DESZO KRUZAK

Real Name: Deszo Kruzak

Identity/Class: Human vampire;
    circa 1953; 
    possibly a Hungarian citizen at some point;    

Occupation: Predator

Group Membership: Unidentified vampire coven;
    Vampires of Earth

Affiliations: None revealed (beyond his coven)

Enemies: Beast-Man, Humans

Known Relatives: None (he referred to the other vampires in his coven as his brethren, and they may be direct relations, or this may have just been a figurative term)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Outside a "lonely village" in Hungary

First Appearance: Marvel Tales I#113 (April, 1953)

Powers/Abilities: Kruzak apparently existed in man-bat form; it is unrevealed whether he could or did transform into more fully human or bat forms. His wings came off of his arms, and he can fly while carrying a somewhat overweight adult human male, grasped by his taloned feet.

    Like most vampires, Kruzak has superhuman strength (typically enhanced human) and requires 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. 
    He presumably had the standard vampire vulnerabilties, including religious icons (presumably proportional to the strength of the wielder's faith), garlic, sunlight, and a wooden stake through the heart.

    He could also presumably be slain via injuries suffered at the hands of another magical creature, such as a werewolf.

Height: Unrevealed; approximately 5'10"
Weight: Unrevealed; approximately 150 lbs.
Eyes: Red sclera; irises dark brown or black
Hair: Gray-black

History:
(Marvel Tales I#113/2 (fb) - BTS) - Deszo Kruzak was part of a bat-like coven of vampires living in a cavern in some Hungarian mountain.

(Marvel Tales I#113/2 (fb) - BTS) - Kruzak's vampire coven came to respect and fear the savage and powerful werewolf known as the Beast-Man, who allegedly boasted of capturing better victims than the vampires; the Beast-Man was known for enjoying his victims' pleas for mercy.

(Marvel Tales I#113/2) - Deszo Kruzak spotted and targeted what he considered to be a well-fed victim walking outside a "lonely village" in Hungary (actually the Beast-Man in his unassuming human form). 

    Kruzak swooped down and knocked over his would-be victim and prepared to quench his thirst, but then instead decided -- that since it had been a long time since any of his people had caught such a juicy victim -- to take his victim back to his vampire coven to show him off. 

    Carrying aloft his victim, Kruzak stated, "Never again will the Beast-Man be able to boast that he captures better victims than we vampires!"

    As Kruzak approached, the other vampires were pleased to see a new victim, still alive, and they cheered Kruzak. 

    Upon landing, Kruzak asked his brethren if the Beast-Man had ever made a capture such as this; they assured Kruzak that the Beast-Man had not, and that his victim was the prize-winner. 

    When one of the other vampires proposed they draw lots for who would have the victim first, Kruzak refused, insisting the victim was his captive and belonged to him. This other vampire (or another) exclaimed that Kruzak was getting as brutal and dangerous as the Beast-Man, but another vampire argued that no could be as horrible as the Beast-Man.

    One of the vampires requested that he wanted to hear the victim speak before he died. Kruzak agreed, noting they would enjoy the victim's cries as he pleaded for mercy, and another vampire added, "just as the Beast-Man used to do." The vampires crowded around; one asked the victim where he lived and what was his name; a second noted that the victim could not speak, as his tongue was frozen with fear; and Kruzak said, "No...look...his mouth is opening...he's moving..."

    Effecting his transformation and revealing his true nature, the Beast-Man suddenly tore through the vampires and attacked Kruzak, replying, "You wanted to know my name...I AM THE BEAST-MAN!"

Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Russ Heath.

    It is unrevealed whether Kruzak and his brethren were all originally humans bitten and vampirized by other vampires, or whether they were a race of vampires that reproduced by some other means...in addition to vampirizing others and adding to their number.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Deszo Kruzak should be distinguished from:

• other vampires

vampire coven

(Marvel Tales I#113/2 (fb) - BTS) - Deszo Kruzak was part of a bat-like coven of vampires living in a cavern in some Hungarian mountains.

(Marvel Tales I#113/2 (fb) - BTS) - Kruzak's vampire coven came to respect and fear the savage and powerful werewolf known as the Beast-Man, who allegedly boasted of capturing better victims than the vampires, and he was known for enjoying his victims' pleas for mercy.

(Marvel Tales I#113/2) - Deszo Kruzak spotted and targeted what he considered to be a well-fed victim walking outside a "lonely village" in Hungary (actually the Beast-Man in his unassuming human form). Kruzak swooped down and knocked over his would-be victim and prepared to quench his thirst, but then instead decided -- that since it had been a long time since any of his people had caught such a juicy victim -- to take his victim back to his vampire coven to show him off. Carrying aloft his victim, Kruzak stated, "Never again will the Beast-Man be able to boast that he captures better victims than we vampires!"

        As Kruzak approached, the other vampires were pleased to see a new victim, still alive, and they cheered Kruzak. Upon landing, Kruzak asked his brethren if the Beast-Man had ever made a capture such as this; they assured Kruzak that the Beast-Man had not, and that his victim was the prize-winner. When one of the other vampires proposed they draw lots for who would have the victim first, Kruzak refused, insisting the victim was his captive and belonged to him. This other vampire (or another) exclaimed that Kruzak was getting as brutal and dangerous as the Beast-Man, but another vampire argued that no could be as horrible as the Beast-Man.

    One of the vampires requested that before he died, that he wanted to hear the victim speak. Kruzak agreed, noting they would enjoy his cries as he pleaded for mercy, and another vampire added, "just as the Beast-Man used to do." The vampires crowded around; one asked where he lived and what was his name; a second noted that he could not speak, as his tongue was frozen with fear; and Kruzak said, "No...look...his mouth is opening...he's moving..."

    Effecting his transformation and revealing his true nature, the Beast-Man tore through the vampires and attacked Kruzak, replying, "You wanted to know my name...I AM THE BEAST-MAN!"

--Marvel Tales I#113

images: (without ads)
Marvel Tales I#113/2, pg. 1, panel 1 (human form full body, from behind/distant);
            panel 3 (human face, assaulted by Kruszak);
        pg. 2, panel 4 (human form, mostly full body, face in shadows; in proportion to vampires);
        pg. 3 , panel 3-6 (face transforming);
            panel 7 (overpowering vampires);
            panel 8 (confronting Kruszak)

Appearances:
Marvel Tales I#113 (April, 1953), second story: "Bat's Tale" - Stan Lee (writer), Russ Heath (penciler), others unidentified

Last updated: 02/26/15

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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