Cassandra Craft

Origin

Born blind, Cassandra Craft was aware of her innate psychic abilities from a young age. As an adult, she opened an occult bookstore in San Francisco.

Creation

Cassandra Craft was created by Len Wein and Jim Aparo. She made her first appearance in The Phantom Stranger #17. She was revamped for the New 52 by JM DeMatteis and Mikel Janin.

Character Evolution

Bronze Age

In her initial appearances, Cassandra Craft was a white woman with blonde hair. Her job was unknown, as was her origin, but it is possible she worked as a medium. This incarnation had no further magical abilities.

Modern Age

In the Modern Age, Cassandra still possessed psychic powers, but acted primarily as a buyer and seller of occult items. During this Age she possessed numerous items of great occult power, and was also very skilled at creating forgery objects of power that could fool even experts.

New 52

The New 52 introduced her current origin, powers, and race.

Major Story Arcs

The Phantom Stranger

Cassandra meets the Phantom Stranger after he is attacked by a mysterious cult. She insists on accompanying him to investigate the source of a spiritual attack against. He abandons her after defeating Tannarak, but they meet again when Cassandra is kidnapped to lure the Stranger to the Dark Circle. She is brainwashed and held by the group for some time, and forced to try to kill the Stranger. After he frees them both, she convinces him to allow her to accompany him. She joins him while he investigates the Dark Circle, and helps him to locate them. During his final battle with the cult, the Stranger saves Cassandra from the collapse of the Dark Circle's headquarters, but allows her to believe that he has died so that she will no longer seek him. Much later, she is attacked by a psychic leech sent by an enemy of the Stranger. She is rescued by Deadman and the Stranger, though she is unaware of their intervention due to being unconscious. Realising that Cassandra is important to the Stranger, Nathan Seine targets her, attempting to use her as a bridge to allow nether gods to enter reality. She manages to send a distress call to the Stranger, who rescues her.

The Monsters Among Us

Cassandra is hired to lead a séance attempting to contact a deceased spiritualist. The séance accidentally frees Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster from their imprisonment in another dimension. They attempt to kidnap and kill Cassandra to stop her from helping to imprison them again. She is rescued by Superman and the Phantom Stranger, who vanishes before she emerges from hiding.

Cat and Mouse

Cassandra is attacked by Tala, who impersonates her and seeks out the Phantom Stranger. Cassandra is held hostage in an alternate dimension by Tannarak and Tala to force the Stranger to take part in a ritual to summon the Lords of Chaos. She is rescued by the Stranger after he defeats Tala and Tannarak.

Seven Soldiers of Victory

Cassandra is contacted by Zatanna, who is seeking to destroy the Gwydion. Cassandra explains what little information she has been able to gather on the being. She arms Zatanna with some of the magical items in her store, and allows her to use the store to confront Gwydion. After the battle concludes, she helps Zatanna snare Gwydion in a jar.

Forever Evil

Cassandra is abducted by demons under the command of Nick Necro and Felix Faust. She is hooked into their Thaumaton, as one of the many magically-powered beings that can be used to power the weapon. She is rescued when Pandora attempts to teleport herself and all the prisoners away, and succeeds only in teleporting the Stranger and Cassandra, who is mysteriously drawn along. She accompanies them to recruit Chris Esperanza. There, she and the Stranger learn that their destinies are tied together. She then travels with Pandora and the Stranger to Las Vegas to recruit the sons of Trigon, and returns with them to Nanda Parbat. She joins the Stranger in rescuing the other mystics.

The Crack in Creation

Cassandra is targeted by Sin Eater during Non's attempt to invade Earth. As a result of having the cracks in creation directed at her, she becomes possessed by the spells and enchantments in the books in her shop. She is saved when the Stranger kisses her, absorbing the spells into his own body.

Powers and Abilities

Cassandra Craft is a psychic and medium of great power. She has limited precognitive abilities. She possess an inherent magic, the nature of which has gone largely unexplored.