Ivan Isaacs
The main protagonist of Priest. Ivan was in an orphanage until Mr. Isaacs, a wealthy farm owner, adopts him as a companion to his daughter after his wife's death. Fond of ancient stories and myths, he spends his time researching, being given his own library, and trying to get along with Gena Isaacs, with whom he eventually falls in love. After reminding her of her mother, they become closer and best friends, doing many things together. However, when Mr. Isaacs finds out, he reprimands Ivan, who comments he was just a friend for Gena and not his actual son. His father then sends him off to a boarding school called Conrad to get him away from Gena.
He returns after becoming a priest to visit. An essay he wrote while training to become a priest, brings him to the attention of a special branch of the Roman Catholic Church. This branch approaches him to help unlock the secrets of an artifact called the Domas Porada. The Domas Porda is a prison which contains Temozarela, and Belial. Belial sealed himself inside while battling Temozarela.
Ivan meets and gets along with the other researchers on the Domas Porada, studying on his own for long periods of time. His first major contribution comes when he discovers the writing on the Domas Porada is actually backwards and in the language of the Balkans, although, according to one researcher, they only exist in "heretic literature". Ivan then reads the inscription which read as a warning not to open the Domas Porada. Piestro is impressed and gives a book to Ivan which details the history of a knight and Belial.
Ivan then finds out that Temozarela was the one trapped and the story of Vascar De Guillon and Temozarela. After this, the researchers tell him they want to stop the research since this is bordering on heresy. Ivan protests but Piestro agrees and tells them to send emissaries to the Vatican. Piestro then kills all the researchers apart from Ivan, telling him they left out of outrage and he is the only one left.
After reading through a book, he finds blood in it and confronts Piestro who admits his true plan: to let Temozarela free. At this revelation, Ivan is knocked out and tied to a chair. Temozarela, realising that Ivan could break him out of the prison, tells Piestro to sacrifice Gena, Isaac's sister and love, in front of the Domas Porada. This causes Ivan to go into a stupor and attempt to open the Domas Porada from insanity. He succeeds and is transported inside the Domas Porada where he sees Temozarela imprisoned and Belial standing watch. Belial reprimands Isaac for what he did as the archangel breaks free, albeit hindered by Belial.
Ivan is put back in front of the Domas Porada and blood spews from it, coating him. After Piestro and the others express joy, Ivan turns and tells them the truth. Chains whip out and enter Ivan, hooking him upwards and tie him to a wooden cross, taking the place of Temozarela.
After Belial fights and loses to Temozarela, he goes to Ivan, who realizes what he has done and agrees to give half of his soul to Belial in exchange for revenge. Later, he seems to forget this and simply returns to the mansion. After Belial confronts him and tells him the truth, Ivan slaughters a group of zombies raised by an unknown figure, including Gena.
Ivan now stalks the west as an undead creature sustained solely by his infinite rage. Indeed in numerous encounters it is shown that his strength is directly related to his anger. Where his inhuman strength fails, he uses a variety of weapons, including a Bowie knife he coats with blessed silver and silver bullets in a sawed-off shotgun, and a Thompson sub-machine gun (one of many anachronistic firearms in the series).
Ivan then embarks on a quest to destroy the thirteen angels. He successfully defeats countless minions and also slays Jarbilong, being defeated himself by Achmode who devoured Ivan's right arm. Ivan is given Achmode's blasted arm after he is punished with death by Armand, a fellow – yet much stronger – Fallen Angel.
As he continues to make his way across the west, he finally comes to fight Armand himself, only to be dealt a debilitating wound on his heart, which saps his rage and emotion from him. This is a near fatal blow for both Ivan and Belial, who depend on Ivan's unquenchable rage to keep up his supernatural powers. Netraphim comes to him and heals him as best she could, but unable to stop the bleeding completely. It is only with her last words to him, along with Belial's taunts, that Ivan is able to regain the will to fight, his rage at full force once more. At the end, he reveals that his true goal is to stand in front of Temozarela, so that he can see Ivan's full anger. This is why he does not stop being Temozarela's puppet in the proceedings. Because of his defeat by Armand, he retired himself to being a spectator as he recovered from the wound, the damage affecting his skills and body. However just before Netraphim is killed, he is seen standing on a cliff top declaring his readiness to continue.
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