BETTY DUGANBETTY DUGAN
Real Name: Betty Dugan
Identity/Class: Human vampire;
active circa 1952 (at least)
Occupation: Predator;
any other occupation is unrevealed
Group Membership: Vampires of Earth
Affiliations: None beyond his family
Enemies: Claude Dugan
Known Relatives: Michael Dugan (husband), Donald Dugan (son), Claude Dugan (brother-in-law, deceased)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Home in an unrevealed location (presumably the USA)
First Appearance: Suspense I#16 (March, 1952)
Powers/Abilities: As a vampire, Betty most likely had
superhuman
strength and required regular blood meals to
survive.
Further,
feeding on a human victim would presumably turn that victim into a
vampire, depending on the extent of the feeding and other
circumstances.
Those she vampirized may or may not have been subservient to her.
When fully fed, she could likely heal rapidly from non-fatal wounds.
She presumably had the standard
vampire vulnerabilities, including vulnerability to sunlight, religious icons, garlic, a wooden stake through the heart, and silver.
She had bat-like wings, perhaps 2'
long extending from the scapular (shoulderblade) region on her back.
These wings were not always visible, and she may be able to the shrink
and grow the wings at will. She may or may not have been able to grow
the wings large enough to carry her aloft in flight.
She may or may not have been able to transform fully into a bat and/or into a wolf and/or mist.
History:
(Suspense I#16 (fb) - BTS / Vampires: The Marvel Undead) - The werewolves Betty and Michael Dugan were disappointed when their son, Donald, was born a werewolf.
Betty and Michael plotted to
eventually feed on Michael's brother, Claude, and Claude apparently
realized this. Although he apparently could not do anything to Betty
and Michael, Claude instead plotted against his nephew, Donald.
(Suspense I#16 (fb)) <Months before the main
story> - As Michael and Betty headed out and left Claude to babysit Donald, Claude told Donald scary stories.
(Suspense I#16 (fb) - BTS) - When Donald, unable to sleep, sneaked out of
his room, Claude entered his room again and stabbed a large
knife into his bed. After Claude left, Donald returned to his room and
saw the knife.
(Suspense I#16 (fb) - BTS) - Feeling that his parents would not believe it if he told them that Claude had tried to kill him, Donald for some reason hid the knife and and prayed that his parents would never leave him alone with uncle Claude again (see comments).
Whether aware of what had happened
or for some other reason, Betty and Michael did not leave him alone with
Claude again. And whenever they did leave, they locked Donald in his room,
for which Claude had no key.
(Suspense I#16 (fb) - BTS / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z hardcover#13: Werewolves)
- On the night of a full moon, Michael and Betty went out to a movie,
and they apparently left Donald locked in his room but forgot to lock
his door from the outside.
(Suspense I#16 - BTS) - Claude confronted Donald in his room, telling the boy he hated his parents so much -- because they were always trying to eat him up -- that he had sworn to kill their only son. As the clock began to strike the first midnight chime, Claude grabbed Donald and raised his knife.
(Suspense I#16) - As Michael
and Betty returned home, Betty noted the first bell. Having a feeling
that something was wrong, Michael noted that he felt something was wrong, and he advised that they make haste.
(Suspense I#16 - BTS) - Savoring Donald's terror, Claude slowly lowered his knife as the chimes continued, planning to kill Donald after the final stroke, and then to kill his parents as well.
(Suspense I#16 (fb) - BTS) - After the final stroke of midnight, however, Donald turned into a werewolf and slew Claude, who screamed in agony before dying.
(Suspense I#16) - Hearing the cry, Michael and Betty rushed up the stairs of their house, with Betty urged Michael to hurry. After Michael broke down the door to Donald's room, both parents were disappointed that Donald had beaten them to Claude, and Betty told Donald that they had been saving Claude for themselves.
Donald apologized, but reminded his parents how hungry he got after the stroke of midnight.
Michael told Betty to leave Donald
alone, as he could not help it that he was ONLY a werewolf, instead of
a vampire like they were.
Comments: Created by unidentified writer and artist.
Obviously the fact that Donald
was a werewolf and his parents were vampires was the surprise ending
revealed in a the last panel. Claude does mention to Donald that his
parents were trying to eat him up, but it seemed like he was just
trying to scare Donald.
The story doesn't work as well if Donald knew his
parents were vampires and were trying to devour Claude or if Donald was
aware of his own werewolf nature and could have turned into a werewolf
at any time.
It's a little odd that the
parents would have gone out without telling Donald, or that they left
Donald at home with Claude when they knew they had to lock Donald's
door to protect him from Claude.
Maybe they hated Donald for being a
werewolf and were secretly leaving him in a dangerous situation in
hopes of getting rid of him?
Perhaps Michael and
Betty didn't leave Claude with Donald, but rather Claude knew that his
brother and sister-in-law were out, and he entered their house to slay
Donald.
I'm also not sure why it would
have been hard for Donald to convince his parents that Claude had tried
to kill him when there was a knife and a hole in his bed.
Ah, what's the difference, it was fun anyway!
Michael and Betty received a headshot in the Vampires: The Marvel Undead: Vampires appendix and first names.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Michael Dugan should be distinguished from:
Vampires: The Marvel Undead (December, 2011) - Jeff Christiansen, Mike O'Sullivan, and Stuart Vandal (head writers/coordinators); Markus Raymond & Mike Fichera (assistant coordinators); Markus Raymond, Patrick Duke, Ronald Byrd, Roger Ott, Patrick Ryall, Sean McQuaid, Madison Carter, Kevin Garcia, Eduardo Freyre, & Seth Johnson (writers), James Emmett & Joe Hochstein (editorial assistants), Alex Starbuck & Nelson Ribeiro (assistant editors), Jennifer Grunwald & Mark D. Beazley (editors, special projects), Jeff Youngquist (editor)
First posted: 11/17/2024
Last updated: 11/17/2024
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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