R.I.W Wrestling Legend: Vampiro

Posted on October 21, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. We once more find ourselves at the Rotten Ink Arena for a spooky “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” update event as the Halloween season is a perfect time to take a look at horror themed wrestlers that scare and entertain fans, and who better to be in the main event than Lucha Libre legend Vampiro who has been a big draw in wrestling since the early 1980’s and is still around to this day. As you can see, the Arena has spooky decorations all around and they have vampire’s blood punch and creepy crawler finger sandwiches at the snack bar, so let’s grab a cup and find our seats as this is going to be one hell of a great event and I can not stress enough that this time of the year not only makes me think of horror films and horror hosts but also horror video games, horror novels and horror themed wrestlers, and I am very much looking forward to this update event as I have always been a big fan of Vampiro. But as you can hear, the music has started, so let’s find our seats and see what Vamp has in store for us this Halloween season.

Vampiro started his Pro Wrestling career in 1984 and was trained by Abdullah The Butcher. He would work as a jobber in International Wrestling out of Canada and would be in the business at the age of 16. He worked for International Wrestling from 1984 to 1991 before being signed to CMLL, the biggest promotion in Mexico at the time, and would then get the name Vampiro Canadiense. From the start, due to his look and being a vampire character, his popularity grew very fast and would become one of the company’s big stars. He would have big bet matches (Hair vs. Hair) as well as would take on some of the companies top stars like Perro Aguayo, Pierroth Jr., Blue Panther and Fuerza Guerrera, to name a very few. Vampiro, no matter if he was a Tecnico or Rudo, was being cheered by the fans and was building a strong female following. During this time as well he would work a few matches for Universal Wrestling Association as well as promotions in Japan. In 1996 he would leave CMLL and work for AAA and IWRG before returning to CMLL in 1998 for another brief run. During this time in CMLL, Vampiro would also start his real life feud with Konnan, who was one of the company’s top stars. This rivalry would continue off and on for many years and was about the popularity of both Luchadors as well as Vampiro being cast in a soap opera that was supposed to go to Konnan. His work in CMLL as well as appearing from other federations started to also get the attention of many American companies.

In mid 1998 Vampiro would make his way to WCW and would not fully become part of their roster until 1999 when he was booked as a heel and would be in a group called “The Dead Pool” with Raven as well as Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J, better known as rappers ICP and would have a small run together going after Konnan, Rey Myserio Jr. and Eddie Guerrero. From there Vampiro would turn baby face as he would have matches against Berlyn and his bodyguard The Wall, and from there he would feud with Dr. Death Steve Williams and would team with the punk rock band The Misfits. During this time as well Vamprio would have matches in WCW against other luchadors as well as solid mid-card workers and was getting over with fans in America who liked his brawling style and his horror themed look and attitude. In 2000 his biggest feud in WCW would take place as he would find himself teaming and then turning on Sting. The two would have all types of matches and Sting would even be set on fire by Vampiro who at this point had joined the group called The New Blood that was being run by head booker Vince Russo and would be the younger wrestlers of WCW who were sick of the legends that made up the main events and locker room. Vampiro would once more team with ICP and this time add The Great Muta to his group that would be called “The Dark Carnival” and he would go after The Demon and his lady Asya, that is until The Demon would join his twisted group and Vamp and his crew would continue to feud with Sting. Through the rest of 2000 and into 2001 Vamprio would find himself winning Tag Team Gold (the only title that he would hold in WCW) with The Great Muta as well as just floating around in odd feuds, including one with Mike Awesome. In 2001 WCW was bought by WWE, and they closed the company’s doors and Vampiro’s contract was not picked up by WWE, and this ended Vamprio’s time in WCW.

After the closure of WCW in 2001, Vampiro would head back to CMLL and as well would work for many other companies all over the world. While back in CMLL he would be a big draw and would be used for big matches and PPVs and would mostly have him teaming with Shocker. He would also work matches for All Japan Pro Wrestling at this time and would do only a one month tour. He would also in 2002 go to Puerto Rico and work for World Wrestling Council and would even during his short time there, capture the company’s Universal Heavyweight title. He would also appear in XPW off and on from 2001-2002 and would work a small run for Impact in 2003 where he would feud with Raven. But still during this time his main federation was CMLL, and he would have matches against many Lucha Libre stars like Atlantis, El Rayo de Jalisco Jr., Lizamark Jr., Super Crazy and Dr. Wagner Jr. But his run in CMLL would come to an end in 2005 as he would leave to join Mexico’s best promotion.

In 2005 Vampiro, as well as many other Luchadors, would leave CMLL to go work for AAA and would work for them off and on for years as even up to this update’s posting he can be found in AAA doing events and appearances for them. In 2007 he would leave AAA to work a very small run for CMLL before leaving them for good, but also that year he would work for Wrestling Society X, a short lived promotion that was produced by MTV, and in 2008 he would returns to AAA as well as to XPW again, and this would start his run on working for the indies with one of his two big runs being for Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) where he would become that company’s World Champion around three times. He would also work for Lucha Underground starting in 2014 and would stay with them until they closed up in 2018 and was a part time wrestler and a commentator. During his run in JCW, he would work with such wrestlers as Mad Man Pondo, The Powers Of Pain, Colt Cabana, Kongo Kong and 2 Tuff Tony, to name a few, and in Lucha Underground he had a iconic match with Pentagon Jr. that is considered one of the best matches in the promotion and that’s saying something. But over time Vampiro has slowed down working matches due to age and mounting injuries, but even that has not fully stopped him. Vampiro is a great worker who bonded with his fans and should be in both the AAA and WWE Halls Of Fame as he has truly made a big impact in the sport of Pro Wrestling. Over the decades Vampiro has been in movies, video games and music videos, has had his own bands, been made into action figures and has graced all types of other cool merchandise. And who knows were and when Vampiro will pop up next and who he will face in the ring.

I first found out about Vampiro when I was a youngster as his CMLL action figure for some reason was at a local Dollar Tree store, and he captured by attention as it was clear he was a mix of Luchador with Horror and Rock n Roll, and these were all things I was a fan of! B efore he made his way to WCW, I can remember seeing some of his matches on grey market tapes and I became a fan as I liked his mix of Luca Libre as well as Brawling American style. I should also mention I remember him being in many of the wrestling magazines that my brother and I had growing up. But when he came to WCW in the late 90’s is when I truly became a mega fan and have followed his career ever since. I mean he is the reason I made sure to watch Wrestling Society X on MTV when it aired. For me the thing about Vampiro is that he could have great matches against the cruiserweights but could also be a main event guy and be booked in matches against the top stars of the promotions he was in. I also find his history in AAA and CMLL very interesting as he had the reputation of being a pain to deal with and because he was a draw, they allowed him to get away with his behavior. I also find his real life heat with Konnan interesting, and I am glad that they two seem to have buried the hatchet as they are both icons and both deserve all the fame they have worked for in and out of Mexico. Vampiro also over the years has been very outspoken about his time in wrestling and has spilled the beans on wrestlers like Sting, El Canek, Paul Heyman and others for their behind the scenes behavior. He has also lead a very interesting life from being a bodyguard for pop group Milli Vanilli, to being involved in the occult and secret societies, having evil spirits that follow him around causing him to have to have a exorcism, dated many Latina models, hosted a show about the paranormal in Mexico, toured the world with his bands, worked as a wrestling booker and so much more very cool and unusual stuff. And while over the years much of what he says has been questioned by others, with many fellow wrestlers calling him out for his injuries and illnesses he says he has, I for one still find Vampiro to be a very entertaining guy who is a great worker and a cool personality that always makes him stand out in the world of Pro Wrestling.

We are now at the point of this review where we will be taking a look at the DVD set and review some of the matches on the discs like always between 4 to 8. But because this is a set about a Luchador, we will take a look at 10 matches. I want to thank Coliseum Of Wrestling & Boxing for having this set in stock and also want to thank Vampiro for his hard work in the world of wrestling. I also want to remind you that I will only be breaking down randomly select matches from this set and will be breaking down the match and will be rating the matches on a 5 Star rating system. I also only choose from Single matches as I want to break down his matches that showcase his style. Here is what the stars mean ½ Means a really terrible match, * Means a bad match, ** Means a below average match, **1/2 Means a good average entertaining match, *** Means a good match, **** Means a great match, ***** Means an epic match. So if you are ready, let’s step into the ring with Vampiro.

Best Of Vampiro

Match 1: Vampiro vs. Konnan

As Konnan plays up to the crowd on the microphone Vamprio attacks him from behind with a big clothesline that drops him to the mat. Then as Konnan tries to get up Vampiro unloads a series of kicks and then keeps his attack up on the injured Konnan who is struggling to get on his feet and make a comeback. Vampiro even climbs to the top rope and flings himself onto his opponent and then keeps kicking and stomping on him. At one point Vampiro points his finger into the face of the injured Konnan to talk smack as it’s clear these two have an issue that has carried over from Mexico to WCW. But when Vampiro misses a top rope splash, this gives Konnan a moment to catch his breath and unload some big punches and to make his comeback to take the momentum of the match for a moment. Konnan even hits a power bomb and gets a two count on Vamp. He then hits a DDT and is still only able to get a two count as the fans are really getting into this match. Konnan then hits a face buster, and Vamp rolls out of the ring. Konnan follows and the two start brawling. Vamp then grabs a chair and throws it at Konnan, and the referee has seen enough and DQ’s Vamp giving the win to Konnan by disqualification. After the match, Vamp continues to attack Konnan before leaving the ring. This is a great grudge match brawl that has both guys hitting some big moves and both clearly just want to hurt each other as they have great chemistry in the ring, and they are really telling a story of hatred, jealousy and history. Konnan, as always, does a fantastic job of selling as well as pulling off powerful looking moves as he gives a in my opinion very underrated clothesline as they look strong and like his opponents head might be knocked off. Vampiro is very quick in the match and his very aggressive and his anger comes out in his actions and makes him come off as a badass. Over all this is a great short match that helps build Vampiro as a heel and shows just how popular Konnan was in WCW.

Grade: ***1/2

Match 2: Vampiro vs. Steve “Dr. Death” Williams

Before the match starts, Williams’ manager Oklahoma is locked into a cage, and as Williams makes his way to the ring Vampiro jumps from the cage onto him taking him down with a surprise attack. Vampiro continues to attack outside the ring and is using his speed to keep his bigger and stronger opponent down. Once they get into the ring, Vamp continues his attack and uses punches, kicks, head butts to keep Williams injured, but then after a few moments Williams starts to make a comeback and the two exchange hits. Williams ends up hitting a series of football tackles to the knee of Vampiro, weakening him and then gets him into the corner and uses him as a punching bag. Williams misses a corner charge and this allows Vampiro to go on the attack once more and even hits a big backdrop on Williams that gets him a two count. But like before, the two end up just trading hits and holds, and Williams even hits a massive suplex from the top rope. At one point the punk rock band The Misfits, who are in Vampiro’s corner, try to get into the ring, and Williams takes them all down. But Steve Williams makes one big mistake when he attacks the refereem and this causes him to lose the match via disqualification, and by winning the match Vampiro gets five minutes in the ring with Oklahoma after Williams is forced to the back by security. This is pretty much a brawl that allowed Steve Williams to show off his power and for Vampiro to show off his skill, and while their styles clashed a little, they still did a great job of trying to make each other look good by selling hits and holds as well as each tried to showcase what makes them top stars. Oddly enough, this match was one of Williams last for WCW. Vamprio does a great job of using his speed and moves throughout the match to keep the heat on Williams, who in turn does a great job of hitting massive power moves that look very stiff and impactful. Over all this is a good match that featured two of my favorite wrestlers at the time. While it was not a smooth match, I would not want it any other way.

Grade: **1/2

Match 3: Vampiro vs. Juventud Guerrera

As the bell rings, Vampiro and Juventud start shoving each other, and then Vampiro floors Juventud with a kick. The two then exchange some chops before Juventud is able to take him down with his speed, but he is stopped when Vampiro hits a big power bomb and even gets a two count for it. Vampiro takes control of the match and uses big moves to keep Juventud grounded. Once they take the fight to the outside Juventud is able to hit a big dive that floors Vampiro. But once they get back into the ring, it’s the power of Vampiro that takes back control, even hitting some loud and powerful chops and at one point works over the knee of Juventud. Both guys fight back and fourth and each miss a high risk move, but in the end Juventud is able to hit the Juvi Driver on Vampiro and this gets him the win via pin. This is a pretty fast paced match that allowed both guys to take control of the momentum and for the most part they try and tell a good story in the ring. Their styles mesh well for the most part with Juventud doing his highflying moves and Vampiro doing a mix of Lucha and power moves. The fans in attendance also seemed to be into the match, and while they are on the side of Juventud, they also cheer Vampiro when he hits big moves. While some of the moves during the match clearly had some miscommunication moments, it really is a fun TV bout that showcased two great Lucha Libre stars who are now both legends. Plus I have to say that I was surprised when Juventud was able to get the win as he hit a perfect Juvi Driver.

Grade: ***

Match 4: Vampiro vs. Great Muta

As soon as the bell rings, Muta attacks Vampiro as well as ICP who are the mangers of Vampiro at the time, but as Muta sprays his green mist into the air Vamprio attacks him from behind and then unloads some chops before hitting a top rope spin kick. Vampiro tries for a top rope move and fails, and this gives Muta that chance to fight back against Vampiro and uses his speed to hit some impactful moves as well, Muta works over one of Vamp’s arms and uses his kicks to keep the momentum. Vampiro fires back with a Rock Bottom and is able to get a two count, but when Muta hits a moonsault, he is able to get the three count and win over Vampiro. This was a very cool match up that sadly WCW did not give lots of time when they really should have. These two worked very well in the ring together, and they both have a similar style that each made their own and putting them against each other just worked well. Muta is able to show his fast paced moves as well as why he was one of the best in the world to hit a moonsault as they are so smooth. Vamprio in the match does a great job of selling for Muta and as well does a great job of mimicking him in movements. This match should have been given more time as what little time these two had in this match was great stuff, and the fans in attendance clearly were behind Muta. Plus I would have loved to seen Muta hit Vampiro with the green mist. Over all a short but very cool match that should have been more.

Grade: ***

Match 5: Vampiro vs. Sting

This is a House Of Pain Steel Cage Match (the rules are you have to shackle both of your opponents hands to the cage) and at the start of the match, Sting climbs to the top of the cage and the fans go wild. Vampiro waits for him inside it, but Sting uses his baseball bat and busts out a section of the cages roof and drops in and attacks Vampiro and even hits him with a Stinger Splash in the corner, Then the two start brawling with each man throwing the other into the cage and exchange hits and holds. But when Vampiro gets the advantage, he tries his best to hurt Sting as the fans boo as clearly they want Sting to win this match, but Vamprio just keeps using his speed and kicks to chop down the Icon Sting. The tide once more changes when Sting hits a power bomb on Vampiro, who was leaping from the top rope for a drop kick. Sting hits a series of moves, and as Vampiro is dazed, he is able to shackle him to the cage and get the win. As Vampiro is handcuffed to the cage Sting beats him up some more and then leaves the cage as Vampiro smiles even though he lost the match. This is a very strange and sadly way too short of a match between these two as the idea of the two being locked in a cage with no referee and no rules was a great idea, but sadly the match pretty much was rushed as Vampiro dominates the start of the match and when Sting gets the advantage, it’s only for a short time and a small amount of moves before he locks Vamp up and gets the win. The other odd thing is that the winner was supposed to beat the heck out of his shackled opponent, and Sting hits a few splashes and leaves, and this is billed as these two hating each other. The top rope power bomb is the most impressive move of this match. While the match is a little of a letdown when it comes to action, the two have great chemistry in the ring, and they tell a good story that has the fans going crazy and for that I myself found it pretty entertaining.

Grade: **1/2

Match 6: Vampiro vs. Scott Steiner

As soon as the bell rings, Steiner uses his power to get Vampiro into the corner and unleashes punches on him. He then hits a big suplex and then press slams and drops Vampiro to the mat. Things are looking bad for Vampiro until he changes the tide with a big boot to Steiner’s face, and then he is able to land some hits of his own including his fast kicks, but Steiner is not down for long as he fights back and lands a powerful dropping elbow onto the chest of Vamp. Scott then tosses Vamp out of the ring and goes out after him throwing him against the guardrails as well as hits him with a chair and finally slams him on the commentator’s table and breaks it. Vamp is hurt but starts fighting back and even slams a chair over Steiner’s head. Then the action goes back into the ring as the two brawl with each other and even Steiner’s female mangers enter the brawl when Vampiro grabs his blowtorch and gasoline can and threatens to set one of them on fire until Sting comes out and smacks him in the head with his bat and then beats him with that bat all the way back to the ring where Steiner hits Vampiro with a belly to belly suplex and then makes him tap out to the Steiner Recliner, and with all that madness Scott Steiner is the winner. This is the clash of styles, and yet it worked very well in this match that pretty much is a brawl that is to showcase the power of Steiner as well as the crazy nature of Vampiro who tries to set a female on fire during the match. Oh and they also showcase his fast kicks. It’s crazy that the match did not end by DQ as they both smack each other with chairs and Sting shows up and beats the hell out of Vampiro with a bat. Over all a crazy match that for some reason just kind of worked in its madness.

Grade: **1/2

Match 7: Vampiro vs. Hulk Hogan

Vampiro attacks Hogan as soon as he gets in the ring and keeps up his attack even knocking Hogan out of the ring and then goes out after him and throws him into the guardrails as well as even hits Hogan with a chair. But Hogan shrugs it off and fights back and even smacks Vampiro with a chair several times returning the favor. Hogan keeps up his attack all around the ring and even once back in the ring, he starts hitting Vamp with his weightlifting belt and then starts choking him with it. Then Hogan keeps up his attack even dropping elbows, and the fans are going crazy for The Hulkster. Hogan even hits his Leg Drop finisher but does not go for the pin instead he just keeps on attack Vampiro, and this allows Billy Kidman to come out and hit Hogan in the back of the head with Vamp’s blowtorch. Kidman then drags Vampiro over to Hogan, and he gets the three count and the win via pin. After the match Vamp and Kidman are about to try and set Hogan on fire when Sting comes to his aid and runs off Kidman, and they then beat up Vampiro. This is another cluster match that is pretty much a brawl between Vampiro and Hogan that has Vampiro winning the match and Hogan for the most part dominating the momentum of the match. The match is just a sloppy brawl, but is entertaining because the fans in attendance are really into it and Vampiro does a great job of selling for Hogan. Plus for those who are Hulkamaniacs, you do get to see Hogan hit his finisher the Leg Drop. Over all another mess of a match that is over booked and yet was a fun watch as it was cool to see Vampiro in the ring with Hulk Hogan, and the right wrestler even won the match. And I have to point out that Hogan clearly does not know how to deliver chair shots and even at times throws some very odd punches. AKA this match reeks of Vince Russo as it’s over booked and is more of a “shoot brawl” then a wrestling match.

Grade: **1/2

Match 8: Vampiro vs. Van Hammer

As the match starts Van Hammer uses his power to slam Vampiro hard onto the mat, but then Vamp uses his speed to arm drag Hammer to the mat showcasing that he is just as strong. Vamp uses his speed to keep hitting moves on Hammer and even kicks him out of the ring and then dive out onto him. The two brawl on the outside with Hammer getting the better of the exchange and even once back in the ring Hammer keeps up his attack even hitting some big kicks and then gets him into the corner and unloads some big punches. Hammer continues to keep the momentum on his side and even tosses Vampiro from the top rope and then chokes him with the middle rope before the referee steps in. Once Vampiro is able to make a comeback he hits some thunderous chops as well as a headbutt and some quick kicks. Hammer is able to use his power to once more up his attack and even tries to hit big power moves, but Vamp is able to roll him up but the pin attempt is stopped when Hammer gets his foot on the ropes. The two exchange hits and holds until finally Van Hammer puts Vampiro into a chin lock and holds it for awhile, with this rest hold the loose the fans who go quite. After the hold is broke the two trade back and fourth again and then finally Vampiro gets the win via pin with a rollup. This is a odd matchup as it’s clear that Vampiro is slowing himself down in order for Van Hammer to keep up, and at first it seems that the fans are into the match but after Van Hammer’s rest hold as well as very awkward moves they loose them slightly. Vampiro does what he can with the stiff Van Hammer and is able to get a good match out of him. Vampiro is clearly the star of this match as he uses his kicks and moves to bring the impact to the match, and to be fair Van Hammer is really trying and does hit some passable power moves. Over all this is a standard match for TV and does a great job of building Vampiro, but it also is a little to long as it should have been around two minutes shorter as it was clear Van Hammer was slightly struggling to keep up.

Grade: **

Match 9: Vampiro vs. Ric Flair

The match starts off with the two of them trying to size the other up and then Vampiro is able to use his speed and takes Flair to the mat and is working over his knee, the hold is broke when Flair is able to get to the ropes. Vamp keeps using his speed and hits a pair of clotheslines and then a backdrop and this causes Flair to exit the ring to try and catch his breath. But even once back in the ring Vampiro keeps control of the match and even hits some very hard chops to Flair who he has backed into a corner. But Flair cheats and pokes Vamp in the eye and then puts him in the corner and lands some big chops, but after a big spin kick Vamp takes back control but losses it again when he misses a top move attack and this gives Flair the chance to work over the leg and knees of Vampiro, Flair keeps up his attack and even kicks Vamp in the stomach when he is down all the while the fans are cheering “Flair Sucks”. Vampiro is clearly hurt and Flair keeps up his attack working over his leg as well as getting cheap shots in when he can. But just as Vamp is about to make his big comeback Miss Elizabeth and Lex Luger make their way down to ringside and as she distracts the referee, Lugar hits Vamp with a baseball bat and this allows Flair to lock in the Figure Four and get Vamp to tap out. After the match both Flair and Lugar attack Vampiro. This is a really good match and both guys look great throughout the match and I have to say Flair does an outstanding job of making Vamp look like a main event star! Flair sells great for Vamp and also makes him look strong by having to cheat in order to win. Vampiro is able to show off his moves and speed and really does hold his own against a legend like Ric Flair. The two have great chemistry, the fans are really into the match and adding Lex Luger and Miss Elizabeth into the match makes it seem more epic as well makes Vampiro really look like a contender. A great match that I really enjoyed from start to finish.

Grade: ****

Match 10: Vampiro vs. Lex Luger

Lugar at the start of the match uses his power to back Vamp into the corner and then smacks him across his face, Vamp responds with his speed and delivers a kick and a chop that knocks Lugar to the mat. Vampiro keeps the heat on Lugar and gets him in the corner and chokes him before flinging him across the ring and keeps up his attacks and does not let Luger get a chance to get the match going for his side. When Luger finally gets the momentum going its because he cheats and then is able to hit a very powerful back drop and it’s his turn to keep the attack up and even press slams Vampiro just to show that he is the strongest in the ring. Vampiro is able to escape a Torture Rack attempt and makes his comeback on Luger with his speed, kicks and top rope movies. But Ric Flair comes down to the ring and Vamp has to fight them both off and when the referee’s back is turned, Lugar’s manager Miss Elizabeth hits Vamp in the back with a ball bat and this allows Lugar to get him in the Torture Rack and Lugar wins via submission. This is another case of Vampiro taking on a wrestler who is the opposite of his style that some how just works and delivers a very entertaining match. Vampiro has the fans behind him for this one and is able to really show off his speed as well as impactful moves that Lex Lugar goes a great job of selling and making Vamp look like a rising star in the company. And on the other side Vamp as well does a great job of selling and allowing Lugar to show off his power and strength and sells for him really well. The match is a good back and fourth with each guy getting their time to take control of the match and it also has a good ending that has Lugar having to cheat and get the help of his manager and friend in order to win the match. While the match does not have any show stealing moves it is a very cool match that’s interesting to see as these two pit against each other.

Grade: ***

Vampiro is a true legend in wrestling and as you can see that during his run in WCW he took on most of the companies biggest stars from Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Sting and so many others and was able to have great matches against them all showing that he could adapt to any style. I really do not think that Lucha Libre nor Pro Wrestling will ever have another like Vampiro as his attitude, style and personality can never be duplicated. And to me he is one of the best at being a horror themed wrestler, and he has always involved his look and style to the times and places he was working showing that he has a very creative mind. But as you can see, the house lights have came up and our spooky R.I.W update event is over so that is our cue to head to the exit doors, but before we do that let me tell you that our next update will take us to Willy’s Wonderland that rundown closed restaurant that houses killer flesh eating animatronics…won’t that be fun! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a wrestling match or two and as always support your local indie wrestlers. See you next update, and let’s hope that Willy is not on the prowl as it will be the big Halloween update and he might be in a nasty mood.

Was Freddy Really Dead?

Posted on July 6, 2013 by bloodlinematt

In the 1980’s, one of the most popular horror bad guys was Freddy Kruger of the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series fame, and no other horror baddie could come close to his appeal to the young and old alike who enjoyed a good fright. This update will take a look at Innovation Comics 3 issue adaptation of the 6^th film in the series, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare that was released in 1991 the same year as the film. Now before we take a look at Freddy’s Dead, let’s take a look Freddy Kruger himself, a modern day horror film icon like Dracula, The Frankenstein Monster and The Wolf Man were for the past generation. Frederick “Freddy” Kruger was born to Amanda Kruger, a nun who was raped by a room full of wackos at an insane asylum, after she is accidentally locked in with them. Freddy grew up an odd boy who found he had no friends and enjoyed killing small animals. When Freddy was a teen he found himself enjoying pain as his stepfather used to beat him with leather belts. As Freddy got older he worked for a factory and began killing, 20 children total. When Freddy got away with the crime due to a technicality, the parents of the town of Springwood took justice into their own hands and burned Freddy alive! While ablaze, Freddy sells his soul to some dream demons who in turn give him power to kill the town’s youth in their dreams. Freddy enters dreams, burnt all over, and kills with a razor figured glove and can transform and use your worst fears against you. Freddy cannot be killed. Many have tried to stop him from Nancy to Alice, and none have fully stopped his killer rampage. Freddy started out very evil and terrifying, and as he got more use to his powers, he became a one liner spewing killer. Freddy has even gone toe to toe with Jason Voorhees, the hockey mask killer from the Friday The 13^th series. Freddy was played by Robert Englund in the older films, and in the reboot series he is played by Jackie Earle Haley. Love him or hate him, no one can dispute the impact Kruger has had on the world of horror.

So now that you’ve gotten a super quick bio of Freddy Kruger, let’s talk about the 6^th film in the series and my memories of it. This film was the amazingly silly film that also included a 3-D sequence known as Freddy’s Dead!

In 1991 after five films in the A Nightmare on Elm Street series, New Line Cinema, the makers of the series claimed that they were going to end Freddy Kruger once and for all in the film Freddy’s Dead The Final Nightmare. Hype went around this “final” film as I remember Fangoria Magazine covering it and even MTV pushed it with a special called “Slash & Burn: The Freddy Kruger Story,” all preparing the fans for Freddy’s last stand. I was way too young to see the film in theaters as was my brother so we were left out in the cold when it came to the theater experience. I remember cutting out the poster ad for this film out of the newspaper and feeding Freddy’s image to our cockatoo Roxanne. In my mind she was fighting Freddy to the bitter end as she would chew on the paper Freddy. I remember asking my brother Bryan if he thought this really was the end of Freddy, and he stood by the fact he thought he would be back. I still had my doubts and thought wow this really is the end, why would New Line lie to me? It would be awhile before I got to see the film. Thanks to VHS rental we were finally able to see the film and all its glory, but before I tell you my thoughts, let me tell you about the film itself. Oh yeah, and the write up has spoilers of the film so you have been warned.

Springwood, Ohio has had its youth population wiped out, and the last kid from Elm Street named John Doe (because he does’t know who he is) is the key for Freddy to move on into a new town and seek more souls for his greedy needs. After an accident leaves John knocked out and outside the Springwood district, he is taken to a home for troubled kids and runaways headed up by Dr. Maggie Burroughs and Doc. John also meets Spencer (a rich gamer kid), Carlos (a near deaf abused teen) and Tracy (a sexually abused teen). All of the teens want out of the home and to go on with their lives. While trying to help the kids Maggie is also having a recurring nightmare that involves her as a child and her father and mother. John has a nightmare and shares it with Maggie. The two are actually having the dreams with the same elements (a little girl, water tower), and this leads to a field trip to Springwood where Maggie and John are joined by runaways Carlos, Tracy and Spencer. They find out that the town is filled with wackos and no kids! Maggie and John stay in town as the others are ordered back to the home, but get lost and stay in an abandoned house for the night. Carlos is the first new soul taken by Freddy. Stoned Spencer falls victim next as Freddy plays him like a video game. Maggie and John learn that Freddy had a kid that was taken from him, and John thinks that he is that kid. When Tracy finds them, she takes him back to the house too late as Spencer is a dead, and John himself falls victim to the razor gloved fiend and is shown not to be Freddy’s child. When they return, no one in the home remembers the dead teens, besides Doc who has control over his own dreams. Maggie finds out that night that she in fact is the long lost daughter of Freddy, who at this point is going after Doc and Tracy to get more souls and to please the Dream Demons who have given him that power. They escape, and Maggie armed with 3-D glasses goes inside Freddy’s mind to see what makes this madman tick. Along the way she meets the Dream Demons and gets to view some of Freddy’s worst memories. She grabs him and brings him to the real world where daughter kills her father with knives, ball bats, his own razor glove and a pipe bomb to end Freddy’s Nightmares once and for all with the help of Doc and Tracy.

While not living up to the hype I made in my own head at the time, this film was still a fun goofy Freddy movie filled with dumb one liners, over the top cartoon style kills and a laughable story line that had Freddy as a loving father when he was a human and not the slave of the dream demons. I remember when the VHS tape ended and the film was over, I was like that was okay and my brother was not having that and talked about how horrible it was and not pleased with the film he witnessed. He hated the dream demons and despised the fact they made Freddy a loving dad who all of a sudden had a wife and child. Looking back, I can see why these additions would piss off fans of the series. In my opinion while it’s a weak entry in the series, it still was better then part 5 the Dream Child which is the one I consider the worst. Younger me was not satisfied with Freddy’s death and was hoping for a better blow out than a pipe bomb and some sharp items thrown by his daughter, but I learned to accept it and though it was the end of the series. But then Wes Craven, the director of the original and 3^rd in the series, returned in 1994 with “New Nightmare” but that’s a whole other story. Besides the fact that Freddy’s Dead was supposed to be the final nightmare, it also was the first and only film in the series thus far to use 3-D effects, and we are talking the classic red and blue glasses. The effects were only used during the part when Maggie enters the dream world via the poster and enters Freddy’s mind. While a cool idea, this seemed wasted when it was only used for a very short amount of time. If New Line and parent company Warner Brothers would ever get on the ball, they should make a new Nightmare on Elm Street film, get Robert Englund back and make a full IMAX 3-D film and wipe the reboot series off the map, because you horror fans out there tell me that you dont wanna see a new film with Englund in it!

Now I am sure some of you want to know what I thought about the whole Dream Demon thing this film added to the folklore of the series and I will give you my honest opinion. Up to this film Freddy Kruger really had no back story on how he was able to come back and kill kids in their dreams. This added a sinister element to him, making me as a viewer wonder how he could. Did he seal his soul to satan? Was black magic involved or was he just that pure evil? The idea of the mystery worked for me and made him more of a slasher to fear and made you think of how he really came to be. Now in this film we are shown The Dream Demons who swim through the air like skull faced seaman and cackle and offer Freddy his powers. While I am sure this sounded like a good idea on paper, it just took away a level of fear from the character. While they did add an explanation of why Freddy is the way he is, it’s clear that their main function in this film is to be the 3-D parts, and I must say for this fact I am not a fan.

Freddy’s Dead also had a few really cool cameos from some top actors of the time as well as a Shock Rock icon. The first stars we see in the film are Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold who were A-List TV stars at the time with the # 1 sitcom Roseanne. They play some local yokels, Ethel and her husband, who argue over the teens being back in Springwood as Ethel misses kids and her husband knows they bring “him” back. Nice cameo and the two act as cheesy and hammy as possible. Next up Johnny Depp plays himself who is on TV doing a just say no to drugs ad and his attacked by Freddy as Spencer watches on stoned out of his mind. Johnny could also be said to be playing Glen again, the same character he played in the first film who is stuck in a nightmare and being used as a puppet to get Spencer’s attention. Again well done and adds the touch of the original to this 6^th film. The final cameo goes to Alice Cooper, the shock rocker of the 1960’s and beyond, who plays Freddy’s stepdad Mr. Underwood who is an evil child abuser who gets his by a teenage Freddy. Cooper always steals scenes when he is in a movie. Look at Wayne’s World, Monster Dog and Dark Shadows for examples. With this much star cameo power one like myself really did think that this film could have been the last.

When the film came out on VHS I didn’t buy it. Not until years later did I pick it up when it was being sold used at a video store, and it was mainly bought to complete my Nightmare collection on my overly huge VHS collection that took over my bedroom. When the film came out originally on DVD, it was in a terrible snap case. You know, those terrible cardboard cases with the flap that holds them together and was also in the Nightmare on Elm Street box set. It later got a keep case release and has now been on many DVD Nightmare collection releases as well. It also has been released on Blu-Ray and Laserdisc.

Freddy’s Dead also had cassette,vinyl and CD soundtracks come out. One was music used and inspired by the film, and the other was the score composed by Brian May of rock band Queen fame. The soundtrack, with band and performers like Iggy Pop, Goo Goo Dolls and Johnny Law, is an alright musical journey that really is nothing special but is a good listen. The Brian May score is also well done but does not pack the punch of the original score piece done by Charles Bernstein. With that said, the May soundtrack is the one I own and even play from time to time on Alpha Rhythms, a radio show I help with that airs on WYSO out of Yellow Springs.

This film also flooded the market for that last final cash in on the Freddy legacy and had magazines dedicated to this “last” film, a 1-900 phone line game that offered prizes to the winners for killing Freddy that only cost $1.95 for the first minute and $1.45 for each additional. T-Shirts were made to immortalize the slasher’s last film. Innovation Comics not only released a 3 issue run based on the film, but they also had a graphic novel and a 3-D comic showing that everyone wanted a piece of the Freddy pie! And I really don’t blame them because Freddy was huge at this time.

So there is the quick look at all that was Freddy’s Dead that I can remember from my youth. I want to remind everyone that I grade these comics on a standard 1-4 star scale and look for entertainment value, art, story and how true the comic is to its source material. I would like to think Bell Book and Comic that had these issues in stock while they and I were at Horrorhound Weekend.

Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare # 1 **1/2
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.50 Innovation Comics #1 of 3

A young man is having nightmares, and the razor clawed killer Freddy Kruger is tormenting him. The young man is the last teen alive in Springwood. Freddy knocks the young man out of the city limits knocking his head against a rock, giving him amnesia and sending him to the bigger city with the hopes of him bringing him more teen souls. In the big city Maggie has just turned 28 years old and is working a job where she helps teens that are runaways and have other behavioral problems. She also has a recurring nightmare about a young girl that is playing in a backyard near a water tower with her dad who later in the dream hurts the mother. Her co-worker Doc is a therapist who is trying to help the kids and her with her dreams and wants to do so with dream therapy. The young man with amnesia is brought in and is now called John Doe. He meets fellow troubled teens Spencer, a pot smoking, video game playing trouble maker, Tracy, a tough as nails girl who don’t like to be touched and can kick some major ass and Carlos, a teen who is deaf caused by his moms own hands. Maggie decides to take John Doe back to his home town and when entering the town she finds that Tracy, Spencer and Carlos has hitched a ride in the hopes to runaway.

In the first issue we are treated to Freddy Kruger who is toying with “John Doe” and trying to force him out of town in order to spread his nightmare infestation. Freddy is the same as he is in the film, full of cheesy one liners with most of his truly scary elements eliminated. While he makes appearances throughout the issue, this is clearly the issue to build up Maggie and the kids. In this issue Maggie seems like she is a loving daughter and a hard worker but is plagued with the nightmares of Freddy’s home town. So far Maggie doesn’t have the presence of a hero to be. The kids all seem like your normal generic throw aways who all fit stereotypes, and none of them really stand out. So far it’s following the movie pretty well and only has a few minor changes that don’t effect the storyline at all. This issue’s art is pretty good and fits for the time of the film’s release and has that early 90’s comic look. The cover is okay. Freddy looks good, while the rest is kind of bland. So with this let’s take a look at issue two.

Freddy’s Dead:The Final Nightmare # 2 **1/2
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.50 Innovation Comics #2 of 3

Maggie is mad at the teens who were trying to escape, and when they stop at the town’s fair they see that the town has no kids and that all the adults act afraid of them and some mumble that they bring him! Maggie tells Tracy, Spencer and Carlos to take the van and go back as she and John try to find answers of who he is. As the teens drive around, get lost and finally stop at a house on Elm Street to rest, Maggie and John find out that whole town’s adults are crazy and the only thing they learn is that Freddy had a child. Carlos is the first to go to sleep and has his head explode when Freddy gives him a twisted version of a hearing aid. Tracy leaves to find Maggie once Carlos goes missing as Spencer is next as he gets high and Freddy sucks him into the broken TV and plays him like a video game and when killed in the game he dies in real life right in front of Maggie and the remaining teens. Tracy and John go into Spencer’s dream to try and save him with Tracy using meditation and John by being knocked out but they are too late. Maggie and Tracy gather up the knocked out John and head out of town via the van but Freddy is not done and kills John before he can leave town and then jumps into the mind of Maggie as we end issue 2.

This is the issue where teens start dropping off like flies and finally the blood and gore comes into play. Freddy once more is the same cheesy, one liner spewing dream killer who gets teen souls, making him more powerful and bringing him closer to his “daughter”. John Doe bites the dust with a wicked fall onto spikes and finds out he is not special and was just a pawn for Freddy’s twisted game. Carlos and Spencer are clear fillers and are around just to be used as characters to get over the top deaths. Tracy is used to almost bridge the Nightmare on Elm Street film gaps and almost has a dream master kind of power where she can enter someone else’s dreams. Maggie is confused and seems almost lost in this issue as she pieces together that she must have lived in Springwood and that she is watching teens die from unknown reasons in horrific ways. The film strolls away from following the film to a T and the deaths of both Spencer and Carlos while similar have large sections missing in the jump from film to comic. Over all the art work is good. The cover is better than last issue and this is a solid issue to add the meat to the story. Let’s get ready for issue 3, the final issue in the film adaptation of Freddy’s Dead.

Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare # 3 **1/2
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.50 Innovation Comics #3 of 3

Maggie and Tracy return to the youth home and find that no one remembers Carlos, Spencer or John besides Doc. It’s as if they all never existed. Maggie’s nightmares get worse, and she finds out that she is adopted, and that she is in fact the daughter of Freddy Kruger. Freddy meanwhile attacks Tracy in her dreams and acts as her abusive father, but she survives the attack and warns the others of Freddy’s powers. Doc teaches Maggie how to go into her dreams and enter the mind of Freddy who has gained his power off three dream demons by using 3-D movie glasses. She goes into the deep dark secrets of Freddy as she sees the death of her own mother, the abuse he took at the hands of his step dad and even his sick and bullied days at school. Maggie is able to pull Freddy out of her dream and into the real world where she battles her dad to the death and uses a pipe bomb to end his terror once and for all.

In this final issue Maggie gets tough and knows that she alone must try and stop her father Freddy’s bloody rampage once and for all and does so with the help of Doc, Tracy, 3-D Glasses and a heck of a lot of weapons. Maggie was an okay character and is likeable for the most part in comic form, but I feel she is not fully fleshed out as a character. Freddy is the same throughout the 3 issues and seems less threatening on these comic pages than he did in the film. For the most part his murders seem rushed and not as overblown as they are on film. Doc and Tracy are after thoughts in this issue and are nothing more then bit players who fill background space and plot holes. The artwork in this issue is the same as the past two and while very 90’s looking, it holds the charm of that independent horror comic look and feel giving it brownie points, and ye,s some of it looks bad. The cover for this issue is Freddy playing a video game with Carlos on the bottom with his ears bleeding. While a cool cover, everything on it happened in the last issue. Over all this is a a fun comic mini series based on the last Nightmare on Elm Street film….well that is until 1994 when Wes Craven made New Nightmare.

I grew up like most horror kids of the 80’s loving and being terrified by Freddy Kruger and nothing can erase the memory of watching the original A Nightmare on Elm Street at a young age and being chilled to the bone and loving every minute of it. Freddy Kruger, much like Jason Voorhees (Friday The 13^th), Michael Myers (Halloween), Leatherface (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Pinhead (Hellraiser) and a few more, are modern day versions of the old bogeyman stories or even this generation’s versions of monsters from the past like Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster and The Wolf Man. By this I mean they are timeless now and will live forever in the world of horror. The original films based on these characters will always be considered classics and will spawn re-makes, re-imagines and sequels for decades to come. While Freddy’s Dead didn’t keep its promise and the film itself is a mediocre sequel, the build up to the film makes it more special in my eyes, and I will forever remember the question I would ask my brother “Is Freddy really dead?”.

Next update I think we will go to the world of Marvel Comics as they brought us film adaptions of classic films of the 80’s that I will be calling “Marvel At The Movies.” So make sure to get your ticket early, and get in line quick to get a good seat because that update might be a sell out! Until then, read a comic or two and enjoy your read.