Frank Drake (comics)
Encyclopedia
Frank Drake is a fictional character
appearing in publications from Marvel Comics
, most notably the Tomb of Dracula
series created by Gerry Conway
.
Frank Drake was a direct descendant of Count Dracula
, resulting from one of Dracula's wives prior to him becoming a vampire
. Over the generations, Frank's ancestors would eventually change their surname to Drake to remove themselves from the unwanted connotations of their ancestry.
where the castle was located. it was discovered that this was the castle of Count Dracula, though Drake never truly believed in the Dracula legends. Drake and his friends stumble across the skeleton of Dracula and accidentally resurrected him. Drake narrowly escaped death when Dracula recognized Drake as a descendant. Drake eventually relocated to London
.
Broke and in despair, Drake attempted to commit suicide but was saved by Rachel van Helsing
and Taj Nital, two vampire hunters. Through them, Drake met Quincy Harker
, the son of Jonathan Harker
and Mina Harker
whose tale was told in Bram Stoker
's novel. Rachel was the granddaughter of Abraham Van Helsing
. Drake learned that Dracula had eventually caused the death of Jonathan Harker and Abraham Van Helsing some years after they had defeated him in the book's events. Quincy, Rachel, and Taj (whose family had been killed by vampires) were dedicated to killing Dracula and his vampiric followers. Frank Drake joined Quincy Harker's band of vampire hunters under the close tutelage of Rachel van Helsing and Quincy Harker.
Drake soon encountered Blade
, with whom Drake constantly clashed but would eventually become a valued friend. Later, alongside Brother Voodoo
, Drake battled zombies sent by Dracula. Drake, Blade, Van Helsing, Harker, and Harold H. Harold
even helped Dracula battle Doctor Sun
.
Another ally that Drake eventually met was vampire detective Hannibal King
, whom Drake would come to trust because of Blade. Alongside Harker's vampire hunters, Drake battled Dracula, resulting in the death of Janus
.
Although a close friendship grew between Drake and van Helsing, their potential for romantic involvement remained shaky due to Frank's lack of self-confidence and Rachel's fear of intimacy.
Wolverine
.
Frank, upon hearing of Rachel's death realizes that Dracula is back and teams up with Blade, Hannibal King, and Doctor Strange
to fight his return from the grave. Drake, King, Blade and Strange battled Dracula and the Darkholders, and were responsible for casting the Montesi Formula which destroyed Dracula and all vampires and banished vampirism from earth. Drake, King (now cured of vampirism and the only vampire to survive the Montesi spell), and Blade decided to remain together and become private investigators, founding the firm of King, Drake, and Blade (aka Borderline Investigations). They would investigate any number of strange and not so strange cases, including a battle with the Darkholders. In their first appearance, Doctor Strange helped them battle the Darkholders.
of The Exorcist
) fights alongside Blade and King against various occult enemies.
In their first mission, the Nightstalkers are hired by Lilith to kill the second Ghost Rider
and John Blaze
, and battled the Meatmarket. Ghost Rider and Blaze then joined the Nighstalkers, Strange, and the Darkhold Redeemers in battling Lilith and her Lilin. The Nightstalkers also battled HYDRA
's DOA. Alongside the Punisher
, the Nightstalkers battled Shiv and Casim. The Nightstalkers, with Ghost Rider, battled Stonecold. The Nightstalkers next battled Morbius
, and battled Stonecold again.
The Lilin are children of Lilith, an ancient demonic being. Their involvement with her brings them into the group known as the Midnight Sons
. This includes both Ghost Riders, Victoria Montesi
and her team, Doctor Strange
and other heroes. In one of the many adventures involving this team, Drake helps deal with Blade, who temporarily goes insane due to the use of the Darkhold
.
Eventually, they fight against the Atlantean vampire Varnae in which Drake overloads Linda causing an explosion that is thought to destroy him and Varnae (King having attempted to sacrifice himself by plunging a metal stake through his heart while fighting off vampire-lord Varnae's mental control). Blade escapes believing them to be dead but eventually runs into King in New Orleans who explains that Drake also survived but was left horribly scarred and crippled in both body and mind and would probably remain only a shell of his former self.
, the main villain (stated to be the basis for the Dracula
legend
) uses the cover name of Drake. In an early script by David Goyer, the basis for the Abigail Whistler character was a woman Nightstalker
named "Frankie" Drake, but was changed.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
appearing in publications from Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, most notably the Tomb of Dracula
Tomb of Dracula
The Tomb of Dracula is a horror comic book series published by Marvel Comics from April 1972 to August 1979. The 70-issue series featured a group of vampire hunters who fought Count Dracula and other supernatural menaces...
series created by Gerry Conway
Gerry Conway
Gerard F. "Gerry" Conway is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man...
.
Frank Drake was a direct descendant of Count Dracula
Dracula (Marvel Comics)
Dracula is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. He is based on the vampire Count Dracula from the novel of the same name by author Bram Stoker, and is also influenced by Universal Studios' version of the character.-Publication history:A...
, resulting from one of Dracula's wives prior to him becoming a vampire
Vampire (Marvel Comics)
Vampires are fictional characters found in the Marvel Universe.-History:They were created roughly 15,000 years ago when a small band of sorcerers from the legendary city of Atlantis discovered a book known as the Darkhold, an indestructible text filled with arcane lore and dark magic written...
. Over the generations, Frank's ancestors would eventually change their surname to Drake to remove themselves from the unwanted connotations of their ancestry.
Fictional character biography
Frank Drake is introduced as a millionaire playboy who had squandered his inheritance and now had nothing more than an ancestral castle in his assets. Planning to sell it, Drake and friends traveled to TransylvaniaTransylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
where the castle was located. it was discovered that this was the castle of Count Dracula, though Drake never truly believed in the Dracula legends. Drake and his friends stumble across the skeleton of Dracula and accidentally resurrected him. Drake narrowly escaped death when Dracula recognized Drake as a descendant. Drake eventually relocated to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Broke and in despair, Drake attempted to commit suicide but was saved by Rachel van Helsing
Rachel van Helsing
Rachel van Helsing is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Rachel van Helsing was the great-granddaughter of Abraham Van Helsing, the legendary vampire hunter whose exploits against the vampire lord Dracula were chronicled in Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula...
and Taj Nital, two vampire hunters. Through them, Drake met Quincy Harker
Quincy Harker
Quincy Harker is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe which is based on a character in Bram Stoker's Dracula.-Publication history:...
, the son of Jonathan Harker
Jonathan Harker
Jonathan Harker is one of the main protagonists in the 1897 horror novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. His journey to Transylvania and encounter with Count Dracula and the Brides of Dracula at Castle Dracula constitutes the dramatic opening scenes in the novel and most of the film adaptations.-In the...
and Mina Harker
Mina Harker
Wilhelmina "Mina" Harker is a fictional character in Bram Stoker's 1897 horror novel Dracula.- In the novel :She begins the story as Miss Mina Murray, a young school mistress who is engaged to Jonathan Harker, and best friends with Lucy Westenra...
whose tale was told in Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
's novel. Rachel was the granddaughter of Abraham Van Helsing
Abraham Van Helsing
Professor Abraham van Helsing is a protagonist from Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, Dracula.Van Helsing is a Dutch doctor with a wide range of interests and accomplishments, partly attested by the string of letters that follows his name: "M.D., D.Ph., D.Litt., etc." The character is best known as a...
. Drake learned that Dracula had eventually caused the death of Jonathan Harker and Abraham Van Helsing some years after they had defeated him in the book's events. Quincy, Rachel, and Taj (whose family had been killed by vampires) were dedicated to killing Dracula and his vampiric followers. Frank Drake joined Quincy Harker's band of vampire hunters under the close tutelage of Rachel van Helsing and Quincy Harker.
Drake soon encountered Blade
Blade (comics)
Blade is a fictional character, a superhero/vampire hunter in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Gene Colan, his first appearance was in the comic book The Tomb of Dracula #10 as a supporting character.The character went on to alternatively star and co-star...
, with whom Drake constantly clashed but would eventually become a valued friend. Later, alongside Brother Voodoo
Brother Voodoo
Brother Voodoo is a fictional character, a supernatural superhero in the Marvel Universe. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Gene Colan, he first appears in Strange Tales #169...
, Drake battled zombies sent by Dracula. Drake, Blade, Van Helsing, Harker, and Harold H. Harold
Harold H. Harold
Harold H. Harold is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Harold H. Harold first appeared in Tomb of Dracula #37 , and was created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan....
even helped Dracula battle Doctor Sun
Doctor Sun
Doctor Sun is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Universe. He is a cyborg who fed on human blood, and has come into conflict with the Fantastic Four.-Publication history:...
.
Another ally that Drake eventually met was vampire detective Hannibal King
Hannibal King
Hannibal King is a fictional character, a supernatural detective appearing in publications from Marvel Comics. He first appeared as a supporting character in the 1970s comic book The Tomb of Dracula.-Fictional character biography:...
, whom Drake would come to trust because of Blade. Alongside Harker's vampire hunters, Drake battled Dracula, resulting in the death of Janus
Janus (Marvel Comics)
Janus is a fictional comic-book character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:The Golden Angel was a possessing spirit who claimed to be an angel, a messenger and warrior of God. This angel was revealed to have appeared to Dracula and thwarted his will in the past...
.
Although a close friendship grew between Drake and van Helsing, their potential for romantic involvement remained shaky due to Frank's lack of self-confidence and Rachel's fear of intimacy.
Montesi Formula
Quincy Harker eventually made the ultimate sacrifice by detonating a bomb concealed in his wheelchair which destroyed him, Dracula, and much of the castle in which they met for the last time. Drake and Van Helsing discovered Harker's wheelchair, and the supposed death of Dracula. Quincy's final letter to Rachel and Frank urged the two of them to grow closer together and discover what they all knew was there all the time. As a result, Frank and Rachel did attempt a romance but due to Frank's later account, Rachel was an empty shell without Dracula to fight and the two shortly parted but not without deep regrets. Rachel would eventually be turned into a vampire herself and die mercifully at the hands of X-ManX-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
.
Frank, upon hearing of Rachel's death realizes that Dracula is back and teams up with Blade, Hannibal King, and Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
to fight his return from the grave. Drake, King, Blade and Strange battled Dracula and the Darkholders, and were responsible for casting the Montesi Formula which destroyed Dracula and all vampires and banished vampirism from earth. Drake, King (now cured of vampirism and the only vampire to survive the Montesi spell), and Blade decided to remain together and become private investigators, founding the firm of King, Drake, and Blade (aka Borderline Investigations). They would investigate any number of strange and not so strange cases, including a battle with the Darkholders. In their first appearance, Doctor Strange helped them battle the Darkholders.
Marlene
Drake, wishing for a more normal life, eventually left the firm. Apparently, the friendship between King, Drake, and Blade had soured. Drake moved to Washington D.C. and married Marlene McKenna, a woman he had met sometime after parting ways with Rachel. During this time, Marlene seemed to come under the power of Dracula and scarred her face to resemble Rachel's facial scars. Drake, reluctantly called a hostile Blade and the two, assisted by Blade's friend Katinka, eventually aborted Dracula's resurrection again. This resulted in Blade's nervous breakdown and institutionalization. Drake, determined to live a normal life with Marlene, declined an invitation from Katinka, to stay in touch. Katinka suspected that things were only beginning.Midnight Sons
With the weakening of the Montesi spell, Dr. Strange realized that not only were vampires returning, but also an increased occurrence of supernatural invasions. On this realization, Strange arranged for the release of Blade and for Drake (whose wife Marlene had again mysteriously fallen ill), to meet him and King back at their old Borderline offices where King, who had been running the business by himself had to eventually close shop due to the return of his vampirism. None of them too glad to see the other, but each having their reasons for getting back together, they form the Nightstalkers; by day, they are private investigators, by night, they fight any number of supernatural villains. Drake, armed with an anti-supernatural nanotech gun named Linda (after Linda BlairLinda Blair
Linda Denise Blair is an American actress. Blair is best known for her role as the possessed child, Regan, in the 1973 film The Exorcist, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award and two Golden Globes, winning one. She reprised her role in 1977's Exorcist II: The Heretic.-Biography:Blair...
of The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
) fights alongside Blade and King against various occult enemies.
In their first mission, the Nightstalkers are hired by Lilith to kill the second Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider (Daniel Ketch)
Ghost Rider is a comic book character, a supernatural superhero in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. He is the third Marvel character to use the name Ghost Rider, following the Western hero later known as the Phantom Rider, and Johnny Blaze, the first supernatural Ghost Rider.-Publication...
and John Blaze
Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze)
Ghost Rider is a fictional character, an antihero in the Marvel Comics Universe. He is the second Marvel character to use the name Ghost Rider, following the Western hero later known as the Phantom Rider, and preceding Daniel Ketch.Johnny Blaze was portrayed both in the 2007 film Ghost Rider and...
, and battled the Meatmarket. Ghost Rider and Blaze then joined the Nighstalkers, Strange, and the Darkhold Redeemers in battling Lilith and her Lilin. The Nightstalkers also battled HYDRA
HYDRA
HYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
's DOA. Alongside the Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
, the Nightstalkers battled Shiv and Casim. The Nightstalkers, with Ghost Rider, battled Stonecold. The Nightstalkers next battled Morbius
Morbius, the Living Vampire
Morbius, the Living Vampire, is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and penciler Gil Kane, the character, a living human suffering from vampiric abilities resulting from scientific rather than supernatural means, first appeared as...
, and battled Stonecold again.
The Lilin are children of Lilith, an ancient demonic being. Their involvement with her brings them into the group known as the Midnight Sons
Midnight Sons
The Midnight Sons is fictional team of supernatural superheroes in the Marvel Comics Universe. The team first appears in Ghost Rider The Midnight Sons is fictional team of supernatural superheroes in the Marvel Comics Universe. The team first appears in Ghost Rider The Midnight Sons is fictional...
. This includes both Ghost Riders, Victoria Montesi
Victoria Montesi
Victoria Montesi is a fictional Italian-American doctor and occult investigator in the Marvel Comics universe, who first appeared on the pages of the comic book, The Darkhold #1 .-Fictional character biography:...
and her team, Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
and other heroes. In one of the many adventures involving this team, Drake helps deal with Blade, who temporarily goes insane due to the use of the Darkhold
Darkhold
The Darkhold, also known as The Book of Sins, is a fictional book in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:The Darkhold was co-created by Gerry Conway and Mike Ploog. The Darkhold was first mentioned in Marvel Spotlight #3 but first shown in Marvel Spotlight #4...
.
Eventually, they fight against the Atlantean vampire Varnae in which Drake overloads Linda causing an explosion that is thought to destroy him and Varnae (King having attempted to sacrifice himself by plunging a metal stake through his heart while fighting off vampire-lord Varnae's mental control). Blade escapes believing them to be dead but eventually runs into King in New Orleans who explains that Drake also survived but was left horribly scarred and crippled in both body and mind and would probably remain only a shell of his former self.
Powers and abilities
Frank Drake is a capable hand-to-hand combatant, and an experienced marksman. He has been known to carry conventional handguns. He also uses "Linda," a.k.a. "the Exorcist," a nano-tech weapon capable of disrupting occult energies, which he designed with help from "Silicon" Valle.In other media
Frank Drake was one of the major characters in the Blade/Tomb of Dracula family of characters wasn't directly represented in the movies. In the 2004 movie Blade: TrinityBlade: Trinity
Blade: Trinity is a 2004 American superhero vampire action film, written and directed by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the screenplays to the first two Blade films...
, the main villain (stated to be the basis for the Dracula
Dracula (Marvel Comics)
Dracula is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. He is based on the vampire Count Dracula from the novel of the same name by author Bram Stoker, and is also influenced by Universal Studios' version of the character.-Publication history:A...
legend
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
) uses the cover name of Drake. In an early script by David Goyer, the basis for the Abigail Whistler character was a woman Nightstalker
Nightstalkers (comics)
The Nightstalkers is a fictional trio of preexisting characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. A team of occult experts, they reluctantly banded together to fight supernatural threats....
named "Frankie" Drake, but was changed.