Satana (Marvel Comics)

Infobox comics character


imagesize=215
converted=y
caption=Satana (left) with Ghost Rider (right). Art by Ivan Reis
real_name=Satana Hellstrom
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="Vampire Tales" (1st series) #2 (October, 1973)
creators=Roy Thomas
John Romita, Sr.
alliances=Nick Fury's Howling Commandos Witches
aliases=
powers=-Magic
-Fire manipulation
-Ability to absorb souls
-Gains strength by touching weapons that killed people
cat = super
subcat = Marvel Comics
hero = y
villain =
sortkey = Satana

Satana is a fictional character, a comic book half-demon appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the sister of Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan.

Satana first appeared in "Vampire Tales" #2 in October, 1973. She was created by Roy Thomas and John Romita.

Fictional character biography

Satana and Daimon were born in the fictional town of Greentown, Massachusetts. They are the half-human children of a demon who claimed to be the Biblical Satan (his true name would later be revealed as Marduk Kurios). Satana and her brother were groomed by their father to be evil, but Daimon rejected these teachings, while Satana embraced them.

When Satana was still a child, her mother, Victoria Wingate, discovered her husband and children's true nature and was driven mad. Daimon was raised by servants, while Satana was taken to her father's particular Hell-dimension (of which there are many in the Marvel Universe) and taught black magic. As a reward for her devotion to him, Satana's father gave her a familiar named Exiter, with whom she formed a close bond. Satana began studying magic under her father and the demon Dansker. In Hell, her soul was bonded with an evil spirit called the Basilisk (not to be confused with the Basilisk) in order to increase her magical power.

As an adult, Satana was banished to Earth by The Four as a succubus, draining the souls of men. When she does this, the victim's soul transforms into an ethereal butterfly, similar to Psylocke's telepathy effect; Satana then consumes its essence by eating it. She also possesses the ability to gain strength through the use of weapons that were used to kill a living being. In order to do this, she merely places a portion of her own blood on the chosen weapon. She used both her magic and sexual wiles to get the victims she needed, and occasionally came into conflict with her brother and other supernatural heroes like Doctor Strange.

During Satana's first time in the mortal dimension, she was attacked by Monsignor Jimmy Cruz and his band of soldiers. During this battle, Cruz summoned demons called The N'Garai. Exiter tried to fend them off but was killed trying to protect his mistress. Though she was too late to save her beloved Exiter, Satana gained her revenge by killing Cruz and consuming his soul.

Eventually, however, the Demon she had been bonded to began to desire its freedom. The Basilisk managed to put a curse on Dr. Strange, basically turning him into a werewolf. With the help of Spider-Man, Satana was able to free Strange's soul from the curse, but the Basilisk was released in the process, and stabbed her in the back with a sword. Satana died laughing, however, because their life-forces were still bound together. By killing her, the Basilisk had sealed its own fate as well. ["Marvel Team-Up" #81]

As a supernatural being, however, Satana's death was not permanent. Her spirit returned to her father's realm of Hell for a time, until she and a cabal of demons arranged to have her soul (among others) placed into a soulless body on Earth. There she began to build her powers again, preparing to return to Hell and conquer her father's realm.

At some point she apparently died again. In the short lived Marvel series "Witches", Satana is resurrected again by Doctor Strange and teamed with two other magic-wielding females to defeat a powerful mystic enemy called the Hellphyr, which was a front for her father Marduk Kurios. According to that series, the three witches formed a coven in order to protect the "Tome of Zhered-na" (a powerful Book of Shadows belonging to the Kale family) from would-be thieves such as Doctor Strange. After a brief cameo in "Nick Fury's Howling Commandos", Satana has been shown in the "Legion of Monsters: Satana" one-shot, to have reverted back to her former wicked ways; reaping souls in Manhattan and plotting her father's overthrow from the comfort of a desecrated church.

Powers and abilities

Satana is a half-demon/half-human hybrid, and a succubus; she has innate mystical abilities. She can feed on the souls of men to increase her abilities and magical power. She uses magic, allowing her to fly, fire blasts of eldritch force or hellfire, and hypnotize her victims. If she touches an object used to kill someone (like a knife or sword) she can absorb its "blood energy" to become stronger in proportion to the souls the weapon has taken. Satana also trained in the mystic arts and learned how to cast spells and perform witchcraft.

The Supernaturals

In a 4-part alternate reality mini-series, called "The Supernaturals", Satana is Melissa Ramos, a Catholic girl who is possessed by a demon. She is recruited by a magician named Brother Voodoo, along with alternate versions of Werewolf by Night, Black Cat, Ghost Rider, and Gargoyle to fight a mystical threat. This version of Satana has mystical control over fire, as well as the power to fly. Despite her demonic possession, she has a very pure soul, and was going to be offered as a sacrifice by a demon called the Jack'O' Lantern, until she was saved by Werewolf by Night.

Notes

*In "Tales to Astonish" #3, there is a character called Princess Satana.

Bibliography

*"Haunt of Horror" #2, 4-5
*"Hellstorm" #2, 7, 10 (resurrected), 12, 20-21
*"Marvel Premiere" #27
*"Marvel Preview" #7
*"Marvel Spotlight" vol. 1 #13, 24
*"Marvel Team-Up" vol. 1 #80-81 (death)
*"Nick Fury’s Howling Commandos: Director's Cut"
*"Nick Fury's Howling Commandos" #1, 6
*"Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: The Women of Marvel 2004"
*"Vampire Tales" #2-3
*"Witches" #1-4

References

External links

* [http://www.marvel.com/universe/Satana Satana Bio at Marvel.com]
* [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/satanahs.htm Satana Bio at the Marvel Appendix]
* [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/exiter.htm Exiter Bio at the Marvel Appendix]
* [http://www.denofgeek.com/misc/9013/to_hell_with_spandex.html To Hell With Spandex - retrospective at Den Of Geek]