
Vlad Dracula, Lord of the Vampires.
Vampires are beings originating from Southeastern European folklore and mythology, afflicted with a supernatural virus that drives them to drink blood from other beings, often using fangs to inflict wounds from which to obtain it. Vampires are often (but not exclusively) portrayed as undead and possessing immortality, heightened senses, and supernatural powers of strength, speed, and mind control.
The appearance of vampires in the various TMNT universes have been a semi-common occurrence over the years.
Mirage[]
- "Ghouls Night Out" - Donatello has a movie-inspired nightmare where he encounters a zombie, Frankenstein's Monster, a vampire and a werewolf, before waking up in front of the TV.
- In the story "Men of Shadow", the Ninja Turtles encounter a vampire gang, led by Traquer, who is in the service of the Esoteric Order of Dagon from Innsmouth.
- In the four-part story "Raphael: Bad Moon Rising", Raphael and Shadow get involved with vampires as well as werewolves
- An unnamed Dracula and his three brides appear as guest characters in the story "Night of the Living Gingerbread".
- In Volume 4, Raphael is attacked and bitten by a gang that turned out to be a group of vampires; although Raphael did not turn into a vampire the vampirism mixes with the mutagen in his system and causes him to transform into an initially uncontrollable dinosaur-like beast. After Raphael manages to control his monstrous side, he succeeds, together with Casey, in capturing those vampires who were responsible for his monstrous transformation.
Image Comics[]
- During the fight between the Ninja Turtles and the gangster boss Dragonlord, Splinter is transformed into a mutated vampire bat by means of a mutagenic preparation and develops corresponding vampiric tendencies. However, the Turtles are able to return their sensei back to his original form.
IDW Comics[]
- In the crossover story The X-Files: Conspiracy - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles issue 1 of the IDW TMNT comics the Ninja Turtles have it out with horde of vampires among them individuals known from The X-Files series, Lucius Hartwell and Ronnie Strickland.
1987 series[]
- "Rondo in New York" - Dracula is one of the many film characters brought to life by Oswald Dren's vitalizer.
2003 series[]
- The Darkness Within - In an early script draft, Donatello experiences a nightmarish hallucination in which April O'Neil transforms into a vampire during a seemingly romantic dinner together. The scenario of an “implied April/Don hookup” was heavily criticized by Peter Laird in his creative notes to Lloyd Goldfine, suggesting an alternative scenario in which Donatello visits April at her apartment and is confronted by monstrous versions of both April and Casey Jones, possibly appearing as werewolves or tentacle monsters concealing their appearances under hockey masks.[1] Ultimately, the final episode script took a much different direction.
Script excerpt quoted by Laird:
Darkness. Suddenly Donatello’s eyes snap open to reveal … he is in an upscale New York restaurant! No-one seems to be staring at him, wondering exactly what he’s doing there, or what he is. No one cares. But more surprisingly, sitting opposite him, looking stunning in an evening dress, is April!
Donatello: "Uhm … April? What am I doing here?"
April: "You’re buying me dinner."
Donatello: "Oh …"April’s smile turns into a grotesque grin, "But, I think I know what I’m having as an appetizer." Suddenly, the table is hurled across the room to reveal that April has transformed into a terrible vampire!
Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation[]
- In the live action series The Next Mutation episodes four-part episode "Unchain My Heart" features Vam Mi and her two servants, the vampire children Bing, and Chi Chu, a trio of vampires from China, who are after Venus de Milo, who is unwittingly in possession of Vam Mi's heart.
TMNT Adventures[]
- Monsterex, a villain who the Turtles faced in two stories, is a fusion of vampire, werewolf, Gill-Man, and Frankenstein's Monster.
2012 series[]
- The 2012 animated series, jokingly refers to the subject of vampires, when Michelangelo presents himself (which is also confirmed later in the series), that Mr. O'Neil's new form has also given him vampiric tendencies.
- Real vampires - especially Vlad Dracula appear in person during the fifth season episodes "The Curse of Savanti Romero, "The Crypt of Dracula", "The Frankenstein Experiment", and "Monsters Among Us!", working alongside Savanti Romero and raising a monster army to conquer the world. April, Casey, Raphael, and Donatello are all briefly turned into vampires themselves until they are healed by the destruction of Dracula.
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles[]
- One of the mutant cockroach thieves in the episode Mascot Melee disguises themselves as a Robot Vampire mascot.
Toys[]
- In 1993, a Turtles action figure was released, depicting Donatello as the vampire Dracula (based on the 1931 Dracula film). This figure was part of a tribute project to classical horror films, entitled "Universal Studios Monsters".