Vampirella
Real Name: Vampirella
Identity/Class: Extra-terrestrial vampire
Occupation: Heroine, former horror host
Affiliations: Painkiller Jane, Uncle Creepy, Cousin Eerie, Mordecai Pendragon
Enemies: Madek, Magdalene
Known Relatives: Madek, Magdalene
Aliases: None known
Base of Operations: Earth
First Appearance: Vampirella (Warren Magazines, 1969)
Powers/Abilities: Vampirella is a vampire, with all the powers that condition grants.
History: When Vampirella was first published back in 1969, she was an inhabitant of the planet Drakulon, a world where people lived on blood as we do on water. Drakulon orbits round twin suns, Satyr and Circe. And it was Drakulon's sun Satyr that created the problem, because it is a variable star that erupts at irregular intervals to scorch the surface of the planet, destroying all life. Then, as the sun wanes, so a new civilisation begins anew.
The race of which Vampirella is born, the Vampiri, are able to transform themselves into bats at will, sprout wings when required, and obviously drink what we would call blood because that is their equivalent of water. The inhabitants of Drakulon were slowly and inevitably being destroyed by Satyr's latest increase in size and strength.
As the last few lay dying a spaceship crash landed on Drakulon. It was from Earth, and Vampirella was sent to investigate. Attacked in her bat form by the spacemen, she retaliated, discovering they carried blood in their veins. In order for her race to survive, she managed to pilot the ship back to Earth where her adventures began.
When the character was revived after being bought subsequent to Warren's bankruptcy, changes were made to this origin. Vampirella first began to suspect all was not as it seemed when she was given a glimpse into her future and past by the demon Nuberus (who tempted her with her true origin in order to gain access to Earth). In the vision she witnesses a woman faintly outlined, but cannot see who she really is. Later we discover this is an image of Lilith.
And then the story starts to blur. It appears that Vampirella's memories are all false, placed into her mind by her evil brother and sister Madek and Magdalene, on the snowy wastes of Colorado. In truth, Vampirella is the daughter of Lilith, born to provide redemption for her mother after she was cast out of Heaven and spawned a race of vampires. Lilith also bore two others, Madek and Magdalene, in the hopes they would give her the redemption she seeks, but they abused their power to follow the dark path.
On finding her brother and sister Vampi attacked them, but they prove too powerful for her. Rather than kill her they provide her with false memories of Drakulon so that she will leave them alone to continue their quest for evil, without alerting their mother who will only then try another way to thwart them.
After her death at the hands of Nyx Vampirella awoke to find herself in Hell, but it was a part of Hell known as Drakulon and this is the true place of her birth. She is still a child of Lilith, but instead of ridding the world of Madek and Magdalene (who are now dead anyway following the conclusion of the Mystery Walk) her mission was now to provide redemption for her mother by destroying all vampires on Earth. This she must do because Lilith's time in Hell is ending, and she can only find redemption through her daughter, Vampirella.
With the help of Adam van Helsing (also finding redemption in Drakulon) she restores the Styx, the river of blood that provides nourishment for the inhabitants of Drakulon (which we now know to be vampires) and bids her mother farewell one last time before Lilith is taken by the Hand of God. But it isn't quite over yet. Although Vampi spends some considerable time ridding the Earth of vampires as she promised her mother, she finds herself back on Drakulon (Hell) again.
This time she is seeking the Heart of Darkness, the heart of Malkuth, one of the angels created with free will who chose evil and was killed by another of the angels, Metatron. Lilith (who it appears has not told all the truth to Vampirella) created Vampi in Malkuth's likeness yet created her as a force for good so she could release the spear holding Malkuth's heart, and thus end creation. This was Vampi's true destiny, to remove the lance, and Lilith's final vengeance on God..
This she does, and destroys creation, but then by destroying Metatron's heart immediately afterwards she creates a new beginning for life, the universe and everything.
Comments: Created by Forrest J. Ackerman. Originally owned by Warren Magazines, Vampirella later became Harris Comics' property.
In 1996 Vampirella was made into a movie with Talisa Soto in the title role.
CLARIFICATIONS: None
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