HANS MESZAROS

Real Name: Hans Meszaros

Identity/Class: Hungarian, human vampire (1950s)

Occupation: Freakshow attraction

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: None

Known Relatives: Eric Illes (false Siamese twin)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Hungary

First Appearance:  Astonishing#35 (October, 1954)
    reprinted in Silver Surfer vs. Dracula#1/3 (1994)

Powers/Abilities: As a vampire, Hans needed blood for sustenance. He had long, sharp canine teeth, sharped nails, pointed ears and little bat-like wings. He could bear sunlight and could shapeshift slightly enough to resemble human (ears and teeth).

History:

(Astonishing#35/6 (fb) - BTS) - It is unknown how Hans became a vampire. 

    Hans could live a normal life by day, but by night he used his true aspect and stalked the streets of the Hungarian villages as a vampire. He killed several men and the villagers sometimes gathered to hunt him in the night.

(Astonishing#35/6 (fb) ) - One morning Hans saw a farmer working on a tree. The farmer fell and when he awoke was amnesiac. Hans noticed that the farmer was almost identical to him and conceived immediately a plan to hide himself from the vampire hunters. He drugged the farmer and brought him to his room. Hans built a plastic appendix which connected his own stomach to the farmer's stomach, then modified their clothes. When the farmer awoke Hans convinced him that his name was Eric and that they were siamese twins.
    Eric could barely believe it, but he could not remember anything and his alleged brother was very convincing.

    In the following two years Hans forced Eric to follow him during his night hunts. He threatened Eric, telling him that if someone killed him, Eric would die as well.
    By day the two men worked as an attraction at a freak show. Althoug the vampire hunters searched for him nobody suspected one of the two siamese twins and this was exactly what Hans wanted. When Eric tried to question Hans about their different status and their origin Hans denied him an explanation though he reminded Eric of the danger for his life.

(Astonishing#35/6) - One night Hans spotted a young girl. Eric could not bear it. Until then they had killed only men, but that girl was too young. Eric rebelled. He took a stake and killed Hans.

Comments: Created by unknown author and Al Eedeh.

Perhaps Hans also had another typical ability of vampires, a sort of hypnotism, of mesmerism or mind control. It is a reasonable way to explain why Eric was so easily deceived by the plastic-link trick for two years.

Hans and Eric's last names were revealed in Vampires: The Marvel Undead#1 (December, 2011).

CLARIFICATIONS:
Hans has no known connections to any other "Hans" or vampire character.

Eric Illes

   Eric was a normal man who had lost his memory after a fall from a tree. The only witness of the accident was Hans who saw the opportunity to use Eric as a pawn.
    Drugged, the farmer found himself linked to his "twin". His memory was gone and the only one who could help him to remember anything was Hans, who told him they were siamese twins, and his name was Eric.