While prolific in popular culture, the presence of vampires is understated in the realm of Marvel Comics. Ranging from classic literary characters adapted to the panel to those original to the medium, vampires have a long history in the Marvel Universe. The very first vampire races appeared nearly 20,000 years ago and have a history with the Darkhold: a magical item that has recently appeared in WandaVision.
Meanwhile, Blade is receiving a rebooted film adaptation and Morbius is debuting on the silver screen in April of 2022. Its clear vampires will figure into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe during Phase 4, and given the franchise's history, readers and viewers alike will need to refresh themselves on the topic in the source material. The history of a people can be traced through the cultural figures that paved the way for them. Therefore, vampires must count these characters worthy of a mention.
10 Count Vicaro Is Marvel Comics' First Vampire Character
With Marvel Mystery Comics #35 in 1942, Alex Blum made Marvel history with the very first vampire character: Count Vicaro. The villain of the piece, Vicaro captures victims and returns to his castle to feed on them. He is opposed by Angel, a crime-fighting detective, who manages to kill the vampire as the Count transforms back to his human form with the dawn. Angel subsequently torches Vicaro's coffin after placing the body in it, and the vampire hasn't been resurrected or seen since. Despite his relatively low impact on the history of the Marvel Universe, Count Vicaro did birth a new archetype for comic writers to build upon.
9 Hunger Is An Interesting Yet Limited Foe
Loxias Crown is initially a human scientist studying Morbius (the Living Vampire) before his subject bites him while escaping. Crown vanishes, only to reappear as the vampiric Hunger in the sewers underneath New York City. He seizes his prey from the lowly of the city and brings them back to his lair to feast on.
Debuting in Howard Mackie and John Romita Jr.'s Spider-Man #76, Hunger goes on to terrorize Spider-Man and Blade in the pair's Peter Parker: Spider-Man #7. A dreadful foe, Crown is only weighed down by his limited appearances. However, he will serve as the main antagonist in the upcoming Morbius film.
8 Deacon Frost Turned Blade
A villain who is primarily known for the antihero he births, Deacon Frost turns the infant Eric Brooks by feasting on his mother whilst she's carrying him. These events are depicted in Tomb of Dracula #13 by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan. From then on, Blade is fatefully destined to battle Frost, as the villain is essentially a pseudo-father figure thanks to his actions. Another prominent character that tangles with Frost is Dracula: the king of the vampires and strongest currently living (or not living?). Frost is a character who's usually accompanied by monumental events coinciding with vampiric history, so his place in the canon of bloodsuckers is assured.
7 Hell Cow Is Unique And Zany
Concurrently ridiculous AND unnerving, Bessie is depicted as a friend of Deadpool nowadays. However, her origin speaks of her role in the journey of the vampires. Dracula, starved for blood, fed on a Switzerland cow that resulted in the first recorded vampiric bovine.
Bessie, better known as Hellcow, first debuted in Giant-Size Man-Thing #5 as a villain of Howard the Duck; she first swoops down on the fowl in Steve Gerber and Frank Brunner's "Hellcow!", included in the issue. The character has experienced a resurgence thanks to her aforementioned team-up with Deadpool in Rick Spears and Phillip Bond's Deadpool Team-Up #885. With another prominent livestock character, Rintrah, appearing in the MCU (courtesy of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), it may be time to give Hellcow a starring role in the upcoming Deadpool 3.
6 Lilith Drake Is The Daughter Of Dracula
Family, especially in the antique ways of the vampire, is a bond as strong as the people's thirst for blood. Therefore, Lilith's association with the world's most powerful vampire plays a significant role in her destiny: she is going to succeed her father at some point should the worst come to pass. Much of her history has been dedicated to assuring these events do come to pass, and she serves as a primary antagonist to her father. She's demonstrated a particular connection to the wild energies present in nature, with her ability to command critters like bats, mice, and wolves enabling her to conquer humans and fellow vampires alike.
5 Varnae Is The First Vampire
It all begins with Varnae: the father of all modern vampires in the Marvel Universe. First appearing in Steve Perry and Steve Bissette's Bizarre Adventures #33, it's unclear whether the character is a warped form of ape or human, but his time dates back to before Atlantis fell into the sea.
Slated to die thanks to injuries sustained from King Kull, Varnae is transformed into a vampire by sorcerers utilizing the Darkhold. He proceeds to rule over the vampires until 1459 CE when he chooses Dracula as his successor and proceeds to kill himself by direct exposure to sunlight.
4 Baron Blood Fights In Two World Wars
A veteran of both World War I and World War II, John Falsworth is turned by Dracula decades before the onset of the global conflict. Earning the codename Baron Blood from German Intelligence, he remains intent on destroying the entirety of England. Once WWII sets in, he again assists the aggressors by offering himself to the rising Nazi regime. Although he eventually defects, it's only for the promise of power for his vampire brethren rather than any goodwill towards humanity. A villain both feared and respected, Baron Blood is the most significant antagonistic vampire in Marvel history.
3 Morbius Is The Vampire Foe Of Spider-Man
While Dr. Michael Morbius is not the first Marvel vampire to receive the cinematic treatment, he will be the first of the modern superhero film boom. The film carries a seismic amount of pressure with it, but the character's rich Marvel history should lend the creators plenty of compelling story arcs to adapt. First appearing as a villain of Spider-Man in Roy Thomas and Gil Kane's Amazing Spider-Man #101, Morbius earned a decent fandom with his contradictory edict of saving lives while also thirsting for blood.
2 Dracula Is The World's Most Powerful Vampire
Based on the legendary character created by Irish author Bram Stoker, Vlad Dracula is the leader of the vampires and ruler of Castle Dracula. The Count makes his Marvel debut in Tomb of Dracula #1, penned by Punisher creator Gerry Conway and illustrated by Gene Colan.
His hunger for power and thirst for blood has led to him carving a violent swath through Marvel history, undeniably planting him firmly on the radar of S.H.I.E.L.D and the superhero community. Recent years have even seen him establishing an entire nation separate from all other countries, appropriately dubbed the Vampire Nation. Despite his morbid ways, Dracula is an effective leader and huge advocate for his people.
1 Blade Is Marvel Comics' Most Popular Vampire
The previously mentioned title of Marvel's first cinematic vampire finds its home in the myriad of pockets lining Eric Brooks' trenchcoat. Popularized by Wesley Snipes' portrayal in the Blade trilogy, the titular dhampir has remained a recognizable figure among Marvel's cast of heroes. He's come into conflict with nearly every other vampire in Marvel lore, including Dracula and Morbius, and will be portrayed by Academy Award-winner Mahershala Ali in a 2023 reboot slated for the MCU. The character has already been heard in that franchise – courtesy of 2021's Eternals – and will be integrated into the greater story of the universe going forward. Finally, Blade is a unique take on the vampire archetype given his antihero status; outside of this and his thirst for blood, Brooks has served as a pivotal Marvel figure of color for years. Thus, he is the most important vampire in Marvel Comics history.