CLARICE SACKVILLE

Real Name: Clarice Sackville

Class: Human magic-user

Occupation: Magician

Group Affiliation: Tate Club

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Soho, England

First Appearance: Hellblazer #134 (February, 1999)

Powers: Clarice was a magician, and could summon demons and create magic wards.

History

(Hellblazer #177-180) - Clarice and members of the Tate Club went in with Domine Fredericks to purchase the Red Sepulchre, but Domine had the seller Scrape killed before learning what it looked like, and hoped the club members could help. John Constantine was investigating the disappearance of his niece Gemma, and visited Tate. She had been handed over to criminal Domine by the members of the club, but there was no way they'd tell him that. He asked Clarice if she was surprised to see him back from the dead, but she was unphased, just warning him not to die again and let his act go stale. She refused to tell John anything about the current magic scene, and John could tell she was deathly scared of someone. Clarice was later at a Tate's meeting of magicians, some of whom were furious that Constantine was in town, fearing he was after the Sepulchre, and others feared Fredricks no longer needed their help, and they would become disposable. They turned out to be right, as Domine sent a hit-squad to the club, who set a fire and then opened fire on the fleeing magicians. Albert helped Clarice escape the back way, and she opined that she was getting too old for such nonsense. They hid out and used the corpse of their fellow magician Packer to summon a demon, tying it to Packer's body so it was forced to do their bidding. They sent it against Fredericks, but his goons managed to send it back to Hell. Fredericks sent John and two of his goons to kill her over John's objections. John knew where Clarice's safehouse was, but managed to call her and warn her when the goons threw a grenade through her window. John cast a spell of misdirection to save their lives, and returned to Frederick's. He'd figured out that a drawstring was the Red Sepulchre, or the holy knot the Phansigars used to strangle their victims. Touched with a person's blood it let Kali possess them, and that's just what John did to one of Frederick's men. He explained all this to Fredericks while Clarice cast a spell severing Frederick's control over Gemma. The man possessed by Kali killed all of Frederick's men before snapping Frederick's neck. John dispelled the goddess, burned the knot, and the whole affair was finally finished. Clarice and John went to Packer's funeral, and he forgave her for involving his niece to such a dangerous affair.

(Hellblazer #181) - Frederick's friends summoned the demonic Lukhavim to claim John's soul. Clarice knew their weakness, and tattooed John with the protective seal of Hermes, but advised he find some way to protect his soul.

Comments: Created by Warren Ellis & John Higgins.

Clarice had a cameo in Hellblazer #183

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