The House Clan of Karza

The Karzas are a fictional aristocratic family from the American soap opera General Hospital. Created by executive producer Gloria Monty, the family was first introduced in August 1981, with the arrival of brothers Mikkos, Victor, and Tony Karza. The Karzas are descendants of Russian royalty and own their own private island in Greece. Various family members have been sometime residents of Port Charles, living in Wyndemere Castle on Spoon Island. The family is known for their longtime feud with the Spencer family. After the family's initial appearance in 1981, they were absent from the series until the arrival of Stavros Karza in 1983. The Karza family owns and operates the international conglomerate, Karza Industries, which is currently controlled by Nikolas Karza. The family is currently represented on canvas by Helena, Alexis, Nikolas, Sam, Molly,  Spencer and Danny.

== Background ==

The Karzas make their first appearance in the 1980s, when Mikkos Karza, the patriarch of the family, along with his brothers Victor and Tony, are involved in various nefarious plans, including the Ice Princess storyline, a plot to freeze the world using a weather machine. When Luke Spencer foils their plan, the great feud between the Spencers and Karzas begins. Elizabeth Taylor originated the role of villain Helena Karza in this era. Her curse on Luke and Laura 's wedding was watched by over 30 million viewers.

The Karzas also abduct Laura Spencer and force her to marry Stavros. During her captivity in Greece, Laura gives birth to Stavros' son Prince Nikolas Karza. When Laura discovers Luke is alive, she leaves Nikolas in Greece to be raised by his uncle Stefan Karza. Once back in Port Charles, Laura is shocked to find out Stavros followed her. Luke clubs Stavros over the head, but as they try to leave, Stavros tries to shoot them. Still groggy from the blow to the head, Stavros stumbles and breaks his neck falling down the stairs.

Helena brought Stavros back to life in the early 2000s, having kept him frozen in the basement of General Hospital. Stavros wreaked havoc again on the citizens of Port Charles before falling to his supposed death during a fight with Luke Spencer.

Helena shot and killed her daughter in 2012 at Wyndemere, after she sided with Luke's son Ethan Lovett, over her. Luke shot and killed Helena in 2013 on the Haunted Star yacht, which was originally gifted to Luke and Laura from Helena on their wedding day. Luke and Laura discovered Stavros alive, and its' revealed that Stavros was the one who kidnapped Lulu Falconeri and forced her to marry him. Lulu refused to consummate the marriage, so Stavros had Nikolas shot. Eventually, Laura killed him by letting him freeze to death in the same ice chamber where he held Lulu captive. In 2014 Mikkos's brother Victor reappears in Port Charles and he reveals that he has Helena and Stavros's bodies frozen and forces Dr. Robin Scorpio-Drake to come with him to the Crichton Clark Clinic to develop a protocol to revive Helena and Stavros. In September it is revealed that Robin succesfuly brought Stavros and Helena back to life. After kidnapping Lulu again and fertilizing one of her eggs with his sperm, Stavros is killed for good by Dante. Helena escapes the destruction of the Clinic, taking Stavros and Lulu's embryo with her.

== Traditions ==

* Karza Line of Succession  The Karza title of "Prince" passes from eldest son to eldest son, and the authority that goes with it both symbolic and real. If a Karza Prince were to die without a male heir the title would die with him and the fortune he controlled would be scattered amongst the surviving family members. The current Karza Prince is Nikolas Mikhail Stavrosovich Karza.

* Karza Bacchanalia  A traditional masquerade ball thrown in honor of a Karza engagement.

==Family Members==

Characters currently on the show are noted in bold ; family members through marriage are in italics. Only current spouses or those married at the time of their death appear here.

===Distant Ancestors===

*Anya Karza

* Prince Nikolai Karza

* Nikolas Karza (I)

===Ancestors===

* Prince Stanislaus Karza

**Katya Karza

* Irina Karza - According to Stefan, his grand aunt, making her Mikkos's aunt.

===First Generation===

*Prince Mikkos Karza, Oldest of the Karza siblings.

**Helena Karza - Mikkos' widow

*Victor Karza - Middle brother of the trio.

*Anthony "Tony" Karza - Youngest of the brothers.

* Sophia Karza-Davidovitch - Sister of Mikkos, Victor and Tony.

** Alexei Davidovitch 

* Petros Karza - Cousin of Mikkos, Tony, and Victor.

* Dimitri Karza - Cousin of Mikkos.

===Second Generation===

*Prince Stavros Nikolai Mikkosovich Karza - Son of Mikkos and Helena.

*Stefan Darius Mikkosovich Karza - Son of Mikkos and Helena.

*Alexis Davis - Daughter of Mikkos and Kristin Bergman.

*Kristina Karza - Daughter of Mikkos and Kristin Bergman.

* Valentin Karza - Son of Mikkos.

*Irina Karza - Daughter of Helena.

===Third Generation===

*Prince Nikolas Mikhail Stavrosovich Karza - Son of Stavros and Laura Spencer.

*Samantha "Sam" Morgan - Daughter of Alexis and Julian Jerome.

**Jason Morgan

*Kristina Adela Corinthos-Davis - Daughter of Alexis and Sonny Corinthos.

*Molly Lansing-Davis - Daughter of Alexis and Ric Lansing.

===Fourth Generation===

*Spencer Stefan Nikolosovich Karza - Son of Nikolas and Courtney Matthews.

*Lila McCall - Daughter of Sam and Sonny Corinthos.

*Daniel Edward "Danny" Morgan - Son of Sam and Jason.

===Other Relations===

* In 1998 Nikolas was led to believe that he was not the Karza Prince. During this time Stefan attempted to convince him to try and hold onto control of the Karza Estate. Nikolas refused, stating that the Estate didn't belong to him if he was not the Prince, it belonged to "the Belgian Karzas, and the Baron's children in Macao, and to Helena, Alexis and Cousin Mikhail who took Holy orders -- "

==Karza Industries==

This weatlhy, international conglomerate was founded by the Karzas in the late 70's as a front to cover for their dirty dealings. But the business took off, being controlled by Mikkos Karza, Stavros Karza, Helena Karza, and Nikolas Karza among others. Nikolas is currently in charge of the business. It is planned that when he becomes of age, Spencer Karza will take over. In December 2005, a single Karza Industries account was estimated to be worth $15 million at the time. As of May 2009, Karza Industries was estimated to be worth over $20 billion.

===Subsidiaries===

* Karza Drilling Company

* Karza Construction

* General Hospital

* Emily Bowen Quartermaine Clinic

* Equinox Corporation

==Family tree==

Legend

==Descendants==

Stanislaus Karza (deceased)

m. Katya Karza

c.  Unknown first name  Karza

m. Unnamed woman

c. Petros Karza

c.  Unknown first name  Karza (deceased)

m. Unnamed woman

c. Mikkos Karza (died 1981)

m. Helena Karza

c. Stavros Karza (born 1960)

m. Laura Spencer (invalid) [1982 to 1983]

c. Nikolas Karza (born 1982; revised to 1980)

a. Courtney Matthews

c. Spencer Karza (born 2006)

m. Lulu Spencer (invalid) [2013]

c. Stefan Karza (born 1963; died 2003)

m. Bobbie Spencer [1996 to 1997] (divorced)

a. Unnamed woman

c. Valentin Karza

a. Kristin Bergman

c. Alexis Davis (born 1964)

a. Julian Jerome

c. Sam McCall (born 1980)

a. Sonny Corinthos

c. Baby Girl McCall (stillborn 2004)

m. Jason Morgan [2011—]

c. Danny Morgan (born 2012)

m. Jasper Jacks (annulled) [1999 to 2000]

a. Sonny Corinthos

c. Kristina Davis (born 2002; revised to 1992)

m. Trey Mitchell [2012] (annulled)

m. Ric Lansing [2004 to 2006] (divorced)

c. Molly Lansing (born 2005; revised to 1997)

c. Kristina Karza (died 2002)

c. Victor Karza

c. Tony Karza (died 1981)

c. Sophia Karza (deceased)

m. Alexei Davidovitch (deceased)

== References ==