Abraham Van Helsing (Bram Stoker's Dracula)

"The strength of the vampire is that people will not believe in him."

- Professor Abraham van Helsing (Dracula 1931). Professor Abraham van Helsing was an elderly European scholar who had delved into "occult" matters sufficiently to offer some assistance when the affliction of vampirism first appeared in England in the late 19th century. He was no action hero, and was reliant on the young wooers of Lucy Weston (Dr. Seward, Arthur Hamilton, and Quincey P. Morris) as well as the recovered Jonathan Harker, to carry out the more demanding physical tasks of vampire-hunting.

In his appearances in the older Universal Dracula cycle, played by Edward van Sloan, he more or less followed this pattern, although his tendency to make grotesque demands upon the younger men working with him was somewhat toned down. In the later Hammer cycle, as portrayed by Peter Cushing, he began to be more directly involved in the combat with the Undead, this taken to near-ridiculous lengths when he demonstrated a knowledge of Kung Fu in "The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires." he was also played by Anthony Hopkins in the 1992 movie bram stokers dracula.

In the 2004 film, "Van Helsing". Portrayed by Hugh Jackman in this film with some differences from the Stoker character. Known as Gabrial Van Helsing he is a much younger version who works for a group called the Knights of the Holey Order who hunt evil monsters and vanquished them from the Earth established by the Pope. Van Helsing has faced many enemies even a monstrous Mr. Hyde who he defeated in Paris in Notre Dame but after so many killing he is passed off as a murderer and became the most wanted man in Europe. After facing Mr. Hyde he is sent on a new assignment to hunt the evil Count Dracula, the lord of all vampires. With is sidekick Carl Van Helsing heads to Translyvannia to help Anna Valerous fight against snarrling Werewolves, the monsterous Frankenstien Monster, Count Dracula's three evil vampire brides, and the master of all evil himself, the dark lord of vampires, Count Dracula.

Trivia

 * Abraham Van Helsing is one of the select few characters within the Bram Stoker's Dracula novel who is physically described in one place by Mina Harker.