Dracula Lives (UK) Vol 1 53

Standing on a bridge over the Thames River, Frank Drake reflects with Rachel van Helsing about how three years ago he attempted to commit suicide on the very same bridge they stood on. Frank wonders if he really should have been grateful that both Rachel and Taj were there to save him. Frank, still believing that Dracula is dead wonders what to do with his life.

Unknown to Drake and van Helsing, Dracula is alive and well searching the streets of London for another fresh victim, while his new familiar Shiela Whittier, completely unaware of Dracula's true nature waits for him in her manor estate. Elsewhere in London, Blade the vampire hunter returns to the apartment that he shares with Saffron to find that a vampire has broken in and is attempting to feed upon Saffron. Blade easily destroys her attacker.

Shortly thereafter, they are visited by Trudy, a woman who works as a showgirl with Saffron. Saffron needs to talk to Blade about a strange encounter she had earlier that night: That she performed before an audience, and among the crowd was the vampire lord Dracula. Dracula would seduce her and eventually attempt to feed upon her however she managed to get away by placing a crucifix on his forehead causing him to jump back in blistering pain. She then fled the scene only to be stalked by Dracula in his bat form, when she tried to go to the police for help, they would refuse her aid, and the only other person she could think to seek for help was Saffron's boyfriend, Blade.

With the story over, Blade agrees to help and agrees to go out looking for Dracula. Putting on his vampire hunting gear, Blade goes out into the night streets and is soon attacked by Dracula in his bat form. Dracula knocks him down into the street with a car speeding toward him. While in India, Taj Nitall visits his wheelchair bound wife, who is pleased that he has come. The silent vampire hunter strikes his wife across the face and walks out on her.

Back in London, Blade battles Dracula across the city, their fight takes them to a sporting goods store. Dracula is forced to retreat when Blade manages to partially impale the vampire lord in the chest with a broken ski pole, and then later with one of his wooden daggers. With the battle over, Scotland Yard lets Blade walk away from the scene, and he returns home to Saffron and Trudy and tells them he'll explain everything in the morning.

Meanwhile, back at Castle Dunwick, Dracula returns home to wish Shiela Whittier a good night before going to his coffin for a good nights sleep. While outside of the Harker estate, Frank Drake decides that he has to leave to figure out who he is and departs but not before giving Rachel van Helsing a farewell kiss.

Lieutenant Hackett goes to Geraldo Kabal for answers about the mysterious ring he was given from Joshua Kane's estate. Kabal reveals that Kane's trunk and everything in it originally belonged to Mad Monk Aelfric and only the copy of the Darkhold in it was missing. Kane suggested Hackett get one of the two rings from the trunk because it suited his nature. When Hackett learns that Jack took the other ring, he puts his on, transforms into a werewolf, kills Kabal, and runs off to find Jack. It's the night of the full moon and both Jack and Ray have become werewolves when Hackett arrives to attack them. The fight leads into a smelting plant, where Hackett is about to kill Jack until Ray knocks Hackett into a vat of molten steel. Having killed another werewolf, Ray transforms back into a human, freed from his curse. Even in his wolf form, Jack empathizes with Ray and leaves him, though Ray wishes he were killed rather than to live with a murder on his conscience.

Continued from last issue... Richard Harper, called "The Asp," and Miles Olddan have the Ruby Scarab in their possession and are intending to sell it to Alexi Skarab, with the intent of stealing it back and selling it to another buyer. However, before they can be met by Skarab they are attacked by the Living Mummy, who has finally tracked the two down in his own hunt for the mystical jewel. During the fight, Olddan throws an oil lantern at the Mummy, causing him to burst into flames. The burning Mummy smashes out the wall and extinguishes the flames in the mud outside, but he then passes out.

As Asp and Olddan leave, Asp reflects on the moments in his life that brought him to Egypt: He reflects on how he was a small time crook with big aspirations of finally getting the big pay-out. When arrested for a crime, he had Miles Olddan as a cell mate and it was love. Olddan, an old time crook with plenty of skills, took the young Asp under his wing and the two would mastermind their criminal career. However, as Olddan aged, his direct involvement became less and less.

As Asp and Olddan sell the Scarab to Dr. Skarab, Zephyr arrives in Cairo to collect the Living Mummy. Finding the creature in the mud, she uses her powers to heal him in preparation to collect the Scarlet Scarab. When Olddan and Asp return to their room, they are ambushed by the strange pair. Zephyr forces Asp to take the Mummy and go to retrieve the Ruby Scarab from Skarab. However, the Mummy's less than graceful gait causes enough noise to rouse Alexi Skarab, who shoots the Asp in the arm. Conversing with the Mummy, he learns of the Elementals's plot to obtain the Scarab and again take over Earth.

When the Mummy agrees to help them, they deduce that the Mummy is working for Zephyr alone and that she has possibly betrayed the Elementals in order to save Earth. Their suspicions are confirmed when the Elementals suddenly appear before them with Zephyr and Olddan as their prisoners.

This story is continued next issue...