VLAD THE IMPALER
Real Name: Vlad Dinu
Identity/Class: Human mutate
Occupation: Criminal
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Mr. Albescu, Nicolae Ceausescu, Mr. Dalca, Dmitri, Dr. Sheri Holman, Mr. Lupei, Weber;
formerly Kingpin (Wilson Fisk)
Enemies: Black Panther (T'Challa), Daredevil (Matt Murdock), Brian Fitzgerald, Iris, Kingpin (Wilson Fisk), Det. Alex Kurtz, Sofija, Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
Known Relatives: Angela Dinu (wife), Mrs. Dinu (ex-wife), Nicolae Dinu (son), Gabe Dinu (son)
Aliases: Captain Romania
Base of Operations: New York City, New York;
formerly Romania
First Appearance: Black Panther, Man Without Fear#513 (February, 2011)
Powers/Abilities: Vlad the Impaler received a derivative version of the Super-Soldier Serum via the government of Romania. While the serum killed every other recipient, Vlad received enhanced strength, stamina, and athletic prowess, as well as the ability to convert matter into energy, turning objects into explosive devices or super-charging his own punches. Vlad can run out of energy after too many discharges, and he can recharge himself with electricity, or by draining the life out of humans, killing them. Certain devices are capable of blocking Vlad's powers temporarily. Vlad has at times utilized the resources of criminal organizations, including that of the Kingpin.
Height: 6' (by approximation)
Weight: 180 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black and white
History:
(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 (fb) - BTS) - Vlad Dinu grew up in an orphanage in Romania. He was among the orphans chosen by the government (sponsored by the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu; see comments) as subjects in their attempts to create a Super-Soldier, creating a hybrid of the serum that created Captain America, wanting to create Captain Romania. While most of the subjects perished, Vlad survived and developed enhanced strength, stamina, and athletic prowess, as well as the ability to convert matter into energy. Vlad kept his abilities mostly secret as he aged. Vlad married and had a son, Nicolae. He was eventually betrayed by his wife and he left her.
(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 (fb) - BTS) - Vlad moved to America, where he bought a beautiful home.
(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#514 (fb) - BTS) - Vlad met and married Angela, saving her from an undesirable life.
(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 (fb) - BTS) - Vlad and Angela had another child, Gabe. Vlad spent years working normal jobs while working his way up in a criminal organization.
(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#515 (fb) - BTS) - Vlad worked at the side of the Kingpin for years, watching how the villain handled Daredevil in bizarre ways. Vlad regularly wondered why Kingpin didn't just kill Daredevil. At some point, Vlad discovered he could drain the life of others to recharge his own power. Angela began to get complaints from the neighbors who heard screaming from their home, but Vlad merely consoled her. Vlad soon realized that his powers required a lot of internal maintenance to keep working, and he let Nicolae arrange for Dr. Sheri Holman to begin working on Vlad; the doctor took regular blood samples and did tests on the powers.
(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#503 (fb) - BTS) - When Daredevil left Hell's Kitchen and the Kingpin and Hood (Parker Robbins) seemingly disappeared, Vlad made a play for power.
(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513) - After saying farewell to his wife, Vlad saw Gabe off to school then went to work with Nicolae. Nicolae had his men apprehend Weber, a thief among them, and Vlad, wanting to send a clear message to others, killed the man with a stick converted into energy. Vlad branded himself as Vlad the Impaler and sent word out into the streets. Hearing word about a new costumed hero out there, Vlad had one of his men, who had seen the hero, tell him everything he saw. Nicolae set a trap for the hero, soon apprehending him, but Black Panther fought his way free. Nicolae returned, ashamed, revealing he had told the Panther where Vlad's office was. Vlad realized he would have to target this hero directly.
(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#514 (fb) - BTS) - Vlad moved his office overnight to avoid detection by the hero.
(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#514) - Nicolae returned home ashamed, after a battle with the Panther went poorly. Angela pleaded with Vlad to help Nicolae, as she didn't want him to repeat her mistakes and end up in the type of life Vlad had saved her from; Gabe stood by aloof. Vlad proposed they stage a bank robbery near the local gym, where the hero was sure to notice. Vlad commissioned four of his operatives to rob the bank, but they triggered the alarm and were surrounded by police. Inside, Vlad killed two of the robbers, caused an explosion, and encouraged the other two robbers to take hostages. When Black Panther investigated, Vlad attacked directly, causing a series of explosions, one of which wounded the hostage Brian, and one which killed a police officer.
(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#515) - Black Panther attacked Vlad again, who taunted him with the name "Pussy-Cat Man". Vlad threw energy weapons and punches at Black Panther until his energy reserves died down. Black Panther badly beat Vlad until he used an electric wire to recharge himself, then he blasted Panther and fled. Vlad killed a man by draining his life force, then rejoined Angela, Nicolae, and Gabe. Angela reported that the neighbors had been complaining about screams again, and she indicated that she had something to tell Vlad soon. Vlad walked Gabe to school, and Gabe confided his sadness about his friend Alec Nantakarn being sent to another school due to the murder of his father; Vlad assured Alec he was safe. When Nicolae asked for more power in Vlad's organization, Vlad told his son that power was not for him. Later, Vlad returned home and found Black Panther standing over Angela's dead body.
(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516) - Vlad attacked Black Panther, who managed to briefly counter Vlad's powers with a device before Vlad disabled it. Spider-Man briefly webbed Vlad up, but he escaped ready to attack, but he surrendered peacefully when the police arrived. Vlad was questioned by Detective Alex Kurtz, who accused him of murder, prostitution, drugs, and human smuggling, but Vlad refused to cooperate and soon walked free with his attorney. A week later, Vlad stood with his sons at Angela's funeral. Leaving Gabe with a babysitter in a hotel, Vlad took Nicolae to a meeting of criminal families, including Dmitiri, and they questioned how Vlad was handling the Panther. When some men walked out, Vlad had them killed. He ordered Nicolae to have Lupei, Dalca, and Albescu turn Hell's Kitchen into a warzone, but the men failed to act.
(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#517 (fb) -BTS) - Vlad ordered Nicolae to move some of his files to safety.
(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#517) - Nicolae saw his father questioned by Detective Alex Kurtz about Angela's murder, and they had leads that a woman named Iris may have killed Angela for being abusive; Vlad denied this, then Kurtz taunted him with news that one of his chop shops had just been raided by the Black Panther, who had obtained the files. Overcome with fury, Vlad lashed out at Nicolae, ordering him to find Gabe while he went after Panther and Iris. Vlad attacked the Devil's Kitchen diner that night, confronting Okonko (who he determined was the Black Panther) and waitress Sofija; he set off a bomb to kill them just as Nicolae revealed he was there in the shadows.
(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#518) - As the building burned around them, Vlad realized he had to choose between saving Nicolae or rushing to freedom. Not wanting Nicolae to be used against him, Vlad killed Nicolae himself, then he ran as the authorities closed in, promising he would have his revenge. Vlad attacked Iris' apartment, but Panther was waiting and he attacked, using a device to block Vlad's powers. Vlad freed himself and attacked savagely, but soon saw Gabe enter with Iris. Gabe demonstrated he now had superpowers, to heat up matter and manipulate it. Gabe trapped Iris then chose to join Vlad in fighting the Panther, but the police soon closed in. Vlad tried escaping and leaving Gabe behind, but Panther knocked him unconscious. Vlad was soon arrested, but he blamed Panther for everything.
Comments: Created by David Liss (writer) and Francesco Fracavilla (artist).
Nicolae Ceausescu (born 01/26/1918) was the real life dictator of Romania between 1965 and 1989. He died on 12/25/1989.
--Markus Raymond
Profile by Chadman.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Vlad the Impaler should not be confused with:
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(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516) - Mr. Albescu, a trusted aid of Vlad the Impaler, was ordered to turn Hell's Kitchen into a war zone, but Black Panther and Spider-Man roughed Albescu up and sent him away in the back of a moving truck. --Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516 |
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(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516) - Mr. Dalca, a trusted aid of Vlad the Impaler, was ordered to turn Hell's Kitchen into a war zone, but Black Panther and Spider-Man roughed Dalca up and convinced him to leave town instead. --Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516 |
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(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 (fb) - BTS) - Vlad Dinu moved to America from Romania with his adult son, Nicolae, after facing a divorce. He married an American woman, Angela. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 (fb) - BTS) - Angela gave birth to a son, Gabe. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#515 (fb) - BTS) - Angela grew concerned about her husband's long absences and turned to alcohol to comfort herself. When neighbors complained about screams in the basement, Vlad assured Angela nothing was going on, and he told her the same thing when she began noticing bruises on Nicolae. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516 (fb) - BTS) - Angela lost her temper frequently and she beat Gabe, making sure to put the bruises where Vlad wouldn't see. Gabe kept the beatings secret from his father and older brother. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513) - Vlad kissed his wife goodbye and walked Gabe to school with Nicolae. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#514) - Angela pleaded with Vlad to be a better father to Nicolae so that her step-son wouldn't wind up in the same kind of life she had left behind. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#515 (fb) - BTS) - Angela heard more complaints from the neighbors. She also took a call from Iris at Child Protective Services. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#515) - Angela embraced Vlad when he stayed at home one evening. She told him about the complaints, but decided not to tell him about the phone call. After Vlad left, Angela poured herself a drink, then she received a visit from Iris, who killed her. Later, Black Panther found her laying on the floor in her home, and Vlad walked in to see the hero standing over his wife's body. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516 - BTS) - Vlad attended Angela's funeral alongside his sons. --Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 ([Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 (fb)], [515 (fb)], 513-514, [515 (fb)], 515, [516] |
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(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 (fb) - BTS) - Vlad Dinu immigrated from Romania to America with his son, Nicolae. Vlad married an American woman and fathered a child, Gabe. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513) - Vlad and Nicolae saw Gabe off to school, although Gabe really wanted to spend the day with his dad at his work. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516 (fb) - BTS) - Gabe loved his mother, but Angela frequently lost her temper and beat him, leaving bruises where no one could see. Gabe kept the beatings secret from Nicolae and Vlad, confiding only in his friend Alec. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#514) - Gabe grew bored when his mother, father, and brother talked business. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#515 (fb) - BTS) - Gabe heard that his friend Alec Nantakarn's father was killed, and Alec was put into foster care. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516 (fb) - BTS) - Despairing, Gabe called Child Protective Services about his mother. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#515) - On his walk to school, Gabe shared his sadness about Alec, but Vlad and Nicolae assured him he was safe. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516) - After Angela was murdered, Vlad took Gabe and Nicolae to the funeral. Gabe muttered that he wasn't safe at all. Gabe was later left at a hotel with a babysitter. Later, Gabe followed Nicolae to Dr. Holman's lab and discovered he was involved in illegal experiments. When the power went out, Gabe helped one of the experiments, Brian Fitzgerald, escape, and took him outside. Blaming himself for his mother's death, Gabe injected himself with some of the serum he had found in Holman's lab. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#517) - Gabe watched from the shadows as Detective Alex Kurtz questioned Vlad and Nicolae, giving them intel that Iris, the woman from the abuse hotline, may have killed Angela. When the detective had car trouble, Gabe stole his files on Iris. After making sure Brian was safe, Gabe grew determined to ask Iris for help again. Gabe found that Black Panther had cornered Iris, but then he saw Luke Cage approach. Using a kinetic blast, Gabe caused Luke Cage and Black Panther to battle while he got Iris to safety, asking for help with killing his father. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#518) - Gabe and Iris soon found Vlad the Impaler battling Black Panther, and Gabe had a change of heart, choosing to trap Iris with his powers and join Vlad against the Panther. The police closed in and Vlad tried to escape, leaving Gabe behind, but Panther knocked Vlad out and saw him arrested. As Gabe was taken by the authorities, he taunted Panther with the news that Brian Fitzgerald was still alive. --Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 ([Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 (fb)], 513, [516 (fb)], [515 (fb)], [516 (fb)], 515-518 |
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(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 (fb) - BTS) - Vlad married a woman in Romania, and fathered a child, Nicolae. After his wife betrayed him Vlad divorced her and moved to America with Nicolae.
--[Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 (fb)]
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(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 (fb) - BTS) - Vlad married a woman in Romania, and fathered a child, Nicolae. After his wife betrayed him, Vlad moved to America with Nicolae, where me married again and fathered his son, Gabe. When Daredevil left Hell's Kitchen and the Kingpin and Hood seemingly disappeared, Vlad made a play for power. Nicolae knew about his father's super powers, to convert matter into energy, a result of super-soldier experiments in Romania years before. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#515 (fb) - BTS) - Nicolae tried working his way up within his father's criminal organization, but found Vlad didn't trust him to hold more power. When Vlad's powers began failing, Nicolae recruited Dr. Holman, a woman he was romantically connected to, to take blood and data samples from Vlad to help the powers stabilize. Nicolae and Holman began planning ways for Nicolae to steal the powers for himself so that he could take over his father's criminal holdings. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 (fb) - BTS) - Nicolae found a man in his father's organization, Weber, who had been stealing and gave him a second chance, but Weber stole again. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 (fb) ) - After seeing Gabe off to school, Nicolae took Vlad to Weber, who had been restrained. Nicolae had his men apprehend Weber, a thief among them, and Vlad, wanting to send a clear message to others, killed the man with a stick converted into energy. Nicolae set a trap for the hero, luring him into a warehouse where armed men waited. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513) - Black Panther cornered Nicolae, demanded to know where Vlad was, but Nicolae simply laughed and had his men opened fire on Black Panther. They briefly trapped the hero, but Black Panther fought his way free. He returned home to Vlad in failure, having told Panther where Vlad's office was. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#514 (fb) - BTS) - Vlad moved his office so Panther couldn't find evidence. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#514) - A few weeks later, Nicolae waited with armed men while some staged a crime to draw Black Panther out. When the Panther attacked, he easily defeated the villains, then dangled Nicolae over a ledge, telling him he wouldn't hesitate to kill him. Vlad proposed they stage a bank robbery near the local gym, where the hero was sure to notice. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#515) - Vlad and Nicolae walked Gave to school, then Nicolae asked his father for more power within the organization, but Vlad told his son that power was not for him. Nicolae secretly met with Holman and he resisted her flirtations, but was pleased to learn that she had found a young man, Brian Fitzgerald, who could be experimented on with Vlad's powers. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516) - After Angela was murdered, Vlad attended her funeral with his sons. Leaving Gabe with a babysitter in a hotel, Vlad took Nicolae to a meeting of criminal families, including Dmitiri, and they questioned how Vlad was handling the Panther. When some men walked out, Vlad had them killed. He ordered Nicolae to have Lupei, Dalca, and Albescu turn Hell's Kitchen into a warzone, but the men failed to act. Later, Nicolae saw that Holman had experimented on Brian, doing brain surgery and giving him powers, making him even stronger than Vlad. Nicolae was pleased until the power went out and when it came back on, Brian was missing. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#517 (fb) - BTS) - At Vlad's order, Nicolae ordered records from one of his father's shops moved for safekeeping. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#517) - Nicolae saw his father questioned by Detective Alex Kurtz about Angela's murder, and they had leads that a woman named Iris may have killed Angela for being abusive; Vlad denied this, then Kurtz taunted him with news that one of his chop shops had just been raided by the Black Panther, who obtained the files. Overcome with fury, Vlad lashed out at Nicolae, ordering him to find Gabe while he went after Panther and Iris. Nicolae drew a gun and waited at the Devil's Kitchen for Okownkwo, who soon united with Sofija there. Nicolae saw Vlad attack and then set off a bomb, with Nicolae was caught in the explosion. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#518) - Nicolae was pinned in the explosion. As he begged for his father to save him, Vlad chose to kill his son rather than have Nicolae be used against him. --Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 ([Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 (fb)], [515 (fb)], [513 (fb)], 513 (fb), 513, 514 (fb), 514-516, [517 (fb)], 517-518 |
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(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516) - Vlad the Impaler, with his son Nicolae Dinu, held a meeting of criminal families, including Dmitiri, and they questioned how Vlad was handling the Panther. When some men walked out, Vlad had them killed. --Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516 |
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(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516) - Mr. Lupei, a trusted aid of Vlad the Impaler, was ordered to turn Hell's Kitchen into a war zone, but Black Panther and Spider-Man roughed Lupei up and convinced him to leave town instead. --Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516 |
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(Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 (fb) - BTS) - Weber was part of Vlad Dinu's criminal organization. After he was caught stealing by Nicolae Dinu, Weber was given a second chance to redeem himself, but he was caught stealing again. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513) - Nicolae brought Vlad in to see Weber, who tried to escape, but Vlad violently killed him with an energy spear, revealing he had super powers. --Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 ([Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 (fb)], Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513 |
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images: (without ads)
Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#518, cover (main)
Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#515, p5, pan6 (2nd)
Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#515, p6, pan1 (3rd)
Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516, p17, pan2 (Albescu)
Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516, p17, pan1 (Dalca)
Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516, p14, pan2 (Dmitri)
Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#515, p13, pan6 (Angela Dinu)
Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513, p13, pan5 (Gabe Dinu)
Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513, p1, pan1 (Nicolae Dinu)
Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516, p16, pan5 (Lupei)
Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513, p15, pan1 (Weber)
Appearances:
Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#513-515 (February-April, 2011) - David Liss (writer), Francesco Fracavilla (artist), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#516 (May, 2011) - David Liss (writer), Jefte Palo (artist), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Black Panther: The Man Without Fear#517-518 (June, July, 2011) - David Liss (writer), Francesco Fracavilla (artist), Bill Rosemann (editor)
First Posted: 10/07/2019
Last updated: 10/07/2019
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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