PIA

Real Name: Pia (last name unrevealed)

Identity/Class: Human vampire magic user

Occupation: Student

Group Membership: Strange Academy student body (German Aguilar, Doyle Dormammu, Gus / Guslaug, Zoe Laveau, Shaylee Moonpeddle, Toth)

Affiliations: Darkhold, Doctor Doom (Victor von Doom), Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange), Doctor Voodoo (Jericho Drumm), Strange Academy student body, Tito Peping, Zyrak Mortis

Enemies: Agatha Harkness, vampires;
    formerly Darkhold

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: "Miss Pia" (name called by Doyle Dormammu)

Base of Operations: Strange Academy, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

First Appearance: Strange Academy: Blood Hunt#1 (July, 2024)

Powers/Abilities: Pia is a vampire, displaying several vampiric strengths and weaknesses, including enhanced strength, the ability to levitate, fangs capable of rending flesh, the need to drink blood to survive and a weakness to sunlight.

    Her body also houses her magical familiar, Tito Peping, and his presence within her protects from the harmful effects of sunlight as well as grants her the ability to project blasts of magical energy from her hands.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'7")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 135 lbs.)
Eyes: (pre-transformation) blue; (post-transformation) brown (glowing red or yellow when using vampiric powers)
Hair: Green

History:
(Strange Academy: Blood Hunt#1 / 3) - Pia was walking home one evening when a magical rodent-like creature ran past her. Unsure of what was going on, Pia was soon knocked over when a vampire burst through the fence behind her in pursuit of the magical creature. The vampire doubled back upon seeing Pia and when it lunged to attack her, Pia instinctively picked up a piece of the broken fence and staked the vampire. Pia then searched around for the magical creature but was surprised by another vampire that bit her. Awakening some time later, Pia feared what she had no become and she was soon greeted by the mystic Doctor Voodoo, who had been led there by the small magical creature, dubbed Tito Peping. When the sunlight burned Pia's skin, Doctor Voodoo realized he had arrived too late to prevent Pia from becoming a vampire but Tito Peping jumped onto Pia and merged his form with hers, protecting her from the sunlight. Voodoo explained what Tito Peping had done and commended Pia on her impressive bravery in her earlier defense of Tito Peping. He then asked if Pia would like to hear about some other remarkable young people he knew.

(Strange Academy: Blood Hunt#1 (fb) - BTS) - Pia joined the Strange Academy, which trained young mystics to hone their abilities.

(Strange Academy: Blood Hunt#2 (fb)) - After joining Strange Academy, Pia became fast friends with German Aguilar due to their magic having animal forms and Pia's talent for listening.

(Strange Academy: Blood Hunt#1) - Pia accompanied the Strange Academy student body into New Orleans, where the students wanted to go a vampire tour of the city. Along the way, Pia spouted several lies to cover up her true nature as a vampire such as that her familiar, Tito Peping, slept during the day and that he can transform into monstrous form to devour enemies. As the tour continued, Tito Peping emerged on his own, prompting concern from Pia, who knew that Tito Peping usually only showed himself when something was wrong. At that moment, all light in the area went out and their tour guide was attacked and transformed by a vampire. The vampires quickly surrounded Pia and her schoolmates and during the subsequent battle, Pia broke a shovel in half and used it to stake one of the vampires, saving the life of schoolmate German Aguilar. More vampires soon arrived and Pia and the others fled back to Strange Academy, where Doctor Voodoo got them inside the gates before magically eradicating the pursuing vampires. He then ordered everyone back to their quarters except Pia, whom he asked to see in his office. Once in his office, Doctor Voodoo questioned Pia as to what was going out with the darkness and the vampire attacks but Pia admitted she had no idea. The astral form of Doctor Strange soon interrupted the questioning and he excused Pia while he spoke with Doctor Voodoo about the situation. Pia exited the room only to be met by her classmates and they all stood outside the door in an attempt to listen in on the Doctors' conversation. Overhearing that the Montesi Formula would be needed from the Darkhold tome, the Strange Academy students opted to find the book in the Madripoor woods where Doctor Strange had sensed it and despite knowing what sort of power her classmates might be meddling with, Pia agreed to accompany them in an effort to not arouse suspicions as to her vampire nature. Teleporting to Madripoor using one of the Academy doors, Pia and her classmates soon arrived in the Madripoor wilderness, where they found a young boy, unaware he was the living embodiment of the Darkhold itself.

    When the Strange Academy students questioned the Darkhold, he attacked them and Pia watched as her classmates each fell to the Darkhold. The Darkhold then prepared to finish off Pia as well but Tito Peping lunged at the Darkhold in Pia's defense, only to be easily swatted aside.

(Strange Academy: Blood Hunt#1 / Strange Academy: Blood Hunt#2 (fb)) - Saddened at how rough Tito Peping was treated despite trying to help her, Pia retaliated by attacking and biting Darkhold, revealing her vampire nature to her newfound friends.

(Strange Academy: Blood Hunt#2) - When her shocked classmates asked what she had done, Pia replied that she had saved her own life and assured them that Darkhold was unconscious not dead. German reminded Pia that Darkhold was their only hope to cast the Montesi Formula to stop all the worldwide vampires and Pia explained how the Montesi Formula stops vampires by destroying all vampires, herself included. Realizing that the Montesi Formula would kill Pia, German announced plans to stop Darkhold, only to realize Darkhold was gone. The students began a search for Darkhold and along the way, Pia got German to talk about how much he had always talked about hating vampires and how he felt about her being one. Admitting that he was surprised she had never brought it up, German expressed understanding as to why Pia had never mentioned it. The students soon came across some civilians being attacked by vampires and they leaped into battle against them, noticing Darkhold in their midst in the process. Attempts to pin Darkhold down failed and he fled with the Strange Academy students pursuing until they ran into their classmates Gus and Toth, who explained how Agatha Harkness had transported them there. Upon hearing Agatha's name, Darkhold begged the students not to return him to Agatha's custody but Pia warned her classmates against trusting Darkhold. Darkhold argued that Pia would say that since she tried to murder him and Pia argued back that she had only wounded him and that she knew he would be okay. When Pia reminded Darkhold of his plans to destroy all vampires with the Montesi Formula, Darkhold claimed he was trying to save humanity. Darkhold then recounted his origins to the students but the conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Agatha Harkness. Refusing to go with Agatha, Darkhold teleported himself and Pia to the nearby arena.

(Strange Academy: Blood Hunt#3) - Binding their hands together with a spell, Darkhold pulled Pia down towards a wrestling, where he revealed his plans to have Pia compete in a survival of the fittest game to prove the worthiness of vampires to live. Pia quickly texted German to inform him of her location and the Strange Academy rushed their way towards the arena as Pia fought off creatures summoned by Darkhold. Pia was soon overwhelmed, however, and Darkhold nearly cast the Montesi Formula before being interrupted by Agatha Harkness. When Agatha hit Darkhold with a spell that temporarily negated his magic and Darkhold fled, Pia pursued and nearly killed him but upon seeing how scared and vulnerable Darkhold was, Pia relented and instead let Tito Peping cast a protective spell on Darkhold until his powers returned. Agatha then generated numerous illusory selves to battle them and Pia fought back to protect not Darkhold but his former servant Zyrak Mortis, who had been restored to human form by the spell that cost Darkhold his powers. Pia managed to hold off Agatha long enough for the rest of the Strange Academy students to arrive on the scene and together, the students battled Agatha until Darkhold managed to defeat Agatha. They then discussed what to do about Darkhold and Pia suggested letting him join the Strange Academy. The other students agreed and they soon teleported away with Darkhold in tow to assist Dr. Doom in casting a spell to stop the world's vampires without killing them. Arriving in Latveria, Pia and the other Academy students joined their magic together with Doctors Strange and Doom in order for Doom to cast his spell.

Comments: Created by Daniel Jose Older and Luigi Zagaria.

Profile by Proto-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Pia should be distinguished from:

•  any other "Pia" characters
  

Tito Peping

Appearances:
Strange Academy: Blood Hunt#1 (July, 2024) - "The City That Never Sleeps" story - Daniel Jose Older (writer), Luigi Zagaria (art), Nick Lowe (editor); "A Tiger by the Tail" story - Daniel Jose Older (writer), Eric Gapstur (art), Nick Lowe (editor)
Strange Academy: Blood Hunt#2 (August, 2024) - Daniel Jose Older (writer), Luigi Zagaria, Eric Gapstur (art), Nick Lowe (editor)
Strange Academy: Blood Hunt#3 (September, 2024) - Daniel Jose Older (writer), Luigi Zagaria, Eric Gapstur (art), Nick Lowe (editor)

First posted: 10/25/2024
Last updated: 10/25/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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