The Story Behind Laura's Long-Lost Brothers On General Hospital
No name is more synonymous with "General Hospital" than Laura Collins (Genie Francis). Francis has been the face of the ABC soap opera since her debut in 1977 and has been responsible for countless iconic moments over the years. Laura's wedding to Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) is still the highest-rated episode in daytime drama history, according to TV Insider. With Laura at the helm of Port Charles as mayor, the series recently walked away with many Daytime Emmy Awards, including outstanding daytime drama series (via Variety).
In her 45 years on "General Hospital," Laura has been through it. From being in a catatonic state to experiencing multiple epic love stories, there's not much she hasn't done. However, a significant curveball came her way in 2020 with the reveal of not one but two new family members. In a total blindside, Laura learned she had two brothers due to her father's sexual escapades (via Soaps In Depth).
Unfortunately for Laura, the two men she shared blood with were the town pariahs, and she was in for the rockiest ride of her life.
Laura's half-brother Martin was the lesser of two evils
When she learned of her new siblings, Laura Collins didn't receive any prizes in the brother department. Both men were hated by many in Port Charles, so naturally, she was trepidatious. However, one of the two men she shared DNA with was far less evil than the other. The first of Laura's two new siblings was the prominent attorney Martin Grey (Michael E. Knight). Morals are not his strong suit, but he doesn't commit the heinous type of crimes as their other sibling. Laura was far more willing to develop a relationship with him thanks to his fairly crime-free status (via Soaps In Depth).
The truth about Laura's new siblings came to light after their ethically bankrupt brother Cyrus Renault (Jeff Kober) revealed it. Not only were they siblings, but Cyrus was responsible for the horrible death of their father. Their father perished after he mowed him down with his car, but Cyrus insisted it was an accident. Martin and Laura find it challenging to believe, considering their brother's affinity for crime and other wrongdoings (via Soap Central).
Martin landed in the middle of the war between Laura and Cyrus, but his primary goal was protecting his frail mother. Nobody wanted Cyrus near her because of his dangerous path, but it was a delicate tightrope. Still, the relationship between Laura and Martin remained on decent terms. The two fled town to avoid a mystery assassin, but Cyrus was still a thorn in the side of the beloved mayor.
Cyrus and Laura went to war before he was sent to prison
Family might be too strong of a word to describe Laura Collins and Cyrus Renault. They're technically blood, but bloodthirsty is a better way to express Cyrus' feelings. As silly as it might sound, his entire Port Charles criminal enterprise centered on getting his sister's attention. Every move, including the hostile takeover of General Hospital, was a calculated effort to ruin her. Cyrus went to extraordinary lengths to get her attention, including blowing up The Floating Rib. However, Cyrus wasn't banking on his niece, Lulu Falconeri (Emme Rylan), being in the bar during the explosion (via Soaps In Depth).
The blast at The Floating Rib caused Lulu to suffer severe enough injuries that she's been in a coma ever since. The attack on her daughter didn't win Cyrus any favor with Laura. The issues between Cyrus and Laura dramatically escalated during a hostage crisis involving Portia Robinson (Brook Kerr) and her daughter Trina (Sydney Mikayla). Laura offered herself as a suitable replacement to save the two women, to which Cyrus agreed. By that point, Cyrus' injuries were getting the better of him. During a shootout with mob enforcer Jason Morgan (Steve Burton), he suffered a gunshot wound earlier that evening. Luckily for Laura, before any harm could come to her, he was shot by authorities and apprehended (via Soaps.com).
Since it's a soap opera and nobody stays happy for too long, Cyrus going to prison wouldn't stop him from coming after Laura and Martin Grey, and he was only beginning his crusade to ruin them.
Laura almost lost her position as mayor because of Cyrus
"General Hospital" recently celebrated the historic run of Genie Francis as Laura Collins with an episode centered around her character. For one day only, the entire storyline revolved around Laura and someone's secret vendetta against her. Laura's loved ones rallied around her as a mysterious force known only as "Friends of Port Charles" tried to have her removed as mayor. After some expert sleuthing, Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) and Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) uncovered that Cyrus Renault orchestrated everything from behind bars (via Soaps.com).
Laura visited Cyrus in prison to confront him about writing the letter calling for her removal. During the visit, Laura "forgave" Cyrus, leaving to celebrate with her family and friends. It's currently unknown what the future holds for Cyrus, Laura, and Martin Grey, but given their history, anything could happen. Laura's discovery of these long-lost brothers led to a lot of heartbreak, but she and Martin still show signs of possibly developing a real relationship. However, it's unlikely that she and Cyrus will ever have such luck (via Soap Central).