Abraham Van Helsing
Encyclopedia
Professor Abraham van Helsing is a protagonist
from Bram Stoker
's 1897 novel, Dracula
.
Van Helsing is a Dutch
doctor with a wide range of interests and accomplishments, partly attested by the string of letters
that follows his name: "M.D.
, D.Ph.
, D.Litt.
, etc." The character is best known as a vampire hunter
, and the arch-enemy of Count Dracula
.
. Van Helsing's friendship with Seward is based in part upon an unknown prior event in which Van Helsing suffered a grievous wound and Seward saved his life by sucking out the gangrene
. It is Van Helsing who first realizes that Lucy is the victim of a vampire
and he guides Dr. Seward and his friends in their efforts to save Lucy.
In the novel, from the annotations of Leonard Wolf
, it is mentioned that Van Helsing had a son who died. Van Helsing says that his son, had he lived, would have had a similar appearance to another character, Arthur Holmwood. Consequently, Van Helsing developed a particular fondness of Holmwood. Van Helsing's wife went insane after their son's death, but as a devout Catholic
, he refuses to divorce her. ("with my poor wife dead to me, but alive by Church's law, though no wits, all gone, even I, who am faithful husband to this now-no-wife...")
Van Helsing is one of the few characters in the novel who is fully physically described in one place. In chapter 14, Mina describes him as:
Van Helsing's personality is described by John Seward
, his former student, thus:
In addition to this, Van Helsing has a well-developed, albeit ironic, sense of humor. When Arthur Holmwood
mournfully proclaims that the transfusion of his blood into the dying Lucy Westenra
made her truly his bride, Van Helsing laughs and tells John Seward that if such is the case, both Van Helsing and Lucy are guilty of adultery. Arthur was not alone in donating blood; Seward, his friend Quincey Morris, and Van Helsing himself have done it as well; Van Helsing also notes that although his wife is insane, the Catholic Church considers his wife to still be alive.
Adaptations of the novel have tended to play up Van Helsing's role as the vampire professional-expert, sometimes to the extent that it is depicted as his major occupation. In the novel, however, Dr. Seward is unaware of this side of his old friend, and requests Van Helsing's assistance simply because Lucy's affliction has him baffled and Van Helsing "knows as much about obscure diseases as any one in the world." Indeed, Van Helsing takes too much time (weeks and months) to recognise Lucy's illness, and seems to have no practical knowledge about vampires. Until her funeral, he tells no one his theory of Lucy's death.
Count Dracula
, having acquired ownership of England’s Carfax estate through solicitor Jonathan Harker
, moved to the estate and began menacing England. His victims included Lucy Westenra, who lived in Whitby
. The aristocratic
girl has suitors such as John Seward, Arthur Holmwood, and Quincey Morris, and has a best friend in Mina Murray, Jonathan Harker’s fiancée. Seward, who worked as a doctor in an insane asylum — where one of the patients, the incurably mad Renfield
, secretly serves Dracula — contacts Van Helsing about Lucy Westenra’s peculiar loss of blood. Van Helsing, recognizing the mark of the vampire, tries to save Lucy, but she dies and returns as a vampire. Eventually, Van Helsing and a heartbroken Arthur destroy the vampiric Lucy.
Van Helsing and his band of vampire hunters pursue Dracula back to Transylvania
. There, they chase him down the Borgo Pass and corner him. Armed with knives, Jonathan Harker and Quincey Morris slit Dracula's throat and impale his heart. Dracula's body then crumbles to dust.
Later, Van Helsing takes a grandfatherly role in regard to the young Quincey Harker, Jonathan and Mina's son.
(a renamed Count Dracula) and never meets the vampire face to face.
may not have had the first name "Abraham" as his case reads J. Van Helsing, as seen in The Brides of Dracula. In the series of Hammer Dracula films set in the 1970s, the character of Van Helsing is named Lawrence Van Helsing and is seen in the prologue (set in 1872) of Dracula AD 1972
. These movies had Dracula being resurrected in the 1970s only to meet Lawrence's grandson, Lorrimar Van Helsing, a "different" vampire hunter also played by Cushing.
In The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires
Cushing plays the original Van Helsing from the Hammer series. The film is set during 1904. Since Horror of Dracula was set in 1885, a 19-year gap between the settings corresponds roughly with the 16-year gap between the films, and the consequent difference in Cushing's appearance matches the aging Van Helsing would have undergone. However, the character is identified as Lawrence Van Helsing on the LP record of the movie, narrated by Peter Cushing and released to tie-in with the film's opening.
portrayed Professor Abraham Van Helsing in Dracula 2000
(he had previously appeared as a rather ineffective vampire hunter, Professor Paris Catalano, in Vampire in Venice). After defeating Count Dracula (Gerard Butler
), Van Helsing finds that the vampire lord cannot die in the conventional means of destroying a vampire and he only succeeded in paralysing him in a death-like state. Knowing that Dracula would inevitably rise again, Van Helsing imprisoned the vampire beneath his Carfax Abbey estate and used his blood- diluting it with leeches so that he can gain the immortality of the vampire without turning into a vampire himself- to prolong his life to find the means to destroy the immortal. His campaign against Dracula was noted by Bram Stoker, whom everyone believed that the writer wrote the fictional story which has a character sharing the same name as the professor. Since prolonging his life, the professor is forced to hide his true identity by posing as his own descendants to explain his uncanny resemblance to the Dutch doctor from 19th century, eventually living under the identity as his own grandson, Matthew. As a result of his daily injections with Dracula's blood, Van Helsing passed the traits to his daughter Mary (Justine Waddell
), whom he fathered with a modern 20th century woman. His wife discovered his true identity and his horrific mission, and left him with Mary in fear of her husband and Dracula. Nevertheless, despite allowing himself to become distant from his family for the benefits of his purpose, Van Helsing tracked his wife and daughter. He also formed a surrogate father/son relationship with his assistant, Simon Sheppard (Jonny Lee Miller
), as a means of easing the pain of missing his daughter. His wife eventually died in New Orleans, a United States
city located in the state of Louisiana
, where Mary attends college.
In 2000, Dracula finally escapes after a group of thieves steals his silver coffin from Van Helsing. The professor knows that Dracula can sense his daughter's existence, and heads to New Orleans to save her. Dracula, and his newly turned vampire consorts (Jennifer Esposito
, Jeri Ryan
, and Colleen Fitzpatrick
) kill the professor after he arrives at his wife's house, and his body is found by his daughter after she returns home. Simon, who was with his mentor, finds Mary and tell her of her father’s secrets and why Dracula hunts her.
Together, Mary and Simon defeat Dracula and his consorts. Mary and Simon return to London and imprison Dracula once more at Carfax Abbey, and Mary vows to continue her father's mission.
played Gabriel Van Helsing, the eponymous hero of Van Helsing (2004), loosely based on Bram Stoker's character. The name was changed from "Abraham" to "Gabriel" for two reasons: because the writer/director/producer, Stephen Sommers
, did not feel that "Abraham" was an appropriate name for an action hero, and because Universal
wanted copyright privileges to the character. The name change is accounted for in the story of the film, in which it is implied that Gabriel Van Helsing is actually the Archangel Gabriel in human form.
Evidence supporting this implication include Gabriel's memories of participating in ancient battles (including fighting the Romans
at Masada
in 73 A.D. — although this was in fact a siege as opposed to a pitched battle), references to him as the "Left Hand of God" (traditionally an epithet of the angel Gabriel), and, according to the film's novelization, a triangular scar on his back (a possible indication that he once had wings).
As a man, Gabriel hunts monsters for the Catholic Church, and in the movie is sent to Transylvania to kill Count Dracula
. When he arrives, Dracula tells Gabriel that they have already met and have quite a history together. In the video game adaptation of the movie, it is suggested that they once fought for the same side, but eventually parted ways for an unknown reason. At the movie's climax, Dracula reveals that it was Gabriel who killed him, leading him to make a Faustian bargain
and become a vampire. This ironic twist makes Gabriel Van Helsing the inadvertent creator of his own archnemesis. Van Helsing finally kills Dracula by allowing himself to transform into a werewolf, the venom in the werewolf's bite 'counteracting' the vampire venom and destroying Dracula for good.
Although it received mixed reviews, the film grossed over $120 million in the U.S. and more than $300 million worldwide.
Abraham Van Helsing was also portrayed in the The Tomb of Dracula Marvel Comics series, which was based on the characters of Bram Stoker's novel, but the chronology slightly differs from Bram Stoker's.
His first appearance is in Dracula Lives #3, in which a first encounter between a younger Van Helsing and Dracula is set up. A few days after marrying a woman named Elizabeth, lawyers informed Van Helsing that he had inherited land from a distant relative in Wallachia
. Traveling to Romania
, Van Helsing had a long conference with some lawyers in Bistritz
. Elizabeth went ahead to the manor to set it up for the night.
One lawyer whom Van Helsing talked to had a collection of Hun and Magyar artifacts, and Van Helsing lost track of the time studying them. When he arrived at the manor, he found his wife missing, but did discover several corpses, with "XXX" burned underneath bite marks on their necks. Armed with a gun from his brother Boris, who lived in the U.S., Van Helsing left, frantic.
Returning to Bistritz
, a frenzied Van Helsing discovered the existence of the Children of Judas, a vampire coven that served Dracula. He also discovered the location of the Grand Sabbath of the vampires. (Van Helsing assumed that the Children of Judas were human, and merely occult
ists rather than vampires.) He went there, and found Elizabeth bound on an altar with thirteen Children of Judas and Dracula present.
Armed, Van Helsing opened fire with normal bullets — only to see them have no effect. A group of priests and soldiers saved him, but they could not save Elizabeth. Van Helsing refused to allow Elizabeth’s corpse to be beheaded or staked. Reluctantly, they allowed Van Helsing to bury Elizabeth in the manorial vault — but informed him of what to do in three days. Standing watch in the vault, Van Helsing saw her return as a vampire. He destroyed her, and swore revenge against Dracula, setting the stage for his role in Stoker's novel.
In the twentieth century, Dracula, having undergone many deaths and returns over the years since his struggles with Van Helsing, traveled back in time to the 19th century via an enchanted mirror, attempting to prevent his destruction at the hands of Van Helsing. Instead of arriving before the staking, however, he arrived after, but still tried to kill Van Helsing. However, Van Helsing had left the area of the Borgo Pass and Castle Dracula.
Dracula killed a young woman, and villagers stormed Castle Dracula. Dracula repulsed them, and then discovered that Frank Drake, one of his descendants, and Rachel Van Helsing, Abraham's great-granddaughter, had followed him from the 20th century. Determined to destroy Abraham Van Helsing, Dracula had a subordinate vampire named Lenore battle Drake and Rachel as he sought to find Abraham Van Helsing.
Dracula discovered Abraham Van Helsing’s lodgings elsewhere in Romania. Stunned and confused as he had just driven the stake through (the native temporal counterpart of) Dracula’s heart a short time ago, Van Helsing was unprepared to face the 20th century Dracula. However, Rachel Van Helsing saved her great-grandfather, forcing Dracula to flee. Dracula escaped back into the time stream, with Frank Drake, Rachel Van Helsing, and their ally Taj Nital in pursuit.
Abraham Van Helsing then trained Mina and Jonathan Harker’s son, Quincey, in vampire lore, but in 1899, thinking that by staking Dracula he had destroyed him for good, he received a rude surprise when Dracula returned years later and killed him.
He is later attacked by Dracula in his hotel room while he is in bed on the verge of another heart attack. He is left with the choice of grabbing the weapons on the table and fighting back or grabbing the pills that will keep him alive and control his heart. He chooses to go for the weapons and just as he reaches the table is hit by Dracula and unable to fight back. He finally blacks out as Dracula sinks his fangs into Van Helsings throat.
He later sends a telegram to Mina telling her that he was attacked and to meet with him immediately. He leaves them the following clue to find them without revealing his location to others:
Renfield is my sanctuary at the grand house of the patron saint of children. Beside the cross of the king.
Arthur Holmwood and Quincy Harker find him at the Midland Grand Hotel. He reveals to them that Dracula is the Romanian actor, Vladmir Basarab. He then reveals that Dracula originally came to England to kill Elizabeth Bathory, he chased her back to Transilvania and, over all, Dracula is not evil: he fights in the name of God.
Van Helsing then drops dead. Arthur and Quincy find no pulse but he suddenly springs back to life and attacks them revealing himself to be a vampire and reveals that he is the one who told Bram Stoker their story to be "immortal". Since Arthur and Quincy will not join Dracula in his fight against Bathory, he attacks them.
A fight follows in which Arthur attempts to shoot at Van Helsing with his gun but as they struggle for the gun, it goes off twice shooting Arthur in the chest. He then moves on to kill Quincy. Quincy fights back with astounding strength but he is still no match for Van Helsing. Just as he is about to stab Quincy with a bowie knife, Arthur shoots him with an arrow through the heart and then hurls himself at the Professor sending both of them off of the top floor of the hotel plummeting to their death. Quincy makes his way to the spot where the fell and finds that Van Helsings skull had exploded like a watermelon upon impact.
's series, Anno Dracula, Van Helsing has failed to kill Dracula, and as a result, the vampire lord has conquered the United Kingdom after marrying Queen Victoria and becoming her Prince Consort. Van Helsing, meanwhile, was killed at the hands of Dracula, and his head is displayed at Buckingham Palace
.
Hellsing. The first time he appeared in one of Alucard´s
dreams, Van Helsing made many allusions to Dracula
when referring to Alucard e.g. "So what are you going to do now, No Life King?". At the end of this dream, Alucard seems to cry blood. The second time Van Helsing appeared as a silhouette after Alucard transforms into the "Count", this last one is the most direct reference to the novel in the manga, since this time besides Van Helsing, Alucard mentions Quincey Morris, Arthur Holmwood and Dr. Seward, although, mysteriously, not Jonathan Harker. He appeared for a third time in a flashback showing Alucard's previous deaths. The Hellsing organization is named after him, and run by one of his descendants; Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing.
miniseries X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula
, Van Helsing joins forces with the immortal mutant Apocalypse
and his worshipers, Clan Akkaba
, in order to destroy Dracula, their common enemy. It is noted that Van Helsing had encountered Apocalypse before and previously believed him a vampire. Even despite doing things that angered the mutant, Apocalypse allowed Van Helsing to live, in the end, as he knew that Van Helsing had aided him in his creed.
by John Marks, the re-imagined Van Helsing is split into two separate characters, namely Clementine Spence and Austen Trotta.
Martin Mystère
, Van Helsing's name is Richard. He became a vampire after being bitten by one, and after destroying Dracula, he came to London
, to solve the case of Jack the Ripper
. He discovered that the killer was in fact an ancient mythical force, divided into several knives, which forced their holders to kill. Van Helsing has found one knife and this was destroyed by Sherlock Holmes
. Afterwards, Van Helsing went in search of other knives, and emigrated to USA after World War I
. In 1990s
he helped Martin Mystère and Java
to find one knife and he personally destroyed the demon in the knife. Before he continued his search for other knives, Van Helsing revealed his vampire nature to Martin and Java.
, a vampire named Dracula is the ultimate recurring antagonist. This Dracula, however, has proven to be the same Dracula from Bram Stoker's original novel. The novel has been included as a canon part of the complete overall storyline of Castlevania, which spans over a number of centuries. The events of Dracula
have not yet featured in a game, but have been referenced, most notably in Portrait of Ruin, where one of the two playable protagonists is Jonathan Morris, who was revealed to be the grandson of Quincey Morris. Van Helsing, or any of the other characters from the novel, haven't been referenced, but if a game title is introduced that is closer in chronological proximity, or even covers the events, it is probably likely he would be included.
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
from Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
's 1897 novel, Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
.
Van Helsing is a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
doctor with a wide range of interests and accomplishments, partly attested by the string of letters
Post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles or designatory letters, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of...
that follows his name: "M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
, D.Ph.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
, D.Litt.
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
, etc." The character is best known as a vampire hunter
Vampire hunter
A vampire hunter or vampire slayer is a character in folklore and fiction who specializes in finding and destroying vampires, and sometimes other supernatural creatures....
, and the arch-enemy of Count Dracula
Count Dracula
Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler...
.
Dracula
In the novel, Van Helsing is called in by his former student, Dr. John Seward, to assist with the mysterious illness of Lucy WestenraLucy Westenra
Lucy Westenra is a fictional character in the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. She is the 19-year-old daughter of a wealthy family. Her father is not mentioned in the novel and her elderly mother is simply stated as being Mrs. Westenra. Lucy is introduced as Mina Murray's best friend. In the 1931...
. Van Helsing's friendship with Seward is based in part upon an unknown prior event in which Van Helsing suffered a grievous wound and Seward saved his life by sucking out the gangrene
Gangrene
Gangrene is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that arises when a considerable mass of body tissue dies . This may occur after an injury or infection, or in people suffering from any chronic health problem affecting blood circulation. The primary cause of gangrene is reduced blood...
. It is Van Helsing who first realizes that Lucy is the victim of a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
and he guides Dr. Seward and his friends in their efforts to save Lucy.
In the novel, from the annotations of Leonard Wolf
Leonard Wolf
Leonard Wolf is a poet, author, teacher, and the father of Naomi Wolf. He is known for his authoritative annotated editions of classic gothic horror novels, including Dracula, Frankenstein, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and The Phantom of the Opera, and critical works on the topic, as...
, it is mentioned that Van Helsing had a son who died. Van Helsing says that his son, had he lived, would have had a similar appearance to another character, Arthur Holmwood. Consequently, Van Helsing developed a particular fondness of Holmwood. Van Helsing's wife went insane after their son's death, but as a devout Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, he refuses to divorce her. ("with my poor wife dead to me, but alive by Church's law, though no wits, all gone, even I, who am faithful husband to this now-no-wife...")
Van Helsing is one of the few characters in the novel who is fully physically described in one place. In chapter 14, Mina describes him as:
Van Helsing's personality is described by John Seward
John Seward
John Seward, M.D. is a fictional character appearing in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula.-In the novel:Seward is the administrator of an insane asylum not far from Count Dracula's first English home, Carfax. Throughout the novel, Seward conducts ambitious interviews with one of his patients,...
, his former student, thus:
In addition to this, Van Helsing has a well-developed, albeit ironic, sense of humor. When Arthur Holmwood
Arthur Holmwood
Arthur Holmwood is a fictional character in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula.-In the novel:He is engaged to Lucy Westenra, and is best friends with the other two men who proposed to her on the very same day — Quincey Morris and Doctor John Seward...
mournfully proclaims that the transfusion of his blood into the dying Lucy Westenra
Lucy Westenra
Lucy Westenra is a fictional character in the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. She is the 19-year-old daughter of a wealthy family. Her father is not mentioned in the novel and her elderly mother is simply stated as being Mrs. Westenra. Lucy is introduced as Mina Murray's best friend. In the 1931...
made her truly his bride, Van Helsing laughs and tells John Seward that if such is the case, both Van Helsing and Lucy are guilty of adultery. Arthur was not alone in donating blood; Seward, his friend Quincey Morris, and Van Helsing himself have done it as well; Van Helsing also notes that although his wife is insane, the Catholic Church considers his wife to still be alive.
Adaptations of the novel have tended to play up Van Helsing's role as the vampire professional-expert, sometimes to the extent that it is depicted as his major occupation. In the novel, however, Dr. Seward is unaware of this side of his old friend, and requests Van Helsing's assistance simply because Lucy's affliction has him baffled and Van Helsing "knows as much about obscure diseases as any one in the world." Indeed, Van Helsing takes too much time (weeks and months) to recognise Lucy's illness, and seems to have no practical knowledge about vampires. Until her funeral, he tells no one his theory of Lucy's death.
Count Dracula
Count Dracula
Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler...
, having acquired ownership of England’s Carfax estate through solicitor Jonathan Harker
Jonathan Harker
Jonathan Harker is one of the main protagonists in the 1897 horror novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. His journey to Transylvania and encounter with Count Dracula and the Brides of Dracula at Castle Dracula constitutes the dramatic opening scenes in the novel and most of the film adaptations.-In the...
, moved to the estate and began menacing England. His victims included Lucy Westenra, who lived in Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
. The aristocratic
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
girl has suitors such as John Seward, Arthur Holmwood, and Quincey Morris, and has a best friend in Mina Murray, Jonathan Harker’s fiancée. Seward, who worked as a doctor in an insane asylum — where one of the patients, the incurably mad Renfield
Renfield
R. M. Renfield is a fictional character in the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker.-In the novel:A description of Renfield from the novel:R. M. Renfield, aetat 59. Sanguine temperament, great physical strength, morbidly excitable,...
, secretly serves Dracula — contacts Van Helsing about Lucy Westenra’s peculiar loss of blood. Van Helsing, recognizing the mark of the vampire, tries to save Lucy, but she dies and returns as a vampire. Eventually, Van Helsing and a heartbroken Arthur destroy the vampiric Lucy.
Van Helsing and his band of vampire hunters pursue Dracula back to Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
. There, they chase him down the Borgo Pass and corner him. Armed with knives, Jonathan Harker and Quincey Morris slit Dracula's throat and impale his heart. Dracula's body then crumbles to dust.
Later, Van Helsing takes a grandfatherly role in regard to the young Quincey Harker, Jonathan and Mina's son.
Film adaptations
Notable actors to have portrayed Van Helsing in film adaptations of Dracula include:- John GottowtJohn GottowtJohn Gottowt was a German actor, stage director and film director for theatres and silent movies.He was born as Isidor Gesang in Lemberg, Austria-Hungary. After his education in Vienna, he joined the Deutsches Theater in Berlin in 1905, working for Max Reinhardt as an actor and director...
(as Professor Bulwer) in Nosferatu (1922) - Edward Van SloanEdward Van SloanEdward Van Sloan was an American film character actor best remembered for his roles in Universal Studios horror films.-Career:...
in DraculaDracula (1931 film)Dracula is a 1931 vampire-horror film directed by Tod Browning and starring Bela Lugosi as the title character. The film was produced by Universal and is based on the stage play of the same name by Hamilton Deane and John L...
(1931) and Dracula's DaughterDracula's DaughterDracula's Daughter is a 1936 American vampire horror film produced by Universal Studios, a sequel to the 1931 film Dracula. Directed by Lambert Hillyer from a screenplay by Garrett Fort, the film stars Otto Kruger, Gloria Holden, Marguerite Churchill and, as the only cast member to return from the...
(1936) (where the character was renamed "Von Helsing" without explanation) - Eduardo Arozamena in DraculaDracula (Spanish-language version)Drácula is a 1931 American Spanish-language horror film directed by George Melford. It is an adaptation of the 1897 novel of the same name by Bram Stoker and was filmed during the night on the same sets that were being used for the 1931 English-language film of the same name...
(1931, Spanish version) - Peter CushingPeter CushingPeter Wilton Cushing, OBE was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played the handsome but sinister scientist Baron Frankenstein and the vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite Christopher Lee, and occasionally...
in the Hammer FilmsHammer Film ProductionsHammer Film Productions is a film production company based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers, film noir and comedies and in later...
Dracula seriesDracula (1958 film)Dracula, also known as Horror of Dracula in the United States, is a 1958 British horror film. It is the first in the series of Hammer Horror films inspired by the Bram Stoker novel Dracula. It was directed by Terence Fisher, and stars Peter Cushing, Michael Gough, Carol Marsh, Melissa Stribling and...
(1958–1974) - Herbert LomHerbert LomHerbert Lom is a Czech film actor, best known for his role as former Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus in the Pink Panther movie series.-Life and career:...
in Count Dracula (1970) - Nigel DavenportNigel DavenportNigel Davenport is an English stage, television and film actor.- Early life :Davenport was born Arthur Nigel Davenport, however he goes by the first name of Nigel. Davenport was born in Shelford, Cambridgeshire, the son of Katherine Lucy and Arthur Henry Davenport. Davenport's father was a bursar...
in DraculaDracula (1973)Dracula is a 1973 television adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula written by Richard Matheson and directed by Dark Shadows creator Dan Curtis.-Plot summary:"Bistritz, Hungary May 1897"....
(1973) - Frank FinlayFrank FinlayFrancis Finlay, CBE is an English stage, film and television actor.-Personal life:Finlay was born in Farnworth, Lancashire, the son of Margaret and Josiah Finlay, a butcher. A devout Catholic, he belongs to the British Catholic Stage Guild. He was educated at St...
in the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
adaptation Count DraculaCount Dracula (1977)Count Dracula is a British television adaptation of the famous novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. It first aired in December 1977. It is among the more faithful of the many adaptations of the original book...
(1977) - Laurence OlivierLaurence OlivierLaurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
in Dracula (1979) - Walter LadengastWalter LadengastWalter Ladengast was an Austrian film actor. He appeared in 72 films between 1928 and 1979.He was born in Vienna, Austria and died in Munich, Germany.-Selected filmography:* Wunschkonzert * Hanussen...
in Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) - Richard BenjaminRichard BenjaminRichard Benjamin is an American actor and film director. He has starred in a number of productions, including Goodbye, Columbus , based on the novella by Philip Roth, and Westworld .-Life and career:...
in Love at First BiteLove At First BiteLove at First Bite is a 1979 comedy horror film directed by Stan Dragoti and written by Robert Kaufman, using characters originally created by Bram Stoker. It stars George Hamilton, Susan Saint James, Richard Benjamin and Arte Johnson. The original music score was composed by Charles Bernstein...
(1979) - Jack GwillimJack GwillimJack William Frederick Gwillim was a prolific English character actor.-Career:Born in Canterbury, Kent, England, he served in the Royal Navy for over twenty years, attaining the rank of Commander...
in The Monster SquadThe Monster SquadThe Monster Squad is a comedy/horror film written by Shane Black and Fred Dekker and directed by Fred Dekker . It was released by Tri-Star Pictures on August 14, 1987. The film features the classic monsters , led by Count Dracula...
(1987) - Anthony HopkinsAnthony HopkinsSir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) - Peter FondaPeter FondaPeter Henry Fonda is an American actor. He is the son of Henry Fonda, brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget and Justin Fonda...
in NadjaNadjaNadja may refer to:* Nadja , 1928 surrealist novel by André Breton* Nadja , 1994 vampire film by Michael Almereyda* Nadja , Canadian drone doom metal side project of Aidan Baker* Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, violinist...
(1994) - Mel BrooksMel BrooksMel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
in the parody Dracula: Dead and Loving ItDracula: Dead and Loving ItDracula: Dead and Loving It is a 1995 comedy film starring Leslie Nielsen, directed by Mel Brooks. It is a parody of the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, and of some of the films it inspired....
(1995) - Christopher PlummerChristopher PlummerArthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...
in Dracula 2000Dracula 2000Dracula 2000, also known internationally as Dracula 2001, is a 2000 horror film written and directed by Patrick Lussier. The film stars Gerard Butler, Christopher Plummer, Jonny Lee Miller, Justine Waddell, Omar Epps, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Jeri Ryan, and Jennifer Esposito.Dracula 2000, the...
(2000) - Giancarlo GianniniGiancarlo GianniniGiancarlo Giannini is an Italian actor and dubber.Giannini was born La Spezia, Liguria, Italy. He studied at the Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica in Rome, and made his film debut in a small part in Fango sulla metropoli in 1965...
(as Enrico Valenzi) in DraculaDracula (2002)Dracula is an Italian 2 part TV-miniseries, directed by Roger Young. It is based on the 1897 novel of the same name by Bram Stoker, though it updates the events of the novel to the present day.-Plot summary:...
(2002) - David Moroni in Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's DiaryDracula: Pages from a Virgin's DiaryDracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary is a 2002 horror film directed by Guy Maddin. It is a silent interpretation of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's take of Bram Stoker's Dracula...
(2002) - Hugh JackmanHugh JackmanHugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
(as Gabriel Van Helsing) in Van HelsingVan Helsing (film)Van Helsing is a 2004 American action horror film directed by Stephen Sommers. It stars Hugh Jackman as vigilante monster hunter Gabriel Van Helsing, and Kate Beckinsale...
(2004) - Casper Van DienCasper Van Dien-Early life:Van Dien was born and grew up in Milton, Florida, the son of Diane , a retired nursery school teacher, and Casper Robert Van Dien, Sr., a retired U.S. Navy Commander and fighter pilot. There is a long military tradition in Van Dien's family. Aside from his father, his grandfather was a...
in Dracula 3000Dracula 3000Dracula 3000, also titled Dracula 3000: Infinite Darkness, is a horror movie released in 2004 that brings the legend of Count Dracula into outer space in the distant 31st century...
(2004) - Rhett Glies in Way of the Vampire (2005)
- David SuchetDavid SuchetDavid Suchet, CBE, is an English actor, known for his work on British television. He is recognised for his RTS- and BPG award-winning performance as Augustus Melmotte in the 2001 British TV mini-drama The Way We Live Now, alongside Matthew Macfadyen and Paloma Baeza, and a 1991 British Academy...
in Dracula (2006) - David CarradineDavid CarradineDavid Carradine was an American actor and martial artist, best known for his role as a warrior monk, Kwai Chang Caine, in the 1970s television series, Kung Fu, which later had a 1990s sequel series, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues...
in The Last Sect (2006) - Max von SydowMax von SydowMax von Sydow is a Swedish actor. He has also held French citizenship since 2002. He has starred in many films and had supporting roles in dozens more...
in Bram Stoker's Dracula (2013)
Nosferatu (1922)
Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror was the first film version of Dracula. Although it followed the same basic plot as the novel, names were changed: Van Helsing is Professor Bulwer and appears only in a few scenes. Unlike the book, he is a friend of Thomas Hutter (the film's version of Jonathan Harker) before he meets Count OrlokCount Orlok
Count Orlok is a fictional character portrayed by Max Schreck in the silent movie Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens...
(a renamed Count Dracula) and never meets the vampire face to face.
Hammer films
Cushing's character in the Hammer moviesHammer Film Productions
Hammer Film Productions is a film production company based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers, film noir and comedies and in later...
may not have had the first name "Abraham" as his case reads J. Van Helsing, as seen in The Brides of Dracula. In the series of Hammer Dracula films set in the 1970s, the character of Van Helsing is named Lawrence Van Helsing and is seen in the prologue (set in 1872) of Dracula AD 1972
Dracula AD 1972
Dracula A.D. 1972 is a 1972 Hammer Horror film directed by Alan Gibson, written by Don Houghton and starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Stephanie Beacham. Unlike earlier films in the Hammer Dracula series, Dracula A.D...
. These movies had Dracula being resurrected in the 1970s only to meet Lawrence's grandson, Lorrimar Van Helsing, a "different" vampire hunter also played by Cushing.
In The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires
The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires
The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires is a 1974 horror film produced by Hammer Studios and Shaw Brothers Studio. It was released in North America in an edited version as The Seven Brothers Meet Dracula, and alternatively known as The Seven Brothers And Their One Sister Meet Dracula.-Plot:Professor...
Cushing plays the original Van Helsing from the Hammer series. The film is set during 1904. Since Horror of Dracula was set in 1885, a 19-year gap between the settings corresponds roughly with the 16-year gap between the films, and the consequent difference in Cushing's appearance matches the aging Van Helsing would have undergone. However, the character is identified as Lawrence Van Helsing on the LP record of the movie, narrated by Peter Cushing and released to tie-in with the film's opening.
Dracula 2000
Christopher PlummerChristopher Plummer
Arthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...
portrayed Professor Abraham Van Helsing in Dracula 2000
Dracula 2000
Dracula 2000, also known internationally as Dracula 2001, is a 2000 horror film written and directed by Patrick Lussier. The film stars Gerard Butler, Christopher Plummer, Jonny Lee Miller, Justine Waddell, Omar Epps, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Jeri Ryan, and Jennifer Esposito.Dracula 2000, the...
(he had previously appeared as a rather ineffective vampire hunter, Professor Paris Catalano, in Vampire in Venice). After defeating Count Dracula (Gerard Butler
Gerard Butler
Gerard James Butler is a Scottish actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television. A trained lawyer, Butler turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies , which he followed with steady work on television, most notably in...
), Van Helsing finds that the vampire lord cannot die in the conventional means of destroying a vampire and he only succeeded in paralysing him in a death-like state. Knowing that Dracula would inevitably rise again, Van Helsing imprisoned the vampire beneath his Carfax Abbey estate and used his blood- diluting it with leeches so that he can gain the immortality of the vampire without turning into a vampire himself- to prolong his life to find the means to destroy the immortal. His campaign against Dracula was noted by Bram Stoker, whom everyone believed that the writer wrote the fictional story which has a character sharing the same name as the professor. Since prolonging his life, the professor is forced to hide his true identity by posing as his own descendants to explain his uncanny resemblance to the Dutch doctor from 19th century, eventually living under the identity as his own grandson, Matthew. As a result of his daily injections with Dracula's blood, Van Helsing passed the traits to his daughter Mary (Justine Waddell
Justine Waddell
Justine Waddell is a South African born, British actress. Her roles include playing Estella in the 1999 BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations and her dual role in 2006 feature film The Fall...
), whom he fathered with a modern 20th century woman. His wife discovered his true identity and his horrific mission, and left him with Mary in fear of her husband and Dracula. Nevertheless, despite allowing himself to become distant from his family for the benefits of his purpose, Van Helsing tracked his wife and daughter. He also formed a surrogate father/son relationship with his assistant, Simon Sheppard (Jonny Lee Miller
Jonny Lee Miller
Jonathan "Jonny" Lee Miller is an English actor. During the initial days he was best known for his roles in the 1996 films Trainspotting and Hackers...
), as a means of easing the pain of missing his daughter. His wife eventually died in New Orleans, a United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
city located in the state of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, where Mary attends college.
In 2000, Dracula finally escapes after a group of thieves steals his silver coffin from Van Helsing. The professor knows that Dracula can sense his daughter's existence, and heads to New Orleans to save her. Dracula, and his newly turned vampire consorts (Jennifer Esposito
Jennifer Esposito
Jennifer Esposito is an American actress, dancer and model, known for her appearances in films such as I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Summer of Sam and Crash and in television series such as Spin City, The Looney Tunes Show and Samantha Who?.-Early life:Esposito, an Italian-American, was...
, Jeri Ryan
Jeri Ryan
Jeri Lynn Zimmermann Ryan is an American actress best known for her roles as the liberated Borg, Seven of Nine, on Star Trek: Voyager; Tara Cole on Leverage; and Veronica "Ronnie" Cooke on Boston Public. She was also a regular on the science fiction show Dark Skies and the legal drama series...
, and Colleen Fitzpatrick
Vitamin C (artist)
Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick is an American pop music singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress better known by her stage name, Vitamin C. Her singles include "Graduation ", "As Long As You're Loving Me", "The Itch", and her most successful hit the Top 20 Gold certified "Smile"...
) kill the professor after he arrives at his wife's house, and his body is found by his daughter after she returns home. Simon, who was with his mentor, finds Mary and tell her of her father’s secrets and why Dracula hunts her.
Together, Mary and Simon defeat Dracula and his consorts. Mary and Simon return to London and imprison Dracula once more at Carfax Abbey, and Mary vows to continue her father's mission.
Van Helsing (2004)
Hugh JackmanHugh Jackman
Hugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
played Gabriel Van Helsing, the eponymous hero of Van Helsing (2004), loosely based on Bram Stoker's character. The name was changed from "Abraham" to "Gabriel" for two reasons: because the writer/director/producer, Stephen Sommers
Stephen Sommers
Stephen Sommers is an American screenwriter and film director, best known for The Mummy and its sequel, The Mummy Returns. He also directed Disney's live action version of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, the action/horror film Van Helsing, and the 2009 film G.I...
, did not feel that "Abraham" was an appropriate name for an action hero, and because Universal
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
wanted copyright privileges to the character. The name change is accounted for in the story of the film, in which it is implied that Gabriel Van Helsing is actually the Archangel Gabriel in human form.
Evidence supporting this implication include Gabriel's memories of participating in ancient battles (including fighting the Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
at Masada
Masada
Masada is the name for a site of ancient palaces and fortifications in the South District of Israel, on top of an isolated rock plateau, or horst, on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. Masada is best known for the violence that occurred there in the first century CE...
in 73 A.D. — although this was in fact a siege as opposed to a pitched battle), references to him as the "Left Hand of God" (traditionally an epithet of the angel Gabriel), and, according to the film's novelization, a triangular scar on his back (a possible indication that he once had wings).
As a man, Gabriel hunts monsters for the Catholic Church, and in the movie is sent to Transylvania to kill Count Dracula
Count Dracula
Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler...
. When he arrives, Dracula tells Gabriel that they have already met and have quite a history together. In the video game adaptation of the movie, it is suggested that they once fought for the same side, but eventually parted ways for an unknown reason. At the movie's climax, Dracula reveals that it was Gabriel who killed him, leading him to make a Faustian bargain
Deal with the Devil
Deal With The Devil is the fifth studio album by the American heavy metal band Lizzy Borden released in 2000 .A return to form, featuring a cover by Todd McFarlane.2 covers were recorded...
and become a vampire. This ironic twist makes Gabriel Van Helsing the inadvertent creator of his own archnemesis. Van Helsing finally kills Dracula by allowing himself to transform into a werewolf, the venom in the werewolf's bite 'counteracting' the vampire venom and destroying Dracula for good.
Although it received mixed reviews, the film grossed over $120 million in the U.S. and more than $300 million worldwide.
The Tomb of Dracula
His first appearance is in Dracula Lives #3, in which a first encounter between a younger Van Helsing and Dracula is set up. A few days after marrying a woman named Elizabeth, lawyers informed Van Helsing that he had inherited land from a distant relative in Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
. Traveling to Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Van Helsing had a long conference with some lawyers in Bistritz
Bistrita
Bistrița is the capital city of Bistriţa-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania. It is situated on the Bistriţa River. The city has a population of approximately 80,000 inhabitants, and it administers six villages: Ghinda, Sărata, Sigmir, Slătiniţa, Unirea and Viişoara.-History:The earliest sign of...
. Elizabeth went ahead to the manor to set it up for the night.
One lawyer whom Van Helsing talked to had a collection of Hun and Magyar artifacts, and Van Helsing lost track of the time studying them. When he arrived at the manor, he found his wife missing, but did discover several corpses, with "XXX" burned underneath bite marks on their necks. Armed with a gun from his brother Boris, who lived in the U.S., Van Helsing left, frantic.
Returning to Bistritz
Bistrita
Bistrița is the capital city of Bistriţa-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania. It is situated on the Bistriţa River. The city has a population of approximately 80,000 inhabitants, and it administers six villages: Ghinda, Sărata, Sigmir, Slătiniţa, Unirea and Viişoara.-History:The earliest sign of...
, a frenzied Van Helsing discovered the existence of the Children of Judas, a vampire coven that served Dracula. He also discovered the location of the Grand Sabbath of the vampires. (Van Helsing assumed that the Children of Judas were human, and merely occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
ists rather than vampires.) He went there, and found Elizabeth bound on an altar with thirteen Children of Judas and Dracula present.
Armed, Van Helsing opened fire with normal bullets — only to see them have no effect. A group of priests and soldiers saved him, but they could not save Elizabeth. Van Helsing refused to allow Elizabeth’s corpse to be beheaded or staked. Reluctantly, they allowed Van Helsing to bury Elizabeth in the manorial vault — but informed him of what to do in three days. Standing watch in the vault, Van Helsing saw her return as a vampire. He destroyed her, and swore revenge against Dracula, setting the stage for his role in Stoker's novel.
In the twentieth century, Dracula, having undergone many deaths and returns over the years since his struggles with Van Helsing, traveled back in time to the 19th century via an enchanted mirror, attempting to prevent his destruction at the hands of Van Helsing. Instead of arriving before the staking, however, he arrived after, but still tried to kill Van Helsing. However, Van Helsing had left the area of the Borgo Pass and Castle Dracula.
Dracula killed a young woman, and villagers stormed Castle Dracula. Dracula repulsed them, and then discovered that Frank Drake, one of his descendants, and Rachel Van Helsing, Abraham's great-granddaughter, had followed him from the 20th century. Determined to destroy Abraham Van Helsing, Dracula had a subordinate vampire named Lenore battle Drake and Rachel as he sought to find Abraham Van Helsing.
Dracula discovered Abraham Van Helsing’s lodgings elsewhere in Romania. Stunned and confused as he had just driven the stake through (the native temporal counterpart of) Dracula’s heart a short time ago, Van Helsing was unprepared to face the 20th century Dracula. However, Rachel Van Helsing saved her great-grandfather, forcing Dracula to flee. Dracula escaped back into the time stream, with Frank Drake, Rachel Van Helsing, and their ally Taj Nital in pursuit.
Abraham Van Helsing then trained Mina and Jonathan Harker’s son, Quincey, in vampire lore, but in 1899, thinking that by staking Dracula he had destroyed him for good, he received a rude surprise when Dracula returned years later and killed him.
Dracula the Un-dead
Van Helsing is now a 75 year old man with heart problems, having apparently been disgraced in the medical profession for deaths caused by improper blood transfusions (Although he defends his reputation on the grounds that nobody knew about blood types at the time he performed the transfusions). He goes back to London because he thinks Dracula is still alive. After Mina informs him that Quincy is asking questions, he confronts him in an alleyway and holds a sword to Quincy's throat warning him to go back to the life he once knew and stop looking to find Dracula.He is later attacked by Dracula in his hotel room while he is in bed on the verge of another heart attack. He is left with the choice of grabbing the weapons on the table and fighting back or grabbing the pills that will keep him alive and control his heart. He chooses to go for the weapons and just as he reaches the table is hit by Dracula and unable to fight back. He finally blacks out as Dracula sinks his fangs into Van Helsings throat.
He later sends a telegram to Mina telling her that he was attacked and to meet with him immediately. He leaves them the following clue to find them without revealing his location to others:
Renfield is my sanctuary at the grand house of the patron saint of children. Beside the cross of the king.
Arthur Holmwood and Quincy Harker find him at the Midland Grand Hotel. He reveals to them that Dracula is the Romanian actor, Vladmir Basarab. He then reveals that Dracula originally came to England to kill Elizabeth Bathory, he chased her back to Transilvania and, over all, Dracula is not evil: he fights in the name of God.
Van Helsing then drops dead. Arthur and Quincy find no pulse but he suddenly springs back to life and attacks them revealing himself to be a vampire and reveals that he is the one who told Bram Stoker their story to be "immortal". Since Arthur and Quincy will not join Dracula in his fight against Bathory, he attacks them.
A fight follows in which Arthur attempts to shoot at Van Helsing with his gun but as they struggle for the gun, it goes off twice shooting Arthur in the chest. He then moves on to kill Quincy. Quincy fights back with astounding strength but he is still no match for Van Helsing. Just as he is about to stab Quincy with a bowie knife, Arthur shoots him with an arrow through the heart and then hurls himself at the Professor sending both of them off of the top floor of the hotel plummeting to their death. Quincy makes his way to the spot where the fell and finds that Van Helsings skull had exploded like a watermelon upon impact.
Anno Dracula
In Kim NewmanKim Newman
Kim Newman is an English journalist, film critic, and fiction writer. Recurring interests visible in his work include film history and horror fiction—both of which he attributes to seeing Tod Browning's Dracula at the age of eleven—and alternate fictional versions of history...
's series, Anno Dracula, Van Helsing has failed to kill Dracula, and as a result, the vampire lord has conquered the United Kingdom after marrying Queen Victoria and becoming her Prince Consort. Van Helsing, meanwhile, was killed at the hands of Dracula, and his head is displayed at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
.
Hellsing
Abraham Van Helsing has also made a cameo appearance in the Japanese mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
Hellsing. The first time he appeared in one of Alucard´s
Alucard (Hellsing)
is a fictional characterin the Hellsing manga and anime series created by Kouta Hirano. A powerful vampire, Alucard works with the Hellsing Organization against other vampires and evil forces. He fights with ferocity and often extreme cruelty, rarely killing until his target has been disabled and...
dreams, Van Helsing made many allusions to Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
when referring to Alucard e.g. "So what are you going to do now, No Life King?". At the end of this dream, Alucard seems to cry blood. The second time Van Helsing appeared as a silhouette after Alucard transforms into the "Count", this last one is the most direct reference to the novel in the manga, since this time besides Van Helsing, Alucard mentions Quincey Morris, Arthur Holmwood and Dr. Seward, although, mysteriously, not Jonathan Harker. He appeared for a third time in a flashback showing Alucard's previous deaths. The Hellsing organization is named after him, and run by one of his descendants; Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing.
Apocalypse vs. Dracula
In the Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
miniseries X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula
X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula
X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula was a four-issue comic book limited series published in 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Frank Tieri and drawn by Clayton Henry.-Plot summary:...
, Van Helsing joins forces with the immortal mutant Apocalypse
Apocalypse (comics)
Apocalypse is a fictional character who is an ancient mutant that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Factor #5 , created by writer Louise Simonson and designed by artist Walter Simonson...
and his worshipers, Clan Akkaba
Clan Akkaba
Clan Akkaba is a fictional cult in the Marvel Universe. Created by Frank Tieri and Clayton Henry. The Clan is composed of the descendants of the mutant supervillain Apocalypse and first appeared in X-Men: Apocalypse vs...
, in order to destroy Dracula, their common enemy. It is noted that Van Helsing had encountered Apocalypse before and previously believed him a vampire. Even despite doing things that angered the mutant, Apocalypse allowed Van Helsing to live, in the end, as he knew that Van Helsing had aided him in his creed.
Fangland
In FanglandFangland
Fangland is a 2007 novel written by John Marks, a former producer for 60 Minutes. It is a reimagined story for the Dracula tale by Bram Stoker, setting in a post 9/11 New York. Like its predecessor, Fangland is written in parts as a epistolary novel through e-mails, diary entries and letters...
by John Marks, the re-imagined Van Helsing is split into two separate characters, namely Clementine Spence and Austen Trotta.
Martin Mystère
In Italian comic bookItalian comics
Italian comics are comics made in Italy. They are locally known as fumetto – plural form fumetti – although this latter term is often used in English to describe a specific comic genre . The most popular Italian comics have been translated into many languages...
Martin Mystère
Martin Mystère
Martin Mystère is an Italian comic book. Created by writer Alfredo Castelli and drawn by Giancarlo Alessandrini, it was first published in Italy by Sergio Bonelli Editore in 1982....
, Van Helsing's name is Richard. He became a vampire after being bitten by one, and after destroying Dracula, he came to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, to solve the case of Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper
"Jack the Ripper" is the best-known name given to an unidentified serial killer who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originated in a letter, written by someone claiming to be the murderer, that was disseminated in the...
. He discovered that the killer was in fact an ancient mythical force, divided into several knives, which forced their holders to kill. Van Helsing has found one knife and this was destroyed by Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
. Afterwards, Van Helsing went in search of other knives, and emigrated to USA after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. In 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
he helped Martin Mystère and Java
Java (Martin Mystère)
Java is a fictional character featured in the Martin Mystère comics.-Fictional character biography:Java is a Neanderthal Man discovered by Martin Mystère in the hidden "City of Lucid Shadows" while on an expedition to Mongolia....
to find one knife and he personally destroyed the demon in the knife. Before he continued his search for other knives, Van Helsing revealed his vampire nature to Martin and Java.
Castlevania
In the video game series CastlevaniaCastlevania
Castlevania, known as in Japan, is a video game series created and developed by Konami. The series debuted in Japan on September 26, 1986, with the release of for the Family Computer Disk System , followed by an alternate version for the MSX 2 platform on October 30...
, a vampire named Dracula is the ultimate recurring antagonist. This Dracula, however, has proven to be the same Dracula from Bram Stoker's original novel. The novel has been included as a canon part of the complete overall storyline of Castlevania, which spans over a number of centuries. The events of Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
have not yet featured in a game, but have been referenced, most notably in Portrait of Ruin, where one of the two playable protagonists is Jonathan Morris, who was revealed to be the grandson of Quincey Morris. Van Helsing, or any of the other characters from the novel, haven't been referenced, but if a game title is introduced that is closer in chronological proximity, or even covers the events, it is probably likely he would be included.
Media involving descendants of Van Helsing
In addition to adaptations of Dracula itself, there have been numerous works of fiction depicting descendants of Van Helsing carrying on the family tradition.Comics
- The comic bookComic bookA comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series, The Tomb of Dracula featured Rachel van HelsingRachel van HelsingRachel van Helsing is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character 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...
, granddaughter of Abraham, as a major member of the principal hunters. Minor characters were Abraham's wife Elizabeth and his brother Boris. - In the mangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
, Hellsing, modern day descendant Integra HellsingIntegra Hellsing, more commonly, Integra Hellsing, is one of the main characters from the anime and manga series Hellsing. In both the TV series and OVA series, her Japanese voice is provided by Yoshiko Sakakibara and Kaori Mizuhashi , while her English voice in both is done by Victoria Harwood and Tricia Dickson...
leads a British government strike force against supernatural menaces. The story also includes her father Arthur and uncle Richard. - The DCDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
comic Night ForceNight ForceNight Force is the name of two comic book series published by DC Comics. The first series, written by Marv Wolfman, and illustrated by Gene Colan debuted in a special insert in The New Teen Titans #21...
features Abraham's granddaughter Vanessa Van Helsing. - Sword of DraculaSword of DraculaSword of Dracula is a horror comic book published by several publishers, including Image Comics , IDW Publishing, and Digital Webbing. The series focuses on a group of UN connected commandos called the Polidorium. The series is created by writer Jason Henderson and includes a round-robin group of...
is a comic book with Veronica "Ronnie" Van Helsing. - Helsing (not to be confused with HellsingHellsingis a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kouta Hirano. It first premiered in Young King Ours in 1997 and ended in September 2008. The individual chapters are collected and published in tankōbon volumes by Shōnen Gahosha. As of March 2009 all chapters have been released in 10 volumes in...
) is a Caliber ComicsCaliber ComicsCaliber Comics or Caliber Press was an American comic book publisher founded in 1989 by Gary Reed. Featuring primarily creator-owned comics, in the next decade Caliber published over 1300 comics and ranked as one of the America's leading independent publishers...
title about a Samantha Helsing and a John Van Helsing. - The VampirellaVampirellaVampirella is a fictional character, a comic book vampire heroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and costume designer Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine Vampirella #1 . Writer-editor Archie Goodwin later developed the character from horror-story hostess, in...
comic books feature father-son vampire hunters Conrad and Adam van Helsing.
Movies
- Dracula 3000Dracula 3000Dracula 3000, also titled Dracula 3000: Infinite Darkness, is a horror movie released in 2004 that brings the legend of Count Dracula into outer space in the distant 31st century...
features Captain Abraham Van Helsing (played by Casper Van DienCasper Van Dien-Early life:Van Dien was born and grew up in Milton, Florida, the son of Diane , a retired nursery school teacher, and Casper Robert Van Dien, Sr., a retired U.S. Navy Commander and fighter pilot. There is a long military tradition in Van Dien's family. Aside from his father, his grandfather was a...
), a descendent of the original Van Helsing and the captain of a spacefaring salvage ship. A twist is that this Van Helsing is killed unceremoniously by Dracula mid-film. - Hammer FilmsHammer Film ProductionsHammer Film Productions is a film production company based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers, film noir and comedies and in later...
' Dracula series features a whole dynasty of Van Helsings: "J." (equivalent to Abraham); Lawrence, older than J., relationship unspecified; J.'s son Leyland, Lawrence's grandson Lorrimar, and Lorrimar's granddaughter Jessica. Peter CushingPeter CushingPeter Wilton Cushing, OBE was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played the handsome but sinister scientist Baron Frankenstein and the vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite Christopher Lee, and occasionally...
played J. in Horror of DraculaDracula (1958 film)Dracula, also known as Horror of Dracula in the United States, is a 1958 British horror film. It is the first in the series of Hammer Horror films inspired by the Bram Stoker novel Dracula. It was directed by Terence Fisher, and stars Peter Cushing, Michael Gough, Carol Marsh, Melissa Stribling and...
(1958), The Brides of Dracula (1960). Lawrence in a brief opening segment of Dracula AD 1972Dracula AD 1972Dracula A.D. 1972 is a 1972 Hammer Horror film directed by Alan Gibson, written by Don Houghton and starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Stephanie Beacham. Unlike earlier films in the Hammer Dracula series, Dracula A.D...
(1972), and Lorrimar in Dracula AD 1972, The Satanic Rites of DraculaThe Satanic Rites of DraculaThe Satanic Rites of Dracula is a 1974 Hammer Horror film directed by Alan Gibson. It is the eighth film in the Hammer Dracula series, and the seventh and final to feature Christopher Lee as Dracula. The film also the third film to reunite Peter Cushing as Van Helsing with Christopher Lee together...
(1974) and Lawrence, again, in The Legend of the 7 Golden VampiresThe Legend of the 7 Golden VampiresThe Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires is a 1974 horror film produced by Hammer Studios and Shaw Brothers Studio. It was released in North America in an edited version as The Seven Brothers Meet Dracula, and alternatively known as The Seven Brothers And Their One Sister Meet Dracula.-Plot:Professor...
(1974); Robin StewartRobin StewartRobin Stewart is an English actor who is best known for playing Mike Abbott in the 1970s sitcom Bless This House.He acted on television and in feature films in both the UK and Australia...
played Leyland in The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires; and Jessica was played first by Stephanie BeachamStephanie BeachamStephanie Beacham is a British television, film and theatre actress. Making her film debut in 1971's The Nightcomers opposite Marlon Brando and becoming more well-known on British television in the BBC series Tenko and the ITV series Connie , her worldwide breakthrough came as a result of playing...
in Dracula AD 1972, then by Joanna LumleyJoanna LumleyJoanna Lamond Lumley, OBE, FRGS is a British actress, voice-over artist, former-model and author, best known for her roles in British television series Absolutely Fabulous portraying Edina Monsoon's best friend, Patsy Stone, as well as parts in The New Avengers, Sapphire & Steel, and Sensitive...
in The Satanic Rites of Dracula. - In the Disney movie Mom's Got a Date with a VampireMom's Got a Date With a VampireMom's Got a Date with a Vampire is a 2000 Disney Channel Original Movie.-Plot:The Hansen children are in a jam. Adam and his best friend Duffy have some tickets for the Headless Horseman concert, and his sister Chelsea has a date with her dreamy boyfriend Peter...
, Malachi Van Helsing is hunting the vampire Dimitri, who is preying on the mother of the main characters. - In the comedy movie Love at First BiteLove At First BiteLove at First Bite is a 1979 comedy horror film directed by Stan Dragoti and written by Robert Kaufman, using characters originally created by Bram Stoker. It stars George Hamilton, Susan Saint James, Richard Benjamin and Arte Johnson. The original music score was composed by Charles Bernstein...
, Dracula falls in love, and Jeffrey Rosenberg, grandson of Fritz Van Helsing tries to kill him. - 2004 direct to video film The Adventures of Young Van Helsing depicts Abraham Van Helsing's great grand son Michael saving the world from Simon Magus.
- The 2006 film Bram Stoker's Dracula's CurseBram Stoker's Dracula's CurseBram Stoker's Dracula's Curse is a 2006 horror film by The Asylum, written and directed by Leigh Scott. Despite featuring Bram Stoker's name in the title, the film is not directly based on any of his writings, but shares similarities to films such as Blade: Trinity, Dracula 2000, Underworld:...
features a character named Jacob Van Helsing, who is inferred to be a descendant of the original Van Helsing, although this is never actually stated outright. - 2004 film Van HelsingVan Helsing (film)Van Helsing is a 2004 American action horror film directed by Stephen Sommers. It stars Hugh Jackman as vigilante monster hunter Gabriel Van Helsing, and Kate Beckinsale...
starring Hugh JackmanHugh JackmanHugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
as Gabriel Van Helsing. - 2009 film Stan HelsingStan HelsingStan Helsing is a 2009 parody film, known in some parts of Asia as Scary Movie 5. Not unlike past movies, such as Scary Movie, it directs parodies at horror films...
is a satire comedic film revolving around the descendant of Abraham Van Helsing.
Television
- A humorous BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
TV series, Young DraculaYoung DraculaYoung Dracula is a British children's fantasy television series airing on CBBC, loosely based on Young Dracula AND Young Monsters, a children's book by Michael Lawrence. Directed by Joss Agnew, the first series was broadcast in 2006, and the second series, which started in late 2007, concluded in...
, featured Mr. Eric Van Helsing — presumably the descendant of his more famous predecessor, though with none of his competence — trying to exterminate Count Dracula and his children, who had been chased out of Transylvania by an angry mob and were now living in rural WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Eric lives in a travel trailerTravel trailerA travel trailer or caravan is towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent . It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places...
with his son Jonathan. There are also references made to previous Van Helsing vampire slayers, such as Manly, Porphyria, Abraham III and Norris. - The 1990 series Dracula The Series had Bernard Behrens as Gustav Helsing. He was looking after his two nephews, Christopher Townsend and Max Townsend. They fought Dracula, who in the contemporary world, had taken on the name of Alexander Lucard. In this version Gustav Helsing's son, Klaus Helsing, Geraint Wyn DaviesGeraint Wyn DaviesGeraint Wyn Davies is a British-Canadian-American actor.He was born on 20 April 1957 in Britain, at Swansea. He was the son of a Congregationalist preacher...
had been turned into a vampire by Alexander Lucard (Dracula). - The 2009 ITVITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
series DemonsDemons (TV series)Demons is a pilot episode of a proposed drama series, initially competing to run as part of the CBS primetime schedule during Fall 2007. Demons was created by Barbara Hall, who also created Joan of Arcadia. The pilot starred Ron Eldard and Harold Perrineau. The pilot was not picked up by the network....
follows a modern-day teenage descendant of Van Helsing; the season finale reveals that the main character's father tried to sell his son to the demons in a belief that demons were the way of the future. - In Tales of the SlayerTales of the SlayerTales of the Slayer are volumes containing prose short stories. Four volumes of this series have been released, all published by Pocket Books...
story "House of the Vampire", part of an unofficial series of short stories based on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Peter Van Helsing (cousin to Abraham) is a Watcher (an advisor and trainer of vampire Slayers.) Within the Buffy canon, Dracula is a real vampire but a charlatan and Van Helsing is unmentioned.
Books and stories
- The short storyShort storyA short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
Abraham's Boys by Joe HillJoe HillJoe Hill, born Joel Emmanuel Hägglund in Gävle , and also known as Joseph Hillström was a Swedish-American labor activist, songwriter, and member of the Industrial Workers of the World...
is about the retired Abraham Van Helsing and his two sons, and how he passes along his knowledge to them. The story is included in the anthology The many faces of Van Helsing. - According to The Vampire Hunter's Handbook, Abraham was not the first Van Helsing to encounter vampires. The book is supposedly written by Raphael Van Helsing in the 18th century. It has also been prequelPrequelA prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
ed by The Demon Hunter's Handbook by Abelard Van Helsing (16th century) and The Dragon Hunter's Handbook by Adelia Vin Helsin (14th century). The supposed writers refer to each other (in the cases where it makes sense) and other Van Helsings. - Similar to the above mentioned handbooks is Vampyre: The Terrifying Lost Journal which is written by Mary-Jane Knight but credited to dr Cornelius Van Helsing. The book implies that Cornelius is the brother of Abraham.
- Young Dracula by Michael LawrenceMichael LawrenceMichael Lawrence is an English writer for children and young adults. He is best known as the author of the Withern Rise trilogy and the Jiggy McCue books.- Biography :...
mentions a farmer named Dweeb van Helsing.
Theatre
- In Dracula eller Skriet från spa-avdelningenSpaThe term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
by ÖrebroÖrebro-Sites of interest:Örebro's old town Wadköping is located on the banks of Svartån . It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions....
spexetSpex (theatre)Spex is a kind of amateur comedy theatre act performed by university students in Sweden and parts of Finland. University cities, such as Gothenburg, Lund, Uppsala, Umeå, and Linköping have long going traditions of spex....
, Abraham van Helsing and his children Alice (who wants to become a great monster hunter like her father) and Bastian (who is more interested in reading books) visit a hotel run by Dracula and Elizabeth BáthoryElizabeth BáthoryCountess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed was a countess from the renowned Báthory family of Hungarian nobility. Although in modern times she has been labelled the most prolific serial killer in history, the number of murders has been debated...
. Unlike what Abraham and Alice assume, neither of them is a vampire. Bastian is eventually made a vampire by Florence NightingaleFlorence NightingaleFlorence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
.