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| Rachel van Helsing | |
| Aliases: | Rachel Van Helsing |
| Continuity: | Marvel Universe |
| Notability: | Supporting character |
| Gender: | Female |
| Race: | Vampire |
| Known relatives: | Abraham van Helsing |
| Status: | Deceased |
| First: | Tomb of Dracula #3 |
Rachel van Helsing is a fictional vampire hunter, later a vampire herself, who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is associated with the Tomb of Dracula line of titles and first appeared in Tomb of Dracula #3 in July, 1972.
Biography[]
Rachel van Helsing was the granddaughter of famed monster hunter, Abraham van Helsing. She grew up in London, England, and became an effective vampire hunter in her own right. She was raised by invalid Quincy Harker, the son of one of Abraham's allies, who taught her everything she needed to know to fight the undead. On her sixteenth birthday, Rachel was visited by the vampire lord Dracula. Using his vampire mesmerism, he seduced Rachel and was prepared to deliver unto her the dark kiss. Fortunately for Rachel, Quincy happened to come into the room. He drove Dracula away with wooden darts fired from his wheelchair. Rachel would recount the incident years later to her friend Aurora Rabinowitz. [1]
Abilities[]
- Vampirism: In addition to the various mental and physical benefits that vampires are heir to, they also possess the ability to turn others into vampires as well. Each new vampire is traditionally subservient to the one who "turned" them, but some strong-willed vampires have been known to rebel against their masters.
- Enhanced senses: Vampires have improved several times higher than those of any human being of course these skills can vary depending on each person they will have some other stronger senses of his companions always given the dedication and training that each set to improve ways. Among the main ways that vampires have improved we find the following:
- Immortality: So long as vampires continue to consume blood, they will not age beyond the physical state they were in when they first became a vampire.
- Invulnerability: Vampires are invulnerable to most forms of injury (certain exceptions apply). Bullets, blades and blunt objects do little to no damage to a vampire's body.
- Regeneration: In addition to being virtually indestructible, whatever damage a vampire does in fact suffer can be healed through the consumption of human blood.
- Superhuman strength: A vampire's strength level is several times that of a normal human being and they are considered superhuman.
- Superhuman stamina: So long as they continue to consume human blood, a vampire can function tirelessly without rest or relaxation. However, a vampire's stamina wanes the closer it is to sunrise.
- Psychokinesis: Most vampires possess some form of psychokinesis. Some are clairvoyant, others can communicate telepathically, some possess mind control. Particularly powerful vampires can control the minds of several people at once.
- Hypnosis: Vampires possess the ability to hypnotize or mesmerize human targets. This may become difficult against opponents with an extremely high will power. It often doesn't work against other supernatural creatures. In some cases, vampire mesmerism may be referred to as "glamouring".
- Transformation: Vampires often possess the ability to transform into a variety of creatures or effects such as bats, wolves, rats or even mist. While their physical attributes may fluctuate during such states, a vampire's mental acuity is the same as that when they are in their human shape. A vampire who transforms into an animal may also benefit from that particular animal's attributes including razor-sharp claws, fangs or the ability to fly.
- Metamorphosis: Only vampires with a more advanced powers Control demonstrate the ability of altering either its appearance to imitate other people or in such cases selective transformation for creating claws to increase the lethal capability of its attacks in extreme cases and only vampires with a capacity of very advanced monitoring capabilities such change would show how elements, elasticity and other capabilities which vary depending on their ability, imagination and control, because as you know some vampires are stronger than others.
- Claws: Vampires can often turn their fingernails into sharpened claws, which are extremely durable and sharp. They are ideal for rending and tearing through flesh, though they are not as effective as the claws possessed by a werewolf.
- Fangs: A vampire's most often-used weapon are her fangs. They are enlarged sharpened canine teeth, which are often retractable so as to allow a vampire the ability to pose as a normal human. The primary purpose of fangs is for feeding, which they use to puncture the jugular vein of a victim in order to get to their blood.
Equipment[]
Notes & Trivia[]
- The character of Rachel van Helsing was created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist Gene Colan.
- Despite her long history as a vampire hunter, Rachel van Helsing ultimately lost the good fight and was turned into a vampire herself by Dracula. The X-Men member known as Wolverine gave her peace by stabbing her in the heart with his Adamantium claws.
- Rachel van Helsing appeared in a Japanese released animated short of Tomb of Dracula in 1980. She was voiced by Mami Koyama in the film.
Body Count[]
- Clifton Graves - Shot with a crossbow. (Tomb of Dracula 20)
- Juno - Shot with a crossbow. (Tomb of Dracula 40)
Appearances[]
See also[]
Media
The World of Dracula
External Links[]
Gallery[]
