When I wrote about Alien Space Bats I was surprised how few there actually were. I thought the Pulps would be brimming with them. And I thought the same of comic books too. And found the same thing, not really all that many outside of Bat Man and Man-Bat at DC and Morbius and Dracula at Marvel. Collected here are a few examples of comics that used the offworld bat creature as well as later comics that thought it would be fun to have vampires in space. I wanted to put the blame on Colin Wilson and his highly popular novel, The Space Vampires (1976) but all but one of the comics appeared before the novel was published.
“Space Islands of Destruction” (Planet Comics #4, April 1940) was written by Wm. S. Mott. Spurt is sent to Mercury to look into a race that uses detachable wings. These aliens have been raiding ships. Janice Dale, daughter of the terrestrial consul goes with him since her father is very ill. When they arrive, the winged men immobilize their ship. They parachute to the planet (not likely!) but are caught. The leader of the winged men wants to make Janice his concubine but she slams his nose in a chest and escapes. Spurt releases all the Earthmen from the prison ship and the aliens are defeated.
“Vampires of the Void” (Strange Worlds #4, September 1951) was written by an unknown author. This is part of the “Kenton of the Star Patrol” series. The people of Palmoora use the Metaboliaray to freeze space travelers. They suck the energy from their bodies to fuel their ships. Kenton learns the secret of how the Palmoorans are not affected by the ray and destroys their technology.
“The Batmen of Luna” (Space Busters #2, Fall 1952) was written by an unknown writer. Steve Harden and his fiancee, Kara Lane, plan to marry the following month. That is when the invaders from Luna show up. Steve is on the ship defending Earth from the Lunarian advance fleet. His captain, Bartok, loses courage in the face of the large number of alien ships. Later, communicating by ESP, the humans learn the Lunarians planned to take over Earth. Bartok is kicked out of the Space Navy. Later, when the Lunar people return, he and Steve use an old museum piece of a spaceship to stop them. Bartok is forgiven.
“The Moon Bat” (Space Western #45, August 1953) was written by an author unknown. Charlton’s Space Western was a regular cowboy comic that went spacey for four issues. This story features Spurs Jackson, one of their space heroes. A powerful telescope on a space station picks up a photo of a giant space bat. Spurs, with the help of Dr. Marlin, goes on an expedition to the moon to find the creature. Spurs, Marlin, his assistant, Claire Vinson and Spurs’ sidekick, Hank, make the voyage. They find a temple and the monster. They stun it with gas grenades. Marlin discovers valuable rubies on the temple’s altar to finance another expedition. Claire kisses Hank. Everybody wins.
These older comics are available free at DCM.
“Saved” (Weird Fantasy #21, September-October 1953) was written by EC Comic mainstay, Al Feldstein. G. B. I man, Keston is locked up in the brig of the Mercury. (Keston proudly admits he works for the GBI. “That’s right. I’m a Space Dick!”) He tells the other prisoner, Sangor, his mission, to find the insane scientist Jargot, who has created a space drive that uses human blood. Sangor introduces himself afterward to Jargot. He is a vampire and has another use for all that blood! Once again we see a space drive that uses blood.
“Space Age Vampire” (Eerie #23, September 1969) was written by James Haggenmiller. Kanton is a vampire in a near future age with police robots. Despite the futuristic times, he still must hide away during the daylight hours. Instead of resting in a coffin, he sits and watches television. The world is on the brink of a nuclear war between the USA and USSR. Kanton uses a suspended animation serum to wait out the war and fifty years pass. Reviving, he finds the survivors worshiping a tree. Kanton meets his end when the tree grabs him and shoves a branch through his heart.
“Thirst” (Chamber of Chills #2, January 1973) was written by Steve Gerber and Dan Adkins. (I have to admit I thought that was Dr. Strange in the first panel, but it is our vampire.) The men on a spaceship get picked off one-by-one as they search for the long-lost knowledge of how to kill a vampire. At the end they read in an old book that driving a wooden stake through the vampire’s heart is the only way to kill it. The only piece of wood on the ship is Tockman’s cane. Unfortunately for the two survivors, the vampire has jettisoned the cane out into space.
Buck Rogers comic strip “Space Vampire” (9/9/79 to 11/6/79) was written by Jim Lawrence. This comic strip, dating back to January 7, 1929, is the one that started it all with “That Buck Rogers Stuff”. The mighty Gray Morrow was the artist.
Buck Rogers became a television show after Star Wars changed everything in the late 1970s. This 1980s show featured Gil Gerrard as Buck and Erin Gray as Wilma Derring. In the twelfth episode, which aired January 3, 1980, we got a Space Vampire. Vorvon was played by Nicholas Hormann. A derelict ship crashes into Space Station Theta, where Buck and Wilma are visiting. The Vorvon is still aboard the ship and begins eating the station crew. It takes over Wilma, who comes for Buck. The episode seems to have been inspired by the comic strip adventure.
Conclusion
The idea of Alien Space Bats and Science Fiction Vampires seems like a natural to me. When Colin Wilson created his energy-drainers in The Space Vampires (filmed to mixed reviews as Lifeforce) I was there with open arms. Wilson taps into this Pulpy icon with Lovecraftian zeal. Despite the lack of a flood of examples, the space vampire, whether in humanoid or gigantic bat shape is a classic monster that has plenty of life (or is it death?) in it yet. There is something appropriate in matching the coldness of the undead with the even colder temperatures of space.
N. B.
Rodger Samuel quite rightly pointed out I forgot comics’ top alien vampire, Vampirella. Here is her debut from from September 1969 that was written by Forrest J. Ackerman. Art by two of my favorites, a Frank Frazetta cover and comic art by Tom Sutton.
What about Vampirella?
You are right. She is an alien! (I’ve added her at the end.)