A vampire was a supernatural entity that feasted on the blood of humans across the globe, and became a part of popular culture in book and film.
Vampire variations[]
Western vampire[]
European vampires — traditionally pictured as well dressed, urbane, upper class noblemen or women — were noted for their pale skin and fangs, unable to function during the daytime so rested in their coffins. The bite of a western vampire put the victim under its influence and it was said that death at its clawed hands would transform them into vampires aswell.[1]
General Mattias Targo.
The World War I general Mattias Targo was considered a vampire, who abducted several men and, when confronted by a young Indiana Jones and his team in Romania, laughed away the notion that they had been drugged when they were discovered sitting peacefully at a banquet. François Picard, one of the taken, was able to take a bullet to the chest and sit back up unharmed. Targo himself, displayed unnatural resilience, having took a knife to the back and a fall from a great height, was only stopped when impaled through the chest where four roads met. Even then, the smoke from his burning corpse took the form of his grinning face.[2]
Vlad Tepes was also believed after death to have become a vampire, and in 1935 Indiana Jones was swept up in events surrounding the Cup of Djemsheed.[3] Tepes and Targo were even believed by some to be the same man.[4]
In the 1990's, an elderly Jones scared away children by pretending to be a vampire on Halloween after telling the story about his confrontation with Targo.[5]
Eastern vampire[]
A vampire connected to the Orient was a form of gui, an escaped soul from Wang-ssu-ch'eng that took corporeal form and roamed the Earth to feed and perform any evil it chose. Oriental vampires required a daily supply of blood to maintain their form lest they be sent back to Wang-ssu-ch'eng.
Unlike their European counterpart, an oriental vampire usually didn't possess fangs. Instead, it used long nails or claws to cut open the throats of victims to access their blood, and could prolong the death for hours. The vampires also had the ability to take on the shape of an animal which could be used to trick the potential victim into inviting them into their home for they could only do so with permission.
Despite being stronger than the average man, the vampires tended to refrain from combat to avoid the destruction of their bodies, employing trickery to escape as defeat would return the soul to Wang-ssu-ch'eng. If pressured, however, they would fight with vicious abandon and vampires older than a century could summon up to four lesser gui once per lunar month. According to legend, older Chinese vampires in general could wield more powerful magics.
At least one vampire was active in Chinatown, San Francisco gaining sustenance from victims around the wharfs. He chose to attack them outside their apartments at night and wouldn't venture out until strong enough.[6]
Appearances[]
- The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles – "Transylvania, January 1918" → Masks of Evil
- Indiana Jones and the Sky Pirates (Mentioned only)
- Indiana Jones and the Cup of the Vampire
- Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead (Mentioned only)
Sources[]
- The World of Indiana Jones
- Indiana Jones and the Golden Vampires
- Indiana Jones and the Lands of Adventure
- Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide
