History
Castle Frankenstein is the name commonly attributed to the ancestral home of the infamous Frankenstein Family. There have been several edifices that have been called Castle Frankenstein, but the most famous of which exists in Geneva, Switzerland. The original castle was a massive fortress erected by Arbogast von Frankenstein, the progenitor of the Frankenstein family line. Located in the mountains south of the Rhine, it was the scene of epic jousting tournaments and savage battles between Frankish warriors and neighboring aggressors.[1]
17th century[]
In 1662, Hans von Frankenstein abandoned the castle following an incident concerning the Scheusslischer Lindwurm and the Puritan, Solomon Kane. The castle remained empty for several decades. In the early 18th century, alchemist Johann Konrad Dippel developed a meager version of a Philosopher's Stone which he dubbed Arcanum Chymicum. He sold it to the Landgrave of Hesse in exchange for the title to Castle Frankenstein. Dippel became the first individual to hold the title of Baron von Frankenstein.[1]
18th century[]
In the mid-late 18th century, Castle Frankenstein was the home of Alphonse Frankenstein and his wife, Caroline Beaufort-Frankenstein. Alphonse and Caroline raised four children in the mansion. Their oldest son was Victor Frankenstein, followed by Ernst and William. They had also adopted a young orphaned girl named Elizabeth Lavenza. Elizabeth would one day marry her adoptive brother, Victor. Victor Frankenstein earned a cursed reputation in the history books as the creator of a monstrous creature that has since become known as Frankenstein's Monster. Contrary to popular belief however, the monster was actually created in a laboratory in Ingolstadt, Bavaria and not at Castle Frankenstein.[2]
19th century[]
In the mid 19th century, Jason Frankenstein (presumably the son of Ernst Frankenstein), occupied the Geneva castle for an indeterminate amount of time. Very little is known of Jason’s life at Castle Frankenstein, but for the fact that he left the castle at some point in the late 1870s. The castle eventually came into the hands of a military soldier named Colonel Blackstone. A sadist, Colonel Blackstone came into possession of a giant spider, that had the ability to absorb the souls of men. Blackstone used the spider's abilities to enslave dozens of misshapen freaks, forcing them do his bidding. These unfortunates lived in squalor in the depths of the castle dungeons. In 1898, the Frankenstein Monster returned to the lands of his creation in the hopes of finding any vestige of the Frankenstein family line. He came to the castle and fought with Blackstone and his giant spider. During this episode, the section of castle wall facing the sea was destroyed, and gallons of water poured in, drowning Colonel Blackstone and his abominations.
London castle[]
Near the turn of the century, Vincent Frankenstein, the great-grandson of Ernest Frankenstein, lived in a mansion in London, England, which has also become known as Castle Frankenstein. Like his ancestors, Vincent used the lower dungeons of the castle to perform mysterious scientific experiments.[3] Vincent died before completing any of his work, but he was survived by a son, Basil.[4]
20th century[]
Basil Frankenstein eventually moved back into the ancestral family home in Geneva. By the 1940s, Basil began collaborating with the Nazis and turned Castle Frankenstein into a Nazi proving ground. He inherited the notes of Victor Frankenstein and used them to create an army of undead Nazi warriors. One of his strongest warriors was a creature not unlike the original Frankenstein Monster. Unlike his ancestor however, Basil was able to maintain control over his monsters through the use of electronic implants. In early 1942, the wartime heroes known as the Invaders raided Castle Frankenstein and fought the Nazi zombies. The Frankenstein Monster broke free of Basil's control and sacrificed his own life to stop Basil Frankenstein.[5]
The castle remained relatively unused in the post-war years, but in time, it became the home of Basil's son, Ludwig Frankenstein. Ludwig equipped the castle with an electro-ray barrier designed to prevent intrusion from the peasants of the countryside. Ludwig's neighbors knew well the legacy that spawned from Castle Frankenstein. Following in the footsteps of his ancestors, Ludwig Frankenstein used his scientific genius to create Experiment X, an artificial life form imbued with the Power Cosmic. Frankenstein had managed to siphon power from the Silver Surfer in order to give his creation great power. The Silver Surfer fought with this Frankensurfer, and the artificial being ultimately met an untimely end.[6]
Years later, Veronica Frankenstein inherited Castle Frankenstein.Residents
See Also
- 21 appearance(s) of Castle Frankenstein
- 1 minor appearance(s) of Castle Frankenstein
- 1 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Castle Frankenstein
- 2 image(s) of Castle Frankenstein