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Dracula (Marvel Comics)
Encyclopedia
Dracula is a fictional character, a comic book
supervillain appearing in books published by Marvel Comics
. He is based on the vampire
Count Dracula
from the novel of the same name
by author Bram Stoker
, and is also influenced by Universal Studios' version of the character
.
in the Atlas Comics
publication, Suspense #7. The modern Marvel version of Dracula was created by Gerry Conway
and Gene Colan
in Tomb of Dracula
No. 1 (1972).
In Marvel Comics
, Dracula appeared in a Tomb of Dracula
comic which ended in 1979. Although Dracula (and all other vampires
) were eventually destroyed by the mystical "Montesi Formula" in the pages of Doctor Strange, the vampire lord was revived. Marvel published a four-issue Tomb of Dracula miniseries
, reuniting Wolfman and Colan, under its Epic Comics
imprint in 1991, and revived Dracula and his foes in the short-lived Nightstalkers
and Blade
series in the 1990s. Most recently, Dracula took the title role in the miniseries Dracula: Lord of the Undead.
X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula
featured Dracula battling the X-Men
's greatest foe, Apocalypse
, in Victorian
London.
The character returns in the Captain Britain and MI13 storyline "Vampire State", with Doctor Doom
. He is then the main subject of the 2010 series Death of Dracula written by Victor Gischler
.
(now Sighişoara
, Romania), he was the second son of a Transylvanian nobleman. He was named prince of Transylvania and voivode (prince) of Wallachia
and became ruler while still a child. Over the next several years, he struggled against the Ottoman Turks, losing and regaining his throne. Through an arranged marriage to a Hungarian noblewoman, he sired his daughter, Lilith
. He sent his wife away and later married a woman named Maria, with whom he had a son named Vlad Tepelus. He had a son with his third wife Domini named Janus
.
In 1459, Dracula was mortally wounded by the Turkish warlord Turac
, who brought Dracula to a gypsy named Lianda
to be healed. However, Lianda was a vampire, and in revenge for his persecution of the gypsies, transformed Dracula into a vampire as well. Turac raped and killed Dracula's wife Maria, and in revenge Dracula slew Turac, making him a vampire as well. Dracula gave his son Vlad Tepelus to gypsies to raise.
Dracula defeated the vampire Nimrod
in battle, and thus succeeded him as ruler of Earth’s vampires. Soon afterwards, he enhanced his own blood with that of Varnae
, giving him greater powers than any other vampire. In 1471, Dracula abdicated his princehood.
In the 19th century, he faced opposition from Abraham van Helsing and Jonathan Harker in England, the exploits of which were recorded in the 1897 novel by Stoker, Dracula. When the humans destroyed Dracula, his remains were placed in his coffin, concealed within a cave blocked by an enormous boulder. In Frankenstein's Monster
, the behemoth in the story was tricked into unsealing the cave and opening the coffin, thus, freeing Dracula.
. He soon first encountered an adult Rachel van Helsing
. Not long after that, he renewed his enmity with Quincy Harker
. He recounted his first clashes with Cagliostro and Solomon Kane. He later battled the Werewolf
. He eventually had his first contemporary encounter with his daughter Lilith. Not long after that, he clashed with the N'Garai
demons
.
Dracula encountered numerous opponents in the 20th century, including Quincy Harker and Rachel van Helsing, the descendants of his enemies described by Stoker, vampire hunter Blade
, his only known living descendant Frank Drake, vampiric detective Hannibal King
, Mephisto
, Doctor Sun
, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and others. Just before World War I, he was responsible for transforming Lord John Falsworth into Baron Blood.
Doctor Strange destroyed Dracula and all of Earth's vampires by casting the Montesi Formula, though Dracula eventually returned.
and planned to conquer the United Kingdom, with other supernatural villains Lilith (a different entity from his daughter), Captain Fate
, and Baron Blood
. He first contacted Doctor Doom
to agree to a non-aggression pact
with him, and by association the Cabal, in order to be unopposed in his conquest. Once he'd secured this, he launched a pre-emptive strike on MI-13
's superheroes, launching specially-bred vampires at the Earth like missiles.
It was also shown he still possessed contempt and bigotry towards Muslims, and intended to exterminate them once he had secured Britain; as part of his attack, he went to the parents of Faiza Hussain
, attacking her mother and taking her father (along with Killpower
, an MI-13 agent sent to protect the family) hostage. British vampire hero Spitfire
, meanwhile, was abducted and forcibly turned into a minion. MI-13 were manipulated into exposing the whereabouts of Quincy Harker's remains, magically treated to prevent vampires from entering the UK without invitation, so Dracula could destroy them. Once that was done, with the help of Fate, he launched a series of warships towards Earth.
However, unknown to Dracula, Pete Wisdom had tricked him into destroying fake remains and Spitfire had been faking her mind control while channelling information to MI-13. In order to stop Dracula from finding out the remains were fake, he was briefly trapped in a demonic "Dream Corridor" which saw him live out his fantasies of victory (ending with him standing in a conquered House of Commons while holding the Speaker's mace); as well as giving MI-13 some intelligence on his plans, it stopped him from sending in advance teams. Once he escaped, there were a series of attacks to keep him occupied until the warships entered British airspace without invitation, wiping out the bulk of his forces.
In the final battle, he was pursued to his fortress and prevented from escaping by Black Knight
and Faiza Hussain, wielder of the sword Excalibur
. While Dracula was able to seriously wound Black Knight, he was slain with a single blow from Excalibur, leaving Britain victorious.
In a 2010 X-Men
storyline "Curse of the Mutants
", Dracula is resurrected by the X-Men in hopes that he would join them against his son their now mutual enemy. However, Dracula declines and leaves shortly after. Dracula reasserts himself as Lord of the Vampires granting amnesty to those who sided with Xarus. When Xarus tries to attack Dracula, he rips off Xarus' head. Although he contemplated attacking the X-Men, Cyclops
reminded him that they had had custody of his body for seventeen hours before the head was reattached, suggesting that they had included a 'contingency plan' in Dracula similar to the plan they had used to infiltrate Xarus's forces by temporarily shutting down Wolverine
's healing factor so that he could be turned and then returned to normal. Although Dracula suspected that Cyclops was bluffing, he complimented Cyclops's style and allowed them to depart, even returning the now-vampire Jubilee
to the X-Men.
During the Fear Itself
storyline, Dracula is informed of the arrival of Hulk
(in the form of Nul: Breaker of Worlds) by one of his followers when Nul lands in the Carpathian Foothills following his fight with Thor and ends up taking down some vampires. It is revealed that he has the mysterious Raizo Kodo and his legion of vampires called "The Forgiven" locked up in his dungeon. Dracula frees the Forgiven, who worked to slow Nul's progress. Dracula then prepares the vampires for his last stand. As the Forgiven continues to stall the Nul, Dracula prepares his vampire armies for battle when Nul gets closer.
Dracula gained the powers of a vampire from his transformation into a vampire by the bite of the Vampiress Lianda
, and gained additional power by Varnae
. Dracula possesses far greater powers than most vampires. He is superhumanly strong
(to the point of standing toe-to-toe and defeating Colossus
in single combat), and also possesses superhuman speed, stamina, reflexes, and transvection
. He is immune to aging
, conventional disease, sickness and most forms of injury. He cannot be killed or permanently injured by conventional means.
He is unaffected by most assaults and, due to his healing factor
, can rapidly regenerate damaged tissue
. Dracula can manipulate the minds of others
, and command animals to his will, such as rodents, bats, and wolves. With limited exceptions, he may control other vampires. He has the ability to mentally control victims he has bitten, and can temporarily hypnotize
anyone with his gaze.
He is capable of shapeshifting
into a bat – normal or human size – or a wolf while retaining his intelligence, and into a fog
or mist
– partially or fully – and has the ability of weather control
, such as summoning electrical storms
. Like some vampires in other works of fiction, Dracula does not cast reflections. His powers have been greatly amplified and his weaknesses circumvented by magical sources, such as spells of the Darkholders.
Dracula has a dependence on the ingestion of fresh blood to sustain his existence, and an inability to endure direct sunlight. He falls into a comatose state during daylight hours and must spend much time in contact with his native soil. He has vulnerabilities to garlic, silver (which can cause severe pain), the presence of religious symbols (wielded by one who believes in its spiritual meaning), and can be killed by beheading, a wooden stake through the heart, or blades made of silver. He can also be destroyed by the Darkhold spell known as the Montesi Formula.
Dracula is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant and swordsman, specializing in 15th-century warfare and militaristic strategy. He has a gifted intellect
, and studied under tutors in his youth in Transylvania.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
supervillain appearing in books published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. He is based on the vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
Count Dracula
Count Dracula
Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler...
from the novel of the same name
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
by author Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
, and is also influenced by Universal Studios' version of the character
Dracula (1931 film)
Dracula is a 1931 vampire-horror film directed by Tod Browning and starring Bela Lugosi as the title character. The film was produced by Universal and is based on the stage play of the same name by Hamilton Deane and John L...
.
Publication history
A version of Dracula first appearsFirst appearance
In comic books and other stories with a long history, first appearance refers to the first occurrence to feature a fictional character.-Monetary value of first appearance issues:...
in the Atlas Comics
Atlas Comics
Atlas Comics may refer to* Atlas Comics , one of the two comic publishing companies that would be the forerunner of Marvel Comics* Seaboard Periodicals, founded by Timely/Atlas /Marvel founder, a short-lived comic publisher that published under the Atlas Comics name and referred to as...
publication, Suspense #7. The modern Marvel version of Dracula was created by Gerry Conway
Gerry Conway
Gerard F. "Gerry" Conway is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man...
and Gene Colan
Gene Colan
Eugene Jules "Gene" Colan was an American comic book artist best known for his work for Marvel Comics, where his signature titles include the superhero series, Daredevil, the cult-hit satiric series Howard the Duck, and The Tomb of Dracula, considered one of comics' classic horror series...
in Tomb of Dracula
Tomb of Dracula
The Tomb of Dracula is a horror comic book series published by Marvel Comics from April 1972 to August 1979. The 70-issue series featured a group of vampire hunters who fought Count Dracula and other supernatural menaces...
No. 1 (1972).
In Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, Dracula appeared in a Tomb of Dracula
Tomb of Dracula
The Tomb of Dracula is a horror comic book series published by Marvel Comics from April 1972 to August 1979. The 70-issue series featured a group of vampire hunters who fought Count Dracula and other supernatural menaces...
comic which ended in 1979. Although Dracula (and all other vampires
Vampire (Marvel Comics)
Vampires are fictional characters found in the Marvel Universe.-History:They were created roughly 15,000 years ago when a small band of sorcerers from the legendary city of Atlantis discovered a book known as the Darkhold, an indestructible text filled with arcane lore and dark magic written...
) were eventually destroyed by the mystical "Montesi Formula" in the pages of Doctor Strange, the vampire lord was revived. Marvel published a four-issue Tomb of Dracula miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
, reuniting Wolfman and Colan, under its Epic Comics
Epic Comics
Epic Comics was a creator-owned imprint of Marvel Comics started in 1982, lasting through the mid-1990s, and being briefly revived on a small scale in the mid-2000s.- Origins :...
imprint in 1991, and revived Dracula and his foes in the short-lived Nightstalkers
Nightstalkers (comics)
The Nightstalkers is a fictional trio of preexisting characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. A team of occult experts, they reluctantly banded together to fight supernatural threats....
and Blade
Blade (comics)
Blade is a fictional character, a superhero/vampire hunter in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Gene Colan, his first appearance was in the comic book The Tomb of Dracula #10 as a supporting character.The character went on to alternatively star and co-star...
series in the 1990s. Most recently, Dracula took the title role in the miniseries Dracula: Lord of the Undead.
X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula
X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula
X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula was a four-issue comic book limited series published in 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Frank Tieri and drawn by Clayton Henry.-Plot summary:...
featured Dracula battling the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
's greatest foe, Apocalypse
Apocalypse (comics)
Apocalypse is a fictional character who is an ancient mutant that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Factor #5 , created by writer Louise Simonson and designed by artist Walter Simonson...
, in Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
London.
The character returns in the Captain Britain and MI13 storyline "Vampire State", with Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
. He is then the main subject of the 2010 series Death of Dracula written by Victor Gischler
Victor Gischler
Victor Gischler is an American author of hard-boiled crime fiction.-Biography:Gischler's debut novel Gun Monkeys was nominated for the Edgar Award, and his novel Shotgun Opera was an Anthony Award finalist. His work has been translated into Italian, French, Spanish and Japanese. He earned a Ph.D....
.
Historical
Born Vlad Dracul in 1430 in Schassburg, TransylvaniaTransylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
(now Sighişoara
Sighisoara
Sighişoara is a city and municipality on the Târnava Mare River in Mureş County, Romania. Located in the historic region Transylvania, Sighişoara has a population of 27,706 ....
, Romania), he was the second son of a Transylvanian nobleman. He was named prince of Transylvania and voivode (prince) of Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
and became ruler while still a child. Over the next several years, he struggled against the Ottoman Turks, losing and regaining his throne. Through an arranged marriage to a Hungarian noblewoman, he sired his daughter, Lilith
Lilith (Marvel Comics)
Lilith is the name of two fictional American comic book characters owned by Marvel Comics. Both characters exist in the Marvel Universe.The first of these two to appear was Lilith, the daughter of Dracula. Like her father, she is also a vampire, although her powers and weaknesses differ from most...
. He sent his wife away and later married a woman named Maria, with whom he had a son named Vlad Tepelus. He had a son with his third wife Domini named Janus
Janus (Marvel Comics)
Janus is a fictional comic-book character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:The Golden Angel was a possessing spirit who claimed to be an angel, a messenger and warrior of God. This angel was revealed to have appeared to Dracula and thwarted his will in the past...
.
In 1459, Dracula was mortally wounded by the Turkish warlord Turac
Turac
Turac is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Turac first appeared in Dracula Lives! #2 ....
, who brought Dracula to a gypsy named Lianda
Lianda
Lianda is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Lianda first appeared in Dracula Lives! #1-2 .Lianda appeared as part of the "Vampires" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #20....
to be healed. However, Lianda was a vampire, and in revenge for his persecution of the gypsies, transformed Dracula into a vampire as well. Turac raped and killed Dracula's wife Maria, and in revenge Dracula slew Turac, making him a vampire as well. Dracula gave his son Vlad Tepelus to gypsies to raise.
Dracula defeated the vampire Nimrod
Nimrod (vampire)
Nimrod is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Nimrod first appeared in Dracula Lives! #3 , and was created by Marv Wolfman and John Buscema....
in battle, and thus succeeded him as ruler of Earth’s vampires. Soon afterwards, he enhanced his own blood with that of Varnae
Varnae
Varnae is a fictional villainous vampire in the Marvel Comics universe. He has been an adversary of several of Marvel's supernatural and fantasy-related heroes, and is a major character in Marvel's Dracula mythos...
, giving him greater powers than any other vampire. In 1471, Dracula abdicated his princehood.
In the 19th century, he faced opposition from Abraham van Helsing and Jonathan Harker in England, the exploits of which were recorded in the 1897 novel by Stoker, Dracula. When the humans destroyed Dracula, his remains were placed in his coffin, concealed within a cave blocked by an enormous boulder. In Frankenstein's Monster
Frankenstein's Monster (Marvel Comics)
Frankenstein's Monster is a fictional character based on the character in the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. The character has been adapted often in the comic book medium...
, the behemoth in the story was tricked into unsealing the cave and opening the coffin, thus, freeing Dracula.
Tomb of Dracula
In the 20th century, Dracula was returned to vampiric life by Clifton Graves. Dracula then first met and clashes with Frank DrakeFrank Drake (comics)
Frank Drake is a fictional character appearing in publications from Marvel Comics, most notably the Tomb of Dracula series created by Gerry Conway....
. He soon first encountered an adult Rachel van Helsing
Rachel van Helsing
Rachel van Helsing is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Rachel van Helsing was the great-granddaughter of Abraham Van Helsing, the legendary vampire hunter whose exploits against the vampire lord Dracula were chronicled in Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula...
. Not long after that, he renewed his enmity with Quincy Harker
Quincy Harker
Quincy Harker is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe which is based on a character in Bram Stoker's Dracula.-Publication history:...
. He recounted his first clashes with Cagliostro and Solomon Kane. He later battled the Werewolf
Werewolf by Night
Werewolf by Night is a fictional character, an antiheroic werewolf in the Marvel Comics universe. The Werewolf by Night first appeared in Marvel Spotlight vol...
. He eventually had his first contemporary encounter with his daughter Lilith. Not long after that, he clashed with the N'Garai
N'Garai
The N'Garai are a fictional race found in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:The N'Garai first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #96 , and were created by Bill Mantlo, Chris Claremont, and Dave Cockrum....
demons
Demons (Marvel Comics)
The Marvel Comics universe hosts a number of demons, many of whom are at times at conflict with gods and angels. All possess varying degrees of mystical power, feed upon souls for self-sustenance, and are inclined towards dark or “black” magic - evil....
.
Dracula encountered numerous opponents in the 20th century, including Quincy Harker and Rachel van Helsing, the descendants of his enemies described by Stoker, vampire hunter Blade
Blade (comics)
Blade is a fictional character, a superhero/vampire hunter in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Gene Colan, his first appearance was in the comic book The Tomb of Dracula #10 as a supporting character.The character went on to alternatively star and co-star...
, his only known living descendant Frank Drake, vampiric detective Hannibal King
Hannibal King
Hannibal King is a fictional character, a supernatural detective appearing in publications from Marvel Comics. He first appeared as a supporting character in the 1970s comic book The Tomb of Dracula.-Fictional character biography:...
, Mephisto
Mephisto (comics)
Mephisto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Silver Surfer #3 and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema, loosely modeled on Mephistopheles - a character from the Faust legend.Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books,...
, Doctor Sun
Doctor Sun
Doctor Sun is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Universe. He is a cyborg who fed on human blood, and has come into conflict with the Fantastic Four.-Publication history:...
, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and others. Just before World War I, he was responsible for transforming Lord John Falsworth into Baron Blood.
Doctor Strange destroyed Dracula and all of Earth's vampires by casting the Montesi Formula, though Dracula eventually returned.
2008 – present
In the 21st century, Dracula assembled an army of vampires in a sanctuary on the MoonMoon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
and planned to conquer the United Kingdom, with other supernatural villains Lilith (a different entity from his daughter), Captain Fate
Captain Fate
Captain Fate is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Captain Fate first appeared in Man-Thing #13-14 , and was created by Steve Gerber and John Buscema....
, and Baron Blood
Baron Blood
Baron Blood is the name of several fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication fistory:The original version first appears in Invaders #7 and was created by Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins....
. He first contacted Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
to agree to a non-aggression pact
Non-aggression pact
A non-aggression pact is an international treaty between two or more states/countries agreeing to avoid war or armed conflict between them and resolve their disputes through peaceful negotiations...
with him, and by association the Cabal, in order to be unopposed in his conquest. Once he'd secured this, he launched a pre-emptive strike on MI-13
MI-13 (comics)
MI-13, sometimes written MI13 or MI: 13, is a fictional British intelligence agency in the Marvel Comics universe, operating out of Portwell House in Whitehall. It was introduced in Excalibur vol...
's superheroes, launching specially-bred vampires at the Earth like missiles.
It was also shown he still possessed contempt and bigotry towards Muslims, and intended to exterminate them once he had secured Britain; as part of his attack, he went to the parents of Faiza Hussain
Faiza Hussain
Dr. Faiza Hussain, later given the codename Excalibur, is a fictional comic book character within Marvel Comics' shared universe the Marvel Universe. Hussain was created by writer Paul Cornell, first penciled by Leonard Kirk...
, attacking her mother and taking her father (along with Killpower
Killpower
Killpower is a fictional British comic book character from Marvel UK. He is the partner of Motormouth and first appeared in Motormouth #1. Killpower was created by Gary Frank and Graham Mark.-Publication history:...
, an MI-13 agent sent to protect the family) hostage. British vampire hero Spitfire
Spitfire (comics)
Spitfire is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe and was introduced as a member of the World War II era Invaders superhero team.-Fictional character biography:...
, meanwhile, was abducted and forcibly turned into a minion. MI-13 were manipulated into exposing the whereabouts of Quincy Harker's remains, magically treated to prevent vampires from entering the UK without invitation, so Dracula could destroy them. Once that was done, with the help of Fate, he launched a series of warships towards Earth.
However, unknown to Dracula, Pete Wisdom had tricked him into destroying fake remains and Spitfire had been faking her mind control while channelling information to MI-13. In order to stop Dracula from finding out the remains were fake, he was briefly trapped in a demonic "Dream Corridor" which saw him live out his fantasies of victory (ending with him standing in a conquered House of Commons while holding the Speaker's mace); as well as giving MI-13 some intelligence on his plans, it stopped him from sending in advance teams. Once he escaped, there were a series of attacks to keep him occupied until the warships entered British airspace without invitation, wiping out the bulk of his forces.
In the final battle, he was pursued to his fortress and prevented from escaping by Black Knight
Black Knight (Dane Whitman)
Dane Whitman is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe, the company's third person to bear the name Black Knight. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, he first appeared in The Avengers #47 Dane Whitman is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics...
and Faiza Hussain, wielder of the sword Excalibur
Excalibur
Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
. While Dracula was able to seriously wound Black Knight, he was slain with a single blow from Excalibur, leaving Britain victorious.
In a 2010 X-Men
X-Men (vol. 3)
X-Men is a Marvel Comics comic book ongoing series that began in July 2010. It is written by Victor Gischler with art by Paco Medina, among others.-Publication history:...
storyline "Curse of the Mutants
Curse of the Mutants
"Curse of the Mutants" is a 2010 Marvel Comics storyline. The story arc centers around Dracula's son Xarus becoming a new vampire lord and Jubilee being turned into a vampire.-Publication history:...
", Dracula is resurrected by the X-Men in hopes that he would join them against his son their now mutual enemy. However, Dracula declines and leaves shortly after. Dracula reasserts himself as Lord of the Vampires granting amnesty to those who sided with Xarus. When Xarus tries to attack Dracula, he rips off Xarus' head. Although he contemplated attacking the X-Men, Cyclops
Cyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
reminded him that they had had custody of his body for seventeen hours before the head was reattached, suggesting that they had included a 'contingency plan' in Dracula similar to the plan they had used to infiltrate Xarus's forces by temporarily shutting down Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
's healing factor so that he could be turned and then returned to normal. Although Dracula suspected that Cyclops was bluffing, he complimented Cyclops's style and allowed them to depart, even returning the now-vampire Jubilee
Jubilee (comics)
Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Jubilee had the superhuman power to generate "fireworks" of explosive plasma. A teenage "mall rat," she was the X-Men's youngest member in the early 1990s, often playing sidekick to...
to the X-Men.
During the Fear Itself
Fear Itself (comics)
"Fear Itself" is a 2011 crossover comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of a seven-issue, eponymous miniseries written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Stuart Immonen, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Laura Martin, a prologue book by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Scott Eaton, and...
storyline, Dracula is informed of the arrival of Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
(in the form of Nul: Breaker of Worlds) by one of his followers when Nul lands in the Carpathian Foothills following his fight with Thor and ends up taking down some vampires. It is revealed that he has the mysterious Raizo Kodo and his legion of vampires called "The Forgiven" locked up in his dungeon. Dracula frees the Forgiven, who worked to slow Nul's progress. Dracula then prepares the vampires for his last stand. As the Forgiven continues to stall the Nul, Dracula prepares his vampire armies for battle when Nul gets closer.
Powers and abilities
Lianda
Lianda is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Lianda first appeared in Dracula Lives! #1-2 .Lianda appeared as part of the "Vampires" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #20....
, and gained additional power by Varnae
Varnae
Varnae is a fictional villainous vampire in the Marvel Comics universe. He has been an adversary of several of Marvel's supernatural and fantasy-related heroes, and is a major character in Marvel's Dracula mythos...
. Dracula possesses far greater powers than most vampires. He is superhumanly strong
Superhuman strength
Superhuman strength, also called superstrength, super-strength, or super strength, is an ability commonly employed in fiction. It is the ability for a character to be stronger than humanly possible...
(to the point of standing toe-to-toe and defeating Colossus
Colossus (comics)
Colossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
in single combat), and also possesses superhuman speed, stamina, reflexes, and transvection
Transvection (flying)
Transvection is the supernatural act of levitating, floating or more specifically flying through the air. While levitation and magical flight can equate to acts of stage magic or astral projection through the use of psychoactive entheogens, transvection usually refers to the experience of bodily...
. He is immune to aging
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
, conventional disease, sickness and most forms of injury. He cannot be killed or permanently injured by conventional means.
He is unaffected by most assaults and, due to his healing factor
Healing factor
A healing factor is a term used to describe the ability of some characters in fiction to recover from bodily injuries or disease at a superhuman rate...
, can rapidly regenerate damaged tissue
Regeneration (biology)
In biology, regeneration is the process of renewal, restoration, and growth that makes genomes, cells, organs, organisms, and ecosystems resilient to natural fluctuations or events that cause disturbance or damage. Every species is capable of regeneration, from bacteria to humans. At its most...
. Dracula can manipulate the minds of others
Mind control
Mind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
, and command animals to his will, such as rodents, bats, and wolves. With limited exceptions, he may control other vampires. He has the ability to mentally control victims he has bitten, and can temporarily hypnotize
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
anyone with his gaze.
He is capable of shapeshifting
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
into a bat – normal or human size – or a wolf while retaining his intelligence, and into a fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
or mist
Mist
Mist is a phenomenon of small droplets suspended in air. It can occur as part of natural weather or volcanic activity, and is common in cold air above warmer water, in exhaled air in the cold, and in a steam room of a sauna. It can also be created artificially with aerosol canisters if the...
– partially or fully – and has the ability of weather control
Weather control
Weather control is the act of manipulating or altering certain aspects of the environment to produce desirable changes in weather. Weather control can have the goal of preventing damaging weather, such as hurricanes or tornadoes, from occurring; of causing beneficial weather, such as rainfall in...
, such as summoning electrical storms
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
. Like some vampires in other works of fiction, Dracula does not cast reflections. His powers have been greatly amplified and his weaknesses circumvented by magical sources, such as spells of the Darkholders.
Dracula has a dependence on the ingestion of fresh blood to sustain his existence, and an inability to endure direct sunlight. He falls into a comatose state during daylight hours and must spend much time in contact with his native soil. He has vulnerabilities to garlic, silver (which can cause severe pain), the presence of religious symbols (wielded by one who believes in its spiritual meaning), and can be killed by beheading, a wooden stake through the heart, or blades made of silver. He can also be destroyed by the Darkhold spell known as the Montesi Formula.
Dracula is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant and swordsman, specializing in 15th-century warfare and militaristic strategy. He has a gifted intellect
Intellect
Intellect is a term used in studies of the human mind, and refers to the ability of the mind to come to correct conclusions about what is true or real, and about how to solve problems...
, and studied under tutors in his youth in Transylvania.
Television
- Dracula appeared in the Spider-WomanSpider-Woman (TV series)Spider-Woman is an animated television series, based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Woman. The series was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and Marvel Comics Animation, and aired on September 22, 1979 to January 3, 1980, one season of sixteen episodes, on the ABC-TV network...
episode "Dracula's Revenge".
- He appeared in the Spider-Man and His Amazing FriendsSpider-Man and His Amazing FriendsSpider-Man and His Amazing Friends is an animated series produced by Marvel Productions starring established Marvel Comics characters Spider-Man and Iceman and an original character, Firestar...
episode "The Transylvania Connection" (AKA "The Bride of Dracula") voiced by Stanley JonesStan Jones (actor)Gordon Stan Jones , sometimes credited as G. Stanley Jones, Staley Jones or Stanley Jones, was a Canadian film and television actor.-Career:...
.
- Dracula appears in The Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad Show is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the characters of the Marvel Universe in a cartoonish super-deformed-style...
episode "This Man-Thing, This Monster", voiced by Dave BoatDave Boat-Animated Roles:* Danny Phantom - Vortex* Family Guy - Rupert, Additional Voices* The Super Hero Squad Show - Thor, Trapster, Thing, John Porter, Uatu, Galactus' Mother, Captain Liechtenstein, Baron Mordo, Dracula, Doc Samson, Man-Thing* T.U.F.F...
. He is shown to attack a local town with N'Kantu, the Living MummyN'Kantu, the Living MummyN'Kantu the Living Mummy is a fictional supernatural hero in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Supernatural Thrillers #5 , created by Steve Gerber and Rich Buckler.-Publication history:...
and his army of mummies. When N'Kantu makes off with Werewolf by NightWerewolf by NightWerewolf by Night is a fictional character, an antiheroic werewolf in the Marvel Comics universe. The Werewolf by Night first appeared in Marvel Spotlight vol...
's girlfriend Ellen, Iron ManIron ManIron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
, Man-ThingMan-ThingThe Man-Thing is a fictional character, a monster in publications from Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in Savage Tales #1 , and went on to be featured in various titles and in his own series, including...
, and Werewolf by Night team up to rescue her. When Dracula is knocked onto Man-Thing, he is burned by Man-Thing's ability causing him to retreat.
Film
- In 1980, an animated television movie based on The Tomb of Dracula was released. The film was called Yami no Teio Kyuketsuki Dracula (Dracula: The Vampire Emperor of Darkness). Much of the main plot was condensed and many characters and subplots were truncated or omitted. The film was animated in Japan by ToeiToei AnimationToei Animation Co., Ltd. is a Japanese animation studio owned by Toei Co., Ltd. The studio was founded in 1948 as Japan Animated Films . In 1956, Toei purchased the studio and it was reincorporated under its current name...
and sparsely released on cable TV in North America in 1983 by Harmony GoldHarmony Gold USAHarmony Gold is a television production and distribution company established in 1983. It is best known as the “creator” and main distributor of the anime series Robotech. It also partially dubbed the Dragon Ball series in the late 1980s....
dubbed into English and under the title Dracula: Sovereign of the Damned.
- Dracula appears as the main villain in Blade: TrinityBlade: TrinityBlade: Trinity is a 2004 American superhero vampire action film, written and directed by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the screenplays to the first two Blade films...
assuming the name Drake and portrayed by Dominic Purcell. The character has little resemblance to the comic book version of Dracula (although a copy of a comic of the Marvel Dracula is shown to the protagonist Blade during the movie). According to the movie, "Dracula", (or "Drake", as he is now called) is the original progenitor of "Hominus Nocturna". According to Hannibal KingHannibal KingHannibal King is a fictional character, a supernatural detective appearing in publications from Marvel Comics. He first appeared as a supporting character in the 1970s comic book The Tomb of Dracula.-Fictional character biography:...
, 'Drake has gone by many names; the ancient Babylonians has worshiped him as "Dagon", and so-on. Drake was 'born' the 'perfect' vampire – his origin is unknown – with modern vampires having brought him back after he spent three centuries in self-imposed exile with the hope that he will allow them to free themselves of their weakness to sunlight. Drake is capable of limited shapeshifting; due to a particularly malleable bone structure, he can assume the appearance of others so long as they are of similar size and shape to him, as well as being able to become a more demonic version of himself (in the DVD extras, this version is referred to as "The Beast"). He is also perfectly immune to sunlight as he was seen in the movie walking among humans and being chased by Blade under broad daylight. He is killed at the film's conclusion when Blade and Abigail Whistler manage to shoot him with the 'plague arrow' – the novelization features Abigail missing the original shot with the only arrow they were able to develop, only for Drake to be distracted by a little girl named Zoey stabbing him in the leg long enough for Blade to pick up the arrow and use it – an arrow that, when combined with Drake's 'pure' vampire blood, releases an airborne contagion that destroys all of the vampires in the world. Drake's last act is to transform his body into a duplicate of Blade's to allow his enemy to escape the police hunting him, a gesture of respect for Blade's victory over him where no other foe was able to defeat him, the police taking Drake and assuming Blade to be dead while the now-human Blade leaves to live a normal life.
External links
- Dracula at Marvel.com
- Dracula at Don Markstein's ToonopediaDon Markstein's ToonopediaDon Markstein's Toonopedia was a web encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation. Don D...