There are many influences for comic book characters, and the horror genre is a perfect place to start. This is especially true given that many classic horror monsters, such as those from the Universal Monsters era, were highly influential and sometimes straight-up adapted into Marvel and DC characters, as well as into heroes and villains from other companies. Characters like Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster were brought wholesale into the two major companies, and other heroes and villains were clearly inspired by other classic horror monsters. There is even one of the comic book world’s biggest heroes who is based on a legendary horror monster.
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From Frankenstein’s Monster and Dracula to characters inspired by classic monsters, here are the 10 best comic characters inspired by horror movies.
10) Dracula (Marvel)
In 1950, Dracula made his pre-Marvel Comics debut in Suspense #7 and his official Marvel debut in Tomb of Dracula #1 in 1972. While Tomb of Dracula was named after the infamous vampire, he was actually the villain of the series, with his descendant, Frank Drake, as the first protagonist. Also involved over the years were names like Rachel van Helsing and Blade.
Dracula in Marvel Comics is the same vampire from Bram Stoker’s novel, the Transylvanian nobleman and the world’s most powerful vampire. He has been around in Marvel Comics for years and was even part of the war with Knull, where he agreed to help save the world in exchange for a UN-recognized vampire nation. He was even one of the heroes in the recent Blood Hunt event series, fighting to save the world.
9) Werewolf by Night
Introduced around the same time as Dracula, Marvel also brought in its own werewolf character, Werewolf by Night. Real name Jack Russell, he is a werewolf by blood, as one of his ancestors was a werewolf initially in the 1700s. The night before he turned 18, Jack inherited the curse, and Werewolf by Night was born. His first appearance actually predated Dracula’s mainline Marvel debut by a year, appearing in Marvel Spotlight #2 in 1971.
Werewolf by Night has been mainly a hero over his run in Marvel Comics, and while he doesn’t always have control over his werewolf form, he more often than not focuses on battling villains and more dangerous monsters. Since that time, he has been part of the Legion of Monsters and, even more recently, joined the side of Queen Shiklah in Monster Metropolis. Werewolf by Night was even the first Marvel monster to join the MCU in his own Disney+ series.
8) Frankenstein’s Monster (DC)
DCU fans got a chance to see the DC Universe’s version of Frankenstein’s Monster in the HBO Max series Creature Commandos. This is the version of Mary Shelley’s monster creation, and the show even brought in the Bride of Frankenstein as an actual member of the Creature Commandos. His first DC appearance was in Detective Comics #135 in 1948, under the name Ivan.
However, the version known today in DC Comics, Frankenstein’s Monster, also known as Frankenstein, debuted in The Dreaming #18 in 1997 and was a member of SHADE. The current version that fans got to know in Creature Commandos debuted in the New 52 in his own series, Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE #1. He has since been part of SHADE, Seven Soldiers, Creature Commandos, and Justice League Dark.
7) Abe Sapien
Mike Mignola created Hellboy at Dark Horse Comics, and this also led him to create the United States Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BRPD). Of this group, the second most popular member, next to Hellboy himself, was Abe Sapien. The amphibious man was clearly modeled after the Universal Horror Monster, the Gill-Man, from The Creature from the Black Lagoon.
However, unlike the Gill-Man, Sapien was a Victorian scientist who became involved with an occult organization that conducted a ritual that turned him into this underwater creature. Unlike the Gill-Man, Abe Sapien maintained his intellect and has been a secret agent for the BRPD for years. He also appeared in both of Guillrtmo del Toro’s Hellboy movies and was in the final scene of the 2019 reboot.
6) Hulk
While it might be hard to recognize at first, Hulk is heavily influenced by Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic horror story, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The original story was about a reputable gentleman named Dr. Henry Jekyll. However, one man, a lawyer named Gabriel, begins to suspect that Jekyll is connected to a murderer on the loose named Mr. Hyde. Of course, they turn out to be one and the same.
Hulk was a mild-mannered scientist named Bruce Banner when a gamma explosion turned him into the monstrous Hulk. This created the parallel of the good man who becomes a monster, although Hulk never reached the level of villainy that Mr. Hyde did. Interestingly, one Hulk story in which he became a grey Hulk named Mr. Fixit came closest to the Jekyll-and-Hyde storyline.
5) Vampirella
The classic Dracula monster movies clearly influence the Dynamite Comics series Vampirella, particularly in how Universal Studios introduced the Brides of Dracula throughout the franchise. Despite not being a Marvel or DC character, Vampirella might be the most iconic vampire in all of comic book history. She actually debuted way back in 1969, created by Forrest J. Ackerman for Warren Publishing.
Over the years, celebrated creators like Christopher Priest, Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, James Robinson, and Kurt Busiek took their turns with the character, and she has remained iconic and one of Dynamite Comics’ best-running characters.
4) Khalis (DC)
Both Marvel and DC have versions of the classic Universal Horror Monster character, The Mummy. For DC, it is a character known as Khalis, a horror character who debuted alongside the most recent version of Frankenstein’s Monster in the pages of Frankenstein, Avenge of SHADE #1 in 2011. He is a part of the Creature Commandos in the comics, although he wasn’t part of the DCU version of the team.
As with the Universal character, Khalis is a resurrected mummy and possesses the same powers as the legendary horror monsters. He has superhuman strength, durability, and stamina. He can also sense when other life forms are nearby and also channel his power through a long staff he carries. Finally, he is immortal, self-sustaining, and possesses healing powers.
3) The Lizard
The most popular form of the Wolf Man trope in Marvel Comics isn’t Werewolf by Night. It is The Lizard. Unlike the Wolf Man, who was bitten by a werewolf, or Werewolf by Night, who inherited his lycanthropy, Curt Connors accidentally turned himself into a lizard creature when he tried to regrow his lost arm using science. He became the monstrous Lizard and was one of Spider-Man’s most persistent villains.
However, he really shares a similarity with Larry Talbot’s Wolf Man from the Universal Horror movies. Both men are good people who can’t control themselves when they change, and they do everything that they can to prevent themselves from going out of control. They are sympathetic monsters, and ones who fans wanted to see cured, not defeated in the end.
2) Man-Bat
A DC character combines the Wolf Man and Dracula into one horrific villain. Man-Bat is Kirk Langstrom, a scientist who developed a serum that transforms him into a bat-like creature. Like Curt Connors, he wants nothing more than to cure himself, as he hates turning into the monster, and Bruce Wayne has worked to help him as much as Batman has worked to defeat him.
What is most interesting about Man-Bat is that he wants to use his powers for good, although when he changes, he becomes almost feral, which makes him as much of a danger as anything he is trying to defeat. In some tellings, Man-Bat is a complete villain, but in the right creator’s hands, he is much more complex and interesting as a DC monster.
1) The Living Mummy
The Marvel Comics version of the Mummy from Universal Horror movies is known as The Living Mummy. This character was initially named N’Kantu and lived thousands of years ago in Egypt. He was part of a Sub-Saharan African tribe that was enslaved, and as the son of the chief, he was made an example of by being sealed inside a sarcophagus, with a serum that would keep him alive as a Living Mummy.
N’Kantu was found in the 20th century, and after being released, he went on a rampage before finally regaining control and becoming an antihero. The Living Mummy‘s first appearance was in Supernatural Thrillers #5 in 1973, and he has since been an essential member of the Howling Commandos, while also joining the Legion of Monsters and the Secret Avengers for a short time.
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