History
Early Life[]
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Professor Abraham van Helsing was a legendary monster hunter during the mid to late 1800s, where he frequently clashed with Count Vlad Dracula, the king of all vampires.[3] Professor Abraham, at some point, met the ancient mutant Apocalypse and mistook him for a vampire because of his appearance.[4]
Meeting Dracula[]
As a young man he met and married a woman named Elisabeth. Later van Helsing received news from lawyers that he had inherited land in Wallachia from a distant relative. He traveled to Romania for a conference with lawyers in Bistritz, while Elizabeth went ahead to prepare their new manor for the night. During the conference, van Helsing became engrossed in studying a collection of Hun and Magyar artifacts owned by one of the lawyers. When he finally arrived at the manor, he discovered his wife missing but found several corpses marked with XXX burned underneath bite marks on their necks. Armed with a gun from his brother Boris in the United States, he left in a frantic search. In Bistritz, he encountered the Children of Judas, a vampire coven in service to Dracula. He also learned about the location of the Grand Sabbath of the vampires, although he initially assumed the Children of Judas were human occultists with mental illnesses. Determined to rescue Elizabeth, he arrived at the scene to find her bound on an altar, surrounded by Dracula and thirteen Children of Judas. Van Helsing attempted to open fire with normal bullets, only to witness their ineffectiveness. The timely arrival of a group of priests and soldiers saved him, although Elizabeth succumbed to the vampires. Despite their advice to behead or stake Elizabeth's corpse, van Helsing insisted on burying her in the manorial vault. The priests informed him of what needed to be done in three days. Standing guard in the vault, van Helsing witnessed Elizabeth's return as a vampire. In a heartbreaking act, he destroyed her and swore vengeance against Dracula.[5]
Dracula in London[]
In 1890, while he was teaching pathology in London, van Helsing was contacted by a former student, Dr. Jack Seward to lend his professional opinion on the illness of socialite Lucy Westenra, who was dying from blood loss.
When Count Dracula arrived at Whitby on the Demeter, he almost immediately began hunting for fresh victims. Count Dracula found Lucy Westenra, a friend of Mina Harker's, and began the seduction that would ultimately transform Lucy into a vampire. Lucy’s fiancé, Arthur Holmwood, discovered that Lucy was sick, and seeked the aid of Doctor Doctor John Seward and Professor Abraham Van Helsing. But neither of them were able to save Lucy's life. Lucy died and rose from the grave as a vampire. Arthur, and Professor Van Helsing went to her tomb and captured her during sunrise. They hammered a wooden stake through her heart, destroying her.
Jonathan and Mina returned from Budapest and learned about everything that has happened to Lucy. Jonathan even saw Count Dracula striding down the streets of London. Jonathan told Professor Van Helsing and Arthur of his trials at Castle Dracula, and Professor Van Helsing understood that Dracula must have been the vampire lord responsible for turning Lucy into one of the undead. During the next few evenings, Count Dracula discovered Mina Harker and bagan seducing her. Jonathan, Doctor Seward, Arthur, and Professor Van Helsing learned that the only way to save Mina from suffering a fate similar to Lucy’s was to destroy Dracula.
They banded together and flushed the vampire out of London. They trailed him back to his castle in Transylvania where they waited until the sun rose. Catching Count Dracula powerless inside his dungeon coffin, they stabbed at him with wooden stakes and sharp knives until he was apparently destroyed.[6]
Apocalypse Vs. Dracula[]
In London, Dracula commenced a sinister campaign, preying upon the members of Clan Akkaba, the descendants of Apocalypse.[4]. Jack Starsmore, a Clan member and part of the local constabulary, delved into the mysterious killings, launching an investigation into the grim occurrences. Prof van Helsing, drawn to the nature of the killings, sought out Jack Starsmore and uncovered Dracula's involvement.[4]. Starsmore, in turn, led van Helsing to Apocalypse and the rest of Clan Akkaba. Drawing on his past encounters with an Egyptian vampire race, Apocalypse believed van Helsing's revelations and agreed to join him in visiting the morgue. There, they faced the now fully vampirized Clan Akkaba members, whom they ultimately vanquished. Simultaneously, Slade brought Dracula to Alexandria House, the base of Clan Akkaba, and instructed his mother, Margaret Slade, to meet their new guest. Dracula's insidious influence continued to spread, leading to the vampirization of the entire Clan Akkaba, with exceptions including Margaret, Jack, and Frederick, who had accompanied Apocalypse.[7].
Slade and the vampirized Clan Akkaba ambushed Apocalypse, van Helsing, Starsmore, and Ferguson upon their return to Clan Akkaba. Ferguson's teleportation skills saved them from immediate danger, but the vampires persisted, tracking them down for a second assault. However, the vampires met their demise with the arrival of dawn. During the skirmish, Apocalypse suffered a vampire bite, and Dracula retreated to his Transylvanian Castle.[7]. Dracula, now fortified in his castle, unleashed his legions against Apocalypse, van Helsing, Starsmore, and Ferguson. Amidst the chaos, Apocalypse faced Dracula in a confrontation, only to fall victim to the vampire bite, rendering him susceptible to his control. Prof van Helsing intervened, throwing holy water in Dracula's face. Seizing the opportunity, Apocalypse exploited Dracula's vulnerability, impaling him through the heart and decapitating him. Despite this decisive victory, Apocalypse, asserting his own will, declined to follow van Helsing's instructions further. He left Dracula's body without a permanent stake in its heart or the customary burning of the remains.[8]
Later Adventures[]
Professor Van Helsing then left Europe to head to the Americas, having heard of large, white furred, man-eating monsters in the north, also known as Wendigos.
Death[]
He was eventually ambushed by Dracula and killed.[9]Attributes
Abilities
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Weapons
See Also
- 15 appearance(s) of Abraham van Helsing (Earth-616)
- 10 mention(s) of Abraham van Helsing (Earth-616)
- 3 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Abraham van Helsing (Earth-616)
- 5 image(s) of Abraham van Helsing (Earth-616)
- 4 victim(s) killed by Abraham van Helsing (Earth-616)