Vampirella

Vampirella is a fictional character, a comic book vampire heroine created by Forrest J. Ackerman for Warren Publishing's namesake black-and-white horror-comics magazine, and developed by Archie Goodwin with artists Frank Frazetta and Tom Sutton.

Warren's Vampirella #1 (Sept. 1969), cover art by Frank Frazetta.

After appearing in Warren magazines from 1969-1983, Vampirella was sold to Harris Comics, which has been publishing her in various series and miniseries since 1991.

Vampirella was originally presented as an inhabitant of the planet Drakulon, a world where people lived on blood and where blood flowed in rivers. Drakulon orbited twin suns, Satyr and Circe, with the former erupting at irregular intervals to destroy all life on the planet. As the effects of the explosion wane, a new civilisation begins. The race of which Vampirella was born, the Vampiri, were able to transform themselves into bats at will, sprout wings when required, and drink blood.

The story begins with the inhabitants of Drakulon being destroyed slowly by Satyr's latest eruption. The last few lay dying when a spaceship from Earth crashes on the planet. Vampirella, sent to investigate, was attacked; retaliating, she discovers that the astronauts have blood in their veins. In order for her race to survive, she manages to pilot the ship back to Earth where her adventures begin. Vampirella becomes a "good" vampire, and devotes her energy to ridding our world of the homegrown "evil" kind.

Harris Comics revived Vampirella in the miniseries Morning In America, written by Kurt Busiek. Soon thereafter, Vampirella was established as being brainwashed by her sister and brother (in the story "Mystery Walk") and led to believe she was from the planet Drakulon. She learned that she was, in fact, the daughter of Lilith, the first wife of Adam from the Book of Genesis. Lilith would not submit before Adam and was cast out of Eden. She mated with demons in hell, giving birth to vampires who would kill the offspring of Adam and Eve on Earth. Later, she sought redemption from God and gave birth to Vampirella, whom she sent to Earth to kill all evil vampires. According to this account, Drakulon was a part of Hell where Lilith lived and ruled.

Characters

Vampirella

Vampirella Lives #2 (Jan. 1997), cover art by Adam Hughes.

The heroine is considered a vampire, since she needs blood to survive and has many of the typical vampiric powers, including increased strength and reflexes, shapeshifting into a bat, and a mesmeric stare. She is not prone to the group's traditional weaknesses, such as daylight, holy water, garlic, or crosses. She cannot, most importantly, transform others into vampires. She does not attack people to drink their blood, except occasionally when she herself is attacked. She is almost always scantily clad. The name is said to be inspired by the comic strip and movie character Barbarella.

Conrad van Helsing

A blind psychic and vampire hunter, he makes the substitute blood serum that keeps Vampirella's thirst under control. He was pursuing Dracula and initially tried to destroy Vampirella, believing her to be akin to that vampire lord.

Adam van Helsing

Conrad's son, and the last of a long line of vampire hunters, he followed his father's steps and became a paranormal researcher. He is portrayed as more open-minded than his father. He believed Vampirella was not evil, and eventually he and she fell in love. Vampirella has often helped Adam in his research.

Pendragon/Mordecai (The Great)

A former sorcerer, now a sideshow magician. Vampirella often traveled with him in the Warren stories.

Madek and Magdalene

Evil brother and sister of Vampirella, who planted false memories of the planet Drakulon in Vampirella's mind.

Lilith

Vampirella's mother. (See main text above.)

Nuberus

The demon who tempted Vampirella with her true origin in order to gain access to Earth.

Pantha

An alien shapeshifter, from Vampirella's native planet, who can morph into a black panther. She is generally portrayed as more violent and feral than Vampirella.

Bibliography

Warren Publishing

Comics magazines

*''Vampirella #1-112 (1969 to 1983)

-Vampirella #113(Published by Harris in 1988 in very low numbers, Considered very rare, Published older Warren Stories)

Novels

Bloodstalk
On Alien Wings
Deadwalk
Blood Wedding
Deathgame
Snakegod

Harris Comics

Vampirella Lives #3 (Feb. 1997), cover art by J. Scott Campbell.

Main

Vampirella: Morning in America
Vampirella's Summer Nights
Creepy 1993 Fearbook (includes Vampirella story "Bugs" by Kurt Busiek and Arthur Adams)
Vampirella #1-5
Vampirella Strikes #1-7
Vampirella: Chains of Chaos #1-3
Vengeance of Vampirella #1-25
Vampirella Zero
Vampirella: Death and Destruction #1-3
Vampirella: Sad Wings of Destiny
Vampirella Bloodlust #1-2
Vampirella Lives #1-3
Vampirella vs. Pantha
Vampirella vs. Hemmorage #1-3
Vampirella Monthly #1-26, Special Issue #0
Vampirella #1-22
Vampirella Revelations (book 1) #0-3
Vampirella Comics Magazine #1-10
Vampirella Comics Magazine Special

Manga

Vampirella Manga 2999
Vampirella Manga 3000
Vampi #1-25
Vampi Digital
Vampi Switchblade Kiss/Dark Angel
Vampi Vicious #1-3
Vampi Vicious Circle #1-3
Vampi vs. Xin #1-2

Reprints of Warren Publications' Vampirella

Vampirella Classic #1-5
Vampirella of Drakulon #1-5, Special Issue 0
Vampirella Retro #1-3
Vampirella: Silver Anniversary Collection #1-4
*Vampirella: Legendary Tales #1-2

Team-ups

Vampirella/Shadowhawk: Creatures of the Night #1-2
Catwoman/Vampirella
Vampirella/Wetworks
Wetworks/Vampirella
Vampirella/Shi
Shi/Vampirella
Vampirella vs. Painkiller Jane
Vampirella/Lady Death
Lady Death vs. Vampirella
Lady Death vs. Vampirella II
Purgatori vs. Vampirella
Vampirella/Witchblade
Vampirella/Witchblade II: Union of the Damned
*Vampirella/Witchblade III: The Feast
*The Magdalena and Vampirella
*The Magdalena and Vampirella II
*Witchblade/The Magdalena/Vampirella
*Frankenstein Mobster and Vampirella (featered as a web-comic)
*The Darkness/Vampirella''

Miscellaneous

Vampirella Flip Book
Vampirella Pin-up Special
Vampirella: 25th Anniversary Special
Vampirella/Dracula: The Centennial
Vampirella: Julie Strain Special
Vampirella Model Search Special
Vampirella Crossover Gallery

Games

*Vampirella: Hell on Earth Battlebook

Film

*Vampirella (1996) starring Talisa Soto and Roger Daltrey, directed by Jim Wynorski.

Live Models

Almost since the inception of the character, fans and artists alike have evinced a fascination with envisioning what Vampirella would look like in her costume "in real life." To this end, a variety of models have donned various versions of the trademark scanty outfit for magazine covers, posters, trading cards, and even live appearances. The first model to wear the costume was Barbara Leigh on the cover of the original Warren Vampirella magazine, #67, coverdated March, 1978. A list of other models to wear the costume include:
*Brinke Stevens
*Julie Strain
*Cathy Christian
*Sascha Knopf

External links

*Official Site
*Warren Vampirella magazine cover gallery