Neena

Neena, also known as Isabel and Victoria, was the first witch, as well as the mother of the lines of witches, warlocks, wizards, sorcerers, shamans, and gypsies.

Neena worked for the Greater Good for untold centuries until she became fed up with The Powers That Be consistently tampering with her and her "children's" lives. She teamed up with a warlock named Hogan to achieve her mysterious goals, but killed him after deeming him no longer useful. Later on she found a new partner in her plans: a formidable Darklighter named Rennek.

Ultimately, it was revealed that she was only a determined woman with a tragic story, and her plans were well-intentioned, despite being misguided. In her final confrontation with the Charmed Ones, she was defeated and her powers were permanently bound, and she was banished to a realm of her own creation.

History[]

Becoming the First Witch[]

Neena's story started from the first days of humanity. When the world was dark, a spiritual energy ran through everything that existed, neither Good nor Evil. The Elders called it "The All." Thousands of years ago, a woman came across that Nexus. She alerted her mate of what she had found. At first they were afraid of it, but she pushed past that fear and tapped into this power. The woman was infused with more of The All than any human was supposed to possess. The woman shared that power with her mate and it changed them, making them immortal and invulnerable. It bonded them forever to one another and to The All. They ascended to a place of pure, utter bliss that they shared with The All, known as the Higher Realm.

However, their presence there affected the Earth as The All was contained to the Higher Realm. As a result, the world started to die. The only way to save the world was for the woman and her mate to separate their powers and allow the power of The All to flow freely again. The woman and man were forced to abandon the Higher Realm, never to return again. Once back on Earth, the woman gave birth to a pair of twins that were conceived while she was in the Higher Realm. The first child was a female and had powers like her mother, just not as strong, and it was from this child that witches came.^[1] The second child was a male born with the same abilities, but he used the magic for dark purposes, and that gave rise to warlocks. Their other children possessed no magic of their own, but they and their descendants could tap into The All as practitioners.^[2]

Every time a witch was born, he or she would inherit a tiny piece of The All. However, with every new descendant, The All began to weaken as it was spreading too thinly. In order to reclaim some of the magic it had lost, it needed one of the two immortals to return to the Higher Realm. The Elders were forced to make a decision and chose Neena's mate. Against his will, he was taken away from Neena, and she was alone for the first time in forever.

As Isabel[]

Some time around the 17th century, the first witch settled in Colonial Virgina and took the name of Isabel. She was, at that time, a mysterious woman who was only spoken about in whispers, and reputed to possess the power of precognition. However, Charlotte Warren also stated that she was much more than just a witch.

Charlotte came to Isabel to ask for her help and confessed to her the whole story: that she had conceived the child before marriage, and her fiancé was missing, and somehow she knew that he would not return. Last but not least, she revealed her fears of doing everything alone, and of being shunned and having her child punished for her indiscretion. Isabel explained that she knew exactly how Charlotte felt, as someone she loved had been taken away from her as well. Isabel then went on to tell Charlotte that it was her unborn child who knew that her father would not return, as she had the gift of Premonition and much more, unlike her parents. She also revealed that she knew more than what she could share, which was why she cannot help Charlotte abort her baby, and that she intended to help her in another way.

She gave her a special talisman of the Triquetra, telling her that it would guide her to a local woman who would help her deliver the child safely into the world. Isabel persuaded her to believe that this was for the best, as the child had to be born for everyone's sake. Her prediction was eventually fulfilled; with help from the future Charmed Ones, Eva aided Charlotte in giving birth to an extremely powerful witch: Melinda Warren, who would start the Warren line and prophesized the coming of the Charmed Ones.

Modern Times[]

Neena and a warlock, Hogan waited in a club for Weasel. An Angel of Destiny appeared before them and told them whatever their plan was, it was not destined to happen. Neena sent the Angel away to an unknown plane, while Hogan projected rage onto people at the club. Weasel met up with them and handed them a piece of paper. Hogan took the paper, and Neena killed Weasel when he tried to make a move on her.

The paper appeared to be a map which helped Neena and Hogan find the entrance to a cave near the Golden Gate Bridge. They went into the cave and ended up in an ominous, lava-filled lair.

Neena and Hogan are seen conversing with a smoke-like being who appeared to be in charge of them. It told them that they needed to do something before it could return to full power. Neena and Hogan then killed Paige's latest charge, a male witch named Brent.

Resurrecting the Source to Take His Power[]

Neena and Hogan went to the Ancient Burial Ground of the Hollow and distracted the new Guardians, taking a sample of soil and proceeding to give it to their mysterious master. Neena cast a spell and brought the Source of All Evil back to life as a golem.

As the Source battled the Charmed Ones, Neena was still in the Underworld brewing something in a cauldron while telling Hogan to be patient and being cryptic about not being trustworthy. After the Charmed Ones vanquished The Source, Neena cast a spell to share the Source's power with the demons in her presence. She then killed Hogan by suffocating him with vines.

New Queen of the Underworld[]

In the Underworld, the Darklighter Rennek has teamed up with the Horned Demon and his minions in order to go on a rampage and massacre a group of vampires. He set his sights on the Vampire Queen, Lorna, who he claimed that he won't kill yet. Lorna tried to feign innocence when Rennek pointed out that she had upset a friend of his. Just then, Neena appeared and yelled at Lorna for not showing allegiance to her after she granted Lorna the very powers that made her a Vampire Queen. Lorna wanted to negotiate further, but a fed-up Neena simply staked her with roots, vanquishing her.

Neena was pleased that the vampires had been dealt with, as that allowed her plan to proceed for the Underworld. Rennek, however, was suspicious that the demons did not know who they were really working for. He then called Neena by two different names - Isabel and Victoria - and told her that he knew of her true identity and intentions.

Killing Kyle and Separating the Charmed Ones[]

In the Underworld, Neena admitted that she did not want the Charmed Ones involved with her scheme, which was why Rennek had not attacked them before. In fact, she would have left them out entirely if she did not have to divide the Source of All Evil's powers to make her army stronger. Meanwhile, Rennek had collected enough orbs for her attack. Neena then gathered a group of demons to help her plan out the attack.

Meanwhile, the Charmed Ones orbed to the Bridge, where they found multiple demons attacking the Elders. Rennek and Neena then attacked Kyle Brody and Neena took his powers after Rennek killed him. Neena then faced the Charmed Ones and was able to send Piper to another dimension. Paige tried to orb Piper back to her, but failed. Leo then arrived and recognized Neena as the first witch. He quickly told the sisters to orb back to the manor and told them of Neena's origins.

Bringing About the Apocalypse[]

Up in the Heavens, Neena has run the Elders into hiding, and it is revealed that she had once attempted to create a world where the tree of the All could be recreated, but the realm would not hold it, so she instead used it as a prison for her enemies: trapping Piper and an Angel of Destiny there. This other realm also damaged the Cosmic Void, allowing Cole Turner to appear in the realm.

A glamoured Leo and Paige entered the Heavens in an attempt find Piper; however, they were quickly recognized by Neena. She then took them to the vault and threatened to kill Paige's husband and children if she did not open the vault. Paige then reluctantly opened the door, granting Neena access to the Sphaera of Light and Dark. Paige then tried to escape, but was blasted by a demon.

While held captive by Rennek, Leo tried to reason with Neena, informing her she will destroy everything if her plan succeeds. Nenna told him that the fusion of the Underworld and the Heavens would open a portal to the higher plane which holds The All and her beloved. Leo told her this was not her, but Neena replied that the Angels of Destiny and Elders made her like this by shaping the world around her and her children and that she was tired of fate dictating everything. Leo mentioned she has killed dozens of innocents and Whitelighters, though Neena replied that she had never killed any of her children. She then told him that she played by the rules, but that she no longer would. She then combined the two orbs, causing a thunderstorm to brew on earth.

Defeat and Punishment[]

While Neena used her magic to fuse the orbs into one giant sphere, Leo managed to escape Rennek and headed into the vault. Meanwhile, Paige and the Warren witches gathered at the gate of the Beyond ready to charge the Heavens. The Charmed Ones and their allies then attacked Neena's army, forcing her to enter the fray. At that moment, Leo emerged with wings and a flaming sword. Paige temporarily orbed Neena away, giving the sisters time to restore her to her body. Neena then returned and angrily accused the sisters of being ungrateful, as none of them would have existed without her.

Neena continued to justify her actions, and Phoebe used her power to feel her emotions. Piper then told Phoebe to turn the emotions back on Neena. However, the emotions proved too much to handle and both witches fell to the ground, temporarily incapacitated. Phoebe explained to her sisters how Neena felt, and realised that she truly believed she was doing what was best.

Piper then told them to move to Plan B: binding Neena's powers. She poured a potion on Neena's chest, and the sisters chanted their binding spell, but it did not work (Neena even mocks them for attempting to try). Fortunately, at Grams' suggestion, all the Warren witches were able to make the spell work when the Charmed Ones cast it for the second time. With the help of the Elders and Leo's sword, the sisters then break apart the spheres, preventing the apocalypse and changing the Upper Regions back to normal, putting a stop to Neena's plans, and restoring and saving the world.

At that moment, three Angels of Destiny appeared. While they agreed with Neena that there had been too much interference on their part and promised to make amends to her descendants, they refused to let her return to the Higher Realm as they felt she needed to be punished for her crimes: they banished her to the dimension that she had created, where she would never escape now that her powers were permanently bound. However, understanding what drove her to do what she did, and their undeniable responsibility in the matter, they made amends to her as well: for six months out of every year, Neena's beloved would join her, but for the rest of the time he would remain with The All—the only compromise they could offer.

Summoned by Prue[]

In 2010, Prue Halliwell summoned Neena in chains to talk to her about the All and the power that was making her unintentionally hurt her family. Neena referred to herself as a witch second to none, though Prue replied that she was now second to one. Neena expressed her sympathy before telling Prue to share the power with her sisters, though she also stated that Prue was nowhere near finished hurting her loved ones.

Powers and Abilities[]

As one of the first magical witches, or "the very source of human magic" (as she once proclaimed herself to be), Neena was one of the most powerful magical beings in existence.^[3] Even the Angels of Destiny stated that they had very little control over her, as she existed outside of time and space. Aside from her own natural powers, Neena also absorbed the powers of the Source of All Evil and an Elder, which gave her power over both the Underworld and the Heavens. During her final confrontation with the Charmed Ones, her powers were permanently bound by the entire Warren line. Despite this, she still called herself a witch that was second to none, but Prue Halliwell, as the Nexus of the All, stated she was second to one, referring to herself.

Basic Powers

• Spell Casting: The ability to cast spells and perform rituals.
• Potion Brewing: The ability to brew potions.
• Scrying: The ability to scry for lost objects or beings through the use of a map and a scrying crystal.
• Mediumship: The ability to see and commune with spirits of the dead.

Active Powers

• Telekinesis: The ability to move objects and beings using one's mind.
• Premonition: The ability to perceive events from the past, present, and future. Neena was shown to possess this power to an exceptionally high degree, displaying considerable knowledge of intimate details of the lives of the Charmed Ones and their family.
• Portal Creation: The ability to create portals to other locations or realms. Neena claimed she had no idea where she sent people to.
• Geokinesis: The ability to manipulate earth, rock and soil. Neena has been shown to levitate a large rock and using it as a way to hover in mid-air.
• Glamouring: Neena saw through Paige’s glamouring power and Leo’s glamouring spell when they used it to hide themselves from her and her demons she immediately saw through their glamour and told them “you think I can’t see through a simple glamour where do you think that magic originated from I like to change things up myself every once in a while” indicating that she was the one invented that power and she used it every now and then.
• Phytokinesis: The ability to enhance, grow and manipulate plant life. Neena used this power to grow vines, which she used to entangle and kill Hogan, stake Lorna and produce a makeshift throne for herself in the Underworld.
• Power Negation: The ability to cancel out the powers of others. Neena used this to negate Paige's Glamouring power and Leo's Glamouring Spell.
• Power Absorption: The ability to absorb and take ownership of the powers of other magical beings.
• Fire Throwing: The ability to throw streams of fire from one's hands.

Other Powers

• Immortality: The ability to possess an infinite lifespan and an arrested aging process. Neena has existed since the dawn of humanity.
• High Resistance: The ability to be highly resistant to physical and magical harm. As the first witch, she could even resist the effects of the Charmed Ones' powers and spells, though she was still affected by them.

Through spell, potion, power stealing, etc.

• Electrokinesis: The ability to project bolts of lightning.
• Elder Powers: All the powers and abilities commonly associated with the Elders. Neena stole these powers from Kyle Brody.
  • Orbing: The ability to teleport through the use of orbs.
• Source Powers: All the powers and abilities commonly associated with the Source. Neena cast a spell to share part of his power with herself and all demons.
  • Energy Beam: The ability to fire beams of magical energy from one's hands.

Spells[]

To Share the Source's Power[]

Ancient evil now destroyed.

Others rise to fill the void.

To build our strength within this hour,

Leave vanquished Source, but share his power.

To Bind Neena's Powers[]

Earthly Goddess twisted by loss

We bind your magic, we bind your strength, we bind your power

Now and forever

Note: This spell requires the combination of the Power of Three and the entire Warren Line to be effectively cast.

Notes and Trivia[]

• She is almost two and a half million years old, as Leo said she was around since the first days of humanity.
• She knew Charlotte Warren and gave her a Triquetra necklace.
• On Twitter, Paul Ruditis called her the Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty.
• The origin of Neena and her mate shares many similarities to the story of Adam and Eve.
• The Angels of Destiny allowing Neena's beloved to spend six months out of the year with her shares many similarities to the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone.

Appearances[]

Neena appeared in a total of 12 issues and 1 bonus story throughout the course of the comic series.

Charmed, Season 9
#01	"Charmed Lives"	#09	"The All or Nothing"	#17	"Family Shatters"
#02	"No Rest for the Wicca"	#10	"Three Little Wiccans"	#18	"Four's Company"
#03	"Innocents Lost"	#11	"Last Witch Effort"	#19	"Crossed, Triple-Crossed"
#04	"Mortal Enemies"	#12	"The Charmed Offensive"	#20	"The Old Witcheroo"
#05	"Unnatural Resources"	#13	"Piper's Place"	#21	"Reversal of Misfortune"
#06	"Morality Bites Back"	#14	"Cupid's Harrow"	#22	"Prue Ya Gonna Call?"
#07	"The Heir Up There"	#15	"Where There's Smoke There's a Firestarter"	#23	"The Darklight Zone"
#08	"Oh, Henry"	#16	"The Heavens Can Wait"	#24	"The Power of 300"
#00	"To the Warren Born"

Charmed, Season 10
#01	"No Country for Old Ones"	#08	"Love is a Burning Thing"	#15	"The Four Sisters, Part 2"
#02	"Magically Malicious"	#09	"Haste Makes Wasteland"	#16	"Happy Ending"
#03	"The Perks of Being a Whitelighter"	#10	"The Curious Case of Benjamin Turner"	#17	"Effigy"
#04	"Charmed Assault"	#11	"Fear Always Comes Back"	#18	"Tribunal and Tribulations"
#05	"Whatever Happened to the Demon with a Soul?"	#12	"Virtue"	#19	"Something Old, Something Prue"
#06	"Will o' the Witch"	#13	"Court of Love"	#20	"The Reason"
#07	"Hard Knox Life"	#14	"The Four Sisters, Part 1"

References[]