Nicholas Scratch (Marvel)
Nicholas Scratch is a male comic supervillain who features in Marvel Comics.
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Biography
Nicholas Scratch
Scratch became the leader of New Salem and led the community to believe that it had been betrayed by Harkness through her dealings with the outside world. The New Salem witches then abducted Agatha for her trial and execution. They also abducted Franklin Richards in the process, causing the Fantastic Four to follow them back to New Salem. (Fantastic Four v1 #185) Agatha abducted Franklin Richards, hoping that his powers would help ward off the witches pursuing her; she was unaware that Franklin's powers had been contained by Reed. (Fantastic Four v1 #181) The witches of New Salem abducted Agatha and Franklin from her home on Whisper Hill, transporting them to New Salem. (Fantastic Four v1 #182) As the Fantastic Four arrived in search of the missing Franklin, the witches sent the Eliminator construct to Whisper Hill to destroy all evidence that it had ever existed. The FF feigned defeat until the Eliminator destroyed itself after the destruction of the mansion. (Fantastic Four v1 #184) Reed tracked the Eliminator's shell to New Salem, which Scratch and the witches used illusion to appear as a normal town. The FF completed their investigation and were prepared to leave when Agatha created a wall of flame to force them to realize that there was more going on than what they could see. The deception over, Scratch and the witches revealed themselves, and Scratch animated a number of stone gargoyles to attack them. As the heroes overcame them, Scratch led the witches to take control of Ben, forcing him to beat both himself and Reed into unconsciousness, and he covered Sue in mud and used her as a missile against Johnny, dropping them both, as well. (Fantastic Four v1 #185) Scratch used Franklin as a hostage to force the FF to stand back during Agatha's trial. The FF escaped, overcoming the Salem's Seven in the process, and confronted Scratch at the trial. As they argued that Agatha had never mentioned the existence of New Salem or any of its inhabitants, and that it was actually Scratch's actions that had revealed them. Scratch slew one of the warlocks who asked them to elaborate, and the rest of the witches recognized him for the evil that he was. Using the spell of Eternal Banishment, they sent Scratch to the Dark Realm. (Fantastic Four v1 #186)
In his continued struggle, Scratch’s true intentions came fully into the open as he sought not merely to repel the Fantastic Four but to extend his influence beyond New Salem. His plans centered on harnessing the magical potential of his community to fuel his own power, using the Salem’s Seven as conduits and amplifiers of his sorcery. The Fantastic Four, resisting his attempts to drain their life force into his spells, managed to unravel the ritual he had constructed, leaving Scratch weakened and vulnerable. In the aftermath, his own people recognized the danger of his overreach and began to turn against him, setting the stage for his banishment from New Salem. (Fantastic Four v1 #187)
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Nicholas Scratch was a tall male human with a commanding presence, distinguished by his long flowing white hair and beard that gave him the visage of an elder statesman or mystic patriarch. His eyes were often drawn sharp and severe, projecting authority and menace. He typically wore ceremonial robes adorned with occult markings and arcane designs, garments that emphasized both his mystical rank and his separation from the mundane world. His attire reinforced his role as the leader of New Salem, presenting him as a figure of both religious reverence and authoritarian control. (Fantastic Four v1 #185)
Scratch’s personality was marked by arrogance, authoritarianism, and a zealous belief in his own superiority. As the self-declared protector of New Salem, he presented himself as the voice of its traditions and fears, but beneath this was a man motivated by ambition and lust for control. He manipulated his community with demagoguery, stoking their paranoia about the outside world to justify his own dominance. His interactions with both his children and his fellow Salemites revealed his cold pragmatism, willing to sacrifice others if it furthered his own survival or augmented his power. Scratch was calculating, charismatic, and ruthless in pursuit of maintaining absolute control. (Fantastic Four v1 #185)
Powers and abilities
Nicholas Scratch’s physiology was that of a human, but his body was sustained and augmented by his mastery of sorcery. His powers included the projection of mystical energy blasts, teleportation, dimensional manipulation, and the ability to channel spells through his children, the Salem’s Seven. His magical skills extended to large-scale enchantments capable of affecting entire communities, and he was adept at using rituals that amplified his abilities by drawing upon the collective energies of others. While not physically enhanced beyond human limits, his sorcery made him a formidable opponent, capable of matching even the combined might of the Fantastic Four for extended periods. (Fantastic Four v1 #185)
Notes
- Nicholas Scratch was created by Len Wein and George Pérez where he made his first appearance in Fantastic Four v1 #185 (August, 1977).
Alternate Versions
In other media
Television
- In The Avengers: United They Stand, Nicholas Scratch appeared in the setting of the animated television series in the episode "The Sorceress Apprentice" where he was voiced by actor Stephen Ouimette.
- In Agatha All Along, Nicholas Scratch appeared in flashbacks in the setting of the live-action television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where he was portrayed by actor Abel Lysenko. As Agatha Harkness was giving birth to her son, his other parent, Death, came, intending to take him. Harkness pleaded with Death not to take him and she accepted, telling her that she could only give him more time, causing Nicholas to be born frail and sickly. As she admired her newborn son, Harkness said that he was made from scratch and naming him Nicholas Scratch. As he grew up, Nicholas would lure witches to Harkness so that she could drain their power and kill them. Nicholas asked why she did this, but Harkness responded that they needed to do this to survive, and that she could not protect him from what was coming for him. They would spend days singing songs and killing witches, eventually, one song in particular became the Ballad of the Witches' Road
Appearances
- Fantastic Four v1: (1977)
- Defenders v1:
External Links
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