 | |
| Martine Bancroft | |
| Continuity: | Marvel Universe |
| Notability: | Recurring character |
| Type: | Cultist |
| Gender: | Female |
| Race: | Vampire |
| Location: | New York City, New York |
| Associations: | Cult of the New Order |
| Status: | Deceased |
| First: | Amazing Spider-Man #102 |
Martine Bancroft is a fictional cultist and a recurring character featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in a dream sequence from Amazing Spider-Man #102 in November, 1971.
Biography[]
Martine Bancroft was the girlfriend and secretary of Nobel Prize winning scientist Doctor Michael Morbius. She accompanied him to the ceremony when he received his award. She accompanied Morbius and his assistant Emil Nikos on a yacht where they were conducting an experiment to cure Morbius of a degenerative blood disease. The experiment backfired, turning Morbius into a Living Vampire. After killing his assistant, Morbius dove into the water, not wishing to hurt Martine. After finding Nikos' corpse and after searching Morbius' cabin, she discovered his notes on the experiment that turned Morbius into a living vampire. Martine took the notes to the Baxter Building because she also found letters Reed Richards had sent to Morbius. After the Invisible Woman calmed down Martine, she told Reed about Morbius' transformation, and the Human Torch sought out Professor Hans Jorgenson who had also corresponded with Morbius... and became the living vampire's target.
Martine was enthralled by Daemond to join the Cult of the New Order. The Caretakers of Arcturus tracked down Morbius and promised they could help him find his beloved. They summoned Balkatar who they could help keep Morbius at bay until sunrise (believing him to be like a normal vampire). Martine admitted she joined the group to stop Morbius from hurting anyone else. Balkatar resisted and took Morbius to the the Land Within, the home of the Cat People. Martine, wore a old lady mask while fighting against Morbius and Tara. Obeying Daemond's she tried to kill Tara, however she was able to fire a being of psychic energy at her, knocking her from the roof. He caught her but could not control his bloodlust and bit her, but she survived. She told him about Daemond's plans and they left her to battle him. She awoke and was once again under Daemond's control and carried the defeated Morbius to the "Altar of Sacrifice", but he escaped causing a lot of chaos.
She used some of Morbius' money to purchase Mason Manor. She followed his instructions in creating a lab and stole blood from a nearby blood bank. He hoped to use this facility to find himself a cure. He nearly attacked Martine but he was able to escape, he theorized that only fresh blood will work. Simon Stroud came to the Manor hunting Morbius, and she saved Morbius allowing him to escape. She was arrested and taken to the local police department where she proved that it was another vampire doing the killing. It was revealed that the Manor was haunted and while she was at the station being question Helleyes took her form to lore him to his dimension.
Martine was assaulted by the other murderous vampire turning her into a vampire and attacked a police officer. Morbius arrived to find his beloved now a vampire, but not a True Vampire; she was a "Living Vampire" like himself. Morbius and Stroud teamed up to take down Martine who attempted to attack a nearby bystander. They injected her, but Morbius' blood lust almost killed them both. Martine was cured, but it would not work on Morbius and he escaped before Stroud could arrest him.
Martine sought to become a "True Vampire", and succeeded in hopes of spending eternity with Morbius. She encountered Peter Parker when he came Eternal Club in search of a stolen blood sample sold to the Dracs. She told him that they sold it to Morbius. They found Morbius, but when she was invited in, she attacked Morbius hoping to turn him into a true Vampire like herself, knocking Spider-Man in to a wall in the process. She turned into a bat in hopes of biting Spidey, Morbius pleaded with her to stop. Morbius grabbing a table leg breaking it into a stake. He through it into his chest, piercing her heart and causing her body to crumble to dust.
Abilities[]
- Vampirism: In addition to the various mental and physical benefits that vampires are heir to, they also possess the ability to turn others into vampires as well. Each new vampire is traditionally subservient to the one who "turned" them, but some strong-willed vampires have been known to rebel against their masters.
- Enhanced senses: Vampires have improved several times higher than those of any human being of course these skills can vary depending on each person they will have some other stronger senses of his companions always given the dedication and training that each set to improve ways. Among the main ways that vampires have improved we find the following:
- Immortality: So long as vampires continue to consume blood, they will not age beyond the physical state they were in when they first became a vampire.
- Invulnerability: Vampires are invulnerable to most forms of injury (certain exceptions apply). Bullets, blades and blunt objects do little to no damage to a vampire's body.
- Regeneration: In addition to being virtually indestructible, whatever damage a vampire does in fact suffer can be healed through the consumption of human blood.
- Superhuman strength: A vampire's strength level is several times that of a normal human being and they are considered superhuman.
- Superhuman stamina: So long as they continue to consume human blood, a vampire can function tirelessly without rest or relaxation. However, a vampire's stamina wanes the closer it is to sunrise.
- Psychokinesis: Most vampires possess some form of psychokinesis. Some are clairvoyant, others can communicate telepathically, some possess mind control. Particularly powerful vampires can control the minds of several people at once.
- Hypnosis: Vampires possess the ability to hypnotize or mesmerize human targets. This may become difficult against opponents with an extremely high will power. It often doesn't work against other supernatural creatures. In some cases, vampire mesmerism may be referred to as "glamouring".
- Transformation: Vampires often possess the ability to transform into a variety of creatures or effects such as bats, wolves, rats or even mist. While their physical attributes may fluctuate during such states, a vampire's mental acuity is the same as that when they are in their human shape. A vampire who transforms into an animal may also benefit from that particular animal's attributes including razor-sharp claws, fangs or the ability to fly.
- Metamorphosis: Only vampires with a more advanced powers Control demonstrate the ability of altering either its appearance to imitate other people or in such cases selective transformation for creating claws to increase the lethal capability of its attacks in extreme cases and only vampires with a capacity of very advanced monitoring capabilities such change would show how elements, elasticity and other capabilities which vary depending on their ability, imagination and control, because as you know some vampires are stronger than others.
- Claws: Vampires can often turn their fingernails into sharpened claws, which are extremely durable and sharp. They are ideal for rending and tearing through flesh, though they are not as effective as the claws possessed by a werewolf.
- Fangs: A vampire's most often-used weapon are her fangs. They are enlarged sharpened canine teeth, which are often retractable so as to allow a vampire the ability to pose as a normal human. The primary purpose of fangs is for feeding, which they use to puncture the jugular vein of a victim in order to get to their blood.
Notes & Trivia[]
See also[]
External Links[]
Appearances[]
- Amazing Fantasy Vol 2 17 (In flashback only)