BORDIA

Real Name: Nicholas Bordia

Identity/Class: Human (15th Century) vampire;
    Transylvanian

Occupation: Former priest

Group Membership: Vampires of Earth

Affiliations: Satan (object of worship)
    Josef Yurac (congregation)

Enemies: Dracula, Zaveria Jernay

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Father Bordia

Base of Operations: A church in Southern Transylvania, presumably near Snagov;
    @ 1459

First Appearance: Dracula Lives#4 (January, 1974)

Powers/Abilities: As a vampire, Bordia possessed the standard powers and weaknesses, including superhuman strength and durability, physical transformation, the need to consume human blood, weakness to religious icons, etc. Bordia was able to assume the form of a a bat, as well as that of wolf, something apparently not all vampires could do--an ability Dracula had not yet obtained as of their encounter.

History:
(Dracula Lives#4/7 (fb) - BTS) - Bordia's exact origins are unknown, but he was a vampire back when Vlad Dracula was merely a mad tyrant of Transylvania. Though posing as a Catholic priest, Bordia in fact worshipped the devil. His investigations into the black arts netted him a copy of the parchments of the Darkhold.

(Dracula Lives#4/7 (fb) - BTS) - When Turac conquered Dracula, his men overran Drac's castle, slaughtering his former followers. Among these was Baron Jernay, whom Turac hanged before Bordia's church door. Bordia did nothing to stop the hanging, but instead merely watched.

(Dracula Lives#4/7) - Learning that Dracula had returned to his castle and was now a vampire, too, Bordia decided that there was not enough room for both of them, and he set out to take down Drac. In his guise of a priest, Bordia confronted Dracula in his castle and demanded that he depart. Dracula refused and transformed into a bat to attack Bordia, but was shocked when Bordia transformed into a wolf and met his attack. The wolf nearly managed to bite off one of Dracula's wings, but Drac returned to human form and smashed the wolf against the wall. Returning to human form as well, Bordia drew a stake and rushed at Dracula again, but the lord of the vampires swatted the older man to the ground. Dracula taunted the fallen Bordia, who suddenly hurled his stake at Dracula. The vampire lord was saved by a servant girl, Zaveria, the daughter of Baron Jernay. She batted the stake out of the air with a pair of candlesticks, and then picked up the stake and finished off Bordia.

(Doctor Strange III#15/2 - BTS) - Sifting through Bordia's possessions, Dracula discovered a disturbing fact: a spell to destroy vampires existed within the parchments of the Darkhold--the Montesi Formula.

Comments: Created by Gerry Conway and Vicente Alcazar.

Just which Satan (or Lucifer as he also mentioned) Bordia worshipped is unclear. He may actually have worshipped Chthon and merely thought him to be Satan.

In Blade III#12 a prophecy was fulfilled that brought back all vampires that ever died. This most likely included Bordia as well. We'll have to wait if he resurfaces.
--Markus Raymond

His first name was revealed in the Vampires profile in OHOTMU A-Z HC#12. Zaveria's last name was revealed in Bordia's profile in Vampires: The Marvel Undead#1 (December, 2011).

CLARIFICATIONS:
Not so much

images: (without ads)
Dracula Lives#4, p52, pan5 (head shot)