Tomb Raider/The Darkness

Cover: Billy Tan and Steve Firchow
Writer: David Wohl
Pencils: Billy Tan
Inks: Billy Tan
Colouring: Steve Firchow
Letterings: Dreamer’s Designs' Robin Spehar, Dennis Heisler
Release: January 2001
Original Price: US $2.99 | CAN $4.60

Lara Croft and Jackie Estacado are looking for a pendant, an artefact that makes the wearer irresistible and causes others to go to extreme lengths to win the wearer’s attention.​

Allies:

Sara Pezzini
​Sara has a brief appearance in this issue, as Lara turns to her for advice when an artefact is stolen from a museum. Sara puts her in touch with Jackie Estacado.

Jackie Estacado
​Jackie is a mafia hitman and wielder of the Darkness. He helped Lara after Sara Pezzini had put her in contact with him, and they first used his expertise in the mafia world to talk to mafia boss Tony Cugliani. They then went to the residence of Dino Barrata who had given his wife the Pendant of Cleopatra that he had stolen from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They see that Dino and his men were killed, and Jackie too falls under the power of the pendant. He unleashed the Darkness when Lara attempted to grab the necklace from around Maria's neck, and it took one of the Darkness' creatures to get it as Lara distracted Jackie, and it broke, thus breaking the power. He was unaware of what had happened.

Artefacts:

Pendant of Cleopatra
The necklace was once said to be worn by Cleopatra in order to make herself look more attractive to men. It is a beaded pendant with a large golden bird hanging from its centre. In 2005, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York had recently acquired the ancient Egyptian pendant from the British Museum, where it had been discovered by Lara Croft. The Times newspaper had been covering the story of the exhibit at the museum for a number of weeks and it had caught the attention of Dino Barrata who, with the help of other mafia men supplied by Tony Cugliani, stole it. He gave it to his wife to help his marriage, but things went wrong when the other men became attracted to his wife and killed him, as well as each other as they fought for her. Lara and Jackie arrived at Maria's home, where Jackie also fell under its influence. He unleashed the Darkness as Lara tried to grab the necklace, and she used one of its creatures to get it. The pendant broke and Jackie returned to his normal state.

Location:

USA - New York - Metropolitan Museum of Art
USA - New York - Cugliani Manor
USA - New York - Barrata House

Other Characters:

Doctor Smith
Doctor Smith works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was he who had called for Lara's help, and she reassured him that she would take care of those behind the robbery.

Tony Cugliani
Tony is the mafia boss in New York, and he had helped Dino Barrata to steal the Pendant of Cleopatra from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2005 in order to help his marriage. In the past, Tony had been involved in an incident as his right hand was missing and in its place are two hooks.

Maria Barrata
Maria's husband Dino had stolen the Pendant of Cleopatra from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and gave it to her to wear. Once she did, Dino's men fell under the influence of the necklace and killed him and as well as each other as they squabbled for her. When Lara and Jackie arrived at her home, Jackie too fell under its influence. Lara and the creatures of the Darkness managed to remove the necklace from Maria's neck, breaking her free of its power.

Dino Barrata
In 2005 Dino had contacted the mafia for help in stealing the Pendant of Cleopatra from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Once he had it, he gave it to his wife Maria, who he believed to be not attractive, in order to help his marriage. However, he was killed by his men when they fell under the influence of the necklace and fought him for his wife.

Salvador
Only mentioned in the comic, ​Salvador was the cousin of mafia boss Tony Cugliani. Jackie Estacado had told Lara that he once took him out at a Yankee game.

Vehicles:

Jackie Estacado's Rented Sports Car

Weapons:

​Lara's Desert Eagles

Variant Covers:

TopCowStore.com Exclusive Gold Foil Variant

Other Details:

This story also features in a dual comic book later released, titled 'The Darkness and Tomb Raider', featuring the stories of 'The Darkness: The Prelude' and 'Tomb Raider/The Darkness' Special.

Dynamic Forces Variant

Dynamic Forces Black and White Variant

Dynamic Forces Black and White Red Foil Variant (Ltd 300)

Dynamic Forces Black and White Platinum Foil Variant (Ltd 300)

Dynamic Forces Black and White 'Red Eyes' Variant (Ltd 99)