Lucifera is an anti-heroine of the eponymous 1970s Italian comic book, published between 1971 and 1980 by Ediperiodici. The series, along with more well-known series of the era like ''

Isabella Isabella may refer to: People and fictional characters * Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Isabella (surname), including a list of people Places United States * Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpora ...

'' and ''Goldrake'', is among those created by

Renzo Barbieri Renzo Barbieri (10 March 1940 – 23 September 2007) was an author and editor of Italian comics as well as the founder of the publishing house Edifumetto. In 1980 he wrote ''Il Manuale del Playboy'' (Manual for Playboys), a textbook about wher ...

and Giorgio Cavedon, published between the late sixties and early seventies. The series led to the birth and development of the Italian erotic genre.

Publication history

The ''Lucifera'' comic book was published by Ediperiodici and ran for 170 issues from 1971 to 1980. A French edition was also published by Elvifrance and ran for 99 issues from 1972 to 1980. Lucifera is one of many similar female characters from the Italian ''

fumetti Photo comics are a form of sequential storytelling that uses photographs rather than illustrations for the images, along with the usual comics conventions of narrative text and word balloons containing dialogue. They are sometimes referred to ...

'' tradition. Other figures from the same era, and with similarly violent or erotic preoccupations, include

Zora la Vampira Zora (Italian: Zora la Vampira) is an Italian comics, Italian comic book erotic character from the 1970s. Zora la Vampira ("Zora the vampiress") is one of many such characters from the Italian ''Italian comics, fumetti'' tradition. Other figures f ...

Maghella Maghella is an Italian comic book erotic character. A young witch with magic powers, she was created by Dino Leonetti with text by Furio Arrasich. She made her first appearance as lead character in the erotic series ''Menelik'' published in 1974 ...

Biancaneve ''Biancaneve'' is an Italian erotic comic book, created in 1972 by Renzo Barbieri and Rubino Ventura (pseudonym of Giuseppe Pederiali) and illustrated by Leone Frollo. The series, published by Edifumetto, was based on ''Snow White and the Seven ...

, Vartan,

Jacula Jacula was an Italian rock music, rock band founded in 1969 in Milan as an experiment by Antonio Bartoccetti, Doris Norton, organist Charles Tiring and Mediumship, medium Franz Porthenzy. Jacula's music was considered innovative for the time in p ...

Jolanda de Almaviva Maurilio Manara (; born 12 September 1945), known professionally as Milo Manara, is an Italian comic book writer and artist. Career After architecture and painting studies, he made his comics debut in 1969 drawing for ''Genius'', a Fumetti neri s ...

, Yra, and

Sukia ''Sukia' succhiare'' is Italian for "to suck". was a vampire-themed Italian comics series by Renzo Barbieri and Fulvio Bosttoli published by Edifumetto from 1978 to 1986, for a total of 153 albums and 6 extra albums. In the series Sukia faces ...

. Ediperiodici, later

Edifumetto Edifumetto was an Italian publishing house of comics, founded by Renzo Barbieri. It was started in 1972 and folded in 1993. The majority of their publications were digest- or pocket-sized adult comics known in Italy as '' fumetti''. Popularity peak ...

, published the series, brought with it the birth of the dark erotic genre, and monopolized the market. Other characters with similar characteristics to Lucifera are Zora,

, Vartan, and

. Artists who have worked on the ''Lucifera'' series include Edoardo Morricone (also known as Morrik, who later worked on other Italian comics such as ''

'', ''

Satanik ''Satanik'' is an Italian noir comic book created in December 1964 by Max Bunker (writer) and Magnus (artist), also the authors of the popular series '' Kriminal'' and '' Alan Ford''. Synopsis Satanik is Marny Bannister, a skilled female chemis ...

'' and ''

Djustine ''Djustine'' is an Italian comic book series created by Enrico Teodorani. The Djustine character was created from a fusion of Sergio Corbucci's film character Django, and the Marquis de Sade's titular " Justine". Publication history In the l ...

''),

Leone Frollo Leone Frollo (9 April 1931 – 17 October 2018) was an Italian comic book artist. Frollo was born in Venice. He debuted in 1948 with a western called ''Sui Grandi Laghi ("On Great Lakes")''. From 1958 to 1968, he worked for London agency Fleetw ...

and Tito Marchioro.

Plot

Lucifera is a demoness/

succubus A succubus is a demon or supernatural entity in folklore, in female form, that appears in dreams to seduce men, usually through sexual activity. According to religious tradition, a succubus needs male semen to survive; repeated sexual activity ...

dedicated to fighting the forces of Goodness. A frequent visitor to Hell, she also enjoys sending others there to be tormented. Her adventures are full of quite explicit, if humorous, eroticism and in one memorable scene she is shown fellating the devil himself. Other storylines involve

sado-masochism Sadomasochism ( ) is the giving and receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation. Practitioners of sadomasochism may seek sexual pleasure from their acts. While the terms sadist and masochist refer ...

, executions, impalement and even molestation by a giant spider. On the surface world she seems to inhabit a mythical and very violent Europe from the Middle Ages - populated by wenches, knights, and three-headed dragon dogs.

Note

Italian comics titles 1971 comics debuts 1980 comics endings Fantasy comics Erotic comics Fictional demons and devils Fictional medieval European people Hell in popular culture Comics set in the Middle Ages Comics about women Italian comics characters Female characters in comics {{Italy-comics-stub