Dorothea Swann

Dorothea Swann

Dorothea Swann
Franchise:	Barkerverse
Notability:	Supporting character
Type:	Housewife
Gender:	Female
Location:	Bel Air, Los Angeles, California
Associations:	None
Relations:	Philip Swann
Status:	Alive
Introduction:	"The Last Illusion"
Final:	Lord of Illusions
Actor:	Famke Janssen Ashley Lyn Cafagna

Dorothea Swann is a fictional kidnapping victim and future gold-digger and a supporting character featured in the 1985 short story "The Last Illusion" by author Clive Barker. The story appeared as the fourth feature in Blood of Blood, Volume 6, published by Sphere. The character was also featured in the 1995 film adaptation Lord of Illusions where she was played by actress Famke Janssen. Actress Ashley Lyn Cafagna played young Dorothea in the 1982 sequence.

Biography[]

Harry and Dorothea — Harry & Dorothea attend Swann's show.

As a young teenager, Dorothea was kidnapped by cult leader and magic user Nix and brought to his compound in the Mojave Desert. This was done to lure Nix's defecting protégé Philip Swann to come after him. The ploy worked, and Swann and several others arrived at the compound to liberate her. Nix's plan backfired however as during a fight, Dorothea managed to get a hold of a handgun and shoot Nix through the chest. The others dealt out even more shots until Philip was able to place a mask of binding over his face, preventing him from using his black magic. They then took him out into the middle of the desert and buried him.

Dorothea eventually married Philip Swann and lived a life of luxury in his massive Bel Air mansion. Philip used his knowledge of magic to become a world famous stage illusionist. Although Dorothea loved the life that she was living, she did not truly love her husband.

Nix and Dorothea — Nix captures Dorothea.

In 1995, Dorothea feared that elements of their past were coming back to haunt them, especially after learning that one of Swann's colleagues had been murdered by a cult member named Butterfield. Dorothea met New York City private detective Harry D'Amour, who was working another case. She hired him to look into the cult's activites on her husband's behalf, but did not want Philip aware of it.

She invited Harry to attend one of Philp Swann's stage shows. During the show, one of Swann's escapism tricks went horribly awry, and a circle of swords fell from their suspended housings in the ceiling, skewering him. The public at large were led to believe that Philip Swann had died, and even Dorothea thought that she was now a widow. She was quick to invite Harry D'Amour into her bedroom, but afterward, Harry soon discovered that Swann had faked his death so that Nix's followers would not come after Dorothea.

Nix was eventually resurrected and wanted revenge on Philip Swann. Learning that Swann's wife was the same woman who shot him thirteen years earlier, he had her kidnapped and brought back to his old bunker; once again using Dorothea to bait Swann into a trap. Harry and Swann teamed up to go to the bunker to rescue Dorothea. Dorothea found Harry's gun and shot Nix in his mystical third eye. He retaliated, saying she should not have taken Swann away because he and Nix were meant to be together after humanity was destroyed.

Philip Swann used the of his last life energy and magic to help Harry deliver a final blow to Nix. Nix fell into a chasm and Swann died from his wounds. Dorothea and D'Amour escaped the bunker and walked off into the desert together.

Notes & Trivia[]

The character of Dorothea Swann was created by Clive Barker.

Appearances[]

External Links[]

References[]

This article relates to the works of Clive Barker.