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Lionel Cook is the husband of Theresa Cook, and the father of Peter and Taranee Cook. He is a psychologist who previously worked as a lawyer.[citation needed]

Personality[]

Lionel is a kind and positive man, one who stays calm and always has a smile to share. In contrast to his stern judge wife, Lionel prefers to be sympathetic to people and hear what they have to say. He adores his family and is proud of all of them, though does have a strained relationship with his sister Louisiana due to her constant critiques.[1]

He is fond of golf, mountain hikes, and surfing as he passed on to his son. He takes great pride in his housework, though not all of his efforts work out as he planned. Luckily, Taranee is always there to lend a hand and he considers her his right-hand.[2]

Plot[]

Comics[]

Lionel's father was a man of great positivity, always looking at things from the bright side which he passed on to his son and grandson.[3] His sister, Louisiana, was a bit bossy and always taking charge.[4] Even as a young teen, she’d already learned how to manage a household, which she was very proud of.[5]

Lionel fell in love with and married Theresa, hinting she was the one who proposed to him.[2] Together, they had their first child, Peter Lancelot. At a later time, they decided to adopt a little girl, Taranee. Lionel originally wanted to tell Taranee of her adoption when she could understand, but Theresa preferred not to, not wanting the girl to “miss” any of her earlier memories. For this reason, she went to a mother with a daughter, Audrey, who looked similar to Taranee and was given a copy of the girl's baby pictures which she pretended were Taranee.[6] Peter was also never told about his sister being adopted as he was too young to know the difference.

Theresa eventually got a job as a judge in Heatherfield and the Cooks left Sesamo. Unfortunately, the night of their leaving was the night of Taranee's last dance test, which really broke her heart.[7]

Arc 1: The Twelve Portals[]

Shortly before Halloween, the family was settled into Heatherfield. Peter was enrolled into the Heatherfield Art Institute while Taranee attended Sheffield Institute. By her second day of school, Taranee had made good friends with Will Vandom, Irma Lair, Cornelia Hale, and Hay Lin (and became a Guardian of Kandrakar).[8]

Taranee went out with her friends but unknown to her family, she was captured and held prisoner in Meridian. An Astral Drop was summoned to take her place and no one knew it wasn’t her. The following day, Lionel, Theresa, and Peter picked up “Taranee” from school. That evening, the drop was called outside by W.I.T.C.H., though told Lionel she was looking for something. She met the real Taranee (who W.I.T.C.H. had rescued) and was absorbed into the original, letting their memories merge. The true Taranee reentered the house telling Lionel she'd found what she was looking for.[9]

Taranee began dating Nigel Ashcroft.[10] Theresa did not approve of this, due to her recently having sentenced the boy to community service.[11]

Arc 2: Nerissa's Revenge[]

Theresa eventually decided to forbid Taranee from dating Nigel, which caused tension between the two. Unknown to the family, they were being watched by an old enemy of the Guardians, Frost the Hunter, who even snuck into their home at one point. He ultimately kidnapped Peter, though Taranee and her friends got him back safely.[12]

Taranee went for a week vacation with her friends and the Lair family at McCormorgan beach.[13] Once the week was over, the family came to pick her up. Anna Lair asked Lionel if he or Peter wanted to visit the beach to do some surfing, but he admitted he preferred the mountains. With Taranee, the Cooks left to spend the rest of their vacation in Sesamo. During their stay, a police officer called to report Taranee at their station, claiming to have caught her trying to ride a train alone (to help W.I.T.C.H. in Riddlescott). Theresa was confused as she had “Taranee” (an astral drop) right beside of her and dismissed the call as a prank.[14] The rest of their trip to the mountain was uneventful and the family returned to Heatherfield by the start of the new school year.

Mrs. Rudolph called the Cook home looking for Taranee and Theresa picked up. As she handed it over to her daughter, she complained about people who called so late in the evening. Taranee quipped that if all people had a mother like Theresa, there would be less chaos in the world. The judge found that funny and asked Lionel when Taranee developed such a sense of humor. He joked she might have developed this when the two of them spent less time together.[15]

Lionel had been on Taranee’s side about Nigel and after a long talk with Theresa, convinced her to give the boy a chance by meeting him properly. They invited the boy to come to their house for pizza and a movie. However, Lionel was unable to be there at the time and did not meet Nigel. Nigel and Taranee were officially allowed to date after this.[16]

Lionel was working in the kitchen with Theresa when Peter came home, making jokes with Theresa though she was not in a good mood. He listened to Peter explain about Rock and Roll Café being closed for the night, noting how this news made her upset. She explained that Taranee had previously said she would be visiting there that night and now assumed she had lied to Theresa.[17]

Sometime later, The Cooks received a call from the police station saying Taranee had been taken in for “disturbing the peace” and Theresa rushed down to confront her. The two had an altercation at the station and from then on, were at odds with each other.[17] Taranee, believing Theresa had wronged her, began rebelling and intentionally failing her school work.[18][19]

After some time, the two seemed to finally settle the issue with Taranee once again doing well in school. Nigel was also welcomed back into her life, proving he too had cleared his innocence.

Arc 3: A Crisis on Both Worlds[]

Lionel and Theresa were enjoying lunch with Peter when Taranee arrived, happily announcing she’d been accepted into the Redstone Academy Exchange program. Lionel congratulated her, declaring he knew she could do it, while Theresa scolded her and then Peter for dancing on the chairs. Lionel tried to get Taranee to have lunch with them, but she had a headache and went to her room instead. Lionel remarked to Theresa how proud he was of his “little girl”, having known she could get it while Theresa worried if she would be alright with her recent string of headaches. On the day of the trip departure, Lionel and Theresa went with Taranee to the airport, bidding her goodbye and watching her leave.[20]

Taranee was away from home for two weeks, then returned with the rest of her class.[21]

A mysterious prankster vandalized Theresa’s car and other property belonging to the Cooks, which Theresa soon realized was Daniel Ashcroft, a boy she'd previously sentenced for crimes and was now out for revenge. At first the parents chose not to report it as they didn’t want to ruin the boy’s life while expecting he’d give up soon. However, he began to involve Nigel and his actions were becoming worse. The parents continued to play oblivious of the culprits and didn’t tell Taranee, worried how this would impact the relationship between her and Theresa after the two had just started to improve again.[22]

The “pranks” gradually began to wear out even Lionel’s patience and when he found Taranee’s bike destroyed, even he was thoroughly angry. Lionel and Theresa finally told her the full truth about Daniel and Nigel, and that they’d decide it was time to put a stop to it. The following day, Lionel was fixing Taranee’s bike with her help, though she became distracted (by telepathic conversations) and had to leave soon afterwards.[23]

The following evening, Theresa was cooking dinner while Lionel lovingly complimented her on it, until their doorbell rang. Lionel answered the door and found it was Nigel. This being their first official meeting, the boy greeted him politely despite being obviously nervous. He asked to speak with Taranee but she had already arrived to the foyer, surprised and upset to see him. Nigel asked to come in, but Daniel called out from the street for Nigel to leave the house immediately. Nigel stood firm, and Lionel invited both into the house to talk. Nigel admitted to Taranee how important she was to him and how ashamed he was of what he had done. Daniel tried to make him stop, calling this “little girl stuff” and Nigel retorted that it took a lot more courage to admit wrongs than it did to commit crimes in secret, shocking Daniel into silence.[23]

Theresa remarked on the boys’ crimes and Nigel offered to pay for all the damages as he didn’t want to lose Taranee’s friendship. However, he also stated that he wasn’t the only person who made a mistake, mentioning that Judge Cook never once trusted him which was unfair. Theresa declared trust must be earned and asked if Nigel thought he deserved such. Nigel bravely replied that this time, he believed he did deserve her trust. An upset Daniel could see Nigel had made his choice, then sadly asked if he would ever be a part of those plans. Nigel assured he would always be a part of his life as his brother, but he had to accept that Nigel’s life had changed. Taranee finally approached Nigel, admitting she’d missed him, and Nigel asked if she could ever forgive the things he’d done. The two hugged while Lionel and Theresa looked on. Seeing them, Theresa understood there was real love between them.[23]

The two are allowed to date again and Nigel earnt the trust of her parents, with Theresa never again trying to separate them.

Arc 4: Trial of the Oracle[]

Lionel and Theresa were contacted about Taranee's declining grades (thanks to her astral drop). Taranee began to take part in an after-school community service project to make up for them and all returned to normal.[24]

Nigel came over to the Cook home to hang out with Taranee. Sometime during then, Lionel and Theresa left for dinner, though only told Peter. This shows that Nigel had earned their trust.[25]

During family dinner, Peter complimented his mother’s cooking and she correctly assumed had something else to say. He brought up that Taranee had visited the Jensen Dance Academy and was offered a place in their classes. Lionel was encouraging to Taranee, calling it a great opportunity for her. However, Theresa pointed out how much hard work it would be for her, saying it couldn't affect her studies. This upset Taranee and while Theresa turned to wash her plate, Taranee ran to her room, leaving the men confused on what to do. Theresa, realizing she was wrong, later spoke to Taranee and gave her support to her dancing.[7]

Arc 5: The Book of Elements[]

On the day of Taranee’s dance test, all of the Cooks were thinking about her and cheering for her from afar. Taranee later got the news she had passed the audition and would soon begin the intensive course for several days a week.[26]

In the possible future, Taranee moved out of the house and Peter and Cornelia became engaged. He called her several times in a day, which Theresa would make jokes about.[27]

The parents were eventually told that Taranee had permanently ended her relationship with Nigel, this time of her own choice. Peter took this hard and there was some tension between the two, though it faded.[28]

Arc 6: Ragorlang[]

Theresa and Lionel would have been informed about Taranee getting detention. According to Principal Knickerbocker, she and Irma both were disrespecting the school rules and teacher’s authority (by trying to battle Ragorlang-Hay Lin and ditching the class to confront Dr. Folkner).[29]

The day after the big eclipse, Heatherfield was flooded with Kandrakar magic, allowing people to wish for anything they wanted. It is unknown what Lionel would have wished for. Once W.I.T.C.H. took back the magic, everyone fell asleep and forgot what they had been doing for the day.[30]

Taranee was signed up to join her class for their ecology week trip to Noah’s Isle animal preserve. While waiting at the train station, the Cooks were getting information from Mr. Horseberg who was talking about their risk of accidentally missing their connection, though Miss Warton tried to assure them that they would be fine. Theresa asked if only the two teachers would be chaperoning but the new school physician, Dr. Folkner, assured them he would be taking care of the kids as well. Once everyone arrived, they boarded their train and left. After a few days, the group returned though Dr. Folkner had mysterious vanished.[31]

Arc 7: New Power[]

Peter graduated from the Heatherfield Art Institute and made plans to move out of the house. Theresa was saddened by this but accepted his decision.[32]

During the summer break, Theresa booked a trip for Taranee to the prestigious White Castle alpine school, despite the girl saying she didn’t want to go. At the same time, Peter finished packing up his room. Taranee returned home the following week and Peter officially moved out and into an apartment with his friends.[33]

Lionel left for a trip aboard.[6]

Theresa called Lionel to tell him that Taranee had noticed the fake baby pictures and Theresa told her about the adoption, which the girl took very hard. He in turn called Peter to tell him the truth, too. Peter immediately went to see Taranee and comfort her about the situation.[6]

A few days later, Lionel finally came home and talked with Taranee about the adoption. When she tried to ask why they chose to adopt her instead of someone else or even having more children, he insisted that she was the only one they had wanted and could not have been substituted with anyone. Theresa, who had been listening at the door, tried to take the blame for not telling Taranee but Lionel insisted that as a family, the mistakes they make belong to all of them which Taranee agreed with. Theresa presented Taranee the dossier she’d made of her original family, with Lionel calling her a super sleuth. Taranee accepted this and also made a request for Theresa to sing her favorite lullaby as she had when Taranee was a child.[34]

Taranee went out for a walk by herself but when she came back, she mentioned she needed to eat quickly as she had her show at Jensens' to get to. Lionel offered to order pizza and began a battle with Taranee to find the most outrageous pizza toppings, a game which assured Theresa that all was normal in their house again.[34]

News came of a double twister to hit Heatherfield. While it did come close and damaged a bit, no major destruction was caused before the winds broke up (thanks to Hay Lin). Peter had come by the house during the time and was greeted enthusiastically by Taranee while their parents watched on.[35]

A strong unknown force (Dark Mother) suddenly attacked Heatherfield. Eyes hypnotized people in front of television screens while the streets cracked and things exploded, followed by an earthquake. This all eventually died down, but the streets were left in disaster for some time after.[36]

As Lionel and Theresa had to work late, they let Taranee host her study group in their house in Peter’s old room. They later attended Taranee’s big dance performance and watched her impressive capoeira style, though the performance ended due to “sudden thunderstorm” (accidently caused by W.I.T.C.H.).[37]

Taranee suddenly began to act very oddly (from being overcharged with power), overconfident and disconnected emotionally. This ended quickly (once Dark Mother was defeated) and she returned home in a really happy mood.[38]

Arc 8: Teach 2b W.I.T.C.H.[]

One of Lionel’s colleagues, who owned a hotel by Sleepy Bay, made him a deal to rent a bungalow there. Lionel agreed but as he wanted his kids to come too, he made sure to ask for two of them so Peter and his friends would have their own space. Theresa also reminded him that Taranee would want W.I.T.C.H. to come along, so they added in an extra bungalow to their request.[39]

When Peter came to the Cook home for Sunday dinner, Lionel and Theresa sprung the idea of a family vacation which Taranee was excited for. Peter worried about the space and they admit to having the extra bungalows so the kids could bring their friends. Theresa and Lionel enjoyed their vacation time together while the kids had great fun around Sleepy Bay.[39]

After Theresa noticed Taranee had become very busy, she correctly guessed the girl was lonely without Peter. She spoke to the half-asleep Lionel about it who agreed with everything she said without really listening. She ultimately decided they would get her a dog which he also agreed with, leading her to teasing say they’d get Taranee a huge group of animals. At this point, he finally woke up, very confused.[40]

After school was over, they picked up Taranee and took her to the Moore clinic where they met with Dr. Moore. He showed them the many abandoned animals he was caring for, which surprised the Cooks with how many of them had been left behind by unkind people. Taranee finally realized she was getting a new dog and easily proved her determination to Dr. Moore who agreed she could be trusted with the responsibility. However, he turned to question if the parents could be trusted likewise at which point his own daughter, Luna, cut in that he was better with animals than people. Dr. Moore gave the parents a tour of the clinic while Luna helped Taranee make a choice for her pet. They parents were surprised when Taranee chose a very big dog and tried to sway her to a small puppy, but she insisted she could take care of her own choice and asked that they trust her. Lionel agreed to Theresa’s shock, declaring that when it comes to trust he was fully in. Taranee thanked him for this and Theresa also gave in, joking they could keep the dog in Peter’s old room. Taranee was given a chance to walk with the dog, Flea, and the two showed to really like each other, thus the dog would stay. They filled out the paperwork and Flea was now a part of their family.[40]

The following day, Theresa was devastated to see how Flea had ripped apart her couch while playing. Taranee apologized for the damage and Lionel told her not to overreact to just a couch. Displeased, Theresa pointed out how Flea had also chewed through his golf clubs and while he was outraged, Taranee took Flea out for a very long walk. By the end of the day, Taranee had convinced her parents to get another dog, the small one they’d wanted her to choose before. Theresa was not sure about this and Lionel again mentioned that he gave in when she asked they trust her. Though they knew two dogs would bring a lot of destruction to their home, they were glad that it would also bring more life to the place as well. Taranee decided to name the new little dog Buddy.[40]

Neither Flea nor Buddy were seen or mentioned after this point.

Taranee went out with her friends and returned home really late with an excuse about having gone to the cinema (she’d actually been in the Fast World). Theresa punished her by ordering her to clean her room for six months. After everyone was asleep, White Queen Arkaam attacked Heatherfield with a plan to deport everyone to the Fast World. To protect the people, Hay Lin used magic to take the slumbering citizens from their homes and hide them into an airport hangar. Once the battle was over, they were all returned to their beds. No one remembered any of this, but everyone had a similar “dream” about flying.[41]

Arc 9: 100% W.I.T.C.H.[]

Taranee traveled to stay with Louisiana for a time.[4]

On the first day back to school, Lionel and Theresa were surprised that Taranee seemed perfectly calm. This changed when she remembered she had one book she hadn’t read for class. Lionel encouraged her she could get through it in a few days and Theresa agreed, saying they likely wouldn’t ask her about it on the first day. But Taranee worried about her very strict new teacher and decided she could just read through the whole book before she got to class. Lionel didn’t think it was possible but Taranee was determined, and her parents could only let her go through with it. Later that day after school ended, Taranee returned in a bad mood. Theresa asked how the day had gone and Taranee remarked she should ask her in French (since she should have studied French instead).[42]

When Queen Nihila attacked Heatherfield with the power of zodiac, Lionel and Theresa were put under her spell and wandered away from their home. They were saved when W.I.T.C.H. defeated the queen and everything returned to normal.[43]

At some point, Lionel decided to become a stay-at-home dad. He took great pride in taking care of the chores and other projects.[2]

At one point, Taranee’s bike chain became loose and Lionel was glad to fix it for her, assuring Taranee he would not need any help. However, he went overboard with “improvements” by adding multiple mirrors and bells. He revealed the finished product to Taranee, admitting that it probably wouldn’t be functional and finally asked her to help him. Together, they returned the bike to normal but also gave it a new bright color which she liked. They painted his as well and almost painted Theresa’s though she caught them and playfully declared she liked hers as a “boring color”.[2]

When the kitchen sink became leaky, Lionel fixed it and Taranee helped him in cleaning up the spilled water (with her magic).[2]

During spring cleaning, Lionel and Taranee cleaned the entire house while Theresa was at work. However, a malfunction with the vacuum caused it to spit dust everywhere. There was no time to clean it before Theresa returned, so Taranee told him to put on his best suit which he did. Meeting Theresa at the door, Taranee declared Lionel would be taking her out to dinner (while Taranee would reclean the house). Theresa was delighted, calling Lionel good marriage material while kissing him romantically.[2]

Taranee was in a rush to get to school but Lionel offered her one of her favorite cookies for the road. When she grabbed one, she couldn’t hold onto it (her fire powers were going haywire) and threw it out the window. Lionel, misunderstanding, declared she could have just said she didn’t want it.[44]

The Cook family was going through some difficult financial times and agreed to talk to each other as a family before making any big purchases. Despite this, Taranee bought a new cellphone for herself. Theresa found out and punished Taranee with no TV for a month for breaking their promise.[45]

Taranee took a summer trip to stay with Louisiana and Frank (Louisiana’s husband),[46] then on a trip to Star Beach with her friends, chaperoned by Susan Vandom and Anna Lair.[47]

The Cooks gained a new neighbor, the Drakes, right across the street from them. Taranee developed a crush on the handsome Jason Drake, though it ended quickly.[48]

The Cooks attended the Heatherfield Theatre festival to see Taranee as one of the main characters in a play about the Rosendorf Countesses.[49]

Arc 10: Ladies vs. W.I.T.C.H.[]

Taranee volunteered to help W.I.T.C.H. at the pet store during the summer. Lionel caught her taking a huge amount of food from the refrigerator, claiming she was hungry (she was actually feeding her new magical pet). She asked him not to tell Theresa and he agreed, joking she would just think an empty fridge was his doing. Taranee kissed his cheek in gratitude, calling him her superhero. At a later point, he found his tool shed had suffered a fire incident which Taranee took the blame for (was cause by the baby dragon). He wasn’t upset, joking that it was time for him to redecorate it anyway. However, he did warn Taranee to be more careful with fire.[50]

Taranee won tickets to a concert in Staford that she wanted to bring her friends along to. It was decided the girls could stay in the house that Peter had moved into since it was close to the concert location. However, on the day of their departure, Theresa revealed she had called her cousin Esther to watch over the girls (and secretly snoop around Peter’s house). Taranee was upset by this and Lionel offered a compromise that while Esther would go along, they could just act like she wasn’t there. Taranee didn’t think this was possible, though Ester (already on their bus) loudly declared she could which didn't help Lionel’s case. Either way, the group set out to their concert. Theresa called her later after the concert would be over and Taranee confirmed they had made it back to the house.[51]

Arc 11: Magical Sovereign[]

W.I.T.C.H. were sent to a fantasy world where they would act as children. A Fantasy-Theresa brought five-year-old Taranee home after a long day where she spent time with Fantasy-Lionel. The fake parents tucked Taranee in for the night, though were surprised when she insisted she didn’t need a nightlight. The following day, Fantasy-Theresa took Taranee out for another busy day.[52] That evening, Taranee noticed that Fantasy-Lionel was stressed about his work, though Fantasy-Theresa was able to reassure her it was alright. Shortly after this, Taranee was able to find the secret of feeling more grown up. This allowed her to break the spell on herself so that W.I.T.C.H could return to Earth as their correct ages.[52]

Louisiana called the Cooks to plan a visit to their house. Theresa warned Lionel and he, terrified of spending time with his sister, made an excuse to run off. He eventually returned, sneaking in and asking if Louisiana had gone yet. Theresa tried to quiet him, but Louisiana heard and now had both of them in her clutches.[1]

Peter paid a visit to the Cook family, though he and Taranee were gone most of the day. In the evening, the family enjoyed dinner together with Taranee in an especially good mood (having just been promoted to Magical Sovereign).[53]

Trivia[]

Gallery[]

Comics[]

Images of Lionel Cook from the comics.

TV series[]

Images of Lionel Cook from the TV series.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Issue 134: Tomorrow
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Issue 108: A Father's Heart
  3. Issue 116: The Right Distance
  4. 4.0 4.1 Issue 100: 100% W.I.T.C.H.
  5. Issue 112: First Days
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Issue 078: Fire
  7. 7.0 7.1 Issue 048: New Horizons
  8. Issue 001: Halloween
  9. Issue 003: The Dark Dimension
  10. Issue 011: The Crown of Light
  11. Issue 006: Illusions and Lies
  12. Issue 013: I Know Who You Are
  13. Issue 016: The Mark of Nerissa
  14. Issue 017: Don't Close Your Eyes
  15. Issue 020: Whispers of Hatred
  16. Issue 022: The Broken Heart
  17. 17.0 17.1 Issue 024: Trust Me
  18. Issue 025: Water Shadows
  19. Issue 026: The Ultimate Blackmail
  20. Issue 027: The Departure
  21. Issue 031: The Voice of Silence
  22. Issue 032: A Play of Many Parts
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 Issue 036: Rebel Spirits
  24. Issue 038: The Heart's Desire
  25. Issue 043: The Magic of Light
  26. Issue 049: Between Dream and Reality
  27. Issue 050: It's Magical Anyway
  28. Issue 057: The Island of Memories
  29. Issue 070: Radio Silence
  30. Issue 072: The Green Flash
  31. Issue 073: The Black Beat
  32. Issue 075: You're Back to Who You Used to Be
  33. Issue 077: Of All the Stars
  34. 34.0 34.1 Issue 080: Emotions
  35. Issue 081: Air
  36. Issue 083: Back to Kandrakar
  37. Issue 084: A Special Flow
  38. Issue 085: I Am You
  39. 39.0 39.1 Issue 089: The Key to Summer
  40. 40.0 40.1 40.2 Issue 092: No Longer Alone
  41. Issue 096: Here in Your Heart
  42. Issue 102: The First Day
  43. Issue 106: Zodiac
  44. Issue 109: The Green Truth
  45. Issue 110: Magical Moms
  46. Issue 112: First Days
  47. Issue 113: The Long Kiss
  48. Issue 114: Back to School
  49. Issue 115: A Special Journey
  50. Issue 124: A Puppy for a Friend
  51. Issue 125: The Other Part
  52. 52.0 52.1 Issue 133: Little Magic
  53. Issue 139: Forever In Our Hearts
  54. Issue 093: From Far Away
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