Tessa

Tessa
Profile
Origin	Third Earth
Group	Warrior Maidens
Weapons & Accessories
Weapons	Darkling Powers, Spear, Knife
Accessories	Silver Rings

Tessa is a Warrior Maiden of the Treetop Kingdom. She is proficient with bows and spears and, for a time, possessed dark magic which enabled her to hurl powerful energy bolts. Tessa is fiercely loyal to her fellow maidens but is of a peaceful nature. She is also a friend to the ThunderCats, especially Panthro.

History

Before the arrival of the ThunderCats on Third Earth, Tessa’s tribe incurred the wrath of Mumm-Ra who sent the Dagger Mist to punish them. Their weapons were powerless against it and they had to watch as it destroyed their village and threatened their extinction. Despite warnings from the time of her birth, Tessa became so desperate that she sought forbidden powers. Thus filled with darkling energy, she confronted the Dagger Mist and destroyed it. For a while, she was treated as a hero but she was unable to control her powers until it was discovered that silver rings could contain them. Over time, they became more erratic, however, and Tessa felt that she was too great a danger and left the Treetop Kingdom.

She unwittingly strayed into the realm of the Rockmen and was attacked by them. She was unwilling to use her powers against them, though when Panthro rescued her, she did fight back with her fighting skills. Trapped together in a cave, the ThunderCat persuaded her to charge the damaged ThunderTank and this finally freed her of her powers. After defeating the Rockmen, she returned to the Treetop Kingdom and was invited by Willa to live with her people again, giving Panthro her silver rings as a memento.

Later on, Tygra is bitten by a Wood Lucifer Bug and driven mad, threatening to spread the illness to others. When he is captured by the Warrior Maidens, Tessa prevents Willa from killing him, persuading her that they must inform the ThunderCats. She takes the news to Cats’ Lair and returns to the forest with Lion-O, who is able to save his fellow ThunderCat.

Appearance

Tessa is tall, athletic and blonde haired. Like other warrior maidens, she is dressed in simple furs and a belt. She always carries her knife on her belt. Unusually for her kind, she also wears boots. For a time, she wore a silver ring on each finger to control her powers, though she gave these to Panthro as a memento when she no longer needed them.

Weapons

Like all warrior maidens, Tessa is strong, agile and skilled in hand to hand combat. She is experienced in the use of spears and clubs and always carries a knife in her belt. Unlike her sister maidens, she was also endowed with energy after summoning dark magic to combat the Dagger Mist. This made her a living battery, able to shoot destructive bolts from her hands. Unlike her combat skills, however, she was never able to bring these powers under control and was grateful to lose them during the events of Siege in Silver and Stone.

Quotes

• "I found ways to weave a spell , one that filled me with darkling power." Siege in Silver and Stone
• "I left my village, my friends... my sisters." Siege in Silver and Stone

Gallery

Appearances

• Siege in Silver and Stone (Star Comics Issue 3, Marvel Comics Issue 1 and 2 and ThunderCats Annual 1988).
• Rampage! part 2 (Marvel Comics Issue 48).