In 1982, Luke and Laura's idyllic life aboard their new yacht, The Haunted Star, came to an early end when the golden couple began to have marital difficulties fueled by Laura's constant trips to New York to fulfill her new job as "Miss Star Eyes." One day, after returning from New York, Laura went to the Port Charles docks. She felt another presence- was she being followed? Turning quickly, she saw a handsome man with haunting eyes staring at her through the mist. Upon his hand he wore a sapphire ring, and raised it slowly into the mist. Laura shrieked in dreaded fear as she sank to the ground. Luke was worried when Laura disappeared.

The disappearance of a second Laura, identified as Laura Templeton, shook the residents of Port Charles. When a third Laura, also blonde, was rushed to General Hospital with severe facial lacerations, folks couldn't help but wonder- is some nut out to attack women named Laura?

Robert, now police commissioner of Port Charles, joined Luke and Tiffany in searching for the missing Lauras. Laura Templeton's sister, Jackie, a sassy, auburn-haired investigative reporter clashed with Luke and through her research came to the conclusion that a man named "D. Grey" was involved in her sister's disappearance. Luke, Jackie, Robert and Tiffany drew closer as they renewed their solemn vow to locate their loved ones and bring them home safe and sound. Tiffany's romance with Dr. Noah Drake came to a halt with Bobbie's return.

The mysterious David Grey meanwhile planned on using an invention to steal valuable museum artifacts and replace them with three-dimensional holograms. Laura Templeton, the girlfriend of the hologram invention's creator, became Grey's pawn. He hypnotized her to control her words and actions. 

After Jackie's confession that her sister was a kleptomaniac, the gang hit the department stores and managed to catch a glimpse of Laura. Luke rescued Jackie from falling off a bridge while pursuing her sister. 

To keep them out of his way, Grey sent Luke and friends on various wild goose chases. Back on the Haunted Star a gala for Rick Weber's new Waterfront Sports Center was underway when an amnesiac Laura Templeton appeared. Grey had erased her memory. Though Jackie was thrilled, Luke began to fear his wife was dead after her pendant and raincoat were found. Luke and Robert learned that Grey was part of an ancient cult trying to overthrown  a faraway kingdom named Malkuth. The treasures of malkuth were needed to accomplish this but Luke managed to get the Sword of Malkuth.