PROFESSOR ABRAHAM VAN HELSING

ProIessor Abraham Van Helsing is a Dutch doctor with a wide range oI interests
and accomplishments, partly attested by the string oI letters that Iollows his name:
"M.D., D.Ph., D.Litt., etc." The character is best known as a vampire hunter, and
the arch-enemy oI Count Dracula. His depiction in the original novel Dracula is
very diIIerent to more recent adaptations however, and the Iormer is what I will
deal with Iirst.
In the novel, Irom the annotations oI Leonard WolI, 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 Iondness Ior Holmwood. Van
Helsing is one oI the Iew characters in the novel who is Iully physically described
in one place. In chapter 14, Mina describes him as:
' A man oI medium weight, strongly built,
with his shoulders set back over a broad,
deep chest and a neck well balanced on
the trunk as the head is on the neck. The
poise oI the head strikes me at once as
indicative oI thought and power. The
head is noble, well-sized, broad, and
large behind the ears. The Iace, clean-
shaven, shows a hard, square chin, a
large resolute, mobile mouth, a good-
sized nose, rather straight, but with
quick, sensitive nostrils, that seem to
broaden as the big bushy brows come
down and the mouth tightens. The
Iorehead is broad and Iine, rising at Iirst
almost straight and then sloping back
above two bumps or ridges wide apart, such a Iorehead that the reddish hair
cannot possibly tumble over it, but Ialls naturally back and to the sides. Big,
dark blue eyes are set widely apart, and are quick and tender or stern with the
man's moods.
Van Helsing's personality is described by John Seward, his Iormer student, thus:
' He is a seemingly arbitrary man, this is because he knows what he is talking
about better than anyone else. He is a philosopher and a metaphysician, and
one oI the most advanced scientists oI his day, and he has, I believe, an
absolutely open mind. This, with an iron nerve, a temper oI the ice-brook, and
indomitable resolution, selI-command, and toleration exalted Irom virtues to
blessings, and the kindliest and truest heart that beats, these Iorm his
equipment Ior the noble work that he is doing Ior mankind, work both in
theory and practice, Ior his views are as wide as his all-embracing sympathy.

In addition to this, Van Helsing has a well-
developed, albeit ironic, sense oI humour. When
Arthur Holmwood mournIully proclaims that the
transIusion oI his blood into the dying Lucy Westenra
made her truly his bride, Van Helsing laughs and tells
Jack Seward that iI such is the case, both Van Helsing
and Lucy are guilty oI adultery. Arthur was not alone
in donating blood; Seward, his Iriend Quincey
Morris, and Van Helsing himselI have done it as
well; Van Helsing also notes that although his wiIe is
insane, the Catholic Church considers her to still be
alive.
Adaptations oI the novel have tended to play up Van
Helsing's role as the vampire expert, sometimes to the
extent that it is depicted as his major occupation. In the novel, however, Dr.
Seward is unaware oI this side oI his old Iriend, and requests Van Helsing's
assistance simply because Lucy's aIIliction has him baIIled and Van Helsing
"knows as much about obscure diseases as anyone in the world."
Probably the most Iamous adaptation oI the character oI Van Helsing can be Iound
in the 2004 movie oI the same name. This particular adaptation though is only
based very loosely on the original character, even his Iirst name Abraham being
changed to a more heroic-like Gabriel, with this as the Iirst oI many signiIicant
changes to transIorm him Irom the brooding old proIessor he was into more oI a
monster-killing gunslinger. The Iollowing is an
account oI this new character, and it is in stark
contrast to the original.
Gabriel Van Helsing is a monster hunter,
possibly thousands oI years old. He is an expert
with many Iorms oI weaponry and unarmed
combat, operates at the peak oI physical
perIection and possesses the ability to take the
shape oI a werewolI.
The Iull details oI Van Helsing's past are a mystery even to him. According to all
sources, he was Iound in 1882, lying on the steps oI Vatican City, halI-dead, and
with no memories whatsoever oI his liIe prior to that moment. The only hints to his
past were a strange ring he wore on his leIt little Iinger, marked by a seal that
resembled a dragon, and vague memories oI Iighting Romans in Masada.

Whatever his past concealed, he was taken in by the Knights oI the Holy Order, an
elite group dedicated to Iighting the Iorces oI darkness that existed in the world,
and trained to be one oI their warriors against the darkness.
Over the course oI the next Iew years, Van Helsing became a master oI skills that
made him more than a match Ior any Ioe Irom either the human world or the world
oI the supernatural, tracking down several oI the more dangerous monsters oI the
era. However, he started to hate his job Iairly quickly; to everyone back in the
Vatican, his subjects may be monsters, but whenever he killed them, he had to
watch as they turned back into the men they were beIore they were changed.
However, the Knights reIused to let him go, despite the (to them) rather annoying
detail that Van Helsing commonly killed his opponents despite explicit orders to
bring them back Ior possible treatment Ior their conditions.
Abraham Van Helsing was also portrayed in the The Tomb oI Dracula Marvel
Comics series, which was based on the characters oI Bram Stoker's novel, but the
chronology slightly diIIers Irom Bram Stoker's.
His Iirst appearance is in Dracula Lives #3, in which a Iirst encounter between a
younger Van Helsing and Dracula is set up. A Iew days aIter marrying a woman
named Elizabeth, lawyers inIormed Van Helsing that he had inherited land Irom a
distant relative in Wallachia. Traveling to Romania, Van Helsing had a long
conIerence with some lawyers in Bistritz. Elizabeth went ahead to the manor to set
it up Ior the night.
One lawyer whom Van Helsing talked to had a collection oI Hun and Magyar
artiIacts, and Van Helsing lost track oI the time studying them. When he arrived at
the manor, he Iound his wiIe missing, but did
discover several corpses, with "XXX" burned
underneath bite marks on their necks. Armed with
a gun Irom his brother Boris, who lived in the
U.S., Van Helsing leIt, Irantic.
Returning to Bistritz, a Irenzied Van Helsing
discovered the existence oI the Children oI Judas,
a vampire coven that served Dracula. He also
discovered the location oI the Grand Sabbath oI
the vampires. (Van Helsing assumed that the
Children oI Judas were human, and merely
occultists rather than vampires.) He went there,
and Iound Elizabeth bound on an altar with
thirteen Children oI Judas and Dracula present.
Armed, Van Helsing opened Iire with normal bullets only to see them have no
eIIect. A group oI priests and soldiers saved him, but they could not save
Elizabeth. Van Helsing reIused to allow Elizabeth`s corpse to be beheaded or
staked. Reluctantly, they allowed Van Helsing to bury Elizabeth in the manorial
vault but inIormed him oI 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 Ior 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
oI Van Helsing. Instead oI arriving beIore the staking, however, he arrived aIter,
but still tried to kill Van Helsing. However, Van Helsing had leIt the area oI 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 oI his descendants, and
Rachel Van Helsing, Abraham's great-granddaughter, had Iollowed him Irom the
20th century. Determined to destroy Abraham Van Helsing, Dracula had a
subordinate vampire named Lenore battle Drake and Rachel as he sought to Iind
Abraham Van Helsing.
Dracula discovered Abraham Van Helsing`s lodgings elsewhere in Romania.
Stunned and conIused as he had just driven the stake through (the native temporal
counterpart oI) Dracula`s heart a short time ago, Van Helsing was unprepared to
Iace the 20th century Dracula. However, Rachel Van Helsing saved her great-
grandIather, Iorcing Dracula to Ilee. 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
Ior good, he received a rude surprise when Dracula returned years later and killed
him.
For over 100 years now since the Iirst publication oI Dracula, the character oI
Abraham Van Helsing has survived and remained a prominent name in the world
oI Iiction and no doubt will continue to in the Iuture.