Line #96 ComicBook/TheTombOfDracula


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dracula1980.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Dracula sinks his fangs into yet another victim.]]
3
4	->''"The years have been long, and I am weary of them. I yearned for those things for which I once lived... The clouds across a glowing moon... The baying of night's children... And most of all, I yearn for that most pleasing taste... The sweet nectar of life itself!"''
5	-->-- '''Dracula''', the first issue
6
7	''The Tomb of Dracula'' is a 1972 [[MediaNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]] horror comic book from Creator/MarvelComics, based on {{Dracula}}. It follows [[ComicBook/DraculaMarvelComics Count Dracula]]'s exploits throughout Europe and America as he tries out various evil schemes while fighting with vampire hunters and various monsters. The series is most well known today for introducing vampire hunter Eric Brooks, a.k.a. ComicBook/{{Blade}}. Most issues were drawn by Gene Colan and written by Marv Wolfman.
8
9	The first volume of the series ran for over seventy issues in the seventies. After its cancellation in '79, it was immediately followed by a black and white volume 2 that only had six issues. A SpinOff series named ''ComicBook/DraculaLives'' ran alongside the main book for twelve issues (and one annual issue of reprinted stories).
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11	There have also been two four-issue miniseries bearing the book's name afterwards; a DarkerAndEdgier tale titled ''Day of Blood! Night of Redemption!'' in 1991 (which resides in its own continuity) and the other one in 2004, which was mostly to show how badass Blade can be. Dracula himself is still a recurring villain in the Marvel Universe.
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13	This series was also the basis of the {{anime}} movie ''Dracula: Sovereign of the Damned'', which is a... loose adaptation at best.
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15	----
16	!!''The Tomb of Dracula'' provides examples of:
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18	* AllBikersAreHellsAngels: Brand's biker gang, which Dracula comes across two times.
19	* TheAllegedCar: Harold Harold's car.
20	* ArabOilSheikh: In the tenth issue, a group of elites Dracula tries to intimidate/recruit includes a dark-skinned man wearing both Arabic headgear and a suit and tie. Unlike most examples of the trope, he practices Christianity rather than Islam, which also means that [[HolyBurnsEvil he has a crucifix to deploy against Dracula.]]
21	* ArtificialLimbs: Juno has a silver stake in the place of his left hand.
22	* AttemptedRape: Dracula saves one woman from being raped, only to feed on her blood.
23	* BadassBoast: When Dracula is dueling Brand for the status of Lord of Vampires, he gives this boast:
24	-->'''Dracula:''' For 500 years I've defended what is mine against insipid upstarts as you, Brand -- for 500 years I've clawed my way past the mindless minions who have ever sought to take what is mine. But never shall my lien be taken by one such as you. I am lord of evil, little man -- forever and '''always!'''
25	* TheBeastmaster: Dracula is shown to have power over rats and wolves.
26	* BigNo: Cried out every now and then. First example, it's Clifton's reaction when he sees freshly resurrected Dracula in the first issue.
27	* TheBlank: The one-issue villain Faceless Fiend, who was a man who lost his features when he was dropped into nuclear waste.
28	* BrainInAJar: Dr. Sun was part of a project in China to develop this technology, but when his superior thought he was stalling, Sun was subjected to the process himself. It worked rather too well, as Sun’s brain was hooked up to computers whose energy he was able to tap and use to give himself superhuman mental powers.
29	* BrainwashedAndCrazy: One issue has Dracula hypnotizing a bunch of children to attack the vampire hunters.
30	* BreakingAndBloodsucking: In issue #2, an unconscious Jeanie is left as bait on a bed in Castle Dracula, a crucifix around her neck to protect her. Dracula returns from a hunt and finds her in one of his rooms. He attempts to attack her when Frank counterattacks, [[spoiler: but he is overpowered and left for dead. Jeanie awakens and Dracula hypnotizes her to throw away the cross. Once she is defenseless, Dracula drains her dry]].
31	* BreakoutCharacter: ComicBook/{{Blade}}, who went to become one of the most recognized vampire hunters in Marvel universe, and whose [[Film/{{Blade}} feature film]] helped to bring superhero movies back to public consciousness.
32	* BroughtDownToNormal: Satan turns Dracula back to human as a punishment for bringing Janus, a creature of both Heaven and Hell, into the world. It actually lasted a good 10 issues.
33	* ClassicalChimera: The Chimera is a central plot element in issues #26-#28, this time appearing not as a creature, but a powerful, cursed statue made up of three pieces, one for each animal, created 30,000 years ago by a mad wizard in Atlantis. In the wrong hands, it can cause disasters, plagues and death. It is almost used by Dracula, before being destroyed by Sheila.
34	* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Dracula's appearance was originally modelled after Creator/JackPalance, who did play Dracula in [[Film/Dracula1973 a movie]] ''[[HilariousInHindsight after]]'' the comic had started.
35	* CompressedAdaptation: ''Dracula: Sovereign of the Damned'' tried to fit the entire 70-issue comic into an hour and a half of film.
36	* ConservationOfNinjutsu: After a lengthy process of defeating Blade's EvilKnockoff and separating the two from each other, he and Hannibal King come across a dozen of them made from themselves when they go after Deacon Frost, and defeat them with ease.
37	* ContinuityNod: When Dracula fights the [[RefugeeFromTVLand literary version]] of FrankensteinsMonster, he mentions his fight against "the real one" from the pages of ''ComicBook/TheFrankensteinMonster''.
38	* CoolVsAwesome: A number of the fights in the series pit Dracula against other famous Marvel characters for no other reason then it sounding cool. Dracula vs the ComicBook/SilverSurfer is the best example.
39	* CoversAlwaysLie: Various covers would show Dracula in a brink of peril, only for the actual action to play out differently.
40	* DemBones: One of the issues had Dracula fight the skeleton of a man who was moved from his grave for occult purposes and was seeking revenge.
41	* DemonicPossession: Inverted with an angelic possession when Domini resurrects [[spoiler:Janus]] with divine assistance.
42	%%* DestinationDefenestration
43	* DoesNotLikeMen: Daphne von Wilkinson, head of the Wilkinson fashion house. She picked up her disdain for men initially because of her overbearing father grinding down her mother, then had a string of men steal her designs, refuse her employment or otherwise cross her. In the present day, she hires women in preference to men whenever possible, even if they're less competent. She also fails miserably at seducing a banker who holds her loans because she can't hide her disgust. She makes a deal with Dracula to have him kill her enemies in exchange for information she can give him, but [[DealWithTheDevil it does not end well for her.]]
44	* TheDragon: Vampirized Brand and later Juno to Doctor Sun.
45	* DuelToTheDeath: Dracula has to duel for the title of The Lord of Vampires with its new holder after losing it due to being turned into human.
46	* EnemyMine: Just when it seems that everything is finally over upon Dracula's death, Doctor Sun puts his plan into motion to conquer the world and the vampire hunters are forced to resurrect the Lord of Vampires to stop the doctor.
47	* EvenEvilHasStandards:
48	** Dracula actually does have some degree of standards. He saves a woman from a rapist, and helped a woman get revenge on her murderous husband by making her into a vampire, healing her injuries in the process. He also expressed disgust when a father killed his wife for obscenely petty reasons.
49	** In the ''Sovereign of the Damned'' movie, the leader of the Black Mass--who, remember, is allied with ''Satan himself''--is horrified when he accidentally shoots and kills Dracula's infant son Janus instead of the Count.
50	* EverythingsDeaderWithZombies:
51	** Frank Drake is attacked by "zuvembies" while visiting South America. Luckily, Brother Voodoo is there to help him.
52	** Dracula [[RiseFromYourGrave raises one graveyardful of undead]] in the final book of the 90's miniseries.
53	* EvilDetectingDog: Quincy's guard dog Saint.
54	* EvilKnockOff: A vampire version of Blade is created by his nemesis Deacon Frost.
55	* EvilVsEvil: Dracula will often fight other monsters/villains, on his own or by teaming up with the hunters, that challenge him or that he deems a threat to his plans.
56	* ExplosiveInstrumentation: In Dr. Sun’s lab, the vampire Brand tackles Dracula into some electronic instruments, which immediately begin exploding.
57	* FurAgainstFang: Dracula's fight against ComicBook/WerewolfByNight.
58	* GhostMemory: Dr. Sun uses a device to implant Dracula’s memories into Dracula’s vampire spawn Brand.
59	* GodGuise: One major story arc started as a result of Count Dracula appearing before a Satanic cult that was preparing a sacrifice to give to their dark master. Afterwards, Dracula says that he is in fact the Devil, and that the cult should serve him.
60	* HalloweenEpisode: After his death in the middle of the series, Dracula is resurrected on Halloween.
61	* HeroOfAnotherStory: Dr. Mortte from the eighth issue has spent several years as a vampire, living off blood donations while clinging to his humanity and genuinely working for the welfare of his patients.
62	* HollywoodSatanism: The Scion of Satan led by Anton Lupeski is a typical human-sacrificing cult from fiction.
63	* HollywoodVoodoo: One issue had a paralyzed man using this to exact revenge upon those who he felt had wronged him.
64	* HostileWeather: A storm is raging when Frank and company arrive at the Castle Dracula in the first issue.
65	* IHateYouVampireDad: Lilith. Unsurprisingly, when Dracula comes begging for help she not only tells Dracula to fuck off but tries to murder him as well.
66	* ImmortalityImmorality: When there's vampires about, there's also people wanting immortality from them. First example in the series is the aging model Ilsa Strangway, who seeks to rejuvenate back to her younger appearance.
67	* InterruptedSuicide: After the death of vampirized Jeanie, Frank attempts to kill himself by jumping off a bridge. However, Rachel and Taj stop him.
68	* ItsAllAboutMe: In one issue, Dracula reminisces about the time he spoke with a [[ChildrenAreInnocent perfectly charming little girl]] who displayed no fear whatsoever of him. He enters her home with her permission to meet the parents of such a delightful child, and finds her parents are a pair of jerks [[TooDumbToLive who insult Dracula]]. The expected happens and Dracula tells the girl that he 'liberated' her from these oafs. The weeping child curses him and a miffed Dracula walks off, musing sourly on humanity's ingratitude and how [[MoralMyopia he's had such a trying day]].
69	* MotiveDecay: Dracula's motives range from killing the hunters chasing him to causing a full scale VampireApocalypse.
70	* MurderByMistake: [[spoiler:Janus' death]], as the bullet was meant for Dracula.
71	* MustBeInvited: True to the legends, vampires can't enter someone's home unless they are invited. If in a hurry, Dracula would bypass this by [[SuperWindowJump crashing through a window]].
72	* OffWithHisHead: When Smirnoff confronts Dracula to be turned into a vampire in the 90's miniseries, Dracula simply rips off his head and kicks it away like a football.
73	* OhCrap: There's a collective Oh Crap moment when the combined forces of the vampire hunters and Anton Lupeski attempt to defeat Dracula, and [[spoiler:Anton accidentally shoots Dracula's infant son Janus]]. Dracula is not pleased.
74	* PetTheDog: Dracula has his moments of helping and caring for others than himself.
75	* PluckyComicRelief: When the action moves to Boston, we're introduced to bumbling novelist Harold H. Harold and his [[TheDitz ditzy]] co-worker Aurora.
76	* QuestioningTitle: Title of the third issue; "Who Stalks the Vampire?"
77	* RefugeeFromTVLand: In one story during Dracula's reign of Scion of Satan, he comes across a woman who can bring people from books to life. Since AllGirlsWantBadBoys, she wants Dracula to be her lover and summons him. He isn't amused that he is mistaken for a fictional character, especially [[Literature/{{Dracula}} the one created by Bram Stoker]], and starts fighting her other companions, which include Franchise/{{Zorro}}, [[Literature/TheThreeMusketeers D'Artagnan]] and [[Literature/{{Frankenstein}} Frankenstein's Monster]].
78	* TheRenfield: Dracula turns Frank Drake's backstabbing friend Clifton Graves into his slave for the first dozen issues. His servitude ends when he is caught in an exploding cruiser at the sea.
79	* RoleCalled: The title was extended into ''The Tomb of Dracula: Lord of Vampires!'' halfway through during the book's run in the Seventies.
80	* UsefulNotes/ScotlandYard: Featured in some of the issues set in England.
81	* SilverBullet: One of the means to fight vampires.
82	* SmiteMeOhMightySmiter: After [[spoiler:his son's death]], Dracula climbs up a skyscraper to [[ClifftopCaterwauling scream his plea for death to the heavens]].
83	* TheSpeechless: Taj, whose throat was damaged when vampires attacked him and his family in India.
84	* StakingTheLovedOne: [[spoiler:Quincy is forced to stake his daughter Edith after Dracula has turned her into a vampire]].
85	** The book uses this trope endlessly. The reader quickly realizes that any prisoner who's not one of the mains is done for.
86	* SummonBiggerFish: The satanists try to summon a big monster to kill Dracula; [[spoiler:what they get is the ComicBook/SilverSurfer.]]
87	* SuperSmoke: Dracula can turn into a mist. He usually does it to dodge projectiles and to escape from tricky situations.
88	* SuperWindowJump: Dracula has a knack for jumping in and out of windows.
89	* TakeOverTheWorld:
90	** Doctor Sun's primary goal.
91	** Dracula at times mentions wanting to take over the world by placing vampires at the top with himself as the Lord of Vampires ruling. This is more of a long-term deal since he only takes a step every now and then such as creating a few new vampires or enslaving someone who might be useful later. He spends most of his time fighting threats to himself such as hunters or other villains.
92	* TalkingIsAFreeAction: Just because there's a fight going on, doesn't mean that Dracula can't gloat and boast at the same time.
93	* ThrillerOnTheExpress: One of the issues has Dracula on-board a train, along with his chasers and (at the moment) an unknown third party who thinks they are after them.
94	* ThrownFromTheZeppelin: In the tenth issue, Dracula gets himself invited on a luxury cruise to intimidate the wealthy passengers into supporting his cause. When one man refuses and tries to shoot Dracula, he gets thrown overboard. [[spoiler:Unusually for the trope, everyone who ''doesn't'' get thrown from the zeppelin later finds the courage to attack and help drive off Dracula.]]
95	* TimeTravel: The black-surfaced mirror that appears in the early issues has the power to send its user back in time when proper incantations are used. Dracula attempts to kill Professor Van Helsing in the past through it.
96	* TorchesAndPitchforks: An angry mob from a village near Dracula's castle burn the place down in the first issue.
97	* TransformationSequence: Dracula is shown turning into a bat every now and then.
98	* VampiresAreSexGods: Dracula assaults attractive women in nearly every issue, and when he bites them the act is typically described in sexual terms.
99	%%* VampireBitesSuck
100	* VampireDetective: Features Hannibal King, [[UrExample the very first.]]
101	* VampireDoctor: Dr. Deacon Frost, the doctor summoned to help ComicBook/{{Blade}}'s mother during childbirth, was a vampire. He was in the process of draining her when Blade was born, resulting in Blade having vampire enzymes in his bloodstream that made him a {{Dhampir}} and immune to most vampiric powers.
102	* VampireHunter: Most of the good guys.
103	* VillainProtagonist: Dracula is both BigBad and the protagonist of the book.
104	* VirginPower: Fallen vampires can be resurrected with the tears of those of virginal purity.
105	* WeakenedByTheLight: Vampires can't stand sunlight.
106	* WhamLine: "...it went through my husband. And [[spoiler: it hit Janus! ''That bullet killed our son!'']]"
107	* WhoWantsToLiveForever: One anthology issue featured a short story where a man tricks Dracula into helping him end his immortality.
108	* WorfEffect: Taj, TheBigGuy of the vampire killers, suffers from it fairly quickly.
109	* TheXOfY: The comic's title. Doubled up later when the RoleCalled subtitle is added.
110	* YouExclamation: Dracula's response when he's greeted by [[spoiler:resurrected Clifton Graves]].
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Context ComicBook / TheTombOfDracula