by: Wayne Lackey
In the first half of this retrospective, we saw the birth, ascension, fall, and eventual demise of Marvel’s lord of the undead. Dracula enjoyed a brief respite, aside from a short-lived stint as an agent of Death in Avengers Annual #16 in 1987 and flashbacks/backup features in Doctor Strange (1989-1991) and Marvel Comics Presents. Marvel’s Dracula was resurrected by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan in a second installment of the Tomb of Dracula comic book series in 1991, igniting a brief resurgence of the character in the 90’s. Two short series of reprint titles were also published over the next two years, one focusing on the original Tomb of Dracula run while the other centered on Dracula’s run-ins with Marvel’s super-heroes. In 1991, Savage Return of Dracula collected the first two issues of Tomb of Dracula, followed by The Wedding of Dracula in 1992, collecting issues 30, 45, and 46. This series was concluded with Requiem for Dracula later that year, collecting issues 69 and 70. The hero-centric series began with X-Men vs. Dracula in 1993, reprinting Uncanny X-Men Annual #6 (featuring the demise of Rachel Van Helsing). The remainder of this series included Spider-Man vs. Dracula (reprinting Giant-Size Spider-Man #1), and Silver Surfer vs. Dracula (Tomb of Dracula #50), and Dr. Strange vs. Dracula (Tomb of Dracula #44, Doctor Strange #14, and material from Vampire Tales #9), completing its publishing run in 1994.
Even as these Dracula stories were being reprinted, other elements from the Tomb of Dracula series sprang forth in their own right. The Nightstalkers ongoing series, launched in 1992 as part of Marvel’s “Midnight Sons” line of comics, featured Frank Drake, Hannibal King, and Blade. The series ran for 18 issues and addressed some material from the original Tomb of Dracula run, such as the fates of Domini and Janus. Shortly thereafter, Blade was awarded his own series, Blade the Vampire-Slayer, in 1994, encountering Dracula on occasion. Another reprint one-shot was published in 1996, the giant-sized Halloween Megazine, collecting Tomb of Dracula #12-16. The 1997 black-and-white anthology one-shot Marvel: Shadows & Light included a tale of conflict with Blade and Dracula. A new, three-issue miniseries titled Dracula: Lord of the Undead was published in 1998, with cover art by Gene Colan. Alternate universe versions of Dracula also showed up in Supernaturals (1998) and Mutant X (1999).
The new millennium saw a smattering of new Dracula stories, and the introduction of the character’s classic stories to a new generation through Marvels Essential reprint trades. Elsa Bloodstone fought Dracula and his forces in the four-issue Bloodstone mini-series (2001-2002). In 2003, Marvel published the first of four Essential Tomb of Dracula trades, re-presenting the entire run of Tomb of Dracula (both 1972 and 1979 series) and Dracula Lives! magazine. Marvel’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s original work was presented in black and white in 2004’s Stoker’s Dracula, a four-issue limited series completing Roy Thomas’ and Dick Giordiano’s unfinished work from the 70’s. Yet another installment of the Tomb of Dracula title (another four-issue mini-series) was published in 2004, pitting Dracula against Blade and his new crop of vampire hunters. Another segment of Dracula’s infamous past was brought to light with 2006’s Apocalypse vs. Dracula mini-series. 2006 also saw another Blade series, with yet another round of fighting against his old nemesis. The Legion of Monsters: Morbius one-shot (2007) included a backup feature with Dracula and Lilith again renewing hostilities. After a tussle with the Hulk in the Monster-Size Hulk Special one-shot in 2008, Dracula planned and nearly executed a successful invasion of England in the “Vampire State” arc of Captain Britain and MI:13 in 2009, seemingly meeting his demise at the business end of the mythic sword Excalibur. Marvel also released a series of two hardcover color omnibuses collecting the entire run of the 1972 Tomb of Dracula series in 2008 and 2009.
This year sees Marvel’s vampire community seemingly poised to strike, but they may be forging ahead without their fabled leader. July 2010 features the publication of the ominously-titled Death of Dracula one-shot, set to take Vampire Nation into a (not so) bright and (definitely not) shining future. The new X-Men ongoing series continues this direction in its first arc, reportedly featuring a “mutants vs. vampires” storyline, complete with a vampire invasion of San Francisco. Later this year, Marvel will also publish a newly-colored version of Stoker’s Dracula, as well as a Tomb of Dracula trade collecting the first dozen issues of the classic series in color. A third Tomb of Dracula omnibus is scheduled for publication, along with a Vampire Tales trade, re-presenting classic tales from the black-and-white magazine of the same name. It looks like a good time to be vampire (or vampire fan) in the Marvel Universe!
Abbreviated Bibliography (1984-2010)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, Master Edition (1990) #30
Avengers Annual (1967) #16
Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #77-79
Tomb of Dracula (1991) #1-4
Savage Return of Dracula (1991) #1
Wedding of Dracula (1992) #1
Requiem for Dracula (1992) #1
X-Men vs. Dracula (1993) #1
Spider-Man vs. Dracula (1994) #1
Silver Surfer vs. Dracula (1994) #1
Dr. Strange vs. Dracula (1994) #1
Halloween Megazine (1996) #1
Dracula: Lord of the Undead (1998) #1-3
Supernaturals (1998) #3
Mutant X (1999) #12, 13, 26, 27, 31, 32
Mutant X Annual (1999) 2000, 2001
Essential Tomb of Dracula TPB (2003) #1-4
Stoker’s Dracula (2004) #1-4
Tomb of Dracula (2004) #1-4
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Horror 2005 (2005) #1
Apocalypse vs. Dracula (2006) #1-4
Blade (2006) #1, 10-12
Legion of Monsters: Morbius (2007) #1
Monster-Size Hulk Special (2008) #1
Captain Britain and MI:13 (2008) #9-15
Death of Dracula (2010/upcoming) #1
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