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Vampires (Homines nocturnae) are magically reanimated human corpses which are inhabited by the spirits of the deceased person and who closely resemble the living human they were before their transformation. Vampires feed and survive on the blood of the living, typically on that of humans, and they can also transform other humans into more of their kind by infecting them with their enzyme.

History

Origin[]

The race of vampires first appeared in the pre-cataclysmic era (before the sinking Atlantis and Lemuria), circa 18,500 B.C., when the Atlantean cult of Darkholders used the power of the Chthon Scrolls in order to oppose King Kull, who had slain their leader, Thulsa Doom. The result was Varnae, one of their own raised as the world's first vampire. Varnae quickly slew the other Darkholders and used them to found the vampire race, with himself as Vampire Lord.[8]

According to legend, the evil and beautiful Stygian Princess Akivasha reveled in the black halls of Luxor circa 20,000 BC, and became a vampire at some point.[9]
It can be presumed that the datation is approximative and hyperbolic, considering that true vampires only appears circa 18,500 BC, and that Stygians came to inhabit the area known during the Hyborian Age only thousands years later.

Other races of vampires -- the Adze, Ancient, Charniputra, Huskies, Jumlin, Nosferati, Purebloods, Tryks, and Yiki Onna -- either diverged from this original Varnaean line, or else arose out of other circumstances. [citation needed]

When Atlantis sank, Varnae went into hibernation, emerging from time to time to confront threats such as when he battled against Conan, Red Sonja, and Zula, but they were able to fend him off.[10]

Hyborian Age of Conan[]

Princess Akivasha came to dwell Khemi before or during the Age of Conan.[9]

In 10,000 B.C., a Corinthian city was attacked by vampires, leading the fleeing survivors to secure the city in order to trap the undead inside. Nearly a century later, the city was visited by Conan and a group of mercenaries, who were able to fend them off before striking a deal with them in order to escape.[11]

2000 B.C.[]

In 2000 B.C., in the region known as Sumeria, Varnae forced a mystic named Aamshed to create a ritual which would make the vampire lord into a god. However he could not complete the ritual as it must be performed in one's homeland, and Atlantis had long ago sunk beneath the ocean.[12]

1000 A.D.[]

Varnae (Earth-616) from Marvel Comics Presents Vol 1 63 001

During the age of Vikings, Varnae traveled to the new world and attacked a Norse colony in North America turning the settlers into Vampires. A young girl escaped and prayed to the gods for help and Thor answered the call and battled the hordes of Vampires and eventually facing the first vampire himself. He was able to drive off Varnae and destroyed the vampire settlers by directing sunlight at them leaving only the young girl alive.[13]

14th to 16th centuries[]

In the 14th century, the Latvian noble Haasen Family raised an army and conquered a territory, hitherto owned by the land barons of Transylvania, which they renamed Latveria, with a Haasen leader becoming the first King of Latveria. Many of the soldiers recruited by the Haasens, and the settlers, were of Transylvanian origin, and they had immigrated to the fledgling country bringing with them legends of vampires and werewolves. In 1447, the ascent of Vlad Draasen to the throne led to ninety years of intermittent civil war, called the Haasen/Draasen Wars. During that time, rumors about vampires in the southern Latverian region of Bolgorad grew, but few people believed them. Then the Battle of Boars' Vale took place for three days in 1548. It was one of the bloodiest conflicts in the history of Latveria, in which almost 400 men died. Additionally, some survivors spoke of mysterious figures moving through the evening mist, bending over the bodies of the dead to drink their blood. After the battle, there was a growing number of missing people, including many soldiers who did not return dead nor alive, and later other people close to them vanishing too. That led to a panic about vampire activity, which in turn led to a family of self-proclaimed vampire hunters, the Kroft Family (Wilhelm and his four sons Leo, Oscar, Pietro, and Stefan), who killed 27 vampires, 19 of these directly related to the Battle of Boars' Vale, in the following three years. The war ended soon after,[14] in 1544, with the signing of the Bolgorad Treaties.[14][15]

In 1459, tired of his ages-long existence, Varnae chose Dracula as his successor as lord of Earth's vampires, and imparted much of his supernatural power to him by forcing Dracula to drink his blood. Varnae then committed suicide by exposing himself to direct sunlight.[8]

In 1591, the young girl who had summoned Thor six centuries before, arrived at the English colony of Roanoke which will one day be part of North Carolina. She was revealed to be a vampire and turned all the 121 settlers into vampires, leaving only one message carved into a tree: "Croatoan".[13]

19th century[]

In the 19th century, Kurt and Pietro Kroft were the last two surviving sons of the seventh generation descended from 14th-century vampire hunter Wilhelm Kroft, and were active vampire hunters in Latveria. When Pietro was 18 years old, he and Kurt tracked down Count Dracula of Transylvania, Lord of the Vampires, through the uninhabited parts of Latveria. Finally, the Krofts surrounded Dracula at Dark Falls, where Dracula managed to kill Pietro before seeing his own heart pierced by a stake. Dracula fell over the falls, and Kurt mistakenly left him for dead. Dracula survived, emerged from the pool and killed an innocent shepherd. This skirmish was wrongly attributed to Darkoth, the monster of a local legend. Kurt mysteriously disappeared in 1871 at the age of 57. He was the last known vampire slayer of the Kroft family.[14]

Modern Era[]

Dracula retained his title in a nearly unbroken reign until Earth's Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Stephen Strange, uncovered a mystical spell called the Montesi Formula that would banish all vampires from this dimension. Ironically, this spell was found within the Darkhold, the same mystical text containing the spell used to create vampires in the first place. Like most spells, the Montesi Formula contained a counter-spell, and within a few short years, vampires began to appear across the world once again. Dracula himself rose from the grave and reclaimed his title as Lord of the Vampires.[citation needed]

Vampire Nation[]

Dracula 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 members of MI13.[16]

Known Vampires[]

Classifications[]

Vampire Sects[]

The Vampire Sects are diverse as human religions and Vampires from different sects might have different characteristics of abilities:

  • Kreiger Sect: Western European type warriors, one of the strongest sects.
  • Claw Sect: Middle Eastern type warriors, rivals of the Krieger.
  • Mystikos Sect: American Vampires who embraced the modern world. They are Businessmen, with skill at technology.
  • Anchorite Sect: American rural outcasts who prefer to hide from humanity and live in peace, similar to the lifestyle of the Amish.
  • Purebloods: Born as Vampires.
  • Nosferati: Eastern European, similar to Count Orlok, their need for powerful blood sometimes drives them to attack other Vampires.
  • Moksha Sect: Seers who gain their powers by feeding as little as possible.
  • Siren Sect: All beautiful female Vampires with powers of seduction.
  • Adze: African Vampires who are able to survive the usually instantaneous methods of Vampire destruction for ten minutes.
  • Ancient: Italian Vampires with superior superhuman speed and healing factor compared to that of other Vampires.
  • Yiki Onna: Japanese Vampires with the power to turn into ice storms rather than fog as most Vampires can.
  • Jumlin: Native American Vampires.

Sub-Species[]

  • Huskie: Vampires who are brought back brain dead and are basically human husks. They only follow their base instinct and feed on small animals. They will not rest until they have completed a task from their human life.
  • Charniputra: Gargoyle like Vampires that reside in the Himalayas
  • Tryks: A powerful, parasitic race that prefers the blood of other Vampires.

The Aqueos are often believed to Atlantean (Homo mermanus) converted into vampires. They are in fact of distinct species of vampires, created by ancient beings from the stars, and include Atlanteans and Lemurians, but also Faceless Ones, another type of Aqueos tied to their creators, and various sea animals, such as giant squids, sharks, eels...

Non-Humanoid[]

Pseudo Vampires[]

Baalists[]

The Baalists, followers of Ba'al exhibited many of the same properties as traditional vampires, but were not in fact true vampires. They wore false fangs and were not inhibited by ultraviolet radiation, but they did partake in the consumption of human blood. Ba'al bestowed power to his underlings, making them stronger, faster and more durable, but they did not possess characteristics that could be defined as superhuman. The Baalist vampires originate from the region known as Gehenna and have followed the edicts of Ba'al since about 13,000 BCE.[19]

Level Classification[]

Class-2 Vampires[]

Morg was stated to be a "standard Class-2 Vampire",[20] without clear explanation of the classification.

Also see the list of confirmed Class-2 Vampires.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

A vampire is a human being who has died but has been resurrected by specific supernatural means and possesses a variety of supernatural abilities and specific limitations, most notably to frequently ingest fresh blood in order to maintain their own existence. Vampires have often been referred to as "undead" throughout the centuries since, even when active, they were not truly alive in the same sense as ordinary human beings. Technically, they can be classified as actually being dead.[citation needed]

Sustenance[]

Vampires require the fresh blood of living beings, preferably the blood of humans, in order to sustain their physical existence and, usually, obtained it by biting their victims and draining their blood. The bite of a vampire transferred a very mysterious enzyme found only within the saliva of a vampire into the bloodstream of the victim. If the vampire drank enough blood to cause the death of the victim, this enzyme would trigger an unusual metabolic change within the victim's body, beginning with the production of an unusual green liquid referred to as ichor into the bloodstream.[citation needed]

After roughly three days,[21] there would be enough of this liquid in the victim's body that it would begin to course through the victims veins in the same way their blood once did. The victim then returned as a vampire and was capable of all the basic capabilities of ordinary humans, with the exception of being able to have children, plus a number of superhuman abilities. However, if the victim retained sufficient blood to survive the vampire's attack, he or she would begin to show signs of anemia because of the presence of the enzyme in his or her bloodstream. The victim would not die under such circumstances. Until a newly created vampire's body metabolized the enzyme, a process that might take as long as several months in some cases, he or she would be extremely weak and highly susceptible to hypnotic suggestions, verbally or through long range mental contact, by the vampire responsible for the attack. There was also a distinct possibility of the newly-turned vampire developing a perverse sexual attraction for the vampire responsible for the transformation.[citation needed]

A new vampire is not created unless the attacking vampire wishes to do so, or loses control and injects too much enzyme.[citation needed] The attacking vampire can free its victim from becoming a vampire before the final transformation.[21]

Summoning and Shape-shifting[]

Vampires could summon and control certain creatures such as bats, wolves, and rats. Vampires could also transform themselves into bats, and in the case of some vampires, wolves, while retaining their human intelligence in these forms. Some vampires could even become human-sized bats. Vampires could also transform themselves into mist at will, while still retaining their normal consciousnesses in that form.[citation needed]

Mind Control[]

A vampire can control the will of those it bites, even before the victim fully transforms into a vampire, although those with great willpower can defy control; Dracula was amazed when Storm did so twice.[21] A vampire can make most human beings into its temporary slave if he or she could catch their gaze for a sufficient amount of time, usually only a matter of seconds. The exact length of time needed to mesmerize the victim depends on the strength of will of the vampire and that of his or her victim.[citation needed]

Health[]

Vampires were rendered immune to the ravages of disease and of aging. However, if deprived of blood for a lengthy period of time, a vampire would begin to show distinct signs of aging, such as his or her hair turning gray. Upon ingesting fresh blood, the vampire would revert to the age in which he or she had been at the time of death.[citation needed]

In most cases, vampires were able to heal themselves from minor injuries within a very brief period of time. Some vampires, such as Count Dracula, could heal from severe burns or broken bones within the span of a few hours, where as most other vampires might require several days to heal the exact same injury. Vampires were not able to regenerate missing organs or severed portions of their anatomy, with the exception of hair. Apart from periodic inconveniences, injuries like these would not critically impair a vampire's effectiveness. Because the ichor was similar in function to blood, poisons and other toxic substances that were circulated in its bloodstream would adversely affect a vampire, although no dosage was large enough to cause death.[citation needed]

Abilities

  • Will Power: The overall extent of a vampire's abilities depended upon the strength of the vampire's will. Exceptional vampires with powerful wills, such as Dracula or Varnae, were capable of summoning and controlling thunderstorms, even though the mystical concentration required to do so left them extremely weak for a certain period of time. The vampire's willpower could also determine the extent to which he or she could master their craving for blood and retain the same personality they had in life. However, most people that became vampires quickly found themselves unable to resist the all consuming craving for blood. They quickly degenerated into cruel and animalistic hunters of ordinary human beings, even if these new vampires had been kind and sensitive people in their mortal lives.[citation needed]

Average Strength Level

Most vampires possessed superhuman physical strength anywhere from 10 to 20 times greater than they possessed in their mortal lives. The vast majority of known and recorded vampires were capable of lifting from 1,000 lbs to 4,000 lbs, with only Count Dracula and his predecessor Varnae being known to lift more at 4 and 7 tons respectively due to their special stance as ruler of Earth's vampire race.[citation needed]

Weaknesses

Vampires have many limitations imposed upon their supernatural abilities, and even upon their very existence. Below are a listing of weaknesses common to supernatural vampires.[citation needed] Popular fiction depicting vampires often causes others to be skeptical of their reality. Once convinced of their existence, however, the same media provides an education on basic anti-vampire tools, such as religious symbols, sunlight, wooden stakes, and holy water, although those using them may not fully understand details of the tools' requirements.[21][22]

Blood Consumption[]

Vampires are regularly required to consume a few pints (litres) of blood every other night. Failing to do so would cause the vampire to weaken and after an extended period without blood seemingly perish. A vampire's ability to metabolize blood and their frequency of feeding usually varies however depending on a number of factors: Length of time between feedings, damage or injury to the body, resurrection from a near death state, and excessive use of their supernatural abilities and strength.[citation needed]

Native Soil[]

Typically, vampires cannot travel more than 100 miles (160 km) from their land of birth, unless they bring at least one pound (500 g) of their native soil wherever they choose to sleep during the day. For example, Dracula would typically have coffins with dirt from his native Transylvania shipped to his various hideouts all over Europe and the United States so that he would have a place to rest unharmed from the sun.[citation needed]

However, in many instances vampires (including Dracula) have been depicted being able to travel to far off places and sleep in locations that do not have their native earth on hand.[citation needed]

What happens to a vampire who does not do this remains unknown, but given the instances that a vampire has slept without being around soil from their native land suggests that this is not a lethal weakness.[citation needed]

Sunlight[]

A vampire's greatest weakness is sunlight, due to their altered metabolism, vampires were unable to withstand direct sunlight. Sunlight, somehow caused the ichor to congeal within the vampire's veins and the skin to rapidly decay. Direct exposure to sunlight caused the vampire to dehydrate completely and turn to powder,[citation needed] or even explode in certain cases.[23] Artificial sunlight can also hurt vampires, although not as effectively; when Monica Rambeau) attacked Dracula with ultraviolet light, he was hurt but not destroyed.[22]

Some vampires, such as Dracula have been able to reform their bodies following being turned to powder from the sun, while others have been completely obliterated from contact with the sun. The conditions in which a vampire can come back from the dead may be particular to one who is rightfully the lord of all vampires.[citation needed]

Religious Symbols[]

Vampires also had an aversion to any religious symbol (such as a crucifix/cross (including objects assembled into a cross, like wood branches), Star of David, or holy water)[21][24] wielded or placed by anyone who believes in the religious significance of the symbol. A cross held by a Jew or non-believer had no effect, but a believing Christian holding two sticks perpendicular to each other could hurt a vampire. The symbol sears the vampire's flesh if touched with it.[21]

However, the deity must be one that was believed in at the time of the vampire's original death; a cross had no effect on Varnae, for example, since he died approximately 16,000 years before the crucifixion.[citation needed]

Another consideration is if the vampire in question worshiped the faith whose religious symbol is being used against them. For example, when David Eshocl used the Star of David against Dracula, Dracula was weakened by its sight, but stated that because he followed Christianity and not Judaism before becoming a vampire, the Star had a lesser effect on him.[25] He was hurt by a silver Star of David (whether it was the silver or the star which affected him is unclear) worn by a Jew.[21] On Earth-1610, a cross wield by Blade against a Jewish Vampire was completely ineffective.[26]

If a worshipper of a god is turned into Vampire he will burst into flames when touched by the god in question. Thor realised this when a Vikings settlement was turned in to vampires.[13]

Further, there may be an element of belief by proxy or a vampires own belief that a symbol may harm them, as there have been instances where a crucifix has been used by someone who is not holding the item. For example, Quincy Harker[27] and Elainne Turac[28] have both utilized weapons that would project the symbol of the cross against Dracula while not actually holding the religious symbol. Further, Quincy's faithful dog Saint, has a collar lined with silver crosses that were able to harm Dracula.[27] It's highly improbable that Saint understands the symbolism let alone having faith in Christianity, however either Quincy's faith, or Dracula's belief that the crosses could harm him caused the vampire lord pain.[citation needed]

Lastly, a religious symbol can lose its power over a vampire if the vampire is capable of making the believer's faith falter. In such situations, the strength of the religious symbol's ability to repel a vampire would weaken.[citation needed]

Invitations Only[]

Vampires have a mystical aversion to entering any human dwelling place to which they were not verbally invited. A human bitten by a vampire but not fully transformed can invite a vampire.[21] This appears to only be the case with personal dwellings, as vampires have been seen entering public buildings without the need of being invited inside. Vampires have been shown to burst into flames if they enter a private residence without being invited first.[29]

Impaling the Heart with Wood[]

Another weakness of vampires is to impale them through the heart with wood, which will cause them to eventually decompose into a skeleton. Originally, it was thought that a wooden stake would be the only means of doing so; however, advancement in vampire hunting techniques have indicated that any wooden object that can break through a vampire's chest and pierce the heart is sufficient in killing a vampire.[citation needed] The vampire Nocturne survived a stake stabbing through the heart and stated such stabbing did not slay a vampire but merely served to trap him into his coffin, stating it was a common misconception spread by movies.[30]

For example, Blade learned that wooden daggers would prove to be just as effective,[31] while Frank Drake and Rachel van Helsing have used wooden bullets.[32]

However, very powerful vampires, such as Dracula, can reanimate if the stake (or other object) is removed, so long as the body isn't destroyed.[33][34][35]

Silver[]

Silver is highly harmful for vampires, to the point even Dracula himself can be crippled if impaled through the heart with a silver wheelchair spoke. Silver weapons can kill vampires in a similar fashion to wooden ones, though very powerful vampires such as Dracula are resistant enough so they cannot be killed by such.[36]

Garlic[]

The scent of garlic can sap the strength of a vampire. It has been used as a rope to bind vampires, sapping their strength sufficiently to prevent them from breaking the bonds. Garlic is not lethal to vampires, but it can make them more vulnerable to other means of attack.[citation needed]

Magic[]

Magic wielders such as Doctor Strange and Topaz have been able to harm vampires with magic, and some spells have the effect to kill a vampire. The most lethal spell is the Montesi Formula is a spell from the Book of Darkhold which can destroy all vampires. Doctor Strange invoked the spell which destroyed all vampires on Earth (save Hannibal King, who he and his allies were able to restore to human life), but when the spell was broken all the vampires that were destroyed were restored to life.[citation needed]

Radioactive Blood[]

Radioactive blood has proved harmful to Vampires that consume it.[37] Also, individuals with it that have been bitten have reverted back to normal once the radiation kills the enzymes responsible for their transformation.[38] On Earth-12041, in the case of gamma radiation, the individual returns to normal when the blood cells super heat, burning the Vampire cells like micro suns. A sanitized sample of Hulk's blood was used to cure the Black Widow when she was on the early states of the transformation.[37]

Every cell of a Majesdanian can absorb solar radiation. If a vampire drinks the blood of a fully-powered Majesdanian, this is the equivalent of consuming liquid sunlight, turning the vampire to ash. It is unknown what would happen if a Majesdanian were to be fed upon after completely draining their solar reserves at night.[39]

Other Limitations[]

Vampires cast no reflections, and their images cannot not be captured on film.[citation needed]

Alternate Realities[]

Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610)[]

On Earth-1610, the Vampires are allegedly people infected with Porphyria, a virus causing a disorder of the hemoglobin.[26] Although, they have powers like other universes Vampires, and are sensible to the same weaknesses.[26][24]

Blade Movie Universe (Earth-26320)[]

In the Blade movie universe, vampires (Homines nocturnae) are a sub-offshoot of humanity with their progenitor being the entity Dracula (Drake, Dagon), a Sumerian who was worshiped as a god. His progeny are the Pure-Bloods, while those who are bitten by Dracula or his descendants are byproducts of vampirism.[citation needed]

Vampirism is a virus that can be transmitted through the saliva of the vampire through incisions in the neck made by their fangs when feeding. Once infected it takes approximately 72 hours for the virus to mutate, transforming them into a Vampire.[citation needed]

A Vampire feeds on the blood of humans in order to replenish their hemoglobin, which is not produced in their body. Vampires can eat human food, but it has little to no nutritional value. Along with "The Thirst", vampirism also endows someone with an improved metabolism and biological functions that grant it a much increased longevity, superhuman physical and mental capabilities, and the ability to recover from injury in a relatively short amount of time, all of which are directly granted via new specialized organs.[citation needed]

The vampires have their own language, which all can speak. Though most vampires shown in the films and series are bilingual, able to speak both the English and vampire languages, some are only capable of speaking the vampire language.[citation needed]

Vampires are also much stronger and faster than humans, displaying impressive strength to jump and leap great distances and deliver blows and strikes that can knock a full grown man across a room and moving fast enough to side-step bullets. Their pounces and throws can make concrete crack. They possess impressive physical resilience, shrugging off injuries that would kill a normal human, with the wound only slowing them down. Injuries they receive recover quickly, taking less time than it would for humans or even regenerating lost body parts, a process which is sped up by the consumption of blood.[citation needed]

Vampires can perform amazing feats of superhuman agility. Vampire senses are also heightened to a very levels. Vampires can perceive things in the ultraviolet spectrum. Depending on what Tribe they come from, Vampires will possess specific strengths and drawbacks, in addition to their inherent abilities. These vampires, especially the Reapers, have also been shown to be able to scale almost any surface, in the same manner as spiders.[citation needed] All vampires share common superhuman abilities regardless of whether they were born a vampire, or were once human and were subsequently turned into a vampire. The only exceptions are vampire offshoots such as half-vampires (Daywalkers) and those who are carriers of the Reaper Strain.

  • Vampirism: Vampirism is the physiological act of becoming and/or turning another human being into a vampire. Despite its roots in European folklore, vampirism exists in nature, and there are many such creatures who are actually born as vampires. Pathologically, vampirism is likened to a virus, carried in the saliva of predators. The vampire enzyme is carried through a victim's bloodstream and within seventy-two hours, mutates the subject's physiology, creating new parasitic organs. It has been described as "cancer with a purpose".
  • Immortality: Vampires are immortal creatures whose bodies cease to physically age beyond a certain point. Pure blood vampires will age into adulthood, while turned vampires maintain the physical form they had when they were still human. Theoretically, a vampire can live forever providing that it is not destroyed.
  • Protractile Fangs/Claws: Vampires possess adapted musculature around the canine teeth that can extend these to become fangs. Similarly, they can also extend their fingernails to claw-like proportions.
  • Superhuman Strength: Most vampires possess superhuman physical strength anywhere from 10 to 20 times greater than they possessed in their mortal lives. The vast majority of known and recorded vampires are capable of lifting from 1,000 lbs to 4,000 lbs. A vampire's enhanced strength also enables them to perform other superhuman feats such as leaping great distances. Supplementing their strength, vampires are naturally heartier than normal humans and can withstand severe physical exertion with no ill effects. It is unknown if vampire strength levels differ between pure bloods and turned vampires.
  • Superhuman Durability: With the exception of certain restrictions, vampires are essentially invulnerable to most forms of bodily harm, including the effects of disease, and the natural cellular mitosis that comes with aging. Vampires are not living creatures, and as such, they do not require oxygen to breathe. Vampires can exist without undue stress in oxygen free environments such as being submerged under water or buried beneath the earth. Excessive force will cause physical damage to a vampire, but their bodies will regenerate damaged tissue providing they can supplement themselves with regular supplies of blood.
  • Superhuman Reflexes: A vampire's reflexes, agility and reaction time are many times greater than a normal human being. At maximum optimal capacity, a vampire can move more quickly than the human eye can perceive.

Weaknesses[]

  • Hematophagia: Vampires require the consumption of human blood for nourishment and to maintain their existence. The required dosage of blood per vampire depends upon their overall strength and vitality, though most vampires need to feed at least once per evening. Older, more powerful vampires will sometimes require more blood than lesser vampires in order to maintain their health. The most common form of extraction is by biting a human victim upon the neck, usually on the jugular vein where the blood is freshest. Some vampires keep supplies of stored blood at secret locations called "blood banks". This practice is more common amongst turned vampires and rarely employed by natural vampires, who prefer to feed on live prey. Failure to consume human blood at regular intervals may produce a variety of effects. Vampires may suffer a loss of vitality and cohesion and they will find it more difficult to maintain a human mien. If enough time has passed without nourishment, a vampire may enter a "blood frenzy" wherein they will act on primal instinct and take what they need from the closest available source, regardless of the consequences.
  • Ultraviolet Radiation: The vampire's greatest enemy is the power of the sun. Minimal exposure is known to cause great discomfort, even pain, but direct exposure to ultraviolet radiation is instantly fatal. Vampires are at their most vulnerable during daylight hours, and must sequester themselves in environments completely cut off from all natural light sources. When exposed to direct UV radiation, a vampire's body will blister, burn and disintegrate into ash within seconds. Some vampires, such as Deacon Frost, have been known to apply a special protective ointment to their skin, which will enable them to survive minimal exposure, but even this is hardly considered a reliable alternative and most vampires know better than to take any undue risks. Artificial UV radiation is just as deadly to a vampire as natural sunlight. The vampire hunter known as Blade has been known to employ various UV gadgets in his quest to destroy all vampires including, UV lamps, UV target scopes and UV flashbang grenades.
  • Silver: Silver nitrate is extremely deadly to a vampire. Bladed weapons forged from silver are more likely to destroy a vampire than conventional ones. If ingested, a vampire's body will convulse wildly and disintegrate within moments. Silver nitrate combined with garlic extract produces a sort of "vampire mace" that, when sprayed, will cause a vampire's body to quickly corrode.
  • Garlic: Though unconventional, garlic is a useful tool against a vampire. A vampire who is tricked into consuming garlic extract will suffer severe pain and will be forced to flee so that he or she may recover. Concentrated doses of garlic extract, mixed with silver nitrate yields a deadly corrosive that will destroy a vampire in seconds. This chemical compound can be weaponized and used in impact grenades or aerosols.
  • EDTA: Short for ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, EDTA is an anti-coagulant that reacts explosively to vampire physiology. Like silver nitrate and garlic extract, EDTA can be weaponized and used as a reliable offensive measure against vampires.


Earth-199999[]

In a Earth-199999, a dhampir known as Blade visited British aristocrat Dane Whitman, before assuming his family title known as "Black Knight".[40]

A member of the Monster Hunting Cabal hunted down and killed a vampire and placed its head on a pedestal as decoration.[41]

2084 A.D. (Earth-TRN659)[]

Vampires from Despicable Deadpool Vol 1 290 001

In Earth-TRN659, vampires were the only sentient beings that survived the apocalypse. They started building a tolerance to sunlight[42]

Earth-TRN994[]

In a Earth-TRN994, Captain Marvel comments to Blade that in the state of New York it is illegal for vampires to use their powers on another person.[43]

Unknown Reality[]

Vampires from Despicable Deadpool Vol 1 289 001
In an Unknown Reality, Blade started a war against vampires in 2022 A.D.. Stryfe brought a group of them back to 2016 A.D. and unleashed them upon New York City. One of them infected a dinosaur and in turn, that dinosaur infected Deadpool.[44]

Habitat

Gravity

Same as Earth

Atmosphere

Same as Earth

Miscellaneous

Representatives

Notes

  • Only true vampires possessed the listed vulnerabilities, since their supernatural nature originated within the pages of the Darkhold. Individuals such as the vigilante Michael Morbius, often referred to as "The Living Vampire", and the undead mercenary known as Bloodscream were immune to them since they're referred to as pseudo-vampires. They possess many vampiric qualities, including appearance and many similar superhuman abilities, but have none of the special vulnerabilities because the origins of these abilities had nothing to do with the magic found within the Darkhold.
  • The vampires in the Blade movie series, and TV Series, are very different from the vampires in traditional Marvel Universe, considering they are based on semi-scientific premises, based around a virus, and how this virus has mutated the infected into another species of humanoid. The progenitor of the vampire race is Drake, AKA Dracula, as stated in Blade: Trinity. Most of his descendants can be grouped into two classes; the "purebloods", those who were born a vampire, and the "turned", who began life as human, but were later turned by infection from a vampire's bite. Also depicted was a rare anomaly where a vampire became a ghoulish being without any regenerative capability, and a mutated albino off-shoot race known as the Reapers.

Trivia

  • Doctor Nemesis stated that he could cure Vampirism with ten years and a billion dollars in funds.[23]

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. Paugh, Steve (19 May 2023) Meet Deacon Frost, Blade's Most Personal Enemy Marvel.com. Retrieved on 23 June 2023.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Conan the Barbarian #102
  3. Deadpool (Vol. 6) #29
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula #2
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Marvel Zombies: The Book of Angels, Demons & Various Monstrosities #1 ; Vampires' entry
  6. Deadpool: Assassin #2
  7. Blade: The Vampire-Hunter #6
  8. 8.0 8.1 Bizarre Adventures #33
  9. 9.0 9.1 Savage Sword of Conan #10 ; Conan the Conqueror: The Sacred Son of Set
  10. Conan the Barbarian #245
  11. Savage Sword of Conan #155
  12. Tomb of Dracula (Vol. 4) #2
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Marvel Comics Presents #63
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Domains of Doom #1
  15. Marvel Atlas #1 ; Latveria's entry
  16. Captain Britain and MI13 #10
  17. Giant-Size Man-Thing #5
  18. Strange Tales #21
  19. The Gehenna Stone Affair
  20. Infinity: The Hunt #2
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 21.6 21.7 Uncanny X-Men #159
  22. 22.0 22.1 Doctor Strange (Vol. 2) #60
  23. 23.0 23.1 X-Men (Vol. 3) #1
  24. 24.0 24.1 Ultimate Avengers #14
  25. Tomb of Dracula #27
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 Ultimate Avengers #13
  27. 27.0 27.1 Tomb of Dracula #32
  28. Giant-Size Dracula #3
  29. Captain Britain and MI13 #15
  30. Marvel: The Lost Generation #12
  31. Tomb of Dracula #30
  32. Tomb of Dracula #20
  33. Tomb of Dracula #1
  34. Tomb of Dracula #14
  35. Tomb of Dracula (Vol. 2) #1
  36. Tomb of Dracula #70
  37. 37.0 37.1 Marvel's Avengers Assemble S1E05
  38. Blade (Vol. 4) #1
  39. Runaways #10
  40. Eternals
  41. Werewolf by Night
  42. Despicable Deadpool #290
  43. Midnight Suns
  44. Despicable Deadpool #289
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