Appearing in "The Vampire Machine"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Stark Industries Security
- Higgins (Leaves)
- ⏴ Vera Cantor ⏵ (Shadow only)
- Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (Mentioned)
- Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde) (Mentioned)
- X-Men (Referenced)
- Mr. Grant (Mentioned)
- Mad Thinker (Julius) (Mentioned)
- Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd) (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
Items:
Synopsis for "The Vampire Machine"
The Beast has stumbled into the middle of a Stark International munitions test, prompting Iron Man to try to pull the Beast out of danger. The Beast is surprised to find that Iron Man is alive and well, and when they are out of danger, the two are confronted by the Stark security on the scene. One trigger happy guard instantly shoots at the Beast before Iron Man can order them to stand down. The shot isn't bad due to Beast's healing, and the two heroes make peace. When Iron Man asks if this has helped what's troubled him, the Beast tells Iron Man that it's not even close before hopping away. When the same guard tries to shoot the Beast as he leaves, Iron Man crushes his gun and fires the man on the spot.
Rushing home, Hank takes time to figure out what to do with his situation now when Linda buzzes his apartment. Hank invites her up and scrambles to put on his human disguise, having to improvise for not being able to put on the full outfit. Pretending he has a cold, Hank quickly dismisses Linda by telling her that he is still contagious and sends her off. Furious at having to keep this secret, Hank smashes up his apartment and pulls off his disguise and goes off into the night to get his full disguise. He leaves just as Vera, coming to his apartment once more comes calling to find that there is no answer.
Arriving at the Brant Corporation compound, Beast is instantly attacked by the military posted there led by Buzz Baxter. Beast manages to get past them and into his office where he can put on his proper disguise. Emerging from the building in his Hank McCoy persona, he is questioned by Buzz Baxter who demands to know what Hank is doing there, to which Hank quips that he works there. Buzz then begins to grill Hank with questions about his whereabouts and the appearances of the Beast around the compound. Things get more complicated when Linda arrives and is confused to find Hank there. When Buzz once more asks where Hank has been, he makes a gamble that Linda will cover for him and says he was with Linda. However, Linda denies this putting Hank in more trouble. However, before Buzz can interrogate him further, the Beast is apparently sighted elsewhere on the compound prompting all military personnel to leave to investigate, including Buzz, however, Buzz orders him to be in his office the next day at 9:00 am.
Left alone with Linda, Hank is further manipulated by this spy who tells him that she couldn't lie to the military because she "loves her country" and tries to make up with Hank by telling her that she loves him, hoping this will make him trust her more and reveal more of his secrets. Returning to his lab, Hank continues to try and find a cure for his mutation. Spotting a strange figure wandering around in the lab, Hank changes into the Beast to investigate. He attacks the intruder, who turns out to be Quasimodo the living computer. Quasimodo has come to the Brand Corporation in the hopes of running into the Beast in the hopes of stealing his metabolic abilities so that he can get a step closer to becoming more human.
The two begin fighting across the lab, and their fight sends them smashing out of a window and onto a part of the Brant property where a new building is currently being bought. During the fight Quasimodo grabs a rivet gun and manages to strike Beast, piercing his skin, surprising the Beast that his regenerative powers have failed him. This allows Quasimodo to jump on him and use his device to steal the Beast's life force. However, to Quasimodo's surprise even in the face of death, the Beast continues to struggle and refuses to give up. Trying to compute the situation, Quasimodo realizes that he is really just an inhuman creature more so than the Beast and commits suicide by jumping off the scaffolding to death below.
Recovering from the attack and considering the battle, the Beast remarks about how Quasimodo's final actions were more human than the living computer could ever fathom.
Solicit Synopsis
Notes
- This issue features a letters page, Amazing Mails. Letters are published from Carl Danning, Clint Higginbotham, Chris Manning and Al Leffingwell.
- As seen on page one, this issue is Story#9912.