







Overview

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is the supreme ruler and the world's most powerful vampire . Driven by lusts for power, companionship, and blood, his centuries of undead existence have brought him into conflict with vampire hunters, other immortals, and most recently, super-powered heroes. Dracula has a vast network of loyal servants, cultists, brides, and minions, who assist him and will attempt to resurrect him if he is slain.





History

You will obey me in all things. You have no choice -- For I am the lord of vampires. Forget your former life. You belong to my nation now. -- Dracula src

Early Life

In 1430 AD, Vlad Tepes Dracula was born in Schassberg,[10] Transylvania (now Sighisoara, Romania), in the small European Kingdom of Wallachia. He was the son of Vlad Dracul (also called Vlad the Elder).[11]

At seven years old, he allegedly ousted his half-brother Alexandru Aldea from the throne of Wallachia.[6]

At some point, appointed Dracula as prince of Wallachia by King Sigismund of Hungary.[12] Dracula also joined the Order of the Dragon.[13]

In 1444 AD, he accompanied his father and brother Radu on the road to the Ottoman Empire, where they planned to negotiate for peace. They were ambushed en route by agents of Sultan Murad II, who held the sons captive, forcing Vlad the Elder to favor Turkey. This eventually led John Hunyadi and Vlad's other advisers to revolt against him, killing him and his son Mircea. After five years of torture, Radu had died in captivity, but Dracula escaped to claim the title of Voivode of Wallachia at the age of 18. His reign lasted only a year before he was forced to flee the principality, fearing his father's killers.[11]

In 1451, Dracula, finally tired of running, threw himself at Hunyadi's mercy. Hoping to add legitimacy to his regency, Hunyadi took Dracula under his wing, teaching him the arts of war, and overseeing Vlad's pre-arranged marriage to Zofia (whom he despised). After a year of marriage Dracula (with Hunyadi having died in the meantime) considered all his obligations fulfilled, and expelled his wife and their daughter, Lilith. Lilith was left in the care of a gypsy woman named Gretchin, while Zofia decided to take her own life rather than live as a peasant.[14]

Again assuming the throne, Dracula married his love Maria and sired a son, Vlad Tepulus. He also ordered everyone associated with his father's death impaled and ordered a massive assault on Turkey. Misled by "visions" from Varnae -- who saw potential in the young despot -- Dracula was defeated in battle in 1459. Dracula was supposedly defeated by the Turkish warlord Turac, who left him alive, hoping to use him to seize control of Transylvania.[15] Other accounts have suggested that he defeated the Turkish army but was actually mortally wounded by the nearly immortal mutant En Sabah Nur (now better known as Apocalypse) and his band of Dark Riders.[16] In any event, Dracula was taken to the Gypsy Lianda for healing. Instead, Lianda (secretly a vampire) vampirized Dracula. Dracula came to grips with his new, dark powers too late to save Maria from Turac, but soon avenged her by slaying the warlord.[15]

Vlad next set out to attack the Gypsies, who he blamed for his transformation into a vampire. When Gretchin lost her son to the prince's depredations, she used spells to transform Lilith into a vampire as well in retaliation. Gretchin also made her immune to most vampiric weaknesses, ensuring that the girl who grew up hating her father would now trouble him for all eternity. Soon after, Varnae empowered his servant, Nimrod to act as Vampire Lord, secretly leading him into a fight with Dracula as a test of his strength. Dracula slew Nimrod, proving himself worthy of taking Varnae's title as the true Vampire Lord.[17] Dracula drank of Varnae's blood, and seemingly he destroyed the vampire lord as he assumed his powers for his own.[18] Dracula also reclaimed Castle Dracula from its new occupant, the vampire Bordia. It was during this conflict that he first learned of the Darkhold, and the Montesi Formula for destroying vampires. Dracula sent the thief Murgo to retrieve the tome from the Vatican, but the thief was slain and the book stolen by the sorcerer Cogliostro, beginning a centuries-long feud with Dracula. Dracula also vampirized several women, making them the first of his so-called "brides", and avenged himself against Murad II.

Following an assassination attempt in 1471, Dracula abdicated the throne but remained at Castle Dracula (near Sargov) for over a century after. During that time, he was forced to confront and kill his son, Vlad Tepulus, who had been raised by gypsies and taught to hate him. In 1496, Dracula was approached by emissaries of Bologna, Spain, and Prussia, requesting that he remain out of their respective countries. This only irritated Dracula, and, after slaughtering the emissaries, he began his first tour of greater Europe. Though he eventually returned to Transylvania, he was pursued by a man known only as Hans, who sought vengeance against the vampire. Suffering from frostbite, Hans was nursed back to health by Rachel van Helsing, and the two became lovers. When Hans recovered enough to fight Dracula and was subsequently killed, Rache (pregnant with Hans' child) vowed that her line would oppose Dracula until the monster was finally destroyed.[19]

1500s

During this century Dracula also encountered alchemist Esteban Diablo and battled Puritan adventurer Solomon Kane. Kane escaped with his life but soon returned, feeling guilty for leaving Dracula alive. Kane and Morgit just barely managed to defeat Dracula, staking him with a sharpened, ornate cross. It was only a few hours, however, before a hungry band of travelers arrived at Castle Dracula, reviving him when one took the valuable cross from Dracula's seemingly-ancient skeleton. At one point, a man named Durenyi managed to steal Dracula's diary, which revealed several of his weaknesses and would eventually become one of the sources adapted by writer Bram Stoker into the novel Dracula.[19] Around the turn of the century, Dracula relocated to a new Castle Dracula, this time near Burgo Pass, which served as his main base of operations off and on for over four centuries.

1600s

In 1606, Dracula encountered Elizabeth Bathory, a distant relation now known as the Blood Countess, due to her custom of bathing in virgin blood to stem the effects of aging. The macabre tradition also allowed her to resist Dracula's control, and almost to entrap him. He eventually gained the upper hand and slew her.[20] For a time Dracula ruled over a Spanish province but was driven out following the first of many encounters with a radiant, Golden Angel. In 1661 Dracula tired of his wanton brides, and sought out a more reserved bride. He settled on an American woman, Charity Brown of Salem, Massachusetts. Before he could arrive to claim her, however, she was framed for witchcraft and publicly executed. In retribution, Dracula manipulated the slave Tituba into setting into motion the infamous Salem witch trials.[21] In the 1670s Dracula found himself without sustenance in rural Switzerland, kept from human prey by the rural farmers' extensive (and extensively superstitious) anti-vampiric defenses. Forced to make do with cow's blood, Dracula inadvertently created the bizarre Bessie the Hellcow. The hellish heifer would spend three centuries trailing Dracula before it met its end at the hands of Howard the Duck.[22]

1700s

In 1753, Dracula was in Cologne, Germany when a group of villagers managed to capture him and tie him to a stake. The village priest Father Eisner doused him with holy water and drove a stake into his chest. Present at the execution was Eisner's adopted daughter Marie. After destroying the vampire, Father Eisner suffered a massive heart attack. That evening, little Marie Eisner removed the stake from Dracula's chest, resurrecting the vampire. She struck a bargain with him, swearing that she would acknowledge Dracula as her savior if he agreed to use his powers to save Father Eisner's life. Dracula agreed, but rather than save Eisner's life, he instead tore his heart from his chest and presented it to Marie as a demonstration of his vile power. He then attacked her again, but Marie dangled her cross charm in front of Dracula's face, forcing him to flee. Dracula swore, that one day she would beg him to give her life everlasting. It would be seventy years before the two saw one another again.[23]

Castle Dracula itself was endangered during the eighteenth century, first by pirate Hellyn deVill (who was killed by her own crew when Dracula exposed her as a witch), and then by the combined military threats of Turkey and Catherine the Great's Russia. Dracula was forced to flee Transylvania, and he relocated to France in 1762. There he rekindled his feud with Cogliostro (after destroying a gargoyle animated by Cogliostro's agent, Jack DuBois).[17] After becoming an adviser to King Louis XVI in 1775, Dracula surmised Cogliostro no longer had the Darkhold. No longer fearing the Montesi formula, Dracula vampirized Cogliostro's wife, Lorenza Serafina, as retribution for past slights.[24] In 1789, Dracula was nearly destroyed by Montplier, one of Cogliostro's agents, but escaped in the confusion of the storming of the Bastille.[25] Fleeing France, Dracula vampirized Austrian Henry Sayge, and soon after Transylvanian lady Louisa Russoff. In 1795, he was staked by her husband, Baron Grigori Russoff, who was bitten by a female werewolf in the attempt. Grigori thus became the first in a long line of Russoffs bearing the curse of Lycanthropy.[26] After the stake was inadvertently removed and he was reanimated, Dracula decided to augment the Castle's defenses with various traps. Not the least of these was Dracula's infamous "Pit of Death".

1800s

When Lupescu infiltrated Castle Dracula in 1809 to recover his abducted wife, Velanna, he was soon trapped in the Pit and forced to combat four of Dracula's brides (including Velanna).[27] Lupescu survived, and arranged the brides' staked corpses in the shape of a giant cross, ensuring that Dracula would never be able to get close enough to reanimate them.[28]

In 1823, Dracula returned to Cologne, Germany to fulfill a promise he had made over seventy years ago. He forced his way into the hospital room of the dying Sister Marie Eisner at the Reichenbach Clinic and demanded that she acknowledge him as her savior. Sister Marie always knew that Dracula would one day return to claim her, but still, she renounced him. As the vampire lunged for the frail woman, she slipped a crucifix necklace about his neck, forcing him to recoil. Sister Marie then peacefully passed away.[23]

Dracula vampirized numerous victims in that century, including the young wife of Count Vryslaw. Vryslaw kept his wife imprisoned but sustained on animal blood. After twenty years of captivity, the Countess refused to drink anything but human blood, and the Count turned to killing local women to appease her. Drawn out by the rumors of the "vampire killings", Dracula tracked down and confronted Count Vryslaw. Vryslaw was so terrified of the vampire lord (and his inability to hurt him) that he decided to kill his wife with a wooden arrow before he died himself of a heart attack.[29] Dracula also used the Children of Judas vampire cult to vampirize the wife of Abraham van Helsing, reviving his old feud with the van Helsing family. Dracula was again drawn into politics when Lyza Strang convinced him to kill her husband, Archibald Strang, thus assuring that Otto von Bismarck would become Minister-President of Prussia. Lyza ultimately betrayed Dracula, having him ambushed and staked; when he recovered, he vampirized Lyza in retribution. Charmed by an American woman he had met in Europe, Dracula purchased the frigate Raven in 1862, and traveled to Savannah, Georgia. (It may have been during this trip to the American South that he vampirized Suze Harlow, a young girl whose vampiric DNA would later be extracted and cultivated by Hydra to create a vampiric soldier, Bloodstorm One.) Arriving in Savannah, Dracula agreed to bolster the Confederacy with his Legion of the Damned in exchange for Anabelle's return to Transylvania. Though the Legion slaughtered all Union troops they came across, Anabelle's father recognized Dracula for what he was, and staked him. Anabelle, determined to honor the bargain, removed the stake and returned to Transylvania with him.[30]

In 1870, Dracula took advantage of the onset of the Franco-Prussia War by using his vampire legions to occupy Vienna. Upon entering the Imperial Palace, however, Dracula was again confronted by the mysterious Golden Angel, and forced to flee the city. When the pirate Captain Cutlass looted a French ship bearing some of Dracula's wealth in 1875, Dracula vampirized the captain in front of his three-year-old daughter, Marianne. Somehow, Marianne managed to contain and care for the captain until 1903, when they crossed paths with Dracula again in Madrid.[31] In 1879, royal Phineas Kroner selected Count Dracula as an appropriately noble suitor for his daughter, Maria (Phineas having killed all other suitors for being too poor). Clearly, Phineas did not know of Dracula's vampiric nature. At some point, an American Marshall -- hired specifically to exact revenge on the vampiric Count -- destroyed Dracula with a blast silver buckshot. Though he was later revived, minute particles of silver remained in his body, weakening him, and causing him to age quickly when he had been without fresh blood for too long.

Dracula is probably most famous for the events of 1890, which would later be compiled from various journals and clippings and adapted by Bram Stoker into his most famous novel, Dracula. During this episode, Dracula summoned Englishman Jonathan Harker to Castle Dracula on the pretense of by land. There Dracula became intrigued by an image of Harker's fiancé, Mina Murray. Holding Harker captive, Dracula traveled to England. There he enlisted the mad Renfield as his servant and fed off the people of Whitby, including Mina's closest friend, Lucy Westenra. By the time he had gotten close to Mina and began to enthrall her, Lucy had died and Harker escaped, mobilizing Dr. John Seward (one of Lucy's former suitors), Abraham van Helsing (Seward's mentor), and Quincy Morris (Lucy's fiancé) to seek out and destroy Dracula. Dracula escaped to Transylvania but was there impaled and decapitated by Seward and Morris. Since the knives Morris and Seward had used were neither wooden nor silver, Dracula had only been somewhat injured, but elected to use his power to transform into mist to trick his attackers into believing him dead.[32] In 1896, the last piece of the story fell into place when Dracula's stolen diary finally fell into Stoker's hands; Dracula was published a year later.[19] Oddly enough, Dracula read the novel and penned a venomous letter accusing Stoker of lying, Harker of an opium addiction, and van Helsing of being part of a long line of charlatan magicians bearing a grudge against him. For good measure, he cursed the letter, writing that any who found it would be devoured by his Children of the Night. American journalists Mark Cordier and David Frazier became the first to discover the letter a century later and did indeed fall victim to the curse.

In 1897, Dracula discovered the existence of Clan Akkaba, and its relation to En Sabah Nur. Dracula then began a vengeful campaign against Clan Akkaba, slaughtering many before van Helsing determined he was involved. While most of Clan Akkaba eventually became vampires and were destroyed in the conflict, Apocalypse and van Helsing managed to gain the upper hand. Dracula was impaled and decapitated by Apocalypse with his own limbs but refused to follow van Helsing's "superstitious" rituals to permanently destroy the vampire.[16] Dracula soon recovered, but was tracked down and staked by van Helsing in Castle Dracula, thanks to the help of a young boy named Carl von Harbou, one of Dracula's servants. Persons unknown eventually discovered the body and, recognizing the danger, placed it inside a coffin, which was then moved to a deep cave blocked by a heavy stone. In 1898, a vampiric Gypsy woman, Marguerita, freed Dracula by tricking Frankenstein's Monster into believing she knew the location of the last living Frankenstein. When the monster removed the stone at the mouth of the cave, Marguerita removed the stake from Dracula's body, reviving him.[33]

1900s

By 1900, Dracula had finally shirked off the last effects of the silver buckshot he had been struck with so long ago. In 1903, Dracula again encountered Captain and Marianne Cutlass in Madrid; when Dracula attacked Marianne, the Captain broke free and fought back against Dracula, who staked him.[31] Angered by Dracula's disruption of the natural order, Death herself took the form of Carlos Muertos, and raised a mob against him in Madrid. The mob staked and buried him, but before too long grave-robbers found the body and removed the stake. The enraged count found and vampirized each member of the mob that had killed him, and led his new army against the town of San Cristo. Dracula failed to account for the time difference, however, and was incinerated with his army by the rising sun. Dracula's servants soon recovered his ashes and revived him by placing them in soil from his native Transylvania. After this latest resurrection, Death finally revealed herself and conceded defeat, calling for a temporary truce.[29]

In the turmoil preceding World War I, Lord John Falsworth invaded Dracula's tomb, hoping to turn him into a living weapon. Instead, Dracula vampirized him, sending him back to England to wreak havoc as the first Baron Blood.[34] Around this time Dracula also finally slew Jon Harker. In 1926 in Rome, Dracula made an enemy of mobster Nick Diablo, who put out several contracts against him. All three hitmen sent by Diablo, as well as his girlfriend, Luisa Morelli, were vampirized, and sent back to finish him off.[35] Dracula also once more encountered Marianne Cutlass, and vampirized her husband, Count Marcos de la Triana. Heartbroken, Marianne allowed her husband to vampirize her[31] (Years later, Marianne again returned to Dracula, begging him to end her cursed existence after her husband was staked by the vampire-hunter Blade).

1930s

Sometime in the early 1930s, a government agent in Marseilles discovered Dracula had control over his superior, wounded him, and began a month-long hunt across the country. The hunt culminated aboard a zeppelin, which Dracula caused to crash when he killed the pilot. The Frenchman leaped to safety, but Dracula had also escaped. By now Quincy Harker, son of Jon Harker, had organized a task force specifically to destroy Dracula. Dracula, however, had once more traveled to America, killing several people on the cruise there. In North Carolina, Dracula was drawn to Devil's Lake, where he battled the Devil's Heart.[36] On the coast of Maine, Dracula enthralled and fed on Angelica Neal, a young girl tending a lighthouse with her family. When her family tried to keep Dracula from her, he slew her mother, Laurie, before her father, Frank, finally drove him off by painting the symbol of a cross in blood over the lighthouse light.[23]

World War II

In 1942, World War II came home to Castle Dracula when the Count discovered his Gypsy servants were being killed by the Nazis. The Count opposed the Nazis, even lending aid to an invading American unit, Nick Fury's Howling Commandos. The Commandos continued to work with Dracula even when his vampiric nature was revealed, but Percival Pinkerton promised he would inform Dr. van Helsing of Dracula's whereabouts, Dracula welcomed the challenge.[37]

During World War II, Weapon Plus commandeered the Ravencroft Institute institute and began conducting experiments on the inmates with the aid of Count Dracula- turning several of them into grotesque vampiric monstrosities. When Captain America and Bucky Barnes attacked the institute looking for a friend of theirs, Jonas Ravencroft unleashed the vampiric monsters on the Weapon Plus personnel before committing suicide.[38]

In 1944 the Nazi's occupied Castle Dracula itself, using it as regional headquarters. Dracula vampirized their commander, Hauptmann Rudolph Kris, took bodily possession of him and led him to kill his own troops. Kris had no recollection of his vampiric activities and began a hunt for the vampire killer that ultimately led back to him. He was staked by his second-in-command, Leutnan Willi Hanson.[15]

In 1945 he attacked Quincy and Elizabeth Harker at an opera; both survived, but Elizabeth was nearly drained of blood.[39] In the late 1940s, Dracula was prevented from feeding off a village girl near Castle Mordo, Transylvania by the sorcerer Baron Mordo, who intend to use the girl as a human sacrifice. Dracula also kept a watchful eye on Gregor Russoff, correctly surmising that he possessed the Darkhold.

1950s

In 1951, a man name Tartoff spent a night outlining his family's long, unfortunate history with Dracula for writer Sandor Xavier. Tartoff also believed that if Dracula could not feed on his blood by the end of the night, he may be destroyed forever. The validity of Tartoff's theory may never be known, as the man posing as Xavier revealed himself to be Dracula and slew Tartoff only an hour before dawn. At some point, Dracula slew the last adult van Helsings as their nine-year-old daughter, Rachel, looked on; Quincy Harker managed to save Rachel from her parent's fate. In Tarnington, Dracula sought the power of the demons Ypsilloth and Ryg, who had been trapped beneath the Jennings Mill for forty years but was thwarted by a man named Mason. In Brass Monkey, New Mexico, Dracula took control of a prostitute and used her to break into the local blood bank. Dracula discovered the blood stored there was useless to him, and, adding injury to insult, he was also confronted by the elderly Father Vergilius Flotsky. At one point, Dracula was approached by the aged Orphelus, who claimed to need his help in once more reaching the infernal, rejuvenating Pool of Blood. However, when the pair arrived at the pool, Orphelus used an ancient locket to return it to hell, claiming that immortality was a sin that others should be spared of. Years later, Dracula was opposed in India by a full-grown Rachel van Helsing.[40]

When Dracula tracked down and vampirized his old enemy Jamal Afari, his disciple vampire-hunter, Blade, swore vengeance against him. Blade joined a group of vampire hunters who managed to stake him in China, but he was revived by Dracula's servant Kuai Hua, and her handmaidens. As revenge, Dracula killed most of the group, leaving only Musenda and Blade alive.[41] At one point, Dracula learned of Jackson Kubbard, who claimed to be a reincarnation of his old rival, Cogliostro; Dracula had his coffin shipped to Manhattan to investigate, only to learn that Kubbard was a fraud, and suffer through withdrawal after drinking the blood of a drug addict. Marie LaVeau had her servant bring Dracula's coffin to New Orleans, where he was drawn to a young girl he had recently vampirized. She obtained a sample of his blood for her immortality serum and proposed a more permanent alliance, but Dracula refused, irritated at being bound by force. In Paris, Dracula was confronted by Hélène DuBois (great-great-granddaughter of Cogliostro's man, Jacques DuBois), who sent a gargoyle animated by his spirit to (unsuccessfully) fight Dracula.[17] Dracula vampirized CIA pilot Roberta Christianson, who continued to fight him afterward, ultimately crashing her own plane in an effort to destroy him. In Paris, Dracula met an American girl named Mary who, after years of failed relationships, actually embraced undeath as one of his brides. When even Dracula abandoned her, she impaled herself on a stake. At one point, a Scotsman staked Dracula, sending him into his own Pit of Death. He mentally sent his agent, Comte St. Germain to obtain the Amulet of Zarathos to revive him, but he was foiled by a young Sue and Johnny Storm. Eventually, Dracula's descendant, Frank Drake, inherited the castle, and his friend Clifton Graves unwittingly removed the stake. Drake joined a band of vampire hunters, pursuing Dracula across America and Europe. In that time Dracula also encountered a zombified Duncan Corley, the Werewolf (Jack Russell) and Topaz,[42][26] the elderspawn Y'Garon,[43] and Elianne Turac, the life-extended daughter of his old nemesis.[44]

At this point Dracula usurped Castle Dunwick in London from Shiela Whittier, making it his latest Castle Dracula[14] and banishing the spirit of Shiela's father, who wanted to sacrifice her to the Darkling Gods.[45] Whittier broke free from Dracula, much to his surprise, and left him for David Eshcol.[46] When Dracula killed her lover, she threw herself out of a window, choosing suicide over being his thrall.[40] Dracula also suffered considerable agony when he entered the Vatican itself to slay Giuseppe Montesi and destroy the Montesi Formula. Montesi had already sent a copy of the spell, however, to Quincy Harker. Some time after, Dracula crossed Doctor Sun, a human brain in a robotic body kept alive by fresh human blood.[47] After several confrontations between them, Dracula was staked and burnt to ashes by Sun's assassin Juno.[48] The situation eventually grew so desperate that the vampire hunters usedAurora Rabinowitz' virgin tears to revive him. Dracula and Blade then worked together to destroy Sun, though the doctor would eventually return.

Dracula again became a father after marrying his third true wife, Domini. Domini was about to become a human sacrifice of Anton Lupeski's Church of Satan, when Dracula interrupted, posing as the devil himself. When "Satan" demanded the girl so he might sire a son, Lupeski saw through the deception but hoped that child would be powerful under his control. Lupeski married the two, and they had a somewhat demonic-looking son, Janus. When things didn't go as planned, Lupeski attempted several times to destroy Dracula. At one point, Lupeski summoned the cosmic Silver Surfer to destroy him, and they fought to a standstill before Domini convinced the Surfer to leave Dracula be. When a more mundane assassination attempt accidentally killed Judas, Dracula crushed Lupeski's skull. Janus' death sent Dracula into a depression as he reflected on how each of his previous children had eventually turned on him. Domini magically resurrected the child, but it became merged with the troublesome Golden Angel. The composite being grew instantly to adulthood, going on to trouble Dracula for years. As punishment for posing as Satan and siring Janus, Mephisto stripped Dracula of all his unholy powers. When Dracula became so desperate that he actually prayed to God for help, Mephisto was so amused by the irony that he restored Dracula's powers. Dracula then reclaimed the title Vampire Lord from the usurper Torgo Nia, just in time to be staked by a silver-spike-wielding Quincy Harker. Harker perished in the attempt, which also destroyed the latest Castle Dracula.

In one of his more bizarre resurrections, Dracula was revived by Florence Ebers to serve as the immortal body for her resurrected husband, Augustus. She used the Yazdi Gem to impose Augustus' personality on Dracula but destroyed the gem when he turned on her. Dracula also got caught up with the satanic Cult of the Enclave, and was forced to battle the life-draining Dimensional Man. Later, Jacque McDonald started to merge minds with Dracula after she received a blood transfusion from her mother, a former victim. Dracula was weakened as Jacque began to take on his sinister personality, but she expelled his influence by force of will. Returning to the partially-rebuilt castle, Dracula renounced and slew his brides. Dracula suffered an embarrassment when biting Howard the Duck left a bad taste in his mouth, sending him into a frenzy.

After being manipulated by the Six-Fingered Hand, Dracula reluctantly sided with the Defenders against rival vampire Gordski. Dracula twice failed in attempts to make the X-Man Storm one of his vampire brides.[49][50] Dracula gained magical enhancements from the cult of Darkholders and ultimately became powerful enough to oppose the thunder-god Thor. He was killed along with every other vampire on Earth, however, when Doctor Strange used the Montesi Formula.[51]

The spells of protection Strange had cast years earlier on his vampiric brother, Khiron weakened the spell, however, and it ultimately broke when Marie LaVeau used the vampiric verses to resurrect Varnae. The demon Asmodeus, worshiped as Satan by Lupeski's Church of Satan, drew back Dracula's spirit and reconstructed his body in Castle Dracula, inducing his servant, Professor Gregor Smirnoff to revive him with the souls of 666 students from his Belonging cult. Dracula was thwarted by Blade, Frank Drake, Katinka, and inspector Judiah Golem, who wounded Dracula to such an extent that the purity of the sacrificed souls overwhelmed him, causing an explosion. A later, mysterious explosion somehow fused Frank Drake, Hannibal King, and Bloodstorm One into a new, monstrous "Dracula". Eventually, the real Dracula's spirit took advantage of the situation, displacing Drake and King (freeing them), and making him master of the new body.

Lilith Drake -- taunted by Dracula with the knowledge that the spells freeing her from vampiric weaknesses also meant she herself could never kill her father directly -- infected him with a blood virus created by Dr. Charles Seward. Dracula was able to survive by feeding on Seward, who had used his own, cursed blood to create the disease.

Dracula encountered the mutants of Generation X, and was later forced to work with Elsa Bloodstone, daughter of ancient rival Ulysses Bloodstone. The two opposed the Nosferatu vampires, who hoped to infect other, "pureblood" vampires with a virus that would make them into immortal blood-donors .[16]

As the millennium approached, Dracula prepared for the Ritual of Ascendance, surrounding himself with armies of vampires from around the world to protect him during his weakened, incubation state. Dracula succeeded despite the opposition of a new group of vampire hunters, gaining immense power and growing to a gargantuan size. When Dracula took Divinity Drake as his vampire bride, Divinity revealed herself to be, in fact, the sorceress Aamshed. Aamshed brought forth a mystic lodestone, which summoned the souls of everyone to be vampirized since the last Ritual performed by Varnae. Again, the purity of the souls overwhelmed Dracula, and Blade staked him for good measure to make sure he was destroyed. The remaining vampire armies in the area where destroyed in the spiritual backlash.

Dracula returned once more, however, as Blade traced Spider-Man's recent partial vampirization to Dracula. Blade staked Dracula, noting that Spider-Man's radioactive blood would keep him safe from full, permanent vampirization. A corrupt division of S.H.I.E.L.D., heavily infested by vampires loyal to Lucas Cross, stole the body, and Blade destroyed an entire S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier in an effort to destroy the infestation.[52]

Dracula remained low for several years following that. He turned up later and met with Victor von Doom on Earth's moon. He proposed a non-aggression treaty with Doom, which enabled him to coordinate plans for an attack on England without encroaching upon any of Doom's prospective interests. Using the scientific wizardry at his coven's disposal, he genetically mutated vampire assassins with specific targets in mind - notably, the members of MI13.[53]

The Death of Dracula

Some time later, Dracula attended the gathering of all the vampire sects that happens every century. At the beginning of the meeting, both the leaders of the Anchorite and Atlantis sects expressed their concern about the expansion of humankind on their territory. The Atlantis sect leader blamed the lack of leadership on Dracula. Dracula's son Xarus said the Atlantean meant no offense but raised a good point, all while approaching his father's throne. He said the expansion of humanity was a problem, and vampirekind shouldn't run away from its territory. Dracula responded that humanity had their world and that they had their own, and that it should stay like that. Xarus said one day, things would change, then staked his father through the heart. Dracula pushed away his traitorous son but was attacked by the leaders of the Nosferatu, Atlantis and Charniputra sects, who staked him several more times. Dracula finally fell and was decapitated with a sword by Xarus.

Afterward, Xarus ordered his father's remains be separated and asked from the other leaders to choose between siding with him or being exterminated. Twenty-four hours later, all of Xarus's enemies save his brother Janus had been exterminated and he had succeeded in becoming the new Lord of Vampires.[54] But when Xarus and his army attacked the X-Men, they resurrected Dracula, who returned the favor and killed Xarus by ripping his head off.[55]

Uniting Monster Metropolis

Dracula attempted to unite all of the world's monsters under his control, but in order to do so, he had to marry Shiklah, the queen of an ancient kingdom of monsters, to which many still claimed allegiance. Dracula hired Deadpool, a mercenary whom the Weapon Plus program had rendered immune to telepathic control, to retrieve Shiklah from her resting place and bring her to New York City for the wedding.[56]

Deadpool missed his deadline, however, and Dracula ordered Deadpool to be killed, sending a dominated Werewolf by Night and the New Frightful Four, among others, against him. Meanwhile, Shiklah's brothers, thought long dead, arrived at his home for the wedding - meaning that Shiklah was not a Queen, but merely a princess. While Deadpool was still making his way with Shiklah to New York, Dracula murdered her brothers, ensuring that if he married Shiklah, his plan could continue. Shiklah found out, marrying Deadpool instead and rousing those loyal to her against the forces of Dracula.

All of the creatures living in Monster Metropolis began fighting on the streets of New York while Shiklah herself stole into Dracula's lair. Dracula used Medusa's head to petrify her but Deadpool arrived to save his new wife.[56] Deadpool staked Dracula with his own severed hand and Deadpool's cancerous blood nullified Dracula's healing factor, forcing Dracula to escape towards a hidden safehouse in New York's sewers. With the help of the Thunderbolts, Blade and Deadpool's friends. Dracula's forces were defeated and the survivors also retreated to the safehouse, where Dracula ordered them never to mention Deadpool's name to him again.[56]

Dracula still wanted his revenge though - he had developed a serum that enhanced existing vampiric abilities, making them stronger, tougher, and mitigating their weaknesses, in exchange for their thirst for blood never being quenched. He planned on creating an army of such vampires, but when a squadron of them defeated a dozen of Shiklah's best soldiers, Deadpool stole a time machine from the ruins of the Baxter Building to retrieve Dazzler from the past.[57] Blaire would then use her light powers to destroy the enhanced vampires, first with Deadpool, then with Shiklah.[58]

Gravely weakened by Deadpool's cancerous blood, Dracula bought a Mark V Spider-Slayer robot to take his revenge but the contraption was destroyed when Deadpool managed to place a mound of thermite on its back. Dracula saw Wilson without his costume, however, and decided that letting Deadpool remain alive in that state would be crueler than destroying him.[59]

At some point following his encounter with Deadpool, Dracula was taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody and turned over to S.T.A.K.E., under the supervision of Agent Paul Kraye.[60] After escaping from Area 13 under unspecified circumstances, Dracula returned to his castle in Romania, taking an enthralled Vampire by Night with him. Dracula then began to call all the vampires from around the world to him, where they too fell under his thrall. Of note was the sudden disappearance of Jubilee, which was detected by Cerebra in X-Haven and brought to the attention of Logan.

Tracking Jubilee to Romania, Logan encountered the Howling Commandos who were searching for their own missing teammate. They decided to team up, and as the Commandos attacked the vampires guarding Dracula's Castle in order to create a distraction, Logan infiltrated in order to seek out those missing. When Logan finally found Jubilee, Dracula revealed himself and bit the would-be rescuer;[61] however, Logan's healing factor counteracted the change, allowing him to continue to fight, though he was still defeated.

Meanwhile, many of the Howling Commandos were defeated by the horde of vampires led by Vampire by Night and also captured; however, Warwolf had managed to call for backup, which arrived in the form of Orrgo and Man-Thing, who freed both Logan and the team. Logan then fought Dracula yet again, though their battle seemed evenly matched until Orrgo caught Dracula and burned him with sunlight, weakening his hold over the other vampires. This allowed Jubilee to break free from the thrall, knocking Dracula off-balance, and allowing Logan to decapitate him with his claws. Logan then had Dracula's severed head disposed of by Cerebra, who unceremoniously hurled it into the Sun.[62]

The Monster Metropolis Attack

Dracula then somehow returned in secret and became a recluse, living in the basement of a house in Riga, Latvia, while devoting his time to online gaming. He was eventually tracked down by Deadpool and Spider-Man, with the help of Cami van Helsing, the last scion of the van Helsing family, and her dowsing rod. No longer afraid of Dracula after witnessing his state, Cami confronted him and the two faced-off in a match of Versus to determine whether Dracula assisted them in mustering his vampires against Shiklah's army of monsters from Monster Metropolis invading Manhattan, or Cami let him consume her. Cami won and Dracula joined the heroes on their return to New York City.[63]

While Dracula had promised to help Deadpool fight Shiklah, Dracula decided to propose marriage to Shiklah as soon as they were reunited.[64] Shiklah accepted the marriage proposal, and she and Dracula were married. This had the unexpected result of convincing Shiklah of abdicating her throne as she grew uncomfortable of ruling her subjects through force. Dracula and Shiklah then left.[65]

The Faux Vampire Civil War

Having decided to start his vampire kingdom anew, Dracula orchestrated a plan to seize a portion of Russia's territory. He instructed his reborn son Xarus to adopt the identity of the Shadow Colonel, a purportedly dissident vampire who contested the throne aided by this Legion of the Unliving.[66] Under this pretense, Xarus committed genocide on his own people, weeding out the weaker members of the vampiric race.[67] Taking a frail and weakened appearance, Dracula used these attacks to seek refuge in Russia and exchanged all his knowledge for a piece of territory where he could allegedly spend his final days in peace.[68] The Russian government dispatched Dracula to Chernobyl, unaware that he could still strive in this land. The lord of the vampires later reunited with the Legion of the Unliving in this territory, and declared it the kingdom of the vampires.[66]

The Rise of the Vampire Nation

After he established his kingdom, Dracula became once again the leader of the Vampire Nation, he resurfaced later on in Paris and while humankind was distracted by the rise of the new sovereign mutant nation of Krakoa, the Vampire Nation used this opportunity to rise in the shadows. Just like the mutants were now united behind their leader, Charles Xavier, the vampires were also now united behind Dracula.

Dracula then hired Omega Red and promised him the Carbonadium Synthesizer in exchange for his services. Omega Red's first mission was to enter Krakoa and lure Wolverine to one of Dracula's hideouts in Paris in order to allow Dracula's soldiers to steal his blood. Once done, Wolverine's blood was then transferred to Dracula, allowing him to now survive when exposed to daylight.

His mission completed, Omega Red returned to Paris and was given the Carbonadium Synthesizer by Dracula although Dracula warned him that there was a detonator hidden inside of it as he still had use of him. Dracula then ordered Omega Red to join Krakoa but to obey him.[9]



Powers and Abilities

Power Grid [71] Intelligence 3 Strength* 4 3 Speed* 3 2 Durability* 6 2 Energy Projection* 6 1 Fighting Skills 4 * Lower ratings pre-vamprie

Powers

Vampirism: Dracula, like all other vampires, is capable of transforming an individual into a vampire by biting them. A special enzyme found only within vampire saliva is responsible for this transformation. After draining all of the blood from a victim, the victim enters a death-like state and returns to life three days later.

Superhuman Strength: Like all vampires, Dracula possesses superhuman strength. Due to his special stance as the ruler of Earth's Vampires, Dracula can lift about 4 tons under optimum conditions. With the possible exception of Varnae, Dracula is the most powerful vampire that has ever been encountered.

Like all vampires, Dracula possesses superhuman strength. Due to his special stance as the ruler of Earth's Vampires, Dracula can lift about 4 tons under optimum conditions. With the possible exception of Varnae, Dracula is the most powerful vampire that has ever been encountered. Superhuman Speed: Dracula is capable of running and moving at speeds greater than even the finest human athlete.

Dracula is capable of running and moving at speeds greater than even the finest human athlete. Superhuman Stamina: Dracula's body is more resistant to the fatigue toxins generated by his muscles during physical activity. He can exert himself at peak capacity for several hours before fatigue begins to affect him.

Dracula's body is more resistant to the fatigue toxins generated by his muscles during physical activity. He can exert himself at peak capacity for several hours before fatigue begins to affect him. Superhuman Agility: Dracula's ability, balance, and body coordination are enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural limits of the human body.

Dracula's ability, balance, and body coordination are enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural limits of the human body. Superhuman Reflexes: Dracula's natural reaction time is enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural limits of the human body.

Dracula's natural reaction time is enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural limits of the human body. Regenerative Healing Factor: Dracula is capable of regenerating damaged or destroyed tissue to an extent much greater than an ordinary human. Dracula can fully heal from multiple gunshots and severe burns within a matter of minutes, however, he cannot regenerate missing limbs or organs.

Dracula is capable of regenerating damaged or destroyed tissue to an extent much greater than an ordinary human. Dracula can fully heal from multiple gunshots and severe burns within a matter of minutes, however, he cannot regenerate missing limbs or organs. Immortality: Dracula, like all vampires, is functionally immortal in the sense that he is immune to the effects of aging and is immune to all known Earthly diseases as long as he ingests fresh blood on a regular basis to maintain his vitality. Once killed, Dracula's power is such that he can resurrect himself under the proper conditions. if incinerated (as by sunlight or fire), Dracula can reconstitute himself if his ashes are placed in a coffin filled with soil from his homeland. If staked through the heart, Dracula can regenerate once the stake is removed.

Dracula, like all vampires, is functionally immortal in the sense that he is immune to the effects of aging and is immune to all known Earthly diseases as long as he ingests fresh blood on a regular basis to maintain his vitality. Once killed, Dracula's power is such that he can resurrect himself under the proper conditions. if incinerated (as by sunlight or fire), Dracula can reconstitute himself if his ashes are placed in a coffin filled with soil from his homeland. If staked through the heart, Dracula can regenerate once the stake is removed. Fangs: Like all vampires, Dracula has fangs and claws. He can quickly drain a victim of blood.

Like all vampires, Dracula has fangs and claws. He can quickly drain a victim of blood. Hypnotism: Dracula is able to hypnotize others by gazing into their eyes for a short period of time. As Lord of Vampires, Dracula can compel other vampires to follow his orders unless their willpower is strong enough to resist him.

Dracula is able to hypnotize others by gazing into their eyes for a short period of time. As Lord of Vampires, Dracula can compel other vampires to follow his orders unless their willpower is strong enough to resist him. Shapeshifting: Dracula is able to shapeshift into bats, rats, a wolf, and mist. He can also turn into human-sized or larger wolfen and bat-like forms.

Dracula is able to shapeshift into bats, rats, a wolf, and mist. He can also turn into human-sized or larger wolfen and bat-like forms. Sorcery: Dracula is a very powerful magician. He is able to summon and command lesser vampires, undead, packs of wild dogs, bats, and rats.

Dracula is a very powerful magician. He is able to summon and command lesser vampires, undead, packs of wild dogs, bats, and rats. Weather Manipulation: He has considerable control over the elements and weather, enough to oppose Storm or Thor. However, Dracula is severely weakened for an extended period of time afterward.

He has considerable control over the elements and weather, enough to oppose Storm or Thor. However, Dracula is severely weakened for an extended period of time afterward. Mind Control: A person bitten by Dracula is able to be influenced by him through a sort of empathic link. Only beings of exceptionally strong wills are capable of resisting him.

Abilities

Dracula is an accomplished swordsman and magician. He possesses a gifted intellect.

Strength level

Dracula can lift approximately 4 tons.

Weaknesses

Dracula, like all vampires, has a number of special vulnerabilities. His greatest weakness, like that of other vampires, is that he must ingest about one quart of fresh blood in order to maintain his vitality. Otherwise, his powers will steadily decrease to the point where he enters a comatose state. Dracula is highly allergic to silver and can be severely injured, or killed, with silver weaponry. If Dracula is injured by silver, his recovery time is considerably slower than normal. Dracula can be killed by having a wooden stake plunged into his heart, somehow interrupting the mystical energies that keep him alive. Dracula can also be killed by being decapitated and being exposed to fire. Dracula can also be affected by religious icons, such as the Star of David or a crucifix for example. Dracula is affected by the strength of the wielder's faith in the icon and religion it represents, not the size of the icon itself. Dracula must rest within his coffin during daylight hours. He must line his coffin with soil from his homeland in order to both sustain his power and travel more than 100 miles from his birthplace.

Dracula used to be unable to withstand exposure to direct sunlight, since it would instantly dry up his skin and eventually crumble his body to powder within a matter of minutes. After transferring Wolverine's blood to his body, Dracula got rid of this specific weakness.[9]



Notes

Dracula was featured on 1992 Marvel Universe trading cards #115.

Dracula was one of the characters featured in the series of Marvel Value Stamps issued in the 1970's.



Trivia

Every few years, Dracula spends some time updating his memoirs.

"Dracula" is a transfer to English of a Romanian patronymic that is variously translated as Dragwlya, Dragkwlya, Dragulea, Dragolea, and Drăculea. It names Vlad a son of Dracul, the epithet of his father. The epithet derives from the Romanian noun "drac" for "dragon", their version of Latin "draco".

He's shown to have both men and women as consorts.[69]



Recommended Readings

Before The FF: The Storms Vol 1, No. 1-3 December 2000-February 2001

Tomb Of Dracula Vol 1, No. 1 April 1972

Frankenstein Vol 1, No. 8-9 January-March 1974

Werewolf By Night Vol 1, No. 15 March 1974 (continued from Tomb Of Dracula Vol 1, No. 18)

Giant-Size Chillers featuring Curse of Dracula Vol 1, No. 1 June 1974; Featuring: Lilith

Giant-Size Spider-Man Vol 1, No. 1 July 1974

Doctor Strange Vol 1, No. 14 May 1976

Defenders Vol 1, No. 95 May 1981; Featuring: Daimon Hellstrom

Doctor Strange Vol 1, No. 59-62 June-December 1983; Featuring: The DarkHolders, Hannibal King, The Avengers, Blade, Frank Drake

Thor Vol 1, No. 332-333, June-July 1983; Featuring: Doctor Strange

Spider-Man Team-Up Vol 1, No. 6 March 1997; Featuring: Doctor Strange

Generation X/Dracula '98

X-Men: Apocalypse/Dracula #1-4, February-May 2006

Uncanny X-Men #159

Avengers Vol 8, No. 14-17, April-May 2019

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