Dr. CLAUDIA RUSSELLDr. CLAUDIA RUSSELL
Identity/Class: Human werewolf;
Romanian citizen;
active circa 1909 A.D.;
Occupation: Presumably psychologist
Group Membership: Formerly the Ravencroft site
Affiliations: Dr. Jonas Ravencroft, Logan (born James Howlett; later Wolverine);
formerly Dr. Nathaniel Essex (later Mr. Sinister);
at least limited association with and sympathy for the Black Knight (Sir Percy of Scandia)
Enemies: Victor Creed (later Sabretooth), Dr. Nathaniel Essex
Known Relatives: None (see comments)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
formerly Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane, Westchester County, New York
First Appearance: Ruins of Ravencroft: Sabretooth#1 (March, 2020)
Powers/Abilities: Claudia shifted between human and werewolf form, apparently at will, although during the full moon, she lost control and was prone to killing and dismembering innocent victims.
As a werewolf, she was much larger, and she had enlarged canine teeth and sharp claws. She presumably possessed low-level superhuman ("enhanced human") strength, speed, durability, agility, reflexes, stamina, and senses.
He presumably had enhanced olfactory senses and night vision.
Like most werewolves, he was likely immune to a steel, but he could certainly be injured or slain by silver. He may have been vulnerable other magical assaults, and possibly to wolfsbane, etc.
His bites and scratches transformed other into werewolves.
She sometimes wore glasses in human form, possibly only in darkness.
Height:
Unrevealed (she seemed to be a few inches taller than Logan, so perhaps
5'6"); (werewolf form) unrevealed (she towered over the 6'6" Creed, so
perhaps 7' or more)
Weight: Unrevealed (perhaps 125-135 lbs.); (werewolf form) unrevealed (perhaps 350 lbs. or more)
Eyes: Green
Hair: Brown
History:
(Ruins
of Ravencroft: Sabretooth#1 (fb) - BTS) - Whether via inheritance or
being assaulted by another werewolf, Claudia Russell became a werewolf.
(Ruins
of Ravencroft: Sabretooth#1 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Claudia Russell was
employed at the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane. Though
disapproving, she looked the other way when co-worker Dr. Nathaniel
Essex performed brutal experiments on inmates.
(Ruins of Ravencroft: Sabretooth#1 (fb) - BTS) - Claudia discussed a desire to return to practice in her native Romania.
(Ruins of Ravencroft: Sabretooth#1 (fb) - BTS) - Under the full moon, Claudia lost control and slew a victim.
(Ruins of Ravencroft: Sabretooth#1 (fb) - BTS) - Under the full moon, Claudia lost control and slew a victim.
(Ruins of Ravencroft: Sabretooth#1 (fb) - BTS) - Under the full moon, Claudia lost control and slew a victim.
The mutant Logan (born James Howlett) somehow ended up with the victim's remains and fellow mutant Victor Creed found him and brought him to Ravencroft, where he was apparently lobotomized.
(Ruins of Ravencroft: Sabretooth#1 (fb) - BTS) - The Daily B...reported, "The Knickerbocker Knifer strikes again: Third victim in as many months. Does our fair city have its own Jack the Ripper?"
(Ruins of Ravencroft: Sabretooth#1 (fb)) - As a man at least claiming to be the Black Knight (Sir Percy) of Camelot was taken away in restraints under Jonas Ravencroft's care, Claudia arrived alongside Dr. Nathaniel Essex, and she suggested that perhaps they should release him as he demanded, because what if he was telling the truth. Jonas suggested she was being ridiculous, but Claudia countered that they had all heard the fascinating stories that had circulated around Ravencroft for centuries. The matter was closed when Dr. Essex suggested that they were just stories, and he mocked her by comparing them to tales of Santa Claus.
Later,
after Essex had sawed off Logan's left arm, Claudia entered his room
and -- blaming herself for looking the other way on Dr. Essex's
questionable practices for too long -- removed his restraints and vowed
that this was the last time anyone got brutalized at this institution.
As she helped him up, however, she was confronted by Creed, who knocked
Logan to the floor and prepared to assault her. After Logan leapt up
and stabbed Creed up through the skull, Claudia noted his claws
and healing ability before urging him to flee while Creed was injured.
After Logan's departure, the swiftly-healing Creed grabbed Claudia by neck, after which she confessed to the Knickerbocker Knifer murders while transforming into a large and powerful werewolf. She noted that while those changes had been accidental, Creed's would not be. As she slammed Creed against the wall and held him pinned, however, Essex came up from behind and injected her in the neck with a drug that knocked her out, at least
(Ruins of Ravencroft: Sabretooth#1 (fb) - BTS) - With Creed's assistance, Essex either vivisected Claudia in her werewolf form (she was shown in chains) or killed her and then dissected her.
Essex had a note written to Jonas Ravencroft from Claudia in her handwriting and wording: Her resignation, which detailed her desire to practice back in Romania. Despite this fitting with previous discussions of her plans, Jonas suspected that something was off, that something bad had happened to her and that Essex was involved.
Comments: Created by Frank Tieri and Guillermo Sanna.
Given that Claudia was a werewolf with the last name Russell, it would seem likely that she was related the Werewolf Jack Russell and his ancestors, etc. However, there is nothing to confirm or refute that in this story.
Claudia coming to the rescue only to be taken out seconds later reminded me of "The Shining," when chef and "Shining" (telepathic)-powered Dick Hallorann (Benjamin "Scatman" Crothers) arrived, seemingly to the rescue, only to be nailed in the chest with an axe by bat-shit crazy Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson)...
It is unrevealed whether Essex had Claudia write the resignation under duress, or whether it was a forgery. I'd think the latter, but there's nothing in-story to confirm either way.
As Claudia lost control and slew victims under the full moon, it may be that she only worked at Ravencroft for those three months.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Claudia Russell has no KNOWN connection to:
Appearances:
Ruins of
Ravencroft: Sabretooth#1 (March, 2020) - Frank Tieri (writer),
Guillermo Sanna (artist), Danny Khazem (assistant editor), Devin Lewis
(editor), Nick Lowe (executive editor)
First posted: 05/20/2022
Last updated: 05/20/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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