Alec Prelude

Original Player: Agent Prelude

Plainly, Alec's name originates from Prelude's own forum account (Alec instead of Agent, Prelude for both). Agent originally conceived him as a warrior, one with a deeper connection to Christianity than some of the other characters in the game. It was Romania/Wallachia, though, so this connection to religion is to be expected -- if you weren't religious, you were odd (or a witch). It was a stark counterpoint to Darkmoon (who we'll discuss in a bit).

Alec was a bit reserved, a bit innocent (not knowing all the ins-and-outs of vampire hunting)... and a bit of a drinker -- he seemed to love a weird concoction made from mixing ale and tomato juice (really).

Eventually, as the game evolved, Alec showed his prowess with swords and Light magic... and also with the keen ability to be attacked by everything that lived in the lands (usually being knock unconscious time and again).

Alec became a vampire hunter after his family was attacked by a vampire (and the vampire's wolves -- the wolf apparently being that vampire's animal to call). That vampire, sadly, was never caught, and was never seen in the game (although, presumably, had the game gone on longer, it would have been worked into the plot).

Differences with the Comic Version:

Well, plainly the character in the comic is more naive and innocent than the forum version -- that aspect of his personality was enhanced to make him better play off of Darkmoon (and also because it was funny).

The religion was played up as well, becoming a defining aspect of his character (making him a Holy Warrior in the comic when he was just a warrior with religious leanings in the game).

Alec actually isn't as much of a drinker in the comic, having only been seen to drink on a few, rare occasions.

He's also not much of a "bullet sponge". Alec can handle his own in combat, more than able to defend himself (the role of punching bag falling on Darkmoon more).

Of course, the biggest change is a completely different origin story. The tragic hero is done a lot in games, and while it could have been kept for the comic, it would have forced his character to be less innocent.

Xavier Darkmoon

Original Player: Darkmoon Firelyte

Every time I have to explain the fact that Darkmoon, the character, is different from Darkmoon, the person, I curse this game. Much like with Agent Prelude/Alec Prelude, the two Darkmoon's are linked by the relation to the forum names.

Conceived as a vampire with a soul Darkmoon was plainly aping the character "Angel" from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off series. Both have souls, given to them by gypsies. In Darkmoon's case, the demonic side was (almost) completely removed and Darkmoon can never lose his soul (well, unless it were to be forcibly taken via magic, but that never even came up in the game).

Darkmoon's origins are actually fairly similar to those of his comic's background. In both he is the "son" of Dracula, one of the few vampires Dracula embraced. He served for a time in Dracula's castle as the D-vamp's right-hand man.

After Darkmoon gained his soul back, he became disgusted with the evil things he had done as a vampire and vowed to destroy Dracula whenever Dracula's returned to the mortal plain. Working against him was Alana (who, in the comic became Raye), a female vampire and Darkmoon's ex-lover (from his days in Dracula's castle).

The most interesting detail of his character was his personality, which was much darker than in the comic. For the most part he was a calm, quiet person, looking most human (and even referring to himself only as Xavier). It was when he had to act as a vampire, tapping into the powers he still had, that his personality went as close to demonic as it still could (and he started calling himself Darkmoon)... Really, it was an attempt to be cool, but which comes across now, years later, as weird and emo.

Weirdly, Darkmoon still had his bunny. That bunny was a weird, magical creature that knew more than he ever said... so at least that part is the same (ha ha).

Differences with the Comic Version:

Well, for one, the comic Darkmoon is a rather crappy warrior, not at all heroic. He's motivated mostly be greed and self-interest instead of the desire to rid the land of evil (and, of course, to get revenge).

Darkmoon had a host of powers, not the least of which was his vampire charms, which were intact. He used them to seduce barmaids for blood (although he didn't do much on the sexual side of things, a drastic difference from Darkmoon the lecherous comic character).

He also was able to enter churches, which comic Darkmoon has never been able to do.

Finally, Darkmoon almost always ended up saving the group, which his counter-point has never really done.

Katrina

Original Player: Miss Mab

Named Katrina because she was part-cat (so creative), Katrina had the fewest differences between her forum and comic incarnations. As in the comic, Katrina was a sorceress. She was found, trapped in the castle of a vampire (one of the Barons working for Dracula).

As in the comic she was a wild mage (a magic user prone to bouts of uncontrollable magic during casting). She was also cursed, like in the comic, to be a half-cat, half human (cursed because of her wild magic).

Differences with the Comic Version:

The biggest difference between the two versions was that Katrina, in the game, had almost no back-story. Aside form being cursed, we knew nothing about her. She wasn't trained by Shaft to be a sorceress, she didn't go to magic school (that we know of), and (presumably) wasn't chased out of her home town when her magic first manifested.

Additionally, Katrina did not have any specific magic focus. Unlike in the comic, where that Katrina seems to prefer fire magic, game Katrina used whatever magic she wanted, without specialization.

Eden

In the game, Eden appeared one day, an Angel of Death who had left Heaven to spend his days whoring and adventuring (and, more importantly, in that order). Of course, to say "left Heaven" fails to convey the fact that he was kicked out of heaven for being a drunken womanizer and told, in no uncertain terms, never to come back.

In the span of three posts Eden joined up, established his "Angelhood", found three women at a bar, and went off with them to bed... and then never posted again.

Differences with the Comic Version:

Eden served as the somewhat loose inspiration for Angel in the comic. Although both are womanizers, Eden was so much worse -- Eden's need to fornicate was pretty much the only defining character trait, either in his posts or his bio.

Additionally, Angel is not an Angel of Death, so those powers that would have been conveyed did not carry over.

And, of course, Angel lasted for more than three comics, so plainly he's got Eden beat in that department.

Princess

Princess was never in the game. She was a character created by Mab specifically for the comic to serve as a foil to Katrina.

That said, there are some major differences between the original Princess concept to the final version:

1. Her love affair with Katrina was never supposed to end. Unlike in the final version, where Princess eventually gives up on Katrina and moves on, she was originally supposed to always be in love with her fair heroine, one day even possibly wearing Katrina down until the woman final reciprocated.
2. Princess was supposed to be a send up of Princess Zelda and Princess Peach. Although some elements have come through (her ability to quick change a la Zelda/Sheik, her pink dress a la Peach), she's really got her own style, one unlike the other princesses.
3. Princess was far more innocent in her original concept, not unlike a 16 year old girl -- constantly enamored with every new thing that came her way, always impressed by anything her crush would do. She was also more prudish, which is something the comic Princess gave up long, long ago.