Desadia

Desadia
Aliases:	None
Continuity:	Marvel Universe
Notability:	Recurring character
Type:	Psychic
Occupation:	Personal assistant
Gender:	Female
Race:	Human
Location:	Empire State Building, Manhattan, New York City, New York
Status:	Deceased
First:	Haunt of Horror #2
Final:	Hellstorm: Prince of Lies #10

Desadia is a fictional psychic and a recurring character featured in comic books and magazines published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in the first story featured in Haunt of Horror #2 in May, 1974 titled "Gabriel: Devil-Hunter".

Biography

Desadia takes a call.

Desadia possessed meager psychometric abilities and utilized them as the personal assistant of occult scholar and exorcist Gabriel Rosetti. In the early 1970s, Gabriel and Desadia worked out of an office on the thirteenth floor of the Empire State Building.

On Monday, June 17th, 1974 Desadia warned Gabriel of the arrival of Father Lazar, who was concerned about the behavior of a fellow priest named Father Artemis from Saint Benedict's Cathedral.

On August 13th, Desadia walked into Gabriel's office and found him in a slight malaise. He quickly snapped out of it, but they later discovered that a demon who called itself Damian had attempted to take possession of him. Desadia's sudden presence interrupted the process and the demon was forced to vacate.

Later. Desadia fielded a call relating to Doctor Craig Miller, whose daughter Veronica had become possessed by an unclean spirit, and had begun make lascivious sexual advances against her father. The call was accompanied by a string of psychic visions, which began to take a toll on Desadia. Gabriel decided to investigate and invited Desadia to accompany him to Miller's home in Connecticut. Desadia agreed, but warned him that he would fail - and that her visions were never wrong. During this affair, Desadia learned that the demonic presence affecting Veronica Miller was the same one who tried to possess Gabriel that morning. Desadia was directly attacked and a coating of demonic slime formed over her body. Doctor Miller, unable to withstand the pressure of the episode any longer, took his own life. With that, the demon fled, and Gabriel was able to free Desadia of the slime.

The spirit of Desadia.

On August 24th, Desadia arranged for a flight to bring Gabriel and she to London, England. Desadia already knew that Gabriel would require her presence, citing that there were things that she knew that she wish she didn't - and yet, she also knew that he needed her. On the flight, Gabriel was assaulted by a demonic presence. Gabriel was able to shake it off, but warned Desadia to stay clear of him. The presence then took possession of the pilot and forced him to strangle himself. With Desadia's help, Gabriel was able to safely land the plane.

As they drove towads the Chesterton estate, the evil spirit took possession of Desadia. Gabriel was forced to punch her across the jaw to knock her out. When she awakened, she was back to normal, but Gabriel warned her that it was her psychic ability to "listen" to demonic entities that enabled the presence to consume her.

They journeyed on to Stonehenge, where they found Chesterton leading a Satanic cult. The demon full manifested within Chesterton's body and attacked Desadia. Gabriel defended her, and made a demonstration of kissing her, to show that the power of selfless love will always serve as proof against the power of evil. Gabriel then encouraged Desadia to kiss the demon - to prove ever more that love - even love for an enemy - will conquer all. Desadia could not bring herself to do it , however. The demon vacated Chesterton's body, but the only thing left behind was a charred husk.

On November 30th, 1974, Desadia took a taxicab to the South Ferry section of Manhattan. She went to Julio's Bar & Grill where she found Gabriel in a drunken stupor. He rattled on about being assaulted by intense dreams, followed by mysterious telephone calls meant to explain the dreams. This all led to a case involving a "complete innocent" - an infant named Jenny Christopher, who had become possessed.

Sometime later, Desadia interrupted Gabriel while he was reflecting upon a photograph of his late wife to tell him about their next case, which involed the possession of a man who was already dead. This job brought them to the Bronx to consult with the Ramirez family. The body of Esteban Ramirez - dead three years - suddenly appeared in the family home and was possed by a host of demons; Nirrem, Pythonissa, Elyma, Saphira, and Belial. While Gabriel conducted the exorcism, Desadia told Ramirez' widow about Gabriel's past and how he came to be an exorcist. Desadia later accompanied Gabriel to the cemetery to where Ramirez' had been buried to complete the exorcism.

Bill Bohannon attacks Desadia.

Years later, Desadia received a telephone call relating to a young mutant boy named Franklin Richards, who was the son of Reed & Susan Richards of the Fantastic Four. He had become possessed by a warlock named Nicholas Scratch. Desadia informed Gabriel of his next case.

Gabriel who had long been battling with demons was finally weakened so much that the cross on his chest, once the symbol of his strength, had been inverted, into a symbol of Satanic worship. Desadia convinced him to battle against the demon possessing Senator Bill Bohannon, who was a presidential candidate. As Gabriel struggled with the demon he realized it was Catherine, the demon who had once possessed him. Catherine taunted Gabriel with claims that his wife Andrea was serving her in Hades. Andrea's spirit then separated from Desadia and joined with Gabriel, giving him the strength to exorcise Catherine. His strength restored, Gabriel's cross returned to its correct position. Desadia, however, had been left without the spirit of Andrea and had no memories at all of her own and no longer possessed Andrea's memories either.

At some point following, Desadia died and her spirit was taken to an infernal realm. The demon who laid claim to her soul, Vermiphage, manifested in her form before Gabriel during one of his low points when he had been contemplating suicide. As Gabriel was about to pull the trigger, Desadia's true spirit told him that the demon who had captured her was watching and still laughing. His devotion towards Desadia renewed his strength of spirit, he put down the gun, smashed his bottle of alcohol, and swore to save Desadia.

Notes & Trivia

• The character of Desadia was created by writer Doug Moench and artist Billy Graham.

Abilities

• Psychokinesis

• Clairvoyance
• Precognition

See also

• Desadia appearances

Appearances

• Haunt of Horror #2
• Haunt of Horror #3
• Haunt of Horror #4
• Haunt of Horror #5
• Monsters of Unleashed #11
• Fantastic Four #222
• Marvel Comics Presents #106
• Hellstorm: Prince of Lies #9
• Hellstorm: Prince of Lies #10

External Links

• Desadia at MDP