Sara Pezzini

Origin

Sara Pezzini was born on November 18, 1970 and grew up to become an NYPD homicide detective. Her father, Vincent “Frank” Pezzini was also a police officer at the NYPD. Vincent’s partner was Joe Siry, who is the Captain at Sara’s precinct. He was shot and killed while he was on duty. Her mother’s name was not revealed and Sara has no idea where she was for many years.

Sara went undercover to an auction at the Rialto Theater. Kenneth Irons, the man who at that time owned the Witchblade, was attempting to unlock the powers of the Witchblade by allowing anyone to bid and try it on. Her partner, Michael Yee, was captured and beaten badly. As the enemies were about to shoot Yee, Sara jumped in front of the bullets. As Sara was dying on the ground, the Witchblade decided to choose Sara as its new bearer. The Witchblade healed all her wounds and gave her the power to defeat her enemy. Unfortunately, she could not save Yee from dying from his bullet wounds.

Creation

A version of Sara Pezzini first appeared in Cyblade / Shi #1. This character was more of a traditional superhero in tights with a cape, and Witchblade was her hero name. This appearance was ultimately ignored with the launch of the Witchblade ongoing series. Sara Pezzini was retooled and made her real first appearance in Witchblade #1

Marc Silvestri, Michael Turner, David Wohl, and Brian Haberlin are credited as Sara’s creators. Silvestri and Haberlin for the version that premiered in Cyblade/Shi #1, and Wohl and Turner for the retooled version that premiered in Witchblade #1.

Major Story Arcs

Sara continued working as an NYPD homicide detective with the Witchblade now attached to her. She also works with a partner named Jake McCarthy. The two of them grow close to each other, and Jake is determined to find out more about his partner. However, Sara was reluctant to tell him much about her. Sara was later told about the killer of her father from the Captain of the 18th precinct Joe Siry. She learns that a criminal known as the Microwave Murderer was the killer of her father. Sara set out to bring the loose criminal in. When Sara finally confronted the Microwave Murderer, she tells Sara that she was not the one that killed her father. After Sara was suspended from the force due to a previous mission, she was offered a job at another place. It turns out that it was a trap and Sara ends up getting kidnapped. However, Sara would then be saved by Ian Nottingham. She soon loses the Witchblade to Nottingham. Nottingham offers the Witchblade back to Sara, but she refuses to retrieve the Witchblade. Sara later meets up with her father’s sister, Aunt Ruth. Ruth tells Sara more about her father’s past but she was obviously hiding more then she told. Sara also discovers a picture of her father with Kenneth Irons – now suspicious, Sara becomes determined to find out more about him. Sara would eventually retake the Witchblade, except for the red gem on it, which was taken by Kenneth Irons.

Jake would later get seriously injured and Sara would get a new partner named Eric Sketh. Eventually Jake’s health returns and he is back to his job as Sara’s partner. Sara soon learns that the real killer of her father was Joe Siry himself. He reveals that he killed Vincent because he had a hidden agenda for Kenneth Irons, but Vincent began to interfere so it was the only way to keep Sara safe. Later, Ian Nottingham meets up with Sara again and he tells her about their destiny. He confessed to her that he loves her and that it was their destiny to be together. Unfortunately for Nottingham, Sara turns him down. On several other adventures, Sara has teamed up with many others including Lara Croft, Aspen Matthews, the Magdalena named Patience, Jackie Estacado (who was one of the wielders of the Darkness), Wolverine, and Elektra. Sara and Lara Croft become best friends. Later Sara is knocked into a coma when someone attacks her at a church. Jake would look out for Sara while she was in a coma and he would confess his love to Sara and his knowledge about the Witchblade to her. However, he falls into a coma when he was attacked. Eventually she would re-awaken and meets Detective Patrick Gleason. Sara would meet the Curator and learns that the Witchblade is “ one of the thirteen.” Sara later visits the curator’s shop and is attacked by demons. She begins investigating the demon attacks even after Magdalena warns her not to. She learns about a Catholic conspiracy.

Later, Sara and Gleason are attacked by the Catholic church, but end up having to fight demons. Sara was able to kill the demon god but dies in her efforts. However, Gleason was able to revive Sara with a totem that was given to them by the Curator. Eventually Sara would learn the true origins of the Witchblade from the Curator. She goes into a 3 day trance that helps her learn more about the Witchblade. She discovers about all the previous bearers and learns that all of them were women. It is revealed that the Witchblade is male and it requires a female host in order to become whole. Gleason and Sara begin to grow closer to each other. Gleason was finally able to get Sara to go on a date with him. However, the two were interrupted by Nottingham who was seeking help from Sara to defeat the Yakuzas. She agrees to help him but would quickly discover that Nottingham had other plans and was tricking her into helping him. She ends up arresting him and returns home to Gleason. They begin to get intimate again but are interrupted by a phone call. It ends up that Jake was woken up from his coma.

Jake would soon be released from the hospital and invites Sara up to the top of the Empire State building. Jake reveals that he is a demon possessing Jake’s body. The demon tries to take over Sara’s body because of her connection to the Witchblade. She fights back and is able to defeat the demon. Jake regains control and ends up shooting himself to stop the demons. Gleason arrives the second Jake pulls the trigger, and the emotional Sara falls into Gleason’s arms. She confesses to him that she might be pregnant.

Death and Birth

After Jake’s funeral, Sara heads over to the Curator’s shop and he reveals that he knows about her pregnancy. When Sara finally returns to the police station, she bumps into a girl named Danielle Baptiste. Gleason later visits Sara in her office where she reveals that she had not had sex in over a year. Later, Sara and Gleason would head over to the curator’s shop where she meets Danielle Baptiste again. Danielle agreed to take over the Witchblade for Sara, who was skeptical of giving something so powerful to a complete stranger. However, Sara decides it was best for her new baby to pass the Witchblade on to someone else.

First Born

The Angelus is still searching for a new host, it would eventually try to take Velocity of Cyberforce as its host. However, Cyblade would force the Angelus out of Velocity and it would flee away. The Angelus would eventually take Celestine as the new host. Meanwhile, Jackie Estacado was torturing one of the Armenian Mob’s men when he was interrupted by the Angelus Warriors. After the fight, Sara was asked for any information about Jackie Estacado from her boss. She tells them anything she knew about Estacado, and afterwards went home with Gleason. Back at her apartment, Estacado was waiting for her in her living room. Jackie reveals that he is most likely the father of her baby. He continues to tell her that the Darkness entity itself wanted to have a child with the bearer of the Witchblade, in order to create another entity to aid it in the war against the Angelus. Jackie then reveals that one night, the Darkness took control of him and mated with a comatose Sara while she was in the hospital. Meanwhile, Dani continues to have dreams about previous Witchblade wielders, that day she went to meet a friend just to hang out. Unfortunately, she was interrupted by Celestine, the new Angelus. She is forced to battle the Angelus and her minions, and after she was able to fend them off, went to look for Sara.

Dani comes crashing through the window to warn Sara about that the Angelus was coming. The Angelus arrived shortly afterwards and attempted to take the baby. Sara and Patrick fled while Dani and Jackie fought the Angelus. On their way out, Patrick was wounded by one of Angelus’ henchmen. Eventually, they would have to leave Patrick behind. After Jackie and Dani fended off the Angelus, Jackie took her and Sara to a hidden sanctuary where they meet up with Magdalena. The Angelus is able to track them down to Jackie’s hiding place. Sara is about to give birth soon, so Jackie and Magdalena went outside to try and fend off the Angelus and her minions. Dani stays with Sara to help deliver the baby, and eventually is successful and it was a baby girl. However, Sara seems to have passed out, and when Dani touches Sara, something happens. The Witchblade rejoins with Sara, and when she steps outside holding her baby and confronting the Angelus, Dani stood right behind her also wielding the Witchblade. Apparently, the Witchblade wanted to give its power back to Sara to protect her baby, so it fused half of itself with Sara to keep her alive. The Angelus knocks Sara down and grabs the baby, however, a bright light shines on the baby and everything but Sara, Dani, Jackie, and Magdalena disappeared. Jackie tells Sara that there is nothing left for him there, but if she or the baby ever needed him, he will be back. They kiss and he leaves. A new beginning arises.

Sara is getting used to the life of a mother. An aftermath between the Angelus and Darkness warriors over Hope takes place. Sara kills Angelus warriors, and threatens to kill every last one of them, if they try again.

The Residents

Since her own apartment was destroyed in battle between Angelus and Darkness, she has no place to stay. Gleason offers her to stay at his place, she accepts, however after some time she says that she is not ready to move in with him yet, and finds her own place to stay. Her new apartment is not quite friendly, a ghost of an old woman lives there, and she tries to take Hope’s soul. Sara discovers that Witchblade can harm ghosts as she kills it.

Avent

Sara takes time to visit her sister Julie in prison, and tells her that she’s a mother now. After a while, Sara returns to police work, and her first unusual case. The killings are nicknamed “martyr killings” after the fact that they are killed like 12 martyrs were. When coming back to Hope after another investigation, there Sara finds Dani’s boyfriend, David Worthy, wielding half of the Witchblade. He reveals himself to be, Gerard Irons, Kenneth Irons son. He tries to get Sara’s half too, but Witchblade doesn’t allow it, he then leaves. Sara follows him to a church, where they again fight. Sara throws Gerard off the roof, he lives through the fall, but all his bones are broken. Dani retrieves her half of the Witchblade from him there. On one occasion Sara tackles Aphrodite IV, she doesn’t know why she was targeted by it.

Broken Trinity & War of the Witchblades

During this event, the battle between the Angelus and Darkness wages on. Bearers to two new artifacts are crowned, and during a final confrontation. The Angelus is killed by the Bloodsword withheld by Jackie Estacado. While this event happens, Sara is just in aid in ending the fight against Celestine. In addition, Hope is being baby-sat by Danielle Baptiste. Following the end to the Broken Trinity, Sara begins to be highly influenced by the Darkness half of the Witchblade. Furthermore, she is being manipulated by an entity called Tau’ma. Wanting the balance to be once again restored, a battle wages between the bearers of the blade. In the end the one to rise victorious is indeed Sara Pezzini, only by killing her “sister” in the process. Still influenced by this dark being, Sara Pezzini awaits another confrontation from the newest Angelus. The friend of Danielle Baptiste, Finch, who arrives just in time to heal the wounded Dani and transfer the Angelus power to her. Now acting as the Angelus, Dani quickly duels with Sara before healing the Darkness within her. Both women renew their friendships before Dani uses her abilities to restore the Brooklyn Bridge to normal before teleporting everyone away from the gathering crowd and leading the Angelus Warriors to a new destination.

Under the Bridge

In Under the Bridge, Sara and Gleason, while on vacation get involed in child abduction case that leads them something they never saw coming.

Artifacts

(This is not a summary of the entire event its just what Sara witnesses)

This Artifacts, begins at a carnival where Aphrodite IV kidnaps Hope Pezzini and kills Hope’s aunt, Julie Pezzini. Sara and Gleason arrive at the crime scene, While Sara morons Gleason sends messages to Jackie and Dani for help. Dani and Jackie make it to the scene and soon after Tom Judge, bearer of the Rapture, appears explaining that the Curator warned him about an event that involves the The 13 Artifacts and Hope. Then the group relocates to an abandoned church.

Tom explains further detail about the current events involving Hope and the other Artifact bearers, and how this event can end the world and when Tilly Grimes, a friend of Tom’s, arrives she explains “saving the world and saving Hope are the same thing” When seeking help, Jackie and Sara go to the home of Abigail van Alstine, (the Necromancer) and bearer of The Heart Stone. Patience, The Magdalena and bearer of The Spear of Destiny, arrives at the church while working on her own investigation, Sara explains the situation and asks for help. Afterwards Tilly Grimes explains that they need to find the thirteenth Artifact bearer.

Sara, Dani, and Jackie go to the business of the Curator to seeking information about thirteenth Artifact. Sara and Dani go inside find the Curator in a possessed state. He tells them “there is no hope” and then he explodes. After Sara and Dani get up from the rubble they explain to Jackie what the Curator said before the blast, then Jackie tells them that Finnegan, bearer of the Glacier Stone, called to explain that The Blood Sword was stolen. Sara and Jackie agree the after reporting back to Tom Judge that they will focus on finding Hope.

When back at the church, Sara argues with Tom Judge as he tries to convince her to stay with the group. As Sara and Jackie start to leave, Aphrodite IV comes through the door and is immediately attacked by Sara. Aphrodite IV is added by Cyberforce who then attacks the Artifact bearers.

During the battle Sara realizes that Aphrodite IV is empowered by the Coin of Solomon. The Battle ends after Aphrodite is gunned down by the Cyberforce member, Ballistic. The members of Cyberforce explain that the assault was due to a lie that Aphrodite IV told them. Sara explains the situation team and afterwards Aphrodite reboots and attacks everyone with the power of the Coin of Solomon. Sara attacks her from behind and rips the Coin of Solomon from Aphrodite’s chest.

Sara later discovers the man she know as the Curator was in fact the last survivor of the previous universe. He sought to use the 13 artifacts and Hope (who was the universal codex for the current universe) to recreate his reality. He is thwarted but rather than restore reality to what it was, and loose Hope, Jackie Estacado recreates reality to suit his desires.

In the aftermath Sara is forced to resign from the police force as an Internal Affairs investigator has Jake’s file on Sara and the Witchblade. She moves to Chicago after resigning and sets herself up as a private investigator.

Characteristics

• Height: 5’9”
• Weight: 134lbs
• Eyes: Brown
• Hair: Brown
• Statistics: 38-27-37

Powers and Abilities

Sara Pezzini herself has no superhuman abilities. Her power resides within the Witchblade and is limited only by her imagination. Some abilities she’s demonstrated so far are:

• Super Strength
• Enhanced vision
• Flight
• Energy Blast
• Creating Weapons
• Wall Clinging
• Healing
• Reanimate dead bodies
• Infrared vision
• Creating body armor and shields
• Creating wings to for flight

In addition to the Witchblade, Sara is a detective and is well trained in hand to hand combat and the use of Guns. She’s also a highly athletic individual and seems to have slightly more stamina than most individuals. She’s also more agile than most as well.

Other Media

• Moore Action Collectibles released several different Witchblade/Sara Pezzini action figures in 1999.
• Sara was also featured as the protagonist in the live-action TV adaptation of Witchblade. She was played by actress Yancy Butler.

Popular Recognition

Stating that her “mystical artifact was heavy on the hotness factor,” Sara Pezzini as the original Witchblade was ranked 7th in Comic Buyer’s Guide’s 100 Sexiest Women in Comics.