MARSHAL
MARSHAL
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Human (late 19th Century/Old West era)
Occupation: former Bounty Hunter and US Marshal
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: former Marshal of Kuttnerville, ??
Dakota;
"Old Man" Bridges
Enemies: Dracula and his vampires, mayor Greim, mayor Sherton, Billy Walker
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: the Dakotas, @ 1875
First Appearance: Dracula Lives#13 (July, 1975)
Powers/Abilities: The Marshal was an elderly man, but retained much of his marksmanship, wit, and fighting skill. He was slowed somewhat with age, but still had quick reflexes. He was skilled with revolver, rifle, shotgun, and throwing weapons. In preparation for vampire encounters, he used silver bullets and buckshot, and used a shotgun with a solid silver butt.
History:
(Dracula Lives#13 (fb) - BTS) - The Marshal was a scout for the 7th (Infantry),
during which time he encountered potent examples of Indian magic.
(Dracula Lives#13 (fb)) - An aging US Marshal, he was outdrawn by the gunslinger Billy Walker, but saved himself by throwing an axe that split Walker's skull.
(Dracula Lives#13 (fb)) - After twenty years of service, the Marshal was discharged from service by mayor Sherton. When he refused to give up his badge, Sherton's men cold-cocked him and took it from him. Sherton then appointed his job to the Marshal's former deputy. Sherton and his men taunted him, telling him to just pull up a rocking chair and watch the world for his remaining days.
(Dracula Lives#13 (fb)) - ?? - The Marshal was apparently fired from the job by the newly elected mayor Greim, whom the Marshal knew had fixed the election. The Marshal turned in his badge, but then slew Greim and his men when they resisted his attempts for a citizen's arrest.
(Dracula Lives#13 (fb)) - The Marshal observed as a sophisticated European woman seduced a young man in the Marshal's town. Unbeknownst to the Marshal, the woman led the boy out to a more private area, where he was ambushed by three vampires, as well as the woman who was also a vampire.
(Dracula Lives#13 (fb)) - After the boy's second rising and destruction, the Marshal was hired by his father, "Old Man" Bridges to kill his son's murderers. As Transylvanian authorities had refused to cooperate, Bridges sent Marshal to Transylvania.
(Dracula Lives#13) - Inside Castle Dracula, the Marshal was ambushed by the trio of vampires, whom he stopped with the silver bullets in his pistol, followed by beheading them with an axe. The vampiress them tried to seduce him, but after he dropped his cross and allowed her to approach, he drove a wooden stake into her heart. He was then confronted by Dracula himself, who taunted the Marshal with his past failings. Dracula leapt at the Marshal, who drove him back with a crack from the silver butt of his rifle. Dracula regrouped and transformed into a bat, avoiding several blasts of silver buckshot, but was eventually tracked and hit by the Marshal. At the old gunslinger's mercy, Dracula pointed out that he had entered his home without warrant or extradition papers and murdered citizens of the land, making him the criminal. Still believing in the law, the Marshal headed out of Castle Dracula, promising to return with a warrant for his arrest. As soon as the Marshal turned his back, Dracula leapt at him, but the Marshal spun around and filled the Lord of the Vampires with silver buckshot, killing him.
The Marshal retired after this single mission as a bounty hunter. He used the money from Old Man Bridges to buy a cattle ranch, which he named the Silver Buckshot Ranch. There was nary a rocking chair anywhere to be found on the spread.
Comments: Created by Tony Isabella and Tony DeZinga.
The Marshal couldn't have been a Federal marshal, because the only ones who can fire them are the same ones who appoint them: the U.S. Department of Justice. So, either Mayor Greim (or, is it Sherton?) successfully requested that the DOJ fire this guy. Or, he was only a town marshal (19th century equivalent of a police chief), in the first place.
--Carycomic
Dracula was resurrected years later, but the many minute particles of silver weakened him, causing him to age rapidly whenever he went a considerable time without ingesting sufficient blood. This was revealed in Tomb of Dracula II#3/2, where it was used to explain why he aged without blood in the adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel.
There is a Kintnersville, North Dakota, but I'm not aware of any Kuttnerville in the Dakotas.
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Last updated: 07/17/03
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