Appearing in "Showdown of Blood!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Quincy Harker
- Rachel van Helsing
- Inspector Chelm
- Frank Drake
- Taj Nital
- Brother Voodoo (Jericho Drumm)
- Daniel Drumm
- Jyota Nital
Antagonists:
- Zombies
- Deacon Frost
- Daphne von Wilkinson (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Bennington (Death)
- London policemen
- Tinkerton
- Dr. Scott
- Bruce
- von Wilkinson's parents (Photo)
- Jackson Hardy (Death)
Races and Species:
Locations:
Synopsis for "Showdown of Blood!"
In Brazil, Frank Drake is alone against a horde of zombies unknowingly set upon him by Dracula. Trying to fend them off with a gun, Frank finds it useless, and the zombies grab him and attempt to throw him off a nearby cliff. Frank is saved at the last moment by the arriving Brother Voodoo who sends his brother Daniel's spirit out to possess Frank's body and allow him to get to safety. Although Frank is saved, the zombies are not finished with him yet and continue to advance toward him seeking his death. Brother Voodoo vows to prevent the zombies from completing their task.
While in England, Dracula is given the government file on him by his minion Bennington. Unfortunately for Dracula, Inspector Chelm has followed him and as the exchange is happening tries to take a shot at Dracula with specially made silver bullets. His first shot misses Dracula when the vampire lord uses Bennington as a human shield. Dracula would then pounce on Chelm and is about to feed upon him. Dracula is completely unaware that he is being watched by another vampire who vows not to let the vampire lord out of his sight so that he may use the vampire king to suit his own ends in the future. Before Dracula can strike at Chelm, the inspectors back up arrives and one of the arriving officers strikes Dracula with the butt of his gun. Before they can fire upon Dracula, the vampire lord turns into his mist form and makes an escape.
While in Jajpur, India, Taj Nital returns home with his wife and decides that he is going to stay with her, and so he writes a letter to Rachel van Helsing to say farewell and that he will not be rejoining her quest to destroy Dracula.
Back at Scotland Yard, Chelm calls in both Quincy Harker and a psychologist named Dr. Scott to try and figure out what Dracula's next move is. Scott deduces that Dracula may not stay in London for too much longer and that Dracula -- in spite of his many resurrections -- fears death. They are soon joined by Rachel van Helsing who adds her own bits of information: That she overheard one of the female vampires who recently held her captive say that Dracula was losing his powers and that he had become worried, and deduces that the only probably threat to Dracula came from Doctor Sun, and that if Sun succeeds in draining all of Dracula's powers then the vampire king could be killed once and for all. Chelm then decides to have the Yard to look into the Doctor Sun, as a final point as well Chelm informs Quincy that his former associate Blade is also currently wanted for murder.
Elsewhere in London, struggling fashion designer Daphne von Wilkinson rejects another designed made by a male artist further fueling her hatred toward men. She burns the man's designs and fires him, she is soon visited by a collector looking for the money that she owes. When he suggests that her poor business practices (namely only hiring women) is the root of her business woes, she orders him out of her office and threatens to sue him for defamation of character.
When the bill collector is kicked out she is startled by the crashing sound in one of the other offices. Going to investigate, she finds Dracula has crashed through her window. The ever weakening vampire has passed out, and noticing that he is clutching a file in his hands, she takes it and reads over the notes and realizes that Dracula is seeking out information about Dr. Sun. Realizing that she can use this to her advantage, Daphne calls Mr. Harding back to her office and attempts to seduce him. When this doesn't work, she allows Dracula to feed upon him.
With Harding dead, she plots to get revenge against other men she blames for her businesses failure.
This story is continued next issue...