HOLLY LaDONNA

Real Name: Holly LaDonna

Identity/Class: Human magic user

Occupation: Librarian

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Luke Cage, Crystal, Glamor, Mrs. Herbert, Illusion, Luna, Magneto, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Tommy & William, unidentified friends (transformed into Goblin & Jack O'Lantern), Vision, Norman Webster, Martha Williams, Wonder Man;
former pawn of Samhain

Enemies: High Priest of Zor, Samhain, Toad, Norman Webster (kind of)

Known Relatives: Fred LaDonna (father), Mrs. LaDonna (mother)

Aliases: Ghost

Base of Operations: Leonia, New Jersey

First Appearance: Vision & Scarlet Witch I#1 (November, 1982)

Powers/Abilities: Holly loved nature and was interested in the occult. She was taught by Wanda minor magical features as for example influencing snowfall.

(Vision & Scarlet Witch I#1) - On a beautiful Halloween evening Holly and two friends put on costumes and went out for some Trick or Treat. On their way they met the newest residents of Leonia -- the Vision and the Scarlet Witch. Holly, who was dressed as a ghost, and her friends watched the Vision show them how his hand could pass through a bag. They followed them to their new home afterwards.

  They returned later to ring their bell and get another look at them, but before they could ring the bell they were transformed into Ghost (Holly), Jack O'Lantern and Goblin by Samhain. They rang the bell and Jarvis opened the door for them. They attacked him and the Vision, who managed to stop Holly's friends from getting to the Scarlet Witch. Holly as Ghost passed through Jarvis to get upstairs, but in the last second Vision caught up with her and flew with Ghost through the ceiling to the outside. Holly became in Vision's arms human again after the Scarlet Witch had thrown the Druid Tome into the open fire. Vision brought her back into the house where here friends had recovered as well. Jarvis stayed with Holly and her friends while Vision went to his wife.

(Vision & Scarlet Witch II#4) - Nearly two years later (topical due to Marvel's sliding timescale) on an evening Wanda went to the library where Holly was working now. When Wanda entered Holly told her that they were closing in fifteen minutes. Wanda got some books and Holly checked them out for her before closing.

(Vision & Scarlet Witch II#5) - On Halloween the Vision came looking for Holly's ghost costume because the Druid Tome's ashes were on it and he needed the ashes to save Wanda from Samhain. He met Holly and recognized her as the girl with the ghost costume he had fought. She still had the costume stashed away in the attic and gave it to Vision. When he left she screamed after him that her name was Holly.

(Vision & Scarlet Witch II#6) - On Thanksgiving Holly visited Wanda and Vision at their new house. She interrupted a conversation between Wanda and her father Magneto when she knocked at the door. Holly wanted to talk to her until she saw that Wanda was busy, but Wanda told her that she wasn't and ended her conversation with her father.

  After Magneto had left Holly asked Wanda to teach her witchcraft and Wanda agreed. After that they washed together the dishes from the party.

(Vision & Scarlet Witch II#7) - At night on the Yule festival Holly and Wanda sat near the Christmas tree and Wanda told Holly the importance of the Yule festival. Holly thought it sounded more like Christmas than magic, but Wanda tried to explain to her that it was an important day for magic. When Vision came home, Holly thanked Wanda for the session and then left. After leaving Holly thought about asking Mrs. Herbert to reclassify some of the occult section in the library. She took a shortcut through the woods and Norman Webster's garden. There she saw Norman kissing Wanda's sister-in-law Crystal.

(Vision & Scarlet Witch II#8) - On Martin Luther King's birthday Holly continued her magic training with Wanda and was taught how to control the snowfall. Holly pushed with her mind the way Wanda said, but saw no difference between one side of the path and the other. Wanda cheered her up that almost no difference means that there was still a difference. Holly and Wanda went back inside when Wanda's baby moved because Wanda wanted to tell Vision about it. When Holly saw Crystal again with her husband Quicksilver, she remembered how she saw Crystal kissing Norman, but she told nobody about it despite feeling miserable. Suddenly Luke Cage crashed through the window and Wanda attacked his attackers, a few demons. Holly was impressed by the power of Wanda's magic. Holly was sent home because of the threat by the demons and their leader the High Priest of Zor.

  While Wanda, Vision, Luke Cage and Quicksilver fought the High Priest of Zor and his demons in New York City, Crystal destroyed the Idols of Zor in Leonia with Norman at her side. Holly watched them again.

(Vision & Scarlet Witch II#11) - Wanda called Holly and invited her that afternoon to another witchcraft lesson after Vision and Dr. Strange told her to take it easy because she was in her eighth month of pregnancy. Some time later Holly arrived with flowers in her hands and Vision let her into the house. Vision introduced her to Now Magazine photographer Peter Parker. Holly watched him take some photos of Wanda and stayed with her when Peter and Vision left.

  Not long afterwards Wanda felt that something had happened to Vision and wanted to look for him. Holly reminded her of what the doctor said and saw it as her duty as Wanda's student to go looking for Vision. When she saw Toad arriving at the house in a giant exoskeleton, Holly ran back to Wanda and told her to stay in the room. Holly attacked Toad with a baseball bat when he broke into the house, which showed no effect. She ran back upstairs to Wanda and pushed from inside her bedroom a desk in front of her door. Toad just broke through the door and was shocked when he saw how huge Wanda had become. Toad was defeated by the combined efforts of Wanda, Spider-Man and Vision, but then teleported away. Holly watched the scene from the sidelines.

(Vision & Scarlet Witch II#12) - Holly's mother drove her to Wanda's house, but Wonder Man was already waiting for her to tell Holly that there won't be a lesson because Wanda was in hospital giving birth to her child. Holly then asked her mother if she could go to the hospital. Her mother allowed it her and drove her to the hospital. After arriving there Holly witnessed a fight between Magneto and Wonder Man on one side and Nekra, Grim Reaper and the assassin Brady Kent on the other. Meanwhile Wanda gave birth to twins.

  Three days later Wanda came home with her children and was welcomed by Holly, Martha Williams, Wonder Man, Glamor, Illusion, Magneto and her husband Vision. Holly thought the children were cute.

Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo, Rick Leonardi, Ian Akin & Brian Garvey.

Holly LaDonna: Student of the Magic Arts! Before becoming Wanda's student she already had the "magical" ability to alter her hair color pretty fast. She went from brunette (I#1) to blonde (II#4), back to brunette (II#5) and then again to blonde (II#6-12). Recoloring your hair that often isn't healthy for the hair.

Holly was first named in Vision & Scarlet Witch II#5.

Profile by Markus Raymond.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Holly LaDonna should not be confused with:

• Ladon, spawn of Typhon and Echidna, fought Hercules @ Hercules III#1
• anyone else named Holly or characters with a similar name

Mrs. LaDonna

She and her husband Fred loved having two Avengers living in Leonia. Mrs. LaDonna was also happy that Wanda had opened a whole new world to her daughter. The night Wanda gave birth to her twins Mrs. LaDonna drove Holly to her magic lesson, but Wonder Man told them that Wanda was in hospital. Mrs. LaDonna then drove Holly to the hospital.

--Vision & Scarlet Witch II#12

images: (without ads)
Vision & Scarlet Witch II#11, p8, pan2 (main image)
Vision & Scarlet Witch I#1, p14, pan2 (pawn of Samhain)
Vision & Scarlet Witch II#5, p17, pan2 (head shot)
Vision & Scarlet Witch II#12, p21, pan2 (Mrs. LaDonna)

Appearances:
Vision & Scarlet Witch I#1 (November, 1982) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Rick Leonardi (pencils), Ian Akin & Brian Garvey (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Vision & Scarlet Witch II#4 (January, 1986) - Steve Englehart (writer), Richard Howell (pencils), Jim Mooney (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Vision & Scarlet Witch II#5 (February, 1986) - Steve Englehart (writer), Richard Howell (pencils), Jack Abel & Mike Esposito (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Vision & Scarlet Witch II#6-8 (March-May, 1986) - Steve Englehart (writer), Richard Howell (pencils), Frank Springer (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Vision & Scarlet Witch II#11-12 (August-September, 1986) - Steve Englehart (writer), Richard Howell (pencils), Frank Springer (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)

First Posted: 07/14/2007
Last updated: 07/14/2007