Alexis Stokes came from an unusual family. Her stepfather Timothy Stokes was a dabbler in science, satanism and liquor; her aunt Hannah fancied herself an expert on the occult. Growing up on such a household couldn't have been easy under the best of circumstances, but it must have been worse for the unloved child. For it was her twin sister Angelique, seemingly the perfect one, who was doted on by the rest of the family, while Alexis was neglected and ignored. She tried to imitate her twin, but wasn't very good at it. Instead she ended up with a low self-esteem, a hatred of the occult, and a deep estrangement from her family. Though she couldn't help but admire her sister as everyone else did, Alexis took the first opportunity to get away from Collinsport. She spent the next several years travelling around the world, pursuing a successful career in sculpture.
In 1968, Alexis settled in Florence. Unfortunately, advising her family of her location was not a top priority, so she never received word of Angelique's death the folowing year. Still, for reasons she was unable to explain, she returned to Collinsport in 1970. (Considering how handy her presence would be, perhaps a psychic call from Angelique or her stepfather was the reason.) Hopping a ride with some friends who were sailing their private yacht from Genoa to New York, she soon arrived in her hometown and quickly discovered her sister's fate. Going to Collinwood to offer condolences, she never expected the strong reactions she would get. Everyone there had either obsessed with or terrified of Angelique, and the appearance of her duplicate threw the household into an uproar. Angelique's widower, Quentin, though startled, welcomed her with open arms. His new wife Maggie felt quite differently. Already insecure, Alexis' resemblence to her husband's dead wife drove her out of the house. Housekeeper Julia Hoffman even tried to trick her into revealing she was Angelique. Young Amy Collins was so scared of her she couldn't sleep. Upset by these reactions, Alexis prepared to leave Collinwood, only Quentin's insistance that she meet her nephew Daniel convinced her to stay.
Worst of all, Alexis had to put up with the obsessed composer Bruno Hess. So intent was he on proving that she was Angelique, she had to fend him off with a pair of scissors. She even discovered Bruno trying to open Angelique's grave. His pleas that he loved her were spurned as she furiously told him she was not Angelique.
Alexis was forced to explain herself again when Roger Collins returned to Collinwood. Luckily, Quentin had already explained to his sister Elizabeth Stoddard before they met, for Alexis would need her strength for what was to come. Learning that to help the traumatized Sabrina Stuart, the family was going to recreate the seance where Angelique died, Alexis agreed to sit in for her sister. When Sabrina was possessed and revealed that Angelique was murdered, the shock made Alexis faint. But in spite of Quentin's insistance that she died of a stroke, Alexis determined to find her sister's murderer.
But her problems of mistaken identity are far from over. Daniel was convinced she was his mother, and though she refused to see her stepfather (she hadn't spoken to him in years, and prefered to keep it that way), she did receive an unwelcome visit from her aunt Hannah. But even her relation couldn't be sure she wasn't Angelique, and Alexis ordered her to leave. Bruno also hadn't given up, and Alexis was almost strangled in his attempt to prove his lover had returned to him. Discovering even Quentin had his doubts about her, Alexis realized that there was only one way to prove the truth. Together with Quentin and Cyrus Longworth, Alexis helped to open Angelique's coffin, and was shocked to discover Angelique's body was perfectly preserved. Now convinced that Alexis was indeed who she said she was, Quentin apologized. They returned to Collinwood, planning to cremate Angelique the next day.
It was her compassion for her sister that led her back to the mausoleum that night. Alexis went alone to say her final goodbye to Angelique. Little did she know that her father's weird experiment to bring his favorite daughter back to life would succeed that very evening. Alexis was scared stiff when her "dead" sister opened her eyes and spoke. Unbelieving, Alexis insisted she was dead. But come back she had, desperately in need of life energy to sustain her. Unfortunately, Alexis was handy, and she became Angelique's first victim, having the life drained out of her. Angelique then took Alexis' place, and put her body in the coffin. The next day, Quentin burned the coffin as planned, and poor innocent Alexis went up in smoke.
