Trama

Graverobbers stumble upon the tomb of a vampire, who turns them into zombies to do his bidding, which is to stalk and capture beautiful women.

In Sierra Negra, two grave robbers steel the coffin of Count Karol de Lavud from the crypt, despite the resistance of María Teresa. They head by car to a hospital, where the greedy Barraza sees a medallion when the coffin is opened and demands more money from his partner, Doctor Mendoza. Meanwhile, at the same hospital, Marta González is working as a nurse with Dr. Enrique Saldívar and still recovering from the events in Sicomorros. When Dr. Mendoza seeks out Dr. Enrique to tell that he has stolen the vampire coffin to study his cells, Barraza returns to the room and remove the wood stake to steal Count Lavud's medallion. The vampire returns to life and begins a crime spree in the city, hunting down Marta to marry her.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

NOTE: Sequel to "El Vampiro" (1957)

Doctor Mendoza [Carlos Ancira] has heard so much about the vampire encountered by his colleague, Doctor Enrique Zaldívar [Abel Salazar], at Marta González's [Ariadna Welter] hacienda that he and his henchman, ex-con Barraza [Yeire Beirute], went back to Sierra Negra and found the coffin. Mendoza knows that the corpse is that of a vampire because it has no reflection in a mirror...or rather, the flesh has no reflection. Although Count Lavud's [Germán Robles] body looks as fresh to the eye as the day he was destroyed, all that reflects in a mirror is his skeleton. Consequently, Mendoza is bringing the corpse to Louis Pasteur Hospital in order to conduct experiments on it and find out how much of the vampire legend is true. Are vampires really sensitive to the sun? Do they really need to drink blood? Can they really turn into bats? Are they really immortal?

On the other hand, Enrique adheres to his original belief that Duval is simply a normal person with a liking for blood. Enrique's almost convinced Marta of the same. He's been treating her and is, in fact, planning to release her from the hospital tomorrow so that she can go back to the Teatro (theater) where she works as a dancer. That is, until Mendoza brings Duval's corpse to the hospital. At first, Enrique is outraged that his colleague would engage in grave-robbing, but he eventually agrees to help on the condition that they burn the body at the end of the experiments. When they leave the room in order to get the instruments for dissection, however, Barraza climbs in the window, opens the coffin, and attempts to remove an ornate brooch from around Duval's neck. In doing so, he dislodges the stake, Lavud revives, makes a renfield out of Barraza, and escapes.

Marta's aunt María Teresa [Alicia Montoya], who witnessed Mendoza and Barraza carting away the coffin and tried to stop them, comes to the hospital to warn Enrique that Duval's body has been stolen. When she hears that the coffin is actually at that very hospital, she especially fears for Marta because Marta has already been bitten once by Duval. If she's bitten again, she will turn into a vampire, so the three of them -- Enrique, María Teresa, and Mendoza -- comb the hospital for Lavud. It is too late, however, for Lavud has been wandering the halls and come upon a little girl lying asleep in her hosital bed. As he bends over to bite her neck, she awakens and screams. Lavud runs to another room and is surprised to see Marta standing before him. Lavud sees fate knocking and hypnotizes her to obey his will. By the time Enrique comes to her room, Marta is passed out on the floor and Lavud has disappeared.

Meanwhile at the Museo de Cera (wax museum), a tour group is being introduced to the wax figures of murderers and instruments of execution, such as the gallows, the guillotine. and the Virgin of Nuremberg, an iron maiden fitten with eight inch spears embedded in the door. After the tour is over and the group has left, the guide is surprised to see his old cellmate Barraza standing among the wax figures. Barraza needs a place to stay, and the basement of the Museo will do just fine, thank you, or else. Shortly thereafter, María Teresa and Mendoza come knocking on the Museo door, looking for Lavud's corpse. While Barraza and Mendoza search among the figures, María Teresa makes her way down into the basement where she finds Lavud's coffin. Unfortunately, Lavud has been following them, too. When María Teresa finds the coffin and calls to Mendoza for help, Lavud strangles Mendoza. María Teresa attempts to hide in the iron maiden, but Barraza sees her shawl hanging out and closes the door on her, killing her instantly.

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Enrique has been trying to explain to the director about the vampire, but he is not believed, particularly now that the body, the coffin, and Dr Mendoza have all disappeared. Concerned for Marta's safety, Enrique makes her sit up with him, drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes, waiting for dawn. Marta reveals that she saw Duval in her room earlier that evening and wants to know what is going on. As Enrique explains about Mendoza bringing the vampire's body to the hospital, neither of them realizes that Duval is standing outside the door, mentally calling to Marta. Fortunately, Enrique intercepts her as she tries to leave the room. Thwarted and with dawn almost upon him, Duval returns to his coffin in the basement of the Museo.

In the morning, Marta is released from the hospital and returns to the theater with Enrique in tow. That evening, Lavud locates the theater where Marta is rehearsing and has a bite to drink from the cafe across the street. Enrique is summoned to tend to Lavud's dinner and recognizes the telltale bites on her neck. When he tells the police that the girl died from a vampire's bite, they don't believe him. Meanwhile, rehearsal has ended, and Marta is primping in her dressing room. Suddenly, Lavud appears. He removes the brooch from his neck and swings it in front of Marta's eyes, placing her in a trance, then places the brooch on her neck just as Enrique returns. When Enrique sees the brooch on Marta's neck, he realizes that the time has come for them to confront Duval. Marta has no idea how, but Enrique has a plan. As he explains it to her, telling her that she must not exchange the brooch for a crucifix, they do not realize that Duval is listening.

But first the show must go on. While Marta dances, Enrique searches the theater for signs of Duval. Following a jungle dance, Marta is lifted off the stage by a swing made of vines. When she nears the top of the scaffolding, Barraza is waiting for her. Marta fights him off, but a raise of Duval's hand places her in trance. As Duval carries Marta down many flights of metal stairs to where the Teatro links with the Museo, Barraza knocks out Enrique and follows his master, but Enrique recovers quickly and pursues. Duval carries Marta down into the Museo basement where he lays her on top his coffin. He lights some candles and places a ring on Marta's hand in preparation for making her his bride as Enrique and Barraza play cat and mouse upstairs among the wax figures. In their struggle, Barraza attempts to trap Enrique in the iron maiden, but he escapes.

In the basement, Duval is about to bite Marta for the second time when she suddenly comes out of the trance, screams, and races up the stairs and out into the Museo proper. Enrique pounces on Duval, and accidentally pushes Marta onto the rack of the guillotine, her neck fitting nicely in the slicer. Duval uses all his vampire tricks, such as disappearing and changing into a bat, but Enrique finally gets him by throwing a spear, which impales the bat against the wall, where he turns back into Duval. Marta comes out of her trance and sits up ... just in time. She has no sooner lifted her head from the guillotine when the blade falls.

The police come barreling down the stairs and catch Barraza, but it's all over except for the final kiss. [Original synopsis by bj_kuehl]