Known as the Witch-Queen of the Romani, Lilia Calderu is a powerful mage who leads her people and protects their heritage.
Royal Responsibilities
Dwelling in the Carpathian mountains, Lilia Calderu is born into a long line of powerful Roma and inherits the role of the Witch-Queen from her mother. Lilia descends from the first Baron of Mordo, Nikolai, and his mistress, Miarka, who together have a daughter Lilia Murgo, who is Lilia’s namesake. Miarka is rumored to be the daughter of Cagliostro, master magician from the 18th century.
As the Queen, she is also the keeper of the infamous Book of Cagliostro—an arcane book of secrets compiled by the magician of the same name—which puts a target on her back.
Mystic Mage
Lilia has the power to read and interpret the arcane mysteries of the Book of Cagliostro, and can use mind control to force others to do as she wishes, even such sorcerers as powerful as Dr. Stephen Strange, AKA Doctor Strange.
Queen Lilia sometimes appears as a crone to people she meets for the first time.
She also wears the Serpent Crown for a time, which increases her magical abilities, but she becomes paranoid of losing it.
Diabolic Fiends
Lilia goes toe-to-toe with the houngan (Voodoo Priest) Dan-Ayido-Hwedo, AKA Damballah, and her granduncle Taboo when they seek to take the Serpent Crown from her.
Fully aware of his relation to Lilia, the mystic Karl Mordo, AKA Baron Mordo, seduces Lilia to obtain the Book of Cagliostro, but attacks her, stealing her people’s most treasured heritage and leaving her for dead. Surviving, she bears his daughter, Astrid Mordo, but the betrayal makes Queen Lilia hate magicians. Even when she meets Doctor Strange, she expresses her hatred but isn’t above using him to defeat Mordo.
Magical Allies
Lilia joins a coven of sorceresses that includes Margali Szardos and Baroness Laura Maria Russoff-Russell, AKA Maria Russoff. Sensing a great mystic potential in a young Wanda Maximoff, the trio invite her to join their coven, but they discover that she’s meant for something else.
An Enchanting Tale
When the young Wanda Maximoff visited Queen Lilia, Lilia appeared as a haggard old woman. In private, Lilia revealed her younger self and advised Wanda to keep her true self a secret. They traveled together to Castle Russoff where they met up with Lilia’s coven, Margali Szardos and Maria Russoff. On the way, she informed Wanda about her responsibilities as Queen and as the Keeper of the Book of Cagliostro. Once Lilia convened with her coven, she shared one of the book’s predictions, that Wanda’s power would manifest in two days' time and that she would be able to change the world with a wish.
At this time, Lilia wore the Serpent Crown but it took hold of her, and she threatened her coven should they remove it. Her coven tried to convince her to take the crown off to no avail. While Margali and Maria strolled the halls of Castle Russoff with Wanda, Lilia dispensed with her latest suitor, Baron Mordo, and joined her fellow witches. The trio offered Wanda a spot in their coven, enticing her a world of wonders, though she seemed hesitant to join. Suddenly, Lilia’s granduncle Taboo charged through a portal with the evil sorcerer Damballah, who sought the Serpent Crown. Lilia projected a giant hand, tossing Taboo aside but was attacked from behind by Damballah. Maria called forth the dead to defend against their attackers as Margali attempted to thwart Damballah’s serpent minions. Maria’s husband, the werewolf Gregor Russoff, assisted them as well. But the demonic Chthon intervened and returned the crown to the ice. Before departing to his realm, he left them all with a prophecy, that they would all bear children of occult significance, that Wanda would be loyal to no coven, and that she was special to him. Without the crown, Lilia apologized to Wanda. The coven encouraged Wanda to learn from the American witch, Agatha Harkness, and returned her to her family.
Desiring the Book of Cagliostro, Baron Mordo wooed Queen Lilia into giving up the location of the book. Thinking they would unlock the mysteries of the book together and that they were in love, Lilia gave up the location. But Mordo betrayed her, stealing it and fleeing to his levitating castle in the sky, beyond her reach. He left her for dead not knowing she was pregnant with their daughter, Astrid Mordo.
Upon meeting Doctor Strange, Queen Lilia sensed he was more than he seemed, and once he revealed himself to be the Sorcerer Supreme, Lilia shared how she hated magicians because of Mordo. Despite being devastated by Mordo’s betrayal, she was resolved to take vengeance. Using mind control, Lilia controlled Strange and they infiltrated the castle, where they discovered the book unguarded. As soon as Strange touched the book, however, his hand went right through it as if it were a mirage and its hidden guardian, the Living Gargoyle, attacked the pair. Realizing that Strange could not defeat the monster while controlled, Lilia released him from her control only to be struck down by the gargoyle, mortally wounded.
