Major Story Arcs
Gambit: Thief of Time
Candra is a member of the immortal Externals and is the legendary Benefactress of the Thieves and Assassins Guild of New Orleans where she provided them with power in exchange for large monetary offerings. While she was able to keep both guilds under her influence for some centuries, her deal was later broken by Gambit when he traveled back in time in order to retrieve Apocalypse’s Elixir of Life in order to save Bella Donna. Because of this, the guilds were unable to give the Elixir to Candra.
Rogue: The Gauntlet
In an attempt to get back at Gambit, Candra convinced Bella Donna to trap Rogue by kidnapping her first boyfriend, Cody. Candra attempted to kill the X-Men’s southern belle, but she managed to survive the ordeal and rescued Cody in the process.
The Heart Stone
It was later revealed that Candra had placed a large portion of her energy into a gem, which was later referred to as the Heart Stone. With the stone intact, Candra would have been able to achieve true immortality as her essence would always be restored. However, at one point, the stone was stolen by a young Storm in Cairo. Candra eventually lured Storm into a trap in order to finally retrieve her gem, but, after a lengthy battle, the stone was destroyed by Cyclops, causing Candra to dissipate into nothingness.
Wrath of the Red Death
Candra did not die however, because while the destruction of the Heart Stone did destroy her body, Candra’s psyche was able to live on. With the aid of the Assassins’ Guild, Candra slowly learned how to augment her remaining power by draining strength from the deaths of others and pull her body back together, a lengthy process hastened by tributes from the Guild. Taking the name “Red Death,” Candra returned as an immortal revenant with her powerful telekinesis and her new-found ability to feed off death.
In an attempt to fully return to life, Candra sought to drain the essences of the new Scarlet Spider and Wolverine, who she could sense had both been touched by death in some way, but the duo overcame her with some aid from rogue members of the Guild. After a fierce battle against Wolverine, Candra was stabbed in the head by Scarlet Spider and apparently died once again. Bella Donna believed however that she would still find a way to return.
Powers & Abilities
Candra is a member of the immortal Externals. This causes her to have a delayed aging process and advanced healing capabilities. She is also a very powerful telekinetic, able to levitate herself and others, hide herself and others from detection, and even send out powerful psionic bolts of energy. Candra’s telekinesis is so powerful that she can use it at the molecular level and is capable of genetic manipulation, allowing her to activate or deactivate superhuman powers in others. She has also shown the ability to control another person’s mind on at least one occasion.
After the Heart Stone and her body were destroyed, Candra managed to expand the capabilities of her powers and became able to drain a person’s lifeforce upon their death, which she needs to do to in order to maintain a new body for herself.
Alternate Realities
Earth 295: Age of Apocalypse
During the Age of Apocalypse reality, as chronicles told, Candra was one of Apocalypse’s four Horsemen and served as his official Herald. She became the leader of the Horseman of Apocalypse after Sabretooth refused to use nuclear weapons to attack North America. After her attack on Cape Citadel she was not seen again, but it was reported that she was killed by Holocaust after secretly working with the Assassins Guild of New Orleans.
Other Media
Television
X-men: The Animated Serie
Candra only appears in one of the comic book adaptions; X-Men :The Animated Series ( Season 2, episode 6, titled X-ternally Yours). Here she is mentioned as being an External. She has The Thieves and Assassins Guilds bring her tithes as a sacred tradition (this tradition has been going on for centuries but it only happens every 10 years ), but it is for an unknown intention. After she is given a tithe, she chooses a “chosen one,” who will lead the guild. Their guild mates and themselves obtain strength and protection. However, if one does not bring a tithe one of their members will disappear, never to be seen ever again. She later makes Bella Donna “the chosen one.” Later she almost eliminates the remaining members of The Thieves Guild, because Bobby (Gambit’s brother in this version) brought a false tithe. She is soon after telepathically convinced by Jean Grey that Bella Donna gave The Thieves Guild the false tithe. She then is about to destroy Bella Donna but Gambit steps in and says “Take her powers… Not her life.” With that she does what was requested and disappears nowhere to be seen or heard of ever again. She is never officially acknowledged by the name Candra, instead being simply called the X-Ternal. Her appearance is also considerably different, but her similarity to Candra is unmistakable.
Games
X-men: Battle of The Atom
Candra is featured in the mobile card game “X-Men: Battle of the Atom” based on the comic book story with the same name. Her cards are:
- [Apocalypse’s Chosen] Candra