these villains included the Runics, a group of five evil wizards who control the dark powers of the elements; and Nihila, the Queen of Darkness who desire to weave and control everyone's destinies with her magical Loom. The series also introduced new missions where the Guardians must assist the beings of the natural worlds; from listening to the voice of the Earth to helping Mareeve, the Saarineen, avoid marrying the King of the Sharks, Orristurr. Later on, the stories ranged from the girls delivering a letter to the North Pole, Dean's parents visiting the girls and their mothers having lunch together. Part X: Ladies vs. W.I.T.C.H. From issue number 118 onwards, the concept of arcs is dropped. All issues are self-contained stories, though issues 120, 123, and 126 are connected to each other, as the Guardians deals with siblings Lady Giga, Lady Crash and Lady Kimikal, who wanted to steal their energies. Issues 128 and 129 are also connected as it focuses on Will and Matt's fight. Part XI: Magical Sovereigns From issue 130 through issue 139, the saga has been named the "Magical Sovereigns", with individual stories. Elyon the Queen of Meridian returns to Kandakar in this saga, giving away missions to the Guardians in order for them to become Magical Sovereigns. Oracle Himerish also returns at Issue 139. Special issues Aside from the original series, the Walt Disney Company Italia had published several special issues depicting the lives of the Guardians and their friends taking places on the side lines from the original canon issues. The following is a list of special issues that have been published thus far: The Year Before Elyon: Return of the Queen Cornelia and Caleb: A Love Not Meant to Be Core of Kandrakar Planet Boys Orube Special Two Hearts for a Ball: World Cup Special Christmas Special 2004 Christmas Special 2005 Christmas Special 2006 W.I.T.C.H. Look Book Caleb and Elyon - Two Destinies W.I.T.C.H. on Stage Halloween Special 2007 Olympic Games 2008 Special Night of Magic Reception Sales In 2004, The Walt Disney Company announced that the W.I.T.C.H. comic book series was available in more than 60 countries, with more than 1 million copies of the comic book series being sold every month. In France and Germany, more than 100 000 copies were sold monthly. In Italy, more than 200 000 copies were sold every month. The company revealed that the W.I.T.C.H.