HELLYN DeVILL

Real Name: possibly Hellyn de Vill

Identity/Class: Human magic user (or mutant)

Occupation: Pirate

Group Membership: formerly led a crew of pirates

Affiliations: formerly his crew (Abdul, Blackie, Patch)

Enemies: Dracula; her crew (after learning her true nature)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Captain, Cap'n, Queen of the Sea

Base of Operations: Mobile across the the seas, mid-to-late 18th Century

First Appearance: Dracula Lives#7/3 (July, 1974)

Powers/Abilities: Hellyn was a witch who used her shape-changing abilities to disguise her true age.  She took the form of an attractive young woman, and was skilled enough with a sword or cutlass to maintain rule over a group of randy pirates.

 

 

 

History: Hellyn's true age and origins are unknown. At some point in the mid-to-late 18th Century, she became leader of a band of pirates. She achieved notoriety from Tripoli to Constanstinople (which is now Istanbul--but that's nobody's business but the Turks).

(Dracula Lives#7/3) - Drawn by the legend of the Dracula Pendant, Hellyn led her pirate ship through the Danube river to Castle Dracula. They raided the castle at the first light of day, and Hellyn promised that the man who found the pendant would warm her bed that night. Blackie was the lucky pirate, and they headed back down on their ship, leaving behind Patch, who had gotten so beezamboozled on Dracula's liquor cabinet that he could not travel. Upon awakening at dusk, Dracula slew Patch and then took off after Hellyn's ship to recover his prized pendant.

 

 

    Hellyn was as good as her word, and Blackie had memories of her passionate embrace to warm him as he stood watch in the crow's nest--until Dracula arrived and slew him. Dracula made short work of her crewmen, and Hellyn barricaded herself in her room, though Dracula smashed the doors in. Assuming her most vo-lump-tious form, Hellyn tried to seduce Dracula, to no avail. She tried to rally her crew again, but Dracula mesmerized the lot, took back his pendant from Hellyn, and then used his mental powers to force Hellyn to assume her true form, that of an aged hag. Furious at having been tricked into serving a witch, Hellyn's crew turned on her, and Dracula flew off, delighted by the sounds of her torment.

 

Comments: Created by Mike Friedrich and George Evans.

The exact date of the story is not certain. Dracula comments that it is 300 years since the death of Maria, which occurred in 1459. Perhaps the story took place on the anniversary of her death, making it 1759, or perhaps he was just rounding off the date.

    Given that she had shape changing powers, perhaps Hellyn was able to assume a form to escape death at the hands of the pirates. Haven't heard from her in the 200+ years since, but perhaps she's patient, or perhaps the events just haven't been told yet.
    Also, everyone ASSumed Hellyn was a witch, because of her appearance and abilities, but they'd also never heard of a mutant. Who knows?

CLARIFICATIONS:
    No known connection to:

Dracula Pendant

It contained a picture of Dracula's first (and for a long time only) love, his wife Maria. He had it made with gold and diamonds from Africa, as well as Jade from Carthay, and it was fashioned by craftsman from Europe. It apparently achieved some renown, as emperors allegedly had offered half of their realms to possess it, but Dracula refused them as, as it was one of his most valued possessions: it reminded him of his wife's death even as he went on undying forever. It was stolen by the crew of Hellyn de Ville and briefly worn by her, but Dracula recovered and made sure that Hellyn paid for her transgressions against him.

--Dracula Lives#7/3



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Last updated: 12/29/04

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