Nemesis (Wildstorm)
Encyclopedia
Nemesis is a fictional
comic book
character owned by DC Comics
/Wildstorm Comics. She is an immortal member of the Adrastea class from Khera
and a trained Coda
warrior.
. She was born a member of the Adrastea race of people on Khera who are gifted with psychic empathy. Much like the native Titantropes of Khera, the Adrastea people were originally bred to be slaves by the more prestigious Kheran races. Over time the Adrastea race became the largest crime syndicate
in Kheran society but still maintained the stigma of being the lowest class citizens until the arrival of Daemonite
refugees to the planet many years later.
Growing up on the streets, Charis became an expert thief. On one occasion she stold Majestros
' dagger. He later found her but was attacked by several Daemonites before he could take back his knife. Seeing the situation he was in, Charis joined the battle and defeated one of the Deamons. As a reward Charis was granted her fondest wish: to become a Coda warrior
. Adrastea members were forbidden to join the sisterhood but Majestros used his political connections to allow her in. Charis was appointed to Lady Zannah
of the Red Lament for training. The Coda were appalled at her very presence and they showed her no sympathy during her training. Because of this she was trained hard and became one of their best fighters.
During her training she became lovers with Majestros. When this was discovered the relationship was told to end and Majestros was chosen to mate with Zannah in order to produce an offspring. This caused bitter feelings between the three lovers.
During this time Charis had found a new lover, a Kherubim named Raven who was part of the Brotherhood of the Blade, an all male clan who saw the Coda as rivals. In 995 B.C. Raven betrayed Charis by murdering all 200 members of the Coda present on the Isle of Lesbos
and made it seem as if Charis was to blame. Charis stole one of a pair of indestructible swords held by Raven and went into hiding as she became a wanted murderer in the eyes of all Kherubim.
Throughout the centuries Charis dodged countless murder attempts by fellow kinsmen while trying to seek revenge against Raven and clear her name. Although Charis went by many names over the years, the label "Nemesis" given to her by the Coda after her perceived betrayal remained her constant title by all.
in the present during another run-in with Raven. Raven was using a female child to activate sleeper agents throughout the world. Nemesis rescued the girl from him but mistakenly made it look like kidnapping in the eyes of the Wildcats in the process. Once she explained the situation the Wildcats aided Nemesis in trying to stop Raven and the Brotherhood of the Blade. She eventually was able to stab Raven in the stomach, steal his second indestructible sword, and leave him drifting in space.
Nemesis rekindled her romance with Majestros shortly thereafter.
After some time the entity Void
contacted Nemesis to inform her of the on-coming cataclysmic World's End crossover event. Void transports Nemesis to a future where the majority of the Earth is destroyed by powerful metahumans. Returning to her own time Nemesis joins forces with Savant
and Backlash
(Jodi Slayton) in an attempt to stop that dark future from happening. This leads to the events of Armageddon
and Revelations
.
Nemesis appeared as a regular member of the newly established Wildcats
, aiding their efforts to rebuild the world. However, during a confrontation with Majestros, in which she skewered him, she and he fell into an active volcano. Despite her swords being retrieved and Majestros' optimism, her survival was in doubt. However, during the heat of battle later on, she appeared on the scene and rescued Majestros, who had been critically injured during the fighting, and took him to his old residence in Mt. Rushmore
to oversee his recovery.
During this time, Nemesis, in her decided quest to conceive Majestros' child, became pregnant. Shortly after discovering her condition, she left Majestros, seeking out the entity that saved her from death and considering it to be the best possible father to her child.
She also possesses the ability to sense the emotions of those around her, referred to as empathy (or Empath for classification), but falls more along the lines of clairsentience. This ability makes her difficult to approach with hostile intent, but also makes her susceptible to very powerful cases of emotions, like sorrow or anger, which can disrupt her concentration to the point of actually hurting her physically. This ability also has been shown to fuel her desire for vengeance, demonstrated when she touches a murder victim's body and channels their final feelings.
As a trained Coda
warrior, Nemesis is a highly skilled hand-to-hand fighter as well as an expert in a wide array of weapons. While she has been known to use firearms (usually handguns), her preferred and default weapons of choice are two indestructible swords made from shards of an ancient weapon called the Creation Engine. The blades can cut through virtually all known substances. Nemesis also wears a specialized body armor (referred to as her 'Stealth Suit') that emits various sized force fields.
:
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...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
character owned by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
/Wildstorm Comics. She is an immortal member of the Adrastea class from Khera
Kherubim
The Kherubim or Kherans are an alien race in the fictional Wildstorm Universe. They were created by Jim Lee and first appeared in WildC.A.Ts #1 .-Biology:...
and a trained Coda
Coda (Wildstorm)
The Coda is a group of fictional female warriors in Wildstorm comics. The Coda first appeared in WildC.A.T.S. volume 1 #1 and were created by Brandon Choi and Jim Lee.-Fictional background:...
warrior.
Life on Khera
Nemesis was named Charis on the planet KheraKherubim
The Kherubim or Kherans are an alien race in the fictional Wildstorm Universe. They were created by Jim Lee and first appeared in WildC.A.Ts #1 .-Biology:...
. She was born a member of the Adrastea race of people on Khera who are gifted with psychic empathy. Much like the native Titantropes of Khera, the Adrastea people were originally bred to be slaves by the more prestigious Kheran races. Over time the Adrastea race became the largest crime syndicate
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
in Kheran society but still maintained the stigma of being the lowest class citizens until the arrival of Daemonite
Daemonite
The Daemonites are a fictional alien race in the . They were created by Jim Lee and first appeared in WildC.A.T.s. #1 .-Biology:Daemonites are reptilian aliens from the planet Daemon, who are capable of possessing host bodies...
refugees to the planet many years later.
Growing up on the streets, Charis became an expert thief. On one occasion she stold Majestros
Mister Majestic
Mister Majestic is a fictional character, a Wildstorm Productions superhero created by H.K. Proger and Jim Lee. He first appears in a backup story within WildC.A.T.s #11. One of the most powerful heroes in the WildStorm universe, he bears a strong, deliberate resemblance to DC Comics's...
' dagger. He later found her but was attacked by several Daemonites before he could take back his knife. Seeing the situation he was in, Charis joined the battle and defeated one of the Deamons. As a reward Charis was granted her fondest wish: to become a Coda warrior
Coda (Wildstorm)
The Coda is a group of fictional female warriors in Wildstorm comics. The Coda first appeared in WildC.A.T.S. volume 1 #1 and were created by Brandon Choi and Jim Lee.-Fictional background:...
. Adrastea members were forbidden to join the sisterhood but Majestros used his political connections to allow her in. Charis was appointed to Lady Zannah
Zealot (Wildstorm)
Zealot is a comic book character from DC Comics/Wildstorm.Artist Mike Deodato loves the character of Zealot so much that when he took over as artist of the comic book Wonder Woman he used Zealot's physical appearance as a template for the then new character Artemis of...
of the Red Lament for training. The Coda were appalled at her very presence and they showed her no sympathy during her training. Because of this she was trained hard and became one of their best fighters.
During her training she became lovers with Majestros. When this was discovered the relationship was told to end and Majestros was chosen to mate with Zannah in order to produce an offspring. This caused bitter feelings between the three lovers.
Life on Earth
When the Kherubim/Daemonite war reached Earth, Charis was among the Coda warriors stranded there. She was assigned to infiltrate the Daemonite forces telling them that she's rejected the Kherubim and report back with her findings. When the Daemonites captured Zannah, now going by Zealot, they ordered Charis to kill Zealot in order to prove herself loyal. Zealot used her authority as a high ranking Coda member to order Charis to follow their orders and kill her. When Charis refused and battled the Daemonites she became an enemy of the Daemons as well as the Coda for not following the strict order of obedience.During this time Charis had found a new lover, a Kherubim named Raven who was part of the Brotherhood of the Blade, an all male clan who saw the Coda as rivals. In 995 B.C. Raven betrayed Charis by murdering all 200 members of the Coda present on the Isle of Lesbos
Lesbos Island
Lesbos is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It has an area of with 320 kilometres of coastline, making it the third largest Greek island. It is separated from Turkey by the narrow Mytilini Strait....
and made it seem as if Charis was to blame. Charis stole one of a pair of indestructible swords held by Raven and went into hiding as she became a wanted murderer in the eyes of all Kherubim.
Throughout the centuries Charis dodged countless murder attempts by fellow kinsmen while trying to seek revenge against Raven and clear her name. Although Charis went by many names over the years, the label "Nemesis" given to her by the Coda after her perceived betrayal remained her constant title by all.
The present
Nemesis eventually came in contact with the WildcatsWildcats (comics)
Wildcats, sometimes rendered WildCats or WildC.A.T.s, is a fictional superhero team created by the American comic book artist Jim Lee and writer Brandon Choi.-Publication history:...
in the present during another run-in with Raven. Raven was using a female child to activate sleeper agents throughout the world. Nemesis rescued the girl from him but mistakenly made it look like kidnapping in the eyes of the Wildcats in the process. Once she explained the situation the Wildcats aided Nemesis in trying to stop Raven and the Brotherhood of the Blade. She eventually was able to stab Raven in the stomach, steal his second indestructible sword, and leave him drifting in space.
Nemesis rekindled her romance with Majestros shortly thereafter.
After some time the entity Void
Void (comics)
Void is a fictional character in the Wildstorm Universe.-Fictional character biography:Adrianna was born in Arkhangelsk, Russia. Adrianna and her sister Svetlana were raised by their father after the death of their mother. Her father loved Adrianna and her ambition to become a cosmonaut and...
contacted Nemesis to inform her of the on-coming cataclysmic World's End crossover event. Void transports Nemesis to a future where the majority of the Earth is destroyed by powerful metahumans. Returning to her own time Nemesis joins forces with Savant
Savant (Wildstorm)
Savant is a comic book fictional character from DC Comics/Wildstorm.-Fictional character biography:Savant's real name is Kenesha. She is the daughter of Lord Majestros and Lady Zannah, better known as Zealot. However, Zannah, wanting to be a warrior, could not be a mother...
and Backlash
Jet (Wildstorm)
Backlash , formerly known as Crimson and Jet, is a fictional character of the Wildstorm universe. She first appeared in Backlash #9 and was created by Sean Ruffner and Brett Booth....
(Jodi Slayton) in an attempt to stop that dark future from happening. This leads to the events of Armageddon
Wildstorm: Armageddon
"Wildstorm: Armageddon" was a crossover event in the Wildstorm Universe, written by Christos Gage and drawn by various artists.Armageddon led into a number of bi-weekly series, Wildstorm: Revelations and Number of the Beast, which resulted in the relaunch of a number of Wildstorm titles.-Issues:The...
and Revelations
Wildstorm: Revelations
Wildstorm: Revelations is a comic book limited series, written by Scott Beatty and Christos Gage with art by Wes Craig.After "Wildcats: Armageddon", Nemesis recruits Savant and Backlash to help her try to stop the end of the world....
.
Nemesis appeared as a regular member of the newly established Wildcats
Wildcats (comics)
Wildcats, sometimes rendered WildCats or WildC.A.T.s, is a fictional superhero team created by the American comic book artist Jim Lee and writer Brandon Choi.-Publication history:...
, aiding their efforts to rebuild the world. However, during a confrontation with Majestros, in which she skewered him, she and he fell into an active volcano. Despite her swords being retrieved and Majestros' optimism, her survival was in doubt. However, during the heat of battle later on, she appeared on the scene and rescued Majestros, who had been critically injured during the fighting, and took him to his old residence in Mt. Rushmore
Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota, in the United States...
to oversee his recovery.
During this time, Nemesis, in her decided quest to conceive Majestros' child, became pregnant. Shortly after discovering her condition, she left Majestros, seeking out the entity that saved her from death and considering it to be the best possible father to her child.
Abilities
Due to her alien genetics Nemesis is near immortal, capable of living for thousands of years without aging and also possesses low-level super-strength.She also possesses the ability to sense the emotions of those around her, referred to as empathy (or Empath for classification), but falls more along the lines of clairsentience. This ability makes her difficult to approach with hostile intent, but also makes her susceptible to very powerful cases of emotions, like sorrow or anger, which can disrupt her concentration to the point of actually hurting her physically. This ability also has been shown to fuel her desire for vengeance, demonstrated when she touches a murder victim's body and channels their final feelings.
As a trained Coda
Coda (Wildstorm)
The Coda is a group of fictional female warriors in Wildstorm comics. The Coda first appeared in WildC.A.T.S. volume 1 #1 and were created by Brandon Choi and Jim Lee.-Fictional background:...
warrior, Nemesis is a highly skilled hand-to-hand fighter as well as an expert in a wide array of weapons. While she has been known to use firearms (usually handguns), her preferred and default weapons of choice are two indestructible swords made from shards of an ancient weapon called the Creation Engine. The blades can cut through virtually all known substances. Nemesis also wears a specialized body armor (referred to as her 'Stealth Suit') that emits various sized force fields.
Collections
Nemesis' stories have been collected in trade paperbacksTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- WildcatsWildcats (comics)Wildcats, sometimes rendered WildCats or WildC.A.T.s, is a fictional superhero team created by the American comic book artist Jim Lee and writer Brandon Choi.-Publication history:...
: Nemesis (by Robbie MorrisonRobbie MorrisonRobbie Morrison is a British comics writer most known for his work in 2000 AD and as the co-creator of popular character Nikolai Dante .-Biography:...
and Talent CaldwellTalent CaldwellTalent Caldwell is a comic book artist best known for his work on the Top Cow Productions character Fathom. He has also drawn for DC Comics' Superman and Marvel Comics' Spider-Man characters.-Biography:...
, 9-issue limited seriesLimited seriesA limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
, tpb, 208 pages, 2006, ISBN 1401211054)
- Wildstorm: ArmageddonWildstorm: Armageddon"Wildstorm: Armageddon" was a crossover event in the Wildstorm Universe, written by Christos Gage and drawn by various artists.Armageddon led into a number of bi-weekly series, Wildstorm: Revelations and Number of the Beast, which resulted in the relaunch of a number of Wildstorm titles.-Issues:The...
(by Christos GageChristos GageChristos N. "Chris" Gage is an American comic book writer and screenwriter.-Early life:Gage is the son of author and journalist Nicholas Gage. He was born in New York, and grew up in Athens, Greece, and then North Grafton, Massachusetts...
and Talent CaldwellTalent CaldwellTalent Caldwell is a comic book artist best known for his work on the Top Cow Productions character Fathom. He has also drawn for DC Comics' Superman and Marvel Comics' Spider-Man characters.-Biography:...
, 144 pages, April 2008, ISBN 1401217036)
- Wildstorm: RevelationsWildstorm: RevelationsWildstorm: Revelations is a comic book limited series, written by Scott Beatty and Christos Gage with art by Wes Craig.After "Wildcats: Armageddon", Nemesis recruits Savant and Backlash to help her try to stop the end of the world....
(by co-authors by Scott BeattyScott BeattyScott Beatty is an American author who has written comic books and encyclopaedias based on DC Comics characters.-Biography:Beatty has worked extensively for the popular comic book publisher DC Comics since the mid '90s...
and Christos GageChristos GageChristos N. "Chris" Gage is an American comic book writer and screenwriter.-Early life:Gage is the son of author and journalist Nicholas Gage. He was born in New York, and grew up in Athens, Greece, and then North Grafton, Massachusetts...
, with art by Wes Craig, 296 pages, July 2008, Titan BooksTitan BooksTitan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
, ISBN 1845769333, Wildstorm, ISBN 1401218679)