The 2004 movie Van Helsing had all the Universal monsters together being pursued by a monster hunter played by Hugh Jackman. The movie was a moderate success, panned by critics, but was a big influence on young Emily Zarka, who grew up to be an expert on monsters. She tells us about the real monster hunters from history that date back to the beginnings of civilization. They were everywhere in the Middle Ages, or maybe they were just better documented then. More likely, death and disease sparked panic in populations that didn't understand what they were up against, and reached out for help with a rash of undead vampires. A few of these supernatural investigators were rather famous, and became the basis for one enshrined in Bram Stoker's Dracula, and the character type thereafter served as a handy hero for monster movies. Dr. Zarka explains how the historical monster hunters inspired fictional heroes like Van Helsing.