Halloween (W.I.T.C.H. issue)
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Halloween is the title of the first issue of W.I.T.C.H., a fantasy/superhero comic series created in Italy by Elisabetta Gnone. It tells the story of how five teenage girls are chosen to be the new Guardians of Kandrakar and how they are given powers over the five elements.
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[edit] Plot Synopsis
"A long time ago when the Earth was still young, all spirits and creatures lived under the same sky and the Universe was a huge kingdom ruled by Nature."
[edit] Arrival in Heatherfield
The story begins in the fortress of Kandrakar, located in the center of infinity.
Here, for the first time, we encounter the Oracle, who has called the members of the Congregation of Kandrakar to announce them that time is running out and that the veil is in danger. The moment has come to summon the new Guardians of Kandrakar to protect Earth. One of the members of the Congregation asks who the chosen ones are, and the Oracle answers that they are five young girls. Another member, named Luba, seems worried that the chosen ones are humans, but the Oracle calms her by saying that they are magical creatures, never the less. Earth is their mother and each one of them can control one of nature's forces: Air, Water, Earth, Fire and...
The scene changes suddenly. We now see a pendant with a spherical glass jewel. In this jewel a young girl is trapped. She has short, red hair and is not wearing any clothes. Somebody is shouting her name: "Will!" She manages to break out but ends up in a terrible storm. "Will!" She tries to resist the wind and the rain, but without anything on her it is too much. "Will!" She falls on her knees and then... wakes up.
This is Will Vandom and she has fallen asleep in the car. Her mother, Susan Vandom, is driving and Will is sitting on the chair next to her. It is raining outside. They were just entering the city of Heatherfield, their new home. Susan asks her daughter if she had a nightmare.
When they reach their new home they begin to unload the car. From across the street two dark figures are watching. One is huge the other is shorter and thinner. They're both wearing raincoats. The shorter one names his friend Vathek. He notices that young Will, doesn't like her new city but believes she will get used to it. He also expresses the pleasure he will have in destroying her.
[edit] First Day at Sheffield Institute
The following day the sun is shining brightly... and Will is late! First day at Sheffield Institute and she's late! She runs inside the school in a hurry. In the hallway she meets Taranee Cook, another new-comer. Will also encounters the schools principal, Mrs. Knickerbocker who quickly sends Taranee to her class and begins a "bad start" speech for Will.
Taranee shows up in class, where Mr. Collins, her History teacher, is preparing to ask questions. We now meet Hay Lin and a very worried Irma Lair. As always Irma didn't learn much, but Hay Lin is confident that the teacher will ask exactly what she knows. Taranee witnesses the event: Irma closes her eyes, horrified and repeats the title of the one chapter she did learn (followed by a "please, oh please, oh please!"). And, wouldn't you know it, Mr. Collins asks the right question. Hay Lin explains Taranee that this was Irma's special power.
When the classes are over. Irma and Hay Lin meet their fried, Cornelia Hale, in the hallway. Cornelia is informed about Irma's newest escape trick but she is not impressed, knowing that what she can do is far more spectacular. They then come across Cornelia's best friend, Elyon Brown,who is unhappy because of the bad grade she got in math. Irma is glad to hear about this, because according to the group's rules Elyon must receive a punishment. Hay Lin suggests that Elyon should ask Matt, a boy she likes, out on a date.
In the yard the girls meet Will and Taranee, whose bikes have been vandalised by the school bully, Uriah Dunn and his buddies Kurt Van Buren, Laurent Hampton and Nigel Ashcroft. Cornelia quickly gets rid of them and introduces herself to the new-comers. She also reminds them about the party that was going to be held at the school that evening.
Meanwhile, Uriah and his gang break into the school with some rockets. One of his pals asks him what he plans to do, but all Uriah tells them is that he will take care of the fireworks.
[edit] Preparations for the Party
The next scene is at The Silver Dragon, a local Chinese restaurant, where Hay Lin lives with her family. The girl is talking on the phone with Irma and is refusing to reveal what her costume will look like. All she will say is that it will be witch-like. Hay Lin's grandmother, Yan Lin, is just passing in front of her door and overhears the conversation. She seems surprised...
Irma turns off the phone and wonders what Hay Lin will come up with. She was just having a bath. Slowly she begins to manipulate the water around her creating strange shapes. She wonders whether she should tell her friends about her powers over water. To tell them about this... magic.
But her thoughts are abruptly interrupted by her father's shouting: "Irma!" She quickly jumps out of the bathtub and pulls a towel around her. She then tries to get rid of the water on the floor but fails. "Irma!" She exits the bathroom and meets her father whom she rapidly avoids and runs into her room just as Mr. Lair stumbles across the giant puddle.
Irma has to get dressed but she has nothing to wear. As she wishes she had a blue dress, something happens: all her dresses magically chance color to blue...
At Taranee's house Will is just preparing to leave. She thanks her friend for offering a place to stay until the rain stopped and for convincing her to come to the party. She climbs on her bicycle and promises to come and get Taranee later that day, on her way to school.
As Will quickly passes in front of "Ye Olde Bookshop" she sees her reflection in the window. But that's not her. She stops the bicycle and continues to stare at her reflection. It looks like her, but she seems older and she's wearing some kind of special costume.
Inside the bookshop the same two dark figures as before, are watching. The big guy asks his boss whether that's her. The other one says yes, and tells Vathek to get ready because they're going to a party tonight.
At the Hale residence, Cornelia is having problems with her mother who refuses to let her go to the party until her room is cleaned up. Her little sister, Lilian, is not helping very much so she furiously returns to her room only to discover that it cleaned itself! Cornelia knew she had the power of telekinesis, but she never imagined she could do so much without even meaning to... Oh, well! It's time to go to the party!
[edit] The Halloween Party
Later that evening, the party has already started but Will is still home and has not yet decided what to wear. She's upset because she didn't even want to go but was encouraged by her mother. She looks at herself in the mirror and for the second time that day she sees an older Will. Susan Vandom suddenly enters the room and after being distracted for a second, Will sees her real self in the mirror. Her mother reminds her that they must pick up Taranee on the way to the party and that she better hurry. Will can't decide what to wear and starts to cry, saying she's not pretty. Susan cheers her daughter up.
When Will and Taranee finally show up at the party, Cornelia greets them. She, Elyon and Hay Lin were just making fun of Irma's ridiculous story about her dress changing color...
Martin Tubbs takes a picture of the six girls...
A picture that in the following moment is in the hands of the Oracle of Kandrakar. He shows it to his faithful adviser, Tibor, and explains that these are the five new guardians. But as Tibor points out, there are six girls in the photograph. The Oracle says that this is true but, that one of them will soon betray her friends...
Back on Earth Hay Lin is telling Will about Matt, the boy singing the party concert, when two new people show up: Vathek and his boss. Elyon notices them and expresses her opinion about the smaller guy ("He's cute!"). Hay Lin quickly suggests that he's perfect for Elyon's punishment. Meanwhile Irma turns down Martin's offer to take a picture together, and turns Martin invisible ("Disappear, Martin!").
Vathek leaves his boss and follows Will, waiting hor the right moment to kidnap her. Elyon finds her target alone and tries to talk with him. It turns out that his name is Cedric, and that he knows Elyon's name and more about her...
Vathek tries to capture Will but he can't get close enough in the crowd. He stumbles across an invisible Martin and then wins the contest for the best Halloween costume. This means he gets to light the giant pumpkin in the yard with a torch. He refuses this 'honor' and immediately Principal Knickerbocker begins pulling his ear. Vathek furiously tosses the torch inside the pumpkin.
Unfortunately Uriah placed the rockets there so the pumpkin blows up. Uriah and the gang enjoy the show... except for Nigel who doesn't find it funny.
It the chaos produced, one of the rockets is heading straight for Irma. Taranee saves her from it, revealing her power over fire. By simply moving her hands she makes the rocket change its course, sending it into the pumpkin that now explodes anew, endangering Will. Fortunately Taranee holds back the flames that are heading towards her friend until Mr. Collins puts them out with a fire extinguisher.
Everybody is safe now. But the fire is still burning and the thick clouds of smoke are rising. Sitting on the roof and watching are two dark figures...
[edit] The New Guardians of Kandrakar
That night the girls have strange dreams of a pendant and five symbols. The following day they discuss about it and decide to meet again that afternoon at Hay Lin's house. All except for Elyon who must go on a date with Cedric. The girls try not to hold her back and Elyon show up at "Ye Olde Bookshop" where she learns that Cedric is the owner.
That afternoon in Hay Lin's kitchen the girls understand that the pendant in their dreams is the same one. They try to figure out what do they all mean: mystical dreams, flying things, clothes that change color... Cornelia says that she doesn't believe in magic and that there must be a rational explication. Hay Lin shows them the drawing she made of the pendant when her grandma enters the kitchen.
Yan Lin has been listening to the conversation and has decided that it is time to reveal the girls what their destiny has in store for them. So, to everyone's great surprise (especially Hay Lin's), she shows them the pendant from their dreams.
She then tells the girls a very old story. A long time ago when the Earth was still young, all spirits and creatures lived under the same sky and the Universe was a huge kingdom ruled by Nature. But then the spirits and the creatures started to feel hate and the Universe was split between those who wanted peace and those who lived on others' suffering. This is why the veil was created, to separate good from evil. Before the Universe was split in half forever, it created a place named Kandrakar in the middle of infinity.
The pendant they all dreamed, as Yan Lin explains, is the Heart of Kandrakar and the girls are the new Guardians of Kandrakar. Their task is to close the portals that have opened in the veil. Irma has power over water, Cornelia received the power of earth, Taranee has the difficult gift of fire, Hay Lin will be free and light as air and Will is the Keeper of the Heart of Kandrakar.
After giving the pendant to Will, Yan Lin exits the kitchen and vanishes. She shows up in Kandrakar where the Oracle congratulates her for finishing her task.
Back on Earth the girls argue in front of The Silver Dragon. Cornelia expresses her opinion that Hay Lin's grandma is nuts and that this is all some kind of trick. Then she furiously goes away. At this point, Hay Lin comes up with an acronym for their team: W.I.T.C.H. (formed using the girls' names' first letters).
Elyon shows up and tells them about her date. She explains that she will meet Cedric again tonight at the gym, where he will tell her something important. She invites her friends, but only Will, Irma and Hay Lin can come.
[edit] At the Gym
That evening the three girls show up at the gym, but Elyon is nowhere to be seen. They notice that the gate is open and presume that their friend is already inside, so they go in.
Suddenly the door closes behind them. The entire meeting turns out to be a trap when Vathek jumps out of the dark and captures Irma and Hay Lin. A mysterious voice talks to Will revealing his intention of killing the girls in order to then conquer the world.
Using the Heart, Will transforms herself and her friends into guardians. The girls age several years and their powers are increased. It is now revealed that the costume Will saw in her reflection was part of her guardian form.
It is revealed that the mysterious voice belongs to another monster, half man half snake. Vathek and the snake-man try to capture the girls. Vathek opens a portal to take the guardians through it but accidentally starts a fire that closes it. Will, Irma and Hay Lin fight off the monsters and then teleport out of the gym just as the firemen show up. Outside they return to their human forms.
Meanwhile inside the gym the giant snake-man also transform into his human form and it is revealed that he is, in fact, Cedric. Together with Vathek he leaves the burning place.
Will, Irma and Hay Lin watch the firemen do their job. They then walk away wondering why their friend would lure them into a trap.
From the bushes Elyon watches them and wonders the same thing...
[edit] Next Issue
In the second issue of W.I.T.C.H., The Twelve Portals:
- Elyon Brown and her family are missing.
- Yan Lin gives her granddaughter the Map of the Twelve Portals, finishing her task on Earth.
- Will meets Matt and finds herself a new pet.
- The girls discover the secret in the basement of the Brown residence.
[edit] Characters
The main characters of this comic book story are:
- Will Vandom - the Keeper of the Heart of Kandrakar
- Irma Lair - the Guardian of Water
- Taranee Cook - the Guardian of Fire
- Cornelia Hale - the Guardian of Earth
- Hay Lin - the Guardian of Air
