Random Happenstance

I swear I have the Essential Frankenstein somewhere, not on my shelf of those. But when I randomly come across one of these, I probably have to grab it. From 1974, the Frankenstein Monster #9, "The Vampire Killers!" Written by Gary Friedrich, pencils by John Buscema, inks by John Verpoorten.

Aw, this one's missing a few pages: the Angry Villagers Local #237 have Frank trussed up and are burning him at the stake, but that has unfortunately left their town open for Dracula to swoop in and put the bite to a woman or two. The Monster had been on the verge of giving up, but hearing the sound of someone else suffering inspires him to keep fighting, to save anyone from the torments he had lived through. The mob is completely ineffectual against Dracula--maybe you should've brought more than one crossbow, or at least not called your shot ahead of time--as well as against a newly driven Frankenstein.

While Dracula is coffin shopping, Frank returns to the cave Drac came from, and finds sultry villager Carmen waiting for him. Even Frank isn't convinced she's into him; she's there for his blood, having been turned by Dracula. Her attack paralyzes Frankenstein's vocal cords; I don't think he would be able to talk for the rest of his series and beyond. Frank stakes Carmen, which irritates Dracula more than anything: he obviously had no feelings for her, but how dare that thing take away something of his? Dracula has the Monster on the ropes for most of their brief fight, until the Monster manages to get him into the sunlight, form the cross, and stake him. (I sincerely doubt the Monster believed in God, so the cross shouldn't have worked; but the sunlight may have done the damage needed.)

Frankenstein is left with "only the bitter bile of revenge," and Carmen's memory; but isn't left with any time to consider it, as he is greeted by Vincent Frankenstein! We're not sure of his deal yet, but that's pretty ballsy to march himself up to a cave that had two vampires and the Monster. Well, I bet Vincent either didn't believe in vampires, or didn't believe they would dare threaten a Frankenstein.