Bella Donna (comics)

Bella Donna or Belladonna (from the Italian phrase "bella donna", or "beautiful woman") is a name or alias used by two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. One of these characters is Bella Donna Boudreaux, commonly associated with the X-Man Gambit.

Belladonna (Narda Ravanna)

Belladonna (Narda Ravanna) is a fictional character from the Marvel Comics Universe.

Publication history

She first appeared in The Spectacular Spider-Man #43 (June, 1980). She was created by Roger Stern and Mike Zeck. The character also appeared in Spectacular Spider-Man #47 and 48 (October–November 1980).

Belladonna received an entry in the original Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #2.

Fictional character biography

Narda Ravanna was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She is a chemist and former co-owner of Vaughn-Pope Cosmetics with her sister, Desiree Vaughan-Pope. When they refuse to sell their company to billionaire and fashion designer Roderick Kingsley, he used the media to smear their products and ruin their career. Narda entered New York and took the identity of Belladonna to gain vengeance, wielding a gun that fired neo-atropine gas for knocking out foes. She gathered a team of criminal allies, and incurred the wrath of the Prowler.^[1] Her assault on Kingsley was interrupted by Spider-Man, who handed her, her gang and Prowler over to the police.^[2]

Bella Donna Boudreaux

Bella Donna Boudreaux is a fictional character from the Marvel Comics universe who first appeared in X-Men vol. 2 #8. She was created by Jim Lee and Scott Lobdell.

Publication history

Belladonna plays a major role in the first Rogue mini-series.

Fictional character biography

Young street-thief Remy LeBeau met Bella Donna Boudreaux when they were only children, and the pair soon became friends. Unbeknownst to them both, they came from rival Guilds (those of Thieves and Assassins, respectively). As they grew up and the rivalry between the Guilds increased, their fathers arranged for a marriage between the two in the hopes that it would unite the Guilds. Immediately after the wedding, Bella Donna's brother, Julien, lashed out in jealousy and challenged Remy in a fight to the death. Remy won, killing Julien, and as punishment, he was exiled from New Orleans. Choosing to make his own choices in life from that point on, he abandoned Bella Donna.

A few years later, Bella Donna sought out Gambit to help fend off the Brood, who were attacking the Guilds. Having persuaded Gambit and the X-Men to come back to New Orleans, they battled the new enemy with the aid of Dan Ketch, the second Ghost Rider. Using her new psychic powers, Bella Donna followed Psylocke into the astral plane and expended her energy, before collapsing in Gambit's arms. Believing her dead, he told the Thieves Guild to take care of her, and went off for revenge against the Brood.^[3]

As it happened, Bella Donna was not actually dead, but merely in a coma. Gambit risked his life to bring her Candra's Elixir of Life, although while she was catatonic she was accidentally touched by Rogue. She woke up without any recollection of who she was, or who Remy was, and he left her again.

Bella Donna's memory slowly returned, and she felt as if her soul had been violated. Enraged, she had Rogue's comatose old boyfriend Cody kidnapped and murdered, once again pitting herself against Gambit. For the third time, he left her behind.

He returned again to New Orleans, ignorant to the multiple hits put up against him in the meantime. Bella Donna herself had taken one of the contracts, though she had no intention of killing him. Instead, she arranged it so that she could meet with him and sort out the conflicting emotions she had about him. After he was elected Viceroy of the Unified Guilds of New Orleans he passed power on to her, and returned to the X-Men. She now rules in his absence, still in love with him.

She briefly entered a relationship with Bandit, a former New Warriors member, eerily reminiscent of Gambit, but Gambit subsequently revealed he was manipulating her.

It has yet to be revealed whether Bella Donna has retained her mutant powers after the events of M-Day.

Bella Donna reappeared, still leading the Assassin's Guild. She dispatches a group of super-villain assassins after Domino.

Much later, she clashes with Kaine who takes on the Scarlet Spider identity.

In other media

Television

Bella Donna makes her first appearance in the X-Men animated series, as an image in Gambit's past, when Professor Xavier scans Gambit's mind looking through his memories in X-Men Season 1, Episode 13 (time 7:44). Bella Donna makes her second appearance as a major character in the episode "X-Ternally Yours", where she blackmails Gambit to come to her.

Film

Bella Donna will appear in the upcoming film Gambit,^[4] portrayed by Léa Seydoux.^[5]

References

External links

• http://www.mutanthigh.com/belladonna.html[]
• Bella Donna Doudreaux at Marvel.com
• Narda Ravanna at The Appendix to the Marvel Universe