HELEN de la MERE

Real Name: Helen de la Mere

Identity/Class: Human;
    active circa 1521 A.D. (and perhaps 20 or so years before that and an unrevealed time period thereafter);
    French citizen

Occupation: At least would-be courtier

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Dark Agnes (Agnes de Chastillon), Etienne Villiers

Enemies: Unidentified highwaymen

Known Relatives: Unidentified aunt and uncle, Isabel (sister, apparently deceased)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    last seen at the Chateau de Fontainebleau;
    formerly traveled from a convent in a location convenient to travel to Fontainebleau in a horse-drawn coach/carriage

First Appearance: Dark Agnes#1 (April, 2020)

Powers/Abilities: Helen has no superhuman powers, nor did she demonstrate any particular skills or abilities in her limited appearances.

    She is kind, friendly and somewhat naive.

    She was also highly impressed with royalty.

History:
(Dark Agnes#2 (fb) - BTS) - Helen de la Mere was raised in a convent by nuns including Sister Marie. At some point, her sister Isabel, who lived in the Chateau de Fontainebleau, became the lady-in-waiting to Queen Claude, who apparently loved Isabel so much that she wanted Helen to live in court as well.

(Dark Agnes#1 (fb) - BTS) - Helen de la Mere was accompanied by her chaperone, Sister Marie, en route to Chateau de Fontainebleau.

(Dark Agnes#1 (fb) - BTS) - After saving her friend Etienne Villiers from execution in Chinon, Dark Agnes fled with him on horseback.

(Dark Agnes#1) - Helen and Sister Marie were dining at an inn (the Pot en Étain <Pewter Pot in English>) in which they were staying when Agnes and Etienne arrived. They observed as Agnes put down and threatened a man who sought to claim the bounty on her name; Helen was distraught by the scene, while Sister Marie was angered (or at least annoyed).

    Later, as Etienne admired Helen from his table, telling Agnes that he thought she could be the love of his life, Helen remained oblivious, while Sister Marie noticed but remained annoyed.

(Dark Agnes#1 - BTS) - Sometime overnight, Sister Marie was apparently threatened by a man, and Dark Agnes, awakening and hearing the commotion leapt to the sister's assistance. Although the man claimed on his life that Sister Marie had come to him to...<he didn't finish, because Agnes, believing Sister Marie's statement that the man had attacked her, fatally stabbed him with her sword.

    Sister Marie hired Agnes and Etienne to accompany her and Helen on their journey.

(Dark Agnes#1) - The next morning, from their horse drawn coach, Helen greeted Etienne, telling him that he and Agnes had been hired as bodyguards and that the roads to Chateau de Fontainebleau could be treacherous.

    Etienne told Agnes that the Duke D'Alencon lived there and that he would be put to death on arrival, but Agnes told him it was too late now, as they had a job to do.

(Dark Agnes#2) - While Agnes steered the horses, Etienne tried to convince the women to go somewhere else. Helen replied that the Chateau was the king's favorite place and that it must be lovely, although Sister Marie reminded Helen that she hadn't even been there yet. When Etienne said he couldn't believe that a beauty such as Helen had never been to court before, Helen giggled and replied that she had grown up in a nunnery and that there was lots she hadn't seen. Sister Marie advised Helen that they didn't have to speak to him, but she asked Etienne about Fontainebleau, and he stated that is was a magnificent chateau but then he preferred the beaches of Marseille. She then told him about Isabel and how excited she was to become a courtier, after which she told Sister Marie that she didn't mean to imply that the nunnery wasn't good and that she would always look back at her time there with such fondness.

    Further discussion was interrupted when the coach was assaulted by men Agnes recognized as clerks from the Pewter Pot, seeking to claim the bounty on her. While Sister Marie questioned whether they were being assaulted by highwaymen, Etienne -- while climbing out the door of the moving coach, told her and Helen not to concern themselves as he and Agnew were professionals and had the matter under control.

    After Etienne had taken the reins and Agnes had slain one attacker and wounded the other, the latter man attempted to crawl in through the coach's. As Helen screamed for Etienne to save them, Sister Marie reached out the window, quietly cursing the man for only coming with one other and telling him he should have bought more. When the man argued, "Non, sister, but you..." she stabbed him in the neck, telling him, "May God have mercy on your soul."

    When Agnes checked on her, Sister Marie told her that this was not the first time she had had to defend herself from men like these. After Etienne bragged about stopping the carriage, Helen told him he had been so brave, but Agnes told him that he could drive the rest of the way.

    After Agnes climbed in, Helen praised her acts have been truly amazing, after which Agnes asked about her fee. Helen assured her that she was a lady of her word and she and Etienne would be paid by her uncle in Fontainebleau who had all of her money. She further insisted that Agnes and Etienne would be her guest in the chateau in the meantime. While Agnes was not sure that that was a good idea, Helen told her that they would arrive in time for dinner and that Agnes could borrow one of her dresses. After Sister Marie added that no one would recognize her in a dress, Agnes considered that she and Etienne did have some scores to settle at the palace. Etienne announced their arrival soon after.

(Dark Agnes#2 - BTS) - After Agnes and Etienne learned from their old friend Francoise de Foix that the Duke was in Italy (but due back any day now) but that his agent Renault de Valence was around, Agnes plotted vengeance from Renault's murder of her mentor, Guiscard de Clisson.

(Dark Agnes#2 (fb) - BTS) - Helen was reunited with Isabel, and she told her of Agnes and Etienne.

(Dark Agnes#2) - Arriving at dinner with Isabel, Helen greeted Agnes, telling her her that her dress looked so good on her that she should just keep it. Helen then introduced Isabel, after which Etienne insisted that he must dance with them, and Agnes agreed that they could go to the masquerade ball, but that she would kill Renault the following night.

(Dark Agnes#2 (fb) - BTS) - Later that evening, Helen told Agnes she could find Sister Marie in her chambers.

(Dark Agnes#2 - BTS) - Agnes met Sister Marie and received her payment, during which time Marie asked Agnes if she would be staying long at the chateau, as she thought Helen would like to see more of Etienne. Although Sister Marie discouraged her from taking revenge, as that belonged to God, Agnes replied that she would be the instrument of God's wrath. Sister Marie told Agnes that they were more alike than she knew.

    The next morning when Agnes asked where Etienne had slept, he replied, "A lady never asks, and gentleman never tells."

(Dark Agnes#2) - That evening, Helen and Isabel greeted Agnes and Etienne, telling him that he looked very gallant. Agnes asked if Sister Marie was there, and Helen laughed, asking if they could imagine her dressing up; Isabel added that she was probably up in her room, praying to the saints that they didn't drink too much.

    After Agnes departed, planning to confront Renault, Helen asked if she should go check on her. Noting that when she was in a dark mood that it was best to leave her alone, Etienne instead advised that they dance.

Courtesy of Wikipedia:

    Dark Agnes de Chastillon (also known as Agnes de Chastillon, Dark Agnes, Agnes de la Fere and The Sword Woman) is a fictional character created by Robert E. Howard and the protagonist of three stories set in 16^th Century France that were not printed until long after the author's death.

    The character of Agnes was beaten by her father and almost forced into an arranged marriage. She escapes by killing the bridegroom and running away. She meets Etienne Villiers, who at first attempts to sell her to a brothel, and Guiscard de Clisson, a mercenary captain who trains her as a swordswoman. When de Clisson is killed, Agnes heads for Italy with Villiers.

    Agnes has red hair and a short temper, and her skill with swords is a mixture of innate talent and training.

    Marvel's Dark Agnes series, which apparently was all-new and a sequel to the last novel, was a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic, ending with the second issue and leaving the story unfinished...and then Marvel lost the rights to REH characters, again, dammit! So, the rest of the story is unlikely to be told unless whoever owns the rights/license to publish REH material decides to reprint these issues and finish out the story. Even the writer and/or artist can't release the materials or discuss them without breaching contract.
    Agnes, at least, had a major role in the Serpent War mini-series, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

    Sister Marie was clearly plotting something, at least seemingly against Helen, but the full circumstances are unrevealed due to the story stopping with the second issue. As such, I just listed things as they happened, rather than explained what she had arranged, etc. She could have a sub-profile, as could Isabel, but I'd rather do full profiles when/if I have the time to do them.
    However, we never got past the second issue to know what was the full deal with her.

    This profile was completed 06/24/2026, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25^th anniversary 's celebratory event.
    Thanks to Loki for suggesting Helen to represent Dark Agnes' characters and stories.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Helen de la Mere should be distinguished from:

• other "Helen" or "de la Mere" characters, groups, items, events, races or places...
  

First posted: 09/18/2026
Last updated: 07/02/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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