Mystic Arcana

Last updated
"Mystic Arcana"
Sister Grimm - Mystic Arcana.jpg
Cover of Mystic Arcana: Sister Grimm 1 (Jan 2008), art by Marko Djurdjevic
Publisher Marvel Comics
Publication dateAugust  2007  January  2008
Genre
Title(s)
Mystic Arcana: Black Knight #1
Mystic Arcana: Magik #1
Mystic Arcana: Scarlet Witch #1
Mystic Arcana: Sister Grimm #1
Main character(s) Magik
Black Knight
Scarlet Witch
Nico Minoru
Creative team
Writer(s) Louise Simonson
Roy Thomas
Jeff Parker
C. B. Cebulski
Penciller(s) Steve Scott
Tom Grummett
Scott Hanna
Juan Santacruz
Phil Noto
Hardcover ISBN   0-7851-2719-4

Mystic Arcana is a 2007 Marvel Comics storyline published as a series of four one-shot titles. Each book in the series contains an individual main story followed by a back-up story with a plot that continues through all four books. The main story in each book focuses on a different fictional character, each of whom has had associations with magic in previous Marvel publications. The four characters featured are Magik, the Black Knight, the Scarlet Witch, and Sister Grimm. Artist Marko Djurdjevic illustrated the cover for each issue.

Contents

History

Prior to the release of the series, Marvel.com reporter Jim Beard reported that Mystic Arcana would be in the same vein as "the wild and woolly genre revitalization, Annihilation." [1] As part of his report Beard interviewed Mystic Arcana's editor Mark Paniccia who explained:

What makes [Mystic Arcana] unique is the fact that we're not only focusing on Marvel's magical characters, but also the realm in which they operate, much like Annihilation did with the cosmic characters. We're exploring and revealing things about magical objects and heroes that expand and enhance Marvel's already extant magic community. [1]

When the Mystic Arcana series was introduced at the 2007 New York Comic Convention in New York City at the Marvel Comics "Cup 'O Joe" panel, Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada announced that the series would be published under the creative control of Tarot deck artist David Sexton. [2] [3]

In an interview at Comic Book Resources, creative director David Sexton gave an in-depth view of his goals for the Mystic Arcana series:

Not so long ago, there was a magic based mini-series (which I won't name) that climaxed in a battle between a good wizard and an evil wizard. After the evil wizard head-butted the good wizard, it cast a spell on some innocent bystanders by pointing its evil wizard finger at them and uttering that most famous of magical phrases, 'Bang!' Reading that sequence kind of crystallized some of the things I had been thinking about regarding magic in comics. Magic is not a gun. It should look and feel different from technology or from a mutant power. Magic should be depicted in an imaginative manner. Magic only exists in our shared imaginations, so a writer needs to provide that kind of convincing detail in order for the reader to 'believe' in what they're reading...The rules have gotten rather mushy, but 'The Magic Gun Syndrome' can be stopped. If a character or a creature manipulates magic in a new and different way, fantastic, but the reader needs to understand how. The magic has to make sense. Not rational sense, but it should have what Jung referred to as 'Mythopoeic' meaning." [4]

Format

Each issue of Mystic Arcana contains a 22-page main story, and a 10-page back-up story. The main stories in each revolve around the introduction of one of four different groups of "mystical implements" (which Beard describes as "pillars of the [Marvel] Universe" and David Sexton calls "The Cornerstones of Creation"). [1] [4] The back-up stories focus on the quest of Ian McNee, one time Dr. Strange adversary, to collect one implement from each of The Cornerstones of Creation.

Individual issues of the Mystic Arcana series corresponds to one of the four classical Greek elements and features a different Marvel character. [2] Additionally, David Sexton explains,"the series is called Mystic Arcana because the Minor Arcana of the Tarot will serve as the unifying element to the stories." Sexton cites the character Magik as the representative of the Tarot minor arcana suit of swords, Black Knight for the suit of pentacles, Scarlet Witch for the suit of cups, and Nico Minoru for the suit of wands. [2] Information on the focus of each issue and their different creative teams is as follows:

A fifth book, The Marvel Tarot, which is related to, but separate from the four issue series, focuses on Ian McNee with various Marvel archetypal characters appearing on Tarot Cards. The Marvel Tarot was written and illustrated by David Sexton with Doug Sexton and Jeff Christiansen. [1] [2]

Plot

Mystic Arcana: Magik

Former New Mutants writer Louise Simonson's one-shot "Time Trial" features Illyana Rasputin and Egyptian sorceress Ashake, with minor appearances by Danielle Moonstar, alias Mirage, of the New Mutants and Egyptian necromancer Heka-Nut. The story takes place during the events of New Mutants #32, during which Magik misguides one of her teleportation discs through the space-time continuum and strands the pair in ancient Egypt. Mirage and Magik are immediately beset by guards but rescued by Ashake, who reveals herself to be the grandmother of Ororo Munroe, alias Storm, though many generations removed. While Mirage sleeps under the cover of an invisibility spell, necromancer Heka-Nut captures Ashake and Magik and forces them to retrieve a mystical artifact called the "Sword of Bone," with which he intends to pursue his own selfish ends. After retrieving the Sword of Bone, Magik disrupts Heka-Nut with her Soulsword, and severs him from his mystical energy; Ashake bottles Heka-Nut's energy in a canopic jar given to her by Egyptian goddess Ma'at. Ashake returns the Sword of Bone to its hiding place under the watch of Ma'at's sphinx servant Ammut and swears to hide Heka-Nut's bottled energy, while Magik and Mirage return home. "In 'The Mystic Arcana Book I: Air,' readers are introduced to a very special deck of Tarot cards [called The First Tarot]. The cards are magically connected with the world around them and they magically transform to represent the "real person" (i.e. Marvel character) that most embodies that particular card." [4]

Mystic Arcana: Black Knight

Roy Thomas' one-shot, simply titled "The Black Knight," takes place in Avalon during the 6th century A.D. The wizard Merlin finds Sir Percy of Scandia, the Black Knight of Marvel's Arthurian era, at the end of a battle and informs Percy that King Arthur is holding off an attack by his nephew Mordred alone at Percy's castle in Scandia. Percy rushes to Arthur's rescue, but arrives in time to see Arthur fatally wounded by Mordred. As Percy avenges his fallen king, he recalls an encounter with Welsh god Gwyn ap Nudd, a hunter spirit and harbinger of spring, during which Gwyn predicted that Percy would become a warrior and "the hand of fate." The story then progresses to detail how Percy came to be the Black Knight under Merlin's supervision. When the narrative returns to the present, Percy has bested all the insurgent warriors save for Mordred, who hides behind a tapestry and prepares to assassinate Percy from behind. Percy senses Mordred and purposely turns his back to lure the traitor from his hiding place, but Merlin conjures two visions for Percy to consider in the moments before Mordred makes his attack. The first vision shows Percy murdered but the mantle of the Black Knight remains untainted, while the second vision shows Percy defeating Mordred, but the mantle of the Black Knight is corrupted. Percy chooses to let Mordred kill him, thus ensuring that his legacy remains clean, and is rewarded by becoming the new visage of Gwyn ap Nudd.

Mystic Arcana: Scarlet Witch

Jeff Parker and Juan Santacruz tell a story of Wanda Maximoff when she was a Gypsy child. She meets Gregor and Maria Russoff, Lilia Calderu (queen of the Gypsies, wearing the Serpent Crown) and Margali Szardos who get attacked by Taboo (owner of the Darkhold) and Damballah.

Mystic Arcana: Sister Grimm

Nico Minoru discovers her family's heirloom, the Black Mirror, which was stolen from Marie LeVeau. The mirror is the last piece of the mystic "Cornerstones of Creation." Unbeknownst to Nico, the mirror itself is not the cornerstone, but the dark reflection it casts is. Only Nico's blood can activate the mirror and release the true cornerstone, the last page from the Darkhold.

Ian McNee subplot

In Mystic Arcana: Magik, McNee's journey begins in the mystical Serpent's Sea as he is drowning and freezing to death; he claims to be ignorant of who sent him there or why they want him dead. He invokes the deity Oshtur and she offers to save him if he helps to restore the magician Heka-Nut, the villain of Ashake and Magick's quest, with mystical power to save the magical realms. Ian agrees and Oshtur charges him to find the Cornerstones of Creation, the "aces" of the First Tarot. He begins by locating the sphinx Ammut, disguised as an ordinary woman, and invokes a contest for possession of the Sword of Bone: Ammut will pose a riddle to McNee, and if McNee guesses correctly, Ammut surrenders the Sword, but if McNee guesses incorrectly, Ammut will eat McNee's mind. McNee guesses correctly and gains the Sword of Bone, the Cornerstone of Air, disguised as a sword-shaped pendant on a necklace. Ammut then informs McNee his next task is to retrieve the Ebony Rose, the Cornerstone of Earth, from Morgan Le Fay.

Mystic Arcana: Black Knight finds McNee fighting his way into Avalon to meet Morgan Le Fay. He finally arrives and respectfully pleads with Le Fay to hand over the Rose for the sake of the magical universe. Le Fay discovers that McNee used a charm to make his voice sound more like her (Le Fay's) former mentor and lover Merlin in order to sway her more easily. She concludes that not only does McNee sound like Merlin, but he also acts "mischievous" like Merlin, and out of respect for the old wizard's memory, Le Fay tells Ian where he can find the Ebony Rose. Ian retrieves it, and Le Fay tells him that he will next travel beneath the ocean to a place she "once believed was Avalon," guarded by an old serpent, where McNee will presumably seek the Cornerstone of Water. Unlike in the McNee subplot in Mystic Arcana: Magik, the second chapter of McNee's quest does not directly correlate to the objects or events in the main story.

In Mystic Arcana: Scarlet Witch McNee fights Nagala and Llyra to recover the Serpent Crown.

In Mystic Arcana: Sister Grimm McNee is quietly working in his shop when Marie LeVeau steps in. LeVeau gives a gift that he reluctantly accepts. It is the last page of the infamous Darkhold she received from the Dark Mirror. LeVeau states that she has turned a new leaf and wants to help Ian. With that, she disappears in a cloud of smoke. Almost immediately after, the Bright Lady appears and instructs Ian to perform the ritual. Ian questions Oshtur's choice of him to perform the task, stating that perhaps Dr. Strange would be better suited to the spell. Oshtur urges him to complete the spell and Ian finally agrees. Once the Cornerstones are gathered, Ian begins by connecting to the guardians of the other three cornerstones, Llyra, Morgan Le Fay, and Ashake. After Ian successfully breaks the spell containing the essence of Heka-Nut, Oshtur finally reveals that she is in fact not Oshtur, but the Darklord Chthon. Chthon reveals his plans of world domination using the four cornerstones, at which point Ian and the others counter Chthon's deception and begin to attack him. Ashake pleads with Heka-Nut to remember his humanity and the goodness that is within him. They rekindle their friendship and Ashake releases his soul from Ian's body by slicing through his spirit with the Sword of Bone. With the spell broken, the sorcerers are released from the chaotic swirl of mystic energy. Somehow, Ashake is pulled from her timeline into the present. Chthon tells Ian that because he used the Darkhold's magic to restore the balance between the cornerstones, he tainted his soul and part of it now belongs to Chthon. Ian loses a part of his soul and Ashake is now "lost" in the present. At this point, the real Oshtur reveals herself and tells the heroes that all is not lost and the balance in magic must truly be restored. She instructs them to rest, as they will be the sorcerers charged with restoring that balance.

Collected editions

The series has been collected into a single 264 page volume which collects Mystic Arcana: Magik, Mystic Arcana: Black Knight, Mystic Arcana: Scarlet Witch, Mystic Arcana: Sister Grimm, Official Tarot of the Marvel Universe and The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Mystic Arcana.

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Marvel.com article on Mystic Arcana".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Brady, Matt (February 24, 2007). "NYCC '07/D2: Marvel Magic Gets Spotlight In Mystic Arcana". Newsarama. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007.
  3. O'Shea, Tim (May 24, 2007). "David Sexton: Reigniting Marvel's Mystic Fires". Comics Bulletin. Archived from the original on 2010-12-25. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 Richards, Dave (April 9, 2007). "Magical Mystery Tour: Sexton Talks "Mystic Arcana"". Comic Book Resources.
  5. Furey, Emmett (May 8, 2007). "Louise Simonson - Where has the "Magik" gone?". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved January 27, 2010.
  6. O'Shea, Tim (June 6, 2007). "Louise Simonson: Tapping Into Marvel's Magik". Comics Bulletin . Retrieved January 27, 2010.[ permanent dead link ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady of the Lake</span> Enchantress and sorceress in Arthurian legend

The Lady of the Lake is a name or a title used by several either fairy or fairy-like but human enchantresses in the Matter of Britain, the body of medieval literature and mythology associated with the legend of King Arthur. She plays several important roles in many stories, including providing Arthur with the sword Excalibur, eliminating Merlin, raising Lancelot after the death of his father, and helping to take the dying Arthur to Avalon. Different sorceresses known as the Lady of the Lake appear concurrently as separate characters in some versions of the legend since at least the Post-Vulgate Cycle and consequently the seminal Le Morte d'Arthur, with the latter describing them as a hierarchical group, while some texts also give this title to either Morgan or her sister.

<i>Excalibur</i> (film) 1981 epic medieval fantasy film by John Boorman

Excalibur is a 1981 epic medieval fantasy film directed, co-written and produced by John Boorman, that retells the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table, based loosely on the 15th-century Arthurian romance Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory. It stars Nigel Terry as Arthur, Nicol Williamson as Merlin, Nicholas Clay as Lancelot, Cherie Lunghi as Guenevere, Helen Mirren as Morgana, Liam Neeson as Gawain, Gabriel Byrne as Uther and Patrick Stewart as Leondegrance. The film is named after the legendary sword of King Arthur that features prominently in Arthurian literature. The film's soundtrack features the music of Richard Wagner and Carl Orff, along with an original score by Trevor Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Knight (Marvel Comics)</span> Comic book character

The Black Knight is the alias of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magik (Illyana Rasputina)</span> Comic book superheroine

Magik is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted most often in relation to the X-Men, and first appeared in the comic book Giant-Size X-Men #1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgaine le Fey (DC Comics)</span> Comic book character

Morgaine le Fey is a supervillainess appearing in DC Comics, based on Morgan le Fay, the mythical sorceress and half-sister of King Arthur. She debuted in The Demon #1, and was created by Jack Kirby.

<i>Merlin</i> (miniseries) 1998 British-American television miniseries

Merlin is a 1998 two-part television miniseries starring Sam Neill as Merlin, recounting the wizard's life in the mythic history of Britain. Loosely adapted from the legendary tales of Camelot, the plot adds the antagonistic Queen Mab and expands Merlin's backstory before the birth of King Arthur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accolon</span> Fictional character

Accolon is a character in Arthurian legends where he is a lover of Morgan le Fay who is killed by King Arthur in a duel during the plot involving the sword Excalibur. He appears in Arthurian prose romances since the Post-Vulgate Cycle, including as Accalon in the French original Huth Merlin and Acalón in the Spanish adaptation El Baladro del Sabe Merlin.

The Third Magic (ISBN 0-88899-126-6) is a fantasy novel written by Welwyn Wilton Katz and published by Groundwood Books in 1988. It was for this work that Katz received the Governor General's Literary Award. It is a standalone book 215 pages in length and interweaves the legend of King Arthur within its story.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan le Fay (Marvel Comics)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Morgan le Fay is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by Stan Lee and Joe Maneely, is based on the Morgan le Fay of Arthurian legend. In this version of the character, Morgan le Fay belongs to the species of humanoid magical beings called fairies, who are born with supernatural powers, and is the half-faerie half-sister of the mythic King Arthur. Her elven heritage granted her immortality, and she used this time to master the mystic arts. She occasionally tries to take over the world. She has been an opponent of The Avengers, and in the 1970s, she appeared in the original Spider-Woman comic acting as a foe of Jessica Drew, while opposed by a reincarnation of her "ancient foe" Magnus. She is a former lover of Doctor Doom, and was a member of the Darkholders for a time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Modred the Mystic</span> Comics character

Modred the Mystic is a fictional magician appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has alternated between being an anti-hero and an outright supervillain.

<i>Adventures of Sir Galahad</i> 1949 film by Spencer Gordon Bennet

Adventures of Sir Galahad is the 41st serial released in 1949 by Columbia Pictures. Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet, it stars George Reeves, Nelson Leigh, William Fawcett, Hugh Prosser, and Lois Hall. It was based on Arthurian legend, one of the very few serials of the time with a period setting that was not a western.

Mordred the Evil or Modred the Evil is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is based loosely on the Mordred of Arthurian legend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Knight (Sir Percy)</span> Marvel Comics character

Sir Percy of Scandia, also known as the original Black Knight, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was a medieval knight created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Joe Maneely.

<i>The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic</i>

The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic is an upcoming hardcover work by Alan Moore and Steve Moore. Both men have written comics and together co-founded the private magical order known as The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels. The book is listed as "a future release" from Top Shelf Productions. Knockabout Comics has confirmed a publication date of 2023.

Stories involving the mythical wizard Merlin have been popular since the Renaissance, especially with the renewed interest in the legend of King Arthur in modern times. As noted by Arthurian scholar Alan Lupack, "numerous novels, poems and plays center around Merlin. In American literature and popular culture, Merlin is perhaps the most frequently portrayed Arthurian character."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan le Fay in modern culture</span> Morgana le Fay is a character portrayed as a sorceress in Arthurian legend.

The Matter of Britain character Morgan le Fay has been featured many times in various works of modern culture, often but not always appearing in villainous roles. Some modern stories merge Morgana's character with her sister Morgause or with aspects of Nimue. Her manifestations and the roles given to her by modern authors vary greatly, but typically she is being portrayed as a villainess associated with Mordred.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Arthur in comics</span> The fictional British monarch in printed narrative art

King Arthur(Arthur Pendragon) is a legendary figure used commonly in comic books.

Merlin is a legendary character who has appeared multiple times throughout comic books especially in DC Comics and Marvel Comics.

References