List of characters in Marvel 1602

"Marvel 1602" is an eight-issue comic book limited series published in 2003 by Marvel Comics. The limited series was written by Neil Gaiman, penciled by Andy Kubert, and digitally painted by Richard Isanove; Scott McKowen illustrated the distinctive scratchboard covers.

The eight-part series takes place in a timeline where Marvel superheroes are members of Elizabethan society. The characters are mainly from Marvel's 1960s period and include Nick Fury, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Doctor Doom and Magneto. Spider-Man also features, though he appears much younger than the 1960s version and does not have any superpowers.

Other popular characters, such as Wolverine, were not added, because of Gaiman's vision to address the heroes of the 1960s. "The territory doesn't go much further than 1969 in terms of the characters that I picked to use," Gaiman noted. "I couldn't get everybody in because there are an awful lot of Marvel characters."cite web|author=Weiland, Jonah. |url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=2406|title= Marvel's '1602' Press Conference|work=Comic Book Resources|accessdate=2008-02-18|date=2003-06-27|quote=]

Historical figures

Elizabeth I of England, essentially unchanged from the real-world version. She is assassinated by Count Otto von Doom (see below), a year before she should have died of natural causes.

James VI of Scotland and I of England, also largely unchanged. He keeps his firm belief in the Divine Right of Kings and his loathing of the witchbreed (Marvel mutants) mirrors the real-life James' view of Catholics. When Javier criticizes Fury for smoking a pipe, Fury remarks that James once made similar reproaches. James was indeed critical of smoking and even wrote "A Counterblaste to Tobacco" on the subject. [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Counterblaste_to_Tobacco] On the other hand he was also a heavy drinker, ["Unnatural Murder: Poison in the Court of James I" by Anne Somerset] and he is seldom shown without a cup of wine in his hand. There are also hints towards his homosexuality in this timeline, as there was some suggestion that he was in real life.

Virginia Dare, the daughter of Ananias Dare, and the first English child born in the Americas. In this world, the Roanoke Colony did not disappear in the 1580s. Inspired by a legend that Virginia was killed in the shape of a white deer, Gaiman gives his version shapeshifting powers. She is able to become any real animal, including the Dinosaurs that in this timeline still survive in America, as well as a griffin-like form. Gaiman has stated that he created Virginia Dare without a previous Marvel character basis in order to provide a unique and fully American character in the "1602" universe.

Heroes

Sir Nicholas Fury, the Queen's Intelligencer. The 1602 world's version of Nick Fury is in the position of Sir Francis Walsingham, one of the great spymasters of the time who obtained the evidence that led to the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, and vital information that helped defeat the Spanish Armada. When she introduces him to Strange, Queen Elizabeth tells Fury not to give his official title since he will "tell us we do not pay you enough". In fact Elizabeth was extremely cautious with money and Walsingham's secret service got very poor financial support from the state. Dedicated to protecting the realm from threats both inside and out, Walsingham himself got into debt employing agents who have been described as "spies on a shoestring" budget. ["Elizabeth's Spy Master: Francis Walsingham and the Secret War That Saved England" by Robert Hutchinson, published by Phoenix, 2006]

Doctor Stephen Strange, the Queen's Physician. Also an alchemist and magician. Strange's interests and skills mirror some of those of the Queen's contemporary John Dee, a mathematician, astrologer, and geographer who was also interested in conjuring. Strange works from his mansion in the then-village of Greenwich outside London (a play on the "real" Doctor Strange's mansion in Greenwich Village, New York City).

Peter Parquagh, Sir Nicholas' apprentice. He is this world's Spider-Man (Peter Parker), although without the powers, but with a keen interest in spiders. When Rojhaz climbs up a tower to fetch Virginia, Peter timidly and ironically says "I can't climb." At the very end there are hints of a budding romance between Peter and Virginia Dare who bears a little resemblance to the ill-fated Gwen Stacy.

Matthew Murdoch, a blind Irish minstrel and freelance agent, who occasionally works for Sir Nicholas. Matthew acquired heightened senses from a mysterious substance he encountered as a child, and is this world's Daredevil (aka Matt Murdock). He shows a lot of the quick wit and humour that Daredevil displayed before Frank Miller turned him into a more serious and moody character.

Clea Strange, Dr Strange's wife and assistant. Clea comes from another dimension, in which she used to be a Queen, and is herself a sorceress. She is this world's version of Clea.

Rojhaz, Virginia's blonde-haired, blue-eyed Native American bodyguard. The colonists assume him to be a product of congress between Indians and Welsh traders (see Welsh Indians). In fact, he is actually Steve Rogers aka Captain America. Imprisoned in a dystopian future, ruled by a President-for-Life, and sent back in time, Rogers, and the hole his passage has left in time, serves as the trigger for the warping of history that introduces the other Marvels. He also changes history more directly by helping the Roanoke Colony through the winter. (Although "Rojhaz" fills the Captain America role, he also reflects elements of the Ka-Zar character: in one scene, Virginia proposes that she could transform into a giant cat and storm a prison with Rojhaz on her back, much as Ka-Zar rode on the back of his sabre-toothed tiger, Zabu.)

Captain Nelson, a seaman who regularly takes Matthew Murdoch across the English Channel. He is suspicious of the blind minstrel, who suggests, with a smile, that he should keep his thoughts to himself. Nelson is this world's Foggy Nelson.

Carlos Javier, a Spaniard living in England, where he runs a College for the Sons of Gentlefolk. He is a witchbreed, a being born with special powers (i.e. mutants), but unlike the Inquisitor (see below) he believes in a future of peace between witchbreed (which he calls "mutantur" or "changing ones") and normal humans (the "mondani"). In what may be a nod to Gaiman's version of the Sandman, a plaque near the school's entrance reads "Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis" ("All things change, and we change with them"). He is this world's Professor X (Charles Xavier).

Javier's students, this world's version of the original X-Men. They are:
* Roberto Trefusis (Robert "Bobby" Drake, Iceman), a nephew of Sir Francis Drake;
* Scotius Summerisle (Scott Summers, Cyclops), wears a visor made of rubies, and has a branded X on his shoulder which was put there when he was found to be a witchbreed in Scotland;
* Hal McCoy (Hank McCoy, the Beast) who also escaped from James' Scotland;
* "John" Grey (Jean Grey), who is in fact a young woman (a reference to Shakespeare's plays in which women often dress up as young men: "As You Like It" and "Twelfth Night".)
* Werner (Warren Worthington III, the Angel), who was rescued from the Inquisition. His friendship with "Master John" causes jealous resentment on the part of Scotius Summerisle — though Werner is unaware of "John's" true sex. (In fact he implies some homosexual feelings towards "Master John", which contrasts with the 1960s version of the Angel who was portrayed as a womanising playboy.)

Uatu, the Watcher who knows that all these heroes and vilains are not due for another 350 years and is tempted to break the rules of the Watchers and interfere (albeit not for the first time). Though he does interfere, his actions are seen by the other Watchers as being for the greater good, and so he is rewarded with a gift: the Seed of a New Universe that never was, or, in other words, this universe preserved rather than altered by Captain America's return to the future.

Dougan, the second-in-command of Fury's armies. He is very loyal to Fury and goes with him to Count Otto Von Doom's castle and the New World, where he stays, as seen in "". He is this world's Dum Dum Dugan.

The Four from the Fantastick, a famous group of heroes, who feature in Murdoch's favourite ballad (which Gaiman has written a full version of, although only snippets appear in the comic). They consist of Captain Benjamin Grimm (Thing), Sir Richard Reed (Mister Fantastic - Reed Richards), Susan Storm (Invisible Woman), and John Storm (Human Torch), all of whom were transformed when their sailing ship, the "Fantastick", encountered a wave of energy from the Sargasso Sea.
Gaiman makes the interesting observation that their bodies reflect the four elements that alchemists believed made up all things. Reed's flesh becomes pliable like water; Grimm's body becomes solid rock; Susan's body becomes weightless and invisible like air (and she is permanently invisible unlike her counterpart in the regular Marvel Universe); and John's body becomes living fire.
Trapped under the castle of Count Otto von Doom, they remain in imprisonment until rescued by Sir Nicholas Fury and Carlos Javier. They are this world's Fantastic Four.

Donal, the Ancient One, a Knight Templar, who is entrusted with taking the "Templar Treasure" to Sir Stephen Strange. This proves to be the hammer Mjolnir, disguised as a simple walking stick. Donal is forced to use the hammer to become Thor, a pagan god who, according to Donal's religion should not even exist. This act of blasphemy turns him to drink. He is this world's version of Donald Blake, a.k.a. the Mighty Thor, and is also identified with Marvel's the Ancient One, Dr. Strange's mentor. In a clever conceit, while the Marvel Universe Thor has Shakespearean speech patterns, the 1602 version speaks in Anglo-Saxon alliterative verse. The calligraphy-style lettering in his speech bubbles is replaced by lettering designed to look like runes.

Villains

"Brotherhood Of Those Who Will Inherit The Earth": a secret society formed by Enrique, the Spanish Inquisitor who is actually one of the so-called Witchbreeds that the Inquisition has sworn to destroy. The society's name is a biblical allusion: "those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth." (King James Bible Psalm 37:9).

Grand Inquisitor Enrique: born a Jew, he was taken in by a Christian priest and baptised. The Christians later refused to let him be returned to his Jewish family, saying that giving him back to the 'Christ-killers' would damn his soul to Hell. Unable to reunite with his family, he was psychologically scarred. As an adult he leads the Spanish Inquisition, which he oversees from Domdaniel. Although ordered to execute the witchbreed, he hides those whom he can pass off as normal. Secretly a witchbreed himself, he is the 1602 world's analogue to Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr).

Sister Wanda and Petros, the Inquisitor's assistants. They are also his children, a fact he has kept from them. They are this world's Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver (Wanda and Pietro Maximoff).

Toad is Enrique's spy in the Vatican. Though his long tongue and ability for climbing walls are plainly visible, he manages to hide for an undisclosed, but lengthy amount of time. Gaiman also plays with other cold-blooded characteristics, such as a pronounced sleepiness at low temperatures.

David Banner, an advisor to King James, who replaces Sir Nicholas Fury when James takes the English throne. He is then sent to Roanoke with orders to kill Fury. Towards the end of the story he is caught in the energies of the Anomaly and becomes a brutish monster. He is this world's Incredible Hulk (Robert Bruce Banner). Banner is probably more of an anti-hero, even a villain, in this world.

Natasha, a freelance spy and "the most dangerous woman in Europe". She is partnered with Murdoch by Sir Nicholas, but betrays him and Donal to Count Otto. She is this world's Black Widow (Natalia "Natasha" Romanova).

*"Note: in the normal continuity, Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch and the Black Widow are all former villains (and Russians) who become heroes."

Count Otto von Doom, the ruler of Latveria, known as Otto the Handsome; and he is indeed a good-looking man. A long time enemy of Sir Richard Reed, he is responsible for the Four from the Fantastick's disappearance by the story's start. He is this world's version of Doctor Doom (Victor von Doom), though his face-scarring injuries come after rather than before the Four acquire their powers.

The Vultures are Count Otto's flying warriors, based on the Spider-Man villain the Vulture.

The Assassins are sent by Doom to murder Sir Nicholas Fury, Virginia Dare, and Queen Elizabeth:
* the first assassin does not appear to have a definitive counterpart in the regular Marvel Universe. Speculation varies between a wingless Vulture, the Vanisher, the Green Goblin, and a man from HYDRA. (HYDRA agents do wear green costumes with cowls and are the sworn enemies of Nick Fury and his S.H.I.E.L.D. force.)
* the second is a Vulture (it is never explained why Virginia is a target);
* the third is a booby-trapped musical machine.

The future President-For-Life assumes power in a 20th or 21st century America and rounds up and jails many aging heroes. He is also responsible for shunting Captain America, a living symbol of freedom, into the past. His dark-purple face on a poster (in contrast to the lighter pink of the other characters seen in flashback) implies that he is the Purple Man at the summit of his powers of persuasion.

References

External links

* [http://www.sequart.com/marvel1602.htm Annotations to Marvel 1602]
* [http://www.marvel.com/universe/Fantastick_Four_%28Earth-311%29 1602: Fantastick Four on Marvel.com]