Priest () is a manhwa (Korean comic) series created by Hyung Min-woo. It fuses the Western genre with supernatural horror and dark fantasy themes and is notable for its unusual, angular art style. An interview with Hyung in Priest: Volume 3 states that the comic was based on the computer game Blood by Monolith Productions, which featured a similar horror-Western aesthetic and undead protagonist. He has also cited the comic as a mishmash of influences from other books, movies and games,Kim Se-joon, Manhwa: A Boundless Treasure Trove of Cultural Content, Koreana elements from a culture that he felt was underground in Korea at the time.Sung So-young (June 3, 2011), Risks turn into reward for 'Priest' graphic novelist, Korea JoongAng Daily
Priest was published in English by Tokyopop.Tokyopop Lands Eight New Properties for 2002, ICv2, December 4, 2001 The manhwa was loosely adapted into the 2011 American horror film of the same name.
Story Priest tells the story of humanity's battle against 12 fallen angels. The angels descended to Earth to 'play God' among humans, who build a temple and statues in their honor. For their rebellion against Him, God destroyed their temple, imprisoned their souls in statues, and buried the statues underground.
Centuries later, a Holy Knight named Vascar De Gullion loses his family. He 'loses faith' and wanders the earth in a 'blood rage'. He discovers a cave containing the statues of the 12 fallen angels. Temozarela convinces Vascar De Gullion to give up his body to the angel to take revenge against God. Vascar De Gullion is discovered by a powerful priest, Betheal. He discovers that Vascar De Gullion is actually Temozarela. Betheal traps their souls within a powerful weapon called the Domas Porada, becoming the demon Belial in the process.
Ivan Isaacs solves the puzzle of the Domas Porada, freeing Temozarela. The angel murders Isaacs' love, Gena, after escaping. Priest follows Ivan Isaacs' quest for revenge against the fallen angel, Temozarela, and his 12 angelic disciples, with assistance from Belial and others.Joseph O'Donnell, Jr. (June 1, 2011) , The Eerie Digest
Characters Main
Ivan Isaacs The main protagonist of Priest. Ivan lived in an orphanage until Mr. Isaacs, a wealthy farm owner, adopted him after his wife died to be a companion for his daughter. Fond of ancient stories and myths, he spent his time researching in his own library and with Gena Isaacs, whom he eventually falls in love. When Mr. Isaacs finds out, he reprimands Ivan. His father sends him off to a boarding school called Conrad to get him away from Gena. Ivan returns after becoming a priest. An essay he wrote brings him to the attention of an Order of St. Vinetz. They approach him to help unlock the secrets of the Domas Porada, which contains the souls of Temozarela and Belial.
After reading through a book, Ivan finds blood in it and confronts Piestro. He admits his true plan is to let Temozarela free. Temozarela, realizing that Ivan could liberate him, tells Piestro to sacrifice Gena in front of the Domas Porada. During this, Ivan goes into a stupor and attempts to open the Domas Porada. He is transported inside the Domas Porada finding Temozarela imprisoned and Belial standing watch. Belial reprimands Isaac for entering the relic as the archangel breaks free.
Ivan stalks the west as an undead creature sustained solely by his infinite rage; his strength directly related to his anger. He also uses weapons: a Bowie knife he coats with blessed silver, a sawed off shotgun with silver bullets, and a Thompson sub-machine gun.
Betheal Gavarre (Belial) Belial was originally an inquisitor in the medieval church called Betheal. He presided over the case of the possessed Vascar de Guillon. Temozarela, possessing Vascar, influences Betheal's adoptive son, Matthew, to slaughter one of the women at the monastery. Temozarela orchestrated this tragedy to shatter Betheal's faith. In remorse and enraged, Betheal sacrifices himself, condemns his faith, renounces God, and becomes the devil Belial. Betheal uses his new power to imprison Temozarela and himself in the Domas Porada. After Temozarela is freed, he melds with Ivan's body to help him defeat the angels.
Gena Isaacs The natural daughter of Mister Isaacs, a ranch owner who adopted Ivan. Gena eventually falls in love with Ivan despite being his adoptive sister, but is killed by Temozarela's minions. The Order of St. Vertinez uses her to make Ivan finally snap and release Temozarela. She is killed while calling Ivan's name and dies in his arms. He brings Gena's body back to the ranch. Belial appears and Ivan leaves her to talk with him. At this time, a servant of Temozarela, appears and raises the dead of a nearby graveyard. Ivan sees them and runs into the house for Gena, finding several zombies feeding on her flesh. Gena comes back to life as a zombie. She pleads with him to love her still, but he refuses at Belial's words and stabs her with a scythe. After killing the zombies, he takes her corpse and buries her in a makeshift grave with a cross at the head.
Gena later appears as a visage to Ivan and other characters. Most notably, when Ivan is about to be killed by Achmode. Ivan finally begins to accept death and we see Gena in a field in front of him, before Armandiel saves him. She also appeared as a hallucination to Lizzie, saying nothing and just touching her heart after Lizzie almost succumbs to Temozarela.
Coburn Coburn is a cynical atheist and a federal marshal hired by the government to investigate Ivan and Temozarela. He first appears saving Lizzie from being hung as a witch, then subsequently hires her to help him find Isaac. He reveals to Lizzie how he knew her father. During Ivan's battle with Achmode, the group comes across Little Bosack ruined and inhabited by corpses. While Father Lucian stops to pray for the souls, every corpse comes alive and attacks them. Coburn protects the group with two guns and a whip.
Coburn tries to convince the mayor of Windtale that his city is in danger of an attack by Temozarela. His pleas are ignored, and Coburn leaves, remarking 'Either way, this town is doomed'. Coburn reappears when the village is surrounded by members of St. Vertinez who are about to attack. In the fight, he duels with Joshua. Joshua stabs him above the heart, but Coburn withdraws the sword and gives it back to Joshua, saying 'aim a bit higher.'
Lizzie Lizzie is the leader of a gang of outlaws. The authorities catches her and places her on a train transporting her to be executed. After the gang massacres most of the train, they try to steal the cargo, but Ivan kills them. She witnesses Ivan's battle with Jarbilong. While watching, a zombie bites her. Jarbilong tried to make Lizzie his disciple, but dies before succeeding. After the battle, Ivan visits her and tells her he will kill her unless she commits suicide before the curse takes control. During her recovery, she asks Ivan for help, but he ignores her, saying 'Why do you ask me questions which God Himself doesn't answer?' She cuts her long hair and recruits a mysterious clan to help her quest against Ivan.
Father Lucian The Vatican assigned Father Lucian to Coburn as a religious assistant in his pursuit of Ivan and Temozarela. He is calm and collected, preferring pacifism to violence. When Lizzie catches the plague, he heals her temporarily with holy water and prayer. After they find Ivan Isaacs, he reveals to Coburn that Betheal Gavarre is controlling Ivan. Lucian later appears with Coburn and attempts to persuade the townsfolk of Windtale to allow federal government into their town. When the Order of St. Vertinez surrounds Windtale, Lucian warns the mayor of Windtale about the impending danger. He notices the hanging body of Netraphim and speculates the town is going to Hell.
Cairo Cairo is an Indigenous American (possibly of the Apache tribe) traveling with Coburn. He is skilled with knives, and throws them with fatal accuracy. He is an expert tracker sent to locate Ivan Isaacs. Later, he attacks members of St. Vertinez after witnessing them murder a small child from an infected village. He continues fighting before Antione, a member of St. Vertinez, murders and dismembers him. Seeing this, Coburn renounces the Vatican, saying 'From now on, the cross will only be the sign of the enemy to me.'
The Fallen Angels Temozarela
Temozarela is an arch-angel who fought on God's side in the war against Lucifer. This war caused God to lose faith in the angels and begin preferring humanity. A bitter Temozarela took twelve empathetic angels to Earth to prove that humans were more fallible than angels. He set up a cult that worshiped him through ritual sacrifice. This only angered God and he banished Temozarela to the earth, imprisoning him in a statue. Years later, a Knight Templar called Vascar de Guillon fought in the crusades and led fearsome armies. His wife contracted a plague, but the doctors and priests said she was possessed by the devil. As a remedy, they burned de Guillon's castle with his wife and children inside. He discovered a hidden cavern on his "crusades of blood" that imprisoned Temozarela and his disciples. Temozarela explained how he and Vascar were both betrayed by God. In his fury, he gives his body to Temozarela who releases his angels and uses them to possess the Vascar's knights.
100 years later, Temozarela tries to seduce Betheal, but Betheal resists and eventually imprisons both himself and Temozarela in the Domas Porada. Belial and his battle causes Temozarela's body to be horribly burned. His life is saved by four of his Dark Apostles: Netraphim, Jarbilong, Achmode, and Armand.
Temozarela's actions are sometimes contradictory, indicating a deeper wish for Ivan to continue on his pilgrimage. He gives non-lethal powers to Jarbilong and slays Achmode after he eats Ivan's arm. Belial tells Ivan that his quest for blood is Temozarela's bidding, but Ivan ignores him.
Jarbilong Jarbilong is one of the twelve Angels who rebelled against God with Temozarela. He was present at Temozarela's release from the Domas Porada, but played little part in the battles with Belial. After this event he turns the townspeople of Saint Baldlas into zombies that attack Ivan. He has the 'gift' of merging his spirit with any of his disciples at will, giving him an inexhaustible supply of bodies. Ivan used Voodoo magic to damage all of Jarbilong's servants by attacking his soul instead of the angel's body. Wounded, the 11th Angel revealed his hideous true form. Jarbilong impales Ivan on one of his arms. Belial possesses Ivan and defeats Jarbilong, eventually impaling the angel on his own blades. In his final moments before dying, Jarbilong tells Ivan that Temozarela could destroy him if he wished, but the angel has plans for him.
Achmode The second Fallen Angel to battle Ivan on his pilgrimage, Achmode fancies himself both an artist and a beast. After turning a village into mindless zombies, Achmode creates undead killers and winged monstrosities by mutilating the zombie bodies. His sacred site is Small Bosack.