Lilia Calderu is the daughter of Lilia Morgu, an unseen character. The elder Lilia was a paternal half-sister of Karl Amadeus Mordo (Baron Mordo), and thus Lilla Calderu is Baron Mordo's niece. Her parents were Nikolai Mordo and Miarka. Miarka was a sister of Taboo and aunt to Algon and Topaz. Miarka and Taboo were both children of the immortal Cagliostro.

According to "Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme" #8 (October, 1989). Lila Calderu grew up to become the new Witch-Queen of the Gypsies. More importantly, Lilia became the keeper of the Book of Cagliostro. The Book was valuable as it preserved passages from the Darkhold and notes by Sise-Neg.

According to "Mystic Arcana: Scarlet Witch" (October, 2007). Lilia along with Margali Szardos and Maria Russoff made up the most powerful coven of witches in Europe. Lilia wore the Serpent Crown and used the power of the collective coven to locate the Scarlet Witch. She was one of several magic users to take interest in the girl. But the struggle over the fate of the girl ceased when Chthon manifested himself. He warned all magic users to stay away from Wanda, since he had plans from her. The Elder God predicted that most mystics involved would eventually produce powerful children of their own.

For Lilia the prophecy came true in a particularly painful way. Again according to #8, Karl Mordo eventually learned of the existence of his half-sister and his niece. He also learned of the Book of Cagliostro and wanted to get his hands on it. So he came seeking his niece, romancing Lilia. She fell for her handsome uncle and in time entrusted him with her secrets. He proceeded to turn on her, attacking her and stealing the book.

Mordo assumed Lilia was dead. She survived ... but with a "broken heart" and an ongoing pregnancy. According to "Doctor Strange" vol. 3 #87, Lilia gave birth to Astrid Mordo.

In "Marvel Premiere" #12 (November, 1973), Doctor Strange searched Transylvania for Baron Mordo. Strange was ambushed by Lilia who placed him under mind-control. She wanted to gain vengeance against her former lover for betraying her. She viewed Strange as the ideal weapon for the job. They invaded Castle Mordo. But they hadn't counted for its magical defenses, as Lilia was mortally wounded by a "living gargoyle". Strange regained his senses, just in time to see Lilia breathing her last.

In Other Media

Agatha All Along (2024)

In the Disney+ series actress Patti LuPone portrays Lilia Calderu, a 400 year-old seer whom Agatha Harkness recruits into her coven as the expert in divination magic. In the show Lilia has been struggling to keep her fortune teller business afloat amidst a decrease in suspicion, and is facing eviction. Agatha convinces her to walk The Witches' Road and regain the power and glory that once was hers.

The coven - made up of Lilia, Agatha, Jennifer Kale, Alice Wu-Gulliver, and Mrs Hart - alongside "Teen," walk the Witches' Road and are faced with five trials along the way. Each trial corresponds to the witch in the coven and their respective speciality. During the First Trial the coven is poisoned and Lilia hallucinates her younger self, who leads her to the decaying body of her Maestra.

Following the Third Trial the sigil on "Teen" is broken, revealing him to be the soul of Billy Maximoff in the body of William Kaplan. It is then shown that Lilia read Kaplan's palm at his bar mitzvah and saw his future death and transformation into Billy Maximoff, so she cast the sigil on him to protect his brain from overwhelming at the trauma. Back on the Witches' Road Billy - angered by Agatha's killing of Alice Wu - controls Lilia and Jennifer to throw Agatha from the road, before launching them off the road with a blast of magic. Lilia and Jennifer awaken in the tunnelled undergrowth of the Road, and follow the path to the Fourth Trial.

Underneath the Road Lilia begins experiencing breaks in chronological perceptions of time, shifting back and forth mid-sentence throughout the Trials and back to her childhood in Sicily. There she speaks with her Maestra, who teaches the adult Lilia about the importance of finding a coven and embracing her powers and purpose. Jennifer helps to guide her to the Fourth Trial as they avoid the Salem Seven, and the two discover Agatha and Billy already attempting, and failing, the trial. Lilia takes position as the coven's Divination Witch, performing a tarot reading with herself as the subject, which divines the significance of the coven. For herself, Lilia draws the Queen of Cups. Lilia begins to understand her role in the story, embracing her fate and finding peace in the past with her Maestra.

Upon completing the trial, Lilia pushes Jennifer through the exit, claiming she represents the coven's future. Jennifer protests but Lilia, telling her how much the coven has given her meaning, locks herself within the tower as the Salem Seven breach its border. Lilia reverses the Tower card, rotating gravity and sending the Seven plunging to their deaths. Lilia falls, and her consciousness loops back to her childhood in Sicily, sitting down to attend a lesson.