7 wild times Marlena Evans got dragged to hell and back on Days of Our Lives

Marlena Evans from Days of Our Lives might be the most tortured character across daily soaps due to her being the target of numerous dangerous situations.

Marlena Evans is one of the iconic Days of Our Lives characters portrayed by Deidre Hall. Over the years, she has been through many challenges that threatened her life on Days of Our Lives, such as being kidnapped multiple times, framed as a serial killer, surviving being poisoned, and whatnot. Her life in Salem City has not been easy.

Here are 7 such times when Marlena got into a dire situation in Days of Our Lives but still came back as the queen she is.

7) Falls from a window ledge - August 1986

Deidre Hall in Days of Our Lives | Image via Instagram: deidrehall_official

In 1986, Marlena again finds herself in a dire situation in Days of Our Lives when one of her patients tries to commit s*icide by jumping from a window.

In an attempt to save her patient, Marlena climbs out of the window, without caring that she is still wearing her heels, and tries to talk to the patient. However, she falls from the 30-story building but survives. She remains in a coma for a month before waking up and remarrying Roman.

6) Institutionalized by Samantha - late 1977

Mary Beth Evans with Deidre Deidre Hall in Days of Our Lives | Image via Instagram: dayspeacock

Marlena came to Salem in 1976 on Days of Our Lives and was introduced as Mickey Horton’s psychiatrist. She later fell in love with his assistant, Don Craig. With this began Marlena’s troublesome life in the city of Salem when her twin sister, Samantha, played by Diedre’s real-life twin sister Andrea Hall, grows jealous of her relationship with Don.

She then institutionalizes Marlena and disguises herself as Marlena. Even after trying to escape, Samantha does not let her leave until Don notices the difference between the two sisters in Days of Our Lives. With Laura Horton’s help, Don successfully saves Marlena, resulting in Samantha’s arrest.

5) Kidnapped several times - December 9, 1992

Kidnapping is a common trope in Days of Our Lives and other soap operas, which the characters commit when they are jealous or want to take revenge on someone. Marlena, being one of the most popular characters on Days of Our Lives, has been in a situation several times when she was kidnapped by someone else.

For instance, in the December 9, 1992 episode of Days of Our Lives, Marlena was kidnapped by Stella Lombard as she suspected the psychiatrist of having an affair with her husband. She is locked up in an abandoned house, from which she is rescued by John Black, resulting in a new budding romance.

4) Poisoned by Orpheus - September 13, 2022

Deidre Hall with Drake Hogestyn in Days of Our Lives | Image via Instagram: deidrehall_official

Orpheus has been one of John and Marlena Evans’ biggest enemies in Days of Our Lives and has been trying to harm the couple in any way possible.

In 2023 on Days of Our Lives, he even poisoned Marlena with Kate and Kayla, after which they were presumed to be dead and had gone to what they thought might be the afterlife, where we see Dr. Evans in a white suit and lip gloss, trying to figure out what happened to them. They are later revealed to be in cryogenic suspension in a secret location.

3) Survives a plane crash - Late 1986

Another crisis that Marlena survived was a plane crash in Days of Our Lives. In late 1986, a vengeful Orpheus comes to wreak havoc in Roma Brady’s life.

It is revealed that Roman used to work with Orpheus when he was working for the ISA and was responsible for Orpheus’s wife’s death. To take revenge on Roman, he kidnaps Marlena, which results in Roman killing him. However, he still couldn’t save Marlena, as she is believed to have died in a plane crash. Marlena Evans is later revealed to have survived the plane crash but fell into a coma.

2) Brainwashed by Andre DiMera - between 2003 and 2004

Drake Hogestyn with Deidre Hall in Days of Our Lives | Image via Instagram: deidrehall_official

One of the popular storylines from Days of Our Lives is of the Salem Stalker, in which our beloved character, Marlena, gets heavily involved again.

Several popular characters of Days of Our Lives became its victims, such as Abe Carver, Carolein Brady, Alice Horton, and even Roman Brady. Marlen is then arrested for killing many people in Salem City. Andre DiMera is revealed to be behind all this, as he was the one who brainwashed her into thinking that she was a serial killer. However, all of the victims of the Salem Stalker are then found on Melaswen Island.

1) Possessed by a demon, twice - November 1994- July 18, 1995/ December 2021- October 2022

It is not just the humans of Salem that have tried to harm Marlena Evans in Days of Our Lives, but also demons from hell that tried to hurt the already agonized and tormented character.

Marlena was first possessed by the devil in 1994 on Days of Our Lives due to Stefano drugging and hypnotizing her. She then brought mayhem into the lives of her friends, especially John, since he was a priest. Thanks to John being a priest, he later saves Marlena by drawing the devil away.

Later, in 2021, on Days of Our Lives, Marlena Evans had to go through all this again when the devil possessed her. As the devil comes back to reclaim her, it tortures her patient, Doug Williams, until she folds under pressure and allows it to reclaim her. Her possession is confirmed when the Days of Our Lives viewers encounter her glowing yellow eyes, just like the first time, while she hugs John.