Cutter, Jaine

To ensure neither Heaven nor Hell gained dominion over the Earth, Jaine Cutter sold the souls of seven policemen to Satan’s armorer, Zahgurim, in return for armor—forged of iron from River Styx (which granted invulnerability to Achilles)—and weapons. Branded with Zahgurim’s mark across her abdomen, she used her abilities to slay an angelic assassin targeting Satanist Anton Devine, later accompanying Devine to the Wasp Factory, where they encountered Daimon Hellstrom, a.k.a. Hellstorm, who was investigating a series of mage murders across Manhattan. Hellstorm was suspicious that Jaine might be the killer, as the murders were gradually tracing Zahgurim’s mark, but the pair soon began both an alliance and an affair. Together they caught up with Zahgurim’s minion, the Armorer, in time to prevent the slaying of Jakita Wegener. The Armorer smashed a Sumerian Ritual Execution Blade into Jaine’s skull, stunning, but not killing her, and Hellstorm slew him. Zahgurim manifested seeking vengeance, but was caught unawares by Jaine, who impaled him on her claws, allowing Hellstorm to blow his head off.

Soon afterwards Hellstorm’s wife, Patsy, died, forcing Jaine to consider her relationship might now potentially include commitment. While doing so, she accompanied Hellstorm to Jack Wintergarden’s demonically possessed mansion in Florida. Breaking in, they encountered the Bailiff of Inanna, demoness of the Inspiration of Madness, who had been torturing the mansion’s inhabitants. Goading Jaine into attacking him, the Bailiff captured and prepared to torture her, but he was destroyed by Hellstorm. When an angry Inanna appeared, Jaine slew the arch-demon with her Breathing Gun; aware that Hellstorm had to be a lord of Hell to have slain the Bailiff, she then threatened to kill him too, worried she had been sleeping with the enemy. Hellstorm informed her of his origins and his recent ascension to Hell’s throne, but assured her he had no intention of conquering the Earth, before officially making her his Satanic Consort.

Returning to her San Francisco apartment to retrieve her things, Jaine was ambushed by demon hunter Gabriel Rosetti, who managed to steal the Breathing Gun, which he subsequently used it in a failed attempt on Hellstorm’s life. Jaine and Hellstorm remain together, in spite of Night Man’s unintentional Ultraverse voyeurism, and Hellstorm tricking Hawkeye (Clint Barton) and the Thunderbolts into braving Mephisto’s realm to rescue Hellstorm’s wife Patsy.