HISTORY OF THE CASSADINE'S

The Cassadines are Russian princes who escaped the revolution with most of their vast fortune intact. They settled in Greece on a private island, where they continue to live like royalty.

In 1981, Mikkos Cassadine and his brothers, Anthony and Victor, obtained a formula which enabled them to control the weather. They intended to use this power to hold the world hostage, but three people stopped them: Luke Spencer, Laura Webber and Robert Scorpio.

The formula was hidden in the base of a statue called the Ice Princess, the world's largest uncut diamond. Alexandra Quartermaine hired Luke Spencer to find the statue. Robert Scorpio, a WSB agent, was also looking for the statue. Alexandra Quartermaine and Tony Cassadine became involved with one another. Victor Cassadine brought his girlfriend, B-movie actress Tiffany Hill, to town with him. The Cassadines found the statue and left on the family's yacht. Mikkos, Victor, Tony, Alexandra and Tiffany were on the yacht. Luke, Laura and Robert stowed away and secretly accompanied them to an island off the coast of South America.

The Cassadines planned to control the world by threatening to freeze major cities. They started with Port Charles. Tony and Alexandra turned against Mikkos, so he locked them in a freezer, where Luke and Robert found them frozen death. Luke killed Mikkos, freezing him in his own weather machine. Victor was sent to prison to pay for his crimes and later died there.

Luke and Laura returned to Port Charles from the island, and made plans to be married. Shortly before their wedding Mikkos' widow, Helena Cassadine, arrived in Port Charles apparently grateful that Luke and Laura had stopped her evil husband. In reality Helena had come for revenge. On their wedding day she spoke the words, "a curse on you, Laura and Luke", then disappeared.

Less than four months after Luke and Laura wed, Laura disappeared and Luke believed she was dead. He didn't know she'd been kidnaped by Mikkos and Helena's son, Stavros Cassadine. Stavros brought Laura to the family island in Greece, where he held her in luxurious captivity. From the moment he saw Laura, Stavros was obsessed with her. He vowed to make her love him no matter what the price, and fate quickly gave him the chance.

Luke was hiking alone in the mountains when a man stole his wallet. A short time later, both Luke and the thief were caught in an avalanche. The thief's body was mistakenly identified as Luke's, and the Port Charles papers all reported that Luke Spencer was dead. In reality, Luke had been paralyzed. Afraid to burden his family and friends with his handicap, he kept his identity a secret while he recuperated in a mountain clinic.

Stavros told Laura about Luke's death, and showed her the papers as proof. He offered her a choice. To spend the rest of her life as a captive, or marry him and be free as his wife. With Luke dead, Laura felt she had no hope of happiness, no reason to go on. Offered a choice between freedom and captivity, she chose to become Stavros' wife and they were married.

Luke regained his ability to walk and returned to Port Charles, revealing to all that he was still alive. By now Laura was pregnant with Stavros' child. Determined to keep her as his wife, Stavros never told Laura Luke was alive and Laura gave birth to Stavros' son, a boy named Nikolas. In Port Charles, Luke Spencer ran for mayor, moving on with his life even while he continued to miss Laura and mourn her death.

But Helena hated Laura. She feared Stavros' love for her would soften him, and that Laura would have too much influence over Nikolas as he grew. So when the Port Charles papers ran banner headlines announcing Luke's election Helena made sure Laura saw them and made it possible for Laura to escape the Cassadine island and return to Port Charles.

Laura knew she could never make the journey with a baby so she left Nikolas behind, sure she'd return to him soon. Laura didn't intend to let Luke see her, she planned to watch him from afar and then go back to Stavros. But Luke did see Laura, in the garden of the mayor's mansion, and the two were reunited.

When Laura confessed to Luke that she'd married Stavros he forgave her, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him about Nikolas. She feared that for her sake, Luke would try to recover her son and Laura knew the Cassadines would kill Luke and everyone else she loved to keep Nikolas.

Stavros came to Port Charles to reclaim his wife and avenge himself on Luke. He broke into the mayor's mansion, had Luke tied to a bedpost, and prepared to rape Laura in front of him. Luke broke free and knocked Stavros unconscious. As Luke and Laura were about to escape, Stavros appeared at the top of the stairs, carrying a gun. He warned Laura there was "something unfinished between them" and threatened to kill Luke. Stavros lost his balance and fell, breaking his neck. Later, in ICU, Stavros declared his love for Laura, then cursed Luke and Laura and died with a final warning, that the power of the Cassadines would not die with him.

After Stavros' death, Helena warned Laura if she tried to see Nikolas, or even told anyone he existed, Helena would kill all those Laura loved. Though frightened enough to hide the truth from Luke, Laura tried once to see Nikolas. Helena retaliated by having Laura's mother, Dr. Lesley Webber, killed. Terrified for Luke and the rest of those she loved, Laura kept silent from then on.

Laura didn't realize Stavros' younger brother Stefan was now head of the family. Laura believed Stefan was capable of kindness. Only her faith that he would love her child made it possible for Laura to leave Nikolas with the Cassadines. But Stefan's existence was another secret Laura had to keep from Luke. She was afraid the Cassadines would seek revenge, or that Luke would provoke them trying to defend her. It seemed best for everyone to try to forget. So Luke and Laura settled in Texas where Laura gave birth to Luke's first chil d, her second, a boy named Lucky.

Soon after Lucky was born the Spencers left Texas fleeing from an old enemy of Luke's, mob boss Frank Smith. The Spencers spent ten years on the run, moving from country to country, changing identities as they went. But wherever they hid the Cassadines were watching, waiting for their chance at revenge.

Laura tried to contact the Cassadines again when her daughter Lesley Lu needed a bone marrow transplant. A sibling donor was Lesley Lu's best chance for a match, and when Lucky proved incompatible Laura's only hope was Lesley Lu's other brother - Nikolas. Stefan reached out to Laura and arranged for Nikolas to give the bone marrow that saved Lesley Lu's life. Nikolas was listed as an anonymous donor, and Laura believed that was the end. She was wrong.

Unbeknownst to Stefan, Nikolas came to Port Charles to see the sister he saved. His love for her was immediate. His hatred for his half-brother Lucky came just as fast. Luke was devastated to learn that Laura had another son, the child of an enemy that she'd kept secret most of their lives. Lucky rebelled when he discovered his mother had been untruthful, and despised his half-brother on sight. Laura was torn, sorry the truth was causing them pain, but grateful for the chance to know her first-born son.

Stefan and Nikolas now live in Port Charles at Wyndermere Manor, a gothic mansion on Spoon Island. No one knows why they stayed. Luke is sure they mean harm, while Laura can't keep herself from believing there is good in these two Cassadines.