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Captain Britain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Captain Britain (Brian Braddock), briefly known as Britannic, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Herb Trimpe, he first appeared in Captain Britain Weekly, #1 (October 13, 1976). The character has been used in stories through the years by many people, most notably Alan Moore.
The character was meant to be the British equivalent of Captain America. Endowed with extraordinary powers by the legendary magician Merlyn and his daughter Roma, Captain Britain was assigned to uphold the laws of Britain.
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The character was created by a young Chris Claremont with Herb Trimpe. After the cancellation of his own series, he appeared with the Black Knight.
The series is especially notable for a classic run by British writer Alan Moore and writer/illustrator Alan Davis in the 1980s. In these stories, Captain Britain visited multiple alternate reality versions of the United Kingdom, each guarded by its own member of the Captain Britain Corps. The series was then continued by Jamie Delano with Davis.
In 1988, after the cancellation of Captain Britain's solo series, Claremont and Davis launched the American monthly Excalibur, featuring an eponymous team which included Captain Britain, with Braddock as a core member.
In 2005, New Excalibur was introduced with Captain Britain as team leader.
Born and raised in the small town of Maldon, Essex, Brian is a shy and studious youth, living a relatively quiet life with his parents and siblings (older brother Jamie and fraternal twin Elisabeth). After the death of his parents (James and Elizabeth) in what seemed to be a car accident, Brian takes a fellowship at Darkmoore nuclear research center. When the facility is attacked by the Reaver, Brian tries to find help by escaping on his motorcycle. Although he crashes his bike in a fatal accident, Merlyn and his daughter the Omniversal Guardian Roma, resurrect Brian. They give him the chance to be the superhero Captain Britain. He is offered a choice: the Amulet of Right or the Sword of Might. Considering himself to be no warrior and unsuited for the challenge, he rejects the Sword and chooses the Amulet. This choice transforms Brian Braddock into Captain Britain.[1]
It is later revealed that Braddock is only one member of a much larger, inter-dimensional corps of mystical protectors. Every Earth in Marvel Comics' Multiverse has its own Captain Britain who is expected to defend that version of the British Isles and uphold its local laws. They are collectively called the Captain Britain Corps. Captain Britain protects "Earth-616" of the Marvel Universe.
As his career as a superhero begins, Brian fights as the champion of Great Britain, often clashing with S.T.R.I.K.E. and Welsh anti-superhero police officer Dai Thomas. During one episode, he learns that his parents did not die in a car accident, but rather were killed by the sentient computer Mastermind. Soon afterwards, Brian travels to America to study. By a strange twist of fate, he rooms with Peter Parker (the hero Spider-Man) at Empire State University. As a result, the two begin meeting for nightly patrols and training, neither aware of the other's secret identity. Around this time, Brian begins to drink heavily, and it affects his performance both as a student and as a hero. He ends up brutally injuring a citizen during a battle with Arcade and being evicted by Peter Parker.[2] He uses his money to pay the medical bills for the woman he injured. He is able to take control of his drinking enough to graduate with a doctorate in physics.
Upon returning to Britain, he clashes with the Crazy Gang, Slaymaster, and Vixen.[3] He is then captured by Gatecrasher's Technet on behalf of Sat-Yr-9, and then fought his interdimensional counterpart Kaptain Briton.[4] Brian is captured by Modred the Mystic, and teams with Captain America to defeat Modred.[5]
As time goes on, Brian begins fighting more supernatural enemies rather than regular supervillains, eventually being driven to madness and isolation by the demonic Necromon. Existing as a hermit for two years on the Cornish coast, he is eventually called to Merlyn's service again. Alongside the Black Knight and the elf Jackdaw, Captain Britain fights to defend Otherworld from Necromon, finally defeating him with the help of King Arthur himself.
With Necromon defeated, Captain Britain is sent with Jackdaw to the bizarre Earth-238, a madcap dictatorship run by the Status Crew, where he works with the extra-dimensional Saturnyne to jump-start the reality's development. Just before being sent to Earth-238, Merlyn merges the powers of the Amulet of Right and the Star Sceptre into a uniform to be worn by Braddock. Braddock witnesses this Earth's destruction at the hands of Mad Jim Jaspers, loses Jackdaw and is murdered by the monstrous Fury before being resurrected back on Earth-616. This turns out to have been a deliberate plan by Merlin to prepare him for the battle against the Jim Jaspers of Earth-616, a far more powerful being.
Due to the pressures put on him after the Warp, Braddock travels abroad for a while and gives up the Captain Britain identity.[6] Government task force R.C.X. recruits his sister Betsy to take up the mantle. She manages in the role for a while, but unfortunately she proves no match for Slaymaster, who tears out her eyes. Aware of his twin's pain through their telepathic bond, Brian rushes back to fight Slaymaster, whom he eventually kills. After this episode, Brian resumes the mantle of Captain Britain.[7] (In real-world terms, these events took place over twelve pages across two issues. However, their effect on Betsy, and her future with the X-Men, was profound.)
Promotional art by Alan Davis.
When the X-Men appeared to perish in Dallas (see The Fall of the Mutants), a group of heroes including Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Phoenix III, and Meggan join Brian to form Excalibur - Great Britain's premier super-team - in an effort to continue the work of the X-Men. Excalibur fought Gatecrasher's Technet in their first meeting together.[8]
Brian was soon reunited with Courtney Ross.[9] He then first battled the Juggernaut.[10] He clashed with old foes Arcade, and the Crazy Gang, and was caused to temporarily switch bodies with the Crazy Gang's Tweedledope.[11] Brian also encountered and fought his other-dimensional Nazi counterpart Hauptmann Englande.[12] With Excalibur, he battled Arcade's "Loonies".[13] With Excalibur, he battled Thor, believing Thor to be Juggernaut due to Loki's magic. Brian then journeyed with Thor into a dimension ruled by Juggernaut.[14]
During this period, Marvel UK launched a miniseries starring Captain Britain. It presented a much darker and mature version of Braddock as a part of the Arthurian myth than was found in Excalibur. Some fans felt the work of writers Dan Abnett and John Tomlinson did far more with the Arthurian mythos than Excalibur. In the first volume, Braddock teamed with police inspector Dai Thomas, a regular from his old solo series, and journalist Kate McClellan. The three were investigating a series of grisly murders that were finally revealed to be the work of mythical creature the Green Knight, a key character in Arthurian mythology. The series also implied a strong mystical connection between Braddock and the knight Lancelot. The series was not a huge seller, though it does retain a cult following.
Brian quits costumed adventuring for a time and concentrates on research, building the Midnight Runner for Excalibur. Eventually, he and Meggan become engaged. However, Brian, Meggan, and the rest of Excalibur are soon captured by the R.C.X. and Brian is severely beaten while resisting. Dying, broken and bloody, he is healed by Roma, who fixes the arcane circuitry in his costume to match his body's frequencies. She also removes the "blunder factor" she had secretly cast over him (a curse she had cast ensuring that he would need the help of the entire team until he saw the innate value in it). The evil members of R.C.X. are cleared out in a joint effort by Excalibur and the members of an internal mutiny. Immediately afterward, Phoenix III reappears and Excalibur journeys into the future to save the world from the Sentinels. On the way back, Brian is lost in the time-stream. Eventually, his body parts start reappearing in the same space as Rachel's - first his arms, then his chest - for brief flickers. Eventually, a rift is opened in which Brian and Rachel switch places. Rachel is flung to the far future to become the Mother Askani and Brian returns home. He is flooded, however, with memories of the far future and remains disconnected from the real world. He calls himself "Britannic" for some time, but eventually re-acclimates himself to his old life. It changes slightly, as Excalibur moves to Muir Island and new members join the team. Brian has a prophetic vision concerning the London Branch of the Hellfire Club's plan to take over the United Kingdom. Brian infiltrates the Club by claiming his father's position as Black Rook and, again with Excalibur's help, thwarts its efforts at domination.
King of Otherworld.
Promotional art for Excalibur: Sword of Power. Art by Pablo Raimondi.
In a battle with the Dragons of the Crimson Dawn, Brian expends all of his power to stop a dimensional portal from opening. Having lost his powers, he leaves the team for some time, but returns to fulfill his dream of marrying Meggan. After the ceremony on Otherworld, the team disbands and its members return to the United States.
Brian soon finds work at the Darkmoor research facility. During one of his tests on the new blade and armor of his friend the Black Knight, Widget appears with warriors who begin to attack on Roma's behalf. The heroes (including Psylocke, who is also visiting England) drive the attackers off, then follow them to Otherworld where they discover that the Captain Britain Corps has been decimated. Together with the survivors - Crusader X and Captain UK - Brian and his comrades attempt to stop Roma from acquiring the Sword of Might. This, together with the Amulet of Right, would have the ability to remake the cosmos. Brian searches for the Sword but finds a computer-filled shrine in a cavern built by his father. A hologram of James Braddock, Sr. explains to Brian that he is the savior and rightful heir of Otherworld with the innate right to wield Excalibur. The hologram re-activates Brian's powers and as he draws the sword, a fiery cross (similar to the British flag) appears as a mask on his face. Brian then confronts Roma, who is revealed to be his father's sentient and insane computer Mastermind. With the aid of the real Roma, Braddock defeats the powerful computer. Roma then relinquishes control of Otherworld to Captain Britain. He and Meggan remain in Otherworld as effective rulers of the multiverse. Unbeknownst to Brian, the events leading up to his assumption of the Otherworld were orchestrated by Kang the Conqueror, for reasons yet to be revealed.
In the "Lionheart of Avalon" storyline in The Avengers, the sorceress Morgan Le Fay captures Brian and Meggan. Le Fay hopes that by killing Braddock and severing his mystical ties to the land, she will destroy all of Great Britain. However, Brian appears to Kelsey Leigh, a British mother who dies protecting both her children and Captain America from The Wrecking Crew. Braddock offers her the choice between the Amulet and the Sword and, feeling that she could better defend her children with a weapon, she chooses the latter. Although she is changed into a new Captain Britain, she remains cursed by the inability to ever reveal herself to her children. Because he transfers his power to Kelsey, the plan to destroy Britain fails.
Returning to Otherworld, Braddock and Meggan become rulers of the realm. However, Captain Britain is forced to come back to Earth to stop the House of M reality-shift from destroying all dimensions. During this time, his wife Meggan apparently sacrifices her life to close a rip in time that would have destroyed all existence. This results in Brian becoming active as Captain Britain again and the formation of the all new Excalibur, along with Peter Wisdom, Sage, Juggernaut, Dazzler and Nocturne. Captain Britain also believes his sister Psylocke to be dead, unaware that she has joined the Exiles.
During his time with New Excalibur, America plunged into a superhuman Civil War and Captain Britain worked with Iron Man, though his personal views on the civil war remained in question.
I'm ordered to be here, so I will keep my personal view to myself. - Captain Britain
Braddock has been identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear on the cover of the comic book Avengers: The Initiative #1.[15]
After the defeat of an alternate Braddock by New Excalibur, Braddock is reunited with his sister and the Exiles in the miniseries X-Men: Die by the Sword before he is severely injured by Rouge-Mort.
Originally, Captain Britain's powers were linked to the mystical Amulet of Right, worn around his neck. When Brian Braddock rubbed the amulet he was transformed from an ordinary mortal into a superhero version of himself, complete with a more muscular physique. The amulet could also mystically replenish his superhuman energies. He also possessed a telescoping staff to vault. This also had other functions (many of which were not utilized or even understood), the most heavily relied upon being the ability to project a force-field. Later, Merlyn changed the staff into the mace-like Star Sceptre, which he could utilize like a quarterstaff and which also gave him the ability of flight. Merlyn changed his costume just before he entered the alternate Earth-238, fusing the powers of the Amulet and the Scepter into a new uniform. Eventually, he no longer required even the battle-suit for the full use of his powers, as his heritage of being the son of a denizen of the extra-dimensional Otherworld is enough to power him.
Brian Braddock has superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, reflexes, senses, and the ability to negate or direct gravity, which permits him to fly. He also possesses enhanced perceptions that allow him to be aware of things others may miss (such as objects cloaked by spells of illusion). The energy that powers his abilities is drawn from inter-universal space and friction. When he and Meggan destroyed the Otherworld energy matrix at Roma's prompting, the energies that allowed him to retain his power within the UK without his costume were dissipated. Hence, to retain his powers anywhere on Earth, he must wear the costume at all times. His costume acts as an antenna and battery, allowing him to retain his powers wherever he goes.
Brian is the fraternal twin of Betsy Braddock, resulting in a strong psychic bond between the two. As described by writer Chris Claremont in the Uncanny X-Men House of M story line, the two are in fact immune to each other's powers because of their genetic connection.[16]
In addition, Braddock is a brilliant scientist with a Ph.D. in physics.
It is somewhat disputed as to whether Braddock is in fact a mutant or not. There are several conflicting sources. If he is a mutant, it is not clear what exactly the nature of his powers are in respect to the powers mystically bestowed upon him. During the alternate timeline of the Age of Apocalypse, he is portrayed as a member of the Human High Council (but so is Emma Frost - though one or both of them could be hiding their mutant identity). In addition, both his siblings, including his twin, are mutants. However, it is not unheard of in the Marvel Universe for one twin to be born human, while the other a mutant (even among identical twins, as seen in Generation M #4 ). Most of the evidence in canon suggests he is not a mutant.
In the Age of Apocalypse, Brian Braddock never becomes Captain Britain, and is one of the members of the Human High Council, alongside Moira Trask, Bolivar Trask, Emma Frost and Mariko Yashida. Braddock is also the most vocal advocate for the extermination of mutants, much to the weariness of Yashida and Frost, who seems much less fanatical in their beliefs. However, Braddock becomes the victim of a mind control device and is forced to act as a mole for Donald Pierce and his Reavers, all servants of Apocalypse. Under the control of Pierce, Braddock proposes the assembly of the entire Council fleet to attack Apocalypse's capital. Braddock dies at Pierce's hands when he overcomes his influence and refuses to kill Emma Frost.
In an alternate AoA timeline, from What If?: Age of Apocalypse, Captain Britain is a member of the Defenders (their version of the Avengers), and uses Iron Man's armor. In this timeline, Legion kills both Professor Xavier and Magneto, therefore the X-Men never existed, so mankind's only hope lies with the Defenders. The other Defender members are Weapon X, The Thing (using a metal prosthetic arm), X-Man, Colossus, Brother Voodoo, Molecule Man, and Sauron, led by Captain America (who wields Thor's hammer, Mjolnir). During the final offensive against Apocalypse, Captain Britain loses his life fighting the Hulk (one of Apocalypse's Horsemen in this reality), who rips Britain's body apart.
A Zombie version of Captain Britain briefly appears in the miniseries Marvel Zombies while the Silver Surfer travels the globe.
In the Ultimate Marvel Universe, Captain Britain is a member of the European Defense Initiative (the EU equivalent of the Ultimates), along with Captain Italy, Captain France, Captain Spain and several unnamed members most likely from other European countries, all of whom have the same powers: flight, super-strength and a force field. All four of them developed their powers from the super powered exo-suits developed by Professor Sir James Braddock, who oversees the EDI super soldier program. Captain Britain and the other members of European Defense Initiative helped The Ultimates track down and contain Thor and they released The Fantastic Four, Spider-man, and The X-Men during the Liberators' attack on America.
Captain Britain was briefly seen in the fourth part of the Phoenix Saga from the X-Men animated television series, in the episode, "The Starjammers". Psylocke mentions him during "Beyond Good and Evil", though she merely says "my brother", hinting also he's a mutant in this continuity.
A number of trade paperbacks have been released collecting both the early run and Alan Moore's updated version (his run being reprinted after Alan Davis' run which followed it. However, the 2005 Panini reprint renumbers it as volume 1).[17]
- Captain Britain:
- Captain Britain Annual 1977 (by Chris Claremont, with pencils by Herb Trimpe and inks by Fred Kida, reprints Captain Britain Weekly #1-7, 1977)
- Volume 1: The Birth of a Legend (by Chris Claremont, collecting Captain Britain Weekly #1-23, Panini Comics, February 2007, ISBN 1-905239-30-0)
- Volume 2: Hero Reborn (by Gary Friedrich, collecting Captain Britain Weekly #24-39 and Super Spider-Man and Captain Britain #231-238 Panini Comics, November 2007, ISBN 1905239726)
- Captain Britain:
- Volume 1 (by Jamie Delano and Alan Davis, collects The Mighty World Of Marvel, volume 2, #14-16 and Captain Britain Monthly, #1-14, 1984-1985, tpb, 1988, ISBN 1854000209)
- Volume 2 (written by Alan Moore and drawn by Alan Davis, collects Marvel Superheroes, #387-388, The Daredevils, #1-11 and The Mighty World Of Marvel, volume 2, #7-13, 1982-1984, tpb, Marvel Comics, 2002, ISBN 0785108556, Panini Comics, 2005, ISBN 1905239106)
- Captain Britain Weekly, #1-39
- Super Spider-Man and Captain Britain, #231-253
- Hulk Weekly, #1-63
- Marvel Superheroes, #377-388
- The Daredevils, #1-11
- The Mighty World Of Marvel, volume 2, #7-16
- Captain Britain Monthly, #1-14
- Knights of Pendragon, volume one, #1-18
- Recently Panini Comics have reprinted Marvel UK's Captain Britain monthly material in The Mighty World of Marvel (vol. 3). They have also produced new material in Spectacular Spider-Man (UK edition) #114.
- Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn (also known as Excalibur Special Edition)
- Excalibur, Vol. 1, #1-125
- Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem
- Excalibur: Weird War III
- Excalibur: The Possession
- Excalibur: Air Apparent
- Excalibur Annual, #1-2
- Excalibur #-1
- Excalibur Vol. 2 #1-4 - a mini series solicited as Excalibur: Sword of Power, and occasionally called by that name.
- Marvel Team-Up, #65-66
- New Excalibur, #1-24 (November 2005 - 2007)
- New Mutants, annual #2
- X-Men Archives featuring Captain Britain (1995), #1-7. All but the first were collected in the 2003 Captain Britain trade paperback.
- X-Men: Die by the Sword, #1-5 (2007)
- ^ Captain Britain Vol. 1 #1
- ^ Marvel Team-Up #65-66
- ^ Captain Britain Vol. 2 #2-3
- ^ Captain Britain Vol. 2 #4-6
- ^ Captain America #305-306
- ^ Captain Britain Vol. 2 #9
- ^ Captain Britain Vol. 2 #13
- ^ Excalibur Special Edition #1
- ^ Excalibur #1
- ^ Excalibur #2
- ^ Excalibur #4-5
- ^ Excalibur #9-11
- ^ Marvel Comics Presents #31-38
- ^ Thor #427-429
- ^ Avengers: The Initiative #1 Character Map
- ^ Uncanny X-Men, #462-#465
- ^ Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators