Possessor

Origins

Raphael Zoran is the son of "The Great Zoran", a mentalist who performed at a carnival. His mother also worked at the carnival, as an assistant to his father. "The Great Zoran" didn't actually possess any psychic abilities, and the entire act was staged. What he did possess was a thirst for alcohol and a willingness to take out his frustrations on his wife and son. One night while he was abusing his wife, he suddenly found himself surrounded by what appeared to be demons. He realized what was really happening at the same time as his wife: she actually did possess psychic powers, and in a moment of desperation, she had generated illusions as a subconscious defense. She was terrified for having done it, and withdrew them immediately, by the Great Zoran was even more furious. He was angry that she had powers he had always wanted, and he realized that it was her powers which had made the show a success. He attacked and savagely beat her to death. Raphael witnessed the whole thing.

The Show must go on

The Great Zoran continued his act with Raphael now acting as his assistant. His father suspected that Raphael, too, might possess some psychic powers, but could not bring them to the surface. The two grew to hate each other, kept together by their bond of mutual resentment. At age 15, Raphael's powers did surface: He could cast illusions and bend the wills of others to his. Raphael used his powers to take control of the relationship with his father, taking over the act, and eventually casting him aside. Raphael's act was a tremendous success, and he eventually purchased the carnival. Despite his successes, Raphael felt empty, enjoying only the non-reality of the illusions he created.

Birth of a monster

Two of Satan's demons came to Earth, in search of a victim to possess, and they saw the empty Raphael as a perfect target. They entered his form, but in the end, his psychic powers enabled him to take control of the demons, trapping them in his body, and using their powers for himself. That night he slew his father, and vanished, seemingly without a trace.

Zoran, now taking the identity of the Possessor, traveled to a Navajo tribe in Arizona. He sought out the tribe's shaman and commanded the shaman to train him in the ways of mysticism. The shaman recognized the evil in the Possessor, and refused. Zoran, however, knew that the shaman would train a young brave, and decided to return and take the knowledge from that brave.

Zoran then traveled the world, seeking out mystics of all types of sects, but they all refused him as well. He finally procured several rare and ancient mystic tomes and used them to train himself. He knew his abilities were but a fraction of what they could be, but when he tried to increase them on his own, he was driven mad by the uncontrolled power unleashed from the demons inside him. He regained his senses after an unknown period of time, and found himself outside of the mansion at Fire Lake, the home of Daimon Hellstrom, the Son of Satan (who was working in St. Louis at the time). Zoran entered the mansion, and made it his own. As he recovered his strength, he read the diaries of Victoria Wingate Hellstrom, and learned of the true nature and history of the mansion. Zoran decided to test Hellstrom to see if the stories were true, and if they were, to use him to become the Lord of Hell.

The Possessor defaced the Fire Lake mansion. The Possessor invaded Hell, tormenting the demons he encountered there.

The Son of Satan returned to Fire Lake and encountered the Possessor, who assaulted him with a series of illusions. He revealed his true nature, told Hellstrom that he would destroy him in the future, take over his father's realm of Hell, and then vanished. He teleported to Arizona, where he found the young Navajo brave engaged in a vision quest. The Possessor slew the brave's shaman, transformed the brave into Nightfire, and then enslaved the brave and his tribe.

Hellstrom tracked the Possessor to Arizona, and made his way to the local portal to Hell. There he found some of Satan's legions, including Baphomet, as well as the Possessor and the tribe he was controlling. The Possessor absorbed the soul of Hellstrom, taking control of his powers as well to prepare for his assault on Hell.

Zoran, with Nightfire and his tribe at his side attacked Baphomet and the demons of Hell, eventually drawing out Satan himself to the struggle. However, this was the Possessor's plan all along, to lure Satan to Earth, out of his domain in which he was virtually all-powerful. With the realm of Hell devoid of a leader, the Possessor transported himself through the portal and attempted to take it for himself. Satan returned and confronted him, but Daimon then fought back, allowing his own darksoul to emerge within the Possessor. Its powerful energies consumed the Possessor from the inside out, and a burst of flame exploded around him releasing Hellstorm and the two demons. With Raphael left with a broken psyche, Nightfire promised to take the man and help him heal so that he may know more than hate and anger in his life.

Powers

The Possessor was mutant that could generate convincing illusions, read the minds, and influence the thoughts of others. After absorbing the demons, he gained a great degree of magical power, although he lacked the training to properly utilize it. He could teleport, project blasts of fire, mutate others, absorb the souls and bodies of others, access magical portals, etc. The limits of his abilities were not seen. He could increase his power by absorbing and controlling others, even a being as power as the Son of Satan. He grafted three crystals to his right palm: these were sparkling, red, crystals he used to use in his stage act.