Victoria Montesi

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Victoria Montesi is a fictional character in Marvel Comics. She first appeared in The Darkhold #1 (October 1992), created by writer/editor Christian Cooper. She is notable for being Marvel’s first openly lesbian lead character.

Publication and role
Victoria is the daughter of Monsignor Vittorio Montesi. The Montesi family are guardians of the Darkhold, a powerful book of dark magic that could summon the Elder God Chthon. Victoria, who is half-American, works as a doctor in Rome and lives with her partner, Natasha “Nash” Salvato, a karate instructor.

Darkhold adventures
When Darkhold pages fall into the wrong hands, Victoria teams up with occult expert Louise Hastings and Interpol agent Sam Buchanan to recover them as the Darkhold Redeemers. They work with Ghost Rider and other heroes, facing Lilith and other supernatural threats, and become part of a broader group known as the Midnight Sons.

Across their missions, Victoria and her allies travel to different places, including Hawaii, and they protect civilians from demons. Louise Hastings dies after sacrificing herself to help the team, and her grandson Jinx joins the group, developing a crush on Victoria.

Major plot twist and aftermath
A major revelation is that Victoria is Chthon’s daughter, created when her father used magic to ensure an heir. Doctor Strange helps delay Chthon’s rebirth, and the Midwife, a figure connected to Chthon, later helps Victoria recover from the ordeal.

Later stories bring in the FBI, who recruit Victoria to track Carnage, who has taken the Darkhold abroad. In the Blood Hunt arc, she travels to El Fasha, Iraq, to confront possession and learns that Blade’s vampire activity may be tied to the Darkhold. Victoria warns that if Blade cannot be reasoned with, the Midnight Sons will intervene.

Powers and abilities
- Senses when someone accesses the Darkhold, a power tied to the book itself rather than just her bloodline.
- Trained doctor with medical skills.
- Limited martial arts training learned from Nash and later from Sam Buchanan.