Escaping a monster takes guts. It takes strategy. It takes … a lot of garlic, at least for one bloodsucking creature of the night. Many more villains would gladly swallow you whole — seasoned or not.
How to escape a movie monster
An illustrated guide to surviving an attack by Dracula, the Mummy and other monsters
Fortunately for humankind, the writers and actors who brought these original cinematic spine-chillers to life also showed us all how to defeat them. Here’s a guide, in case you need to take on Dracula or wallop a Wolf Man this spooky season.
Dracula
The Quintessential Vampire
Dracula, a centuries-old vampire, was portrayed by Bela Lugosi as a charismatic and affable nobleman. With the power to transform into a bat, control minds and feed on the blood of the living, he is an enduring symbol of immortality and allure.
Dracula is known for his fear of sunlight, his ability to create other vampires and his intimate bites to the necks of his victims. Lugosi, who played Dracula, had a magnetic gaze that especially captivated female audiences at the time.
His formal attire points to his noble heritage.
6’1”
178
Height
weight
Intelligence
Strength
Charm
Speed
Weakness
To defeat him, use stakes, crucifixes, or garlic.
What would be your best options to escape?
Recommended
Not recommended
Run
Not recommended. Dracula can easily catch up with you by turning into a bat.
Hide
Try to hide in a safe place where the king of vampires can’t reach you.
Strike back
You can try confronting him armed with a crucifix or garlic.
Strategy
Aquire the services of Van Helsing, the infallible vampire hunter.
His formal attire points to his noble heritage.
Height
weight
Intelligence
Strength
Charm
Speed
Weakness
To defeat him, use stakes, crucifixes, or garlic.
What would be your best options to escape?
Recommended
Not recommended
Run
Strike back
Hide
Try to hide in a safe place where the king of vampires can’t reach you.
You can try confronting him armed with a crucifix or garlic.
Not recommended. Dracula can easily catch up with you by turning into a bat.
Strategy
Aquire the services of Van Helsing, the infallible vampire hunter.
His formal attire points to his noble heritage.
Height
weight
Intelligence
Strength
Charm
Speed
Weakness
To defeat him, use stakes, crucifixes, or garlic.
What would be your best options to escape?
Recommended
Not recommended
Run
Hide
Strike back
Try to hide in a safe place where the king of vampires can’t reach you.
You can try confronting him armed with a crucifix or garlic.
Not recommended. Dracula can easily catch up with you by turning into a bat.
Strategy
Aquire the services of Van Helsing, the infallible vampire hunter.
Frankenstein’s Monster
The Tragic Creation
Crafted by Dr. Victor Frankenstein, the Monster is a reanimated corpse pieced together from body parts. Boris Karloff portrayed him as a tragic and misunderstood figure, a robust being with limited speech who only wanted to be accepted and understood by humans. Despite a tremendous dose of makeup, Karloff found a way to communicate this deep tenderness — as well as fury.
Electrodes used in the process of reanimation
7’10”
331
Height
weight
Intelligence
Strength
Charm
Speed
Weakness
He’s often spooked and defeated by fire.
What would be your best options to escape?
Recommended
Not recommended
Run
Frankenstein's monster is not characterized by its speed.
Hide
Find a way to shelter near a fire, which is what this creature fears the most.
Strike back
If you value your safety, don’t dare to confront the monster.
Strategy
Lure the monster to a sulfur pit, then trick him into falling into it.
Electrodes used in the process of reanimation
Height
weight
Intelligence
Strength
Charm
Speed
Weakness
He’s often spooked and defeated by fire.
What would be your best options to escape
Recommended
Not recommended
Hide
Run
Strike back
Frankenstein's monster is not characterized by its speed.
Find a way to shelter near a fire, which is what this creature fears the most.
If you value your safety, don’t dare to confront the monster.
Strategy
Lure the monster to a sulfur pit, then trick him into falling into it.
Electrodes used in the process of reanimation
Height
weight
Intelligence
Strength
Charm
Speed
Weakness
He’s often spooked and defeated by fire.
What would be your best options to escape
Recommended
Not recommended
Strike back
Hide
Run
Frankenstein's monster is not characterized by its speed.
Find a way to shelter near a fire, which is what this creature fears the most.
If you value your safety, don’t dare to confront the monster.
Strategy
Lure the monster to a sulfur pit, then trick him into falling into it.
The Mummy
The Past Resurrected
Imhotep, an ancient Egyptian priest brought back to life and wielding supernatural powers, yearns to reunite with his lost love. Wrapped in burial linens and fresh off his performance as Frankenstein’s Monster, Karloff plays Imhotep as another tragic figure with a taste for vengeance. Karloff spent about eight hours in the makeup chair to complete the look, yet only one scene in the movie shows him wrapped from head to toe.
5’11”
187
weight
Height
Intelligence
Strength
Charm
Speed
Weakness
Find the ancient scroll that brought him back to life and light it on fire.
What would be your best options to escape?
Recommended
Not recommended
Run
A good idea. This classic mummy has more mental abilities than physical ones.
Hide
Hiding can help you escape the mummy’s mind control.
Strike back
Challenging the mummy is never good idea. You won’t win against his psychic abilities.
Strategy
Bandages are highly flammable. Try setting them on fire.
Height
weight
Intelligence
Strength
Charm
Speed
Weakness
Find the ancient scroll that brought him back to life and light it on fire.
What would be your best options to escape
Recommended
Not recommended
Hide
Strike back
Run
Hiding can help you escape the mummy’s mind control.
Challenging the mummy is never good idea. You won’t win against his psychic abilities.
A good idea. This classic mummy has more mental abilities than physical ones.
Strategy
Bandages are highly flammable. Try setting them on fire.
Height
weight
Intelligence
Strength
Charm
Speed
Weakness
Find the ancient scroll that brought him back to life and light it on fire.
What would be your best options to escape
Recommended
Not recommended
Run
Hide
Strike back
A good idea. This classic mummy has more mental abilities than physical ones.
Hiding can help you escape the mummy’s mind control.
Challenging the mummy is never good idea. You won’t win against his psychic abilities.
Strategy
Bandages are highly flammable. Try setting them on fire.
The Wolf Man
The Inner Struggle
The Wolf Man grapples with a curse that transforms him into a ferocious creature during a full moon. This metamorphosis brings heightened strength, agility and an appetite for flesh. The character, portrayed by Lon Chaney Jr., explores the depths of inner turmoil and the battle between human and animal instincts. “The Wolf Man” was released in 1941, following Universal’s box-office flop “Werewolf of London” in 1935.
It may have a hunched or stooped posture,
6’3”
187
Height
weight
Intelligence
Strength
Charm
Speed
Weakness
Werewolves can be killed using silver bullets or the poisonous plant aconite.
What would be your best options to escape?
Recommended
Not recommended
Run
The werewolf has superhuman powers and enjoys hunting its prey, so running isn't your best option.
Hide
The werewolf’s sense of smell will likely suss you out, so hide in a place where its claws can’t reach you.
Strike back
Your only chance of survival is to shoot the werewolf with silver bullets.
Strategy
Before a full moon, chain him to something sturdy to prevent him from causing chaos.
It may have a hunched or stooped posture,
Height
weight
Intelligence
Strength
Charm
Speed
Weakness
Werewolves can be killed using silver bullets or the poisonous plant aconite.
What would be your best options to escape
Recommended
Not recommended
Run
Hide
Strike back
The werewolf’s sense of smell will likely suss you out, so hide in a place where its claws can’t reach you.
Your only chance of survival is to shoot the werewolf with silver bullets.
The werewolf has superhuman powers and enjoys hunting its prey, so running isn't your best option.
Strategy
Before a full moon, chain him to something sturdy to prevent him from causing chaos.
It may have a hunched or stooped posture,
Height
weight
Intelligence
Strength
Charm
Speed
Weakness
Werewolves can be killed using silver bullets or the poisonous plant aconite.
What would be your best options to escape
Recommended
Not recommended
Run
Hide
Strike back
The werewolf has superhuman powers and enjoys hunting its prey, so running isn't your best option.
The werewolf’s sense of smell will likely suss you out, so hide in a place where its claws can’t reach you.
Your only chance of survival is to shoot the werewolf with silver bullets.
Strategy
Before a full moon, chain him to something sturdy to prevent him from causing chaos.
The Invisible Man
Unbridled Power and Isolation
Jack Griffin, a scientist who discovers a formula for invisibility, descends into madness and criminal behavior. As an unseen threat, he represents the consequences of unbridled power and isolation. The movie, which starred Claude Rains and is based on a novel by H.G. Wells, earned an Oscar nomination for its special effects.
He wears bandages to make his head visible.
5’7”
176
weight
Height
Intelligence
Strength
Charm
Speed
Weakness
He can be detected by leaving visible footprints in snow or water.
What would be your best options to escape?
Recommended
Not recommended
Run
Running away is a good strategy. He's an evil genius, but not a speedster.
Hide
Bad idea. You never know where the Invisible Man may be.
Strike back
The excessive ego of the Invisible Man makes him susceptible to showing himself. You can use that to your advantage.
Strategy
A little bit of tech can help here. Use an infrared camera to detect his presence.
He wears bandages to make his head visible.
Height
weight
Intelligence
Strength
Charm
Speed
Weakness
He can be detected by leaving visible footprints in snow or water.
What would be your best options to escape
Recommended
Not recommended
Run
Strike back
Hide
Running away is a good strategy. He's an evil genius, but not a speedster.
Bad idea. You never know where the Invisible Man may be.
The excessive ego of the Invisible Man makes him susceptible to showing himself. You can use that to your advantage.
Strategy
A little bit of tech can help here. Use an infrared camera to detect his presence.
He wears bandages to make his head visible.
Height
weight
Intelligence
Strength
Charm
Speed
Weakness
He can be detected by leaving visible footprints in snow or water.
What would be your best options to escape
Recommended
Not recommended
Hide
Strike back
Run
Bad idea. You never know where the Invisible Man may be.
The excessive ego of the Invisible Man makes him susceptible to showing himself. You can use that to your advantage.
Running away is a good strategy. He's an evil genius, but not a speedster.
Strategy
A little bit of tech can help here. Use an infrared camera to detect his presence.
Each of these monsters possesses unique characteristics, powers and vulnerabilities that represent different facets of the human condition and tap into the fear of the unknown.
To uncover the truth in the shadows, visual journalist Manuel Canales enlisted the help of a few brave souls. Javier Pulido, a horror cinema expert, advised on the details of this chilling cast of creatures. Julie Vitkovskaya, Chiqui Esteban, Bonnie Berkowitz and Jeremy Hester edited these terrifying truths. The book “Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy of Horror” by Michael Mallory provided more reference to these nightmarish entities.
