Rache van Helsing (vampire-hunter; Dracula for; 15th century)

RACHE van HELSING

Real Name: Rachel "Rache" van Helsing

Identity/Class: Human civilian (possibly a warrior later in life, possibly possessed psychic powers) (15^th century)

Occupation: Apparent waitress/tavern staff;
possibly a vampire-hunter later in life (see comments)

Group Membership: None (possibly part of an unofficial line and grouping of vampire-hunters later in life)

Affiliations: Hans

Enemies: Dracula, Vampires

Known Relatives: Unidentified father, unidentified son (presumably both deceased; see comments);
Abraham van Helsing (deceased), Abraham's presumptive son (deceased, possibly also named Abraham - see Abraham's profile's comments), Rachel van Helsing (vampirized, destroyed), Jeremiah van Helsing, August van Helsing;
Noah van Helsing (not directly related, adopted into the van Helsing family)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: A tavern in a village at the bast of (presumably) the Carpathian mountains, near Castle Dracula, Snagov, Transylvania, Europe

First Appearance: Dracula Lives#12 (May, 1975)

Powers/Abilities: Rache was a compassionate caretaker.

She may have had some low-level psychic abilities, enabling her to sense the moment of her lover's death (or perhaps she was just worried and had a related nightmare) as well as to sense the sex of a child she had only conceived hours before (or perhaps it was a lucky guess).

She may have gained experience in vampire-hunting later in life, or perhaps she left that to her son.

Height: Unrevealed; perhaps 5'4" (she wasn't much shorter than Hans, also of unrevealed height, but people did tend to be a bit shorter in the 15th century)
Weight: Unrevealed; perhaps 120 lbs.
Eyes: Unrevealed; perhaps brown (it's a black and white comic...they look dark)
Hair: Blonde

History:
(Dracula Lives#12 (fb) - BTS) - The people of Rache's village "lived in terror under Vlad for almost as long as she had been alive."

(Dracula Lives#12) <1465> - Rache was with her father at his tavern when Hans -- who was en route to destroy Dracula -- burst through the doors and collapsed of exhaustion and cold.

(Dracula Lives#12 (fb) - BTS) - As Rache and her father helped Hans to a bench, they found his silver arrow. Realizing he was likely a vampire-hunter, they considered him a friend and ally, and they took him to her father's bed to allow him to rest and warm back up.

(Dracula Lives#12) - As Hans awakened, Rache greeted him with a bowl of (presumably) hot soup, introduced herself (as Rachel), and explained how they had found the arrow and considered him a friend.

Over an undisclosed period of time, Rache and Hans fell in love.

After a night in which they consummated their relationship (if they had not already), Hans got up in the middle of the night to complete his mission of vengeance.

Hans silently prayed he would return to Rache by morning.

Sometime thereafter, early in the light of day, Rache had a premonition that death had struck. She awakened screaming Hans' name and then rushed outside, asking her father if he had seen Hans.

Her father told her that Dracula had seen fit to return Hans to them, as Dracula's servant cast his dead body out of his horse-drawn carriage before returning to Castle Dracula.

Screaming in disbelief, Rache rushed to her lover's side and was forced to accept the truth. Her grief soon gave rise to a grim determination: Somehow sensing that she would have a son from the last night's romance, she vowed that her son would learn what had happened here and that one day, he or his children, would face Dracula and destroy him. van_helsing-rache-vow

(Vampires: The Marvel Undead: Vampire-Hunters entry) - Rache had a son and raised him to avenge Hans.

Comments: Created by Gerry Conway and Tom Sutton.

Rache's family people living in terror under Vlad

The main story took place 6 years after Vlad had become a vampire (which would make it 1465).
Rache said "we've lived in terror under Vlad for almost as long as she had been alive."
She looked to be a grown woman, but people did mature, marry, and have kids earlier in the 15th century than they do now (although some people do mature very early for a variety of reasons).
Even assuming she was only 13-15, which I think was OK for the time, she still would have been at least 7-9 years old when Vlad became a vampire.
Maybe she was exaggerating or mispoke and meant "almost as long as she could remember."
OR perhaps her village lived in terror under Vlad back when he was a tyrannical human ruler. Vlad ruled as early as 1448, although he was out of Transylvania in 1449-1551.

Rache seemed pretty certain she was going to have a son from their romance the night before. The story indicated that her vow that her son or his children would destroy Dracula was the start of the enmity between Dracula and the van Helsings. The Vampire-Hunters entry in Vampires: The Marvel Undead confirmed that Rache had a son and raised him to avenge Hans.

She may have gained experience in vampire-hunting later in life, or perhaps she left that to her son.

Rache exclaimed "God in Heaven," presumably making her Christian or Jewish.

Sorry, Hans...always go after vampires in daylight, and as early in the light of day as possible.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Rache van Helsing should be distinguished from:

RACHEL van HELSING - her descendent, and a modern-day vampire-hunter, later vampire, fought alongside Quincy Harker + Frank Drake + Blade, raised by Quincy Harker, allowed self to be destroyed by Wolverine after becoming a vampire--Tomb of Dracula I#3

Mr. van Helsing

Rache's father was the tavern master.

(Dracula Lives#12 (fb) - BTS) - The people of his village "lived in terror under Vlad for almost as long as she had been alive."

(Dracula Lives#12) <1465> - He was at his tavern when Hans -- who was en route to destroy Dracula -- burst through the doors and collapsed of exhaustion and cold.

(Dracula Lives#12 - BTS) - Either with his awareness and approval (presumably) or without his awareness, Rache and Hans fell and love and had a romance over an unrevealed period of time.

(Dracula Lives#12) - Mr. van Helsing was outside the tavern when Rache rushed out, asking if he knew where Hans was.

Seeing Dracula's servant approaching on horse and carriage, he told his daughter Hans was coming now, as Dracula had seen fit to return him to them now that he was done with Hans.

(Vampires: The Marvel Undead: Vampire-Hunters entry - BTS) - Rache had a son and raised him to avenge Hans.

--Dracula Lives#12/3

tavern

Rache's father was the tavern master.

(Dracula Lives#12) <1465> - Hans -- who was en route to destroy Dracula -- burst through the tavern doors and collapsed of exhaustion and cold.

(Dracula Lives#12 (fb) - BTS) - Realizing Hans was likely a vampire-hunter, they considered him a friend and ally, Rache and her father took Hans to her father's bed to allow him to rest and recover.

(Dracula Lives#12) - Hans departed to seek his destiny against Dracula during the night. Soon afterward, having had a premonition of death, Rache awakened and rushed outside, after which Dracula's servant arrived and tossed out Hans' body.

--Dracula Lives#12/3

Comment: I think that's Rache and her dad up in the top left corner, but I'm not positive.

images: (without ads)
Dracula Lives#12/3, pg. 8, panel 5 (tavern);
        panel 6 (face and soup bowl);
        panel 8 (mostly full, with tavern outfit);
    pg. 9, panel 1 (full, with Hans);
    pg. 10, panel 1 (evening wear);
        panel 2 (tavern exterior, father, face)
        panel 7 (vow)

Appearances:
Dracula Lives#12/3 (May, 1975) - Gerry Conway (writer), Tom Sutton (artist), Marv Wolfman (editor)

Last updated: 02/26/15

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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