7 times Luke Spencer was as controversial as he was loved in General Hospital

Luke Spencer was a character on General Hospital, played by Anthony Geary. The character was first introduced in 1979, and Geary played the role until 2015, when the character made an informal exit from the show.

Geary holds the record for the most number of Daytime Emmy wins for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Highly beloved and highly controversial, Luke Spencer is an iconic character in the soap opera’s history. From his famous pairing with Laura, to his ties with the mafia, here are seven times Luke’s character was controversial.

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Luke's relationship with Laura, his ties with the mafia, and other controversial moments of Luke Spencer in General Hospital

1) The r*pe of Laura

One of the most damning incidents in the life of the otherwise beloved character, Luke Spencer, was that of the r*pe he had committed upon Laura. In 1979, it is shown that Luke, after being manipulated by Bobbie, forces himself upon Laura Webber at the Campus Disco.

However, because the pairing of Luke and Laura was so popular and they were the first “supercouple” of their time, the storyline was later reinterpreted to involve seduction.

This plot is still a point of contention with many fans, even though their pairing was loved by millions. The fact that Laura fell in love with her potential r*pist is a regressive notion, but it was lapped up by fans, and throughout the soap opera’s history, many viewers forgot the incident because of how popular the pairing was.

The incident however, is one of the most infamous storylines in the history of General Hospital and is one of the most defining moments of Luke in the series. The show’s revisionist takes on the assault remains deeply controversial to this day, even though the couple’s wedding was one of the highest-watched episodes in 1981 and was watched by millions of fans.

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2) The Ice Princess saga

Just before the wedding of Luke and Laura, the creators of General Hospital decided to take the show into the realm of sci-fi and planned an over-the-top adventure for their beloved supercouple.

The whole incident is now famous by the term, the Ice Princess incident, and revolved around the head of the Quartermaine clan, Edward Q, and his cunning niece, Alexandria, who were on the hunt for a big uncut diamond, known as the Ice Princess.

However, Mikkos Cassidine is also on the hunt for the diamond for a secret formula for a secret weapon, which was hidden inside the jewel.

The incident portrayed Luke Spencer as a legendary and heroic soap opera hero who, along with his love, Laura, would stop Mikkos and the others from getting their hands on the priceless diamond and using it for nefarious means.

The whole incident was campy and bizarre, as Luke was hired by Alex and teamed up with Robert Scorpio to stop the evil men. Even though many viewers tuned in to watch it, it is now considered a flat and uncharacteristic storyline because of its over-the-top scenes with a luxury cruise and a hidden chamber with frozen bodies.

However, the storyline culminated in Luke and Laura’s wedding, which was one of the most viewed episodes in soap opera history. Fans might have loved the action, but the absurdity of the plot made it divisive and it was a controversial incident centering the character of Luke.

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3) His questionable mob ties

Luke Spencer had many faults, and he was not a perfect man. However, his popularity among the soap’s fans was so immense that even his not-so-appropriate actions were quickly forgotten.

However, the fact that the character’s roguish charm was so loved was also the reason why his dealing with the world of the mafia caused fans to discuss his moral ambiguity. Even though Luke was never a full-fledged and traditional mobster like Sonny Corinthos, he did have deep and close ties with the mob.

The character was deeply involved in the mob world of Port Charles and regularly found himself in shady dealings like drug trafficking and money laundering. The controversial aspect of these incidents is that Luke was seen as a hero by many viewers of the show, and there were even storylines where he was portrayed as the classic hero who could do no wrong.

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4) Luke and Tracy Quartermaine’s Marriage of Convenience

Another controversial plotline in the character arc of Luke Spencer in General Hospital was when he got involved with Tracy Quartermaine. Fans could not believe that their beloved pairing of Luke and Laura was being sidetracked and that Luke could cheat on Laura and fall for another woman.

The pairing was introduced to add more drama to the show as the two had a highly complex and toxic relationship, which was marked by periods of intense and passionate love and then periods of bitter conflict. Even though the plotline was a source of excitement for many, it was also frustrating for the Luke and Laura fans.

The relationship felt forced to the viewers as it was an on-again and off-again romance, which was fueled by manipulation and destructive behaviors. Apart from this toxic nature of the relationship, fans were also critical of Luke as he never fully committed to Tracy, which made his philandering ways even more frustrating to watch.

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5) His battle with alcoholism

Another characteristic of Luke Spencer in General Hospital was that he was a man who was controlled by his addictions. This tainted his character to a certain degree and made him controversial and open to criticism. Even though he loved his wife and kids and wanted to protect them, there were times when he often became inconsistent and harmful towards his sons, Lucky and Jake.

This temperamental nature was fueled by his addiction to alcohol, which blinded him. Luke’s drinking problem led to reckless behavior and damaged his relationships, most importantly, with his own kids. He, therefore, had strained relationships with his children, and viewers felt that this weakened his character.

Luke’s tendency to make rash decisions and end up getting into trouble and alienating his family was also seen as a weak spot in the otherwise charming and calculating character that Luke was. While Luke’s struggles with alcoholism added depth to his character and highlighted the issues of addiction, it went on for too long in the show and overshadowed Luke’s other strengths.

It was, therefore, dragged out a lot, which killed the subtlety and nuance that it was supposed to bring.

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6) The revelation that he killed his parents

Apart from the Luke and Laura wedding, another big revelation in the history of Luke Spencer’s character was the fact that he had accidently killed his mother while trying to protect her from their abusive father.

Further, when Luke's father, Tim Spencer, tried to mock his child for killing his mother, Luke killed his father with the same weapon he used to kill his mother. This revelation is brought to the fore by Luke’s sister who tells him that he blocked out this incident in his mind for many years.

This revelation is also the reason why Luke has struggled with alcoholism and has strained relationships with his loved ones. This dark rewrite of his past was added to provide a certain depth and complexity to the nature of Luke’s character, however, many fans remain divisive about this choice.

This big reveal was met with mixed reactions, and even though this plot was meant to cultivate sympathy for Luke’s character and become the reason why he is the way he is, viewers were still not fully convinced and could not imagine that their favorite hero would be a murderer.

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7) His off-screen death

Actor Anthony Geary, the actor who portrayed Luke Spencer’s character since 1979, when he was introduced in General Hospital, decided to finally bid goodbye to the show in 2015.

It was shown that Luke is rescued from a facility and he leaves Port Charles. This exit storyline was met with mixed reactions from ardent fans, who felt that it was all rushed and that their favorite character did not get a proper send-off.

The storyline was criticized for its lack of closure and the way it left many unanswered questions about Luke’s future. However, many fans also felt that it was a fitting end to his long journey on the show. However, in 2017, Luke made a brief appearance on the show. Finally, in 2022, it was revealed that Luke was killed off-screen in a cable car accident.

This news came as a sudden shock to fans, who were not prepared for the abrupt way in which their character would be killed off-screen. It was revealed that his ex-wife, Tracy Quartermaine, came to Port Charles and informed Laura about his death.

It was also hinted that Victor Cassadine had a strong role to play in Luke’s death. Many fans were outraged because they believed that such an iconic character deserved a more fitting send-off.