PROVIDENCE
Real Name: Cassandra Newland
Class: Human / cosmic entity gestalt
Occupation: Seer
Group Affiliation: Cabal
Known Relatives: unnamed parents
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Providence, RI, Earth-50
First Appearance: WildC.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams (Image) #1 (August, 1992)
Powers: Providence could travel virtually anywhere through time and space through teleportation. She possessed precognition, cosmic awareness, telekinesis and could generate and control quantum energy.
History: (WildC.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams (Image) #1) - Helspont founded the Cabal, a group of Daemonites and quisling human allies dedicated to paving the way for an invasion of Earth by the Daemonites. Providence was a woman bonded to one of the Orbs of Power. Jacob Marlowe, aka Lord Emp, founded the WildC.A.T.S., a team of Kherubim to oppose them. Alberto Cassini sold out the Cabal, selling information about Voodoo, a woman who could see Daemonites possessing humans and exorcise them, to Gnome, who passed the information to Marlowe. Helspont had Pike murder Cassini and sent a Coda warrior and two Daemonites to the Hot Spot, the stripclub where Voodoo worked. The Cabal operatives and the WildC.A.T.S. fought over Voodoo, with the battle ending when the fatally wounded Coda warrior set off an explosive on her body, blowing up the Hot Spot. Helspont checked in with B’lial, a Daemonite mole posing as Vice President Dan Quayle.
(WildC.A.T.S Special #1) - With the dissolution of the Cabal Providence had visions of the future that led her back to her hometown and namesake of Providence, Rhode Island. She no longer had an emotional connection to her childhood home, but wondered if it was an anchor for her, because although the future was often clear to her, her own future was shrouded. A Daemonite possessing Hollywood actor William Desmond lost his host when he overdosed, and he took over his attending physician Dr. Heath. He contacted Gnome, looking for a more suitable host body. He learned about a gifted one born in Yugoslavia that would be a suitable hoot, and assigned Providence to guide the Daemonite there. Gnome knew the WildC.A.T.S. were after the gifted child and contacted Baroness Destine, the ruler of Yugoslavia, warning her about them in an attempt to get back at Lord Emp. Providence was not thrilled that a Daemonite assumed she’d be at his beck and call because she’d served Helspont, and told him the cost of possessing the child would be high. Emp put Voodoo and Grifter on the ground, with the rest of the team ready to back them up in their MIIRV. By talking to a bartended he knew Grifter learned about Eliska the Witch, a woman who had precog abilities and had just given birth. They arrived at Eliska’s house to find Destine, Providence and the Daemonite, who’d taken possession of the child. Voodoo was troubled by Providence, saying she sensed no evil in her, and Providence responded that she simply ensured events came to pass as they were destined to. Voodoo exorcised the Daemonite, and when their teammates came in as backup Warblade slew him. Grifter shot Destine through the chest, and Zealot was troubled that she did not feel her die even though all Coda were bonded. The WildC.A.T.S. brought Eliska and the child back to their ship, saying the child had a lot to learn about their Kherubim heritage.
(WildC.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams (Image) #10, 11) - Immortal sorceress Tapestry hired Triad and Providence to attack the WildC.A.T.S. Jacob Marlowe was meeting with his old friend Alabaster Wu, who’d piloted a starship across thousands of worlds trying to escape the Raksha. A Raksha had possessed Voodoo, who convinced the WildC.A.T.S that Wu was the enemy and was trying to kill Marlowe. Void warped the WildC.A.T.S to Marlowe’s side, only to be ambushed by the Triad. The WildC.A.T.S realized Voodoo had betrayed them and engaged in battle with the Triad, who’d learned from their previous encounters, making them much more formidable opponents. Providence and Void fought, with Providence reminding her they were both incarnations of the Orbs of Power, the only difference between them being who they chose to serve. The Triad were victorious, and Tapestry and her lover Soma paid them off, saying their business was concluded. Attica said they couldn’t call their victory complete until Zealot and Grifter, who were missing from the battle, were defeated, so Tapestry agreed to give them a new assignment. Zealot, Huntsman and Miranda Tai rushed to the scene, with Zealot suffering from septic shock due to her injuries she’d suffered during the fight with the Raksha. At the sight of Tapestry Zealot decided they should make a tactical retreat. She contacted Savant, calling in a favor, and in turn Savant got in contact with Soldier and Majestic. Tapestry and Soma kept the WildC.A.T.S in captivity, but Providence refused to leave Void’s side, saying they both served a higher power. Tapestry told her she didn’t understand her own power or what she was a fragment of. She melded Void and Providence together, intending to fuse them into an Orb of Power for her own use. Tapestry probed Jacob Marlowe’s memories and the formation of his WildC.A.T.S. She then changed the past, so that Zealot killed Grifter and Tapestry killed Lord Emp to protect him. She promised him that if he gave himself to her body and soul they would be unstoppable together.
(WildC.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams (Image) #12, 13) - The Triad pursued Zealot, Miranda and Huntsman, with H.A.R.M. launching missiles that scorched whole city blocks in Brooklyn. Attica was concerned about the attention they were attracting and suggested moving in for the kill in close quarters. Tapestry continued to reweave the histories and souls of the WildC.A.T.S making them into her loyal servants. Voodoo’s Raksha demanded to be fed, so Lord Emp called his assistants Jules and Stansfield to meet them and act as a sacrifice. Voodoo rebelled against hurting her friends, fighting the Raksha on the psychic plane. Huntsman was prepared to make a final stand against the Triad, asking Zealot to guard Miranda. Zealot’s wounds she’d suffered from the Raksha grew infected and she felt herself becoming possessed., but fought off the demonic control. Huntsman fought bravely, but was seemingly incinerated by Slag, who was always pleased to inflict pain. Miranda had a violent reaction to Huntsman’s seeming passing and Zealot went into battle against the Triad, but was surprised to find Huntsman unharmed. Zealot tapped into her magical abilities, casting a spell that turned slag back into a human being. Huntsman was impressed, but Zealot told him she’d just damned her soul. Savant, Majestic and Soldier arrived in time to take out the rest of the Triad, but Savant was distraught that they’d arrived after Zealot had been forced to cast a spell. Grifter arrived on the scene to offer his support asthey prepared to confront Tapestry. Tapestry was watching them through a scrying spell and gloated that Zealot’s soul would forever belong to her. Jules and Stansfield, trusting Voodoo implicitly, lent their lifeforce to her to help her exorcise the Raksha. Zealot and company battled against the WildC.A.T.S and Alabaster Wu, who were now all loyal creations of Tapestry. Zealot and Tapestry engaged in a sorceress’ duel, but were quickly stalemated. Miranda Tai took a shard of an Orb of Power from Savants bag, swinging the battle in Zealot’s favor. The battle left Tapestry injured, and Soma fled with her, telling Zealot he’d kill her for harming his mistress. Savant told everyone that the magic Zealot used was learned from Tapestry herself, who’d always wanted to craft Zealot in her old image. She claimed the power was bound to corrupt Zealot, and she had to die. Majestic said that as a Kherubim lord hee agreed and had the authority to pass sentence on Zealot. Zealot agreed that she would eventually be unable to control her magical powers, and wished she could purge therself of them. Voodoo came to her aid, helping her purge Tapestry’s magic, and in the process returning the WildC.A.T.S to normal. Emp agreed to give Alabaster Wu the Brooklyn dockyards so that he could resettle his people and save lives.
Comments: Created by Brandon Choi & Jim Lee.
Providence was originally published by Wildstorm Comics, an imprint of Image Comics, which DC acquired the rights to in January, 1999.
Providence's appearance in WildC.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams (Image) #1 was reprinted in Millennium Edition: WildC.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams #1. WildC.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams (Image) #1, 10-13 was reprinted in Absolute WildC.A.T.S. Her appearance in WildC.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams (Image) #1, 10-12, WildC.A.T.S Special #1 was republished by DC Comics in a digital format.
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