Van Helsing, Skull Island 1924 Superhero Fan Art

Gabriel Van Helsing’s last known mission for the Vatican sent him to the Indian Ocean, somewhere West of Sumatra. The location is not found on any chart. Mysterious reports to Rome claimed the natives of Skull Island worshiped a god incarnate: “…neither Beast nor man. Something monstrous. All powerful. Still living. Still holding that island in a grip of deadly fear.” Van Helsing's mission was to investigate this claim of divinity on Earth and bring his findings back to Italy for further study by the Catholic Church. After an arduous 27 day sail, the steamship Redeemer found her mark and moored at the outer bank of an immense fog-bank. Van Helsing rowed solo in the direction of the moonlight mountain peak that barely broke through the upper mists. A single flare eventually signaled that he had safely reached shore. This was to be the last communication of any kind between with the paranormal explorer and the outside world. Ten days slowly pass and the established waiting period ends. None of the Redeemer crew wish to leave, yet none either desire to man a search party to the island from which constant drums echo. Hope is slim but the ship stands fast as long as possible. Thirteen days after dropping anchor, the captain of the Redeemer reluctantly leaves the fog-shrouded island. “May God rest is soul” is entered into the ship’s log and later transcribed into the official Vatican report. No church-sanctioned instances of Gabriel Van Helsing are recorded from this date forward....