Mina Murray

Real Name: Wilhelmina Murray

Identity/Class: Human altered by nearly being transformed into a vampire

Occupation: Leader of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (1890's version)

Affiliations: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Seven Stars

Enemies: Fu Manchu; the Si Fan; Professor Moriarty; the Martians

Known Relatives: Jonathan Harker (ex-husband)

Aliases: Mina Harker (married name), Vull the Invisible

Base of Operations: The Secret Wing of the British Museum

First Appearance: (original version) Dracula; (this version) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen #1 (America's Best Comics)

Powers/Abilities: No obvious superhuman powers, courageous and an efficient deductive mind. She is one of the few people on the planet who does not fear Hyde, having faced far worse. There is a hint that she might retain a vestige of the vampiric power to influence people's minds.

History: (Dracula novel) Mina Murray was once a simple schoolmistress, engaged to bank clerk Jonathan Harker. However, everything changed when Jonathan was sent to Transylvania to negotiate purchase of a house by Count Dracula, who was discovered to be a vampire. Jonathan underwent a terrible ordeal in Dracula's clutches, and then was left to the tender mercies of Dracula's brides when the count departed for England. Escaping, he recuperated in a monastery, where Mina joined him after receiving word of his plight, and where the two finally married. They returned to England, but after Mina's young friend, Lucy Westerna, was turned into a vampire by Dracula, Jonathan teamed up with Professor Van Helsing and Lucy's fiancee (Lord Arthur Holmwood) and former suitors (Quincey Morris and Dr.Jack Seward) to stop the vampire. They were unable to prevent Dracula from sinking his fangs into Mina, but managed to drive the count out of England and back to Transylvania. The group pursued, seeking to destroy the nosferatu before Mina's transformation into one of the undead became complete, and finally slew the Count in the grounds of his own castle.

(League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, bts) Although the transformation was stopped before it could be completed, Jonathan refused to touch Mina after Dracula bit her, and the two divorced.

(League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) As a result of her experiences, Mina was selected by the British Government to enlist a new League of Extraordinary Gentlemen to recover stolen Cavorite from a Chinese crime lord (Fu Manchu, seen but unnamed in the story).

Following her enlistment of Captain Nemo, Allan Quatermain, Doctor Henry Jekyll (along with his alter ego Mr Edward Hyde) and Hawley Griffin, Mina successfully managed to reacquire the Cavorite, but the League then discovered that their recruiter was really Professor Moriarty. They intervened in an aerial battle over London between the forces of Moriarty's gangs and Fu Manchu's Si Fan, seeking to rectify their mistake. While Nemo and Hyde handled the soldiers, Mina and Quatermain defeated Moriarty and destroyed the Cavorite. Afterwards they were recruited by the genuine M - Mycroft Holmes, brother of Sherlock Holmes.

(League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II)  Following that fight, Mina and the League were called in to investigate landing meteors, and found themselves taking on the Martians. After Mina was attacked by a rogue Griffin, she and Quatermain were sent away by the Government to recruit the aid of Doctor Moreau. During this time, she and Quatermain ended up as lovers, but after the deaths of Griffin and Hyde, and Nemo's resignation from the League, Mina, uncertain as to what she really wanted, left Quatermain.

Comments: Adapted by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neil from the character created by Bram Stoker.

Thanks to "David" for providing much of the above profile.


Mina Harker (movie version)

Real Name: Wilhelmina Harker

Identity/Class: Vampire

Occupation: Chemist

Affiliations: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Enemies: The Fantom; Dorian Gray

Known Relatives: Jonathan Harker (husband, deceased)

Aliases: Mina Murray (maiden name)

Base of Operations: The Secret Wing of the British Museum

First Appearance: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (a.k.a. LXG, 20th Century Fox, 2003)

Powers/Abilities: Mina possesses most of the typical vampiric abilities. She has superhuman strength, is unable to be hurt by most weapons, drinks blood and can grow fangs and claws. She heals injuries in seconds, except when a weapon is put through her heart - but even this can only hurt her while the object is left in the wound. She moves at superhuman speed, and can transform into a deadly cloud of blood-sucking bats. She can go out in daylight, although it pains her and lessens her powers.

History: Initial history as per the novel (detailed above)

After the destruction of Dracula, Mina's husband Jonathan died under unspecified circumstances (perhaps even at Mina's hand, a victim of her bloodlust?). Mina eventually came to terms with her new condition, and was recruited to join the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in their attempts to prevent the Fantom from starting a world war. In actuality the real reason she had been chosen was to allow Dorian Gray to steal some of her blood, thus allowing Professor Moriarty's scientists to duplicate her vampirism. Along with the rest of the League, she followed the villain to his base, where they slaughtered his men, destroyed his weapons, and prevented the spread of their stolen powers.

Comments: Played by Peta Wilson.


CLARIFICATIONS: None

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

Back to General UK Comic Book Heroes.

Back to UK Superheroes Main Page.

Home

All images and characters depicted on this site are copyright their respective holders, and are used for informational purposes only. No infringement is intended and copyrights remain at source.