June 1945 AD
Vampires of Japan
During a secret operation on the Japanese mainland, Captain America discovers a hidden clan of vampires working to defeat Emperor Hirohito. The leader, Raizo Kodo, will go on to form the team of vampire heroes known as the Unforgiven. (Spider-man: Forgiven #1, 2023)
November 1950 AD
Dracula In America
In November of 1950 AD, a man calling himself Tartoff shows up at the doorstep of a one Mr. Xaviar. Tartoff is a vampire hunter looking for Vlad Dracula in the small American town where Mr. Xaviar resides. Tartoff reports that Dracula has been actively killing since the year 1850, making his way through Budapest, Rome, London, and more recently New York and Chicago. Mr. Xaviar is revealed to be Vlad Dracula in disguise. Tartoff does not survive the encounter.
(Suspense #7, 1950)
October 1971 AD
Morbius
In October 1971 AD, a mutating wallcrawler, Spider-Man, discovers a new type of vampire while trying to cure himself. Dr. Michael Alexander Morbius was suffering from a rare blood disease, and after experimenting with blood from vampire bats, Morbius was turned into a pseudo-vampire.
(The Amazing Spider-Man #101, 1980)
April 1972 AD
Vlad Dracula Lives!
In April of 1972 AD, Frank Drake becomes the inheritor of his family Castle located in the Transylvanian mountains. Traveling from America, Frank and his two friends, Jeanie Ovington and Clifton Graves, agree to travel to the old country and sell the estate. Once inside Castle Drake, Clifton Graves discovers the tomb of Dracula. By pure accident Clifton revives the vampire and releases a new horror upon the world.
(Tomb of Dracula #1, 1972)
April 1972 AD
To Be Invited
Frank Drake races for London to stop Vald Dracula from turning more people into the living dead. There the socialite, Ilsa Stangway, confronts Dracula and submits to his will for the dark gift. The ex-fashion model confirms the old wives-tale a vampire must be invited into a home before they may enter.
(Tomb of Dracula #3, 1972)
April 1972 AD
Shadow of the Cross
During a confrontation with Count Dracula, Frank Drake and Taj Nital discover vampires fear the shadow of the holy cross. Taj uses a flashlight with a cross taped on the lense. This would become another tool in a vampire-hunter’s toolkit.
(Tomb Of Dracula #4, 1972)
April 1972 AD
Ashes in Blood
Count Dracula returns to the 19th century by stepping through a time portal generated by the Black Mirror of Ilsa Strangway. Once inside Castle Dracula, the vampire lord retrieves a sealed bottle filled with ashes and blood. Dracula reveals he has kept the ashes of one of his vampire servants, Lenore DeCade, with the intent of reviving her in the case of an emergency. The vampire lord smashes the bottle on the floor, and within minutes the body of Lenore begins to regenerate in front of him. Vampires can return from death if their ashes are properly prepared.
( Tomb of Dracula #5, 1972).
April 1972 AD
White Thorn Wood
Rachel Van Helsing reveals to Frank Drake that weapons crafted with White Thorn Wood can permanently destroy a Vampire. The wood must penetrate the heart to be effective.
(Tomb of Dracula #5, 1972)
March 1973 AD
Vampire Lore
March 1973 AD – The Chronicles of Abraham Van Helsing reveals several strengths and weaknesses of Vampires.
(Tomb Of Dracula #07, 1973)
March 1973 AD
Count Dracula’s First Downfall
The direct ancestor of Jonathan Harker, Quincy Harker, reveals the history of Dracula’s first downfall to new vampire hunter, Frank Drake.
(Tomb of Dracula #07, 1973)
March 1973 AD
Heinrich’s Vampiric Projector
March 1973 AD – Dracula flees London insearch of a long forgotten confidant, one Dr. Heinrich Mortte. The doctor is a vampire masquerading as a physician in a small village north of London. Dr. Mortte has constructed a projector device with the supernatural power to raise vampires from the dead.
After a brief success, Dracula is able to raise a small army of decaying vampires to battle Frank Drake and company. Fortunate for some, Dr. Mortte had a change of heart, and after a fierce battle the projector was smashed upon the rocky ground. Once the machine was destroyed, the vampires created by the process crumbled to dust.
(Tomb of Dracula #8, 1973)
July 1973 AD
The Day-Walker
London England, July of 1973 AD, cornered after dark at the Port of London, Quincy and Edith Harker are overwhelm by the undead forces of Vlad Dracula. A new vampire hunter appears on the scene and saves the couple from certain death. This is the first time Dracula is made aware of Eric Brooks, a.k.a. “Blade”. It would later be revealed that Eric posses all the abilities of vampires, including the thirst, but could survive in daylight. Eric Brooks would soon earn the nickname “Daywalker”.
(Tomb of Dracula #10, 1973)
July 2005 AD
First Vampire/Werewolf Hybrid
In 2005 AD, the first vampire/werewolf hybrid was discovered. Nina Price, also known as “Vampire By Night”, was passed the curse of the werewolf through her mother’s bloodline. At some point in time, Nina was attacked by a vampire, which altered her curse. In 2016, Nina was trapped by Dum Dum Dugan and his Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D., and soon joined the group of S.T.A.K.E. agents.
April 2009 AD
Vampire Nation First Revealed
Vlad Dracula collaborates with Doctor Doom in planning the first nation populated completely by vampires. Captain Britain and MI-13 discover the plans and work with vampire hunter Eric Brooks (Blade) to expose the plot. The future Vampire Nation will be located inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine.
(Captain Britain and MI-13 #10, 2009)
July 2010 AD
Curse of the Mutants
July 2010 AD, X-Men alumni, Jubilee, was present when a vampire suicide bomber committed “death by sunlight”, spraying a group of humans with a new vampire virus. The vampire virus infected Jubilee, turning her into a blood thirsty monster. After some training, the young woman learned to be a “nice vampire”.
(X-Men (vol. 3) #1, 2010)
December 2nd, 2022 AD
Collecting for the Collector
In December 2022 AD, it was revealed to the Quiet Council of Krakoa that the vampire known as Al’hex was working with the celestial being named Taneleer Tivan (a.k.a. the Collector). Al’hex was charged with traveling the galaxy and procuring various animals and humanoids for the Collector’s galactic zoo. Al’hex is the first know Earth vampire to collaborate with a being from another galaxy. A group of mutant women, the X-Terminators, was kidnapped and held captive of a short period of time.
(X-Terminators Vol. #2 No. #4, 2022)
December 23rd, 2022 AD
Vampire Mask
December 2022 AD, during the invasion of New York City from the Limbo Dimension, Janine Godbe was given a bag of vintage Halloween masks from Madelyne Pryor (a.k.a. the Goblin Queen). Each mask gives the wearer special abilities and powers represented by each character. One of the Limbo masks has the powers of a vampire.
March 2023 AD
The Unforgiven
Queens — New York, March 2023 AD, the Amazing Spider-Man stumbles on a supernatural plot to resurrect a Limbo Dimension vampire Death Goddess. A team of vampires calling themselves the Unforgiven come to the wallcrawler’s rescue. Spider-Man would come to discover these vampires have been around long before he was born. (Spider-Man: Unforgiven, 2023)
April 2023 AD
Sun Screen
Queens — New York, April 2023 AD, it is revealed that the vampire persona generated by the Limbo Dimension mask is immune to sunlight. This one of the major weaknesses to natural vampires (Hallows’ Eve #2, 2023)
October 2023 AD
Victor Strange (Revisited)
Deep inside the bowels of the Sanctum Sanctorum rests the Crypt of Shadows. Inside this place of contained evil rests a mirror portal. There in the mirror dimension lives the younger brother of Doctor Strange.
Victor Strange was once human, then in a tragic accident perished in a fall. After several attempts to bring his brother back to life, Stephen Strange use a vampiric verse to raised Victor from the grave. This event provides evidence that vampires can be created with the aide of dark magic.
(Crypt Of Shadows Vol. 04, 2023)
November 2023 AD
Reaper Strain Returns
November 2023 AD, Asia – During a high-speed train extraction, vampire-hunter Blade discovers that a vampire arms dealer named Hamilton Achilles is infected with the Reaper Strain. The Reaper Strain mutation was thought to be eliminated years before in New York City.
(Blade – Volume 05 Issue 04, 2023)
November 2023 AD
An Unlikely Ally
Being defeated by the mother of all evil, Adana, Blade makes an unprecedented truce with the vampire lord Dracula. With his aide, Blade embraces his full vampiric powers.
(Blade – Volume 05 Issue 05, 2023)
Welcome to the Relic Keep timeline for Marvel Comics vampires. These are the events that I have found through my reading of Marvel horror comic books. If you know of any vampire events you would like to see added to the timeline, please leave the details in the comments below. Thank you.