History:
RUDOLPH KRISS
Real Name: Rudolph Kriss
Identity/Class: Human Vampire (German) (World War II Era)
Occupation: Military officer
Group Membership: Nazis, Germany Army
Affiliations: Lt. Hanson
Enemies: Dracula, the Romani (Valeria)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile in Europe, including Castle Dracula, Transylvania, Romania
First Appearance: Dracula Lives I#2/3 (1973)
Powers/Abilities: Rudolph Kriss was possessed by the spirit of Dracula, although he wasn't conscious of it. When Dracula's spirit inhabited his body, Kriss' physical appearance would alter to resemble Dracula, including increased hair growth to match Dracula's usual hair length. He also had all the powers and weaknesses of a vampire during the periods where he was possessed, including enhanced strength and the ability to transform into a bat. Normally, Kriss carried a Luger pistol as his sidearm.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6')
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 175 lbs.)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Unrevealed
History:
(Dracula Lives I#2/3) - In 1944, Hauptmann Rudolph Kriss led forces of the German Army to occupy Castle Dracula in Transylvania, Romania. Kriss adopted Castle Dracula as his temporary headquarters during the occupation, although his subordinate Lt. Hanson had misgivings about the location, sensing the presence of its occupant, Dracula. Hauptmann Kriss insisted that the stories they'd heard about Dracula were stories told by the Roamni, believing Dracula had only ever been a man, not a vampire.
Hauptmann Kriss' men took a number of Romani from around Castle Dracula to serve as their prisoners. When one of the Romani tried to stand up to Kriss, Kriss struck him and ordered the men be treated like "beasts of burden." He took a liking to the young Romani woman Valeria and had her sent to his quarters, while he kept a Romani child to serve as his personal messenger, threatening to feed him to the vampires as a way of keeping him in line. As he took command of Castle Dracula, Kriss began to think of himself as a king.
Unknown to Kriss, the spirit of Dracula inhabited his body. That evening, Kriss' body transformed into a near-duplicate of Dracula's body, with all of the supernatural power Dracula possessed. Venturing out, Kriss assaulted two men and drank their blood. Dracula's spirit left him before morning, causing Kriss to become human again. He had no memory of what he'd done while Dracula was in his body. Thinking the Romani who had stood up to him before was responsible, Kriss had the man beaten. However, that night Kriss was again possessed by Dracula and killed another of his men. In the morning, Kriss began to suspect there truly was a vampire in the castle and believed the Romani were responsible, since the Romani were known to have served Dracula in the past. Thinking Valeria was a vampire, Kriss killed her with his Luger. When her dead body didn't transform into a bat or crumble into dust, Kriss briefly wondered if he'd made a mistake, but remained resolved he'd secured the castle from the vampire.
However, that night Kriss again transformed into Dracula and slew another of his men. On the next morning, Kriss sent Lt. Hanson to execute all the Romani who were camped nearby, which Hanson did. However, that night Kriss again became Dracula and killed another soldier. In the morning, when he saw the dead man, Hanson remarked they'd killed the Romani "for nothing," but Kriss replied the dead Romani were "small loss, if any." Since the boy he'd been using as his personal messenger was the only Romani left, Kriss ordered him seized and had Hanson slay him with a wooden stake through his heart.
That night, Kriss was again possessed by Dracula but remained blind to his own transformation. When Lt. Hanson confronted him and was shocked to see Dracula wearing Kriss' uniform, Kriss protested that he was his commanding officer. Hanson drove a wooden stake into Kriss' heart, killing him. Kriss, still unaware of what he had been doing, died in confusion, calling Hanson a "traitor to the Reich."
Comments: Created by Steve Gerber, Tony Isabella, Jim Starlin and Syd Shores.
The Romani in this story were all called "Gypsies."
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Rudolph Kriss should not be confused with:
Lt. Willi Hanson was a junior officer who served under Captain Kriss during their conquest of Castle Dracula. He had been decorated with the iron cross at some point. Lt. Hanson was more sensitive to the presence of Dracula than Hauptmann Kriss (Kriss, of course, was blind to it because he was in Dracula's thrall). However, he did share Hauptmann Kriss' disgust for the Romani, whom he considered "almost as great a problem" as the Jews. When Kriss began killing his own men around Castle Dracula he blamed the Romani and had Lt. Hanson lead a troop to the nearby Romani camp and kill every Romani man, woman and child in an attempt to stop the killings. When his failed, Kriss had Hanson kill a Romani child who had been his personal messenger. That evening, Lt. Hanson lay in wait for the vampire to appear but was shocked to see Dracula inhabiting Hauptmann Kriss' uniform. Kriss seemed completely unaware that he was a vampire but when he threatened Hanson, Hanson drove a wooden stake into his heart. After Kriss' death, Hanson determined Dracula had somehow been possessing his superior officer. Declaring "the army I'm in now is Hell enough for me," Lt. Hanson ordered the remainder of his forces to depart Castle Dracula, declaring victory to Dracula.
--Dracula Lives I#2/3
Valeria was a young Romani woman who was taken prisoner by the Nazis under the command of Hauptmann Rudolph Kriss when they claimed Castle Dracula. Kriss took a fancy to Valeria and had her sent to his quarters. Although Valeria claimed she was grateful for the attentions Kriss gave her, including fine clothes and fine food, Kriss grew paranoid by the vampire attacks around the castle and feared Valeria was responsible. Kriss killed Valeria, believing her to be a vampire. He thought her dead body would transform into a bat or crumble into dust and thus experienced some doubt when her dead body didn't change.
--Dracula Lives I#2/3
images: (without ads)
Dracula Lives I#2/3, page 10, panel 1 (main)
Dracula Lives I#2/3, page 3, panel 6 (face)
Dracula Lives I#2/3, page 9, panel 5 (Hanson)
Dracula Lives I#2/3, page 5, panel 8 (Valeria)
Appearances:
Dracula Lives I#2/3 (1973) - Steve Gerber (plot), Tony Isabella (script), Jim Starlin (layouts), Syd Shores (finishes), Roy Thomas (editor)
First posted: 10/09/2026
Last updated:
09/28/2026
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