full body - shadows & low res

face; original art

42nd STREET STALKER

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human vampire

Occupation: Predator

Group Membership: Vampires of Earth

Affiliations: None revealed

Enemies: D.W. Griffith, Power Man (Luke Cage)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None;
    Cage called it "Creep," "Sucker," and "Fangs"

mist

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    he may have been regularly active around 42nd street, Manhattan, New York...or somewhere else in New York, or New Jersey

First Appearance: Power Man and Iron Fist I#76/2 (December, 1981)

mesmerization in mist form

Powers/Abilities: Like most vampires, the stalker of 42nd street had superhuman strength (typically enhanced human) and required regular blood meals to survive; further, feeding on a human victim might turn that victim into a vampire, depending on the extent of the feeding and other circumstances. He was also vulnerable to religious icons (presumably proportional to the strength of the wielder's faith), garlic, sunlight, and a wooden stake through the heart.

    This vampire also demonstrated multiple abilities that are often ascribed to vampires with greater than average abilities, such as turning into mist (which would allow most physical assaults to pass harmless through him), transforming into a bat, and mesmerizing others after seconds of eye contact. Of particular note was his ability to manifest his eyes to mesmerize others even while still in mist form.

    The vampire was not observed to speak; he may be mute for some reason, or simply chose not to speak.

Height: Approximately 5'10"
Weight: Approximately 130 lbs.
Eyes: Red
Hair: White

History:  Under unspecified circumstances, this man became a vampire.

(Power Man and Iron Fist I#76/2) - In the hour or so before dawn, this unidentified vampire stalked the shadows of an alley off of 42nd street, alone, but not lonely...and also thirsty and a bit desperate, though he remained convinced that if he waited patiently, the night would bring him a victim. He was soon rewarded (or so it seemed to him) by the arrival of D.W. Griffith and Luke Cage (aka Power Man), returning from a showing (or leaving the Gem Theatre after watching) "The Fangs of Baron Berenger." ambushing Cage & GriffithPleased, the vampire leapt out of the alley atop Cage and tried to bite into his jugular vein, but was thwarted by Cage's steel hard skin. Cage seemed confused by the assault, but after DW noted it was a real vampire, Cage started slamming it back into walls, lamp posts, mailboxes, etc. Cage was surprised at the light creature was so strong, but after five such smashes, he was able to get a grip on the vampire and hurl it off of him, though he was frustrated when it glided through the air and landed on its feet. DW advised Cage on a vampire's vulnerabilities, most of which was useless to Cage as he didn't have them handy, but he punched a wooden door, shattering it and allowing him to grab a reasonable stake. As the vampire charged towards Cage again, he wielded the stake at it, but it turned to mist as he struck, causing the stake to pass harmlessly through it. While still in mist form, the vampire manifested its glowing red eyes, which enabled it to mesmerize and immobilize Cage. 

    The vampire then landed on Cage's shoulders, and searched for a weak point upon which it could feed, such as his eyes or the inside of his mouth. Realizing what was going on, DW picked up two pieces of wood from the shattered door and fashioned a cross, with which he advanced and drove the vampire away from Cage. bat formDW tried to force the vampire to flee, but it caught him in its gaze and mesmerized him, forcing him to drop the pieces of wood, and leaving him a much more accessible target. However, focusing its will power on DW weakened the vampire's control over Cage, and he revived in time to stop the vampire from biting into DW's neck. Telling the creature it wasn't getting any free meals from them, Cage grabbed the vampire and hurled it through a window, into Emilio's New Italy deli and/or restaurant. Cringing from the heavy presence of garlic therein, the vampire dove back out threw the broken window, but the waiting Cage punched it in the mouth, breaking off its large canine teeth. The enraged vampire slashed at Cage with its claws, but DW grabbed two loaves of Italian bread and -- explaining that it was the garlic that had been bothering the vampire -- handed one to Cage. 

    As the vampire was held at bay, DW noted they only needed to hold him off for a few more minutes, as it would die if it wasn't back in its coffin by dawn. Deciding this meal was not worth the trouble, the vampire turned into a bat and flew into the Lincoln Tunnel. DW wondered whether they should report this to anyone, but Cage did not want to try to explain to any city cop they were attacked by a vampire, especially he wasn't sure he believed it himself.

    Cage continued, "Anyway, his troubles are just beginning. He's heading for New Jersey!"

Comments: Created by Jo Duffy, Mark Bright, and Ricardo Villamonte

    Speaking of which, around the time of the Vampires: The Marvel Undead handbook, I asked Jo Duffy about any connection between Janos Trevorik and the similarly appearing 42nd street stalker, and she explained that there was no connection. She was not familiar with Trevorik when she wrote the latter story.refurbed face image

    The Vampires: The Marvel Undead handbook identified this vampire as the "42nd Street Stalker" (in quotes) and confirmed there was no known conncection between this vampire and Trevorik.

    I don't think the "Vampire-Killer" from the Trevorik story was ever actually explained in that story. Was Martinson murdering people to accentuate his frame of Trevorik? Did the murders give Martinson the idea to frame Trevorik as the killer? Was the Vampire-Killer a real vampire? Maybe it was the "42nd street stalker?"

    This vampire would presumably have been destroyed by the Montesi Formula, in Dr. Strange II#62, but would also presumably have been restored via the prophecy spell in Blade III#12.

    The vampire's face had a nicely refurbished image in he Vampires: The Marvel Undead handbook, but for some reason they cropped out his chin.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The 42nd Street Stalker
should be distinguished from:


images: (without ads)
Power Man and Iron Fist I#76/2, pg. 1, panel 5 (full/main);
            panel 8 (face) - refurbed in the Vampires: The Marvel Undead handbook;
        pg. 2, panel 1 (leaping at Cage);
        pg. 5, panel 1 (turning into mist);
            panel 3 (mesmerizing Cage while in mist form);
        pg. 8, panel 7 (bat form)


Appearances:
Power Man and Iron Fist I#76/2 (December, 1981) - Jo Duffy (writer), Mark Bright (penciler), Ricardo Villamonte (inker), Denny O'Neil (editor)


Last updated: 02/26/15

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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