Jessica Priest is a fictional character from the Spawn

Spawn (comics)

Spawn is a fictional comic book superhero who appears in a monthly comic book of the same name published by Image Comics. Created by writer/artist Todd McFarlane, Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1...

 universe

Fictional universe

A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....

. Specifically, Priest serves as a substitute in the Spawn

Spawn (film)

Spawn is a 1997 American superhero film loosely based on the comic book of the same name, by Todd McFarlane and published by Image Comics. Directed and co-written by Mark A.Z. Dippé , the film stars Michael Jai White in the leading role...

film of Chapel

Chapel (comics)

Chapel is a fictional comic book character in the Image Comics universe. He started out as a supervillain but later became a superhero...

, Al Simmons's killer in the comic book. Priest was played by Melinda Clarke

Melinda Clarke

Melinda Patrice Clarke is an American actress who has primarily worked in television. Clarke is best known for playing Faith Taylor on the daytime drama Days of our Lives, the manipulative and cunning Julie Cooper-Nichol on The O.C., and the professional dominatrix Lady Heather on CSI...

 in the film.

Publication history

The character of Chapel (originally from the comic book series Youngblood

Youngblood (comics)

Youngblood is a superhero team that starred in their self-titled comic book, created by writer/artist Rob Liefeld. The team made its debut as a backup feature in the 1987 one-shot Megaton: Explosion before later appearing in its own ongoing series in 1992 as the flagship publication for Image Comics...

) could not be used because the rights of the character were owned by Rob Liefeld

Rob Liefeld

Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....

. McFarlane created a new character to replace Chapel in the movie, and later had Priest retcon

Retcon

Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...

ned to be Spawn's killer in the comic as well. Some of her background is revealed in Curse of the Spawn

Curse of the Spawn

Curse of the Spawn is a spin-off of the popular Spawn comic book by Todd McFarlane. The book introduced other Hellspawns and characters in the "Spawniverse". It was published by Image Comics and has been collected into multiple graphic novels...

#12-14.

Fictional history

Jessica Priest doubles as an assassin for Spawn's nemesis Jason Wynn

Jason Wynn

Jason Wynn is a fictional character in the Todd McFarlane comic book series Spawn. Wynn is the director of the United States Security Group, an umbrella agency encompassing the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and National Security Council...

. Prior to shooting Simmons, she searches South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

 for a biogenetic weapon for her boss.

To date, her murder of Simmons has been of little consequence in the comic.