Rachel Van Helsing
Rachel Van Helsing was a female character who featured in Marvel Comics.
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Biography
Rachel van Helsing was the great-granddaughter of Abraham Van Helsing (the legendary vampire hunter whose exploits against the vampire lord Dracula were chronicled in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula) and a distant relative of Noah van Helsing. As a child, Rachel was witness to the murders of her parents at the hands of Dracula, in revenge for his defeat by Abraham Van Helsing. Rachel was subsequently raised by vampire hunter Quincy Harker, who was Dracula's most persistent enemy in the 20th century.
While earning her PhD in anthropology and studying parapsychology, Rachel was trained as a vampire hunter by Harker. When Dracula led a large vampire attack on a village in India, Rachel slew the vampire that had bitten the boy Adri Nital using her wooden crossbow, and drove Dracula off when he tried to slay the boy’s father, Taj Nital. Taj joined the band of vampire hunters both in gratitude and for revenge against Dracula for his son’s transformation into a vampire.
Rachel and Taj were later joined by Frank Drake. Rachel and Frank fell in love, and Frank joined Harker’s organization of vampire hunters. They clashed repeatedly with Dracula over the years, and Harker finally slew him at the cost of his own life. Following Harker’s death, at his request Rachel tried to find happiness with Frank, but due to his feelings of inadequacy and her emotional inhibitions they ultimately parted.
After leaving her teaching job at University of Oxford and becoming a visiting professor at Bard College in New York, Rachel was taken by surprise by Dracula, who killed her and turned her into a vampire. Rachel became his consort and ally when he clashed with the X-Men and his daughter Lilith, who had possessed Kitty Pryde at that time, over the Montesi Formula. Dracula then brought her to his castle and used her as a pawn against the X-Men. Dracula had namely also bitten the X-woman Storm and had her under his influence as well, although she was no vampire like Rachel just yet. The X-men came to rescue Storm and fought Dracula but where overwhelmed by his power. During this battle, Dracula was unable to maintain the concentration required to keep the strong-willed Rachel van Helsing under his control. Appalled at what she had become and what she had done, she hurled a spear through Dracula’s heart and killed him again. At her request, Wolverine gave her a merciful death by driving a stake into her heart. Rachel however ultimately regained some of her will back and aided the X-Men in slaying Dracula. When peace came to the castle once again, Rachel asked the X-men to kill her before her hunger took over, for she could not live with the idea of being a vampire. The X-man Wolverine brought her outside to a beautiful cliff at the water-side where the sun was about to come up. At the moment that the sun came up, Wolverine hugged Rachel and putt a wooden stake through her heart. Rachel's last view was that of a beautiful sunset as she uttered the words 'so beautiful'.
Devastated by Rachel's death, Frank Drake joined with Hannibal King and Blade in assisting Dr. Strange with the recovery of the Darkhold so that its Montesi Formula could be used to destroy Dracula. The Montesi formula worked for some time, but over time, Dracula returned. The group however remained together to fight occult villains and demons. Months later, Frank Drake avenged Rachel's death at Dracula's hands by playing a major role in assisting Doctor Strange in casting the Montesi Formula, the spell which destroyed Dracula and all other vampires on Earth. Many years later, Blade was tricked into casting a spell that was supposed to resurrect all the vampires that had been killed.
Overview
Personality and attributes
After being turned by Dracula, she came to obediently serve all his commands. This was until his hold over her was broken and she regained her old sense of self. It was then that she begged Wolverine to grant her a merciful death as she did not wish to remain trapped as a vampire. (X-Men Annual v1 #6)
Powers and abilities
Later on, she was killed and turned into a vampire by Dracula himself. This led to her gaining all the traits of an undead vampire including a thirst for blood. At the time, she was under the mental domination of Dracula and obediently followed all his commands. This was until his hold over her was broken which was when she regained her old sense of self. (X-Men Annual v1 #6)
Notes
- Rachel Van Helsing was created by Archie Goodwin and Gene Colan where she made her first appearance in Tomb of Dracula #3 (July, 1972).
In other media
Films
Appearances
- Tomb of Dracula v1: (1972)
External Link
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