What If? X-Men vs. The Universal Monsters! Who would win?!!

[JaseSF]

In a secluded castle deep in the heart of America, a strange dark figure suddenly realizes his mind is being probed by some unseen outside force. He uses his own sinister powers to block this force but it is too late--He has been discovered. He sends his attendant Ygor out to fetch his compatriots for he knows company is coming and he wants them to be prepared to defend his and his fellow creatures sanctuary from the outside world. His name is Count Dracula--aside from Ygor his castle surroundings are also inhabited by some other famous creatures who defend the castle and their master who provides them with sanctuary. There's the man who runs wild and hunts the night(a creature who even the other monsters are wary of--The Wolf Man), the Creature created by Dr. Frankenstein who now serves the will of the Count, The Creature that lives in The Black Lagoon that surrounds the castle, The Mummy who searches at night for those who have disturbed his rest and finally the Invisble Man who simply wants to make use of the lab to cure himself and his madness.

Hundred of Miles away, another man has made a strange discovery--a mind he could not probe--how can this be? He had begun to probe the area when he heard rumours of large numbers of people disappearing and police and officials baffled as to how so many people could disappear without a trace on the news. This man--one Prof. Charles Xavier summons 5 of his best X-Men recruits to fly with him in the blackbird and investigate what might be behind this strange force. There's Wolverine(the man with great healing power, claws and a savage beast inside which he must fight to control), Storm (a woman who controls the elements themselves and has them do her bidding), Cyclops (team leader who must wear protective goggles to control the violent and destructive beams which shoot out from his eyes), Rogue (who has super strength, can fly and absorbs the strenth and power of whomever she touches but has limited control over her extraordinary powers) and Beast (an extremely athletic, intelligent and well read man with the curse of looking like a monster).

What would happen next?? Would the X-Men put and end to Dracula and his monsterous followers or would the monsters finally put the kibosh on this group of X-Men??

[the ghoul]

It depends on how you look at it.  I don't know a whole lot about the X-Men, but if they know (and who doesn't?), or if they do their homework and find out about, the weaknesses of the Universal monsters (as in the stake through the heart for Drac, silver bullets for Wolfie, Fire for the Frankenstien monster)  I don't think the X-Men would have any problem delivering a quick demise to each and every one of them, especially considering the X-Men's super powers.  (If old Edward Van Sloan Van Helsing could handle Drac., why shouldn't the X-Men be able to?) But the Universal monsters always come back somehow, and would probably still be coming back to life over and over again long after the X-Men are all dead.

[JaseSF]

Interesting way of looking at things ghoul. Imagination is more than welcome in this thread. Me, what I find interesting is how the X-Men are essentially heroic "monsters" while the Universal classic ones are for the most part evil. Still there seems a certain kinship there...Wolverine appearance-wise is something like The Wolf Man but his past is a little more akin to the Frankenstein Monster. Professor Xavier and Dracula has some similarities as one could tell from my initial post although Dracula seems the most evil and arguably the most powerful of all the Universal monsters. Beast of course look monsterous but is more akin to the Beast from Beauty and the Beast in that he's well learned and a likeable fellow. Rogue can't touch anyone. Storm controls the elements and might be considered a freak of nature. Personally I think the Universal monsters under the control of the Count would give the X-Men quite a battle and the X-Men might very well try and convert the Monsters to join with them. In the end, I suspect that some of the Universal monsters would join the X-Men and some of the X-Men would fall under the spell of Count Dracula.