Tomb of Dracula #26 (1974)

Pawnshop owner Joshua Eshcol has found the final components to a mystical statue called the Chimera - a symbolic creature of nightmares. His son David is concerned about what sort of power it might bring. While debating the danger of the statue, they are suddenly gassed by a group of men who have broken in to steal the statue. When the smoke clears, David notices that clutched in his dead father's hand, is the tail of the Chimera, which had been broken off in the melee. Meanwhile, in far off India, Taj Nital is putting away his belongings in a rented room when he is visited by an old friend, Ramon. He asks Taj to forgive his wife for the accident that took the use of her legs and his voice and accept the fact that his son is dead. Taj then strikes out at his friend, who allows Taj to strike him as many times as need be, begging him to go to his wife. While back in London, Dracula is walking the streets when he is stopped by a group of muggers who attempt to rob him. Dracula simply uses his hypnotic powers to make them fight each other to the death. Finding that the altercation has taken up precious time, he turns into bat form and flies to his intended location: Joshua Eschol's pawn shop. He arrives just in time to see the dead body of Joshua before he is asked to leave the scene by Scotland Yard. Noticing that David has the tail of the Chimera statue, Dracula decides to the boy is worth following. David ends up walking down the street where he runs into Shiela Whittier, Dracula's familiar, who was using her museum credentials to see David's father. Under the guise of concern over David's father's death, she manages to close enough to the boy for Dracula and learn what the vampire lord needs to know about the statue, that it was stolen by parties unknown. While not too far away, one of the thieves calls in to his master to inform him of the missing piece of the Chimera statue, he is berated by his employer who orders him to get the missing piece of the statue no matter the cost. While elsewhere, Frank Drake gets reacquainted with an old friend, Chastity Jones, on a very intimate level before leaving with her to go to South America, the first step on figuring out who he is, an adventure that will lead to unknown horrors along the way. And back with David and Shiela, who are traveling to the home of Lydia, an old woman who was the midwife to David's mother to learn what they can about the origins of the Chimera Statue. Lydia explains that the statue was made centuries ago in ancient Atlantis and could give those the power of the Cosmic Eternal. Since its creation it's always exchanged hands through violence over the years until was destroyed and it's parts scattered until they were recently reassembled. While elsewhere in London, Dracula manages to track down the headquarters of the mastermind behind the theft of the Chimera statue. However, the master planner of this plot has foreseen Dracula's involvement and is prepared. Trapping Dracula in the office with metal shutters on the windows, the mystery mastermind reveals himself to be Dracula's foe Doctor Sun. Before Dracula can begin to try and escape, a panel in the roof slides open an pure holy water begins to fill the room, threatening to destroy Dracula on contact. This story is continued next issue...