Dracula and Frankenstein are the biggest icons of horror, going back to 19th century gothic literature, the golden age of Hollywood, and yes, the DC and Marvel Comics universes. Since both characters are public domain, and have been for a very long time, the two biggest comic book companies in the world jumped at the chance to incorporate them into their shared universes. However, one publisher leaned into both characters far more heavily than the other. This is the DC and Marvel history of Frankenstein’s Monster and Count Dracula.
The DC Universe Dracula
In the DC universe, characters presenting as Dracula appeared in various titles, most notably an appearance where he (and Frankenstein’s Monster) battle Superman. However, that version of Dracula was the result of magic which brought this “fictional character” to life. This story took place in Superman #344 from 1980, written by Paul Levitz, and illustrated by Curt Swan. This came years after Marvel’s Dracula had his own title. A version of Dracula that was truly the infamous Transylvanian Count didn’t appear in the DC universe until after the Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot.
Superman Fights Count Rominoff, DC’s Dracula
In 2002, the actual Dracula fought Superman at last. This happened in Superman vol.2 #180, by writers Jeph Loeb and Geoff Johns and artist Ian Churchill. The story essentially does a riff on the opening of Bram Stoker’s original novel, with Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen arriving in the Transylvanian castle of one Count Rominoff. This Count has pale skin, a long black cape, and is essentially dressed in vampire drag. So we’re not quite sure how Clark didn’t instantly pick up on the “undead” part, but hey, we’ll go with it.
Eventually, the Metropolis trio discovers Count Rominoff is actually Count Dracula himself. Using his powers of hypnosis, Dracula was able to overcome the Man of Steel. After all, besides Kryptonite, the one thing Superman is vulnerable to is magic. His big mistake came when he actually bit Superman and tried to drain his alien blood. Since Superman’s cells absorb solar energy, biting Superman was like feeding on sunlight, and Dracula instantly turned into ash. Sadly, that was the last we saw of Drac in the DC universe. It’s high time someone brought him back. After all, we know he always comes back.
Batman vs. Dracula of Earth-43
In another world in the DC Multiverse, Dracula had a far bigger presence and a totally different enemy. On Earth-43, Vlad the Impaler fought the Batman in a trilogy of popular Elseworlds stories by writer Doug Moench and artist Kelley Jones. In 1992’s Batman and Dracula: Red Rain, the Dark Knight fought a truly sinister version of the Count. Kelley often drew Dracula as a terrifying bat/human hybrid, not unlike Batman’s longtime foe, Man-Bat. In this story, Dracula came to Gotham to feed on its indigent population. During a battle with Batman, he actually bit him and transformed him into a vampire. Dracula was defeated, but not before Batman gave into his bloodlust and drained the Joker. This Dracula story was so popular, two sequels soon followed.
The Marvel Universe Dracula
Over at DC’s rival Marvel Comics, Dracula has had a much bigger presence in their mainstream universe. When the self-censoring Comics Code Authority lifted its longtime ban on vampires in comics, Marvel gave Dracula his own series, Tomb of Dracula. Mostly written by future New Teen Titans writer Marv Wolfman and illustrated for its entire 70-issue run by Gene Colan, the series was an instant hit. It showcased an unrepentantly evil Count who fought a group of vampire hunters, one of which was future superstar, Blade.
Dracula vs. the X-Men and Doctor Strange
After Tomb of Dracula ended in 1979, the character took a bit of a rest. But as everyone knows, Dracula always comes back. Dracula tried to make Storm of the X-Men his undead bride in the early ‘80s, and he fought Thor, the Silver Surfer, and the Avengers. He tried to drain Spider-Man, but his radioactive blood was not to his liking. However, the biggest threat Dracula encountered among the Marvel heroes was Doctor Strange. Several times, the Lord of the Vampires fought the Sorcerer Supreme who successfully found a way to remove the world of vampires, using the Montesi Formula. So once again, Marvel removed Dracula from the equation. For a time.
In the 21st Century, Dracula reemerged as a major threat to the 616 Marvel Universe. In the 2010 series X-Men: Curse of the Mutants – X-Men vs. Vampires, Dracula’s son Xarus becomes a bigger threat than his father. First, he uses his vampire army to kill his father. Then, he attempted to take over San Francisco (which at the time was home to the X-Men). The X-Man Jubilee actually became a vampire during this era. To defeat Xarus, the X-Men had to resurrect their old enemy, restoring Dracula as Lord of the Vampires. Around this time, Dracula also tried to take over the United Kingdom, coming into conflict with Captain Britain.
Dracula Creates the Nation of Vampyrsk and the Events of Blood Hunt
Dracula’s most recent plans against the heroes of the Marvel universe targeted just about everyone. He fought Deadpool and even bit him, finding out the hard way that his cancerous blood was poison to him. He then said he never wanted the Merc with the Mouth’s name uttered in front of him ever again. In recent years, he helped establish a vampire nation called Vampyrsk, in the radioactive remains of the Chernobyl disaster in Russia. In the 2024 event Bloodhunt, the vamps blot out the sun, unleashing a vampiric dominance. During this event, Dracula actually helps the good guys. The series ends with Dracula and other vamps suddenly immune to sunlight.
The DC Universe Version of Frankenstein
The DC universe has featured several iterations of Mary Shelley’s “Modern Prometheus,” the Frankenstein Monster. Having said that, some were just similar creatures inspired by Victor Frankenstein’s creation. For the purposes of clarity, we’re going to focus on just the actual Frankenstein Monster himself, not any of its namesakes. Characters like the Patchwork Man and others either used Frankenstein iconography or evoked his name, without actually being the same creature.
The Spawn of Frankenstein Emerges in the ’70s
The first significant DC version of the creature was known as The Spawn of Frankenstein. He first appeared in an issue of Phantom Stranger in 1973. Tomb of Dracula’s Marv Wolfman and artist Mike Kaluta created this version. He looked very different from the usual depictions of the character, almost all heavily inspired by Boris Karloff. The Spawn of Frankenstein actually looked more like his descriptions in Mary Shelley’s original novel. He made a few appearances throughout Bronze Age DC series before the Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot removed him from continuity.
The Modern DC Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E
The modern DC Frankenstein didn’t emerge until the 21st century, created by writer Grant Morrison and artist Doug Mahnke. He first appears in Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein #1. Most of his Mary Shelley backstory remains intact for the DC version. Except here, he survived the novel’s events and literally swam to America. (I guess one can do that when they’re undead). He looks far more traditionally monstrous (and green) than his pre-Crisis counterpart. He’s also way more muscular, exhibiting almost Superman levels of super strength. He essentially becomes an immortal soldier. After many adventures, he became a part of Morrison’s Seven Soldiers of Victory and eventually an agent of the government organization S.H.A.D.E. (Super-Human Advanced Defense Executive).
In 2011, DC rebooted their universe yet again with The New 52. It was during this era that the monster received a new ongoing series called Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. This was basically the same version as the Seven Soldiers iteration of Frankenstein, with slight tweaks. The series ran for 16 issues, mostly written by Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt, with art by Alberto Ponticelli. After the series ended, Frankenstein went on to become a member of the Justice League Dark for a time, later teaming up with both Batman and Superman. He was also the leader of the Creature Commandos, something that will soon be canon to the DCU in the upcoming animated series.
The Marvel Universe Version of Frankenstein
Over at Marvel, their Frankenstein Monster had a revival around the same time as Dracula. Only Frankenstein’s series didn’t run for quite as long, or have the same impact. After both Tomb of Dracula and Ghost Rider started to sell like demonic hotcakes, Marvel editorial tried their hand at the Creature. He got a try-out of sorts in a ‘60s issue of Uncanny X-Men, but that version was a robot. The “real” version finally appeared in 1973’s The Monster of Frankenstein #1, coming from the Ghost Rider creative team of writer Mike Friedrich and artist Mike Ploog. The first several issues just adapted Shelley’s novel before bringing the Monster into the modern day.
The Monster of Frankenstein Is One of Marvel’s Lesser Known Horror Titles
The Monster of Frankenstein ran for 18 issues, which isn’t too bad. But his fellow monster books like Tomb of Dracula and Ghost Rider far outlasted him. Nevertheless, Frankenstein’s monster appeared in various Marvel books of the era, like Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, and Iron Man. He teamed up with other Marvel monsters for the short-lived Legion of Monsters series before all but vanishing from the pages of Marvel Comics in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Most recently, the Frankenstein Monster returned, recruited by Phil Coulson for S.H.I.E.L.D.’s supernatural military squad, dubbed the Howling Commandos. It seems, like the DC version, modern Marvel Frankenstein was best utilized as an undead soldier in a special black ops battalion. He’s never held the same importance to the overall Marvel universe as Dracula (who of course he has fought), but remains lurking in the shadows. He refuses to die, and will no doubt pop up once again. Neither Frankenstein or Dracula ever remain absent from their respective comic book universes for too long.
