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Professor Abraham Van Helsing, a fictional character from the 1897
gothic horror
Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of ea ...
novel ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
'', is an aged Dutch
polymath
A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific pro ...
doctor with a wide range of interests and accomplishments, partly attested by the
string of letters that follows his name: "
MD,
D.Ph.,
D.Litt.
Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Doctor ...
, etc.", indicating a wealth of experience, education and expertise. He is a
Doctor
Doctor or The Doctor may refer to:
Personal titles
* Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree
* A medical practitioner, including:
** Physician
** Surgeon
** Dentist
** Veterinary physician
** Optometrist
*Other roles
** ...
,
Professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
,
Lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
,
Philosopher
A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...
,
Scientist
A scientist is a person who conducts Scientific method, scientific research to advance knowledge in an Branches of science, area of the natural sciences.
In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, ...
and
Metaphysic
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility. It includes questions about the nature of consci ...
. The character is best known through many adaptations of the story as a
vampire slayer, monster hunter and the
archnemesis
In literature, an archenemy (sometimes spelled as arch-enemy) is the main enemy of someone. In fiction, it is a character who is the protagonist's, commonly a hero's, most prominent and most-known enemy.
Etymology
The word ''archenemy'' sometim ...
of
Count Dracula
Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel '' Dracula''. He is considered to be both the prototypical and the archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by som ...
, and the prototypical and the archetypical
parapsychologist in subsequent works of
paranormal fiction
Paranormal fiction is a genre of fiction whose story lines revolve around the paranormal.
Sub genres
* Paranormal romance
* Urban fantasy
Television
*''The X-Files'', a suspense drama television series in which characters investigate various p ...
.
''Dracula''
In the novel, Professor Van Helsing is called in by his former student,
John Seward
John "Jack" 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 nove ...
, to assist with the mysterious illness of
Lucy Westenra
Lucy Westenra is a fictional character in the 1897 novel ''Dracula'' by Bram Stoker. The 19-year-old daughter of a wealthy family, she is Mina Murray's best friend and Count Dracula's first English victim. She subsequently transforms into a vam ...
. 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 is a type of tissue death caused by a lack of blood supply. Symptoms may include a change in skin color to red or black, numbness, swelling, pain, skin breakdown, and coolness. The feet and hands are most commonly affected. If the ga ...
. It is Van Helsing who first realizes that Lucy is the victim of a
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
, and he guides Seward and his friends in their efforts to save Lucy.
Van Helsing had a son who died. He says that his son, had he lived, would have had a similar appearance to Lucy's suitor
Arthur Holmwood
Arthur "Art" Holmwood (later Lord Godalming) is a fictional character in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel '' Dracula''.
In the novel
Holmwood is engaged to Lucy Westenra, and is best friends with the other two men who proposed to her on the very same ...
("My heart bleed for that poor boy, that dear boy, so of the age of mine own boy had I been so blessed that he live, and with his hair and eyes the same"). Consequently, Van Helsing developed a particular fondness for Holmwood. Van Helsing's wife went insane from grief after their son's death, but as a 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 Harker
Wilhelmina "Mina" Harker (née Murray) is a fictional character and the main female character in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''.
In the novel
She begins the story as Miss Mina Murray, a young schoolmistress who is engaged t ...
describes him as:
Van Helsing's personality is described by
John Seward
John "Jack" 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 nove ...
, his former student, thus:
In the novel, Van Helsing is described as having what is apparently a thick foreign accent, in that he speaks in broken English and he uses German phrases such as "Mein Gott" ( en, My God).
Adaptations of the novel have tended to play up Van Helsing's role as a vampire expert, sometimes to the extent that it is depicted as his major occupation. In the novel, however, Dr. Seward requests Van Helsing's assistance simply because Lucy's affliction has him baffled and Van Helsing "knows as much about obscure diseases as anyone in the world".
Development
In an 1897 interview in ''
The British Weekly'', Stoker said that Van Helsing was "founded on a real character". In Stoker's 1898 introduction to the
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
and
Iclandic versions of ''Dracula'', he writes from an
in-universe
A fictional universe, or fictional world, is a self-consistent setting with events, and often other elements, that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed, or fictional realm (or world). Fictional universes may ...
perspective that "the highly regarded scientist, who appears under a pseudonym here, may likewise be too famous throughout the educated world for his real name − which I prefer not to mention − to remain hidden from the public, especially from those people who have learned firsthand to appreciate and respect his brilliant mind and masterly skill, though they no more adhere to his views on life than I do."
Literary researcher
Roger Dobson
Roger Alan Dobson (1954–2013) was a British author, journalist, editor and literary researcher.
Dobson wrote the Arthur Machen entry in the '' Dictionary of National Biography''. He also edited John Gawsworth's biography of Machen and co-edite ...
reported that Van Helsing may have been inspired by
Sheridan Le Fanu's Dr Martin Hesselius from ''
Carmilla
''Carmilla'' is an 1872 Gothic fiction, Gothic novella by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu and one of the early works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'' (1897) by 26 years. First published as a Serial (literature), serial in ' ...
'' (1871–72), "who makes little comment upon the strange narrative he introduces".
Narrative
Count Dracula
Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel '' Dracula''. He is considered to be both the prototypical and the archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by som ...
, having acquired ownership of the Carfax estate near London through solicitor
Jonathan Harker, moves to the estate and begins menacing England. His victims include Lucy Westenra, who is on holiday in
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 maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Clif ...
. The aristocratic girl has suitors such as John Seward, Arthur Holmwood, and
Quincey Morris
Quincey P. Morris is a fictional character in Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic novel ''Dracula''.
In the novel
He is a rich young American from Texas, and one of the three men who propose to Lucy Westenra. Quincey is friends with her other two suit ...
, and has a best friend in
Mina Murray
Wilhelmina "Mina" Harker (née Murray) is a fictional character and the main female character in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel '' Dracula''.
In the novel
She begins the story as Miss Mina Murray, a young schoolmistress who is engaged ...
, Harker's fiancée. Seward, who works as a doctor in an
insane asylum
The lunatic asylum (or insane asylum) was an early precursor of the modern psychiatric hospital.
The fall of the lunatic asylum and its eventual replacement by modern psychiatric hospitals explains the rise of organized, institutional psychiatry ...
– where one of the patients, the incurably mad
Renfield
R. M. Renfield is a fictional character who appears in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''.[ ...](_blank)
, has a psychic connection to Dracula – contacts Professor Van Helsing about Lucy's peculiar condition. Van Helsing, recognizing marks upon her neck, eventually deduces that she has been losing blood from a vampire bite. He administers multiple blood transfusions. Van Helsing, Seward, Arthur, and Morris each donate blood to her, but each night she continues to lose blood. He prescribes her garlic, makes a necklace of garlic flowers for her, and hangs garlic about her room. He also gives her a crucifix to wear around her neck. Lucy's demise was brought by her mother, who cleared the room of garlic and opened the window for fresh air; a servant had stolen the gold crucifix. Lucy dies and after the funeral returns as a vampire, seeking out children. Eventually, Van Helsing, Arthur, Morris and Seward free the
undead
The undead are beings in mythology, legend, or fiction that are deceased but behave as if alive. Most commonly the term refers to corporeal forms of formerly-alive humans, such as mummies, vampires, and zombies, who have been reanimated by super ...
Lucy from her vampiric curse: Arthur uses a hammer to drive the stake through her heart and Van Helsing cuts off her head and puts garlic in her mouth.
Mina, now married to Harker, becomes increasingly worried about his
brain fever
Brain fever describes a medical condition where a part of the brain becomes inflamed and causes symptoms that present as fever. The terminology is dated and is encountered most often in Victorian literature, where it typically describes a potential ...
. Van Helsing reviews his journal and Harker's health returns when he learns that his experiences in Transylvania were real. Mina discovers that various letters and accounts provide further intelligence on Dracula's movements, and shares these with Harker, Seward, Morris, and Van Helsing. They learn that Dracula's residence in Carfax is near Seward's, and Van Helsing's research reveals Dracula's weaknesses and strengths. Seward and Van Helsing also write to a university acquaintance to aid in further research. Staying at Seward's residence to better plan strategies in their efforts to deal with Dracula, they have frequent meetings and each member is assigned duties. At a later meeting a bat is seen at a window.
To destroy Dracula and prevent further spread of evil, the party enters his estate at Carfax and as a group encounters him for the first time. They discover that he has been purchasing properties in and around London, with plans to distribute 50 boxes of Transylvanian earth to them, used as graves so each property would become a safe lair. They visit these lairs and place
sacramental bread
Sacramental bread, also called Communion bread, Eucharistic bread, the Lamb or simply the host ( la, hostia, lit=sacrificial victim), is the bread used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist. Along with sacramental wine, it is one of two elemen ...
in the boxes of the earth to "sterilize" them, preventing Dracula from further using them. Dracula entices Renfield to invite him into Seward's residence. Renfield is found critically injured by Seward and Van Helsing who operate on him, and Renfield informs them that Dracula went to see Mina. They go to Mina's room and find Harker hypnotized while Dracula is giving Mina the '
Vampire's Baptism of Blood', cursing her and the group for plotting against him. The party uses sacred items to repel Dracula, who flees into a different room as a vapor. Dracula then destroys all the texts Mina had produced, except for one which was hidden, and breaks Renfield's neck before leaving.
Van Helsing places a wafer of sacramental bread upon Mina's forehead to bless her but it burns her flesh, leaving a scar. Mina, feeling that she is now connected with Dracula, asks Van Helsing to hypnotize her before dawn, the only time she feels she could freely speak. Through this hypnosis they learn that Mina has a telepathic link with Dracula, that she could tell everything he hears and feels, which could be used to track his movements. Mina agrees that any plans should be kept from her for fear that Dracula could read her thoughts. The group has additional encounters with Dracula as they continue to search for his residences throughout London and sterilize the boxes. Learning that his final grave is aboard a boat, Van Helsing deduces that Dracula is fleeing back to his castle.
When the party pursues Dracula to
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
, they split into groups. While Mina and Van Helsing travel straight to Dracula's castle, the others attempt to ambush the boat on which Dracula is a passenger. Van Helsing's influence over Mina diminishes each day, and her behavior changes as she sleeps more during the day, loses her appetite for food, and ceases to write in her journal. He finds that she cannot cross a circle of crumbled sacramental bread. Later,
Dracula's vampiric wives approach their camp but they too are unable to cross into the circle of bread. Failing at their attempts to lure Van Helsing and Mina out of the circle, they flee back to Dracula's castle just before sunrise. Van Helsing binds Mina at a cave to keep her from danger as he goes into Dracula's castle to kill the vampires.
As Van Helsing runs through the castle searching its rooms, he finds Dracula's empty tomb and the three female vampires he saw earlier. He begins to do his operation on the first vampire but finds himself entranced by her beauty and unable to bring himself to harm her. In his feelings of enchantment, he even contemplates love for her. He is broken out of this enchantment when he hears a "soul wail" from Mina, awakening him. He proceeds to drive stakes into their hearts and sever their heads, one by one.
Van Helsing returns to Mina and they see the rest of their party as they chase a group of gypsies down the
Borgo Pass
Borgo may refer to the following places:
Finland
* Borgå
France
* Borgo, Haute-Corse
Italy
* Borgo (rione of Rome), a ''rione'' in the City of Rome.
*Borgo a Mozzano, in the province of Lucca
*Borgo d'Ale, in the province of Vercelli
*Borgo di ...
and corner them. Armed with knives and firearms they overtake the gypsies and open the final box of Dracula; Jonathan Harker brings his
Kukri
The kukri () or khukuri ( ne, खुकुरी, ) is a type of machete with a distinct recurve in its blade. It serves multiple purposes as a melee weapon and also as a regular cutting tool throughout most of South Asia. The ''kukri'', ''khuk ...
knife down on Dracula's throat as the
bowie knife of Quincey Morris simultaneously impales Dracula's heart in the final moments of daylight. At this moment Dracula's body crumbles to dust. After the struggle, Quincey is seen to have been fatally wounded.
Six years later, Van Helsing takes a grandfatherly role in regard to the young Quincey Harker, Jonathan and Mina's son.
Equipment
Van Helsing is seen utilising many tools to aid him and his party in fending off Dracula, warding off vampires and in general defeating the undead:
*
Skeleton key
A skeleton key (also known as a passkey) is a type of master Lock (security device), key in which the serrated edge has been removed in such a way that it can open numerous Lock and key, locks, most commonly the warded lock. The term derives fr ...
s used for
lock picking
Lock picking is the practice of unlocking a lock by manipulating the components of the lock device without the original key.
Although lock-picking can be associated with criminal intent, it is an essential skill for the legitimate professi ...
to open the doors to many of Dracula's lairs located throughout London.
* Wreath of withered
garlic blossoms
* Silver
crucifix
A crucifix (from Latin ''cruci fixus'' meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the ''corpus'' (Lati ...
*
Sacred wafer brought from
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
contained in an envelope or crushed and sprinkled around him in a circle as a protective barrier.
* Electric lamps which could be attached or secured against the chest.
* Revolver and knife for use against enemies weaker than Dracula.
* The branch of a
wild rose could be placed on top of a coffin containing a vampire; immobilising it.
*
Mountain ash Mountain ash may refer to:
* ''Eucalyptus regnans'', the tallest of all flowering plants, native to Australia
* Mountain-ashes or rowans, varieties of trees and shrubs in the genus ''Sorbus''
See also
* Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Mounta ...
used to repel the undead.
* Wooden stake and hammer to pierce a vampire's heart.
* Golden crucifix necklace, given to Lucy.
On screen
Film adaptations of the novel
* ''
Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror'' (1922) 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' (
John Gottowt
John Gottowt (15 June 1881 – 29 August 1942) was an Austrian actor, stage director and film director for theatres and silent movies.
He was born as Isidor Gesang in Lemberg, Austria-Hungary (present-day Lviv, Ukraine) into a Jewish family. Af ...
) 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 Orlok
Count Orlok (german: Graf Orlok), commonly but erroneously known as Nosferatu, is the main antagonist and title character portrayed by German actor Max Schreck (1879–1936) in the silent film ''Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens'' (1922). He ...
' (a renamed Count Dracula), and he never meets the vampire face to face.
* In the initial 1931
Universal
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a ...
version of ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
'' starring
Bela Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...
as the Count, Professor Van Helsing was portrayed by the actor
Edward Van Sloan
Edward Van Sloan (born Edward Paul Van Sloun; November 1, 1882 – March 6, 1964) was an American character actor best remembered for his roles in the Universal Studios horror films such as ''Dracula'' (1931), ''Frankenstein'' (1931), and ''Th ...
, who had previously played the part opposite Lugosi on stage. Van Sloan was the only cast member to reprise his role in the sequel ''
Dracula's Daughter
''Dracula's Daughter'' is a 1936 American vampire film, vampire horror film produced by Universal Pictures as a sequel to the 1931 film ''Dracula (1931 English-language film), Dracula''. Directed by Lambert Hillyer from a screenplay by Garrett F ...
'' (1936).
*
Eduardo Arozamena
Eduardo Arozamena Lira (13 October 1875 – 21 May 1951) was a Mexican actor. His nickname was "El Nanche Arozamena".
Son of Juan Arozamena and Guadalupe Lira y Argomanes. Initially a singer (baritone), theater actor, he later ventured into fil ...
portrayed Van Helsing in Universal’s simultaneously shot Spanish ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
'' (1931).
![Brides of Dracula (1960) trailer - Peter Cushing](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Brides_of_Dracula_%281960%29_trailer_-_Peter_Cushing.jpg)
*
Peter Cushing
Peter Wilton Cushing (26 May 1913 – 11 August 1994) was an English actor. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage, and radio roles. He achieved recognition ...
's Doctor Van Helsing in the initial 1958
Hammer
A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as w ...
''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
'' movie and its 1960 sequel ''
The Brides of Dracula
''The Brides of Dracula'' is a 1960 British supernatural horror film produced by Hammer Film Productions. Directed by Terence Fisher, the film stars Peter Cushing, David Peel, Freda Jackson, Yvonne Monlaur, Andrée Melly, and Martita Hunt. The ...
'' differed from the novel's in that the actor portrayed the character as a visibly younger man (as did
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a long career spanning more than 60 years, Lee often portrayed villains, and appeared as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, ultimat ...
as the Count), and also one whose main vocation appears to be vampire hunting. His first name is never mentioned, though in the later Hammer Dracula films set in the 1970s (which apparently exist on a different timeline) Lee's Dracula battles Cushing's 'Lorrimer Van Helsing', a grandson of a previous vampire hunter, who appears as 'Lawrence Van Helsing' (also Cushing) in the prologue to ''
Dracula A.D. 1972
''Dracula A.D. 1972'' is a 1972 British horror film, directed by Alan Gibson and produced by Hammer Film Productions. It was written by Don Houghton and stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Stephanie Beacham. Unlike earlier films in Hammer ...
''. In the final Hammer Dracula production ''
The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires
''The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires'' () is a 1974 martial arts horror film. The film opens in 1804, when seven vampires clad in gold masks are resurrected by Count Dracula, played by John Forbes-Robertson. A century later, Peter Cushing as P ...
'' (set mainly in 1904) Cushing again plays the original Van Helsing from the Hammer series.
*
Herbert Lom
Herbert Charles Angelo Kuchačevič ze Schluderpacheru (11 September 1917 – 27 September 2012), known professionally as Herbert Lom (), was a Czech-British actor who moved to the United Kingdom in 1939. In a career lasting more than 60 ye ...
played Van Helsing in ''
Count Dracula
Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel '' Dracula''. He is considered to be both the prototypical and the archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by som ...
'' (1970). At the time of its production, the movie was declared to be the closest adaptation of the novel, though it actually differs from the plot of the book significantly.
*
Walter Ladengast
Walter Ladengast (4 July 1899 – 3 July 1980) was an Austrian film actor. He appeared in more than 70 films between 1928 and 1979, a majority silent. His film career momentarily suffered when it was discovered he was a Nazi Sympathizer.
...
played Van Helsing in ''
Nosferatu the Vampyre
''Nosferatu the Vampyre'' (german: Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht, lit=Nosferatu: Phantom of the Night) is a 1979 horror film written and directed by Werner Herzog. It is set primarily in 19th-century Wismar, Germany and Transylvania, and was conce ...
'' (1979), a remake of the 1922 film.
*
John Badham
John MacDonald Badham (born August 25, 1939) is an English television and film director, best known for his films ''Saturday Night Fever'' (1977), ''Dracula'' (1979), ''Blue Thunder'' (1983), ''WarGames'' (1983), ''Short Circuit'' (1986), and ...
's 1979 version of ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
'' saw
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...
portray Van Helsing as a frail old man whose daughter becomes one of the undead, drawing him into a conflict with
Frank Langella
Frank A. Langella Jr. (; born January 1, 1938) is an American stage and film actor. He has won four Tony Awards: two for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his performance as Richard Nixon in Peter Morgan's '' Frost/Nixon'' and as André in Flori ...
's Count that eventually costs the Professor his life.
*
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...
portrayed Professor Van Helsing in ''
Bram Stoker's Dracula'' in 1992. Once again implied to be a knowledgeable, and immensely experienced vampire hunter, this Van Helsing often comes across as somewhat eccentric and unbalanced, casually discussing how to kill the un-dead despite the brutal methods involved, and displaying ruthlessness when dispatching Dracula's brides, but he nevertheless leads a group of friends to victory over the Count.
* In the 1995 spoof film ''
Dracula: Dead and Loving It'', the movie's director
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. He began h ...
plays Professor Van Helsing.
*
David Moroni portrayed Van Helsing in ''
Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary'' (2002), a black and white movie version of the Royal Winnipeg ballet adaptation of the novel.
*
Rutger Hauer
Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century.
Hauer's career began in 1969 with the title role in the Dutch television series ' ...
in ''
Dracula 3D
''Dracula 3D'' (also known as ''Dario Argento’s Dracula'') is a 2012 vampire horror film co-written and directed by Dario Argento and starring Thomas Kretschmann, Rutger Hauer, Marta Gastini, and Unax Ugalde. An Italian-Spanish-French co-prod ...
'' (2012). In this version it is revealed that he used to control an insane asylum called Carfax, and it was there that he first encountered vampires.
* Keith Reay in ''
Dracula Reborn
''Dracula Reborn'' is a 2012 vampire-themed direct-to-video horror film, directed and written by Patrick McManus, making his feature film directorial debut. Produced by Ray Haboush, the film stars Corey Landis, Victoria Summer, Krash Miller, Stuar ...
'' (2012). The setting is modernized to present-day California and Van Helsing here is a relatively young and brutal vampire hunter, who is ready to kill people if they get in the way of vanquishing vampires.
* Christine Prouty in ''Dracula: The Original Living Vampire.'' Here, Van Helsing is gender-swapped, now being a detective who is Mina’s girlfriend, and a friend of chemist Jonathan Harker and Doctor Jack Seward. She doesn’t believe in vampires and always relies on logic in contrast to Harker, who is convinced that there are vampires among them. She only believes this when she is forced to near the end of the film, and even then she is reluctant. After the battle with Dracula, it is revealed she has become a vampire.
TV adaptations of the novel
![Dracula (1973) - Nigel Davenport 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Dracula_%281973%29_-_Nigel_Davenport_2.png)
*
Bernard Archard in ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
'' (1968)
*
Ota Sklenčka
Ota Sklenčka (19 December 1919 in Hradec Králové – 10 October 1993 in Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the ...
in ''
Hrabe Drakula
''Hrabě Drakula'' (''Count Dracula'') is a Czechoslovakian 1971 black and white TV film adaptation of Bram Stoker's original novel '' Dracula''.
This is the first adaptation of the novel to be directed by a woman (who also co-scripted the film ...
'' (1971)
*
Nehemiah Persoff
Nehemiah Persoff (August 2, 1919 – April 5, 2022) was an American character actor and painter. He appeared in more than 200 television series, films, and theatre productions and also performed as a voice artist in a career spanning 55 years, be ...
in ''Dracula'' (1973)
*
Nigel Davenport
Arthur Nigel Davenport (23 May 1928 – 25 October 2013) was an English stage, television and film actor, best known as the Duke of Norfolk and Lord Birkenhead in the Academy Award-winning films '' A Man for All Seasons'' and '' Chariots of F ...
in ''
Bram Stoker's Dracula'' (1974)
*
Frank Finlay
Francis Finlay, (6 August 1926 – 30 January 2016) was an English stage, film and television actor, Oscar-nominated for a supporting role as Iago in Laurence Olivier's 1965 film adaptation of ''Othello''.
In 1983, Finlay was directed by Ital ...
in the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
adaptation ''
Count Dracula
Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel '' Dracula''. He is considered to be both the prototypical and the archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by som ...
'' (1977)
*
Giancarlo Giannini
Giancarlo Giannini (born 1 August 1942) is an Italian actor and voice actor. He won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''Love and Anarchy'' (1973) and received an Academy Award nomination for ''Seven Beauties' ...
(as Enrico Valenzi) in ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
'' (2002)
*
Captain Raju
Raju Daniel (27 June 1950 – 17 September 2018), better known by his stage name Captain Raju, was an Indian army officer and Indian actor. He acted in more than 600 films in various languages, including Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannad ...
in the
Asianet Asianet may refer to:
Disney Star channels
*Asianet Communications, an Indian media company wholly owned by Disney Star
**Asianet (TV channel), a Malayalam language general entertainment channel
**Asianet Plus, a Malayalam language general entertai ...
adaptation ''Dracula'' (2005)
*
David Suchet
Sir David Courtney Suchet''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' ( ; born 2 May 1946) is an English actor known for his work on British stage and television. He portrayed Edward Teller in the television serial '' Oppenh ...
in ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
'' (2006)
*
Thomas Kretschmann
Thomas Kretschmann (; born 8 September 1962) is a German actor who has appeared in many European and American films. His notable roles include Lieutenant Hans von Witzland in '' Stalingrad'' (1993), Hauptmann Wilm Hosenfeld in '' The Pianist'' ( ...
in ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
'' (2013)
*
Dolly Wells
Dorothy Perpetua Wells (born Gatacre; 5 December 1971)Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, vol. III, 2003, pg 3046 is an English actress and writer.
She co-wrote and starred in the Sky Living series ''Doll & Em'' (2014–2015) with Emily ...
(as Sister Agatha Van Helsing / Zoe Van Helsing) in ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
'' (2020)
Other screen appearances of the character
Films
*
Jack Gwillim
Jack William Frederick Gwillim (15 December 1909 – 2 July 2001) was an English character actor.
Career
Born in Canterbury, Kent, England, he joined the Royal Navy at 17 and served for over twenty years, becoming one of the youngest men ever to ...
in the horror-comedy ''
The Monster Squad
''The Monster Squad'' is a 1987 American black comedy horror film directed by Fred Dekker, and written by Dekker and Shane Black, who met as classmates at UCLA. Peter Hyams and Rob Cohen served as executive producers. It was released by TriSt ...
'' (1987), in which Van Helsing opposes
Duncan Regehr
Duncan Peter Regehr (born October 5, 1952) is a Canadian writer, multimedia artist, and film and television actor. He was also a figure skater and a classically trained Shakespearean stage actor in his native Canada, before heading to Hollywood ...
’s Count Dracula.
*
Peter Fonda
Peter Henry Fonda (February 23, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was an American actor. He was the son of Henry Fonda, younger brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget Fonda. He was a prominent figure in the counterculture of the 1960s. Fond ...
in ''
Nadja'' (1994)
*
Christopher Plummer
Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer (December 13, 1929 – February 5, 2021) was a Canadian actor. His career spanned seven decades, gaining him recognition for his performances in film, stage, and television. He received multiple accolades, inc ...
in ''
Dracula 2000
''Dracula 2000'' (also known internationally as ''Dracula 2001'') is a 2000 American gothic horror film co-written and directed by Patrick Lussier and produced by Joel Soisson and Wes Craven (executive producer), and starring Gerard Butler, Chr ...
'' (2000). After defeating Count Dracula (
Gerard Butler
Gerard James Butler (born 13 November 1969) is a Scottish actor and film producer. After studying law, he turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as '' Mrs Brown'' (1997), the James Bond film '' Tomorrow Never ...
), Van Helsing finds that the vampire lord cannot die by the conventional means of destroying a vampire and he only succeeded in paralyzing him in a deathlike state. When Dracula escapes after his coffin is stolen, Van Helsing's daughter and his assistant are able to defeat him after the elder Van Helsing's death.
*
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian actor. Beginning in theatre and television, he landed his breakthrough role as James "Logan" Howlett / Wolverine in the 20th Century Fox ''X-Men'' film series (2000–2017), a role ...
played
Gabriel Van Helsing, in ''
Van Helsing
A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across ...
'' (2004), loosely based on Stoker's character. Having been found on the steps of a church several years before with total amnesia, Gabriel hunts monsters for a secret organisation made up of the world's religions (known as the Knights of the Holy Order) to rid the world of evil "that the rest of mankind has no idea exists", although he is the most wanted man in Europe for his conspicuous actions. In the movie he is sent to Transylvania to kill
Count Dracula
Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel '' Dracula''. He is considered to be both the prototypical and the archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by som ...
. When he arrives, Dracula tells Gabriel that they have already met and have quite a history together, with Dracula revealing over the course of the film that Van Helsing was the one who originally murdered him, as well as claiming ownership of a distinctive ring that Van Helsing has worn as long as he can remember. It is heavily implied that Gabriel is actually the angel
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብር ...
, with vague references to Dracula's murderer as the "Left Hand of God". Jackman also voiced the character in the animated spin-off ''
Van Helsing: The London Assignment'' (2004).
*
David Carradine
David Carradine ( ; born John Arthur Carradine Jr.; December 8, 1936 – June 3, 2009) was an American actor best known for playing martial arts roles. He is perhaps best known as the star of the 1970s television series ''Kung Fu'', playi ...
in ''The Last Sect'' (2006).
*
Wallace Shawn
Wallace Michael Shawn (born November 12, 1943) is an American actor, playwright, and essayist. His film roles include Wally Shawn (a fictionalized version of himself) in '' My Dinner with Andre'' (1981), Vizzini in ''The Princess Bride'' (1987), ...
in''
Vamps'' (2012).
* Mark Topping played Van Helsing in ''Bram Stoker's Van Helsing'' (2021).
* It was announced on 6 December 2020 that
Julius Avery
Julius Avery is an Australian screenwriter and film director.
Life and works
After growing up in Pemberton, Western Australia, Avery attended The Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne. He has written and directed several award winning ...
is set to direct a Van Helsing movie reboot for
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
, with
James Wan
James Wan (born 26 February 1977) is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter and comic book writer. He has primarily worked in the horror genre as the co-creator of the ''Saw'' and ''Insidious'' franchises and the creator of The Conjurin ...
producing the horror-thriller.
TV
*
David Warner David or Dave Warner may refer to:
Sports
* Dave Warner (strongman) (born 1969), Northern Ireland strongman competitor
* David Bruce Warner (born 1970), South African alpine skier
* David Warner (cricketer) (born 1986), Australian cricketer
Oth ...
in ''
Penny Dreadful
Penny dreadfuls were cheap popular serial literature produced during the nineteenth century in the United Kingdom. The pejorative term is roughly interchangeable with penny horrible, penny awful, and penny blood. The term typically referred to ...
'' (2014). Van Helsing here is a
hematologist
Hematology (American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, always spelled haematology in British English) is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to ...
consulted by
Victor Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein is a fictional character and the main protagonist and title character in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus''.. He is an Italians, Italian-Swiss scientist (born in Naples, Italy ...
. He eventually admits he has known about vampires for some time and offers to give Frankenstein some much-needed instruction in the area.
*
Michael Eklund
Michael Eklund is a Canadian television and film actor who is known for playing the role of the villain or antihero. His characters are often described as being "creepy".
His roles include a kidnapper who terrorizes characters played by Halle ...
in ''
Van Helsing
A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across ...
'' (2019), original patriarch of the Van Helsing family who managed to previously trap the Dark One and meets with his descendant Vanessa Van Helsing.
Animation
* ''
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation'' (2018) and it's follow-up ''
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania'' (2022), voiced by
Jim Gaffigan
James Christopher Gaffigan (born July 7, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. His material often addresses fatherhood, laziness, food, religion, and general observations. He is regarded as a "clean" comic, using l ...
.
Appearances in other media
On stage
* In 1924 play ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
'' by
Hamilton Deane
Hamilton Deane (1880 – 25 October 1958) was an Irish actor, playwright and director. He played a key role in popularising Bram Stoker's 1897 novel ''Dracula'' as a 1924 stage play and a 1931 film.
Biography
Deane was born in New Ross in C ...
Van Helsing is portrayed as the main nemesis of Dracula. Deane himself played the role in British productions of the play. In 1927 the play was brought to Broadway by producer
Horace Liveright
Horace Brisbin Liveright (pronounced "LIVE-right," anglicized by Horace's father from the German ''Liebrecht;'' 10 December 1884 – 24 September 1933) was an American publisher and stage producer. With Albert Boni, he founded the Modern Libr ...
, who hired
John L. Balderston to revise the script for American audiences. The role of Van Helsing on Broadway was played by
Edward Van Sloan
Edward Van Sloan (born Edward Paul Van Sloun; November 1, 1882 – March 6, 1964) was an American character actor best remembered for his roles in the Universal Studios horror films such as ''Dracula'' (1931), ''Frankenstein'' (1931), and ''Th ...
. It's due to this play and its adaptation into
1931 film, that the notion of Van Helsing as Dracula's archenemy was introduced into popular culture (in the novel the two never had any conversations and Dracula never singled out Van Helsing out of the group of people, who were after him).
* Van Helsing was played by
Stephen Henderson in 2004 Broadway production of ''
Dracula, the Musical
''Dracula, the Musical'' is a musical based on the original 1897 Victorian novel by Bram Stoker. The score is by Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics and book by Don Black and Christopher Hampton.
The show had its regional premiere at the La Jolla Pl ...
'' by
Frank Wildhorn
Frank Wildhorn (born November 29, 1958) is an American composer of both musicals and popular songs. His musical ''Jekyll & Hyde'' ran for four years on Broadway. He also wrote the #1 International hit song "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" for Whitne ...
.
* Van Helsing was played by Pierre Flynn in 2006 French Canadian musical ''
Dracula – Entre l'amour et la mort''.
* Van Helsing was played by Aymeric Ribot in 2011 French musical ''
Dracula, l'amour plus fort que la mort''.
* Van Helsing was portrayed by Ashley Dixon in 2019
Northern Ballet
Northern Ballet, formerly Northern Ballet Theatre, is a dance company based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, with a strong repertoire in theatrical dance productions where the emphasis is on story telling as well as classical ballet. The company ...
's production of ''Dracula'' by
David Nixon. The production was recorded and showed in UK cinemas on Halloween and then broadcast on BBC4 in 2020.
Novels
* The Robert Statzer novel ''To Love a Vampire'' () chronicles Van Helsing's days as a medical student, depicting his first confrontation with the occult during an encounter with Countess
Elizabeth Báthory
Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed ( hu, Báthori Erzsébet, ; sk, Alžbeta Bátoriová; 7 August 1560 – 21 August 1614) was a Hungarian noblewoman and alleged serial killer from the family of Báthory, who owned land in the Kingdom of ...
and her niece,
Carmilla
''Carmilla'' is an 1872 Gothic fiction, Gothic novella by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu and one of the early works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'' (1897) by 26 years. First published as a Serial (literature), serial in ' ...
Karnstein. Originally published as a serial in the pages of ''Scary Monsters Magazine'' from March 2011 to June 2013, a revised version of ''To Love a Vampire'' was reprinted in paperback and Kindle editions in June 2018.
* In the 2009 Dacre Stoker novel ''
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 by arguing that nobody knew about blood types until much later); he was also briefly a suspect in the
Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer wa ...
murders due to his knowledge of anatomy and reputation for mutilating corpses for unspecified reasons. He later becomes a vampire himself after a meeting with Dracula revealed that Dracula was actually hunting the ''true'' monster of
Elizabeth Báthory
Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed ( hu, Báthori Erzsébet, ; sk, Alžbeta Bátoriová; 7 August 1560 – 21 August 1614) was a Hungarian noblewoman and alleged serial killer from the family of Báthory, who owned land in the Kingdom of ...
, but Van Helsing is killed in a confrontation with Arthur Holmwood, as he cannot accept the revelation that they were hunting the wrong threat. Holmwood throws himself at Van Helsing, causing the pair to fall to their deaths.
*
P. N. Elrod
Patricia Nead Elrod (b. 1954) is an American novelist specializing in urban fantasy. She has written in the mystery, romance, paranormal, and historical genres with at least one foray into comedic fantasy. Elrod is also an editor, having worked on ...
's novel ''
Quincey Morris
Quincey P. Morris is a fictional character in Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic novel ''Dracula''.
In the novel
He is a rich young American from Texas, and one of the three men who propose to Lucy Westenra. Quincey is friends with her other two suit ...
, Vampire'' takes up the story almost immediately after the conclusion of
Bram Stoker
Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912) was an Irish author who is celebrated for his 1897 Gothic horror novel '' Dracula''. During his lifetime, he was better known as the personal assistant of actor Sir Henry Irving and busine ...
's ''Dracula'', but in this story (which shows vampires in a more sympathetic light) Van Helsing is unyielding and unwavering in his beliefs and his hatred of vampires to the point where he eventually alienates his former friends and allies.
* In Edward M. Erdelac's 2012
epistolary novel
An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of letters. The term is often extended to cover novels that intersperse documents of other kinds with the letters, most commonly diary entries and newspaper clippings, and sometimes considered ...
, Terovolas, Van Helsing suffers a bout of madness stemming from his encounter with Dracula's brides, and commits himself to Seward's care. Upon release, he voluntarily bears the personal effects of
Quincey Morris
Quincey P. Morris is a fictional character in Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic novel ''Dracula''.
In the novel
He is a rich young American from Texas, and one of the three men who propose to Lucy Westenra. Quincey is friends with her other two suit ...
back to the Morris family ranch in Texas, only to be embroiled in more supernatural doings related to a group of enigmatic Norwegian ranchers.
* The comic novel ''Dracula's Diary'' by Michael Geare and Michael Corby () completely re-tells the Stoker novel, with the young Count Dracula (who has been learning to act like a true British gentleman) becoming a secret agent for Her Majesty's government and Van Helsing an enemy agent for a foreign power who is continually thwarted by Dracula.
* In ''The Dracula Tapes'' (1975) by
Fred Saberhagen
Fred Thomas Saberhagen (May 18, 1930 – June 29, 2007) was an American science fiction and fantasy author most famous for his ''Berserker'' series of science fiction short stories and novels.
Saberhagen also wrote a series of vampire novels in ...
, a psychotic, fanatical, bumbling Van Helsing opposes the urbane, if ruthless, Dracula.
* In ''
Fangland'' by John Marks, the re-imagined Van Helsing is split into two separate characters, namely Clementine Spence and Austen Trotta.
* He also appears in the ''
Department 19'' series by Will Hill.
* In the 2017 novel ''
A Betrayal in Blood'' by
Mark A. Lathan,
Mycroft Holmes
Mycroft Holmes is a fictional character appearing in stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from 1893 to 1908. The elder brother (by seven years) of detective Sherlock Holmes, he is a government official and a founding member of the Diogenes ...
asks his brother
Sherlock to investigate Van Helsing's 'Crew of Light' after they have been cleared of murder charges due to Dracula's vampiric nature. In the course of the investigation, Holmes and
Dr. Watson
John H. Watson, known as Dr. Watson, is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel ''A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). The last work by Doyle f ...
realize that Van Helsing is actually a 'retired' German spy who manipulated Seward and the Harkers – Seward through his loyalty and the Harkers through blackmail of their role in the death of Jonathan's former employer – and arranged for the death of Quincey Morris in order to kill Dracula, in reality a reclusive man whose only crime was a long-ago affair with Van Helsing's wife, this affair producing a son who was given up for adoption to become Arthur Holmwood. At the conclusion of the case, Van Helsing commits suicide by shooting himself in a train bathroom while Holmes and Watson are taking him back to England to stand trial after a final confrontation in Translyvania.
* At the end of the novel ''Dracul'', the official prequel to the novel by Bram Stoker co-written by Dacre Stoker and
J.D. Barker, is suggested by a dialogue between Bram Stoker and Mina harker that Van Helsing and
Ármin Vámbéry
Ármin Vámbéry (born Hermann Wamberger; 19 March 183215 September 1913), also known as Arminius Vámbéry, was a Hungarian Turkology, Turkologist and traveller.
Early life
Vámbéry was born in Szent-György, Kingdom of Hungary (now Svät ...
could be the same person.
Radio and Audio
* In radio drama ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
'' by ''
The Mercury Theatre on the Air
''The Mercury Theatre on the Air'' is a radio series of live radio dramas created and hosted by Orson Welles. The weekly hour-long show presented classic literary works performed by Welles's celebrated Mercury Theatre repertory company, with mus ...
'', which was broadcast in 1938, Van Helsing was played by
Martin Gabel
Martin Gabel (June 19, 1911 – May 22, 1986) was an American actor, film director and film producer.
Life and career
Gabel was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Rebecca and Isaac Gabel, a jeweler, both Jewish immigrants. He married Arlen ...
. Dracula was played by
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
.
* In the
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays (released straight to compact disc and for download in MP3 and m4b format) based, primarily, on cult science fiction properties. These include ''Doctor Who'', the ...
audio drama ''The Tangled Skein'' (adapted from the novella by
David Stuart Davies
David Stuart Davies (born 1946) is a British writer. He worked as a teacher of English before becoming a full-time editor, writer, and playwright. Davies has written extensively about Sherlock Holmes, both fiction and non-fiction. He is the editor ...
) Van Helsing, acting alone, joins forces with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to investigate the presence of vampires in London. Although initially disbelieving of Van Helsing's convictions when they read about his lectures on vampires, the duo accept his word when they are confronted and nearly killed by a vampire in Hampstead Heath, joining Van Helsing in staking the vampire. While Van Helsing is forced to focus on his lectures over the next few days, he leaves his vampire-hunting equipment with Holmes and Watson, who track Dracula to Dartmoor, where he has hidden in
Baskerville Hall, and are able to defeat him using Van Helsing's advice. After Dracula is defeated when trapped in the Grimpen Mire as the sun rises, Holmes gives Van Helsing Dracula's ring as a memento of their victory, concluding that Van Helsing's research is what enabled him to destroy Dracula.
Comics
Abraham Van Helsing was also portrayed in ''
The Tomb of Dracula
''The Tomb of Dracula'' is an American horror comic book series published by Marvel Comics from April 1972 to August 1979. The 70-issue series featured a group of vampire hunters who fought Count Dracula and other supernatural menaces. On rare ...
'' Marvel Comics series, which was based on the characters of Bram Stoker's novel including his great-granddaughter Rachel.
In the
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
miniseries ''
X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula'', Van Helsing joins forces with the immortal mutant
Apocalypse
Apocalypse () is a literary genre in which a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a human intermediary. The means of mediation include dreams, visions and heavenly journeys, and they typically feature symbolic imager ...
and his worshipers,
Clan Akkaba
Clan Akkaba is a fictional cult appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The cult has appeared in X-Men comic books and was created by Frank Tieri and Clayton Henry. The Clan is composed of the descendants of the mutant ...
, in order to destroy Dracula, their common enemy. It is noted that Van Helsing had encountered Apocalypse before and previously believed him to be a vampire.
In the
Italian comic book ''
Martin Mystère
''Martin Mystère'' is both the title and protagonist of an Italian comic book. Created by writer Alfredo Castelli and artist Giancarlo Alessandrini, it was first published in Italy by Sergio Bonelli Editore in 1982.
Dark Horse Comics has publi ...
'' and the spin-off series ''Storie di Altrove/Stories from Elsewhere'' Van Helsing's name is Richard. He was originally a knight in the service of the
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...
s but he was captured in 1475 by the undead warriors of the
Order of the Dragon
The Order of the Dragon ( la, Societas Draconistarum, literally "Society of the Dragonists") was a monarchical chivalric order only for selected higher aristocracy and monarchs,Florescu and McNally, ''Dracula, Prince of Many Faces''. pp. 40–2. ...
and turned into a vampire by the Wallachian Prince
Vlad Dracula
Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler ( ro, Vlad Țepeș ) or Vlad Dracula (; ro, Vlad Drăculea ; 1428/311476/77), was Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death in 1476/77. He is often considered one of the most imp ...
. Four centuries later, Van Helsing killed Dracula, and later came to London to solve the case of
Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer wa ...
, eventually discovering that the murderers were mentally controlled by
demons from another world. In 1902 he worked together with the resurrected Dracula to prevent the assassination of King
Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...
.
Media involving Van Helsing's descendants
There have been numerous works of fiction depicting descendants of Van Helsing carrying on the family tradition.
Films
* Several of
Hammer
A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as w ...
’s Dracula films feature other members of the Van Helsing family alongside
Peter Cushing
Peter Wilton Cushing (26 May 1913 – 11 August 1994) was an English actor. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage, and radio roles. He achieved recognition ...
as the Doctor; ''
The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires
''The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires'' () is a 1974 martial arts horror film. The film opens in 1804, when seven vampires clad in gold masks are resurrected by Count Dracula, played by John Forbes-Robertson. A century later, Peter Cushing as P ...
'' (1974), set in the early 1900s, features his son ‘Leyland’, played by
Robin Stewart
Robin Stewart (9 October 1946 – 22 November 2015) was an English actor, game show host and reporter who was best known for playing Mike Abbott, the son of Sid James' character Sid Abbott in the 1970s sitcom '' Bless This House''.
Early life ...
. Meanwhile, the latter-day Van Helsing has a daughter named 'Jessica' in both ''
Dracula A.D. 1972
''Dracula A.D. 1972'' is a 1972 British horror film, directed by Alan Gibson and produced by Hammer Film Productions. It was written by Don Houghton and stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Stephanie Beacham. Unlike earlier films in Hammer ...
'', played by
Stephanie Beacham
Stephanie Beacham (born 28 February 1947) is an English television, film, radio and theatre actress. Although she has a wide number of credits to her name, Beacham is best known for for playing Sable Colby in the ABC soap operas ''The Colbys'' ...
, and ''
The Satanic Rites of Dracula
''The Satanic Rites of Dracula'' is a 1973 British horror film directed by Alan Gibson and produced by Hammer Film Productions. It is the eighth film in Hammer's ''Dracula'' series, and the seventh and final one to feature Christopher Lee as Dr ...
'', played by
Joanna Lumley
Dame Joanna Lamond Lumley (born 1 May 1946) is an English actress, presenter, former model, author, television producer, and activist. She has won two BAFTA TV Awards for her role as Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (1992 ...
.
* The 1979 film ''
Love at First Bite
''Love at First Bite'' is a 1979 American 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 J ...
'', is a comedic parody in which Dracula falls in love, and Jeffrey Rosenberg, grandson of Fritz Van Helsing, tries to kill him.
* In the 1989 film ''
Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat'',
Bruce Campbell plays Robert Van Helsing, grandson of an earlier Van Helsing.
* In the 2000 film ''
Dracula 2000
''Dracula 2000'' (also known internationally as ''Dracula 2001'') is a 2000 American gothic horror film co-written and directed by Patrick Lussier and produced by Joel Soisson and Wes Craven (executive producer), and starring Gerard Butler, Chr ...
''
Justine Waddell
Justine Waddell (born 4 November 1975) is a South African-British former actress. She played roles in the 2006 film '' The Fall'' and 2005 film ''Chaos'' as well as Tess in the 1998 LWT adaptation of '' Tess of the d'Urbervilles'' and Estella ...
plays Van Helsing’s daughter Mary.
* In the 2000 Disney channel movie ''
Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire
''Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire'' is a 2000 American made-for-television horror-comedy film directed by Steve Boyum and starring Caroline Rhea, Matt O'Leary, Charles Shaughnessy, Laura Vandervoort, and Robert Carradine. It aired as a Disney C ...
'', Malachi Van Helsing is hunting the vampire Dimitri, who is preying on the mother of the main characters.
* The 2004 direct-to-video film ''
Dracula 3000
''Dracula 3000'' (stylized as ''DRACULA.3000'', and also known as ''Dracula 3000: Infinite Darkness'') is a 2004 made-for-television science fiction horror film directed by Darrell Roodt. An international co-production of the United States and ...
'' features Captain Abraham Van Helsing (played by
Casper Van Dien
Casper Robert Van Dien Jr. (born December 18, 1968) is an American actor. He is best known for his lead role as Johnny Rico in the 1997 science-fiction action film ''Starship Troopers''. He has also appeared in a large number of television and ...
), a descendant of the original Van Helsing and the captain of a spacefaring salvage ship.
* The 2004 direct-to-video film ''
The Adventures of Young Van Helsing'' depicts Abraham Van Helsing's great-grandson Michael (
Keith Jordan) saving the world from Simon Magus.
* The 2006 film ''
Bram Stoker's Dracula's Curse'' features a character named Jacob Van Helsing (
Rhett Giles), who is implied to be a descendant of the original.
* The 2009 film ''
Stan Helsing'' is a comedic film revolving around satirizing the Van Helsing descendant of the 2004 feature film.
* In the 2012 TV film, ''
Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire
''Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire'' is a 2012 direct-to-DVD animated musical comedy horror film, and the seventeenth entry in the direct-to-video series of ''Scooby-Doo'' films. This installment is notable for being the first of the films to be ...
'', a book writer named Vincent van Helsing is the great-great grandson of Abraham Van Helsing.
* In the 2013 film ''
Dracula: The Dark Prince'' Van Helsing's 16th-century ancestor Leonardo is played by
Jon Voight
Jonathan Vincent Voight (; born December 29, 1938) is an American actor. He came to prominence in the late 1960s with his Academy Award–nominated performance as Joe Buck, a would-be gigolo, in ''Midnight Cowboy'' (1969). During the 1970s, he ...
.
* Abraham Van Helsing appears in the 2018 movie ''
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation'' voiced by
Jim Gaffigan
James Christopher Gaffigan (born July 7, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. His material often addresses fatherhood, laziness, food, religion, and general observations. He is regarded as a "clean" comic, using l ...
. Besides being Count Dracula's nemesis, Van Helsing managed to have a great-granddaughter named Ericka Van Helsing (voiced by
Kathryn Hahn
Kathryn Marie Hahn (born July 23, 1973) is an American actress and comedian. She began her career on television, starring as grief counselor Lily Lebowski in the NBC crime drama series ''Crossing Jordan'' (2001–2007). Hahn gained prominence ap ...
), the captain of the ship central to the film. By the present day, Abraham has been mechanized to avoid death where only his head and hands remained. Dracula falls in love with Ericka not knowing she is descended from his old archenemy until the climax. The movie's prologue also involves Van Helsing making numerous comedic attempts to kill Dracula.
* It was announced on May 20, 2020 that
Peter Dinklage
Peter Hayden Dinklage (; born June 11, 1969) is an American film, television and stage actor. He received international recognition for portraying Tyrion Lannister on the HBO television series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), for which he wo ...
and
Jason Momoa
Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa (; born August 1, 1979) is an American actor. He made his acting debut as Jason Ioane on the syndicated action drama series '' Baywatch: Hawaii'' (1999–2001), which was followed by portrayals of Ronon Dex on the S ...
are to star in a vampire action-adventure movie ''Good, Bad & Undead''.
Television
* The
Thames Television
Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a Broadcast license, franchise holder for a region of the British ITV (TV network), ITV television network serving Greater London, London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until th ...
1988–1993 children's animation ''
Count Duckula
''Count Duckula'' is a British children's animated comedy horror television series created by British studio Cosgrove Hall Films and produced by Thames Television as a spin-off from '' Danger Mouse'', a series in which an early version of the ...
'' featured the character Dr. Von Goosewing, voiced by
Jimmy Hibbert
James Christian Hibbert is an English actor and writer. He is best known for his voice work with the animation studio Cosgrove Hall Films.
Early life
James Christian Hibbert was born as the eldest of three children of author Christopher Hibbe ...
. A
mad scientist
The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as " mad, bad and dangerous to know" or "insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabashedly amb ...
and vampire hunter, Von Goosewing is a parody of Van Helsing. He is a
goose
A goose ( : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera ''Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and '' Branta'' (the black geese). Some other birds, mostly related to the ...
that speaks in a German accent, and wears an outfit not unlike that of
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
. He pursues Count Duckula relentlessly, never able to comprehend that Duckula is actually completely harmless. He is a terrible scientist, often getting injured by his own crackpot inventions, and he is supremely unobservant, often bumping into Duckula and conversing with him for several minutes without realising to whom he is speaking.
* 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 Davies
Geraint Wyn Davies (, 20 April 1957) is a Welsh-American stage, film and television actor-director. Educated in Canada, he has worked in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. His most famous role as the vampire-turned police detec ...
), had been turned into a vampire by Alexander Lucard (Dracula).
* The 2006
CBBC
CBBC (initialised as Children's BBC and also known as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the bran ...
series, ''
Young Dracula
''Young Dracula'' is a British children's horror drama comedy television series which aired on CBBC, loosely based on '' Young Dracula'', a 2002 children's book by Michael Lawrence. It is also based on the epistolary novel ''Dracula'', writt ...
'', 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 Wales. Eric lives in a
travel trailer
A caravan, travel trailer, camper, tourer or camper trailer is a trailer towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent (although there are fold-down trailer tents). It provides the ...
with his son Jonathan. There are also references made to previous Van Helsing vampire slayers.
* The 2006 series ''
Tom and Jerry Tales
''Tom and Jerry Tales'' is an American animated television series featuring the cat-and-mouse duo Tom and Jerry. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and Turner Entertainment, it is the seventh installment in the ''Tom and Jerry'' franchise as well ...
'' episode Monster Con, Van Helsing appears with Tom and uses some of his equipment to catch Jerry, but catches a few ghosts instead and turns into a werewolf cat when he is bitten by Jerry's friend, the werewolf.
* The 2009
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
series ''
Demons
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, anime, ...
'' follows Abraham's great grandson Luke Rutherford (
Christian Cooke).
*
Syfy
Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
is airing a ''
Van Helsing
A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across ...
'' episodic television series with
Neil LaBute
Neil N. LaBute (born March 19, 1963) is an American playwright, film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is best-known for a play that he wrote and later adapted for film, ''In the Company of Men'' (1997), which won awards from the Sundance Fi ...
as creator. The lead character is Vanessa Van Helsing (
Kelly Overton
Kelly Overton is an American actress. She is known for portraying Vanessa Van Helsing in the 2016 Syfy fantasy drama series ''Van Helsing''.
Early life
Overton grew up in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, and studied at the American Academy of Drama ...
), said to be great great great granddaughter of Abraham Van Helsing. Abraham Van Helsing appears in the fourth season and other characters related to him have appeared as well.
* In the 2019
FX series
''What We Do in the Shadows'', Guillermo, the devoted human familiar of Nandor the Relentless in Staten Island, who has accidentally killed two vampires, finds out through a DNA test that one of his ancestors was named Van Helsing. Horrified, he says "Van Helsing isn't real" but then reasons "Vampires are real." In season 2, he struggles with his ancestry which has made him an extremely adept vampire slayer, killing dozens in order to protect his master by the end of season 2.
Books and stories
* The short story ''Abraham's Boys'' by
Joe Hill 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 prequeled 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
''Young Dracula'' is a British children's horror drama comedy television series which aired on CBBC, loosely based on '' Young Dracula'', a 2002 children's book by Michael Lawrence. It is also based on the epistolary novel ''Dracula'', writt ...
'' by Michael Lawrence mentions a farmer named Dweeb Van Helsing.
* In ''Den hemliga boken'' and sequels by
Jesper Tillberg and
Peter Bergting
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a su ...
, the main character is Abraham's great grandson Lennart Van Helsing (not to be confused with
Lennart Hellsing
Paul Lennart Hellsing (5 June 1919 – 25 November 2015) was a Swedish writer and translator. For his lasting contribution as a children's writer, Hellsing was a finalist in 2010 for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award.
Biog ...
).
* ''Van Helsing's Gazette'' is repeatedly referred to in
Jasper Fforde
Jasper Fforde (born 11 January 1961) is an English novelist, whose first novel, '' The Eyre Affair'', was published in 2001. He is known mainly for his '' Thursday Next'' novels, but has published two books in the loosely connected '' Nursery Cr ...
's ''
Thursday Next
Thursday Next is the protagonist in a series of comic fantasy, alternate history mystery novels by the British author Jasper Fforde. She was first introduced in Fforde's first published novel, '' The Eyre Affair'', released on 19 July 2001 by ...
'' novels.
Anime and manga
* In the
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
and
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
, ''
Hellsing
''Hellsing'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kouta Hirano. It was serialized in Shōnen Gahōsha's ''seinen'' manga magazine '' Young King OURs'' from May 1997 to September 2008, with its ch ...
'', modern day descendant
Integra Hellsing leads a British government strike force against supernatural menaces. The story also includes her father, Arthur and uncle, Richard. It later turns out that the protagonist Alucard is in fact Dracula, and has become a servant to the Helsing family after being defeated by Integra's grandfather, Abraham Van Helsing. In this incarnation however, the Van Hellsings are Protestant rather than Roman Catholic.
* Abraham Van Helsing is also a character in the ''Code: Realize'' anime.
Comics and graphic novels
* The comic book series ''
The Tomb of Dracula
''The Tomb of Dracula'' is an American horror comic book series published by Marvel Comics from April 1972 to August 1979. The 70-issue series featured a group of vampire hunters who fought Count Dracula and other supernatural menaces. On rare ...
'' featured
Rachel Van Helsing
Vagabond
Vagabond (real name Priscilla Lyons) is the former partner & girlfriend of Nomad (Jack Monroe). She prevented Black Racer's assassination attempt on Sidewinder. She thwarted and captured Dr. Karl Malus during his attempt to take over ...
, granddaughter of Abraham, as a major member of the principal vampire hunters. Minor characters were Abraham's wife Elizabeth and his brother Boris.
* The
DC comic ''
Night Force'' features Abraham's granddaughter Vanessa Van Helsing.
* ''
Sword of Dracula'' is a comic book with Veronica "Ronnie" Van Helsing.
* ''Helsing'' is a
Caliber Comics
Caliber Comics or Caliber Press is an American comic book publisher founded in 1989 by Gary Reed. Featuring primarily creator-owned comics, Caliber published over 1,300 comics in the decade following its inception and is ranked as one of America ...
title about a Samantha Helsing and a John Van Helsing.
* The ''
Vampirella
Vampirella () is a fictional vampire superheroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and comic book artist Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine ''Vampirella'' #1 (Sept. 1969), a sister publication of ''Creepy'' ...
'' comic books feature father-son vampire hunters Conrad and Adam Van Helsing.
* In ''
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' (''LoEG'') is a comic book series (inspired by the 1960 British film ''The League of Gentlemen'') co-created by writer Alan Moore and artist Kevin O'Neill which began in 1999. The series spans four volum ...
'', Van Helsing and the story of Dracula is hinted by main character Mina Murray (Dracula's chosen bride in the novel).
*
Zenescope Entertainment
Zenescope Entertainment is a comic book and graphic novel publisher headquartered in Horsham, Pennsylvania, United States, co-founded by Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco in 2005. Zenescope publishes full-color action, fantasy and horror titles.
Unde ...
's ''Helsing'' graphic novels (about a Liesl van Helsing) are credited as the inspiration for
''Van Helsing'' (TV series).
Games
* Gabriel Van Helsing is featured in the 2004 video game, ''
Van Helsing
A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across ...
''. The player uses the character to hunt down Dracula in Transylvania.
* In 2011,
Team Fortress 2
''Team Fortress 2'' is a 2007 multiplayer first-person shooter, first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve Corporation. It is the sequel to the 1996 ''Team Fortress'' Mod (video gaming), mod for ''Quake (video game), Quake'' and ...
added via update a costume set for the Sniper class, named 'Camper Van Helsing' which can only be used for
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
events. Three years later, a similar costume set for the Soldier was added with the same Halloween limitations, named the 'Sgt. Helsing'.
* The 2013 game, ''
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing
''The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing'' is an action role-playing video game developed and published by NeocoreGames. It was released on 22 May 2013. Based on the novel '' Dracula'' by Bram Stoker, the game focuses on the trials of young Va ...
'', focuses on the trials of young Van Helsing, son of the legendary vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing.
* Van Helsing was adapted as a character in ''
MechQuest'', where he plays a professional mech vampire hunter. He is portrayed as having a brother, another hunter, who looks identical to him and eventually replaces him.
* Van Helsing is a potential love interest for the protagonist in the
otome
An , is a story-based video game that is targeted towards women. Generally one of the goals, besides the main idea/goal, is to develop a romantic relationship between the female player/main character and one of the second-lead male characters.
His ...
visual novel
A , often abbreviated as VN, is a form of digital semi-interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with and used in the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with sta ...
''
Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~''
* Van Helsing and Dracula were portrayed as tanks in ''World of Tanks Blitz'', a popular online tank warfare game. Van Helsing was portrayed as a royal-looking tank destroyer with elaborate designs and scenes from the book on the side of the tank. Dracula is portrayed as a medium tank in pure black, very fast, and with no designs on it. The tanks were available in the 2016 Halloween Event.
* Van Helsing was portrayed, along with others from the book, in ''
The Fury of Dracula
''The Fury of Dracula'' is a board game for 2-4 players designed by Stephen Hand and published by Games Workshop in 1987. Fantasy Flight Games released an updated version in 2006 as ''Fury of Dracula'', and a third edition in 2015 by the same n ...
'', a game where the hunters must track down and kill Dracula.
* In the 2016 first-person shooter game ''
Overwatch
''Overwatch'' is a multimedia franchise centered on a series of online multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) video games developed by Blizzard Entertainment: '' Overwatch'' released in 2016, and ''Overwatch 2'' released in 2022. Both games f ...
'' the character Cole Cassidy portrays him in an event-specific skin of the same name.
* In the 2021 expansion for Magic the Gathering known as "Innistrad: Crimson Vow", the card Savior of Ollenbeck has an alternate art version called Abraham Van Helsing.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Helsing, Abraham
Literary characters introduced in 1897
Dracula characters
Fictional hypnotists and indoctrinators
Fictional physicians
Fictional lawyers
Fictional professors
Fictional life scientists
Fictional monster hunters
Fictional vampire hunters
Fictional preachers
Fictional police commissioners
Fictional Dutch people
Occult detective fiction
Male horror film characters
Male characters in literature
Fictional parapsychologists