JACK RENOLDS

Real Name: Jack Renolds

Identity/Class: Normal human (1950s era)

Occupation: Tourist (usual occupation unrevealed)

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Luigi Menotti, local Italian police

Enemies: Angela Terrizi, Maria Terrizi

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile, notably Italy

First Appearance: Mystic I#5/2 (November, 1951)

Powers/Abilities: Jack Renolds was a normal American man with no unusual characteristics other than a propensity for international travel.

History:

(Mystic I#5/2 (fb) - BTS) - Jack Renolds traveled from America as a tourist to Italy. He hired local Luigi Menotti as a guide. Both knew of the legends of vampires.

(Mystic I#5/2) - Two days after arriving in Italy, as dusk approached, Renolds drove the car to the war-damaged village of Pozzouli. The two questioned the existence of vampires when they came across a lone girl, Maria Terrizi. Concerned for her welfare so close to nightfall, they offered to drive her to the village to her grandmother's house. On the way, they were briefly stopped by local police, who warned them of vampires in the valley. Once inside the still-damaged and darkened village, Renolds and Menotti accepted Maria's invitation to meet her grandmother Angela. Seemingly old and harmless, Angela quickly bit the neck of Menotti while Maria transformed into a bat and targeted Renolds.

Comments: Created by an uncredited writer.

This two-page text story had an image of a zombie-like seated figure that seems to have been lifted from another story as it's barely peripheral to the story. No physical stats for Renolds were revealed or suggested. Renolds' final fate is unrevealed.

The text story was titled "Valley of the Vampires" and was later reprinted in Journey into Unknown Worlds I#16 (March, 1953) as "The Tourists" (thanks to comics.org).

The village name of Pozzouli is very close to the real-life Italian city of Pozzuoli (near Naples), which had a prominent statue of Serapis unearthed (a wrongly identified "temple" is the city's symbol), a deity associated with abundance and resurrection with chthonic powers, until the religion was repressed by early Christian rulers. Perhaps there's a story for a Roman-Egyptian resurrected god using legions of vampires...?

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Jack Renolds has no known connections to:


Luigi Menotti

Luigi Menotti was the swarthy local professional guide employed by Jack Renolds to show him around the area of Pozzouli, Italy. Warned of local vampires, Menotti and Renolds foolishly picked up a lone wandering girl (actually a hunting vampire) at dusk, and she took the two to meet her grandmother in the village. Menotti was bitten by the senior vampire the girl had brought them to. Whether he died or was turned into a vampire is unrevealed.

--Mystic I#5/2


Angela Terrizi

Angela Terrizi was the grandmother of Maria Terrizi and they lived together in the residence above a bakery in the war-damaged village of Pozzouli, Italy. At some point, Angela and Maria were changed into vampires; Maria would hunt at dusk, bringing unsuspecting prey to their home. One evening, Maria brought home an American tourist, Jack Renolds, and his guide, Luigi Menotti. Feigning infirmity from age, Angela quickly overpowered and bit Menotti.

--Mystic I#5/2


Maria Terrizi

Maria Terrizi was the granddaughter off Angela Terrizi and they lived together in the residence above a bakery in the war-damaged village of Pozzouli, Italy. At some point, both were changed into vampires. Maria retained her child-like form and hunted at dusk, bringing unsuspecting prey to their home. One evening, Maria brought home an American tourist, Jack Renolds, and his guide, Luigi Menotti. While Angela bit Menotti, Maria transformed into a bat and attacked Renolds.

--Mystic I#5/2


images: (without ads)


Appearances:
Mystic I#5/2 (November, 1951) - uncredited writer, Stan Lee (editor)


First posted: 06/21/2019
Last updated: 06/21/2019

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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