Rachel Blake first appeared as the fabled Woman in White that haunted Aremid. Rachel lived in the Blake House and felt threatened when Peter Blake returned to Aremid with his bride to be, Jennifer Deveraux. Rachel thought that Peter was her late husband and she attempted to kill Jennifer twice. The first time she shut a flue in the fireplace after Jen made a fire and fell asleep. The second time she choked Jen at the Blake house. When Jennifer fell down a hole and ended up missing, Rachel dragged her to safety within the underground caves and attempted to take care of her. Jen was frightened of her, but Rachel apologized fro trying to harm her earlier. Eventually, Peter and Jack rescued her. When John Black came to Aremid, Rachel recognized him.

John was soon framed for the murder of Tony DiMera, but Rachel saw what really happened and she took Tony's journal. Unfortunately, Stefano DiMera found Rachel's hiding place in the Blake house and stole back the diary. Rachel wanted to help John, so she made herself known to Marlena. Rachel told Marlena that Stefano was evil once again and was hiding Tony's diary, which would prove John's innocence. John is sentenced to die and on the night of John's, Stefano dined with Marlena Brady at the Blake House. Marlena managed to get Tony's diary and give it to the Woman in White. The Woman in White dropped it on the way to the courthouse, but Jack Deveraux found it and got it there in time to save John from the gas chamber. Kristen manages to convince the Woman in White, who had remembered her past but kept it to herself, to return to Salem with her and live in the DiMera Mansion. Marlena put John under hypnosis because he believed he knew who the Woman in White was. Under hypnosis, John told everyone that she was Rachel Blake, Kristen and Peter's mother. Rachel was being pursued by Stefano DiMera and Rachel called John, who was a young priest, over to her house to talk about Stefano. Stefano eventually planted a bomb in Rachel's husband's car, but Rachel was also in the car when the bomb went off. Rachel lived, but was badly scarred.

Stefano believed that Rachel was dead and he kidnapped and brainwashed John because John knew that Stefano killed the Blakes. The Woman denied this claim at first, but later admits that it is true. Rachel was reunited with her children. However, Rachel knows the evils they have both done in the name of love and urges them to tell the truth. John went under the drug a second time and this time Kristen asked John, while everyone else was out of the room, if he loved Kristen or Marlena more. John answered Marlena, which infuriated her. Stefano returned to town and Kristen agreed to help him kidnap Marlena. Marlena and Rachel were to fly to San Francisco so that Rachel could have her face reconstructed. Kristen gave Stefano the plane they were to take and he attempted to hi-jack the plane, but was forced to flee when the police learned that Stefano was in Salem from Hope's case. Rachel learned what Kristen had done and was appalled that she was going to allow Stefano to kidnap her. Kristen told her mom that Stefano was supposed to release her and only take Marlena.

Marlena and Rachel made plans for another trip and Marlena gave Kristen a list she was to obey. Kristen was not to sleep with John and she was not to wear his engagement ring. Stefano arranged for himself to be captured, so it appeared that Marlena and Rachel were safe to fly to San Francisco. After their plane took off, John learned that the man they captured was wearing a latex mask. Upon searching the DiMera Mansion they found Rachel Blake bound and gagged. Stefano, disguised as Rachel, had snuck onboard the plane with Marlena. Stefano faked a plane crash which convinced Salem that Marlena and Stefano had both died. Celeste gave John the location of some of Stefano's warehouses and in one he found a game entitled Queen of the Night as well as a set of strange goggles. John brought the game home, but left the goggles at the warehouse. Upon wearing the goggles, John saw Marlena being held prisoner in a cage. John was positive that Marlena was alive and he believed the game told where she was being held. Rachel felt that she may know where Stefano took Marlena, so she has Laura put her under hypnosis. While under, Rachel revealed that Peter was involved with Jude St. Clair. Laura confronted Peter about this, but she decided to keep it to herself in order not to hurt Jen. Eventually, Rachel Blake learned that the game took place in Paris and she suggested to John that he take Kristen to Paris on a vacation.

John read a newspaper about a Paris street carnival and recognized the outfits as one that Marlena was wearing when he used the goggles. Positive that Marlena was in Paris, John flew there. Kristen and Rachel followed when Stefano sent them a forged fax from John asking them to come to Paris. John was kidnapped by Stefano and taken down to the Paris Underground with Marlena. Kristen decided to find the Paris Underground to try to save John and her mother, Rachel, insisted on going. An explosion in the underground buried Kristen and Rachel, but Abe and Lexie managed to save them. They all searched for John and Lexie. When the found him, John had a gun and was holding it on Stefano. Marlena was hurt during the explosion and John gave his gun to Rachel to hold on Stefano so he could carry Marlena. Stefano managed to escape and Rachel followed him. Rachel and Stefano ended up near a gas tank. Rachel, knowing the consequences, shot at Stefano. The tank exploded and Stefano and Rachel were presumed dead.