By Neil Kleid
Evil lurks near Gilead's throne, gathering in shadows as it conspires to destroy the Affiliation.
It stains our eyes with Marten Broadcloak's blood-soaked deceit and hints at great dangers like John Farson and the Crimson King. But its hidden mistress, a far more insidious threat than Broadcloak or Farson, skirts the coat tails of the Crimson King and uses treachery and poison to strike a blow at those who wronged her. As in the pages of DARK TOWER: GUNSLINGER BORN, diseased witch Rhea of the Coos attacks Roland Deschain's soul through his heart, causing more damage to his life and story than any rogue, demon or harrier from the blackest reaches of End-World could.
You and I, fellow Constant Reader, seeing the aged crone in our path might underestimate her venomous curses and plans; but should we ride on without a
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Preview art by
Jae Lee &
Richard Isanove |
backwards glance to see if she follows, our downfall surely would. Here now are the secrets and lies of Rhea Dubativo—witch woman of Mejis, also known as the Weirding of the Coos—as she casts her eye against Gilead in the pages of DARK TOWER: TREACHERY and brings about the downfall of the family Deschain.
MY LITTLE PARTY'S JUST BEGINNING
Echoing Roland's encounter with Maeryln's Grapefruit, Rhea fell into the thrall of magicked glass when still young. A child already capable of great evil, Rhea's powers doubled in strength after a shard of Maerlyn's mirror lodged itself in her eye, enabling her to see humanity's true self and use their secrets to her advantage.
HOW ABOUT A LITTLE FIRE?
While serving as witch woman of Mejis, Rhea crossed an incognito Roland Deschain after she threatened the life and virtue of his true love, Susan Delgado. When the foolish young gunslinger killed Ermot, Rhea's snake familiar, he earned himself a terrible and persistent enemy. With the help of Susan's demented aunt Cordelia, the vengeful witch stirred the townsfolk into a frenzy, urging them to burn Susan Delgado at the stake.
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Preview art by
Jae Lee &
Richard Isanove |
I'LL GET YOU, MY PRETTY
Possessed by the Grapefruit and fleeing Mejis, Roland encountered his past, present and future within the pink, dangerous seeing stone. Alongside rushing images of friends and enemies, he spied the diseased witch woman flying by on a broom, cackling with delight like L. Frank Baum's Wicked Witch of the West from "The
Wizard of Oz." In "Wizard and Glass,"—the fourth of the Dark Tower novels on which the Marvel comic book series is based—Roland's future ka-tet runs afoul of more Oz-inspired imagery including ruby slippers, an emerald palace and the terrible visions of Rhea's final revenge against Roland Deschain—events that will play out in future issues of DARK TOWER: TREACHERY.
SOMETHING WITH POISON, BUT ATTRACTIVE TO THE EYE
Seething over Ermot's demise and the loss of Maerlyn's seeing stone, Rhea followed Roland's ka-tet back to Gilead and sent the enthralled gunslinger a vision of death; in his dream, Rhea rode on spider back through the Grapefruit's pink haze and, sneaking up behind him, beheaded Roland's father. Though that gruesome
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Preview art by
Jae Lee &
Richard Isanove |
murder was merely a nightmare, Rhea's illusions will prove to be dangerous when she uses them to manipulate Roland's heart and mind to perform a terrible act, one that will haunt him until the end of his long, harrowing road to the Dark Tower.
Fly, my cullies, through treacherous skies as Rhea's final revenge grows closer. DARK TOWER: TREACHERY #5, flies into stores on January 28! For more info, visit Marvel.com's Dark Tower hub and StephenKing.com.
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