The Magdalena is an American comic book series published by Top Cow Productions.
The Magdalena is the title of members of a sacred lineage of women descended from Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ, who are empowered with the Spear of Destiny and special powers they use to protect the integrity and sanctity of the Catholic Church.
The Magdalena first appeared in The Darkness #15, which featured the Magdalena (Sister Mariella) being sent to kill Jackie Estacado with the Spear of Destiny. She's sent out into the field ahead of schedule with incomplete training and being unable to differentiate between right and wrong. After the Sisters of the Order of Magdalene perform the ritual which gives Mariella the ability to divine a person's sins, she and her Sisters are overpowered and defeated by Jackie, who makes an example of them by crucifying them in the church.
In the Blood Divine limited series, the Magdalena (Sister Rosalia, Mariella's mother and predecessor) is sent to a rural orphanage in France to investigate a series of killings reputed to be have been performed by a vampire. Meanwhile, Father Jasper, a priest from the Netherlands, arrives at the Vatican to speak with Cardinal Innocent, bringing with him ancient relics he found hidden in his church, which could spell the downfall of the church.
The third modern Magdalena is named Patience. Having seen through the hypocrisy of her masters, Patience leaves her convent along with a runaway named Rowan Barry to strike out on her own. However, the Inquisition sends an agent, her former mentor Kristof, to track her down when her time comes to assume the role of the Magdalena.
The Magdalena provides examples of:
- Actually Not a Vampire: After being sent to investigate a series of killings in France seemingly performed by a vampire, Rosalia discovers that the "vampires" are actually humans affected by a retrovirus that forces them to consume blood to restore their hemoglobin, which had shunned them from society.
- An Ice Person: While the bearer of The Glacier Stone, Patience has a body made of ice.
- Category Traitor: Rosalia is declared a traitor by agents of the Inquisition, the Garduna, for trying to prevent them from slaughtering the "vampires".
- Church Militant
- Holy Hitman: The Magdalena has served as the enforcer for the Vatican since the Middle Ages. The Inquisition, a secretive and powerful council of cardinals, oversees the Magdalena's activities and decides her missions.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Has been on the receiving end of the Spear of Destiny when Sister Anneli attacks her with it.
- In the Hood
- Legacy Character: The holy power of the Magdalena and the Spear of Destiny is passed from one female descendant of Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ to another, either directly from mother to daughter or otherwise to a distant cousin.
- Legacy of the Chosen: Each Magdalena is a descendant of Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ. When a Magdalena dies, the church picks another descendant, typically one they've raised and trained from childhood, to inherit the role.
- Morality-Guided Attack: Each Magdalena has the innate ability to see into the human heart and show people the error of their ways in order to give them the chance to redeem their sins.
- Our Vampires Are Different: Vampires are descendants of Cain and Lilith. Their condition is a curse that the angels placed on Cain and his descendants which makes them vulnerable to sunlight, only able to eat dust and drink blood, and be unable to die. Although they have a natural aversion to all things holy, such as crosses, holy water and holy ground, exposure to them does not cause permanent injury and older vampires are able to withstand the discomfort altogether and have even been known to enter consecrated churches. Additionally, Vampires don't require an invitation to enter a residence, have no fear of mirrors as they can cast reflections, and are not troubled by garlic, silver or aconite. Tales have been told of Vampires that can shapeshift into bats, wolves or fog, but these rumors are unconfirmed.
- Power Dyes Your Hair: The Glacier Stone turns Patience's hair icy green.
- The Spear of Destiny: Each Magdalena is the wielder of the Spear Of Destiny.
- Stripperiffic: She deserves special mention. She's the distant granddaughter of Christ and Mary Magdalene, and is raised and commanded by the Catholic Church itself.
