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Stefano DiMera

Stefano DiMera (alias the Phoenix) is a fictional character, a villain on the American soap opera Days of our Lives, played by Joseph Mascolo (1982-1985, 1988, 1993-2001, 2007-2008, 2008- ). He was also portrayed by Frank Fata for a few episodes in December 1991, and by an unknown actor's hand in December 2006.

He has faked his death or been reported dead by others eleven times during the series' history, coming back each time to taunt the citizens of Salem.

Fictional character history

Stefano DiMera is the father of Renée DuMonde, Megan Hathaway, Benjy Hawk, Lexie Carver (neé Brooks), and Elvis Aron Banks (who also goes by the name EJ Wells), and the stepfather of Antony DiMera; He also raised Peter and Kristen Blake. He had a nephew, André DiMera, who through plastic surgery became identical in appearance to Antony. Stefano had a common-law marriage with Daphne DiMera, who is also deceased. He is also the ex-husband of Vivian Alamain. Stefano first entered the show as an organized crime kingpin. Throughout the years, he has become more gothic, especially through his firm belief that he will never die. According to Stefano, he is like a Phoenix, and he will always rise from the ashes to his former glory and power. He is the seventh son of the seventh son; as a 300 year-old DiMera family legend dictates, such a son will never die. He certainly has proven this time and time again. Stefano has "died" ten times, coming back stronger than ever each time. Because of this, he holds the record in Salem for the most faked deaths.

Stefano comes to Salem (1982)

In early February, 1982, Tony DiMera went to Rome, Italy, to visit his powerful father, Stefano, who was making plans for coming to Salem to move the DiMera business and build a family there. Stefano had asked Tony to bring slides of the life and people of Salem. Tony had recently held a gala at his home which he had secretly taped for his father. Viewing the images from this party, Stefano got to know the good people of Salem before he arrived, acquiring a great advantage over them. However, he also wanted to see the female scenery. While watching the video, two women stood out to Stefano: Dr. Marlena Evans and Julie Williams. Marlena, Stefano thought, would make a great addition to the DiMera family as a bride to Tony. He believed her to be a great choice to give birth to a future DiMera heir. But Julie...Stefano wanted Julie for himself, despite the fact that she was married. A third woman, Kayla Brady, also caught their eye and they believed her to be very valuable in the future, although Tony warned Stefano that her brother was a captain in the police force.

The Baka/The Three Prisms (1984-1985)

This thing of value that Stefano desired was an ancient talisman named the Baka. The Baka was a curious wooden artifact that had been the subject of a great animosity between two families, the DiMeras and the Bradfords, which were connected through a marriage in the late 18th century. On one face, the Baka showed the Bradford Family crest; on the other, a rising Phoenix. According to legend, the Baka held negative power for the Bradfords, and positive power for the DiMeras. For 200 years, the Bradfords had held onto the Baka in order to keep the DiMeras from taking advantage of its power...that is until Stefano stole it from Reginald Bradford. Somehow, the Baka was stolen from Stefano and fell back into Reginald's hands, who gave it to Eugene shortly before his death. In addition to all of this, the Baka was also the centerpiece in one of Stefano's most dastardly plans.

After having André steal the Baka, Stefano used it to build a bomb. He planned to have André kill Marlena during a nationally-televised concert; if the plan did not work, his backup plan was to set off a bomb at the concert hall which could only be defused using the Baka. While André busied himself organizing the charity concert which would benefit a new psychiatric wing for the hospital, Stefano busied himself by trying to drive Eugene insane. He had Delia telephone Eugene incessantly pretending to be his deceased wife Bonnie. Delia also created phantom projections of Eugene's other dead wife, Trista. Though the plan originally worked, Eugene soon realized that he was being duped. Meanwhile, Stefano managed to capture Roman and hold him captive. He had shot Roman, and he fell off a cliff, and seemed to be dead.

But dead he was not. Stefano was residing in a secret location on his yacht, carefully planning a way to retrieve three valuable prisms that were in the possession of Maxwell and Megan Hathaway. The prisms, he said, would cure his brain tumor. Although Stefano had faked his death, he was really suffering from an inoperable brain tumor. During this time, Megan Hathaway was revealed to be Stefano's daughter, not Maxwell's. That is why she had no problem when Maxwell was killed. In the end, the prism remained lost in the Louisiana bayou after an alligator ate it. The prisms were of great importance to Stefano. They were not ordinary crystals. When the prisms were together and held underneath a laser, they revealed coded instructions to several breakthroughs in technology and science; one of these breakthroughs was how to operate on Stefano's type of tumor. The prisms had been designed by an American, but Communist, scientist named Victor Chorvat, and were part of a Soviet plot called the Triad Experiment.

Meanwhile, Stefano felt a little melancholy. He had enjoyed Roman as an adversary. Now, with him being out of commission, Stefano missed the thrill of the hunt. He soon realized that he had an enemy as clever and as cunning as Roman -- Marlena! He convinced one of his henchmen, Jimmy Porterfield, to get involved in Marlena's life. Jimmy soon decided to introduce Marlena to his godmother, Mrs. Lafferty. What Marlena did not know was that Mrs. Lafferty was Stefano in disguise! He had dressed up as an elderly woman to further examine his opponent. And a worthy opponent she was. Unbeknownst to Stefano, Marlena and Eugene had discovered information about the Triad Experiment...and the location of his compound in Venezuela. The Triad Experiment was moving along very well. A Soviet named Bronski successfully managed to smuggle the last prism out of the Soviet Union through an ice-skating troupe. Soon after, however, Megan died; she was electrocuted in a hot tub at Chris Kositchek's gym, The Body Connection. Stefano was unaware of the fact that Larry had accidentally killed his daughter; he also didn't know of the explosive nature of the last prism. Apparently, Victor Chorvat had devised it so that it would explode if its ice covering was melted as revenge against America. Stefano was devastated by the loss of his "golden girl," and vowed revenge on the person who had killed her. He attended Megan's funeral dressed as Mrs. Lafferty and quietly grieved his daughter's passing. Having lost another child, Stefano decided it was time to begin anew.

He decided to kidnap the newborn twins Samantha and Eric Brady and raise them as DiMeras. He also wanted to kidnap Marlena so that she could be a mother to the children, and a wife to him. Stefano was able to kidnap the children and took them to his hideout in Caracas and kept them in a nursery. Stefano was unaware that Bo Brady went to rescue the children.

Of course, he still needed to cure that pesky tumor. In February 1985, the ice-skating troupe that had the prism arrived in Salem, to perform a show at the Salem Civic Center. But those darn Bradys got in the way of Stefano's plans once again. Hope had managed to infiltrate the ice-skating troupe and joined the team. She had the prism sewn on her costume's headpiece, but she didn't get in time and had to go out on the ice with it on her head. Stefano knew, however, and he ordered another flunky, Sonia Romanov, to retrieve the crystal from Hope. After Sonia got it, she and Stefano made their way to the rafters above the ice rink. Just as they were going to escape through the roof and catch their helicopter, Marlena appeared brandishing a gun. He did not think that Marlena was a real threat; he simply told her to put down the gun and come along with him so that she could be reunited with her kids. "My kids are safe at home in their beds," she told him. Amidst tears, Marlena refused to let herself be a victim to Stefano again. "You're never going to hurt anyone again," she said, and shot Stefano in the stomach. Stefano dropped the prism when he was shot. The prism, in turn, fell on some oily rags and began a raging fire below them. Stefano then lost his balance; he grabbed Marlena intending to take her with him, but she was saved by Bo. Stefano fell off the catwalk and into the flames below. After the fire was put out, a charred body was found among the ashes. It was burned beyond recognition, but everyone assumed that the body was Stefano's.

Stefano's return (1988)

In late 1988, Stefano returned to wreak havoc once again. This time, he wanted his son back. Son? As it turned out, Stefano was the father of a young deaf boy who had been staying with Steve & Kayla Johnson, Benji Hawk. Stefano sent his operative Iago to Salem to achieve this goal. Iago just happened to be Shane Donovan's twin brother, Drew. While Drew unsuccessfully tried to take possession of Benji (and killed his mother, Ellen Hawk), Stefano also hatched a plan to take revenge on Roman and the Bradys. It seems that during the year that Stefano had Roman in his possession, he had programmed him to be the ultimate assassin, with the help of a Karate master named Orion Hawk (who happened to be Benji's grandfather), and had commanded him to do various crimes. Only one word could trigger Roman's killer tendencies: "pagoda." Actually, even just the picture of a pagoda would put Roman in a trance. Now, Stefano was messing with Roman's head by sending him pictures of pagodas and making him believe that he'd murdered Ellen. Also, Stefano sent many clues to make Roman and Diana believe that Marlena, who had been presumed dead the year before, was really alive. His plans quickly turned more dastardly.

On Halloween night, Stefano ordered Carrie to be kidnapped. He took her to his island in the Bahamas and held her prisoner along with Orion, who had tried to sabotage his plans to kidnap Benji. Stefano sent Roman an anonymous note asking to exchange children, but Stefano didn't plan on ever returning Carrie. Stefano was endeared with the girl and wanted to raise her as his own daughter. Stefano finally kidnapped Benji, who loved him very much, and managed to lure Roman, Diana, Shane, Kim, Steve and Kayla to his island. Having captured all of his enemies, Stefano treated his guests to a Thanksgiving Dinner, during which he revealed everything: while Roman had worked for him, Stefano had ordered him to kill a powerful enemy but Roman botched up the hit. Roman had blown up the building in which Stefano's enemy was, unaware of the fact that Benji had been in the building. It was for this reason that Benji was deaf, and why Stefano wanted revenge. Also, it came to light that during the time that Roman was presumed dead, Shane had known all along that he was alive and in Stefano's possession. Shane and the ISA had the chance to retrieve Roman, but instead retrieved Drew, who had also been in Stefano's possession. This obviously caused great animosity among the family. Stefano then put Roman under a Pagoda spell and ordered him to kill everyone present. Diana was able to make Roman snap out of it. Roman then went after Stefano, and the two met atop the very cliff they'd been standing on 4 years earlier. This time, the struggled that ensued sent Stefano off the cliff. Barely hanging from the edge, Stefano warned Roman that Milo, his henchman, would shoot Diana if he didn't help him back up. Roman reluctantly helped Stefano, and the ruse continued. Stefano continued to taunt Roman and finally put him under another trance, this time to shoot Diana. However, the trances had a weaker effect on Roman every time he went under, and so Diana was able to bring him out of it. However, Diana became separated from Roman in the moments after this, and Stefano was able to kidnap her, making it seem like she had died in an explosion. Stefano continued to taunt Roman after he returned to Salem, and finally lured him to his hideout outside of the city. There, he told him that he could have either Marlena or Diana; Roman was convinced that Marlena was dead and that this was all a game, and chose Diana. At this point, Benji, who had stowed away in Roman's car and had been witness to everything, finally believed what everyone had told him: his father was a bad man. Benji told Stefano this. Stefano, his plans dashed and hated by his own son, decided to escape aboard his helicopter.

A tale of two Romans (1991)

In late 1991, Stefano briefly reappeared inside a Mayan temple in Chichen Itzá to reveal himself as the mastermind behind Marlena Evans' 5-year disappearance and the return of the true Roman Brady, the one that had fallen off the cliff in 1984, making the Roman Brady who came to Salem as the Pawn, John Black, an impostor, one of Stefano's assassins. Stefano had kept both the real Roman and Marlena comatose in the Caribbean island of San Cristobal for years, and had released them in the Fall of 1991. For weeks, Stefano had been luring the two Romans and Marlena to Mexico. Both Romans had information stored inside of them regarding the Landen Case, an ISA case involving hidden Mayan codices that were of extreme value. Together, the two Romans discovered the secret location of the codices. At that moment, Stefano revealed himself and made Roman the impostor (John) a proposition: in exchange for the codices, Stefano would give him a valise containing information about his true identity. John accepted, but as the exchange was being made there was a struggle. A gun went off shooting Stefano and causing him to fall in the fire, seemingly killed.

Stefano returns to Salem/Stefano kills Curtis Reed (1993)

In October 1993, Stefano returned to Salem. But for the first time, he was powerless. Following a stroke due to a brain tumor, he remained feeble and in a wheelchair. This time around, Stefano was revealed to have two more children, Peter and Kristen Blake. Although they were not his biological children, Stefano had raised them. For his security, Peter hired Curtis Reed (abusive ex-husband of Kate Roberts, and father to Austin & Billie Reed), a hitman on Stefano's payroll, to bring Stefano to Salem. However, Curtis took advantage of the situation and kidnapped Stefano, taking him to Smith Island. In a desolate cabin, Curtis taunted Stefano about how powerful he had once been and how helpless he was now. Finally, Curtis contacted Kristen Blake to work out a ransom. Meeting her on a rainy night, Curtis demanded an exorbitant amount of money that Kristen did not have. But instead of money, he settled for her expensive jewelry. This humiliating act more than angered Stefano, and promised himself to avenge this atrocity.

Later, Stefano struggled with Curtis Reed and shot him. Stefano planted the gun on Billie Reed and let her take the wrap.

Tony DiMera returns/Stefano fakes his death (1994)

Tony DiMera returned to Salem to marry his fiancee, Kristen Blake (recent revelations indicate this was most likely Andre, impersonating Tony). Stefano told Kristen that before he died, he wanted to see them marry. Kristen agreed to marry Tony, even though she loved John Black. However, Kristen left Tony at the altar to help John Black find Marlena and Roman's daughter, Belle.

Stefano realized that in order for Kristen to marry Tony, he would have to discredit John in her eyes. Stefano did some investigating and thanks to a stolen diary of Sami Brady's, Stefano learned that John was really Belle's father. Stefano took this information to Roman. Sami eventually admitted that she had switched the paternity test results. Stefano's plan worked and Kristen despised John. Tony and Kristen were about to marry when John showed up at the wedding, claiming that he had evidence linking Stefano to Curtis Reed's murder. When Stefano hopped in a car and drove off, John shot at the tires. Stefano had planned it so his car would go off the road and he would be "killed" in the crash. Kristen, blaming John for her father's death, married Tony on February 18, 1994. Tony learned later that Stefano was alive, but he kept it a secret because he feared Kristen would leave him.

Maison Blanche (1994)

In late February, Tony made Stefano leave Salem, so he traveled to Maison Blanche. From there, he sent John puzzle pieces. There were a total of 3 puzzle pieces, which together formed a picture of a window and a column. John knew that Stefano was taunting him, and tried to find out more about the house in the picture. After learning that the place was Maison Blanche, John went to New Orleans to visit it. When he arrived he was taken prisoner by Stefano and his henchwoman Celeste. Stefano chained John up in the basement and planned to re-brainwash him. Celeste, who liked John, told him that everything he needed to save himself was in his cell. After searching the cell, John found a block that had Johnny Black, 1984 inscribed on it. Behind the block John found a necklace with a crucifix and a prayer on a piece of paper. Using a recording of John's voice, Stefano lured Marlena to New Orleans as well. When she arrived, Celeste knocked her out with ether and locked her up with John. Stefano was planning on erasing John's memory, so Marlena tried to prevent him from doing it with a strip show. Stefano also forced Marlena to call Roman and tell him that she was on vacation with John Black. Meanwhile, Celeste became jealous of Marlena because she knew that Stefano was in love with her. Later that year, Kristen, Tony, Peter, Jen, Bo, and Billie all came to Maison Blanche for a charity event Kristen held. Billie saw a woman who looked like Bo's dead wife Hope, but nobody would believe her. Hope was at Maison Blanche, but she was called Gina by Stefano and Celeste. Roman also showed up, but to arrest Peter Blake for trafficking drugs in one of his clubs. A jealous Celeste leaked gas into the cell where John and Marlena were being held and started a fire. Roman managed to rescue them. John came out and shocked both Kristen and Tony, who were horrified to see John in shackles. Kristen looked up and screamed when she spotted her dead father, Stefano. Tony ran back into the house to try and retrieve his father's computer, which contained a file on John's past. Maison Blanche burst into flames. Tony got the computer, but went blind in the process. Stefano slipped away with Hope, but John managed to catch up with Stefano and rescued Hope. Bo and Billie were shocked when they saw Hope, but Hope claimed to be a woman named Gina.

Marlena's possession (1994-1995)

Stefano returned to Salem in late 1994. Stefano knew of Mike Horton's involvement with a woman in the mid-east who tricked him into transporting arms. He blackmailed Mike into providing him with the key-code to Marlena's apartment. Stefano rented the apartment next to her and built a secret passage between the two through Marlena's armoir. Stefano began visiting Marlena in the nights, but he wore a mask to hide his identity. Stefano's nightly visits opened up Marlena's soul for the taking, and Satan took it. In 1995, John, Father Francis, Kristen Blake, and Caroline Brady all worked to help exorcise Marlena. Marlena tricked Stefano into untying her from her bed, where John had bound her, and she promptly threw him off her penthouse terrace. Stefano lived, but he was paralyzed and suffered from amnesia. Abe Carver and Pat Hamilton wanted to arrest Marlena for her attempted murder, but when they came face to face with her supernatural powers they realized that Marlena was not responsible for her actions. After being exorcised, Marlena felt extremely guilty about what she had done under the demon's possession. Marlena felt especially bad for Stefano, who was paralyzed and amnesiac. Marlena took it upon herself to help Stefano regain the use of his legs and she invited him to live with her. As Marlena worked with Stefano, Stefano began to fall in love with Marlena.

Aremid (1995-1996)

In December 1995, Tony DiMera was shot and killed and John Black was arrested for his murder, a murder that Tony himself framed John for. Stefano and Marlena went to Aremid. Marlena went to be with John and Stefano went to say goodbye to Tony.

Marlena continued to council Stefano in Aremid as 1996 began. Stefano began having faint memories from his past. Stefano recalled giving gifts to a beautiful woman, who continued to reject him. Stefano also found himself attracted to Marlena. One night while out in a rain storm, Stefano was struck by lightening. Celeste found him and took him back to the Blake House. Mike feared that Stefano could have regained his memory after being hit by lightening, but Stefano claimed he remembers nothing. However, Stefano remembered everything. Unfortunately, the Woman in White left Tony's diary behind in the Blake House when she was forced to hide as Celeste was bringing Stefano in out of the storm. Stefano tries to persuade Marlena to go away with him, but when she declines his offer he realized it was because of John. Stefano decided that he must rid himself of John somehow, and he realized his trial is the perfect way to do it. Later, Stefano uncovered Tony's Diary from the Woman in White's secret room and he vowed to never let anyone know the truth.

Paris (1996)

John Black's trial resumed in 1996 and Peter Blake put Kristen Blake on the stand. Kristen admitted to the court that she believed that John killed her husband, Tony DiMera. John was sentenced to death because Stefano blackmailed the judge. The death sentence was to be carried out immediately. On the night of John's execution, Stefano dined with Marlena Brady at the Blake House. Marlena managed to get Tony's diary and give it to the Woman in White. The Woman in White dropped it on the way to the courthouse, but Jack Devereaux found it and got it there in time to save John from the gas chamber. Meanwhile, Marlena told Stefano that she knows he ordered John's death sentence and she hates him. Stefano abducted Marlena and tried to make his getaway, but Celeste followed him and demands he take her too. Stefano refused, so Celeste tells him that Lexie is his daughter, in hopes of staying with him. Stefano escaped with Marlena into some underground tunnels below Aremid. Lexie tried to reason with her father, but he and Marlena are lost in a cave in. Stefano managed to escape to the ocean, but John rescued Marlena. Stefano escapes via helicopter and vowed to return for Marlena.

Stefano returned to Salem like he vowed. He arranged for Jonah Carver to return to Medical School to please his daughter, Lexie. Stefano contacted Kristen and asked her to help him kidnap Marlena. Kristen refused to at first, but after learning that John loved Marlena more she agreed to help. Kristen gave Stefano the plane number that Rachel and Marlena would be flying to San Fransico on. Stefano told Kristen that he would return her mother to her later. Unfortunately, the police got tipped off that Stefano was back in town and his plan to kidnap Marlena was foiled. Stefano forced Vivian and Ivan to help him flee Salem.

Marlena and Rachel made plans for another trip and Marlena gave Kristen a list she was to obey. Kristen was not to sleep with John and she was not to wear his engagement ring. Stefano arranged for himself to be captured, so it appeared that Marlena and Rachel were safe to fly to San Fransico. After their plane took off, John learned that the man they captured was wearing a latex mask. Upon searching the DiMera Mansion they found Rachel Blake bound and gagged. Stefano, disguised as Rachel, had snuck onboard the plane with Marlena. Stefano faked a plane crash which convinced Salem that Marlena and Stefano had both died.

Stefano took Marlena to some caverns below Paris which he ruled as King and he intended to make her his queen. Marlena became deeply depressed and a doctor told Stefano that if she wasn't cheered up soon she could die. Stefano produced a set of goggles that allowed the person wearing them to view people who were dear to them. Marlena was able to see John and her children though these goggles. However, Stefano learned that the other set of goggles he had left in Salem were being used and realized John was the one using them. In the Paris underground, Marlena began to write things in a daily journal. Stefano planted a bomb in the warehouse where the second set of goggles were in order to kill John. The plan failed, but Stefano convinced Marlena that John died in the explosion. Stefano agrees to let Marlena out of the cage and takes her to a street carnival where they are spotted by Vivian and Ivan. Upon learning John was in Paris, Stefano sent a forged fax from John to Kristen and Rachel asking them to come to Paris.

John realized that Stefano is holding Marlena prisoner in the Paris underground. To lure him out, John set up a huge ball, where Marie Antoinette's crown would be displayed. John knew that Stefano would try to steal it for his "Queen" Marlena. John also knew that if Stefano follows the game, Marlena would show up wearing a gold gown. Unfortunately, Stefano anticipated this. Stefano took Marlena to the ball, but he arranged for many women to be dressed exactly like Marlena. John, Kristen, Abe, Lexie, and John's French cop friend Renee combed the ball looking for Marlena and each had a mini TV set that was hooked up to many cameras at the ball. Marlena and Kristen came face to face and they argued. Marlena ran off and eventually found John. Unfortunately, Stefano stabbed John with a needle and drug him off while Kristen watched. Stefano also managed to steal the crown by having someone impersonate Renee.

In the Paris Underground, Stefano put John on trial for his crimes against him. John was found guilty and was sentenced to be executed by beheading. Marlena attempted to stop the execution, but failed. Luckily, Vivian and Ivan were searching for Stefano and managed to free John from the guillotine he was in. John and Marlena ran for the tunnels and Stefano pursued them. Kristen decided to find the Paris Underground to try and save John and her mother, Rachel, insisted on going. An explosion in the underground buried Kristen and Rachel, but Abe and Lexie managed to save them. They all searched for John and Lexie. When the found him, John had a gun and was holding it on Stefano. Marlena was hurt during the explosion and John gave his gun to Rachel to hold on Stefano so he could carry Marlena. Stefano managed to escape and Rachel followed him. Rachel and Stefano ended up near a gas tank. Rachel, knowing the consequences, shot at Stefano. The tank exploded and Stefano and Rachel were presumed dead.

Kristen's schemes to keep John/Peter's schemes to keep Jennifer (1996-1998)

Stefano, who was very alive, returned to Salem and learned about Peter and Jennifer's troubles. Stefano revealed himself to Peter and promised to help him get Jennifer. He also learned about Kristen and John and promised to help Kristen keep John. from Peter. Peter, following Stefano's advice, was planning on kidnapping Jen. Stefano also told Kristen that she should try and marry John as soon as she can. He also blackmailed Kristen's doctor into keeping quiet about the fact that she isn't pregnant.

Stefano brought Susan Banks, a pregnant woman, to Salem. With a blond wig and false teeth, Susan looks exactly like Kristen. Susan agreed to impersonate Kristen when needed and to give her baby to Kristen, in exchange for a large sum of money. Meanwhile, Marlena began to become more and more suspicious of Kristen and even told Laura Horton that if she didn't know any better, she'd say Kristen wasn't pregnant.

Daniel Scott showed up at the Blake house to find Peter and extort more money out of him. Unfortunately, Daniel ran into Stefano. The two argued and Daniel backed into a large window and fell to his death from the 2nd story. Salem gathered for Peter's funeral. After the funeral, Laura saw Kristen adjusting her pregnancy pad when she thought nobody was looking. Laura ran back into the church to tell Marlena, but she ended up coming face to face with Stefano and Peter. Stefano revealed that the body in the casket was Daniel Scott, with a latex mask of Peter on. Stefano kidnapped Laura and took both her and Peter to the Blake house. Peter was very ill still and he forced Laura to care for him. Kristen eventually stumbled upon both Laura and Peter. Stefano wanted to take Laura with her when he and Peter left the country, but Kristen and Peter asked if there was another way to solve the problem. Stefano eventually had one of his scientists zap Laura's mind with a laser that would remove her memory for the last few days. Stefano placed Laura out in Salem park on a bench and he and Peter skipped town.

Outside of Salem, Stefano continued to plot. He hired Nurse Lynn Burke to be Laura Horton's caretaker and to feed her pills which would keep Laura from remembering the truth about Peter and Kristen. He also helped Kristen to try and control Susan Banks, who had become obscessed with John Black and her own child she was to give up. Stefano had a secret room built in the DiMera Mansion where Kristen was to hide Susan. However, things went wrong and Marlena Evans was put into the secret room after she learned the truth about Kristen. Kristen called Stefano and told her that Marlena was locked in the room and awaiting him. Stefano returned to Salem and forced Vivian and Ivan to help him kidnap Marlena. Meanwhile, Susan planned an Elvis themed wedding for herself and John, which Kristen and Marlena were forced to watch from the secret room. Desperate to stop the wedding, Kristen tried to dig through the wall and ended up hitting a gas line, which knocked Kristen and Marlena unconscious.

Stefano showed up dressed as a waiter and was planning to escape with Marlena. Unfortunately, Laura showed up, still wearing her pajamas from the hospital, and accused Kristen, who was really Susan, of kidnapping Marlena. Laura slapped Susan and her fake teeth landed in Vivian's glass of champagne. Susan confessed everything and John managed to save Kristen and Marlena from the secret room, both had passed out. Stefano fled the party.

Soon after Susan and John's wedding came to a halt, John arranged for Marlena, Lexie, and Laura Horton to all have a relaxing day at the Salem Spa. Stefano snuck in and almost kidnapped Marlena, but Lexie saw him and ratted him out. Stefano escaped, but Marlena was saved.

John planned an engagement party for Marlena at the Penthouse Grill. Kristen, Vivian, and Ivan crashed the party and when Kristen heard John propose to Marlena, she lost it. Kristen went out to the ledge and threatened to jump, but John talked her down. Stefano was also at the party and planned to kidnap Marlena, but Kristen ruined his chance and he was furious with her.

Roman's cure (1997)

John and Marlena planned to marry in July of 97, but Kristen and Stefano brought the wedding to a halt when Kristen showed up at the wedding with Marlena's dead ex-husband, Roman. Later, John and Marlena learned from Shane that Roman claimed to be dead because he really was dying of a deadly virus and didn't want his family to watch him suffer. Kristen convinced John and Marlena that Roman would be the most comfortable living in the DiMera mansion. Roman refused to stay in the hospital and accepted Kristen's offer. Kristen further caused problems by telling Roman that she and John were married and Marlena never became involved with anyone else after he left Salem.

Stefano allowed himself to be captured and then told John that only he had the cure for Roman. John didn't want to believe him, but it seemed there was no other way to save Roman. John, with Lexie and eventually Abe's help, broke Stefano out of jail. John and Stefano speed to the airfield where John's plane awaited them. Kristen managed to convince John and Stefano to let her come along. Marlena also wanted to go, but John said she should remain behind because this could be a trap. However, Hope decided to tag along to keep an eye on Kristen. Stefano was furious when John found Hope stowed away and wanted to return to Salem and leave her behind, but they couldn't because they would be captured for sure. John, Hope, Stefano, and Kristen all traveled to a jungle compound where they were introduced to Dr. Rolfe, the man working on the cure for Roman. Dr. Rolfe recognized Hope, but Stefano managed to warn him not to say anything to Hope. Hope ended up breaking into a storage room, which infuriated him because there were things, including a table, in that room that could jog her memory from the missing four years of her life. Stefano promptly locked the room up with a high tech lock. When Dr. Rolfe finally finished the cure, the vial containing the cure was dropped and it was lost.

Dr. Rolfe and Stefano tell John and Hope that the only way to make another cure is for someone to brave the jungle and the natives and retrieve a special orchid. John and Hope volunteer to find the orchid. Hope and John found the orchid and John put it in his backpack, but a native knocked John off a cliff and Hope, Kristen, and Stefano thought he was killed. John's backpack was recovered, but the orchid was missing. Hope managed to find some of the orchid's seeds and Rolfe made a cure using them. As they were about to return to Salem, John showed up alive, but was poisoned by a native's dart. John was cured and they all flew back to Salem. On the way back, their plane crashed in the Bermuda triangle, but they managed to return to Salem with the cure. John, Hope, Stefano, and Kristen showed up at the hospital with the cure just as Marlena was about to marry Roman, because it was his dying wish. The cure was administered to Roman and Stefano was granted a pardon for his crimes. Stefano's cure began to fail, which Stefano knew would happen. Stefano said that the only way to save Roman was to donate his own blood, mix it with some other drugs, and give it to Roman. Stefano had also suffered from the disease Roman had and he had been saved in a similar manner. However, Stefano only agreed to do this if Marlena would forgive him and be his friend. Stefano announced that he wanted to become a respected citizen of Salem, secretly it was all a part of his master plan. Marlena reluctantly agreed and gave the second cure to Roman, which worked.

Peter's madness (1997-1998)

Jennifer Devereaux Blake confronted Stefano and told him that he would need the Hortons to back him if he wanted to become a respected citizen of Salem. Jennifer warned him that if any harm came to Jack then he would not have the Hortons' backing. Stefano called T.C. and told him not to harm Jack Devereaux. Unfortunately, Travis and T.C. had pinned Jack under a press, which would smash his head flat. Luckily, T.C. and Travis stopped the press in time before it killed Jack. Jack realized that someone wanted him alive and realized that T.C. must be on Peter or Stefano's payroll.

Stefano finally admitted that Peter was alive, but he claimed he didn't know where he was. Meanwhile, Peter recovered from his shooting on a jungle island. When he was well, he paid Trent Davis to kidnap Jennifer Horton and they were to meet at the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately, Peter was bitten by a mosquito in the jungle and contacted Jungle Madness, a strange disease that slowly drives a person mad, yet also gives them incredible strength and fits of violence. Stefano contacted Peter and told him that he needed medication and told him to go to the island compound where Dr. Rolfe could give him some pills. Peter acquired the pills, but got into a fight with Dr. Rolfe, who wouldn't let Peter leave till he was cured. Peter lost the pills in a battle with Dr. Rolfe and he flew off in Rolfe's airplane.

Kristen's schemes/The killing pool (1997-1998)

Kristen became somewhat crazy and thought that if she could get Elvis back, John may be able to love her again. Kristen goes to Susan and tells her that the only way the baby can be protected from Stefano is if she raised him. Celeste and Marlena soon learn that Stefano is the father of Susan's child, but Stefano refuses to acknowledge it. Later, Marlena hears Kristen talking to a woman about getting her son back. Kristen lured Susan over to the DiMera mansion and drugged her with spiked eggnog. She then tricked Susan into signing away all legal rights over little Elvis to her. Kristen, disguised herself as Susan, and then kidnapped little Elvis. When Susan confronted Kristen, Kristen had the legal documents that proved the child was now hers. Susan almost attempted to kill herself, but John stopped her before she could jump into the icy Salem River. Susan went to get her brother, Thomas (the third triplet), to help her steal back little Elvis. However, Sister Mary Moira stopped Thomas before he could do anything sinful to Kristen. When Stefano learned what Kristen had done he was outraged and helped John steal back little Elvis and return him to Susan. Kristen took Susan to court, but Susan, John, and Marlena double crossed her. John delayed Kristen and Susan pretended to be Kristen at the courthouse and said what she did was wrong and withdrew the legal agreement Susan had signed. When Kristen learned what they had done to her she was furious. John arranged for Susan and Little Elvis to leave the country safely and live in peace. Marlena and John said goodbye to Susan and watched her leave. Stefano arrives at the airport after Susan has left. Stefano vowed to John that he would find his son again.

In 1997, Celeste was drawn to Jonsey's townhouse because she was sure that Peter Blake was hiding there. However, Celeste was shocked when Kristen answered the door. Celeste barged her way in and got into a fight with Kristen. Kristen was hiding the syringe behind her that contained the cure for Jungle Madness, but Stefano warned her it would give a healthy person the Jungle Madness Disease. Kristen and Celeste ended up falling onto the floor and Kristen accidentally, without Celeste's knowledge, injected her with the Virus. Stefano was furious with Kristen not only disowned her, but told her that when he got Elvis back she would not get near the child, let alone raise it.

Peter returned to the DiMera Mansion after he lost Jack and Jen in the Grand Canyon and Stefano helped him try to locate Jen and get a cure for his jungle madness. Stefano came up with the idea of planting a listening device on Laura, who they suspected knew where Jack and Jen were. Jack and Jen were hiding in a circus, which eventually came to Salem. Peter managed to tip the FBI off to Jack's wherabout and he attempted to kidnap Jennifer. Jen got away and speed off in a car, which crashed and she was presumed to have died. Jack was let out of jail to attend Jen's funeral. Laura slipped out of the church to find Kristen and make her pay. Peter showed up with a shotgun and started shooting.

Suddenly, Jen's spirit rose from her coffin. Jen convinced Peter to turn himself in. Jack was released from prison immediately. Jack and Abby returned home to find Jen standing in their home. Jen explained that her death and her resurrection were faked by the people at the circus. Jen told him that Jasper was supposed to tell them all, but Jen wasn't aware that Jasper was in a coma. Jack, Jen, and Abbey all went to the Brady Pub and they celebrated the fact that Jen was alive. Later, Jasper came out of his coma. Peter was taken to jail and Stefano gave him the cure for his jungle madness. Peter asked Stefano if he was going to break him out, but Stefano told him that he couldn't do that because it would ruin his new reputation as an upstanding citizen of Salem. However, Stefano did manage to get Peter placed in a white-collar- crime prison instead and he would be up for parole in a few years.

While Stefano was busy helping Peter, he did not realize what Kristen was planning behind his back. Kristen planned on leaving town and moved out of the Dimera Mansion. She moved into the Blake house and planned to sell Susan into white slavery. Kristen kidnapped Sister Mary Moira and called Susan. She told Susan that she was to fly to Salem immediately and wear a white dress. She was to bring the baby or her sister would be murdered. Susan showed up at the house and talked with Kristen. Kristen offered Susan a soda, and Susan accepted because she thought there was no way she could drug a canned soda. However, she was wrong. Kristen asked where Elvis was and Susan said she left him in England. Susan got into an argument with Kristen and threatened to kill her with a letter opener. Susan eventually passed out from the drugs and Kristen made her getaway, dressed as Susan. Susan, was kidnapped by the man and taken to a palace were she was to be the latest harem girl for "The Supreme Leader".

Kristen, disguised as Susan, was about to fly off to England when Abe and Roman found her. Susan had phoned them earlier and reported that Kristen had kidnapped her sister. Sister Mary had been rescued and they came to the airport to catch Kristen. Suddenly, Abe received a phone call from John and Marlena. Kristen Blake was found dead at the Blake House and they told "Susan" that she couldn't leave town just yet. Abe and Roman took "Susan" into the station for questioning. "Susan" claimed to never have been at the house. Suddenly, Edmund burst into Abe's office. Edmund introduced himself as Susan's fiance. Edmund asked if "Susan" was being arrested and Abe said no. Later, Edmund proposed to "Susan" and Kristen had no choice to accept. Kristen feared that Susan was the person who died in the pool and that she would be charged with her murder if anyone learned she wasn't really Susan.

Kristen kept pretending to be Susan and let Salem think that Kristen was dead. A funeral for Kristen was held at St. Luke's and all of Salem attended. Laura attended, wearing a bright red outfit. During the service, Laura recalled going to the Blake House the day of Jen's funeral and shooting at Kristen. Later, Stefano stood up and publicly slandered everyone in the room and blamed them all for Kristen's suicide.

Stefano got so worked up that he had a heart attack, but Lexie saved him. Stefano was rushed to the hospital. At the hospital, Stefano learned that Kristen's death had been reopened by the police and that Laura was the number one suspect. Stefano told this to Laura, who was shocked and also frightened. Later, Marlena Evans confronted Laura with the bottle of Placiden from the Blake House and asked her if she killed Kristen. Laura said no and was appalled by her best friend's accusation.

Stefano went to the cemetery after being released from the hospital and told Kristen's grave how sorry he was that he was angry with her and if he had a second chance he'd let her raise his son. Kristen, just happened to be at the cemetery, disguised as Susan, and she revealed herself to Stefano. Kristen begged Stefano to help her escape town, but Stefano told her if she left now it would make "Susan" look guilty. Later, Kristen learns that Susan was no longer a suspect and was free to leave. Kristen planned on skipping town when Edmund surprised her by bringing Violet and Elvis to Salem. Kristen attempted to drug Violet and sneak off with Baby Elvis. Unfortunately, John found her and brought her to the Penthouse Grill, where Edmund had arranged a surprised wedding. In order not to blow her cover, Kristen married Edmund. After the wedding, Kristen wanted to leave Salem immediately, but Elvis came down with an ear infection and couldn't fly. Kristen, still pretending to be Susan, rushed to the airport for her honeymoon and hoped to beat Edmund to the plane and leave without him. Kristen met up with Stefano at the plane and they hugged as Kristen was about to leave. Suddenly, Edmund showed up and accused Stefano of attempting to deceive "Susan" Stefano left and "Susan" and Edmund boarded the plane.

Stefano went to the Blake House to make sure there was no evidence that could indicate Susan was the person who was killed, not Kristen. Upon searching, Stefano found a picture of Edmund and Susan and on the back was a note from Susan to Edmund. Stefano then realized that Edmund had killed Susan, and now he was alone with Kristen. Stefano feared what Edmund would do to Kristen. Stefano called Kristen, who had learned that Edmund was the killer. Kristen told Stefano that she would escape Edmund once their plane landed.

Meanwhile, Susan escaped her island prison and hired a pilot to fly her to Bermuda where she surprised both Kristen and Edmund. Susan exposed Kristen and both Kristen and Edmund were confused as to who was killed in the pool. Right then Susan realized that Penelope had been killed. Susan to Edmund and Susan about her forth sister, Penelope Kent, who came to Salem to help her. Edmund admitted to killing her, but Susan says she knows it was an accident and that Penelope was dying anyways. To get revenge on Kristen, Susan arranged for her to be sent back to the island prison where she had sent her to. Susan, Elvis, and Edmund live in England and Susan periodically checks in with Stefano, pretending to be Kristen so his suspicions aren't aroused.

Hope's past/The Gina storyline (1998-2000)

After Stefano was hospitalized when he had a heart attack at Kristen Blake's funeral, Hope decided to use Stefano's stay in the hospital to search out what happened to her during the four missing years of her life. Bo convinced Hope to let him help her and they broke into Jonesy's townhouse. There, Hope saw a picture of a painting which she recognized. Bo and Hope had to split when Bart, Stefano's henchman, showed up. Hope confronted Stefano about her past and Stefano told her the same old story, he found her in New Orleans and cared for her for four years while she underwent painful surgeries.

Hope didn't believe Stefano and went to Celeste. Celeste told Hope she couldn't help her because she was only with Hope a few weeks before John rescued her. After Hope left, Celeste sent her a box of possessions Hope had while at Maison Blanche. Later, Stefano visited Celeste and ordered her to tell Hope that she was with her for four years at Maison Blanche. Celeste went to Hope and told her this and she said she lied before because she didn't want Hope to remember that she underwent many surgeries over the four years and they were very painful. Celeste also tried to retrieve the package she sent Hope, but Hope opened it in front of Celeste. Inside were a lipstick container, a silver comb, and a silver compact with a G on it. Hope asked Celeste why she would have these things if her face was scarred for four years. Celeste admitted she lied about being with her because Stefano forced her to. Celeste also suggested that Hope drop her search because Stefano would be furious if he learned she was searching for her past.

Stefano went to Jonesy's townhouse, which in reality was his, to get some cash from a secret hiding place. Unfortunately, the cash was gone. Stefano feared that Jonesy had used it, but he was happy to see that his art treasures and a mysterious freezer in the basement were untouched. Stefano owned the townhouse and everything in it, but Jonesy had been assigned to guard it. Later, Stefano saw some of his art treasures in a pawn shop. Stefano sent Bart out to find Jonesy and soon learned that Jonesy was dead.

Stefano soon went to see Kate Roberts, who knew why he had come to see her. Stefano inherited Kristen's 49% share of Titan. Kate offered to buy the shares from Stefano, but he refused to sell and wanted to remain an investor. Kate and Stefano had a past. Stefano had found Kate when she was a call girl and was responsible for turning her into the business woman she was today.

Vivian decided to host a party at her new townhouse and invited Stefano. Vivian told Ivan that if she could get Stefano on her side, she could take over Titan. To finance her new lifestyle, Vivian began selling some of Jonesy's art treasures. Stefano accepted because he was interested to see where Vivian was staying. Stefano showed up at Vivian's party with Kate. Stefano was shocked to learn that Vivian was living in his townhouse and selling his art treasures. After the party, Kate made a call to a friend about the townhouse because he used to own it. Kate learned that he lost the house to Stefano Dimera. Upon confronting him, Stefano told Kate that the townhouse and the treasures were his, but she must keep it a secret. Stefano said that there was a problem with the IRS and taxes on all the treasures, so he had loaned them to Jonesy.

Stefano decided to empty out the contents of his freezer before Vivian found it. At the same time, Vivian became curious as to what is in her basement. Vivian eventually got down into the basement and found the freezer, but Stefano knocked her out. When she came to, Stefano told her that he found her down here unconscious. Bart, Stefano's henchman, showed up in a radioactive suit and told Vivian there was a chemical explosion and everyone had to evacuate the house until it could be cleaned out. Vivian and Ivan left and Stefano and Bart emptied the freezer.

Vivian decided that the best way to start out her company was to snag Titan's two top authors, a pair of sex therapists. Vivian managed to lure them away from Titan, which enraged Kate. Kate asked Stefano for help and he told her that Vivian would not be a problem for much longer.

Stefano's treasures were legally Vivian's now, but he wanted them back. Stefano schemed to have Vivian declared legally incompetent and then he would swoop in and regain his treasures when he gains power of attorney over Vivian. This time they would be his legally. Dr. Rolfe returned to Salem and Stefano asked him to prepare a potion that would knock Vivian out, but would keep her from remembering what happened to her. Stefano invited Vivian over for dinner and then drugged her. Once she was out, Dr. Rolfe implanted a device in Vivian's tooth which would alter Vivian's mood as Stefano wished. However, Dr. Rolfe told Stefano that he had to be careful with the mood altering device because it would tire Vivian out if overused and could be dangerous to her if he put her in one mood without normalizing her first. Vivian almost died during the surgery, but managed to make it. Ivan and Celeste showed up when Vivian didn't return home and Vivian was acting very odd, Stefano had put her into an up mode. Celeste and Ivan took Vivian home, but she wanted to dance and kept them out all night. Stefano had a run in with Hope, who questioned him about her past again. Stefano refused to talk and went home. Dr. Rolfe told Stefano that there is no way Hope will remember her past. Stefano hoped so because it would be disastrous if Hope learned what she did for him as Gina.

Stefano began to use his device to make Vivian act irrational in public. Celeste and Ivan were convinced that Stefano was behind Vivian's mood swings.

In 1999, Stefano DiMera had activated the microchip in Hope's neck and transformed her into his art thief accomplice Princess Gina Von Amberg. Princess Gina once had a passionate affair with her partner in crime John Black. Stefano had erased John's memory by implanting a microchip in his neck. John is in love with Marlena and they had a daughter Belle but John was unaware of his past as Stefano's mercenary and Princess Gina's lover. Once Hope's transformation was complete, she had no interest in Bo. She was only interested in pursuing John, the love of Gina's life. Once again, Bo and Hope became estranged due to Stefano's mind control.

In that year, John and Marlena traveled to Hawaii for a much deserved honeymoon vacation, but they did not count on Gina/Hope's interference. John spotted a drowning woman and swam out to sea to rescue her, but he was kidnapped and held captive on board Gina's submarine. Gina/Hope brainwashed John into his former identity and the two made passionate love on board the submarine. After John returned to shore, Gina/Hope then made love to Stefano. Because of the microchip in his neck, John recalled nothing of his love making with Gina and resumed his life with Marlena and their teenage daughter Belle.

Soon after, Hope was locked in a Parisian castle with her nemesis Stefano while the real Princess Gina took over Hope's identity. During her time in captivity, Hope discovered that she was pregnant. Because Hope's recent Gina memories had been erased by the latest satellite transmission, Hope had no idea that she was estranged from Bo and slept with John and Stefano. John's microchip began to malfunction and he recalled his love affair with Gina/Hope on board the submarine, but kept his newfound knowledge a secret from Marlena.

In 2000, Hope and Stefano were rescued from captivity and Bo and Hope enjoyed a much awaited reunion.

The baby switch (2000-2002)

Bo realized that he could not be the father of the baby, since the couple was estranged during Hope's time as Princess Gina. He decided to keep this knowledge a secret from Hope in an effort to put aside the past and concentrate on his family. Bo and Hope's son Shawn was delighted at the news of a new baby and looked forward to having a brother/sister as well as having the bond between his parents solidified.

Meanwhile, both John and Stefano began to worry about the paternity of Hope's baby. If John had fathered Hope's baby, his marriage to Marlena could suffer. If Stefano was exposed as the father, he could be arrested and sent to prison for good. John sought Stefano's help in making sure that Hope would never recall her time as Princess Gina. Stefano replied that John had the ability as a surgeon and could remove the microchip from Hope's neck himself. Secretly, Stefano planned on bringing back John as his mercenary.

Rolf's pregnant and drunken niece Marlo arrived in Salem. Coincidentally, Marlo was at about the same stage of her pregnancy as Hope was. Stefano decided to mastermind an elaborate baby switching scheme so that he could hide the paternity of Hope's baby. He enlisted Rolf and Bart's help in making sure that Marlo and Hopes' babies would be switched at birth. Meanwhile, Abe and Lexie had been trying for months to conceive a baby the natural way so gave up and decided that they would adopt. Stefano then encouraged Abe and Lexie to adopt Marlo's baby. Despite some reservations, Abe and Lexie both agreed. However, Stefano and Rolf both got more than they bargained for and found it impossible to keep Marlo under control. On several occasions, Stefano caught Marlo drinking alcohol. Stefano and Rolf even had to lock Marlo in the secret room to stop her from drinking.

On the same day that Hope went into labor, Rolf injected Marlo with a drug that would make her go into labor so that the two women would give birth at the same time. At the Salem University Hospital, Bo and Hope had a quick wedding with their son Shawn as a witness before the baby was born. Hope gave birth to her son JT and Marlo gave birth to Abe and Lexie's adoptive son Isaac. The two baby boys were then taken into their cribs in the maternity ward. Disguised as a female doctor, Rolf entered into the room and switched the bracelets on JT and Isaac. Although both bracelets looked no different to begin with, they magically changed names, thanks to the special name tags that Rolf invented. The nurses believed that they made a mistake and placed the babies in their 'right' cribs. Bo overheard this mix-up and thought nothing of it. He also noticed that JT looked a little different than he did when Hope first gave birth, but didn't make anything of it.

Bo, Hope and Shawn were devastated to discover that JT was suffering fetal alcohol syndrome. Hope blamed herself for 'her' son's condition, since she had been drinking and smoking during her time as Princess Gina. Hope feels that the baby is rejecting her. Hope and Bo rush the baby to the hospital after it loses consciousness. Stefano tries to get DNA sample out of Isaac while john tries to get a DNA sample out of little Johnny. Isaac was a perfectly healthy baby, which Bo thought was odd considering that Marlo was a drunk. Lexie brought baby Isaac over to Hope's house. They place the two babies in bassinets out back. John arrives and mistakes Isaac for Johnny. Johnny gets rushed to the hospital once again. As hope spent time with Isaac she notices that he does things that Shawn use to do when he was a baby.

As Bo leaves to Ireland Johnny goes back into the hospital. Baby Johnny dies. But the doctors get him to start breathing again. That's when Hope and Lexie decide to have the babies baptized. That's when Johnny became JT. Bo, Hope and Shawn's love and nurturing helped to pull JT through the health crises that he faced.

Although Bo realized that JT could not have been his son, he still bonded with him and loved him like his own. Hope believes that Stefano could be JT's father. And she is afraid he might try to kidnap him.

Marlo continued to cause trouble for Stefano and Rolf. During an argument, Rolf lost his temper and pushed Marlo down the stairs. He then snapped her neck on his knee to ensure that she was dead and then disposed of the body in the river. Lexie had found out about Marlo's death, but Stefano convinced her to keep quiet about what she knew. If the press was to ever find out, Lexie and Abe could lose their son Isaac. Despite her reservations, Lexie complied with Stefano's request and kept her knowledge of Marlo's death a secret, although she felt guilty about lying to everybody, including her husband Abe. For the first time, Lexie resorted to dishonesty, but would do anything to make sure that she could keep Isaac.

Stefano and John worked at getting a blood sample to find out the true paternity of 'Hope's' baby. Stefano was forced to manipulate the results, since he was the only one who knew about the baby switch.

John then dropped a bombshell on his wife Marlena that could shatter their marriage forever - he announced that he is the father of Hope's baby! Although Marlena was shocked by John's announcement, she eventually forgave John and realized that both he and Hope were under Stefano's complete control. John also admitted to Hope that he fathered her baby. John, Marlena and Hope decided to keep 'JT's true paternity a secret from Bo, although they felt guilty about leaving him in the dark. Stefano and Rolf noticed a woman working at Hudson Diner who bore an uncanny resemblance to Marlena. Stefano decided to use Hattie as part of his plan to have his mercenary John back. He planned to kidnap Marlena and replace her with Hattie. With Marlena out of the picture, Stefano could work on John and transform him back into the mercenary that he once knew. Rolf disguised himself as a plastic surgeon named Dr. Steiner and convinced Hattie to have surgery so that she can look more like Marlena. After several operations, including Rolf's dentistry, Hattie began to look like a carbon copy of Marlena Evans. At the same time, Hattie began to fall for Marlena's ex-husband Roman Brady. When Marlena encountered Hattie in Salem Place, she experienced flashbacks of her twin sister Samantha, who had been killed by the Salem Strangler years ago. Marlena was astounded by Hattie's resemblance to Samantha. Hattie would later play an important role in the baby switch story line.

On New Years Eve of 2000/2001, Bo and Hope exchanged vows at a beautiful wedding ceremony. During the reception, some of the guests went ice skating on the frozen lake.

Belle, Shawn, Phillip and Chloe found a dead corpse holding on to the mysterious can that they found last summer when they built Mimi's new house. Lexie was horrified to discover that the body belonged to Marlo. She feared that if the body was identified, she could lose her adoptive son Isaac. A distraught Lexie sought out Stefano and begged for his help in covering up Marlo's death. Rolf and Bart stole Marlo's body from the morgue and dissolved it in a vat of acid. Hattie saw the body in the foyer of the DiMera mansion, but Dr. Steiner/Rolf covered up by claiming that she only saw an old Halloween prop.

Unfortunately, the Salem PD was able to draw a sketch of the dead woman and identified the body. A man named Glen Reiber read the news report on Marlo's death and decided to travel to Salem. It turns out that Glen was Marlo's ex-boyfriend and could be the father of her baby. Abe and Lexie took a trip to Green Mountain lodge where they met Glen and his wife Barb. Glen and Barb explained their situation to Abe and Lexie and the two realized that Glen could be Isaac's biological father. Lexie did not tell Glen and Barb that she and Abe adopted Marlo's baby and she manipulated the couple, trying to convince them to concentrate on having a baby on their own. Abe was shocked by Lexie's manipulation and began to suspect that Stefano was having an evil influence on his wife.

When Glen found out that Abe and Lexie adopted Marlo's baby, they ordered a DNA test to find out his true paternity. Because Lexie did not know about the baby switch, she decided to take matters into her own hands and arranged for the test results to be rigged. Lexie enlisted Brandon's help in switching the results of the DNA test to make it seem that Glen is not Isaac's father. Since JT was having a medical check up on the same day, Brandon decided to swap Isaac and JT's blood samples! Lexie and Brandon were both horrified to learn that Glen is really JT's biological father. Lexie confronted Stefano about the test results and realized that the babies had been switched at birth. Lexie decided to keep her knowledge of the baby switch a secret so that she and Abe would not lose Isaac.

Stefano ordered Rolf and Bart to rig explosives at the East side lab to foil Glen and Barb's search into Isaac's paternity. Rolf decided to set additional bombs at a lab near Tuscany, the power plant and the Salem Bridge.

Many of Salem's residents dined at Tuscany that evening, including Bo, Hope, John, Marlena, Victor, Nicole, Phillip, Chloe, Nancy and Craig. Marlena and Hope got into a heated argument about JT's paternity. Lexie overheard the argument and realized that JT is not Bo's son. Suddenly, an explosion ripped through Tuscany and injured Lexie. In mercenary mode, John rescued Lexie and took her to the hospital. Nancy Wesley overheard Lexie having a nightmare about the baby switch and became suspicious. Stefano threatened Nancy into keeping silent and she agreed. She even kept her suspicions and Stefano's threat a secret from her husband Craig to avoid Stefano's wrath.

Because of the power plant explosion, Belle and Shawn were trapped in the elevator to Marlena and John's penthouse. This caused Belle to suffer an anxiety attack because of her claustrophobia. Brady fell on top of the elevator trying to rescue Shawn and Belle. John rescued Brady and released Shawn and Belle from the elevator.

Jennifer baby sat JT that night and drove him home, with JT in Isaac's baby capsule. Jennifer drove along the Salem bridge, just as it exploded, placing the two in great danger. Jack managed to rescue Jennifer from the car, but JT's baby capsule fell into the river. Glen and Barb spotted the baby capsule with Isaac's name on it and assumed they had found Isaac. Glen and Barb decided to kidnap him, mistaking JT for Isaac. Phillip and Chloe spent some time alone near the river, where they carved their initials on a tree. Chloe had spotted a couple taking the baby, but did not recognize him as JT. Glen took a DNA sample from 'Isaac' and sent it to a remote lab for testing. Jennifer became hysterical over JT's disappearance and Jack tried to get through to her, telling her that the accident was not her fault. Hope on the other hand attacked Jennifer and told her that she wished she had never returned to Salem. When Chloe found out about JT's disappearance, she flashed back to the couple taking the baby from the river and immediately told Bo and Hope what she saw. Bo figured out that Glen and Barb had kidnapped JT and mistaken him for Isaac. After seeing a news report on JT's disappearance, Glen and Barb realized that they took JT, having mistaken him for Isaac. Bo, Hope and Shawn were relieved when Glen and Barb returned JT safely to them. Hope gave Jennifer a humble apology for her behavior and the two resumed their close friendship. Hope also decided to mend fences with Marlena after the fight they had at Tuscany. Although Lexie recovered from her injuries, she continued to keep her knowledge of the baby switch a secret from everybody, even her husband Abe.

Glen and Barb demanded DNA testing for Isaac but Lexie had no concerns, since she knew very well that Glen is not Isaac's father. Meanwhile, the test that was done out of town on JT when he was kidnapped by Glen and Barb had arrived on the Reibers' doorstep. Barb was shocked when she learned that Glen is really JT's father and figures out the truth behind the baby switch. Because Barb wanted her and Glen to concentrate on having a baby of her own, she decided to throw out the test results and keep Glen in the dark.

Dr. Rolf/Steiner and Stefano continued with their plan to transform Hattie into Marlena. Hattie's began to have a nightmare about the body she found in the foyer of the DiMera mansion. In her dream, she was dancing with Rolf and all of a sudden, he morphed into the dead corpse that she saw. Hattie's conscience prevailed and she informed Roman about the body. Hattie's confession finally gave the Salem PD a reason to lock up Stefano DiMera for good.

Knowing that he was in trouble with the law, Stefano tried to convince Lexie to leave town with him and she agreed, but regretted having to leave Abe behind. The Salem PD surrounded the DiMera mansion and Stefano held Lexie hostage. Stefano and John had a face-off in one of the secret passageways in the DiMera mansion. Lexie overheard their argument and realized that John was the father of Hope's baby. After a heated struggle, Stefano fled from the DiMera mansion and skipped town. Lexie, Rolf and Bart were left to take over the reins of the DiMera empire in Salem.

Lexie demanded that she and Abe move into the DiMera mansion together, although Abe was against the idea. Lexie took delight in taking over the DiMera mansion, ordering the household staff around and even playing with Stefano's chess board! Bart addressed Lexie as Ms. DiMera and she replied, "It's Mrs. Carver you idiot!!" Bart felt right at home, since that is what Stefano often called him. Abe was disgusted by what he saw of Lexie's behavior and their marriage was heading for trouble. Tony Dimera returned a year later with ashes that were said to be that of Stefano's citing he had died out of town. Two years later, however, he claimed that he had killed Stefano so he could cure his own blood disorder.

Stefano's illness and The Brady/DiMera feud (2006-present)

In December 2006, however, John and Marlena found Stefano in an Italian hospital and confronted him, trying to learn why he had sent a young man named EJ to Salem. His face obscured within an oxygen tent, Stefano revealed that EJ is his son, Elvis, by Susan Banks.

In late February 2007, EJ relocated Stefano to a secret location in Salem, where he received a kidney transplant from John. He was then moved back to Italy. The burnt remains of Maison Blanche, Stefano's mansion located in Louisiana, was found, partially destroyed by a hurricane. Stefano's health was revealed to be rapidly declining, and that the DiMeras need the stem cells from Sami's unborn child in order to save his life.

As it would appear in an old letter written in Italian, the Brady/DiMera feud began when Stefano's father, Santo, had Colleen Brady taken away from him. This is a complete retcon of events, as the feud began when Roman Brady pursued Stefano for his criminal activities.

When Stefano returned in June 2007, he was quasi-kidnapped by EJ and Sami in an ambulance, and driven away from the DiMera Mansion for a time, as the two saw it as the only means in which they could speak to Stefano without interference from Tony, Bart, or Dr. Rolf. When Stefano came to, still groggy from whatever medication he's been on, he mistook Sami for Colleen, taking both Elvis and Sami by surprise. Stefano quickly came to his senses, and Sami and EJ's hopes of a cease-fire were quickly tarnished when Stefano cryptically told them that this was not possible until all the wrongs of the past had been righted. He told EJ and Sami that Grampa Shawn knew about all the wrongs and they should ask him about them. Tony's attorney was able to get the ambulance to turn around, and Stefano arrived home just as John and Lucas showed up, looking for Sami. Stefano and John had a conversation, in which Stefano reminded John that John was his favorite pawn. When asked by Stefano about Marlena, John told him that she was looking forward to a dance on his grave. He told Sami the only way to end the feud, between the two families, would be to marry EJ and raise the child as a DiMera.

It has recently been discovered that Stefano's daughter Lexie was alive but kept hidden in a tunnel that ran from Doug's place to the DiMera mansion along with a bomb hidden in a musicbox that exploded when Bo and Hope accidentally set it off. When questioned about it Stefano claimed he had nothing to do with it. He then chastised Tony for acting without his knowledge or consent, to which Tony responded by claiming he had to it to protect the family. Stefano was angry and told Tony to get his act together. Tony informed his father that he'd sacrificed his friends, his social standing and his entire life in Salem to carry out Stefano's wishes to exterminate the Bradys and told Stefano "If you don't finish the Bradys, I will." Stefano responded by calling a family meeting, which consisted of Tony, EJ and Celeste (who arrived in place of Lexie. She openly blamed the Dimera family for her daughter's imprisonment and refused to allow Stefano near her). Bart and Dr. Rolf, long-time servants of the Dimera family, were also present. Stefano placed a photo of Colleen Brady (an exact duplicate of her great-niece Sami) in public view and told the story of her love affair with his father Santo. He claims that Colleen was murdered by a member of her own family. He then informed his bickering sons that order needed to be restored in the family, and asked Tony and EJ to put their differences aside and embrace as brothers. The two reluctantly obey him. After telling Celeste to leave Stefano orders Tony to follow her and dismisses the family servants from the room so he can share yet another secret with his youngest son EJ. He pulls out an old picture of his father Santo. EJ looks like his grandfather, Santo DiMera.

In January 2008, Stefano was arrested for the kidnapping of John Black. While in jail, Marlena Evans injected him with a drug that induced an irreversible coma that still rendered him the ability to hear everything that happened around him. In August 2008, Stefano's state changed when he had a seizure leading Marlena, John, Tony and EJ to fear he could wake up at any moment. Stefano finally woke from his coma and vowed revenge on those who had betrayed him.

Grandchildren=

Theodore "Theo" Carver II (grandson, via Lexie)
Steven Hawk (grandson, via Benjy)
John "Johnny" DiMera (grandson, via E.J.)
Unnamed child (grandchild, via E.J.; currently expecting with Sami)
Unnamed child (grandchild, via E.J.; currently expecting with Nicole)

Stefano's "deaths"

This list includes times Stefano faked his death, was presumed dead, or was reported dead by others.

A stroke in 1983.
His car plunged into the icy waters of Salem's harbor during a police chase in 1984
Marlena shot him, and he fell from a catwalk as the building caught fire in 1985 (he also had a brain tumor)
In 1991, he was presumed to have died in another fire and cave collapse.
In 1994, his car erupted into a fireball after being shot at by John.
Also in 1994, he drowned near Maison Blanche.
In 1996, he died in a plane explosion.
Again, in 1996, he was blown up and buried under collapsing tunnel during confrontation with Rachel Blake. This was his last depicted "death" until 2007.
In 2002, Tony Dimera claimed that his uncle had died from injuries sustained from a car crash in Monte Carlo.
In 2004, when Marlena found a blackened, unrecognizable corpse, Andre claimed it was Stefano. Andre said he had killed Stefano by draining his blood so Andre could cure his own blood disease.
In 2007, his death was faked once again. Tony drugged him and put him in a coffin to help the Bradys lure André.