Lissa Russell

Lissa Russell Price is a supporting character featured in the Werewolf by Night family of comic book titles published by Marvel Comics. She was introduced in the pages of Marvel Spotlight #2 and also appeared in issues #3-4. She had a recurring role in Werewolf by Night, Volume 1 and made thirty appearances in the title.

Biography
Lissa Russell is the sister of Jack Russell, and lived in Los Angeles, California. When her brother Jack turned eighteen, Lissa knew that he was suffering from some private unspoken torment, but did not know what. She could not conceive that her brother had inherited a family curse - lycanthropy. Tragedy struck the following evening when her mother, Laura Russell was in a terrible car accident and died at the hospital soon after. (MSPOT: 2)

When Jack Russell and his newfound friend Buck Cowan stole the arcane grimoire known as the Darkhold from Miles Blackgar and his mutant daughter Marlene, Lissa found herself in a very uncomfortable position. Philip Russell made her telephone Jack so as to get Buck's street address so Miles and Marlene could retrieve the book. The Blackgars forced Lissa to drive them to 2394 Venice Boulevard, at which point, they bound Buck and back to back with one another while they dealt with Jack Russell. Lissa was unconscious when Jack transformed into the werewolf and defeated the Blackgars. (WBN: 1)

Over the course of the next several weeks, Lissa became very close to Jack's girlfriend, Terri. She found herself spending more time at Buck's place, particularly after her brother had left home and moved in with him. (WBN: 2)

Like her older brother, Lissa once suffered from a curse that transformed her into a werewolf. However, the effects were only temporary, and she has since returned to a normal lifestyle. (WBN: 28)

Powers
Currently, Lissa Russell does not possess any superhuman capabilities. For a brief period of time, when she turned eighteen, Lissa possessed all of the abilities bestowed by the curse of Lycanthropy including shape-shifting, claws, sharpened canines, enhanced speed, strength and heightened senses.

Former powers

 * Lycanthropy: is a metaphysical condition in which a human being develops the physical and mental characteristics of a wolf. Lycanthropy is usually caused through an act of mysticism, such as having a curse placed upon the individual, but may also be hereditary. Other origins may include scientific experimentation or mutation.
 * Enhanced senses
 * Enhanced hearing
 * Enhanced smell


 * Regeneration
 * Claws
 * Fangs
 * Physical prowess
 * Superhuman strength
 * Superhuman durability
 * Superhuman stamina
 * Superhuman agility

Former weaknesses

 * Diminished intellect: When a human becomes a werewolf, their dominant personality surrenders itself to the Beast. They operate at a severely diminished intellect and their actions and thoughts are governed by pure primal instinct. Mentally, they are in many ways, an animal. Like an animal however, a werewolf is conscious of it's surroundings, understands the need to hunt, feed and kill and can develop a rudimentary understanding of who is a friend and who is a foe. Despite this however, a werewolf can never be relied upon to make moral-based choices. Survival is it's primary goal.


 * Silver: Items made of silver is anathema to a werewolf. Classically, it is considered a "pure" metal and can be used to ward or harm various supernatural creatures, even vampires. Whereas a werewolf can withstand being shot with normal lead bullets, bullets made of silver are fatal. Stabbing or bludgeoning a werewolf with a mele weapon made of silver such as a silver dagger or a silver-handled cane is also fatal. A powerful werewolf can resist the harm done to it by weapons made of silver up to a point, but ultimately, unless they find a way to heal themselves, they will die.

Equipment

 * None

Weaponry

 * None

Notes & Trivia

 * The character of Lissa Russell was created by writers Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway, and artist Mike Ploog.


 * Lissa Russell first became a werewolf in Werewolf by Night #28. She was cured of her condition in Werewolf by Night #30.


 * Considering the compression of time as it relates to the internal chronology of the Marvel Universe, it is inconceivable that Lissa would have a teenage daughter. She would not have met Nina's father until after the cancellation of the first Werewolf by Night series and not enough years would have passed between then and the time when Amazing Fantasy, Volume 2 #10 was published for Nina to have grown into a teenager.

Appearances
Lissa Russell was introduced in Marvel Spotlight, Volume 1 #2, the first chapter of the "Werewolf by Night" feature. She also appeared in issues #3 and #4 before making the jump to the regular Werewolf by Night title beginning with issue 1. She made thirty appearances in the series in total. Between issues #8 and #9 of Werewolf by Night, Lissa appeared in Marvel Team-Up #12, which starred Spider-Man and her more infamous sibling Jack Russell. Between issues #20 and #22 of Werewolf by Night, Lissa appeared in Giant-Size Werewolf #2. She also appeared in Giant-Size Werewolf #3, which was released in between her appearances in Werewolf by Night #25 and Werewolf by Night #28. Between issues #30 and #31 of the series, Lissa appeared in Giant-Size Werewolf #5. Her final appearance in the series, also the final issue of the series was Werewolf by Night #42. Lissa then briefly appeared in flashback in Spider-Woman #19. She made a cameo appearance in the second story in Marvel Premiere #59. Lissa dissappeared for several years following this and did not appear again until Iron Man, Volume 1 #209. Lissa appeared in a brief flashback story called "The Book of the Vishanti: The Curse of the Darkhold, Part 1 The Montesi Formula", which was the second story featured in Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #9. The only reference to Lissa Russell since that appearance was in the second story in Amazing Fantasy, Volume 2 #10, which introduced her daughter Nina Price, aka, Vampire by Night.

Lissa's appearances in Marvel Spotlight and the Werewolf by Night series were reprinted in Essential Werewolf by Night, Volume 1. Her appearance in Marvel Spotlight #2 was reprinted as a Book-and-Record set by Power Records in 1974. The actress who provided the voice for Lissa is unknown. Lissa's appearances in Werewolf by Night #32-33 were reprinted in Moon Knight, Volume 3 #20.

List

 * Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme 9
 * Giant-Size Werewolf 2
 * Giant-Size Werewolf 3
 * Giant-Size Werewolf 5
 * Iron Man 209
 * Marvel Premiere 59
 * Marvel Spotlight 2
 * Marvel Spotlight 3
 * Marvel Spotlight 4
 * Moon Knight Vol 5 20
 * Spider-Woman 19
 * Werewolf by Night 1
 * Werewolf by Night 2
 * Werewolf by Night 3
 * Werewolf by Night 4
 * Werewolf by Night 5
 * Werewolf by Night 6
 * Werewolf by Night 7
 * Werewolf by Night 8
 * Werewolf by Night 9
 * Werewolf by Night 10
 * Werewolf by Night 11
 * Werewolf by Night 12
 * Werewolf by Night 14
 * Werewolf by Night 17
 * Werewolf by Night 18
 * Werewolf by Night 20
 * Werewolf by Night 22
 * Werewolf by Night 24
 * Werewolf by Night 25
 * Werewolf by Night 28
 * Werewolf by Night 29
 * Werewolf by Night 30
 * Werewolf by Night 31
 * Werewolf by Night 32
 * Werewolf by Night 34
 * Werewolf by Night 35
 * Werewolf by Night 36
 * Werewolf by Night 37
 * Werewolf by Night 38
 * Werewolf by Night 39
 * Werewolf by Night 42