Dracula

Dracula
Dracula
Reality:	Earth-616
Aliases:	Vlad Tepes; Vlad the Impaler; Vlad III
Type:	Main character
Alignment:	Villain
Status:	Formerly deceased
Race:	Vampire
Gender:	Male
Nationality:	Romanian
Occupation:	Nobleman; Lord of the Undead
Affiliation:	Vampires of Earth; Legion of the Unliving
Born:	1431
Place of birth:	Wallachia
Died:	1476 (human death)
Place of death:	Romania
Base of Operations:	Castle Dracula, Transylvania
Height:	6'5"
Weight:	220 lbs.
Eyes:	Red
Hair:	Black
Relatives:	Zofia Dracula (1st wife); Lilith Drake (daughter); Frank Drake (descendant)
First:	Tomb of Dracula, Volume 1 #1
Creators:	Gerry Conway; Gene Colan

Vlad Dracula is a fictional character featured in various horror-themed comic book titles published by Marvel Comics. The character is based on the vampire character made famous by Irish author Bram Stoker in his 1897 novel Dracula. Although the history surrounding the comic and novel versions of Dracula are completely fictional, the name and several historical elements of the character are derived from Vlad III, a Wallachian prince and warlord whose rule was so brutal and savage that it earned him the nickname Vlad the Impaler. He ruled as the voivode of Wallachia from 1456 to 1462.

Publishing history

The first comic book appearance of Dracula took place in the seventh story in the seventh issue of Suspense, published by Marvel Comics in 1951. The story was called "Dracula Lives!" and introduces a man who is convinced that Dracula is hunting him so he turns to a famous vampire writer for help only to discover that it is actually Dracula in disguise. As this story was written prior to the formation of the "Marvel Universe", it is not considered part of Dracula's definitive origin.

Dracula's first mainstream appearance was the eponymous antagonist of his own ongoing comic book series Tomb of Dracula, which began publication in 1972. The character was re-introduced to readers by writer Gerry Conway and artist Gene Colan. Colan, who would go on to become a regular penciler on the series and is considered one of the prominent comic artists in the genre. Colan based his visual design of Dracula on actor Jack Palance, who played the Count in the 1974 Dan Curtis film Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Dracula appeared in all seventy issues of Tomb of Dracula as well as several tie-in annual issues published during the original series run from 1972 to 1979. He appeared in the Giant-Size Chillers one-shot special, which evolved into four follow-up issues under the title Giant-Size Dracula. During publication of the first Tomb of Dracula series, Marvel also published a black and white magazine entitled Dracula Lives!. The name is taken from the title of the story in Dracula's first appearance in Suspense #7. The magazine ran for thirteen issues from 1973 to 1975 and also produced one annual issue. A comic adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula novel was serialized in issues 5-8.

Dracula also made appearances in Marvel's sister horror titles The Frankenstein Monster and Werewolf by Night where he would clash against the more heroic title stars, the Frankenstein Monster and werewolf Jack Russell.

Although Dracula's title was by and large an insular series, his stories did cross over into the mainstream Marvel Universe. He was seen as a foil against Marvel's Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange in Doctor Strange, Volume 2 #12 and even clashed with the cosmic superhero the Silver Surfer in Tomb of Dracula #50.

Following the discontinuation of the regular series, Marvel revived the title in magazine format, which ran for six issues from 1979 to 1980. Each issue contained at least two Dracula stories, while also featuring other horror backup tales. The series also featured stories relating to Dracula's daughter, Lilith.

Dracula met his first on-panel "death" in the final issue of the first Tomb of Dracula series, but like any good comic villain, he did not remain among the deceased for very long. Dracula was soon resurrected, but without a regular title to appear in, was relegated to guest-villain status appearing in various issues one-issue stories where he fought up against Spider-Man, the Uncanny X-Men and even Thor. Dracula, as well as every other vampire in the Marvel Universe (with the exception of Hannibal King) met their demise at the hands of Doctor Strange who used an occult spell known as the Montessi Formula to eradicate all vampires off the face of the Earth in Doctor Strange, Volume 2 #61.

Dracula was absent from Marvel Comics for over a decade, but was resurrected in the early 1990s when Marvel began banding many of their horror-themed titles together under the "Midnight Sons" imprint. The various Midnight Sons titles also resurrected several supporting cast members from Tomb of Dracula including Frank Drake, Hannibal King and Blade.

Throughout the remainder of the 1990s and into the 2000s, Dracula made repeated appearances in various titles, often being killed only to be resurrected once again. Blade became a popular character during this time, owing largely to the Blade film franchise starring Wesley Snipes. Dracula even played a major role in the third film in the series, Blade: Trinity, where he was played by Dominic Purcell. This version of the character, called Drake in the movie, bore little resemblance to the Marvel Comics character however.

In comics, Dracula continued to play a foil for Blade, facing off against him in his numerous comic titles and even was the central villain behind the last major story-arc of the Captain Britain and MI-13 series.

In 2010, Dracula met his end once again at the hands of his own son in the aptly titled Death of Dracula one-shot, which served as a prologue to the "Curse of the Mutants" vampire story that ran through all of Marvel's mutant-related titles in 2010 and 2011.

Biography

Origins

SECTION NOT YET WRITTEN

1400s

SECTION NOT YET WRITTEN

1500s

SECTION NOT YET WRITTEN

1600s

SECTION NOT YET WRITTEN

1700s

This section requires additional information and needs to be expanded upon.

1753
Dracula was in Cologne, Germany when he was captured by villagers led by Father Eisner. Eisner crucified him and staked him through the heart, but suffered a near-fatal heart attack as a result. Eisner's young ward, Marie, resurrected Dracula in the hopes that she could convince him to save the priest, but Dracula instead tore the man's heart from his chest. (TOD2: 4/2)

1800s

This section requires additional information and needs to be expanded upon.

1823
Dracula returned to Germany, where he found the elderly Marie Eisner dying at the Reichenbach Clinic in Cologne. Dracula wanted revenge against Eisner for evading him back when she was a young girl in 1753. The old woman repelled Dracula a second time however by slipping a cross necklace over his head, forcing him to flee. She passed away from natural causes moments later. (TOD2: 4/2)

1900s

This section requires additional information and needs to be expanded upon.

1920s

At some point in the early 20th century, Dracula was habitating in Harrow's Point, Maine. Having journeyed to the island hamlet on a sailing vessel, Dracula turned the captain of the ship into a vampire then began stalking Angelica Neal, the young daughter of lighthouse keeper Frank Neal. Frank fought back against Dracula with the aid of Bishop McFarland and Doctor Chowder. Dracula killed the bishop by smashing him against the glass of the lighthouse search light. His blood stains however, formed the signed of the cross and when the light was turned on, the amplified shape drove the vampire away. (TOD2: 4)

Modern era

This section requires additional information and needs to be expanded upon.

Dracula

Dracula and Clifton Graves smuggled themselves aboard the luxurious party yacht, the Michele. Unlike in the past, Dracula decided to hide in plain sight by pretending to be a person who only believed they were the vampire Dracula, rather than the man himself. An ambitious vampire hunter named Blade came aboard the Michele and fought against Dracula, exposing his identity to the other passengers. Dracula arranged for the ship to explode, leaving behind his trusted slave, Clifton Graves. (TOD: 10)

Still in England, Dracula took control over the management of Wyandanch Limited and used their resources so that he could discretely export coffins for himself and his legion from one port of call to another. During this time, Dracula first encountered the vampire private detective, Hannibal King. Dracula tried to kill King by hurling him through a two-story window, but King survived and returned later to plague Dracula anew. (TOD: 25)

When Dracula returned to Boston in search of Domini, he was attacked by two police officers who found him feeding off a human. Dracula retaliated, but one officer sprayed him with holy water, which caused severe burns, rendering him unsconscious. He was taken to Boston General Hospital where he encountered another patient named Gideon Smith. It was foretold that Gideon, known as the Forever Man, would be reincarnated from one life to the next until he met the "Dead One". Upon witnessing the horror of Dracula, Gideon slipped into a catatonic state. Dracula healed from his burns and slaughtered several hospital staff members before making his escape. (TOD: 57)

For a period of time, Dracula had lost his vampiric powers and was no different than a normal human being. An older vampire named Torgo Nia assumed the mantle of Lord of the Vampires and took control of Dracula's title, lands and followers. Dracula regained his powers and challenged Torgo to mortal combat. He ultimately defeated him and reclaimed his territory as well as the mantle of Lord of the Vampires. (TOD: 70)

After reasserting his dominance, Dracula had one final battle against his aging nemesis Quincy Harker. Harker planted a timed explosive in his wheelchair as a backup should he fail to destroy the vampire. He mustered up enough strength to lift himself out of his chair and lunge at Dracula, successfully impaling him. He was readying himself to decapitate the vampire lord when the bomb detonated, killing Van Helsing and destroying the castle. Though Dracula was killed as well, he eventually returned to life. (TOD: 70)

Abilities

Powers

• Vampirism: Vampirism is the act of turning a human being or animal into a vampire. Despite its roots in European folklore, vampirism exists in nature, and there are many such creatures who are actually born as vampires. Pathologically, vampirism is likened to a virus, carried in the saliva of predators. The vampire enzyme is carried through a victim's bloodstream and within seventy-two hours, mutates the subject's physiology, creating new parasitic organs. By and large, this action can only be perpetuated by a vampire himself, but there has been occasion when a human has been turned into a vampire through an act of black magic such as a curse. The creation of the very first vampire, Varnae, was conducted in such a fashion when the sorcerer Thulsa Doom cursed him more than 20,000 years ago. Early traditions held that vampire could turn a human into a vampire by drinking their blood to the point of death, at which point, the victim would then be forced to consume an unspecified volume of the vampire's blood. In three days time, they would then rise as a vampire themselves. As vampires continued to evolve over the years however, the rate at which the process takes place has evolved as well. Newly made vampires possess all of the same abilities as the one who turned them, but at significantly lower power levels. At the onset, young vampires are almost always subservient to the whims of their master, but as they age and grow more powerful, the vampire becomes more independent, sometimes even turning against the one who made them.

• Immortality: Vampires are immortal creatures whose bodies cease to physically age beyond a certain point. Theoretically, a vampire can live forever providing that it continues to gain nourishment through the act of drinking blood and it is not destroyed.

• Shape-shifting: Vampires can transform into a variety of animals through an act of will. The most common forms are that of a bat, which enables a vampire to easily evade weaponry and provides them with a means of escaping a dangerous situation. They can also transform into a wolf, which also has numerous advantages. Some vampires can also become immaterial, shifting into the form of a fine mist. This also allows them to move about undetected and renders them impervious to traditional weaponry. In both bat and animal forms, a vampire maintains his intellect, while also possessing the characteristics and advantages of each animal.

• Flight: In bat form, a vampire is capable of winged flight. This is not an ability they normally possess in their human form.
• Echolocation: In bat form, a vampire has full mastery over his normal senses, but can also use sonar like a bat for navigation in darkened areas.
• Claws: In wolf form, vampires possess sharpened claws. Many also possess this in human form.

• Superhuman strength: Most vampires possess superhuman physical strength anywhere from 10 to 20 times greater than they possessed in their mortal lives. The vast majority of known and recorded vampires are capable of lifting from 1,000 lbs to 4,000 lbs. A vampire's enhanced strength also enables them to perform other superhuman feats such as leaping great distances. Supplementing their strength, vampires are naturally heartier than normal humans and can withstand severe physical exertion with no ill effects. It is unknown if vampire strength levels differ between pure bloods and turned vampires.

• Superhuman durability: With the exception of certain restrictions, vampires are essentially invulnerable to most forms of bodily harm, including the effects of disease, and the natural cellular mitosis that comes with aging. Vampires are not living creatures, and as such, they do not require oxygen to breathe. Vampires can exist without undue stress in oxygen free environments such as being submerged under water or buried beneath the earth. Excessive force will cause physical damage to a vampire, but their bodies will regenerate damaged tissue providing they can supplement themselves with regular supplies of blood.

• Superhuman reflexes: A vampire's reflexes, agility and reaction time are many times greater than a normal human being. At maximum optimal capacity, a vampire can move more quickly than the human eye can perceive.

• Claws: Many vampires possess sharpened claws upon being turned into a vampire. Their claws are extremely strong and durable and their effectiveness is in proportion to the strength and power level of the vampire.

• Fangs: Vampires possess two pairs of upper and lower fangs. These fangs are as much a tool as they are a weapon for a vampire uses them to pierce the throat of their victims so that they may then excise the blood from their veins for consumption.
• Mind control: As Lord of the Vampires, Dracula had the ability to mentally control other vampires. This ability is possessed only by vampire lords. Standard vampires cannot mentally dominate other vampires.

Weaknesses

• Sleeping restriction: Vampires must sleep during the daylight hours or else risk being turned to ash by the ultraviolet radiation given off by the sun. Classically, vampires must slumber inside of a coffin, or other similar container, the interior of which must be lined with soil from their native homeland. This prohibition once affected Dracula as well and was one that Frank Drake attempted to exploit by stealing Dracula's coffin from his castle in Transylvania. (TOD: 2) For no discernible reason, Dracula ceased to suffer from this weakness and was able to sleep safely in any environment where sunlight was barred from entering the area. (TOD: 19)

Notes & Trivia

• This version of Dracula was created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Gene Colan based on concepts originally developed by Bram Stoker.

• The Bram Stoker story of Dracula is considered part of the Marvel Comics canon. A quasi-canonical adaptation of the Stoker story was presented in Marvel Classics Comics #9. Although stories published in Marvel Classics Comics were not part of the shared mainstream continuity of the Marvel Universe, issue #9's adaptation of Dracula portrayed the vampire lord as he is traditionally seen in most of his appearances during the 1970s.

• Dracula was the featured character on Marvel Value Stamp #37, Series A.

• Tomb of Dracula, Volume 1 #19 was adapted into a Read-along book-n-record by Power Records.

• Dracula has a head-shot spot illustration under the Vampires entry in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, Deluxe Edition: Book of the Dead #20.

Related pages

• Dracula
• Dracula appearances
• Dracula image gallery
• Dracula image category
• Dracula cover appearances

See also

• Tomb of Dracula
• Tomb of Dracula characters
• Tomb of Dracula locations
• Tomb of Dracula comic titles
• Tomb of Dracula comic issues
• Tomb of Dracula image gallery
• Tomb of Dracula miscellaneous

External links

• Dracula at MDP
• Dracula at Wikipedia
• Dracula at Comic Vine
• Dracula at Comicbookdb.com
• Dracula at the Marvel Appendix

References

---

Character This article relates to characters featured in the Tomb of Dracula comic book franchise.

Villain This article relates to characters who are villains of Doctor Strange. Major Villains Baron Mordo • Dormammu • Nightmare • Umar Recurring Villains Asmodeus • Dracula • Kaluu • Silver Dagger Minor Villains Dreamstalker