we're learning doesn't take failure lightly--and with Death standing at his side, their fate seems certain.

Not to be a stickler, Thanos, but this battle took place outside the confines of your former base, so the Earthmen didn't do anything but defeat your lackeys. It was yourself who actually carried out your base's demolition (though honestly, it didn't look too demolished). Why aren't you using that Cosmic Cube on Mike Friedrich? ;)

COMING UP: Jeez, why are the Blood Brothers always piling on Iron Man?