Morgaine le Fey (DC)
Morgaine le Fey is a female supervillain who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
Morgana Iwudu was a female member of the Elder Folk where she was daughter of Staegys and Atheron. (Madame Xanadu v1 #19) She was the middle child of three sisters with the younger being Nimue Inwudu and the eldest being Vivienne Inwudu who served as the Lady of the Lake. (Madame Xanadu v1 #1) They were descendants of sunken Atlantis after the Cataclysm leading to the diaspora of Homo Magi around the world. Their ancestors came to arrive in the forests of the world near what became Camelot where they were allowed to join as protectors of the sacred lands by Oberon and Titania. (Madame Xanadu v1 #19)
The arrival of the Romans to the British Isles was noted to had piqued Morgana's interest where during this time she came to be the lover of Julius Caesar. This was until the Romans left the lands with Morgana continuing to bring mischief to the lands. In this time, she was out with her sister where the two had an argument over their approaches to life. During that moment, they were visited by a young Merlinus who could see them and had a command over magic as he was able to dispel Morgana's spell that she attempted to cast on him. (Madame Xanadu v1 #20)
She came to learn to conjure familiars where she was applauded by Elaine and Morgause for how quickly she had mastered the spell. During this time, she heard news of a young squire named Arthur who pulled the sword Excalibur from the stone thus making him the King's Heir. Through her magic, she came to see the young man's origins and was angered that her along with her sisters right to rule was being taken away by people she considered deceivers. This led to her embarking on learning dark magic in order to destroy the kingdom. (Trinity v1 #21)
With her son Mordred over the ruins of Camelot, she was confronted by her sister Nimue who lamented over the destruction caused but Morgana showed no regret as she intended to take the campaign forward to destroy King Arthur. She offered Nimue a place by her side but she refused with Morgana departing but warned that she would not show mercy the next time her sister confronted her. (Madame Xanadu v1 #2)
The overwhelming hordes of Morgaine le Fey then laid siege to Camelot where she intended to lay claim to the Eternity Book. As the castle fell, Merlin gave a page of the Eternity Book to Etrigan that would guide him on his destiny whilst the wizard himself hide with the tome to prevent it from falling into the evil enchantress's hands. (The Demon v1 #1)
Morgaine and her demon legion were responsible for burning down London with the public blaming it on revolutionaries. The Demon found her, and she told him she wanted him back in her control. She drained some of his life-force with a kiss, but he burned down her house. They fought, but were separated after falling into a canal. (Blood of the Demon v1 #4)
Although Morgaine survived for centuries, her youth and beauty did not. She desperately tried to find Merlin who vanished after Camelot's destruction, as his tome held the secrets to restore her to her former self. Through her devotee, Theophilus Warly, they managed to lure the immortal Jason Blood to them. They spied on the man who knew nothing of his past until the Unliving, an animated stone statue, summoned him to Castle Branek, the secret crypt of Merlin. Morgaine and Warly ambushed the hapless demonologist, but not before he once more awakened the demon. (The Demon v1 #1) As powerful as Etrigan was, Morgaine knew the incantation to revert him back to mortal form, and she claimed the spell required to restore her youth. In the depths of Warpulgis Woods she, and coven of witches, undertook the ritual, but it was disrupted by the return of Etrigan. The Demon managed to disband her minions, but Morgaine completed the ritual and disappeared. (The Demon v1 #2)
Morgaine soon showed herself in Gotham City once more. She summoned the demon Kafir to subdue Etrigan then branded him with her mark, allowing control over him. Warly invited Glenda Mark to see Jason on false pretences, so Morgaine could bargain the Philosopher's Stone for his life. The sorceress underestimated the young woman who fought her, until Warly wrested the stone for himself and turned against his mistress, transforming her into a sarcophagus. Moragine, however, exacted her revenge before she was cursed, unleashing an evil force that dragged the traitorous Warly away to his apparent demise. (The Demon v1 #16)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. Morgaine le Fey
Looking for a means to leave Earth, Morgaine desired to find a mystical relic that would sustain her in space. She came to find such an artifact in the form of the Atlantean Helmet whose magical properties allowed the bearer to survive without air. Le Fey came to learn that it resided among the Others where it once was wielded by the hero Vostok-X. Dispatching twisted version of animals, her servants came to break into the Living Room aircraft that belonged to the Operative. Whilst there, they were successful in stealing the Atlantean Helmet and return to their master. Aquaman and the Others later confronted her with Morgaine casting illusions on each of them giving them the chance to join her or die. Arthur, Operative, Prisoner-Of-War and Sky Alchesay all denied her but Ya'Wara opted to join her as she believed Morgaine could help her save the Amazon Rainforest. Morgaine was defeated by the Others and Ya'Wara was brought to her senses shortly afterwards. (Aquaman Annual v7 #1)
A cult of worshippers later came to resurrect Morgaine le Fey by using Clayface as a vessel for the ritual. (Batwoman v2 #38)
She was later shown as being a member of the Council of Immortals who advised the Lady Blackhawk Kendra Saunders to use the brain of Anti-Monitor to destroy the Dark Multiverse. (Dark Nights: Metal v1 #2)
Overview
Personality and attributes
In the modern age, she assumed the name of Madame Xan where she was a westerner who had lived in Hong Kong for a long time and her being well connected despite being a recluse. (Aquaman Annual v7 #1)
Morgaine believed that she and her sisters had a right to rule over the lands as they were children of the Queen. However, the rise of Arthur saw her perceive them as deceivers who won the crown by treachery. When she heard peasants believe Arthur to be a kind king, this simply infuriated Morgaine who made it her mission to bring ruin to the kingdom. She came to believe that it was better to rule a burnt out shell than to serve in this paradise that King Arthur was heralding in the lands. It was this that led to her path down dark and forbidden magic. (Trinity v1 #21)
When she was young, Morgana had no interest in mankind and saw them as primitive walking apes. She enjoyed playing nasty pranks where she used magic on them that led to them being hurt. However, she started to become obsessed with them and would regularly observe their activities. She could not resist meddling in the affairs of man where she wanted to see them fight and destroy one another. This was despite her fathers warning to not interfere in the affairs of man. Morgana had said that violence was evident in their nature and she simply stirred such conflicts. (Madame Xanadu v2 #19)
The power of Morgaine le Fey was said to transcend ordinary evil and it was claimed that she was evil incarnate. (Batman Family v1 #17)
In the times of Camelot, her goals were conquest but afterwards they became one of survival. (Demon Knights v1 #12) She later came to seek a means of escaping the Earth as she saw it as being doomed due to the actions of mankind. (Aquaman Annual v7 #1)
Her parents were Staegys and Atheron with Morgana being the younger sister of Vivienne Iwudu and the elder sister to Nimue Iwudu. She was noted to had hated to be upstaged by her younger sibling and liked to punish her for such acts. (Madame Xanadu v2 #19)
Her stablehand was a man named Zond who stole one of her magic books and used it to become a sorcerer himself where he established a coven that followed him. (Adventure Comics v1 #397)
Powers and abilities
Le Fey was a descendant of the Homo Magi that left sunken Atlantis and was one of the Elder Folk that tended the forests around Camelot. (Madame Xanadu v1 #19) She came to benefit from living by the lake similar to her sisters where the waters spiced by those of distant Avalon granted them a long life even by fey standards. However, Morgaine's use of certain dark magics that damaged her once beautiful features to the point that she was forced to hide them behind a golden mask. (Demon Knights v1 #12) This was because her body withered over time where her touch brought instant decay. From a spell stolen from Merlin's tomb, she came to learn the secret of eternal youth allowing her to restore her youth and beauty. (The Demon v1 #2)
Similar to Merlin, she was known to recruit beings not of the Earth but came from some place outside. (The Demon v1 #1) She was able to conjure familiars whereby she gave life to creatures such as batlings. (Trinity v1 #21) Another creature that she could call were the yellow-skinned monstrous Gorla that were typically used as watchdogs by witches. (The Demon v1 #2) Using the power of alchemy, should could transform creatures into freakish hybrids where they were subject to constant pain. (Aquaman Annual v7 #1)
Morgana was known to had used forest glamours that typically hides her from the perception of ordinary mortal humans. She could perform other glamours allowing her to make herself appear as another person. (Madame Xanadu v1 #20) Her magic was shown to be strong enough to banish even powerful demons. (The Demon v1 #2)
Le Fey was known to give powers to only a trust few that served her. (The Demon v1 #1) By the modern age, a cult came to worship her where they wished to usher in the end of days and enslave the human race. (Batwoman v2 #37)
The power of the Philosopher's Stone was said to increase her strength to unconquerable levels. (Batman Family v1 #17)
It was shown that she held membership among the Council of Immortals who operated secretly on Earth. (Dark Nights: Metal v1 #2)
Notes
- Morgaine le Fey was created by Jack Kirby where she made her first appearance in The Demon v1 #1 (September, 1972) though was based off the one in Arthurian legend.
- A completely different and unrelated version of the character was created for Camelot 3000.
Alternate Versions
- In Ibis v1 #4 (1946), an alternate version of Morgana le Fay appeared in the alternate world of Earth-S in Fawcett Comics. This version was the blonde haired half-sister of King Arthur where she was a talent sorceress and an enemy of him. Le Fey came to note the jealousy of Sir Hector who resented Arthur for beating him in a duel due to the use of the magical Excalibur. Morgana decided to aid him in secret and told him to assassinate the king in his sleep to claim the sword. Sir Hector though was caught in the act and ready to face execution but le Fey had saved him by magically place him within the reflective surface of a shield allowing him to escape death as well as survive across the centuries.
- In Batman: Dark Knight of the Round Table v1 (1998), Morgana leFay appeared in the alternate Elseworld setting where she was the half-sister of King Arthur with her vowing revenge against him and Merlin for the death of her father Uther Pendragon. She seduced Arthur in order to bear his bastard child who she named Mordred.
In other media
Television
- In the DC Animate Universe, Morgaine le Fey appeared in the shared continued setting:
- In Justice League, Morgaine le Fey appeared in the setting of the animated television series in the episode "A Knight of Shadows" where she was voiced by actress Olivia D'Abo.
- In Justice League Unlimited, Morgaine le Fey appeared in the setting of the animated television series in the episode "Kid Stuff" where she was once more voiced again by actress Olivia d'Abo. She along with her son Mordred discovered the source of earthly magic in the Amulet of First Magic. Mordred would take the relic making him more powerful than his mother and he banished Morgaine along with all adults to a parallel dimension. Once there, she encountered the Justice League who were similarly banished and forged a deal with them to defeat her son. She bypassed his spell by turning Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and John Stewart into children allowing them to return to Earth. They battled Mordred where they tricked him into aging himself into an adult. This led to his own banishment to the parallel dimension where Morgaine told Mordred that he had made a grave mistake as he had broken the eternal youth that his mother cast on him. Thus, whilst immortal, he aged into an elderly man with his spell broken allowing adults to return to Earth. Morgaine returned the Justice League to being adults and proceeded to care for Mordred now that he was a helpless old man.
- In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Morgaine le Fey appeared as an antagonist where she appeared in the episode "Day of the Dark Knight" and was voiced by actress Tatyana Yassukovich.
Video games
Appearances
- The Demon v1: (1972)
- Batman Family v1
- Trinity v1:
- Demon Knights v1:
- Aquaman Annual v7 v1:
- Aquaman and the Others Annual v1:
- Batwoman v2:
External Links
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