Talisman

Origin

Every 10,000 years the planets align in such a fashion that allows evil to gain the upper hand on Earth. Around 20 millennium ago, Llan the Sorcerer was evil’s choice to run rampant on Earth. He devised a plan to unleash the Twisted World’s armies on Earth from another dimension by opening the Gateway of Night. Earth’s gods chose the original Talisman to fight for them bestowing Talisman with the mystic Coronet of Enchantment. The first Talisman defeated Llan by cursing him when failed to adhere to the rules of engagement by having others worship him; 10,000 years later, her reincarnation, Nahita of the Elk Tribe joined the Tribe of the Moon as the new Talisman, and she also came face to face with Llan. She bonded him into an idol form via the curse until the next conjunction. Nahita was reincarnated recently as Elizabeth Twoyoungmen.

Creation

Talisman (Elizabeth Twoyoungmen) was created by John Byrne and first appeared in Alpha Flight Volume 1 issue 5 (1983).

Major Story Arcs

Alpha Flight

When her physician father Shaman could do nothing to save her mother from dying from cancer, Talisman disowned him. Years afterward, while in college studying archeology, she uncovered a human skull during a dig. Once she touched the skull, she released an ancient spirit of the Great Beast Ranaq and had to search out her father for his help. She accompanied Shaman as he battled Ranaq and was struck by a mystic blast which she instinctively redirected back to the Beast. With her help, Shaman was able to defeat the Beast and began having suspicions that his daughter was the prophesied Talisman.

When he introduced her to his Alpha Flight teammate Snowbird, his suspicions were proven correct by her bowing to Elizabeth. Shaman then had Elizabeth reach into his pouch and withdraw a magic circlet known as the Coronet of Enchantment, and, upon his instruction, put it on her bow. She was transformed into a person of immense mystic ability.

Joining Alpha Flight

Soon after, she joined her father in Alpha Flight, gradually forgiving him for his perceived past failings. Liz went on to assist the Alpha Flight in battling the Berserkers, Caliber and also venturing with them to the Realm of the Great Beasts to rescue the spirit of their beloved teammate Sasquatch. During a battle with Omega Flight, Shaman’s pouch was turned inside out. Fearing what could happen he asked Liz to go inside and collapse it’s interior. He promised she would be safe, but he was distracted, and she ended up getting trapped inside. Luckily the Beyonder set her free, but she once again lost her trust in her father and quit the team in disgust.

The Coronet amplified her anger and immaturity. When Shaman was trying to find a safe place for Snowbird to deliver her baby, Liz misdirected him to where F.R. Crozier’s hate-filled spirit was located. She intended for his spirit to possess the newborn child. Once possessed the child became Pestilence and began defeating Alpha Flight. Liz wanted her father and the rest of Alpha Flight to fail so that she could swoop in and save the day where they could not. She figured she could control the spirit but since Crozier had never died, he was beyond her control and in control of power comparable to demi-gods. Pestilence ripped the Coronet from Liz’s head reducing her back to a mere mortal. Shaman took on the responsibility of Talisman so that his daughter could lead a normal life. This act finally proved to Liz how much her father actually loved her.

Dreamqueen

With things back to normal, Liz decided to resume her schooling and strive for her degree. The Dreamqueen had other plans for her though. The Dreamqueen tried forcing Liz to touch a dream totem which would allow her to tap into Liz’s dormant powers giving her access to the waking world. This caused her powers to awaken once more which destroyed the totem and freed the Dreamqueen’s pawns. Through a vision, Liz realized the Dreamqueen had also targeted Alpha Flight. She tried to reach her old teammates but arrived too late. With the Dreamqueen released into the real world, Liz knew she had to accept her destiny as Talisman. She went to her father and convinced him she was now mature enough and ready to take on the responsibilities of Talisman. Fresh with all her powers once more, Talisman led Alpha Flight against the Dreamqueen and they were able to banish her to another dimension.

Omega Flight

Talisman joined the Canadian superhero team known as Omega Flight, a newly established team formed of former member of Alpha Flight and American heroes that had fled the country for the Superhuman Registration Act. She was teammates with US Agent, the second Spider-Woman, the alien Beta Ray Bill and original Alpha Flight founding member Sasquatch as they were teamed up with Michael Pointer, the man unwillingly responsible for the deaths of most of the members of Alpha Flight.Talisman was a vital member of the team, the team however soon dissolved when the Registration Act was cancelled and most of the American heroes returned to the United States. The rest of the members rejoined the newly returned Alpha Flight some months later.

World War Wendigo

When Wolverine (now without his healing factor) travels to Canada to respond to a distress call from Heather Hudson, he encounters the Wendigo. The Curse of the Wendigo affects all those in Canada at an alarming rate. The Amazing X-Men (Storm, Northstar, Firestar, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Iceman) travel to Canada to find Wolverine. They end up battling the scores of Wendigo, alongside the members of Alpha Flight, while the Avengers attempt to keep them from entering the United States. As it turns out, when the pass over the border, the curse is lifted. At the start of the outbreak, Talisman was called in to find a magical solution. She was about to fix the entire situation by reversing the curse when a Wendigo-Wolverine stabs her in the abdomen and chest, fatally wounding her.

Powers

As the Talisman, Liz wears the Coronet of Enchantment that allows her to tap into the Earth’s available mystic energy, enabling her to cast a near infinite variety of spells for effects ranging from astral travel, prophetic vision, flight via levitation, energy projection, magic shields, empathic bonding, matter manipulation, teleportation of herself and other hundreds of miles, opening of dimensional portals, temporal alignment to view the events of the past, and sensing and neutralizing magic, among others. While wearing the Coronet, Liz does not require food or sleep. The Coronet also provides Talisman with vast knowledge of the magical world. As the Binder of Spirits, Talisman’s control over spirit is absolute. She can command the spirits of the natural word to do her bidding, such as calling on spirits on the wind to deliver mystic summons, calling on the spirits of stone to create golem-like constructs. She can also command the spirits of the dead such as to form an undead army, and even can control the spiritual manifestation of the Great Beasts themselves. Without the Coronet, Talisman can redirect magical energy used against her, and can see spirits and through masking spells. She has a limited amount of hand-to-hand fighting training. She is also fluent in Sarcee.

Status

• Known Relatives: Dr. Michael Twoyoungmen aka Shaman (father, deceased), Katheryn Twoyoungmen (mother, deceased), unnamed great grandfather (deceased), Claire and Ramsey McNeil (foster parents), Heather McNeil Hudson aka Vindicator II (foster sister, deceased), Becky McNeil and six unnamed brothers (foster siblings).
• Citizenship: Canadian.
• Place of Birth: Canada.
• Marital Status: Single.
• Occupation: Adventurer, archeologist.
• Education: University.

Characteristics

• Gender: Female
• Height: 5′ 8″
• Weight: 132 lbs (60 kg)
• Eyes: Brown
• Hair: Black / Blue