EDDIE BAXTER
Real Name: Edward "Eddie" Baxter
Identity/Class: Human vampire (1950s era)
Occupation: Professional dancer
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Marla Reath,
other dance partners (temporary)
Enemies: None
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile in the USA
First Appearance: Suspense#10/1
(September, 1951)
Powers/Abilities: Eddie Baxter is an
exceptional dancer who demands perfection of his dancing partner. Such
regular dancing kept him fit. When later transformed into a vampire, he
would have taken on vampiric characteristics of the vampire who turned
him, namely extended lifespan, increased dexterity, the need for blood
for sustenance and a
weakness to sunlight. Likely he took on batwings for the regular
night-time transformations.
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 145 lbs.
Eyes: Black (formerly dark
brown)
Hair: Brown
History:
(Suspense#10/1 (fb) - BTS) - Eddie Baxter traveled
the country entering professional dancing competitions for prize money,
frequenting dance halls in search of and ideal match for his personal
smooth and intricate style. However, he only entered competitions if he
was
confident of winning. He was ready to forego the competition in the
small town he was in due to the lack of a suitable dance partner in
favor of a competition in Peoria.
(Suspense#10/1) - Baxter saw
an advert in the local newspaper placed by the reclusive Marla Reath (secretly a vampire
but also an exceptional dancer). She likewise sought perfection in a
dancer
and the pair soon met at her house and danced. Very impressed, he
suggested the local dance competition and she agreed on the
condition rehearsals were only in daytime as she was "busy" at night.
Baxter was surprised that the long practice sessions did not leave
Marla tired.
A week before the competition, the pair took an afternoon off at the beach (Marla had a special lotion on to protect her from the sun). Baxter hoped to spend the evening with her, jealous she was always busy, but she refused and ran off at sunset. At night, Baxter knocked back advances from a woman at a bar, so focused was he on Marla and confident she would be there for the evening competition. The night of the competition, the pair won, but Marla kept dancing with Baxter, holding him close as they whirled out of the dance hall to the edge of town where they couldn't be seen. Marla sprouted her vampire wings and confessed her vampiric past and obsession with dance to the now panicking Baxter. She kissed him, passing the vampire curse to him and he transformed rapidly into a vampire.
Comments: Created by uncredited writer & Russ Heath.
It's unrevealed if he continued his professional
dance career after being transformed into a vampire; he certainly
didn't think he would. He viewed vampires as undead with no future.
The vampire curse is often passed by a bite, so perhaps she bit him with that dire kiss.
Marla's surname was revealed in the Vampires: The
Marvel Undead handbook (2011).
This story was later reprinted in Uncanny Tales II#7
(December,
1974) and had cover billing; the art showed full body shot, but the
context was like the Prince & Cinderella, so I've not used it here.
See
below right for the cover image.
Profile
by Grendel
Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
Eddie Baxter has no known connections to:
Marla Reath was a reclusive vampire obsessed with dancing. She
was
killed (turned?) by her former partner, the sinister Andro (whose fate
remains a mystery). She had a special lotion that protected her from
sunlight but she would grow batwings from her back at night, also the
time when she would sometimes feed. She remained secluded on the
outskirts of a small town and craved a perfect dance partner,
advertising in the local newspaper. Roving professional dancer Eddie
Baxter responded and they met, their dancing styles complementing each
other and they planned to enter a dancing competition. They spent one
afternoon on the beach, where her pale skin was protected from the sun
by her special sunblocking lotion, but she fled at sunset despite
Baxter wanting to spend the evening with her. She arrived the night of
the dance, a cloak covering her short wings and the pair won the
contest, but she held Baxter tightly and danced him outside to the edge
of town. Baxter panicked when he realized the truth and discovered her
batwings unfolding, but it was too late with her kiss already
transforming him into a fellow vampire.
--Suspense#10/1
images:
(without ads)
Suspense#10/1, p4, pan5 (main image)
p3, pan4 (headshot)
p5, pan6 (transforming)
Uncanny Tales II#7, cover
Suspense#10/1, p4, pan2 (Marla, beachwear)
p2, pan6 (Marla, headshot)
Appearances:
Suspense#10/1 (September, 1951) - uncredited writer, Russ Heath
(pencils & inks), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 10/31/2024
Last updated:
10/31/2024
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™
and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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