Mighty World of Marvel (2nd Series) #13

Issue Date: 
June 1984
Story Title: 
A Funeral on Otherworld
Staff: 


second story
Alan Moore (writer) Alan Davis (art), Steve Craddock (letters), Chris Gill (editor)

Brief Description: 

Captain Britain, Captain U.K. & Saturnyne are guests at the funeral of Merlyn on Otherworld, conducted by his daughter, Roma. All members of the Captain Britain Corps bear witness as the three are honored. Later on, Brain reminisces about old times with the Black Knight and Captain England tries to mend fences by introducing him to some other members of the Captain Britain Corps. Afterwards, Roma wishes to speak to him and Captain U.K. in private. She tells them that their world’s reality will mend again and people will forget the Japers’ Warp. She shows him his sister, traumatized but still alive, being freed from the concentration camp and also shows them Saturnyne getting her revenge on her rival Mandragon. Afterwards, she assures them that unlike her father she has no intention of meddling in their lives and with a final “thank you” returns them to Earth 616. After a good-bye kiss Brian and Linda walk separate ways.

Full Summary: 

Otherworld: Gathered by Roma, knights and members of the Captain Britain Corps are standing around a coffin. Roma addresses them, telling them they have been gathered from their diverse worlds. It is a time of mourning and it is a time of great victory. She points to the three people standing with her on the dais and continues that the terror that threatened all of their worlds has been destroyed and the Omniverse endures. Its saviours stand before them: Captain Britain of Earth 616, Captain U.K., late of Earth 238 and Opal Luna Saturnyne of Earth 9. Their battle was long and they have lost much that was dear to them, as have they all.

She touches the glass coffin next to her as King Arthur, Vortigen and several other selected warriors join her on the dais. Roma continues that, at the height of the conflict, at the threshold of his greatest scheme’s fruition, her father’s lifeforce left the clay that it had girded itself with. Merlyn is dead. Let the funeral commence.

Roma walks ahead, elves strewing petals behind her. They are followed by Merlyn’s glass coffin, which is carried by King Arthur, the Black Knight, Vortigen, Captain Britain and U.K as well as several other warriors. The Captains and other honoraries they pass bow their heads in respect.

The coffin is brought before a huge gate, the Portal Perilous. The gates of infinity are flung wide as Roma says her last farewell. Go, sovereign of the innumerable spheres. Go, firstborn of the devil. Go, my father, to whatever rest awaits you.

Later at the wake the guests mingle. Captain Britain is comparing notes with his old comrade-in-arms Dane Whitman aka the Black Knight, while another Captain studies Brian carefully. The two old friends are joined by Captain England whom Brian greets rather coldly. In his heavy Northern dialect, Captain England suggests they let bygones be bygones. He and the two women did fine. He puts his arm on Brian’s shoulder and offers to introduces him to the “lads,” the other members of the Captain Britain Corps.

Captain Albion he already knows… England points to a rather thin man with a helmet, introducing him as Captain Airstrip One from 744. CapBrit! Doubleplusgood us meet, Airstrip says in response to a flabbergasted Captain Britain. Then there’s Captain Commonwealth from 920, Captain Angleterre from 305, Captain Empire from 741 (a man who looks like a caricature of an explorer), Kommandant Englander (a rather teutonic looking woman)… They are interrupted by Roma who wants to talk with Captain Britain alone.

She leads him outside to a balcony where Captain U.K. is already waiting, watching an alien landscape. Linda observes that this doesn’t resemble the Otherworld that she was when they granted her her powers. There were minarets then and Myrr, Roma’s late father, looked different, too, He had red hair. Myrr? She means Merlyn, Brian protests. And he had white hair and a beard… Roma explains calmly that her father, like his father before him, had many names and faces. Let his secrets die with him. It is them and the debt she owes them that she has come here to discuss. What service do they crave?

But he didn’t do anything, Brian replies dumbfounded. Roma explains that he was the bait that lured the cybiote to Jaspers. She understands that now. Is there no gift he desires? No knowledge that he seeks? Brian replies that he wants to know what happened to his sister and his world.

Roma gestures and shows him. His world is bruised but it will heal. Reality does not tolerate paradox for long. It will repair the rents in its own fabric. She shows him a concentration camp, its fence already being dragged down… but so many human souls have been dragged down with them… Brian’s sister lost her lover to whom her mind was linked. The scars are not light ones. There is a woman she met in the camps, one Victoria Bentley. She is eminently suited to care for her while her spirit mends.

Seeing his traumatized sister, Brian exclaims her name. Roma promises that she will be well. Brian just turns away, shaken. Linda inquires what has become of Saturnyne. She wanted to thank her … for her help. Roma smiles as she shows what has become of “dear implacable Saturnyne.” She sent her home. That was Roma’s gift to her. She gave her revenge.

On another world, a dumbstruck Mandragon stands in his bedchamber. What did Saturnyne just say? With a cool smile, she repeats her world. He will resign as emperor after granting her a full pardon and reinstating her as majestrix. Or her supporters will activate the cone other Jaspers-monster that they are building from the cell-scrapings she took from his corpse. Activate it here. On Madragon’s world. Perhaps he could order this universe destroyed as well? Horrified he just states that she would do it, wouldn’t she? She’s actually insane enough to do it.

Bored, she informs him that all omniversal tyrants are mad. He of all people should know that. Oh dear, is that a speck of dust she sees on her toe cap? Would he…?

Mandragon begins to crouch and lick her boot.

Roma laughs. She thinks she shall have to watch out for Majestrix Saturnyne. She adds that the cell scrapings were quite dead. She killed them without Saturnyne knowing. But enough. Her hand guides the Omniverse now and she has much to do. They are released from servitude. Unlike her father, she has no desire to shape the destiny of men. She bids them farewell as her spell engulfs them.

Darkmoor: 8th September 1983. Captain Britain and U.K. reappear in a circle of stones. They’re home, just like that, Brian stammers. It is home for him, but… For her too, Linda replies. She hasn’t anywhere else to go. She has some thinking to do and she needs a place to do it. She tells him goodbye. It’s been… fun. They share a kiss and then walk off in different directions.

Characters Involved: 

Captain Britain / Brian Braddock

Saturnyne

Captain UK

Roma

Captain Airstrip One, Captain Albion, Captain Angleterre, Captain Commonwealth, Captain Empire, Captain England, Kaptain Briton (unnamed), Kommandant Englander and others (all members of the Captain Britain corps)

Black Knight

King Arthur

Vortigen



Betsy Braddock

Alison Double

Victoria Bentley

Meggan, Sue and other former prisoners in Jaspers’ concentration camp

Saturnyne

Mandragon

Story Notes: 

This story was published by Marvel UK.

It includes the following stories:

Showcase Update "Right Foot Backwards 2

Night Raven "The Bells of Hell"

Showcase "Dragon"

X-Men and Micronauts #1

first story:

Captain Britain shared adventures with the Black Knight (as well as King Arthur and Vortigen in) Hulk Comic UK # 1-63.

The unnamed Captain who studies Brian carefully is Kaptain Briton, who will give Brian trouble later in Captain Britain (2nd series) #5.

Captain England and Captain Albion fought Captain Britain over Saturnyne’s fate in The Daredevils #6-7.

The strange language Captain Airstrip One is speaking is Newspeak from George Orwell’s famous dystopian novel, 1984. Moore also wrote a oneshot strip in Mad Dog#10 starring Captain Airstrip One as a parody on 1984.

Victoria Bentley was (as she is by now deceased) a young woman with great mystic power of unknown origin. She was an ally of both Dr. Strange and the Black Knight before being killed by Bloodwraith.

When Saturnyne next appears (Excalibur Special Edition #1: The Sword is Drawn) she is working as Roma’s subordinate. While no explanation for that change is given, it seems to be already hinted at here, with Roma stating she had better keep an eye on Saturnyne, following the adage, “Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.”

Issue Information: 
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