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    Scream Queen

    Character » Scream Queen appears in 27 issues.

    Vampiric teenager and lead singer of Scare Tactics

    Short summary describing this character.

    Scream Queen last edited by johnrevenge on 09/23/18 11:34PM View full history

    Current Events

    Nina's most recent appearance was in Superman/Batman, as a sidekick for future Batman. Her appearance is dramatically different - though her outfit is basically the same, stylistically she has changed a great deal. In one panel, she can be seen telling Batman that she may get the band back together. Despite this remark, Scare Tactics have not yet reformed.

    Origin

    Nina relives the slayings
    Nina relives the slayings

    Nina Skorzeny, a survivor of the vampire slayings of Markovia, saw hundreds of her friends and loved ones slaughtered before fleeing to America.

    In America, she was captured by the government for use in the top secret project, Operation Prodigy. There, she met others like her, monsters feared by the humans. After barely escaping with their lives, they formed a band called Scare Tactics and she was dubbed "Scream Queen".

    Creation

    Nina was created by Len Kaminski, Andy Lanning and Anthony Williams.

    Character Evolution

    Shedding a tear for Grossout
    Shedding a tear for Grossout

    Because of her troubled past and deep mistrust of humans, Nina keeps her guard up at all times, and can seem hard, cynical and even uncaring. She likes to give the impression that she only cares about having a wild time, and doesn't need anybody, but occasionally shows a more tender and caring side. In Scare Tactics #4, when Grossout writes his life story out for the rest of the band to read (the only way he can communicate effectively, as he has trouble speaking), Nina is deeply moved. She tries to seem unfazed, but is seen crying tears of blood as she reads it. Later that night, she writes and performs a song inspired by Grossout, only to shrug the gesture off in typical Scream Queen style.

    Nina's heroes include Siouxsie And The Banshees and Andy Warhol. On the rare occasion she does feed on a human, she has a distinct preference for female blondes. Nina's own hair colour is something of a mystery. In flashbacks, it is always black, just as it is in the present day. But in one of the latter issues, when she scolds Jake for shedding on her, he makes a sly comment about his fur not reeking of hair dye, like her hair does.

    She complains a lot about the way Burnsteel does things, but this is usually just her temper talking, as more often than not she will later admit that he is right. As time goes on, she even seems to have a begrudging respect for him, after all the dangers they have faced together, and the amount of times he has risked it all to save them.

    Nina's relationship with Jake is very fiery, and dramatic. They are both passionate, hot-tempered and stubborn, and often verge on physically fighting, only to be separated by the rest of the group. Possibly because of this tension between them (or vice versa), their interactions are often quite flirtatious and risqué.

    She has a fondness for Jimmy, because of his enormous crush on her, which he is not very good at hiding. Although she isn't very demonstrative when it comes to feelings, it is clear that Jimmy is like a little brother to her - Nina can often be heard complaining that she isn't a babysitter, if she has to go anywhere with him in public.

    Major Story Arcs

    Nina was involved in the DC story arc Convergence, a four issue crossover which spanned all four Weirdoverse titles: Scare Tactics, The Book of Fate, Night Force and Challengers of the Unknown.

    Markovia

    Nina is very protective since the events at Markovia
    Nina is very protective since the events at Markovia

    The horrific experience of witnessing the slaughter of her family in Markovia left her with a hatred of humans so intense she won't even feed on them. It also left her with survivor's guilt, and no matter how poorly they treat her, she still longs for the approval of other vampires - though she would never admit it!

    Nina may put on a tough front, but she has proven loyal to her band-mates, and has often run to their aid. She frequently makes a big show of leaving the group, claiming to crave her freedom and long to be rid of them. Yet she always comes running to their side at the first sign of trouble. This has a lot to do with her past, and the slayings which claimed the lives of her friends and family. As such, she cannot bear to see those she cares about in any kind of pain. In Scare Tactics #2, when the group become stranded in a haunted town where each member must face their worst fears, Nina relives a different version of the Markovian slayings, one where she never escaped and was put to death with the rest of her family.

    In Scare Tactics #11, the gang are apprehended by Batman, and he interrogates each member separately. When she first meets Batman, Nina mistakes him for an Elder vampire and falls to her knees, begging for his forgiveness.This is important, because although she is a long way from her home country and ancient ways, she still has a deep respect for traditional vampire culture, and a fear and reverence toward Elder vampires. Another example of this can be seen in Catwoman Plus #1, when she kills an Elder to protect a human and then realizes the terrible trouble she is in.

    In an earlier issue, Nina is apprehended in an alleyway by an Elder vampire, who says that she is intruding on another vampire's hunting grounds, and that she is not welcome. The Elder makes it clear that other vampires think Nina is cursed, and to have her near is to invite misfortune into their own lives. She is stuck, cast out by her own kind, rejected and feared by humanity.

    Catwoman Plus

    Nina gets a belly rub from Catwoman!
    Nina gets a belly rub from Catwoman!

    After the gang are split up at the end of Scare Tactics #9, and given sealed instructions, Nina catches a flight to Gotham City (at the end of the issue, she is seen catching flight 1723, but at the beginning of Catwoman Plus, it is flight 666). Her sealed instructions include an address in Gotham City, and the name Selina Kyle. Nina initially finds Gotham overwhelming, fleeing into the backstreets and collapsing into a heap of rubbish, frightened and alone (at this point, she believes Burnsteel is dead, and the others gone forever). She turns up at Catwoman's apartment in the form of a small black cat, and is sure to get a belly rub before turning back into her normal self. She quickly finds out that Catwoman has stolen a precious artifact, which belongs to an Elder vampire named Khatta-Khun. The two quickly become friends, because as Catwoman says: "Human or not, living or undead - we girls have to stick together!"

    Powers and Abilities

    Being a vampire, Nina's powers naturally include immortality, hypnosis, superhuman agility, increased strength and the ability to change form - usually into a small black cat. She gained the nickname Scream Queen because of her sonic scream ability, which she uses not only in battle but on stage - her vocals in the band have caused physical pain to her audience on more than one occasion.

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