Warning! Spoilers for Avengers #45 and King in Black #5 ahead!
After centuries of being seen as a monster and a villain, Dracula is becoming a hero to an entire nation in the Marvel Universe. In the wake of the King in Black event, the current Avengers series is setting up a brand-new Vampire Nation, complete with acceptance into the United Nations. Inspired by the mutant nation of Krakoa, Dracula is looking to propel his hordes of blood-sucking vampires onto the world stage, and reframe how they are viewed by humanity.
The rise of Vampire Nation has been building for a while. Initially Dracula was content to have vampires remain in the shadows, arguing that the humans had their world and the vampires had their own. He even spent time as a reclusive gamer living in a basement in Latvia. After again rising to the throne of a kingdom of vampires, Dracula began scheming to create an entire nation for his people in the wastelands of Chernobyl. He tasked Omega Red with infiltrating Krakoa and luring Wolverine into a trap to steal his blood, thus allowing Dracula to use Logan’s healing factor to allow him to venture out into daylight. He and the rest of the vampires later join Blade in the fight to defeat Knull during the King in Black event, which sets the stage for his new role as a heroic figure.
In Avengers #45, written by Jason Aaron with art by Luca Maresca, Dracula delivers an address to the world, laying out his demands for recognition of a Vampire Nation. In his address, Dracula draws a direct comparison between how vampires are treated by the world and how mutants have been persecuted. He says that malicious lies have been spread about vampires for centuries. “Instead of being looked upon with sympathy as the uniquely challenged victims of immune deficiency that we are, my people and I were labeled monsters,” Dracula declares. “Just as your science and churches once demonized those with common birth defects or mental illness.” He adds that, despite the discrimination and violence that they have had to endure, vampires still risked their lives to defend Earth from the symbiote forces of the King in Black, fighting alongside “the nations who have hunted us and denied us haven.” However, he says that vampires were repaid for their efforts with more violence.
The events following Knull’s defeat play out differently than how Dracula presents them. During the King in Black’s invasion, a symbiote barrier surrounds Earth, covering the planet in darkness. The vampires put aside their differences with Blade to fight back against the symbiote forces. In King in Black #5, written by Donny Cates with art by Ryan Stegman, Knull is cast into the sun and his symbiote army disappears, at which point the vampires quickly turn on Blade. Their attack is short-lived, as Knull’s defeat causes the barrier to disappear and allows the sun to shine through, turning all vampires out in the open to dust. Dracula spins this event to try and use it as another example of persecution against vampires. “What did my people receive in return for their pivotal role in this victory? They were slaughtered where they stood before the dust had even settled. Betrayed by one who fought by their side.” Dracula is of course referring to Blade, whom he accuses of vowing “genocide” against his people.
Dracula presents the idea of a Vampire Nation recognized by the countries of the world as a reasonable request, an opportunity to rebuild and honor the vampires who gave their lives in the fight against Knull. He says that it will allow vampires a chance “to enjoy that very freedom they fought so valiantly to preserve.” To the surprise of the Avengers, the United Nations agrees to recognize the Vampire Nation, although with some caveats. The vampires will be required to feed on synthetic blood, and Blade will be stationed in Chernobyl to act as a sheriff and make sure the vampires don’t get out of line. Dracula takes the blood and decides to feed it to the starving masses as a way of showing his generosity to the world. He adds that he and other vampires will soon be feeding “on a much sweeter prize.”
Even though Dracula clearly has something up his sleeve, he is presenting himself to the world as a hero and benevolent ruler who only wants to protect his people. It clearly works on the United Nations, as it tentatively accepts the Vampire Nation. And hard as it may be to admit, he does have some valid points. The vampires did fight valiantly against the King in Black. Several stories throughout Marvel’s history have shown vampires who do not enjoy killing innocent victims or drinking human blood. There have been plenty of vampires who did not choose to become creatures of the night, yet they are still labeled as monsters and hunted down. These vampires deserve their own nation where they can be safe from slayers like Blade, and while Dracula might not be the best choice to lead them, his advocacy for his people still elevates him to the level of a hero in the Marvel Universe.
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