"Where's the fun in having power... if you can't go out and abuse it now and again?"
- Lilith, daughter of Dracula
With their contentious relationship a never-ending one, it's usually a pleasant surprise to come across another tale featuring the dysfunctional father-daughter duo of Dracula and his despised and despising offspring, Lilith--which, due to their nature as immortal vampires, can take place practically anywhere and at anytime. In 2007, we discover that they maintain their antipathy for each other even in the 21st century, courtesy of a story featuring Morbius (the "living vampire") that takes the spotlight but makes room for a fourteen-page backup feature which once again has Lilith and her father crossing paths.
Though what kind of a father would Dracula be if he didn't impart a lesson in humility when seeing his daughter once more--and in the process, shall we say, drawing first blood?
It's only natural (if such a word can apply to either of these two) for Lilith to be suspicious of Dracula's motivations in seeking her out; so it's no wonder that, when the two get down to business, and Dracula discloses his reasons for presenting a united front to the vampire clans he will meet with later that evening, she is more certain than ever that Dracula has a hidden agenda in mind here.
Whatever the truth or falsehood in Dracula's overtures of a "truce" and his reasons behind his request for Lilith's presence at the clan meeting, there is little that is waiting for Lilith at the castle meeting place save for the clan leaders' hatred of her, vampires who are livid at her rash and unapologetic behavior (and, likely, her open contempt for their authority) and who wish to slay her here and now. Yet the only deaths will be theirs--even as Dracula stands idly by and makes no move either on her behalf or against her.
Emerging from the bloodbath, Lilith's words to her father accusing him of complicity are curious, considering Dracula's passive stance and his apparent efforts to mediate this situation. Even more curious is the thought of Dracula sharing one iota of his authority with this council of clan leaders, when he had earlier declared to Lilith that his rule and authority remained absolute.
But in the silence that follows after Lilith's departure, it becomes clear that everything has gone according to plan.
While it's true that the clans in question are now ripe for Dracula to consolidate under his own rule, it would seem he fails to reckon with the fact that there are no witnesses to this scene of carnage, and thus no reason to assume that Lilith would now have a price on her head; in fact, all anyone might have known of this gathering is that the clan leaders were meeting with Dracula concerning Lilith, not that Lilith would be in attendance. When it comes down to it, it's Lilith's word against Dracula's as to who was responsible for the deaths--Lilith, if she chose to, could make the same attempt to take control of the clans, while pointing the finger of blame in Dracula's direction.
Yet unless I miss my guess, Lilith appears to want no part of the path of power and authority her father is obsessed with. Rather, she prefers to continue being a sharp and constant thorn in his side... hopefully, one day, a fatal one.
3 comments:
Dracula is looking rather different here from his '70s incarnation. He later appeared as a villain in Deadpool and looked even more different, completely unrecognizable from the Gene Colan version.
Definitely a shift from Colan's portrayal, Colin, but I rather like what artists David Finch and Danny Miki have done with both Dracula and Lilith, as well as the tone of the overall story.
How did these incompetent clowns become heads of clans when they have no idea of their limits? Lilith breezed through them without raising sweat.
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