Marisa

Marisa:  "I'm not strong like you or your brothers. I need someone who can protect me." William:  "Like Ray?" Marisa: "I thought so at first but, then I realized it wouldn't change anything; to be with another man I did not love." 'William: "Thomas? You love Thomas!" -Marisa to William McCall.'

Marisa (1837-1884) was the wife of Thomas McCall and former mistress of Juan "Juarez" Mendoza.

Early Life
Marisa’s childhood was the worst part of her life. She did not remember her real parents, and was often sexually abused by her stepfather. Marisa grew up in the town of Juarez in a poor family. She was considered weak by her adoptive family, to them she was a straggler and a dredge. When Marisa became a teenager, she realized she could use her looks to get what she wanted or needed, and fled home, falling in with bad company. There, she met Juan "Juarez" Mendoza, and she joined him, figuring she could live a life of luxury and care. However, she quickly realized Juarez treated her just like her stepfather did. Marisa still stayed with him, afraid that he would kill her if she tried to leave, but while desperately searching for a way to free herself from his oppression.

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
In 1865, Marisa entered the Gros Coyotes Cantina in San Lorenzo, and spoke with the bartender briefly, and when she turned to leave her path was obstructed by two of the cantina's patrons. One of them said that Devlin would like to see her in his bed wearing nothing but a smile. He said Devlin only bought his mares broken in and wondered if he should not take her for a ride himself to knock some of the fight out of her. A man at a nearby table sitting with a second man and a young preacher shot one of them dead, but the other grabbed her and escaped while his allies converged on them. Minutes later, the abductor, known as the Rattler passed her off to three of his men and went to confront the good samaritans. Later, she saw a chance to escape into the church as the three criminals had a conversation about the situation, taking their eyes off her for a moment. The three men from the cantina burst into the church, and the preacher said they would not let them hurt her. The other two protected them, and the last of their opponents were killed by Juarez and one of his men. He introduced himself to Marisa's saviors, to which Ray McCall returned the gesture, making the names of his brothers, Thomas and William known. Juan thanked them for rescuing Marisa, and invited them to his alcazar for a little celebration. Seeing Marisa's flirtation with him, Ray agreed.

Juarez told the McCalls about the Gold of Juarez, which Devlin was searching for, and sent Thomas and Ray to deal with Devlin. When they returned Juarez thanked them for taking care of him and stated that they would soon be rewarded for their efforts. Ray inquired if he thought the treasure was in Devlin's mine, Juarez answered no, that if they followed his map they would be searching for the next 300 years, he had a different approach and introduced Seeing Farther, who wanted rifles. Juarez said the Apache had the medallion. Marisa chimed in, saying the conquistador who hid the treasure created a key, a medallion made of brass. Seeing Farther explained that his people had the medallion, a Mexican priest traded the medallion for his life, and it would reveal where the treasure was hidden. Ray wondered why they had not used it themselves and the newcomer said it was cursed and had brought nothing but misery to his people, the Apache. Suspiciously Ray wondered since when Apaches had blue eyes. Seeing Farther alleged that his mother was white, but his father was Running River the Apache Chief, that he was not a white dog. Angered Ray walked forward with ill intent but was stopped by Juarez, who said they were all friends there. After the McCalls left, Marisa approached Juarez and asked where he would get the rifles, as they would need hundreds. Juarez ambiguously stated, "For savages such as these?".

The McCall brothers, Seeing Farther, Marisa, Juarez and a handful of his men set off. Ray was infatuated with Marisa and watched her often. The group set up camp outside of Tucson, and Mendoza went into town alone to speak with his gunrunner. When he returned he informed the McCall brothers that the Pinkertons had caught up with his gunrunner and had him imprisoned, and that the rifles had been confiscated as well. Ray said they would bust him out, and later as he prepared for the assault, he was approached by Marisa who flirted with him. Ray reciprocated, and then said that he could protect her from Juarez, and get her what she wanted, the medallion. Marisa asked if he could take it from Juarez. Ray retorted he could take anything, from anyone and that he could do it for the two of them.

A while after the brothers freed his gunrunner, Juarez went to speak with him. Thomas confronted Marisa at their campsite, who said he should not be there out of fear Juan's men would see them together. He expressed disgust and hurt that Marisa had sold herself to Ray for the gold, but she claimed she told him to take it. Thomas asked for himself, or for her, and she replied for both of them, all of them. Thomas inquired about Juarez, Marisa said that Ray claimed he would kill him, and that she did not want Thomas to fight Juan because she did not want him to get hurt. Thomas replied inquiringly if she thought it was okay for Ray to get hurt. Marisa said she was not in love with Ray, and the two shared a passionate kiss. Days after Juarez left the McCalls at the hands of Colonel Barnsby his gunrunner, the brothers tracked Juarez down and confronted him. He claimed that he had no idea Barnsby wanted them dead, that he had also been lied to. Since Juarez had Marisa and was leading them to the medallion, Thomas and Ray kept the peace. Seeing Farther disappeared one night, leaving the group without a guide and giving them no choice but to continue on without him. William revealed that Seeing Farther told him the Apaches were at the weeping rock. At a river crossing Juarez's wagon became lodged in the mud. When the McCalls and one of Juan's men got out to push it, Comanches attacked, causing the horses of the other wagon to bolt, carrying the rifles, William and Marisa with them.

After the wagon came to a stop they were set upon by Comanche. William ran down a path to the right, and Marisa headed left. Thomas arrived, having fought through numerous Comanche to rescue Marisa, and then began to lead her back to the wagon. She asked if he was jealous of her and Juan, and he said maybe, and that whatever happened he would protect her. Ray and William appeared and the former said she already had a good protector, and reiterated an earlier warning to Thomas. The four returned to Juarez and then pursued the pilfered wagon, catching up to and retrieving it. A McCall took the Gatling Gun and shot down countless Comanche horsemen before they could reach the second wagon, and at a certain point they ceased pursuit, as the intrepid travelers had entered Apache territory. After stopping to rest they were confronted by Apache whom trained their bows on the group. Running River and Seeing Farther approached them, and the latter said that there would be no deal, Juarez attempted to trick them and that none of the rifles worked. Running River ordered their deaths, but Seeing Farther intervened and said that William was the one who told him about the rifles. Running River asked what his reward should be, William stated his companions’ lives. Running River mused William's heart was so big it covered his eyes, but since he was Seeing Farther's friend he would do as he wished. Seeing Farther told Juarez to leave their land, that they would take his weapons, horses, wagons, and Marisa as ransom. Juan said nothing in protest, telling Marisa that she was the only one who could have betrayed him. Running River affirmed the McCalls could stay in their camp and rest their horses, but should not expect hospitality.

Marisa was put to work and mocked by the Apache, which angered Ray. After the brothers retrieved the medallion, Seeing Farther and William led Marisa out of the camp and at some point the Apache taught William the medallion's secret. As they were escaping, Juarez caught them and traded Seeing Farther to Barnsby in exchange for horses. Knowing William knew the medallion's secret he brought him back his alcazar along with Marisa. At Juarez's Alcazar, after William was interrogated by Mendoza, Marisa tended to his wounds. William asked why she was destroying his family, and she explained that when she was young her stepfather used her like a whore, and she let him so that he would give her something to eat, and that Juarez was no different. She hated him and wanted him dead, and did not want her child to have such a father. William was surprised she carried his child. Marisa stated she was not strong like the he and his brothers, and she needed someone to protect her, and that she thought Ray at first, but realized it would not change anything to be with another man she did not love. William realized she loved Thomas. Marisa warned him Juarez waited for his brothers and wanted his revenge, and gave him a gun.

After some time had passed, Marisa returned to see Juarez exit William's cell as gunshots sounded inside. Marisa was horrified, Mendoza said she should thank him he ended his life quickly, because he could have taken his time. She tried to enter the room but Juarez grabbed her by the throat and shoved her back. He said that her lover was there to rescue her, and that he would kill them both. As he turned to leave she revealed she was pregnant with his child. Juarez said if it were true, he would allow her to live at least until the child was born, and then he would put her to work in his whorehouse, because she was a 'lying, thieving, gold-loving whore'. He turned his back to Marisa once again and she struck him on the back of the head with a candlestick, knocking him unconscious. She scooped up the medallion and fled, later meeting up with Thomas. She said that Juarez killed William, and enraged Thomas demanded to know where Juarez was. Marisa said they had to leave, and revealed the medallion. Thomas asked about Ray, and Marisa retorted they could not wait for him. Defiantly Thomas moved past her intending to retrieve Ray, and said he could not leave his brother behind. Marisa asked if Thomas really thought he would let them be together, he would kill them both. Thomas stated William was the only one who knew how to use the medallion, but Marisa claimed she also knew how, because she had heard the stories since she was young, and knew where to find the gold. Thomas and Marisa set off together, leaving Ray and together they found the three graves spoken of in the legend, and located the entrance to a cavern, that would lead them to the Gold of Juarez. At the bottom of the spiral staircase in the chamber housing the gold, they stood admiring it.

Ray and William came up behind them, and Ray said he warned him what would happen if he stole another woman from him while pointing his gun at Thomas. Thomas pulled out his own gun, aiming it Ray and he and Marisa both were shocked to see William alive. Ray said he loved them and they lied to and betrayed him. Thomas demanded to know what Ray wanted from him, and he replied justice. William stepped in front of Ray’s gun and stated he wouldn’t let him kill Thomas, to get to Thomas, he would have to get past him. Ray told him to get out of the way. He said Ray knew what he was capable of, and was reaching on three. Thomas lowered his weapon and tried to tell Ray he did not have a gun. When William counted down to three he reached for his bible, Ray shot him. In torment Ray dropped to his knees grasping his head, still clinging his gun. William’s bible landed in front of Jeremy Barnsby, who said that he was never one to be superstitious but maybe the gold was cursed.

Ray asked how it was he was still breathing, the Colonel said Running River cut his binds and set him free without a word why. He claimed it must’ve been God’s will, using the treasure he’d restore the Confederacy and the South would rise again. Thomas said he’d lost his mind. Barnsby retreated and told his troops to kill them. Thomas instructed Marisa to run to the top of the spiral stairs. A trap was somehow triggered and the room began filling with sand at an alarming rate. Thomas and Ray heard Marisa cry for help and followed her path up to the top of the staircase where Barnsby and his men had captured her. Ray and Thomas killed the last of the Colonel’s soldiers, and Barnsby proposed a showdown between himself and one of them. One of the brothers engaged in a duel with him the mad Colonel and at long last killed him. His body dropped over the edge and was lost to the sands. Ray, Thomas and Marisa then escaped. Ray, Thomas and Marisa left the gold, knowing it was cursed an covered the entrance with a large stone. Ray later wed Thomas and Marisa, and the three moved to Hope, Texas.

Call of Juarez
Thomas was abusive toward his stepson Billy Candle, who was the child of Juarez, and toward Marisa. In 1882, the three were sitting at the dinner table one morning, after saying grace Thomas told Billy that he needed him to go into town to pick up horse feed, and not to be wasting time fooling around with "that slut". This enraged Billy and Thomas demanded to know if he was giving him attitude. Billy asked his mother if he had to take it, and Thomas knocked him over telling him to watch his mouth, and further insulted him saying he was lazy, stupid and worthless; that he was nothing and always would be. Billy ran out of the house and ignored Thomas's demand that he not walk away while he was talking to him.

He went in pursuit of Billy, yelling that if he could not talk sense into him, he would beat it into him and chased him into the barn. Billy attempted to escape his pursuer by jumping up to the hayloft, but Thomas used a whip to bring him down. When he tried to strike Billy, the young man grabbed the end of the whip and yanked it out of Thomas's hand, instead striking him with it. Enraged Thomas yelled he would be sorry he was ever born, and Billy replied he already was, and he noticed his mother standing in the doorway. With his attention turned, Thomas grabbed a pitchfork and tried to run Billy through, but he used the whip to escape the attack, and to land on a horse's back. His stepfather shouted that if he left then to never come back. Billy rode off, saying that was fine with him, that he would prove he was twice the man Thomas ever was and find the Gold of Juarez. Marisa asked why he was so cruel to Billy, and Thomas replied he was teaching him to be a man, but that he was a lost cause, and was bad to the bone just like his father.

He and Marisa were confronted by Tom Manson, Ty Stewart and the McLyde brothers in 1884, whom were sent by Juarez to kill them and retrieve the medallion. According to Juarez, all four of the attackers were "serviced" by Marisa before they killed her. Billy heard Marisa scream and thought Thomas was abusing her, he yelled at Thomas as he drew closer to the farm, likely scaring off Manson and his minions for fear of being discovered by the town of Hope. He found their corpses, Thomas propped up against the barn door, Marisa next to him, Call of Juarez spelled in blood above Thomas's lifeless body.

Appearance
Marisa was an attractive Mexican woman who had brown eyes and long dark hair. She wore a white blouse and brown pants. In her later years, her hair had become a lighter shade of brown and was cut short.

Personality
Marisa was very submissive, but also manipulative, using her beauty to get what she wanted, as demonstrated when she manipulated Ray McCall in the hopes he would kill Juarez, whom she greatly despised, and help her get the Lost Gold of Juarez which she lusted after. Marisa cared for William McCall, and gave him a revolver to protect himself with when he was imprisoned in Juarez's Alcazar. She was in love with Thomas McCall, and her fear that Ray would not let them be together, combined with the fact the treasure was almost certainly theirs, led her to suggest to Thomas they leave Ray to die in Juarez's Alcazar. Marisa was a very loving mother to her son Billy Candle, but her victim mentality never truly went away, being the reason she did not try to protect Billy from his stepfather's abuse, or herself.

Quotes
''"There is one candle but three graves. The Gold of Juarez belongs only to the brave. This medallion is for you mijo, I want you to wear it always. Put it on over your corazón. The candle engraved on it will light your path and protect you from evil." ''-Marisa to a young Billy Candle.

Trivia

 * Marisa's name is of Spanish origin meaning "Of the sea" or "Wished-for child".