Desirée Hopewell

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Alias: Fatale


Date of birth: Sept. 10


Eyes: Green
Hair: Auburn
Race: Human


Occupation: Leader of the Brotherhood
Marital Status: Single
Identity: Publicly known
Known relatives: Layil (niece, deceased)
Group affiliation: The Brotherhood


Story: Around 2600 B.C., a Sudanese juju priest founded a secret order of African leaders and wise men. Thirteen men, the innermost circle of in the order, possessed the secret of the juju of the ogunamanani, the Dragon Spirit. Each year they summoned the Dragon Spirit to weaken the enemy of the Brotherhood, offering a virgin in return. The Dragon Spirit would absorb power from the men and slay the enemy, after which it would return what it had taken from the thirteen. Having fulfilled its mission, the Dragon Spirit would then take the virgin in payment, a contact that would infuse some power in the girl. Sacrificing the virgin after the Dragon Spirit had had her, would then release the powers imbued in her, unsummon the spirit, and increase the power of the brotherhood [6].

Around 1600 A.D. British slavers stole the secrets of the ritual, spreading the Brotherhood's influence worldwide, while keeping it under British control. The last sacrifice was in 1972, when Desirée's mother was supposed to have been sacrificed. Instead someone in the Brotherhood released her. She died giving birth to Desirée who was hidden and raised by accomplices of the person who freed Desirée's mother [6].

Desirée was on the run, helped by Duke Buchanan and Donny McMillan, until she was approached by Gordon Whitfield [1]. Gordon did not believe in the way the Brotherhood was doing things and wanted to take over control, with the help of Desirée [2-5]. In the meantime Layil had gathered the remaining parts of the Dragon Spirit in her and wanted the part in Desirée. She eventually caught Desirée, but instead of dying, Desirée absorbed Layil's regenerative powers, killing her instead, thus releasing the Dragon Spirit. Desirée absorbed the Dragon Spirit and thereby became the leader of the Brotherhood instead [6].


Skills & abilities: Fatale can absorb power from other people. The power is additive i.e. if she absorbs the power from three people she has the power of three people. The absorbed powers disappear as time passes.


Continuity: Broadway Comics
Publisher(s): Broadway Comics
First app.: Powers That Be (vol. 1) #1 (1995)
Creator(s): Jim Shooter
Country of origin: USA


Background notes: According to Jim Shooter, Fatale was created from men and women working at Broadway Comics, comparing their experience in strong women. The aim was to create as much realism in the character as possible while portraying a strong and resourceful woman.

Fatale was in many ways a T & A series, but contrary to the popular big-chested women, who had become a trademark of companies like Image and Chaos Comics, Fatale had both an ironic distance and natural feeling. Contrary to the contemporary top-heavy women in comics, who often looked like bad silicone jobs, Fatale was given a natural feel by letting her bust be influenced by gravity and sag a little and by letting her wear normal clothes instead of spandex. Several times thru the series, remarks about her breast size were made, making fun of the way both men and women react to attractive women with big breasts.


Related links/characters:


References:

1. Fatale (vol. 1) #1
   Broadway Comics
2. Fatale (vol. 1) #2
   Broadway Comics
3. Fatale (vol. 1) #3
   Broadway Comics
4. Fatale (vol. 1) #4
   Broadway Comics
5. Fatale (vol. 1) #5
   Broadway Comics
6. Fatale (vol. 1) #6
   Broadway Comics