MARINETTE-BWA-CHECH

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Real Name: Marinette-Bwa-Chech

Identity/Class: Petro loa/minor god (possible spirit/demon) (see comments)

Occupation: Servant/herald

Group Membership: Connected to Vodū (African pantheon)

Affiliations: Ogoun (Ogun)

Enemies: Alexis (clinic nurse, last name unrevealed), Bondye (Buluku), Makeen, Papa Legba, Dr. Voodoo (Jericho Drumm)

Known Relatives: possibly Ogoun (Ogun) (creator?) (see comments)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: mobile in New Orleans and the Caribbean; Orun (Bondye)

First Appearance: Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural#1 (December, 2009)

Powers/Abilities: Marinette-Bwa-Chech is a violent, bloodthirsty and terrifying fanged demonic being who serves Ogoun. She can breach the barrier that confines the god Ogoun and can travel to Earth, choosing to dwell in voodoo-worshiping areas such as New Orleans and the Caribbean. Human in shape, she can physically inhabit the body of a human to control it for subterfuge and rip through it to show her true form, floating in the air with sharp extended but dry talons for fingers to rip apart flesh. She can be banished by powerful magic. She is accompanied by an owl in her travels (although what benefit this provides is unrevealed). She has the attributes of a Petro loa/minor god with enhanced stamina and resistance to injury.

Height: Variable (usually around 5'7")
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: White
Hair: Black

History:

(Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural#3 (fb)) - Centuries ago, the Petro loa Marinette-Bwa-Chech was birthed in the "swamps of iron and pain" in the Vodū gods' realm of Bondye. She came to be in the service of the fierce Vodū god Ogoun the Slayer, who had been foretold in the Book of the Vishanti as a destroyer. Two powerful mages, Papa Legba and the then Sorcerer Supreme, Makeen, sought help from Bondye gods, but instead unwittingly let loose Ogoun. Marinette-Bwa-Chech first phased through the door with her owl to trouble the mages, who sacrificed themselves to close the gate and lock Ogoun up again.

(Historical) - Marinette-Bwa-Chech became known in the Caribbean and New Orleans voodoo as a powerful, dangerous and unpredictable loa not to be summoned, but respected and feared. She was associated with fire and gloated on her crimes. She would violently possess humans, but was also associated with freedom from slave bondage.

(Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural#1 (fb) - BTS) - In the current era, Marinette-Bwa-Chech killed fathers, mothers and children while Dr. Voodoo traveled in other lands.

(Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural#1) - She possessed the form of an old man and waited eight hours to see Dr. Voodoo (who had since secretly become Sorcerer Supreme) in his clinic. She ripped out of her host's body and gloated on her recent kills, declaring the children would still be alive if he had attended to his local tasks instead of adventuring elsewhere. Recognizing her instantly, Dr. Voodoo tried to banish her but was distracted by Dr. Doom's sudden appearance. Marinette-Bwa-Chech slipped into her human host again and escaped. Her plan (or her part in the plan) was to eventually have Dr. Voodoo be forced to open the locked gates blocking Ogoun.

(Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural#5) - With Dr. Doom's unwilling aid, Dr. Voodoo cast the demon Nightmare into Bondye, thinking it would negate the Fear Lord's power, but overlooking the petrified forms of the two mages protecting the doors. Dr. Voodoo cast weaker seals that sealed the gates and left. Soon after, Marinette-Bwa-Chech walked triumphantly up to the gates and breached the seal. She traveled to where her lord was feasting on Nightmare and told him the gates were open. Ogoun declared he intended to leave.

Comments: Bravely developed further by Rick Remender & Jefte Palo.

Unfortunately the series ended before the next story arc (presumably covering Ogoun's advance on Earth) could be told.

As with many elements in voodoo, there are slightly conflicting stories on our world's religious figure of Marinette-Bwa-Chech (literally Marinette of the Dry Arms (or Feet)), but all seem to agree her association with fire, and that she is very powerful, violent and not to be trifled with. Accounts vary, from her connection with helping to liberate Haiti with the slave-led revolution and a priestess to sheer evil to be avoided. Linked with an owl, she is also a leader of werewolves.

Marinette-Bwa-Chech is defined as Petro loa, or the more angry, aggressive loa, also more recent and more to do with the slave trade than with those Rada loa of older African origins, reinforcing that there are two types of loa: the more aggressive Petro (hot) and Rada (cool; Damballah is considered Rada loa), but this should not to be confused with evil vs. good loa. However, within the confines of the Marvel Universe, she may also be a Class 2 demon, but I add this unlikely concept only for the sake of discussion.

I'm not sure why she has the owl; maybe an extra pair of eyes and/or attacking claws.

As this Marinette-Bwa-Chech was "birthed in the swamps or iron and pain" (where Ogoun dwelt for centuries, suggesting she may have been his creation to serve him), she is not human and so cannot be host to a Spirit of Vengeance (Ghost Rider) like the woman seen in the Congo; thus I consider these two different characters. That either tolerated the other's use of the same distinctive name is curious; perhaps each was linked to their distant territory.

This profile was completed 12/16/2020, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Marinette-Bwa-Chech has no known connections to:

images: (without ads)
Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural#1, p16, pan3 (main image)
Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural#5, p22, pan3 (headshot)
Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural#3, p2, pan2 (with owl)

Appearances:
Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural#1 (December, 2009) - Rick Remender (writer), Jefte Palo (pencils & inks), Lauren Sankovitch (editor)
Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural#3 (February, 2010) - Rick Remender (writer), Jefte Palo (pencils), Gabriel Hardman (inks), Lauren Sankovitch (editor)
Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural#5 (April, 2010) - Rick Remender (writer), Jefte Palo (pencils & inks), Lauren Sankovitch (editor)

First posted: 09/12/2021
Last updated: 09/10/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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