While Marvel Comics’ web-slinging hero Spider-Man teams up with Blade and attempts to defeat a 2,000 year old vampire named Solomon Negus, he thinks of a new name for for the half-vampire hero. But Blade is anything but impressed by the alternative alias.
Throughout the years, Spider-Man has teamed-up with a variety of heroes including Deadpool, the Fantastic Four, Venom and there have even been a few times he teamed-up with Daredevil. In Kevin Grevioux, Roberto Castro, Walden Wong, Sandu Florea, Dave Sharpe, Sotocolor, John Kalisz, Antonio Fabela, and Andres Mossa’s Spider-Man vs. Vampires Vol. 1 #1, Spider-Man partners with Blade. The character, famously played on screen by Wesley Snipes, is also called the Daywalker because he can walk in the sunlight without being turned into an ash heap like his full-vampire brethren. But this is not the first time Spider-Man has encountered the Daywalker, so when Blade tells him to not call him Batman, Spider-Man knows he means business.
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In the final chapter of Spider-Man vs. Vampires Vol. 1 #1, Negus – who is developing a serum to turn humans into vampires is speaking with one of his associates in a warehouse when Spider-Man and Blade crash through a window and begin attacking the vampire. Negus calls for back-up and soon a horde of vampires surround the pair. And because Blade has faced all kinds of vampires, he comes prepared and even lets Spider-Man borrow some of his UV light pellets. As the pellets turn Negus’ vampire army back into humans, Blade chases after the villain. While Blade and Negus brawl, Spider-Man finds a UV pellet on the ground and jams it into Negus’ mouth – causing his face to become engulfed in flames as he flees into a nearby sewer drain. After calling it a night, Spider-Man asks Blade a question that’s been bugging him: “Since you have the abilities of giant vampire bat, why not just take the name of Batm…“ But before Spider-Man has a chance to finish saying the name, Blade immediately tells him, “No.”
Although Blade refuses to be called Batman, Spider-Man’s reasoning behind asking him why he is not already given the name is logical. His reasoning is in regards to his own name, as well as the name of another famous Avenger. Since Peter Parker has the powers of a spider – he is called Spider-Man and because Tony Stark has a suit that’s made of iron – he is called Iron Man. So why isn’t Blade called Batman since he has the powers of a bat?
Even though Spider-Man never learns why Blade refuses to be called Batman, it’s obvious that it’s an intentional meta comic book joke. Plus, Marvel can’t just take the name of DC’s Dark Knight. But as far as nicknames go, Batman isn’t bad.
