Vampire by Night
Encyclopedia
Vampire by Night is a fictional character
within the Marvel Comics
universe
who first appeared in Amazing Fantasy Vol. 2, #10. She is the niece to Jack Russell
and has the ability to become either a werewolf
or vampire
between dusk
and dawn
.
, a grimoire
of black magic
, and was subsequently bitten by a werewolf
who served Dracula
. Because of this, all the descendants of Grigori were cursed to become werewolves upon their 18th birthday. Nina's mother Lissa Russell was a victim of the curse until an altercation with a sorcerer named Glitternight
altered her standing and she was freed from being a werewolf. Lissa then married a wealthy business tycoon named Mr. Price and gave birth to Nina. Although her mother was able to alter the curse's path against her, the curse continued its course to Nina. At some point Nina was attacked by a vampire
who attempted to change her into the undead. This attack altered the curse for Nina somewhat and caused her to become both werewolf and vampire in one. By day Nina Price seems to be a normal human, but once the sun goes down she becomes a vampire. Due to the werewolf's bite, Nina became a white wolf
during the full moon, and she used her father's money and status to reserve a zoo or park, in which she would cage herself until the full moon was over and she was no longer an animal (so she would not hurt innocents). However, Nina had no problem using her supernatural abilities to harm criminals, as she found them acceptable targets for her vampiric thirsts, feeding on rapists and thieves once the sun went down.
during an adventure with her uncle Jack, Nina soon after became a reluctant member of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Paranormal Containment Unit, nicknamed the Howling Commandos
. Working at a secret military installation called Area 13, Nina was placed as part of a supernatural team working for the government set to handle situations that dealt with more of the macabre side of life. During her time there she was partnered with another werewolf named Warwolf (real name Vince Marcus) and fellow vampire Lilith
, the daughter of Dracula
.
She is also gifted with the power of lycanthropy
, and when the moon is full, she becomes a wolf. Unlike her uncle Jack, she doesn't become a humanoid werewolf, but becomes an actual white wolf (strongly resembling an Arctic wolf
). In her bestial state, Nina has superhuman senses of hearing and smell, and powerful jaws and deadly fangs and claws. She is also overwhelmed by the wolf's feral instincts, and often shuts herself away from others to prevent herself from killing innocent people.
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...
within the 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...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
who first appeared in Amazing Fantasy Vol. 2, #10. She is the niece to Jack Russell
Werewolf by Night
Werewolf by Night is a fictional character, an antiheroic werewolf in the Marvel Comics universe. The Werewolf by Night first appeared in Marvel Spotlight vol...
and has the ability to become either a werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
or 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...
between dusk
Dusk
Dusk is the beginning of darkness in the evening, and occurs after twilight, when the sky generally remains bright and blue. Civil dusk is when the earth has rotated enough that the center of the sun is at 6° below the local horizon...
and dawn
Dawn
Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of the twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the presence of weak sunlight, while the sun itself is still below the horizon...
.
Fictional character biography
Through her mother's bloodline, Nina became part of a long family curse. This curse had originated with Nina's 18th century ancestor Grigori, who had been tainted by the DarkholdDarkhold
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...
, a grimoire
Grimoire
A grimoire is a textbook of magic. Such books typically include instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms and divination and also how to summon or invoke supernatural entities such as angels, spirits, and demons...
of black magic
Black magic
Black magic is the type of magic that draws on assumed malevolent powers or is used with the intention to kill, steal, injure, cause misfortune or destruction, or for personal gain without regard to harmful consequences. As a term, "black magic" is normally used by those that do not approve of its...
, and was subsequently bitten by a werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
who served 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...
. Because of this, all the descendants of Grigori were cursed to become werewolves upon their 18th birthday. Nina's mother Lissa Russell was a victim of the curse until an altercation with a sorcerer named Glitternight
Doctor Glitternight
Doctor Glitternight is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Doctor Glitternight first appeared in Werewolf by Night #27 , and was created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin....
altered her standing and she was freed from being a werewolf. Lissa then married a wealthy business tycoon named Mr. Price and gave birth to Nina. Although her mother was able to alter the curse's path against her, the curse continued its course to Nina. At some point Nina was attacked by 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...
who attempted to change her into the undead. This attack altered the curse for Nina somewhat and caused her to become both werewolf and vampire in one. By day Nina Price seems to be a normal human, but once the sun goes down she becomes a vampire. Due to the werewolf's bite, Nina became a white wolf
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
during the full moon, and she used her father's money and status to reserve a zoo or park, in which she would cage herself until the full moon was over and she was no longer an animal (so she would not hurt innocents). However, Nina had no problem using her supernatural abilities to harm criminals, as she found them acceptable targets for her vampiric thirsts, feeding on rapists and thieves once the sun went down.
Howling Commando
Falling in a trap set by S.H.I.E.L.D.S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
during an adventure with her uncle Jack, Nina soon after became a reluctant member of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Paranormal Containment Unit, nicknamed the Howling Commandos
Nick Fury's Howling Commandos
Nick Fury's Howling Commandos was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. Running six issues before its cancellation and cover-dated December 2005 to May 2006, the series featured a fictional team set in the Marvel Universe, consisting of supernatural characters employed as a unit...
. Working at a secret military installation called Area 13, Nina was placed as part of a supernatural team working for the government set to handle situations that dealt with more of the macabre side of life. During her time there she was partnered with another werewolf named Warwolf (real name Vince Marcus) and fellow vampire Lilith
Lilith (Marvel Comics)
Lilith is the name of two fictional American comic book characters owned by Marvel Comics. Both characters exist in the Marvel Universe.The first of these two to appear was Lilith, the daughter of Dracula. Like her father, she is also a vampire, although her powers and weaknesses differ from most...
, the daughter of 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...
.
Powers and abilities
Nina is hybrid of a vampire and a werewolf, and possesses the abilities of both, but only after sunset. Her vampire powers make her superhumanly strong and fast, and unable to cast a reflection (which makes it impossible for people to take her picture at night). She can hypnotize people with her stare, an ability she often uses to immobilize her prey. Like a normal vampire, she must feed on human blood, but she focuses her thirst on criminals. Due to her hybrid nature, sunlight is not lethal to Nina (as it is to most vampires), and she heals amazingly quickly from even the most serious of injuries.She is also gifted with the power of lycanthropy
Lycanthropy
Lycanthropy is the professed ability or power of a human being to undergo transformation into a werewolf, or to gain wolf-like characteristics. The term comes from Greek Lykànthropos : λύκος, lykos + άνθρωπος, ànthrōpos...
, and when the moon is full, she becomes a wolf. Unlike her uncle Jack, she doesn't become a humanoid werewolf, but becomes an actual white wolf (strongly resembling an Arctic wolf
Arctic Wolf
The Arctic Wolf , also called Polar Wolf or White Wolf, is a subspecies of the Gray Wolf, a mammal of the family Canidae. Arctic Wolves inhabit the Canadian Arctic, Alaska and the northern parts of Greenland....
). In her bestial state, Nina has superhuman senses of hearing and smell, and powerful jaws and deadly fangs and claws. She is also overwhelmed by the wolf's feral instincts, and often shuts herself away from others to prevent herself from killing innocent people.