Lee is a Fallen Angel living in the city of Bete Noire, which means Black Beast. Bete Noire is actually Enoch, the city build by Cain as narrated in Genesis. The city is apparently sentient and has various mystical effects on its residents and visitors. It apparently also chooses who enters and leaves its limits. Outer forces, such as God, have no dominion or effect in the city.

Origin

DC

Lee is a young redheaded woman with blue eyes who has been living there for some time. Lee was a beloved and valued guardian angel but one day she made a serious mistake and to punish her she was sent to Earth, to the city of Bete Noire.

Some call her Fallen Angel, but she hates being called that, she prefers Lee even if it is not her real name. She is mysterious and no one can control her, she does what she wants, when she wants and with whom she wants. Lee seems cold and rational and often lets it be understood that nothing bothers her. Even if she plays tough and is capable of being so, she knows that deep down she is lying to herself. She has a certain sensitivity but will never show it in public.

She is extremely discreet in her movements, we rarely see her coming or going, a bit like a Ninja. She loves to fight and exudes great confidence in herself and her abilities. She is never tired and rarely seems to need to sleep. Lee almost always wears a long burgundy cape with a hood. She is barefoot but has red bands around her feet, as well as around her hands and forearms.

During the day she's a physical education teacher at St. Jude Community College for Girls and at night she hangs out at the Furors bar. The bartender, Dolf, is a good friend and she has a table reserved for her every night.

Lee sees herself as a sort of "last chance court" for those in need. Considering all the bad things going on in the city, it seemed more natural for her to take on the role of savior. Most of the cases she accepts revolve around what is illegal: drug dealing, arms trafficking, pornography, vice... She considers herself the sole judge of the relevance of the cases she accepts, and you never know what to expect from her. If she judges that the person is the only one responsible for their troubles or that they do not deserve help, she will do nothing. However, if it’s a victim who is experiencing an injustice, she will mobilize all her resources to help them. In any case, you should never get on her bad side because there is a good chance that it will end badly. There’s no worse enemy. Or better friend.

IDW

Before she landed in Bete Noire, Lee was actually a guardian angel whose role was to protect humans during their journey on earth. Faithful and blameless, she was the favorite of her boss - God. One day, she was given charge of a little girl named Holly. But this child, from the nursery, was able to see Lee, which is not usual. Lee could not speak to her directly but spoke to her in her head. Angels should never create an emotional bond with the person they’re protecting but Lee was unable to remain cold to this child and she felt like a mother to her.

When she was 6 years old, Holly was lured into the car of a man who wanted to harm her. He drove her to a cabin and as he was about to kill her with an axe, Lee wanted to intervene and protect her but was prevented from doing so by the angel who was supposed to protect the man, Malachi. The rules forbid angels from acting directly, Malachi explained to her that Holly had made her choices and had to assume the consequences of them. Lee cried at Holly's grave for 18 months after her death, until Malachi came to tell her that Holly's killer had just been arrested, and that justice would be done. Lee went to attend the trial, and the man was unfortunately acquitted. Mad with rage, Lee ignored the rules and threw a fire beam at him to burn him, as he left the courthouse. She was thus punished and became a fallen angel sent to Earth.

Character Evolution - DC

In the first cases that Lee agreed to take, she will help an old woman find a prostitute that she claims to be her son and will monitor the delivery of a shipment for a trafficker to whom she owes a favor, Asia Minor.

She will then helplessly witness the death of one of her students who believed she had an appointment with a doctor who had claimed to be able to cure her of her cancer. It was in fact an evil entity that had made the young woman implode in a hotel room, the place of the appointment. Lee had then been seriously attacked by this same invisible and untouchable entity; she was thrown to the bottom of an elevator shaft. She had even been crushed by the elevator in free fall afterwards. Thanks to the solidity of her body and her strength she was able to extricate herself from her position. A few days later the entity will claim another victim at the Furors and Lee has the impression that it is taunting her.

Lee will call upon one of the best deductive minds in the city, Slate, to see if he can help her defeat this thing. Slate will tell her about a young man, Asia Minor, whom he met in Africa while he was working in law enforcement about twenty years ago. This man would have already seen this kind of monster, while he was under the influence of drugs. Lee will therefore go see Asia Minor, who had helped her during her first term when she arrived in Bete Noire, to learn more about the entity and find a way to defeat it.

Asia will drug Lee to allow her to access the entity when it shows itself. It will first enter Lee's head and try to convince her to work with it. Lee refuses and is now able to reach it and eliminate it.

Black Mariah

Black Mariah, or Mariah Blacque, is one of the formidable adversaries that Lee had to face. Mariah is a Chovexani witch, she has the power to suck the life out of a person or burn them when she comes into direct contact with their skin. For Lee, she’s a sadistic monster. Lee made an enemy of her when she put an end to her slavery business in Bete Noire. Lee had then cast a gypsy spell on Mariah to keep her away from Bete Noir.

A few weeks later, Mariah lures Lee into a forest near the College where she works and speaks to her in her thoughts. Mariah must soon deliver an ancient religious relic to a man, but he holds something important that she would like to recover in return: her spiritual death. She asks Lee for help in making the transaction. Lee does not want to do business with a murderer and refuses. But Lee is interested in this relic and will kidnap Black Mariah to torture her and force her to tell her where she hid it. She also wants to know the name of the man who wants this relic.

Lee will succeed in getting her hands on the coveted object, which happens to be the last piece of wood from the cross of Jesus Christ.

Even though Black Mariah no longer has the relic, she will agree to go to the meeting with the man who wants to get it back, Wilde, in the hope that he will agree to give her back what took from her. Lee will go to this meeting and defend Mariah against this man. After threatening him, Wilde agreed to give back Mariah her spiritual death.

Sister Mary Catherine

Lee recalled her first assignment at Bete Noire, which involved a sister who had been searching for a religious relic for several years of her life. Lee realized that it was the relic she now had in her possession and traveled to Massachusetts to deliver it to Sister Mary Catherine. Lee learned that the object allowed one to be filled with the emotion that lives deep within oneself when touched. The sister, however, would hold a grudge against her because she had obtained it through torture and, according to her, the relic had lost all its pure properties. So, she threw it into the fire.

Doctor Juris and the Hierarchy

The city of Bete Noire is run by Doctor Juris, who acts as a magistrate. He controls all aspects of vice and has many people working for him. He first met Lee in New Orleans, during the Mardi Gras celebrations. He saw Lee enter a bar and attack a man with astonishing physical strength. This woman immediately caught his attention and after following her, he invited her to eat with her. After a night in a hotel room, he left her his business card.

Lee continued to see Juris when she arrived in Bete Noire. They sleep together occasionally but Lee is not in love, although he would like her to get attached. Juris will eventually tell her that he does not want to see her anymore.

Lee is increasingly talked about in Bete Noire and the impacts of her presence do not please the hierarchy, a group that manages Juris. Several traffickers have been put out of business and the reputation of the city of vice is tarnished. The hierarchy will force Juris to get rid of Lee, she must leave the city alive or dead.

Lee will survive an explosion in her college and will quickly understand that someone wants her life. By talking to Slate she will learn that it is the hierarchy that wants her down. She will therefore do what is necessary to attract them, because you can't make an appointment with these people. She will cause carnage in the city: tearing down streetlamps, lifting and throwing cars, setting fires... A police squad tried to arrest her, but nothing works.

A member of the hierarchy will finally show up, Mr. Kind. A fight between two great powers will ensue and Lee will have the upper hand.

Lee will get pregnant with Juris later but won't tell him.

Shadow Boxer

Juris' henchman or bodyguard is the boxer Shadow Boxer. He hates Lee, ever since she interfered in the activities of his girlfriend, Black Mariah. After a few attempts to beat her, he saw that he was no match for her. When his college exploded, he thought he would be rid of it, in vain. However, he discovered a weakness in Lee, she is not invulnerable when surprised.

So, one evening he entered her house and hid in her closet to wait for her. When she came home, he punched her solidly in the stomach. Lee collapsed and blood flowed from between her legs. Shadow had just realized that she was pregnant and that he had made a mistake. He took her to the hospital, but Lee would later tell him that she had lost the baby.

When Shadow Boxer went to Juris to tell her what had just happened, Juris told him that he was the father of this child. Shadow Boxer will not come out alive. Juris will lie to Shadow Boxer's wife, Black Mariah, by telling her that Lee had killed him. Mariah knows he's lying, and that Lee didn't kill him. Mariah will later have a discussion with Lee about Juris and they will agree on one thing: Juris must die.

Jude

Lee had not had a miscarriage. She left town for several months and gave birth to a boy she named Jude. Her desire to return to Bete Noire is great but she did not want to put her child's life at risk. So, she returned to Sister Mary Catherine's convent to entrust him to her. She left him in her care with regret and sadness, but also with the assurance that no one would think of putting her child's life in danger.

When she returned to Bete Noire, after giving birth, Lee was angrier than before. Each week she threw customers from the Furors bar through the windows and Dolf, the bartender, asked her not to come for a while. He liked her as if she were his daughter but asked her to find a way to express her rage other than by scaring off his customers.

Character Evolution - IDW

Twenty years have passed since Lee gave birth and entrusted her child to a nun. Her life hasn’t changed much in Bete Noire. She is still a physical education teacher by day and makes herself available in the evening and at night to help those in need of her services.

While chatting at the Jurors with Xia, Doctor Juris' wife, she spots an old acquaintance, Malachi, through a window. Enraged at seeing him appear after so many years, Lee lifts the table she is sitting at and hurls it through the window where he was with great force.

Malachi lies to Lee, telling her that he has come to fetch her because their boss forgives her and that she can resume her role as a guardian angel. In reality, he’s there on orders from the hierarchy to ensure that Lee does not interfere with the transfer of power between Juris and his firstborn son, Jude.

Unsure of what to do—whether to stay in Bete Noire or become a protector again—Lee gets drunk at the Jurors. While she’s in an advanced state of intoxication, Juris enters, furious that she lied to him about the child she carried being dead. He holds an axe and is about to kill her while she is vulnerable. But Black Mariah arrives and intervenes to protect Lee. Juris then leaves.

When Lee learns that her son is in town, she flies over the water to meet him near the boat where he and his father, Juris, are staying. She warns Jude to leave Bete Noire if he doesn’t want to die. She wants to prevent the power transfer between Juris and him, hoping to spare him from the same condemnation that befell Juris. Malachi grabs Lee by the leg and drags her underwater, where they fight for several minutes. As a storm rages, Jude is thrown overboard and is about to drown. Lee manages to break free from Malachi just in time to save her son and bring him to shore.

After regaining their composure, they head to the Jurors, where Dolf welcomes them, dries their clothes, and lends them a room so they can talk. Lee answers Jude’s questions about why she abandoned him at birth, her superhuman abilities, and also about God, the disasters, and tragedies He causes. After listening to Lee, Jude begins to believe that his destiny is to replace Juris. He is convinced that he can influence the rest of humanity, knowing that Bete Noire often serves as the starting point for changes that ripple across the world. Seeing that this is truly what he wants, Lee no longer opposes the transfer of power.

The power transfer between Jude and Juris takes place. Perched on a rooftop, Lee watches Juris attempt to leave the city now that he’s free of his burden. He spots her and stops to ask her to come with him, to live by his side. Lee accepts and gets into his car, but as they reach the city’s limits, Black Mariah stands in the middle of the road. Juris accelerates, intent on running her over, but at that moment, Lee flies out of the car. The vehicle swerves before hitting Black Mariah and crashes into a tree. Lee and Mariah witness the death of Juris.

First days on Earth

When Liandra was sent to Earth in disgrace for her actions, she was found naked in a desert and brought to a tribe’s camp. Three days later, when she woke up, a child named Ayr came to see her and said she believed that Lee was the reincarnation of Tin Hinan—a warrior queen and the greatest leader of their people—who had returned to forgive them for their sins against her.

After Tin Hinan’s death, her descendants had failed in their duty to protect her remains and tomb. Grave robbers, masquerading as archaeologists, had stolen everything, including the gold jewelry buried with her. All of it was now displayed in a British museum. Only an ancient chest had been left behind by the thieves, which the tribe had never opened because it was locked, and they did not want to anger the spirits by violating its contents.

Not wanting to disappoint them, Lee played along and did not deny that she was Tin Hinan. She proposed traveling to the museum where the remains were exhibited to retrieve them for the tribe. At the museum, Lee had no difficulty overpowering the guards and taking back what she had come for. She realized that she was physically much stronger than ordinary humans and began learning to master her unique powers, including invulnerability.

Upon returning to the tribe, she discovered that an enemy chief had massacred them all because they had let their "savior" leave without warning him of her presence. Only Ayr had survived. She told Lee that all the women and children had been captured and taken to a fortress, along with all their belongings—except for Tin Hinan’s chest, which she had hidden.

Lee used her strength to force open the chest and found the clothes once worn by the ancient queen. She put them on and set out on horseback with Ayr to avenge the insult and free the hostages. Using her superhuman abilities, Lee easily defeated all the men in the fortress. After freeing all the women and children, Lee left them to their fate and departed. Ayr will became Sirocco later.

The Glory

A new drug is circulating in Bete Noire—Glory. The effects of this substance resemble the mythical characteristics of a vampire: eyes turn bright red, skin becomes pale, an insatiable thirst for blood develops, and physical strength increases significantly. Ezil, Dolf’s assistant at the Furors and a friend of Lee, was infected by a drug addict who had consumed Glory. In an effort to save him, Lee goes to Asia Minor—the supplier—and asks if there is an antidote. Asia tells her he can work on it, but at that very moment, he is arrested by Lee’s son and the new magistrate, Jude. He is accused of trafficking and possession, and since someone has died because of Glory, Jude wants him to stand trial.

Dolf grows impatient as Ezil’s condition worsens, and Lee tries to convince Jude to release Asia so he can work on finding a cure for Ezil. Jude refuses, acknowledging the tragedy of a single person’s death, but arguing that if Asia stops his activities, hundreds of people might be saved. Lee does not insist and gives Jude the chance to prove himself. When she reports Jude’s refusal to Dolf, he pulls out a weapon, ready to take justice into his own hands. Lee convinces him that it’s not a good idea. Dolf, who has never asked Lee for anything, now pleads with her to intervene and save Ezil. Lee agrees to help.

Since Bete Noire does not have a formal justice system or lawyers, Jude has called on the population to gather in one place to discuss Asia Minor’s fate. He is willing to listen to anyone who wishes to speak but expects everyone to respect his final verdict. The voices around him grow louder and more intense until, just before the discussions begin, Jude faints. Lee takes him home to help him recover.

Gilles de Rais

Displeased with Jude's performance as a magistrate, the hierarchy, under the command of its new agent Gilles de Rais, seeks to reclaim control of the city by invoking ancient powers. To achieve this, they recruit Jubal, aided by Wilde—Black Mariah's brother—who is driven by a personal vendetta. However, their most formidable weapon is the demon Moloch. Having returned to Earth by possessing Jubal’s body, Moloch aims to wrest Jude’s mantle as the magistrate of Bete Noire.

In a desperate bid to stop them and rescue her son, Lee, alongside Asia Minor and his men, launches a massive assault on Jude’s tower. But she arrives too late—Bete Noire has already fallen into the hands of Jubal-Moloch. Jude will have survived and with Lee and Black Mariah, they will succeed in crossing the border of Bete Noire. Now that they have left the city, they begin their search for another city of power, the City of Life, in order to find the solution that will help them defeat Moloch and regain control of Bete Noire.

The Recapture of Bete Noire

After several days of traveling aboard Black Mariah's plane and boat—facing off against a demon, a sea monster, and a massive shark—Lee, Jude, and Black Mariah find themselves stranded on an shore in the Middle East. Nearby, an active volcano is on the verge of eruption. Trusting his instincts, Jude climbs the volcano and throws himself inside, with Lee following close behind. Black Mariah stumbles and unintentionally joins them.

Instead of perishing, they arrive in the legendary City of Life—the place they had been searching for. There, they encounter Nimrod, the city’s sole guardian and an original sinner. Nimrod reveals that they need a sacred sword hidden within the Tower of Babel. Determined, the trio enters the tower and navigates through various traps before Lee finally seizes the sword. As she raises it to the sky, a bolt of lightning strikes them, instantly transporting them back to Bete Noire.

Unfortunately, Lee did not have what was needed within her for the sword to destroy Moloch, and he easily broke it. Jude picked up a piece of the sword and stabbed himself with it, giving him greater power to fight Moloch. But it won't be enough and he is about to be killed by Moloch.

At that moment, God appeared to Lee to remind her of the agreement they had: He would protect Jude, her child, while she was supposed to help Him die so He could be freed from all the prayers and requests He received every day. God had believed that Moloch as Bete Noire magistrate could have brought about the end of the world and thus killed Him, but Lee makes Him doubt that this is the best scenario.

He offered Lee the chance to resume her role as guardian angel, but all Lee wants is for Jude to survive Moloch. God agreed, but in exchange, He made Lee the new magistrate of Bete Noire. Jude, for his part, would later take on the role of "savior of humanity" that Lee once held.

Return of the Son

Lee despises what Jude has become since she took on the role of magistrate. He frequents prostitutes and executes dishonest individuals outside the city. She feels she has failed him, unable to provide him with a proper future. Restless and empty inside, she finds Bete Noire eerily silent, as if the city’s focus is elsewhere. Seeking relief, she turns to Asia Minor for a drug to numb her emotions. However, Asia urges her to confront the real issue instead and points her toward Benny, who has been unusually absent lately.

Lee tracks Benny down in an alley, where he is training with weapons once belonging to Illyria. Benny confesses his intent to kill her, believing it is his only chance to escape Bete Noire. Unlike the other magistrates, Lee is not a descendant of Cain and therefore lacks divine protection—she can die. Without a magistrate, the city will be left defenseless, giving him the opportunity to flee.

Rather than fighting him in the alley, Lee challenges Benny to face her in her tower and heads there to prepare for their battle. Before the confrontation begins, Jude arrives with a scroll and urges her to read it. As soon as she does, long-forgotten memories resurface.

Liandra had been sent by God as His messenger to stand beside Enoch. However, their intimate relationship incited God’s wrath. In response, God gave Enoch an ultimatum: he could either save Lee or spare the city. Enoch chose Lee, and the city of light was condemned to become a city of sin. God took Lee away, erasing her memories of Bete Noire and Enoch. At the time, Enoch had no way of knowing that Lee would one day be punished and sent back to Bete Noire, where she would give birth to Jude.

As the memories flood back, Lee is suddenly hurled into the void, landing in the city’s cemetery. There, Enoch appears before her, delivering God’s message. The Almighty desires only one thing—the complete destruction of Bete Noire—and Liandra is the only one capable of fulfilling that command. Enoch offers her the chance to leave everything behind and start anew with him elsewhere.

After deep contemplation, Liandra accepts her fate and unleashes the destruction of Bete Noire. In the end, only Benny and Jude survive.

Powers and Abilities

Despite losing some of her abilities when she was sent to Earth, Liandra still stands out significantly from normal humans, possessing extraordinary powers.

Super Strength: She has incredible superhuman strength, allowing her to dominate almost all her opponents. She can rip off a reinforced door, lift and throw cars or enormous boulders, or even stop a large airplane from falling into a ravine using only the strength of her arms. Her powerful legs enable her to jump great distances or heights and cushion long falls. They also allow her to move at incredible speeds on occasion.

Invulnerability: This ability depends on her concentration. When focused, her body becomes extremely solid, making her impervious to injuries, including bullets. She can withstand extreme cold, intense heat, and fire, and she can hold her breath underwater for extended periods. However, extreme fatigue can weaken her concentration. Her lungs remain a vulnerable point—she can be affected by inhaling gas or toxic substances.

Levitation: Lee can fly and carry people or objects over short distances. She often combines the power of her legs with her ability to fly, using both to propel herself. When barefoot, she is unable to touch the ground and instead levitates while moving.

Psychokinetic Abilities: She can move very heavy objects from a distance or cause explosions.

Energy Projection: Her body allows her to emit a powerful electrical or mystical energy over a wide area, either from her hands or eyes.

Super Hearing: Lee can hear sounds and voices from much farther away than a human can.