Lilith (Marvel Comics)
Encyclopedia
Lilith is the name of two fictional
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...

 American comic book
American comic book
An American comic book is a small magazine originating in the United States and containing a narrative in the form of comics. Since 1975 the dimensions have standardized at 6 5/8" x 10 ¼" , down from 6 ¾" x 10 ¼" in the Silver Age, although larger formats appeared in the past...

 characters owned by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...

. Both characters exist in the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...

.

The first of these two to appear was Lilith, the daughter of Dracula
Dracula (Marvel Comics)
Dracula is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. He is based on the vampire Count Dracula from the novel of the same name by author Bram Stoker, and is also influenced by Universal Studios' version of the character.-Publication history:A...

. Like her father, she is also a vampire
Vampire (Marvel Comics)
Vampires are fictional characters found in the Marvel Universe.-History:They were created roughly 15,000 years ago when a small band of sorcerers from the legendary city of Atlantis discovered a book known as the Darkhold, an indestructible text filled with arcane lore and dark magic written...

, although her powers and weaknesses differ from most other vampires. She first appeared in Giant-Size Chillers featuring Curse of Dracula #1 (June, 1974) drawn by artist Gene Colan
Gene Colan
Eugene Jules "Gene" Colan was an American comic book artist best known for his work for Marvel Comics, where his signature titles include the superhero series, Daredevil, the cult-hit satiric series Howard the Duck, and The Tomb of Dracula, considered one of comics' classic horror series...

.

The second is a demon sorceress who is known as the "Mother of All Demons". She first appeared in Ghost Rider, Vol. 2, issue 28 (August, 1992).

Dracula's daughter

Publication history

Lilith, the daughter of Dracula, first appeared in Giant-Size Chillers featuring Curse of Dracula #1 (June 1974), and was created by Marv Wolfman
Marv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...

 and Gene Colan
Gene Colan
Eugene Jules "Gene" Colan was an American comic book artist best known for his work for Marvel Comics, where his signature titles include the superhero series, Daredevil, the cult-hit satiric series Howard the Duck, and The Tomb of Dracula, considered one of comics' classic horror series...

. Most of her solo appearances were written by Steve Gerber
Steve Gerber
Stephen Ross "Steve" Gerber was an American comic book writer best known as co-creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck....

, who would later use a supporting character he created for these stories, Martin Gold, in The Legion of Night.

The character subsequently appeared in Vampire Tales #6 (August 1974), The Tomb of Dracula vol. 1 #23 (August 1974), The Tomb of Dracula vol. 1 #25 (October 1974), #28 (January 1975), Dracula Lives #10-11 (January-March 1975), Marvel Preview
Marvel Preview
Marvel Preview was a magazine-sized black-and-white showcase comic book published by Curtis Magazines, an imprint of Marvel....

#12 (September 1977), The Tomb of Dracula vol. 1 #60 (September 1977), Marvel Preview #16 (June 1978), The Tomb of Dracula vol. 1 #66-67 (September-November 1978), The Tomb of Dracula vol. 2 #3 (February 1980), 5-6 (June, August 1980), Uncanny X-Men Annual #6 (1982), and her apparent "death" occurred in Dr. Strange vol. 2 #62 (December 1983). She made a posthumous appearance in Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #9 (November 1989).

Lilith returned years later in Ghost Rider vol. 3 #82-85 (February-May 1997), Spider-Man Unlimited vol. 2 #20 (May 1998), Dracula: Lord of the Undead #1-3 (December 1998), Witches #2 (August 2004), Nick Fury's Howling Commandos #2-6 (January-May 2006), and Legion of Monsters: Morbius #1 (September 2007).

Lilith received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications...

#18, and the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Horror 2005.

Fictional character biography

Lilith is Dracula's oldest child, and is his only child by his first wife, Zofia, who was forced on Dracula by his father. After Dracula's father died, he renounced Zofia and forced her and their infant daughter to leave Castle Dracula so that he could marry the woman he truly loved. Lilith was raised by Gypsies to whom she had been entrusted after her mother's suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...

. Lilith's foster-mother was the gypsy Gretchin. When Lilith was a young girl, Dracula, now a vampire, attacked and murdered Gretchin's son Arni, enraging her into seeking revenge. She cast a spell upon Lilith to make her into a vampire, but one with rather different powers: unlike conventional Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...

 vampires
Vampire (Marvel Comics)
Vampires are fictional characters found in the Marvel Universe.-History:They were created roughly 15,000 years ago when a small band of sorcerers from the legendary city of Atlantis discovered a book known as the Darkhold, an indestructible text filled with arcane lore and dark magic written...

, she did not fear holy symbols, and was not harmed at all by being out in the daylight. As part of the curse, she would haunt Dracula, ever opposing him, until Dracula was finally, irrevocably destroyed. Whenever she was "killed", she would reappear by taking over the body of a woman who hated her father and wished for his death; this included the ability to shift forms and clothing between Lilith's own form and that of her "hostess".

Lilith normally appeared, when in her own form, as a tall, beautiful woman with long black hair and a family resemblance to Dracula, dressed in a skin-tight costume with a bat-like ornament in her hair. As a vampire, she could change forms into a wolf, a bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...

, or mist
Mist
Mist is a phenomenon of small droplets suspended in air. It can occur as part of natural weather or volcanic activity, and is common in cold air above warmer water, in exhaled air in the cold, and in a steam room of a sauna. It can also be created artificially with aerosol canisters if the...

, and had limited control over weather, as well as the ability to command wolves, bats, and rats. Although she can drink blood, she is not dependent upon it for sustenance.

In the modern era, Lilith's spirit possessed a woman named Angel O'Hara, who had come to hate her father when he accidentally killed her husband. Lilith killed Angel's father, but allowed her to live her life when Lilith was not using their shared body. Angel was eventually physically separated from Lilith by Viktor Benzel, a distant descendant of Gretchin; Viktor created separate bodies for Angel and Lilith.

At one point, Lilith and Dracula agreed to avoid each other, but the agreement broke down. When Dracula was stripped of his vampiric powers toward the end of the 70-issue The Tomb of Dracula story-arc, he asked Lilith to bite him and restore him to vampirism, only to be refused. In an issue of The Tomb of Dracula magazine that soon followed, Lilith and Dracula fought once more, and Dracula revealed to Lilith that the curse that made her his eternal nemesis also prevented her from being able to actually kill him. Lilith was destroyed along with her father and the rest of Earth's vampires when Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....

 used the Darkhold
Darkhold
The Darkhold, also known as The Book of Sins, is a fictional book in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:The Darkhold was co-created by Gerry Conway and Mike Ploog. The Darkhold was first mentioned in Marvel Spotlight #3 but first shown in Marvel Spotlight #4...

's Montesi Formula to eliminate vampirism. The Montesi Formula eventually weakened, and both Lilith and her father returned to life. Lilith subsequently appeared as Dracula's antagonist in the three-issue Dracula: Lord of the Undead limited series in 1998 and agent of Nick Fury's Howling Commandos
Nick Fury's Howling Commandos
Nick Fury's Howling Commandos was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. Running six issues before its cancellation and cover-dated December 2005 to May 2006, the series featured a fictional team set in the Marvel Universe, consisting of supernatural characters employed as a unit...

 in 2005.

Mother of All Demons

The demon Lilith is an ancient demon goddess and sorceress. She gives birth to demons called the Lilin which have lives of their own, but always remain obedient to their mother.

Fictional character biography

She is an immortal having lived in the city of pre-cataclysmic Atlantis
Atlantis (Marvel Comics)
Atlantis is a fictional location in the Marvel Universe. It is based on the mythical island of Atlantis first mentioned in Plato's initial dialogue the Timaeus, written circa 360 BC. In the Marvel Universe, Atlantis was a small continent with many human settlements...

, one of its few survivors. Over the centuries, she gave birth to many of her children (the Lilin
Lilin
Lilin or lilim are demonic legendary creatures in Akkadian mythology and shedim in Jewish folklore.-Etymology:The following is disputed:* The masculine of lili is lilu...

), including Creed, Pilgrim, Fang, Doc, Meatmarket, Skinner, and Nakota. Trapped in the leviathan Tiamat
Tiamat
In Babylonian mythology, Tiamat is a chaos monster, a primordial goddess of the ocean, mating with Abzû to produce younger gods. It is suggested that there are two parts to the Tiamat mythos, the first in which Tiamat is 'creatrix', through a "Sacred marriage" between salt and fresh water,...

 by Atlantean sorcerers, she used her vast magics to influence outside affairs. While thus imprisoned, she encountered Dan Ketch
Ghost Rider (Daniel Ketch)
Ghost Rider is a comic book character, a supernatural superhero in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. He is the third Marvel character to use the name Ghost Rider, following the Western hero later known as the Phantom Rider, and Johnny Blaze, the first supernatural Ghost Rider.-Publication...

's spirit, and then appeared in a vision to Blackout.

She was finally released from her ancient imprisonment by two unknowing scientist explorers. Discovering that her Lilin children had been scattered across the dimensions centuries ago and that many of them were destroyed by Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider (Daniel Ketch)
Ghost Rider is a comic book character, a supernatural superhero in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. He is the third Marvel character to use the name Ghost Rider, following the Western hero later known as the Phantom Rider, and Johnny Blaze, the first supernatural Ghost Rider.-Publication...

 and Johnny Blaze
Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze)
Ghost Rider is a fictional character, an antihero in the Marvel Comics Universe. He is the second Marvel character to use the name Ghost Rider, following the Western hero later known as the Phantom Rider, and preceding Daniel Ketch.Johnny Blaze was portrayed both in the 2007 film Ghost Rider and...

, she soon made enemies of them. She recruited the Lilin and Blackout, and sent Blackout, Creed, and Pilgrim to abduct John Blaze's son, Craig Blaze. She sent the Lilin Fang to attack Morbius. She witnessed Ghost Rider and John Blaze's battle with Steel Vengeance
Steel Vengeance
Steel Vengeance was a female cyborg in the Marvel Comics Ghost Rider series. She was the sister of Steel Wind who enlisted the soulless Centurious, an enemy of Ghost Rider, and his agent Reverend Styge to rehabilitate her...

. Alongside the Lilin, she abducted Doris Ketch, Jack D'Auria, and Arthur and Stacy Dolan. She transformed the Darkhold
Darkhold
The Darkhold, also known as The Book of Sins, is a fictional book in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:The Darkhold was co-created by Gerry Conway and Mike Ploog. The Darkhold was first mentioned in Marvel Spotlight #3 but first shown in Marvel Spotlight #4...

ers' ninjas and sent them to kill Victoria Montesi. Alongside the Lilin, she battled Ghost Rider, John Blaze, and the Darkhold Redeemers. She then sent the Lilin Skinner to attack Ghost Rider and John Blaze. She then hired the Nightstalkers
Nightstalkers (comics)
The Nightstalkers is a fictional trio of preexisting characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. A team of occult experts, they reluctantly banded together to fight supernatural threats....

 to kill Ghost Rider and John Blaze. Alongside the Lilin, she again battled Ghost Rider, John Blaze, Morbius, the Nightstalkers, and the Darkhold Redeemers.

After many attempts to kill the two, her enemies list grew to include Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....

, Morbius the Living Vampire, the Witches
Witches (Marvel Comics)
Witches is a supernatural comic book limited series that was published by Marvel Comics in 2004. Plotted by Bronwyn Carlton, with scripts by Brian Walsh, it featured art by Mike Deodato and Will Conrad.-Publication history:...

, the Nightstalkers
Nightstalkers (comics)
The Nightstalkers is a fictional trio of preexisting characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. A team of occult experts, they reluctantly banded together to fight supernatural threats....

 and the Midnight Sons
Midnight Sons
The Midnight Sons is fictional team of supernatural superheroes in the Marvel Comics Universe. The team first appears in Ghost Rider The Midnight Sons is fictional team of supernatural superheroes in the Marvel Comics Universe. The team first appears in Ghost Rider The Midnight Sons is fictional...

 just to name a few. In her first attempt she and most of her children were killed. Many months later her children were reborn with the assistance of Meatmarket, a child Lilith did not expect would help her. This time they are allied with Centurious
Centurious
Centurious is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.Centurious was a servant of Mephisto and an enemy of Zarathos. In combating Zarathos, he became a regular foe of the first Ghost Rider.-Fictional character biography:...

, the man without a soul. Their goal was to claim the mystical artifact called the Medallion of Power, and kill its inheritors, John Blaze, Daniel Ketch, and Vengeance
Vengeance (comics)
Vengeance is a fictional American comic book character owned by Marvel Comics. He was initially introduced as an antagonist for the Ghost Rider. Lt. Michael Badilino was the first known person to be host, now the entity is attached to Deputy Kowalski. Since his debut he has taken on the role of...

. Lilith and her offspring betrayed Centurious and allied with his most hated enemy, Zarathos
Zarathos
Zarathos is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics series Ghost Rider. He is a demonic being who tortures and devours souls. He first appears in Marvel Spotlight #5 .-Fictional character biography:...

. However the Midnight Sons banished Lilith and her offspring to the shadowside. Zarathos was later turned into stone and killed. Lilith returned to the stoned Zarathos saying she abandoned her old offspring and replaced it with his offspring, promising vengeance for the both of them.

Lilith was one of several demonic beings imprisoned within Avalon at the start of the Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....

, but was then freed by Pete Wisdom during Captain Britain and MI3's battle with the Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....

s. Lilith subsequently joins Satannish
Satannish
Satannish is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Satannish is a very powerful extra-dimensional demon who has clashed with Doctor Strange. Satannish is known for granting mortals mystical power in exchange for their souls...

 and the other freed creatures in killing the invading Skrulls, after hearing them state that any magical creatures that do not serve the Skrulls will not be tolerated. She later joins Dracula's inner circle as he plans to invade the United Kingdom.

Powers and abilities

Lilith's powers include superhuman strength, durability, and stamina. She has a vast ability to manipulate the forces of magic for a variety of effects, including energy manifestations and others as yet unrevealed. Additionally she is able to summon her demon children to Earth's dimension and the more demons she "births" the more her physical strength increases.

Video games

  • Lilith is mentioned in the video game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
    Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
    Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox...

    when the player asks Vision
    Vision (Marvel Comics)
    The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...

     about who resides in Mephisto
    Mephisto (comics)
    Mephisto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Silver Surfer #3 and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema, loosely modeled on Mephistopheles - a character from the Faust legend.Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books,...

    's Realm.
  • Lilith is a Boss in the Ghost Rider
    Ghost Rider (video game)
    Ghost Rider is a third-person game based around the movie of the same name. The game's storyline is a sequel to the movie, and was penned by Marvel writers Garth Ennis and Jimmy Palmiotti. Players can play as Ghost Rider both on foot, or on the Hellcycle. The villains are both from the movie and...

    video game voiced by Carolyn Hennesy
    Carolyn Hennesy
    Carolyn Hennesy is an American actress and writer, who stars in the soap opera General Hospital and the sitcom Cougar Town....

    . In the game, she controls a train and uses it to haul Blackheart's body.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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