Helena Cassadine
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Helena Cassadine is a fictional character on the American soap opera General Hospital. The character is a sometime resident of Port Charles and of the private Cassadine-owned island in Greece. Perhaps because of her connection to Luke and Laura Spencer, she is generally regarded as the most notorious villain in the show's history. While the role was originated by legendary film actress Elizabeth Taylor (in a highly-publicized appearance), Helena is currently portrayed by Constance Towers.
Helena made her first appearance in 1981, when she was placed a curse on Laura Webber as they were being married in a lavish, public wedding ceremony. Helena's late husband Mikkos Cassadine (along with his brothers Anthony and Victor) were involved in various nefarious plans, including a plot to freeze the world using a weather machine. The Cassadines also abducted Laura Webber and forced her to marry Helena's son Stavros, after telling Laura that Luke was dead. During her captivity in Greece, Laura gave birth to Stavros' son Nikolas. When Laura discovered Luke was alive, she left Nikolas behind in Greece to be raised by his uncle Stefan Cassadine, Helena's second son. Stefan and Laura had also been lovers and Laura believed Stefan to be her son's father. Helena has been obsessed with gaining control over Nikolas, who is the heir to the Cassadine legacy and is often regarded as Greco-Russian royalty. She is also determined to gain control over her great-grandson, Spencer. Helena has placed a nanny in Nikloas' home, Colleen McHenry, in hopes of getting the baby. Before Spencer's birth, she abducted his now deceased mother Courtney Matthews, believing (correctly) that Courtney was carrying Nikolas' child.
Because of Luke and Laura's involvement in the death of her husband Mikkos, Helena declared a very personal war against the entire Spencer family, and has been their most consistent and ruthless enemy. On three separate occasions, Helena has abducted a member of the Spencer family (Laura Spencer, Lesley Webber, Lucky Spencer), and fooled everyone else into believing that the individual in question had been killed in some sort of accident. She has threatened the lives of every member of the Spencer clan at some point, including Luke's nephew Lucas Jones (who was still a child at the time), and great nephew Michael Corinthos III. Of all the individuals related to Luke or Laura, only Nikolas and his baby son appear to be physically safe from Helena (although she recently kidnapped the child and threatened his life before returning him).
She slit the throat of Mikkos's mistress, Kristen Bergmen, in front of their daughter Alexis Davis. Helena also brought her son Stavros back to life, who had been in suspended animation after his presumed death in the 1980s, and attempted to take over Port Charles and gain power over Nikolas. Helena also attempted to kill Alexis and her daughter Kristina Davis. Eventually, after years of disagreement and conflict, Helena even attempted to murder her own son, Stefan. She has been arrested repeatedly for her many crimes, but through her wealth and cunning style, Helena always manages to get out of jail and return to Port Charles on her private yacht to hatch more nefarious schemes.
Given the breadth of her influence, her apparent inability to experience total defeat, and her longevity as a character, Helena Cassadine is a soap opera villain of unique proportions. The only characters of similar caliber and sustained popularity on an American daytime soap opera have been As the World Turns' James Stenbeck and Days of our Lives' Stefano DiMera.
Family, Marriages, and Romantic Entanglements
[edit] Children
- Stavros Cassadine (son; deceased)
- Stefan Cassadine (son; deceased)
[edit] Grandchildren
- Nikolas Cassadine (grandson; by Stavros Cassadine)
- Spencer Cassadine (great-grandson; by Nikolas Cassadine)
[edit] Romantic Entanglements
- Andreas
- Ari (lovers; deceased)
- Coleman
- Luke Spencer (faux flirtation)
- Jasper Jacks (flirtation)
