“Enter freely, and of your own will.”
Appearing in "Night Screams!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Dr. Moira MacTaggert
- Corsair (Christopher Summers)
- Havok (Alex Summers)
- Polaris (Lorna Dane)
- Harmony Young
- Daughters of the Dragon
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- NYPD Officers
- Phil
- Other unnamed policeman
- St. Vincent's
- Lou and other residents
- Dr. Ohara and other hospital employees
- NY rats and several wild dogs
- Unnamed New Yorkers
- Professor X (Charles Xavier) (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth
- North America
- United States of America
- New York
- New York City
- Manhattan
- Greenwich Village
- Saint Vincent's Hospital
- Misty Knight's apartment
- Washington Square Park (Mentioned)
- Central Park
- Belvedere Castle (First appearance)
- Columbus Circle
- Top of the Park (First appearance)
- Greenwich Village
- Manhattan
- New York City
- New Mexico
- Rio Diablo
- Rio Diablo Research Facility
- Rio Diablo
- New York
- United States of America
- Bavaria, Germany, Europe (Mentioned)
- North America
Items:
Synopsis for "Night Screams!"
The X-Men arrive at Misty Knight's apartment but find someone other than Misty in residence. They shortly discover that the resident is the fashion model Harmony Young, and she is sharing the apartment with Misty. Storm apologizes and explains that Misty had offered them the use of the apartment whenever they needed it. She says that they'll go if their being there is a problem, but Harmony dismisses this - if it's okay with Misty, it's okay with her, and she wouldn't mind some cute guys around.[1] Wolverine reminds Kitty that she has a meeting with her parents and can't go dressed as an X-Man. Worried about clothes, Harmony offers Kitty some of her own. Excited, Kitty gets dressed and Storm walks her to meet her parents.
In the Rio Diablo mountains, Scott and Alex take a walk to talk. They get back for dinner, and then Corsair[2] reveals that he's going to be returning to space with the Starjammers soon.
Back in New York, Kitty calls Nightcrawler to check in, and they discover that Storm, who had left Kitty hours ago, never returned... Wolverine and Colossus get called to the hospital where they find Ororo. Apparently, she was the victim of a strange mugging, neither robbed nor molested and found with her throat 'slashed', although the damage was mostly superficial. They take her home and put her to bed, but she has unsettling dreams. She wakes up, opens the window, and invites someone inside.
The weekend passes and Kitty returns from visiting her parents. However, the X-Men's faces are grim - Storm is still in bed, and doesn't want to go on living! Kitty goes into comfort her, but Storm protests when she opens the curtains, claiming that the sunlight hurts. She and Kitty talk, but Kitty notices Storm flinch when light reflects off the silver Star of David that Kitty wears around her neck. She also notices the nice scarf with an embroidered D that Storm claims to have gotten from an admirer. Storm asks Kitty to go, and Kitty leaves the apartment, claiming that she has errands to run.
That night, Dracula comes for Ororo one final time, to make her his undead bride. Just then, Kitty phases through the wall, a cross held firmly in her outstretched hand. Dracula at first flinches, but then realizes that it has no effect on him![3] He attacks her, but burns his hand on the silver Star of David that Kitty wears as a pendant. Dracula and Ororo flee, and the X-Men come into the room, having heard the commotion. Kitty explains that Dracula took Ororo, and while doubtful of the assailants' identity, Wolverine sets to work tracking him.
They track Ororo to Belvedere Castle, outside of which Dracula attacks them alongside wild dogs and rats of monstrous proportions. The X-Men defeat the wildlife, but Dracula is proving too much for them. During the fight, Wolverine makes the sign of the cross with two of his claws in order to repel Dracula, but Dracula hits him, completely unaffected, and tells him that a cross is useless unless one truly believes (which Wolverine obviously does not). However, Nightcrawler does truly believe, and he forms a cross from some splintered wood at hand, hurting Dracula, and he tries to zap the fuzzy elf with demonic lightning.
Inside the castle, Kitty has slipped away from the fight. She finds a coffin, using holy water to make it unsuitable for use by a vampire. Kitty gets ambushed by Storm, already starting her transformation - her fangs elongating. Kitty dives for the stake that she brought with her and prepares to use it. But then she drops it. She can't stake her friend and tells Storm that if she wants her life, she can take it.
Outside, the X-Men think to bring the battle to a head, but a tremendous blast of lightning leaves the X-Men unconscious and Dracula victorious. Storm arrives, and Dracula tells her he will slay them, but then Storm reveals that his hold on her is broken! She chases him through the sky, knocking him through the glass facade of a high-up restaurant. Dracula grabs a hostage, forcing Ororo to drop the stake that she got from Kitty. But it's a stand-off, Dracula cannot exert his influence over Storm, but neither can Storm attack him. Finally, Dracula drops the hostage, conceding that her strength was what attracted him to her, and that same indomitable will has defeated him, for she has bested his attempts to bind her to him. He leaves willingly.
Later, Storm and the X-Men are reunited. However, Moira MacTaggert calls with bad news - Professor X is getting worse.[4]
Trivia
- This issue is the first time that Nightcrawler's religion is shown.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- X-Men Annual #6 - a subsequent battle vs. Dracula
Links and References
References
- ↑ "What's she talking about? Colossus isn't "cute"." - Kitty Pryde, being possessive. She and Colossus are dating.
- ↑ a.k.a. Christopher Summers, as revealed in X-Men #107; revealed to Scott in Uncanny X-Men #154, and to Alex in Uncanny X-Men #158
- ↑ Kitty is Jewish and thus doesn't believe in Christianity.
- ↑ Unknown to the X-Men, Professor X is battling a Brood embryo implanted in him, as seen in Uncanny X-Men #157 and 158.