Countess Margaret Isobel Thoreaux

Introduction to Isobel

The Isobel storyline is intimately tied to that of the Elements, so make sure you check out that page in conjunction with this one to get all the relevant information.

In "Crusade," Season 4's premiere, viewers were introduced to the character of Jason Teague, the boyfriend Lana met in Paris. It is Jason who first informed Lana of a figure who was key to Season 4-- Countess Isobel.

Jason:	Meet your art project: Countess Margaret Isobel Thoreaux. It says here she was a warrior princess who kicked a lot of ass and broke a lot of hearts.
Lana:	Is that a direct translation?
Jason:	No, I just-- I figured you guys had a lot in common. You know, you're both strong, and, uh... Both uncompromising... Both beautiful.

When Lana did a rubbing of the Countess' tomb, she was blasted with a beam of light that branded her with a strange symbol (see the Water Element). A confused Lana noticed the similarity between her tattoo and the emblem on Isobel's shield. She discussed this in "Run" with Jason.

Lana:	I noticed something strange on the tomb of Countess Thoreaux. There were these symbols, etched into the rock... Like the ones in this cave.
Jason:	How is that possible?
Lana:	I don't know. And when I touched them, there was this blinding light, and then pain. And all I remember is waking up the next morning to you knocking at my door. And I had this... [Exposes tattoo]
Jason:	Okay, wait a second... So you're saying that some strange symbols on the tomb of a dead countess gave you a tattoo?
Lana:	I know how it sounds. Why do you think I didn't want to tell you?
Jason:	That's why you left Paris...
Lana:	I had to come back to these caves. I had to find out why I was missing twelve hours of my life. But all I found were more questions. [Shines flashlight on the symbol for water on the cave wall]
Jason:	It's the same as yours... What does the symbol mean?
Lana:	I don't know, Jason, I don't know what's happening to me...!
Jason:	Okay, hey. Whatever it is, we'll figure it out together.

A persistent Lana did some independent research on Isobel (complete with cheesy elementary school-ish plastic report cover and a picture of the French flag in case either of these things help understand Isobel and the freaky things going on in Lana's life). The following convo took place in "Transference."

Lana:	I did some research on the Countess. Turns out that we have a lot more in common than we thought.
Jason:	Don't tell me that the Countess ran a coffee shop.
Lana:	No, she's from this village in France... Castelnau de Montmiral... Same village that my mom's ancestors came from.
Jason:	Really? What do you think it all means?
Lana:	I don't know. It's all really strange. She was buried as a martyr, but, uh... She was burned as a witch.

She Cast a "Spell" on Us... A Very Crappy "Spell"

"Spell" is the episode during which Isobel took center stage, possessing Lana's body. Here are all lines of dialogue I consider relevant-- lines that explain a) how Isobel died and b) what her goal-- her reason for coming back to life 400 years later-- was. First, dialogue from Lana's nightmare of Isobel's death.

Magistrate Wilkins:	Tell me of the three Stones of power, Countess. You may yet escape the pyre's flames.
Isobel:	My book... There is a page marked.
Wilkins:	[Opens spellbook to marked page and points to it] What means this?
Isobel:	[Chants a spell and spits on the page] It means that the stones of power shall be mine. And once I possess them, you shall tremble at my feet and never again persecute my kind. You think this ends with a lick of flame? I sleep but a while. And when the time is appointed, my heir will awaken me... And I will have vengeance!

A curious Lana managed to find and purchase the spellbook of which she dreamed on eBay (how convenient!).

Lana:	[Opens book] The spellbook of Countess Margaret Isobel Thoreaux.
Jason:	Those look like the same symbols in the cave.
Lana:	Yeah... Maybe it'll help explain what happened in Paris when I touched Isobel's tomb.
Jason:	Yeah, the tattoo and the missing twelve hours.

When she touched the bloody page, however, she became possessed by the spirit of Isobel. Isobel called her friends, Madelyn and Brianna (her accomplices who were burned at the stake alongside her), back to life by casting a spell on Chloe and Lois, respectively. A convo between the reunited sorceresses revealed why Isobel longed to return from the grave.

Isobel:	[Looks at a possessed Chloe] Madelyn. [Looks at a possessed Lois] Brianna. Welcome to the 21st century.
Madelyn:	How did we come to be here?
Isobel:	The last spell I cast before Wilkins condemned me to the pyre... My blood entwined with the symbol in the book, which called to my heir... And when she touched it, I gained possession of her body... And brought you back.
Madelyn:	The book! Do you have it?
Isobel:	It is ours once again. And with it... Our magics. Now we may continue our quest for the Stones of--
Madelyn:	Oh, uh, is that the same quest that got us burned at the stake?
Brianna:	That was not pleasant.
Isobel:	A small toll to travel the road to ultimate power. You have your hosts' memories. Use them to navigate this world and help us to seize the power.

When the three confronted Clark, who had already obtained the Fire Element, Isobel again stressed how important the Elements were to her.

Isobel:	We have traveled through the ages to complete our quest, outwitting death itself. We will not be undone by some farm boy with a few tricks.... The three Stones of power... You know of them, don't you?
Clark:	I've never heard of them.
Madelyn:	You've done more than hear of them... You've touched them!
Brianna:	We can feel it.
Isobel:	There's more... You know where one of them is hidden...

A second confrontation, which was the last between Isobel and Clark in "Spell" (they faced off again in "Sacred"), further revealed the Countess' craving for the Stones.

Isobel:

[Looking at the altar with the first Stone in place] It begins to make sense-- why I was resurrected here, in this time, a thousand leagues from my home. It was destiny. Can you feel it... Calling to us? [Touches the symbol for "water" on the cave wall] The first Stone of power lies behind this wall... And with it, our magic shall increase tenfold... And when we possess all the Stones, we shall walk on earth as gods among men. Reach out, and seize what was meant to be... All of our suffering, all of our pain and persecution... It ends tonight.

Isobel, the Teagues, and the Elements

It was later revealed in Season 4 that Jason Teague was not who he seemed to be, and Lana's first clue about this occurred in "Bound" when she had another nightmare of Isobel's demise. This time, however, the familiar Magistrate Wilkins was joined by a woman Lana had never seen before.

Isobel:	Je vais dormir seulement un peu [French for "I sleep but a little;" See first nightmare above.].
Wilkins:	Countess Margaret Isobel Thoreaux, you have been found guilty of practicing the darkest art-- Witchcraft. I hereby condemn you to burn in the fires of hell.
Gertrude:	Tu m'as trahie, Isobel. Maintenent, tu vas mourir [French for "You have betrayed me, Isobel. Now, you will die.].

Lana was, understandably, freaked out when she finally met Jason's mother and she was identical to the woman in her nightmare. But Lana wasn't the only one concerned about her boyfriend's family and its potential impact on her. Lex had his eye on Lana and, as we already were aware, the Elements, so he was now intrigued by the Teagues as well. This convo took place in "Recruit."

Lex:	Did you ever find it strange that every summer as a child, she took you on treks to the far reaches of the globe? Destinations where there wasn't even running water?
Jason:	My mother likes to travel. She always has.
Lex:	Those weren't vacations, Jason. They were research trips... Investigating a woman burned at the stake 400 years ago.
Jason:	Margaret Isobel Thoreaux?
Lex:	The Countess whose spirit possessed your girlfriend. And the fact that it happened soon after you and your mother came into Lana's life, well... That bothers me. That bothers me a lot... Two women in your life are somehow intimately connected to Margaret Isobel Thoreaux. I want you to find out everything they know.

Lex simply couldn't let Lana be endangered by Jason-- or perhaps he wanted to get info on the Elements from Lana-- so they, too, had a similar convo in "Recruit."

Lex:	Genevieve Teague has been researching the Countess since before Jason was born. He grew up in a house full of ancient artifacts and reams of research material about Margaret Isobel Thoreaux.
Jason:	He never told me that.
Lex:	Contrary to what you may think, Jason's been aware of the Countess since he was a child.
Jason:	No... No, I don't believe that.
Lex:	You have to ask yourself, Lana... How well do you really know Jason Teague?

In "Krypto," Jason's mother, Genevieve, had a lengthy conversation with her son about his place in their family and the true nature of Lana Lang and her past... As Genevieve saw it.

Genevieve:	I want you to leave here with me tonight.
Jason:	Why? Because of Countess Margaret Isobel Thoreaux? You know that name, don't you.
Genevieve:	Is this what Lex has you doing? Researching 17th-century witches?
Jason:	You're incapable of giving a straight answer, you know that?... So, apparently, when Isobel was condemned to die, she vowed to rise again through one of her descendants. You knew that was Lana, didn't you? That's why you had me bring her to Isobel's tomb in Paris! Because you knew that if she received the mark, then she was the one. Which means it's my fault that everything's happening to her.
Genevieve:	You can't blame yourself.
Jason:	How could you use me like that?
Genevieve:	Look, it's not safe for you to stay here.
Jason:	Well, I'm not leaving Lana.
Genevieve:	Well, perhaps you'll change your mind when you hear the rest of the story. Isobel was condemned by a woman named Gertrude. Isobel vowed that when she rose from that dead that she would wipe out all of Gertrude's heirs. We're Gertrude's ancestors [sic], Jason.
Jason:	So you think that Lana's going to kill you?
Genevieve:	No. But Isobel will, and who knows when she'll return?
Jason:	Mother, I walked out on Lana once before. I'm not going to do it again.
Genevieve:	Then you're in love with a girl that may kill our entire family.

Understandably, Lana was freaked out and went to a trustworthy source to do more research ("Krypto").

Chloe:	I could only go as far back as his mom's grandmother. After that, it's like someone just chopped off a part of the family tree.., There's nothing there. I can only tell you she comes from a town called Castelnau de Montmiral. But that's all I know. Well, except that-- Lana, are you okay?
Lana:	Chloe, this is the town that my ancestors came from... And Isobel Thoreaux.
Chloe:	Well, on a scale of Weird to Ten... Genevieve's grandmother is the one who moved Isobel's tomb into that church in Paris.
Lana:	Why would anyone move a witch's tomb into a church?
Chloe:	I think that's something you need to ask Jason.

The final big Isobel episode-- well, the final stand for Isobel!-- was "Sacred." In order to get all of the characters to China for a big showdown, Lionel gave Jason and Lana copies of the map and provided some good exposition to Lana about how she, the Teagues, and the Stones were connected.

Lionel:	Lex is in Shanghai, and if I had to guess, I would say that your boyfriend is there with him. [Notices Lana's confused expression] I'm sorry... I thought Jason would have told you what's happening... Considering you're the one born right into the middle of all this. You should know, Miss Lang, how thoroughly Lex and Jason have been Studying Isobel Thoreaux, your rebellious ancestor.
Lana:	Looks like they aren't the only ones.
Lionel:	Isobel's archrival was a Duchess Gertrude, who was obsessed with finding three mythical Stones. She sent ships to the far ends of the known earth, but all her agents could discover was this map somewhere in China.
Lana:	What does this treasure map have to do with Isobel?
Lionel:	The map never made it into the hands of the Duchess. Isobel stole the document and hid it. Gertrude had the exquisite young sorceress executed.
Lana:	Isobel's looking for them too...
Lionel:	And she's working through you, using you as a vessel. I gave a copy of the map to Jason as well. I'm not surprised he didn't tell you about. Your kinship with Isobel may not be a secret... But are you aware that Jason is a direct descendant of the Duchess Gertrude?

Countess Isobel's Last Stand

In "Sacred," Isobel dueled Clark for the Air Element after recovering it from an ancient Chinese temple. A convo between the superpowered combatants again called back to the notion that the Stones were left by ancient "gods."

Isobel:	Nobody has sacrificed as much as I have for these stones.
Clark:	They don't belong to you.
Isobel:	And you think they were meant for you? They were left for nobody! The god of this temple hid them for his return.

See the Elements for more on the Stones/Crystals/Elements.