Following of the events of Evil Ernie: Revenge is the 4 issue series, Lady Death: Between Heaven and Hell.
Lady Death: Between Heaven and Hell #1 (March 1995) – It is 3361 years ago and Purgatori is summoning Lucifer because she is tired of thin mortal blood. She is controlling peasants, like puppets, to madly dance around a fire. When Lucifer appears, Purgatori gives herself to him, he is intrigued by the darkness in her blood and her legacy of brutality. Lucifer promises her Hell, and burns alive all her sacrifices.
Purgatori is taken to the city of Dis in Lucifer’s Kingdom. He has her prepared and sent to his bed chamber where she promises fulfillment of his desires. When he is close enough she bites into his neck, sucking on his blood. Lucifer is immediately insulted, calls her a “wench” and throws her off, but she does not falter and attempts to try again. His blood is everything she dreamed it would be, and so she leeches onto his neck once again. He pulls her off and she has a realization, the turmoil from his resistance makes his blood more powerful and intoxicating, Purgatori craves more of this ecstasy she is feeling. Lucifer is contemplating what to do with her, but he does not want her dead because she is the offspring of Fallen Angels. Thus, he banishes her into The Nexus of All Things to Necropolis where she will be free to pursue her “dark destiny.” He admires her spirit, beauty, and bids farewell to his beloved Purgatori. Purgatori screams “Mmorrrreeee” as she falls into the Nexus.
The next time we see Purgatori it is the present. She is rejoicing that she has “prepared” and “simmered” Lady Death to the point where Death is having an identity crisis. Purgatori cannot wait to drink from the Goddess whose blood is in turmoil. Her plan is revealed for the first time, she wishes to drain the Goddess and use her new-found power to liberate Lucifer’s Soul from within her. Afterwards, she hopes to take Lucifer’s power for her own. At this moment, Lady Death is starting to believe the hallucinations about her past, Purgatori is relishing at how easy this all has been. For a moment, she admires Lady Death’s tragic life, which she finds similar to her own, but she quickly brushes that thought away.
Death’s blood is now boiling and Purgatori decides that she needs a final tipping point to send her over the edge. Death sees a vision, in which she professes, that killing her own mother was her “most profound pleasure.” Lady Death quickly realizes she is being manipulated and Purgatori thinks that she is “too close to lose her now.” Purgatori realizes she was wrong in her haste but gains an advantage when she realizes Marion, Death’s mother, is the key. She wraps the astral image of Marion around her and speaks to the Goddess. As the mother, she claims that the demoness captured and used her to travel to this realm, then she pulls out a doll from Hope’s childhood. Death quickly goes to embrace her mother, and it ends with Purgatori embracing the Goddess claiming that “…Everything will be alright.”
Lady Death: Between Heaven and Hell #2 (April 1995) – Lady Death quickly realizes that Purgatori is an imposter, claiming to have watched her mother’s spirit pass through the Nexus of All Things to Heaven’s Gate eons ago. Purgatori realizes that her plan was not as clever as she thought, she has failed to drive Lady Death to the brink of sanity, upon success she hoped that Death’s blood would boil with uncertainty. Purgatori disappears to recalculate her plan, Death wonders if she has just met the enemy that has plagued her of late.
“Some time ago, on the edges of the Endless Graveyard”, Purgatori senses an ally of Lady Death’s forgotten, abandoned, left for dead, and in despair. She digs into the ground and finds Cremator, who still harbors no malice toward Death. In the present, Cremator expresses his anger toward Death as he completes Purgatori’s sword which is “forged in hate and unholy hellfire.” Purgatori feels accomplished that the spell on her slave has worked so well.
Purgatori is hoping to get Lady Death’s powers’ soon, a war is coming, the judgement era for Fallen Angels. She sends Cremator out to pay Death a visit, he attacks her in bed and she fights back, thinking him another manipulation. Lady Death hits Cremator so hard with her powers that he becomes disillusioned and reveals that “Purgatori…Lucifer’s Beloved!” has been controlling him. Suddenly, Purgatori impales Cremator as he warns Death to beware of the sword.
Purgatori has arrived on a horse with horns lining his neck, a sword it sticking out straight from her hand, various blades lining the saddle. Once again, Purgatori thinks sweetly about the Goddess, she has come to adore her and wants her more than ever, but she brushes away those thoughts.
Purgatori subdues Lady Death with a lasso of blood and drags her body through the dirt. Death’s nameless wolves bite through the lasso and she hurries onto her steed Vassago.
They clash swords, in an attempt to anger the Goddess, Purgatori takes credit for how she has violated Lady Death’s mind with fear and how Death is now her submissive. Death vows that for Purgatori’s insolence – a slow and painful death.
Purgatori has her where she wants her but then Lady Death pulls away. The blood Goddess beckons her to attack, they rush at each other, and Purgatori blinds Death with a blood veil.
Purgatori lunges at the Goddess and listens to Death mistakenly believe that she has come to rescue Lucifer. As Purgatori sits atop of Death she tells her that she does not appreciate her wearing her wedding dress. She then uses blood bonds to keep Lady Death’s wrists above her head. Purgatori laughs at the notion that she has come to save her “beloved” and then remarks that the Goddess is more to her liking. She bites into Death’s neck and enjoys the sweet taste, she admits that she just wants Lucifer’s blood and soul.
Purgatori also mentions that there is a coming struggle for dominance among the Fallen Angels. She explains that the sword was crafted to liberate Lucifer’s soul from within and that Death’s blood will serve as the perfect conduit. As she plunges the sword into Lady Death’s body she reveals, in her thoughts, that she did in fact capture Death’s mother on her way to Heaven’s Gate, in which she stole her thoughts and learned of her story.
Suddenly the panel flashes to blue and Purgatori screams out “No!” and babbles about how this is unholy as she realizes Lucifer’s soul is not within the Goddess. Lady Death screams out believing this to be a further manipulation, yet she considers the possibility that this is true. Purgatori keeps to her realization and so Death drags her to the River Styx where she will be forced to tell the truth.
Purgatori admits that Lucifer’s soul was never inside of Lady Death.
The art by Mike Deodato, Jr. is stunning and appropriate in regards to portraying the Goddesses new image.
The Blood Goddess 