| “ | You surrendered yourselves to me. My control may have weakened, but not your obligation. I OWN YOU ALL! And I choose to keep what's mine, trapped within my Seal! | „ |
| ~ Nerissa trapping Cassidy, Halinor, Kadma and Yan Lin in her Seal after they're freed from her control. |
Nerissa Crossnic is a major antagonist from the Italian Disney comic book W.I.T.C.H. and the animated series of the same name, serving as a main antagonist in Season Two. Her aliases made several appearances during Season One, but her true nature was not revealed until Season Two.
In the English dubbed version of the animated series, she was voiced by the veteran voice actress Kath Soucie (who also voiced Morgana Macawber in Darkwing Duck, The Master in Fallout, Mary Ann Smith and Julie Smith in The Powerpuff Girls, Michelle in Futurama, Jason Hightower in Totally Spies, The Enchantress from Beauty and the Beast (1991), Shock in the Kingdom Hearts series, Irene Corts in Jurassic Park: Dinosaur Battles, the Lunch Lady Ghost in Danny Phantom, Beverly Jones in All Grown Up!, Madison Wolfsbottom in Clifford's Really Big Movie, Ginger and Taro in The Hiro's, Charlotte the Babysitter in Drawn Together, Professor Hinkle in The Legend of Frosty the Snowman, Erzsebet Ondrushko in Hellboy: Blood and Iron, Maketh Tua in Star Wars Rebels, Claudette Dupri in New Looney Tunes and Peej in OK K.O.! Let's be Heroes) in one of her very few villainous roles. In her other forms, she was voiced by Candi Milo in her Trill disguise and B.J. Ward in her Mage disguise. In the Italian version, she was voiced by Cristina Giolitti.
Story[]
Nerissa was once the holder of the Heart of Kandrakar and the Guardian of Quintessence, but it was taken from her because she was corrupted by its power. Mad with jealousy, she turned on her fellow Guardians and accidentally killed Cassidy by shooting her off a cliff with lightning during a fight for the Heart of Kandrakar. For this crime, she was sentenced to be sealed in Mount Thanos until she was freed by a portal (in the comics the occurrence of all elements combined in one evanescent being). She went trough the portal to Meridian where she met the Mage, who had hoped that she would reform if shown compassion.
After the Mage's death, Nerissa took over her identity and manipulated events in Meridian from behind the scenes. She also disguised herself as a red-headed lady named Trill during the reign of Prince Phobos. Taking up work in Phobos's castle in order to feed information back to the rebels, and to become close to Elyon Brown once she was returned to the throne. In season two, she successfully siphons all of her powers into a jewel, which becomes the jewel version of the Heart of Meridian.
As the former holder of the Heart of Kandrakar, Nerissa has the same powers as the current holder and Guardian of Quintessence, Will Vandom.
Biography[]
Chronology: Animated Series[]
Old-aged Nerissa holds both her beloved sceptre (the Seal of Nerissa), and the stolen Heart of Meridian.
Some 40 years prior to the events of W.I.T.C.H., Nerissa served as the leader of the Guardians of the Veil and as the Keeper of the Heart of Kandrakar. She was the Guardian of Quintessence. However, the Council of Kandrakar feared that the power of the Heart was corrupting her, and took it from her believing that doing so would save her from her newly discovered lust for power.
Desperate to regain the Heart, the ambitious Nerissa confronted the new holder of the Heart, Cassidy, the Guardian of Water. The pair fought, and Nerissa accidentally sent Cassidy plummeting to her death from the top of a mountain. As punishment for killing her, Nerissa was sentenced to a lifetime of imprisonment in an ice cave on Mount Thanos. When the Veil was raised, a portal opened in Mount Thanos and Nerissa used it to escape to Meridian. Later, the Mage helped her, hoping that her guilt and an act of compassion would reform her.
Nerissa laid low during Phobos' reign (before and during season 1). She created a new identity that of a good natured red-headed lady called Trill, and used her cunning and magic to gain employment in Phobos' castle, from where she helped the resistance by smuggling people inside/outside of the castle in addition to passing on information. Her true nature was not revealed during this time.
During this period, she also took over the identity of her former protector the Mage (who had since died). She married the future rebel leader's father, Julian. Together they had a child, Caleb, who became the leader of the resistance. Nerissa later revealed that she had given birth to Caleb specifically for the purpose of him becoming the rebel leader (In the comic book continuity, Nerissa did not take on the identity of the Mage who only appears in the animated series, and is not related to Caleb who was created rather than born, and has no parents). Caleb did not learn of his relationship to Nerissa until season 2.
After Phobos' downfall, Nerissa became the primary antagonist and began to move against the Guardians. She freed some of Phobos' minions as she forms her new minions the Knights of Vengeance and set them against the Guardians. Also, she attempted to subvert and disrupt their daily lives on Earth.
In her identity as Trill, Nerissa also befriended Elyon, giving her a necklace that she said had once belonged to Elyon's birth parents. Unbeknownst to Elyon, the necklace was slowly siphoning her powers, and when she was tricked into hating her parents and throwing away the necklace they had left for her, her powers went with it. (Nerissa could not have taken Elyon's powers by force, but was able to steal them as they were given away freely.) Nerissa then revealed her true identity, and trapped Elyon inside the necklace, which was now the physical embodiment of the Heart of Meridian.
With the power of the Heart of Meridian, Nerissa became far stronger. She ceased using Phobos's minions and fashioned her own out of fire, ice, rock, and the forms of Matthew Olsen and Mister Huggles, naming them the Knights of Destruction.
While the Knights kept the Guardians busy, Nerissa set about reforming the original Guardians: Halinor, Yan Lin, Kadma, and the revived spirit of Cassidy. She found the weaknesses in all of their personality traits and exploited them in order to take control of their minds. Aided by her magic scepter known as the Seal of Nerissa (formed by combining the Heart of Meridian with the Heart of Zamballa), she then drained her Knights of their power (destroying two of them in the process) and used it to re-energize her Guardian mind slaves, restoring their youth and power.
Nerissa used the former Guardians to fight the current Guardians in an element versus element battle in which Will had promised not to retreat. At first, Nerissa's Guardians, powered by two Hearts, had the upper hand, until Will realized that the former Guardians were strong when fighting their opposite elemental number, but lacked the free will necessary to diversify their attacks in order to fight against a different element. This change of tactics allowed the Guardians to defeat Nerissa and force her to retreat.
When the current Guardians next fought Nerissa, they were able to break her spell of control over the former Guardians. Once Cassidy was freed by Irma (she was thrown in a pool, and Irma used her skill to influence minds to dispel Nerissa's brainwashing), the others soon followed. However, before they could press home their advantage, Nerissa absorbed the former Guardians into her Seal, allowing herself to gain access all of their powers. Only the intervention of the newly-freed Phobos prevented her from turning her new elemental powers against the Guardians, and she was forced her to retreat once more.
Nerissa's final defeat came on Halloween, when she attempted to steal the power of the Heart of Earth from Cornelia's younger sister, Lilian Hale. After cornering and capturing Napoleon the cat, one of the Regents of Earth, Phobos (disguised as Napoleon) drained Nerissa of her powers and took the Seal of Nerissa, later the Scepter of Phobos, for his own. He then trapped Nerissa in the Seal along with Elyon, Yan Lin, and the other former Guardians. The former of whom had since learned to reabsorb enough of her powers from the Seal to allow her to exact punishment on the trapped Nerissa for her treachery.
Nerissa remained trapped in the late Queen Weira's jewel, which was the jewel version of the Heart of Meridian, and was passed into the hands of Julian and Caleb. Nerissa is trapped inside, living out her dream of conquering the universe with her husband and son by her side, not realizing that it is an illusion.
Chronology: Comic Book[]
The previous keeper of the Heart of Kandrakar, Nerissa was consumed by the immense power the Heart gave her and eventually began to descend into evil. The Oracle sensed this and decided that she was no longer fit to keep the Heart. When he entrusted it to Cassidy (who was then the Guardian of Water), it drove Nerissa over the edge. Mad with jealousy, she turned on her fellow Guardians and killed Cassidy. When she was defeated, she was sentenced to be sealed in a coffin located in Mount Thanos until the day all of the Aurameres were joined together. That eventually came to pass through the efforts of Luba, who was convinced that the girls were unworthy of their status as Guardians.
Awakened from her slumber, Nerissa got her teenage looks back, created the Four Knights of Revenge, and tricked Will into giving her the Heart, declaring war against Kandrakar. After losing strength in the battle with the Guardians in Kandrakar, Nerissa re-absorbed the magic she used to create her Knights of Revenge, destroying them automatically. In the end, the Guardians combined their powers and directed them at Nerissa at once, vanquishing her for once and for all.
One of Nerissa's more insidious powers is her ability to change the girls' dreams, turning them into nightmares. The dreams may occasionally affect the real world as well. At the beginning of the second arc, Will's arm is branded with Nerissa's special seal (shaped like the Heart of Kandrakar, but with one scar-like line crossing it) during a dream. It is implied that Hay Lin is less susceptible to these fiendish assaults, since her grandmother, Yan Lin, was Nerissa's best friend before their group was dispersed. One sequence sees the team confronting their tormentor in the so-called "World of Nightmares", entering a "mutual dream" by going to sleep in the same room. This is another episode which stresses the importance of unity the girls manage to survive the dream because they are together, as opposed to being attacked one by one. They succeed in trapping Nerissa in the Heart, and then wake up. However, they find she was only defeated in the realm of dreams, and that they still had to face her in reality.
Personality[]
Nerissa is calm and calculating, and she will step on or over anybody in order to further her cause. She even gave birth to a son so that he could overcome her enemies and lay down the foundations for her rise to power. She has an unshakable belief that it is her right to take control of the universe and to reshape it in her own image.
Despite her calm exterior she is prone to fits of emotion (as shown when her son Caleb refused to join with her) and, although she does not show it, Nerissa is consumed by feelings of guilt over Cassidy's death and in one episode when Yan Lin says to her "Are you going to destroy us like you destroyed her, does her memory mean so little to you?" Nerissa responds with strong emotion "You have no idea what she meant to me" before screaming "This is not over" and fleeing, leaving Yan Lin and the Guardians alive even though she could quite easily have destroyed them.
Nerissa is also a very skilled actress, as she was able to fool everyone, including the Oracle that she was the Mage and Trill without giving away suspicion, until she exposed herself. She was also able to fool Kadma and Will when she was running away from them in order to get Kadma to absorb the Heart of Meridian into the Heart of Zamballa, and fool the Guardians that she did not want them to rescue Yan Lin. It is obvious from that she also has a lot of patience, as she was forced to wait approximately 14 years to get the Heart of Meridian.
Powers and Abilities[]
The Seal of Nerissa
As the former holder of the Heart of Kandrakar, Nerissa has all of the same powers as the current Guardian Will, although she is much more experienced in using them, and much more aware of their true potential, than her younger counterpart.
Her elemental power/ability is Quintessence (pure life energy), which can bestow life in inanimate objects and electrical appliances. It can also be used like conventional electricity, allowing her to attack an opponent using immensely strong and powerful whitish blue lightning bolts and to form a whitish blue electrical shield and barrier around herself and others that can withstand even the strongest and most powerful of attacks.
Nerissa can even create new life, as she did in order to create Ember and Tridart. Nerissa's ability to use Quintessence is so advanced that she is able to raise the dead (As seen when she raised the spirit of the former Guardian of Water, Cassidy, which she then bound to the mortal world using the Heart of Meridian). She is also an illusionist able to change her own appearance and to twist the minds of others to her will, however because she isn't actually changing the shape of her body, her shadow can still be seen in her true form. This allowed the girls to find out who she was when she transformed into the Oracle, trying to get the Heart from Will in "I is for Illusion".
Nerissa also possesses a terrifying ability. She can easily control and manipulate the dreams of others. She displays this ability in the episode "E is for Enemy" when she attacks the Guardians in their dreams. She even causes these dreams to manifest in real life, drenching Cornelia with water and taking most of Irma's voice away. When the Guardians faced her in a "mutual dream" they were able to defeat her and create a psychic backlash, which knocked her from the dream plane.
She also seems to possess the power and ability of telekinesis, as during her time as posing as the Mage she was able to telekinetically levitate the Tonga Tooth that she had taken from Blunk claiming that there was a spell on it. She has a high knowledge of spells, as she was able to place a spell on Blunk's Tonga Tooth enabling her to track the folding movements, and knowing spells to control the minds of other (as she did with the other members of C.H.Y.K.N.), and presumably many other whilst posing as the Mage,.
Nerissa supplemented her former Guardian powers/abilities using the Heart of Meridian, which she stole from Elyon, allowing her to teleport freely, even between dimensions, and greatly strengthening and enhancing all of her existing powers and abilities to even greater power levels. Later, Nerissa tricks Kadma, the former Guardian of Earth, into merging the Heart of Meridian and the Heart of Zamballa, and takes control of both Hearts, fusing them together to become the full-powered version of the Seal of Nerissa, her namesake magic sceptre. Further strengthening and amplifying all of her powers in all respects, and raising her control and manipulation of Quintessence to the power level where she was able to turn Cassidy's spirit into pure flesh and blood. Nerissa later gains control and manipulation over all five elements, Water, Fire, Earth, Air, and Quintessence, when she absorbs her former friends into her Seal.
Quotes[]
| “ | So, now it all begins. | „ |
| ~ Nerissa foreboding the earnest start of her schemes following the dethroning of Prince Phobos. |
| “ | Disgusting. Still, my fault for betting on a cheap knockoff. All it had to do was quietly replace the Guardian, but no. Might as well take advantage of the distraction. (*shoots lightning at Will, but the latter's Altermere takes it for her*) Well, that was irritatingly heroic. | „ |
| ~ Nerissa killing Will's Altermere. |
| “ | Nerissa (as Trill): (*holding Blunk's Tooth of Tonga*) Ooh, this trinket is… Queen Elyon, what is wrong? Elyon: How could you all lie to me about my birth parents? Alborn: What? Miriadel: Elyon, we'd never... Nerissa (as Trill): How could you say such a thi- Elyon: Weira and Zayden were horrible people! They didn't love me. Nerissa (as Trill): Your mother loved you! She left you that jewel! Elyon: Take it back! I don't want it! (*Elyon tosses her mother's jewel to Nerissa who catches it and starts laughing before shedding off her Trill disguise, shocking everyone. Elyon then attempts to use her powers against Nerissa, but nothing happens.*) Elyon: My powers! What have you done?! Nerissa: This jewel, a true jewel from Weira's crown, has been draining your power for months. That's why I gave it to you. Elyon: You lie! The real Trill gave me that! Where is she?! Nerissa: There is no Trill. There never was. I have served you as I served Phobos and the rebellion, in humility, waiting for this day. But when the gem pulsed this morning, I knew my time had come. No more need for Knights or vengeance. All that remained was to convince you to give it to me willingly, which is why I fed you false visions of your parents. Elyon: MONSTER! (*lunges at Nerissa, only to find herself trapped inside the jewel*) Nerissa: Too slow, whelp! THE HEART… OF MERIDIAN… IS MINE! (evil laugh) |
„ |
| ~ Nerissa deceiving Elyon into handing over her power as the Heart of Meridian and imprisoning her while revealing herself to have been Trill all along. |
| “ | Nerissa: Stay out of this, old fools! Halinor: Or you'll destroy us, like you destroyed Cassidy?! Yan Lin: Does her memory really mean so little to you?! Nerissa: (*with strong emotion*) You've no idea what she meant to me! This is not over! |
„ |
| ~ Nerissa confronted by Yan Lin and Halinor before she flees. |
| “ | Nerissa: She misses you terribly, Cassidy. Cassidy: Oh, I'd give anything. Anything! Nerissa: There's nothing to give. Just show some mercy to your mother, and say the words. Say you want to live. Cassidy: I want… to live! Nerissa: Compassion is a powerful thing, especially when it fuels desire. The desire for something you cannot, should not have, is the chink in the armor of your soul and all I need to make you mine! You will live again very soon… once your service to me is complete. |
„ |
| ~ Nerissa reinvigorating in Cassidy's ghost a desire to live again in order to enthrall her. |
| “ | So, you steal their magic in the midst of a dire battle? Hmm. Fear is a powerful thing, especially when it fuels betrayal. The need to do anything, no matter how treasonous, to smother the burning flame of your own fear, is the chink in the armor of your soul. And all I need to make you mine. | „ |
| ~ Nerissa enthralling Halinor after deceiving the latter into trying to absorb the Guardians' powers in order to repel the Knights of Destruction. |
| “ | The Oracle: We need your help to create a Veil. Please, link your magic to ours. Nerissa (as the Mage): I thought you'd never ask. The Oracle: (*is hit by Nerissa's magic*) That essence… it's… it's you! You who hid among us and tampered with my sight! (*Nerissa sheds off her glamour*) Nerissa! Nerissa: The same, and you just invited me to join your mystic link. (*traps the Council of Kandrakar members inside a purple bubble*) I've waited decades for this! Ever since you imprisoned me, I've longed to return the favor! And much as I'd love to gloat, it's time for the power of Kandrakar to return to its rightful owner. Me. |
„ |
| ~ Nerissa revealing herself to the Council of Kandrakar before imprisoning them in a smaller version of the Veil. |
| “ | Frost: Come to taunt your prisoners, Mage? Nerissa: (*using her normal voice while in her Mage disguise*) In part. Raythor: That voice! You're… (*Nerissa smirks and sheds off her glamour*) Nerissa! Quick, sorceress! Set your Knights of Vengeance free before the guards return. Nerissa: Never was all that interested in your vengeance. I only gathered the Knights to distract the Guardians. |
„ |
| ~ Nerissa revealing to the Knights of Vengeance that she was using them all along. |
| “ | Frost: What have you done with the real Mage?! Nerissa: I've been the only Mage for years. Julian: How many years? Nerissa: Change your tone, Julian. The Mage was my dear friend; took me in after a stray portal freed me from my cell on Mount Thanos. Caleb: Why would the Mage help you? Nerissa: She wanted to… "save" me. Wanted me to see the bigger picture, which I did… to her regret. Caleb: Your bigger picture is the dream of every petty tyrant! Phobos was no different. We beat him, we'll beat you too! Nerissa: Ha! You'd have never vanquished Phobos without me, wouldn't you agree, Julian? Or perhaps you both require proof? Remember Mckenzion Falls? Good. Then remember this also: numbers don't lie. |
„ |
| ~ Nerissa telling about how she was able to impersonate the Mage before subtly telling Julian to find the Mage's grave to prove that she's Caleb's mother. |
| “ | Nerissa: You must have questions. Caleb: Just one, Mom! How do you live with yourself? Nerissa: By making the universe a better place. Caleb: No, seriously. Nerissa: Oh, I'm quite serious. When Meridian was under Phobos' thumb, someone had to take charge to unite the Meridianites and save their world. Caleb: That was me, not you. Nerissa: And you were created by me entirely for that purpose. Someone had to have a vision, Caleb. On Meridian, that was you. But I play on a larger stage. Only I have the vision to create a perfect universe. All worlds will be united under my rule. No more war or conflict, no injustice or suffering! If I demand obedience, it is only for the greater good, to create a new order! Caleb: (*sees Cassidy's ghost*) Who— Who's that? Nerissa: Cassidy, or rather, her ghost. But soon she will live again. Even death bows to my will! |
„ |
| ~ Nerissa attempting to justify herself to a captive Caleb. |
| “ | What I have done, what I will do, is not for me alone. Only you can make my vision complete, Caleb. Only you, my dear boy. Say you'll join me. Say. | „ |
| ~ Nerissa trying to convince Caleb to join her. |
| “ | You FOOL! Why would you try to take what was freely offered?! | „ |
| ~ Nerissa outraged that Caleb just tried to take the Heart of Meridian from her grasp instead of agreeing to use it on her side. |
| “ | Nerissa: My blood flows through your veins! You belong to me! Caleb: This isn't about blood! This is about good versus evil! Guess which side I'm on! Nerissa: THEN I WILL DESTROY YOU! Julian: No, you won't! You won't harm our child, Nerissa! If our love could create this magnificent son, there must have been some good in you… once. Nerissa: Then, just this once, I will let you both go. But cross me again, and there will be no mercy, no escape. |
„ |
| ~ Nerissa confronted by Caleb and Julian. |
| “ | You question my orders?! My vision?! (*blasts Ember*) Disobedience will result in total disaster, every time. | „ |
| ~ Nerissa punishing Ember for objecting to leaving without taking the chance to finish off the weakened Guardians. |
| “ | Nerissa: Impressive. Your pride, that is. (*summons the newly created Seal of Nerissa from Kadma's hand into her own*) An arrogance that convinced you that no power, no matter how awesome, was beyond your control. It is the chink in the armor of your soul, Kadma… Will: NO! Nerissa: …and all I need to make you mine! I promise you more power than you have ever known, Kadma, but you will use that power… for me. Behold the Seal of Nerissa! Two Hearts to one! Advantage: mine! |
„ |
| ~ Nerissa enthralling Kadma who has just combined the Heart of Meridian with the Heart of Zamballa to create the Seal of Nerissa. |
| “ | I lacked vision?! He's the fool with no vision! Destroying everything in his path with no goal, no plan! I would have united worlds! That… is vision. | „ |
| ~ Nerissa objecting to Phobos' claim of her having no vision while he's using her Seal where he trapped her in. |
Trivia[]
- Nerissa is a name of is of Greek origin, meaning "sea nymph". This is also the name of the witch Nerissa the meaning as the "sea witch".
Gallery[]
External links[]
- Nerissa on the W.I.T.C.H. Wiki
[]
 Villains
| ||
| Prince Phobos | Lord Cedric | Elyon Escanor | Queen Weira | King Zayden | Raythor | Frost, the Hunter | The Tracker | Gargoyle | Sandpit | Miranda | Lothar | Mogriff | C.H.Y.K.N. (Nerissa, Cassidy, Halinor, Kadma & Yan Lin) | Knights of Destruction (Shagon, Khor, Tridart & Ember) | ||