Black Mist

Dr. Lonnie Talbot was the first member of the paranormal investigative team, Raven, Inc. Of all the operatives, she had the longest relationship with its leader, Raven. There seems to be some connection with Raven when she was younger, but it is an issue that isn’t brought up.

Lonnie formally had worked for the Philadelphia Police Department in forensics. It was rumored that she had an affair with Detective Michael Branden, now deceased, while on staff. It is also noted that Det. Brandon’s former partner, William Campbell, was also obsessed with Lonnie Talbot and began to stalk her and was, subsequently, kicked off the police force. Some people believe this to be the reason for her departure, however, she claims it was because of “departmental politics” and the “bureaucracy”.

While a member of Raven, Inc., Lonnie also became the legal guardian of Amy Berg, an orphaned young girl with special precognitive abilities. It was through this special arrangement that Lonnie became aware of a desire for children that unfortunately went unrealized due to her sudden death while on a case for Raven, Inc. This mission also tragically led to the death of Detective Michael Branden as well.

On the night of her funeral, her body was stolen from its gravesite by what was later revealed to be the secretive and mysterious Death Cult of Kali, otherwise known as the Thuggees, a community of professional assassins that had flourished in northern India during its colonial days. The Thugs planned to use Lonnie’s body as a host in which to resurrect their dark goddess, Kali, into the flesh. They had hoped that, because of her exposure to supernatural occurrences while a member of Raven, Inc., her body would be more receptive to their supernatural transfusion. Lonnie’s body proved to be a perfect fit for the goddess as Kali used her own blood as a stimuli to awaken the deceased Lonnie. During her transformation, Lonnie also came across a darkness more ancient than the world itself…the Mist. It merged with her soul, assuming the form of Kali within her, and thus, Lonnie finds herself as the host of two entities each struggling for possession and control of her soul.

Upon her resurrection, Lonnie found her memories hazy and difficult to recall. The thugs hailed her as Kali resurrected in the flesh to help them in their cause and defeat their enemies. She was presented the helmet of the original host of the Black Mist. The residue of the Mist was still evident within the helmet and as it joined with her flesh and the memories of the original host, Christian Allan, entered her body, Lonnie found her face burned with its markings.

It is on her first night out with the thugs that Lonnie confronts a mugger and burns his flesh clear to the bone that she begins to recall a sense of humanity deep within herself and is horrified at what she has become. Upon their return to their cremation grounds, the thugs become slightly worried about their new goddess, but before they can act, Lonnie’s head seems in pain and the mist is released from within her until it ultimately consumes and engulfs her, and she vanishes within the mist. Her present whereabouts are unknown, but there have been rumors of her reappearance in the graveyards of New Orleans.

Powers

Possessed by the dark goddess Kali and as the host of the ancient power known as the Black Mist, Lonnie is endowed with strength far beyond that of a normal human being and is nearly impervious to harm. She welds the mist, which releases itself through her hands, and contains the destructive capacity of sulfuric acid and can also be used to create a cloak of darkness which engulfs all light.