Salem's Seven

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caption=Art by Valentine Delandro From "Marvel Knights 4 #27"
team_name= Salem's Seven
publisher= Marvel Comics
debut= Fantastic Four vol. 1 #186 (September, 1977)
creators= Len Wein (writer)
George Pérez (artist)
base= New Salem, Colorado, US
members= Brutacus
Gazelle
Hydron
Reptilla
Thornn
Vakume
Vertigo
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subcat=Marvel Comics
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Salem's Seven was a team of magical supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. They were foes of the Scarlet Witch and the Fantastic Four. All seven were the children of Nicholas Scratch and the grandchildren of Agatha Harkness. They were humans with magic powers who could transform into fantastic creatures with super-powers.

Fictional team history

Salem's Seven originated in the town of New Salem, Colorado, a hidden town populated entirely by magicians who mostly lived in fear and loathing of normal humanity. All of Salem's Seven were fathered among different women by Nicholas Scratch. Scratch's own mother Agatha Harkness was the most powerful of the town's inhabitants, but she chose to leave the village and live among humanity. In time she became governess for Franklin Richards, son of Sue and Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four. Scratch had Salem's Seven abduct Agatha for purportedly betraying the New Salem community. They also brought back Franklin with them to give to Scratch as a new host-body, which forced the Fantastic Four to pursue. Although initially overcome and imprisoned, the Four defeated their captors, banished Scratch from this dimension, and saved Harkness. When Salem's Seven much later tried to avenge themselves on Harkness, she removed their ability to change forms.

Over the years, Salem's Seven managed to reverse the spells locking them out of their enhanced forms, greatly weakening Harkness in the process. They took control of New Salem, and with Vertigo as their leader, they turned the whole community against Harkness and burned her at the stake. The Scarlet Witch and the Vision were then drawn to New Salem, where they were captured by the Seven. Gazelle dissented with the group's plans of sacrifice, and was thrown in with the prisoners. The Vision escaped and battled Vertigo, who drew into herself the powers of the other 665 residents of New Salem. When the Vision defeated her, Vertigo lost control of the power. The Scarlet Witch managed to channel some of it off, but in the ensuing explosion all of New Salem was apparently wiped out, including the Seven.

The next Halloween, Wanda attempted to commune with Agatha Harkness's spirit, but was drawn through into the land of the dead, where she was confronted with spirits of the Seven (except Gazelle) who had aligned themselves with a being that called itself Samhain. Wanda defeated Samhain and bound him within the spirits of the six of the Seven.

Via samples of their DNA, Brutacus, Hydron, Reptilla, Thornn, and Vakume were later re-animated as some of Arnim Zola's proto-husks. These were all introduced and then promptly slain for humorous effect by Deadpool in Deadpool #0, a free giveaway from Wizard magazine.

Salem's Seven was recently resurrected when the The Scarlet Witch's mental break down and manipulation of magic restored them to life. Their father, Nicholas Scratch, manipulated them into releasing Shuma-Gorath but then aided the FF, Diablo, and Doctor Strange in defeating Scratch and Shuma-Gorath. The seven are now living with Strange and are friends of the FF.

Team members

*Brutacus - Son of Scratch, transforms into a leonine humanoid with red horns which has strength and durability sufficient to match the Thing or the Vision
*Gazelle - Daughter of Scratch, transforms into a cloven-hoofed person with super-speed and agility.
*Hydron - Son of Scratch, transforms into bipedal merman who can fire controllable streams of water from the stump-end of his left arm.
*Reptilla - Daughter of Scratch, transforms into serpentine form with a single long tail instead of legs, and two poisonous serpents instead of her arms. She has the ability to constrict and to also bite with her hand-snakes.
*Thornn - Son of Scratch, transforms into a yellow demonic humanoid with large red thorns jutting from the arms and legs. He has the ability to throw explosive or stunning thorns.
*Vakume - Son of Scratch, transforms into a featureless purple humanoid. He has the ability to become intangible and control air, creating winds and vacuums.
*Vertigo - African-American and eldest daughter of Scratch with no special transformation. She is not the same character as Vertigo of the Savage Land Mutates, but possesses the same ability to attack a person's sense of balance.

Other versions

Ultimate Salem Seven

Appearing in Ultimate Fantastic Four operating out of Salem, Oregon, the Seven (as they are called) are a new Super Hero team. Although they are saving many people, they are just as quick to fight the Fantastic Four to get the chance to do so first.Members Include:
*Alpha Dog - leader, able to alter density of objects allowing for the appearance of super-strength.
*Ghostware - ability to phase others and self through solid matter.
*Neuropath - emotional induction allows for control of others' emotions.
*Penultimate - cybernetically-enhanced body.
*Primal Screamer - powerfully vocal blasts.
*Filament - able to shoot laser filamets from fingertips
*Synchron - superspeed.

In issue #56, it is revealed that the group are one being, a creature known as the Dragon-of-Seven which can separate into multiple forms. As a single entity, the Dragon takes the form of Agatha Harkness.

Other Media

Television

* The Salem's Seven would appear in "" episode "The Sorceress Apprentice".

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/marvel_megalomaniac/salem_seven/salem_seven.html "Villains of Marvel Comics" article on Salem's Seven]
* [http://www.marveldirectory.com/teams/salemsseven.htm "Marvel Directory's" article on Salem's Seven]