Morgaine le Fey (DC Comics)
Encyclopedia
Morgaine le Fey is a fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...

, a comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...

 supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...

 published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...

. She debuted in The Demon vol. 1 #1, (September 1972), and was created by Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....

. The character is based on Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay , alternatively known as Morgane, Morgaine, Morgana and other variants, is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician...

, the mythical sorceress and half-sister of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...

 first made popular in Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...

's Vita Merlini
Vita Merlini
Vita Merlini, or The Life of Merlin, is a work by the Norman-Welsh author Geoffrey of Monmouth, composed in Latin around AD 1150. It retells incidents from the life of the Brythonic seer Merlin, and is based on traditional material about him....

(Life of Merlin).

Fictional character biography

Morgaine le Fey is the ancient and diabolical sorceress
Magician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...

 of Arthurian legends. Her history is slightly different from the legends but she is a sorceress gifted in the arts of black magic. In Madame Xanadu
Madame Xanadu
Madame Xanadu is a fictional character, a comic book mystic published by DC Comics. The character is identified with Nimue, the sorceress from Arthurian mythology made popular by Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur.-Publication history:...

#1 (2008), Morgaine (or "Morgana") is revealed as a sister of Nimue Inwudu (the future Madame Xanadu) and Vivienne, the Lady of the Lake
Lady of the Lake
The Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father...

. All three women are said to be descended from the "Elder Folk," survivors of the fall of Atlantis
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....

 that evolved into the Homo Magi
Homo Magi
Homo magi is a fictional sub-race of magic-using humans in the . The Homo magi first appeared in Justice League of America #164 , and were created by Gerry Conway and Dick Dillin.-Publication history:...

, explaining Morgaine's affinity for magic. However, while Nimue is shown as kind and caring about the early, magic-free Homo Sapiens, Morgaine exhibits a mean streak, treating the new human breed as little more than playthings, using contempt even towards her kinder little sister.

After several centuries of manipulating humans and taking many lovers (including Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....

), Morgaine sets her sights on Uther Pendragon
Uther Pendragon
Uther Pendragon is a legendary king of sub-Roman Britain and the father of King Arthur.A few minor references to Uther appear in Old Welsh poems, but his biography was first written down by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae , and Geoffrey's account of the character was used in...

, High King of Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. However, her advances are rejected, as Uther only has eyes for Igraine
Igraine
Igraine , in Arthurian legend, is the mother of King Arthur. She is also known in Latin as Igerna, in Welsh as Eigyr, in French as Igerne, in Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur as Ygrayne— often modernized as Igraine—and in Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival as Arnive...

, the wife of Duke Gorlois
Gorlois
Gorlois was a Duke of Cornwall and Igraine's first husband before her marriage to Uther Pendragon, according to the Arthurian legend...

 of Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...

. Seeking to meddle in their lives, Morgaine assumes a magical glamour and disguises herself as one of Igraine's daughters. However, this causes her to be exiled from the Elder Folk. Her sister Vivienne gives her shelter on the isle of Avalon
Avalon (DC comics)
Avalon is the name of two fictional locations in the DC Comics universe. They are inspired by the mythical Avalon of Arthurian legend.-Original Avalon:...

 (Madame Xanadu #20).

In the early 6th century, Morgaine trains her foster sisters Morgause
Morgause
Morgause , known in earlier works as Gwyar or Anna, is the sister or half-sister of King Arthur in the Arthurian legend. In her earliest appearance she is Arthur's full sister by Uther Pendragon and Igraine; Gwyar is her name and she is the mother of Gwalchmei...

 and Elaine to be adept with sorcery like her. Following Gorlois' death at Uther's hands, Morgaine blames her foster brother King Arthur
King Arthur (DC Comics)
King Arthur ' is a fictional character, a comic book King published by DC Comics. Arthur debuted in New Comics #3, , and was created by Rafael Astarita. The character is based on the mythical ruler King Arthur whose earliest recorded appearances were in the Annales Cambriae, the Historia Brittonum,...

 (Uther's son) for stealing her and her sisters' birthright. She conspires against him throughout his time on the throne and seeks the destruction of Camelot
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world...

 (Trinity
Trinity (comic book)
Trinity is the title of an American weekly comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted during the first week of June, 2008. It ran for 52 issues.-Conception and production:...

#21).

In the waning days of Camelot, Merlin
Merlin (DC Comics)
Merlin, is a fictional character, a comic book magician published by DC Comics. Myrddin debuted in New Comics #3, , and was created by Rafael Astarita...

 merges his demon familiar Etrigan with a man, Jason Blood, as part of a last ditch effort to defend the kingdom against Morgaine le Fey's assault. Blood had been an ally of le Fey and is bonded to the Demon as penance. He and Morgaine become enemies henceforth. Following the fall of Camelot, Morgaine continues to practice her dark arts and retains her youth for many centuries, always seeking more power and a new kingdom to rule. By the 20th century, Merlin has arisen anew and tricks Morgaine, causing her to lose her youth and beauty which she had preserved using her magics. She wishes to replenish her youth with Merlin's secrets. She forces Jason Blood to become the Demon again and to lead her to Merlin's tomb. The Demon eventually strives to keep Morgaine le Fey from restoring her youth with the powers of Merlin.

In Batman Family
Batman Family
The Batman Family was a DC Comics comic book series which ran from 1975 to 1978, primarily featuring stories starring supporting characters in the Batman comics...

#17, the Huntress
Huntress (comics)
The Huntress is a name used by several characters in DC Comics.The Golden Age Huntress is a supervillainess, while the Bronze Age and Modern Age Huntresses are superheroines....

’ use of the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....

 transporter frees Morgaine le Fey (who captures the Philosopher’s Stone). Le Fey seeks a baby with latent demon powers in the maternity ward where Man-Bat
Man-Bat
Man-Bat is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually as a supervillain and adversary of Batman, though occasionally depicted as a heroic character. He first appeared in Detective Comics #400 and was created by Frank Robbins and Neal Adams...

’s wife is giving birth. Several women give birth to demon-babies as a result. The Demon also appears and together he and Man-Bat defeat le Fey. (This story takes place in pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...

continuity.)

Also in pre-Crisis
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...

continuity, Morgaine's daughter Morgana is one of Wonder Woman's foes, a mischievous young witch. In the post-Crisis timeline, this character is no longer referenced and Morgaine herself has gone on to become an enemy of Wonder Woman.

Morgaine later attempts to steal Wonder Woman's eternal youth, not realizing that Wonder Woman has already given it up. Her spell backfires and she disintegrates into dust. She retains enough magic for a resurrection however and returns to battle the Demon and Wonder Woman on many occasions.

Morgaine returns in the series Trinity
Trinity (comic book)
Trinity is the title of an American weekly comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted during the first week of June, 2008. It ran for 52 issues.-Conception and production:...

, teaming up with a mysterious man called Enigma
Enigma (DC Comics)
Enigma is a name used by two fictional characters, both supervillains in the . The character first appeared in Teen Titans Vol. 3 #38 and was created by Geoff Johns and Tony Daniel. A villain in Trinity has also used the name...

 and the alien warlord Despero
Despero
Despero is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Justice League of America #1 Despero is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Justice League of America #1 Despero...

 to usurp the symbolic position of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...

, Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...

, and Wonder Woman. The trio of villains succeed in creating an alternate timeline with their efforts. However, the spell is not entirely successful, as this "Despero" is in fact the alien villain Kanjar Ro
Kanjar Ro
Kanjar Ro is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Justice League of America #3 in a story entitled "The Slave Ship of Space". He was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky....

 in disguise, which disrupts Morgaine's enchantment.

While her bid for godhood is disrupted, she nonetheless acquires magical might to enslave the Earth by infusing an already powerful supervillain team with the might of the Major Arcana of the Tarot, giving them a measure of control over reality. As she is part of this Dark Arcana team, as the High Priestess, she has also this measure of control, allowing her to bring Europe and most of Minor Asia under her control, and ultimately lead the forces of good back to America for a final showdown of the powers of the Arcana.

This bid also fails, as the divinely-empowered Trinity of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman return from their exile and destroy the Dark Arcana's reality-based powers, vanquishing Morgaine's control over Europe. Morgaine, during the part of the series where she enjoys the massive power boost, is portrayed as a power-drunk menace, scorching the Earth as she walks; her powers are used so recklessly and dangerously that even her Dreambound soldiers defect and join forces with the heroes in a plan to bring her down. Ultimately, she seeks the aid of Krona
Krona (comics)
Krona is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Green Lantern #40 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane.-Fictional character biography:...

, first, to enslave, and later, to destroy the Earth, as she preferred to have it blasted to nothingness than allow it to remain outside of her control. However, even this alliance fails, as Morgaine had offered Krona the soul of Enigma's daughter, causing him to turn on her. Morgaine's is defeated, and she is imprisoned in a stone idol, which is placed in the custody of Jason Blood.

During the Brightest Day
Brightest Day
Brightest Day is a year-long comic book maxi-series that began in April 2010. The story follows the ending of the series Blackest Night and how the aftermath of these events affect the entire DC Universe.-Plot:...

crossover, Mr. Terrific mentions that Morgaine is among the dozens of magical beings driven insane by the Starheart
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:The original Green Lantern was created by young struggling artist Martin Nodell, who was inspired by the sight of a New York Subway employee waving a red lantern to...

. According to him, Morgaine was spotted in New Mexico, where she was going on a rampage.

Powers and abilities

  • Morgan le Fey is a sorceress skilled in the use of black magic. She has cast spells that are able to control even the strongest of supernatural beings. She was able to transport Wonder Woman to another dimension (The Nether Plane) and fight her for her Amazonian fighting skills. By using a device, she was able to magically view individuals from miles away.
  • She is immortal although she claims to have lost this ability. As shown in the Wonder Woman comic, she must "steal" immortality from other immortals in order to maintain her youth. After Merlin robs her of her youth and beauty, she wears a golden armor to shield her withered and ancient body. Morgaine also possesses a machine capable of binding beings and stealing their immortal life forces.

Television

  • In the Justice League animated series, Morgaine Le Fey (voiced by Olivia d'Abo
    Olivia d'Abo
    Olivia d'Abo is an English actress and singer-songwriter, best known for portraying Karen Arnold in The Wonder Years and Nicole Wallace, the recurring villain in Law & Order: Criminal Intent.-Acting career:...

    ) appears in the episode "A Knight of Shadows", in which she tries to steal the Philosopher's Stone and use it to convert London into a massive castle with her son Mordred
    Mordred
    Mordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...

     as the ruler by partially brainwashing the Martian Manhunter
    Martian Manhunter
    The Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...

     and having him steal the stone for her in exchange for restoring Mars
    Mars
    Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...

     to life. She was also seen exhibiting her abilities both as a sorceress and as a life-drainer, at both of which she is extremely proficient.

  • In Justice League Unlimited
    Justice League Unlimited
    Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...

    , she reappears in the episode "Kid Stuff
    Kid Stuff
    "Kid Stuff" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the September 1953 issue of Beyond Fantasy Fiction and reprinted in the 1957 collection Earth Is Room Enough. Asimov wrote the story in January 1953, intending it for a new magazine called Fantastic, but it...

    ", where she leads Mordred to the Amulet of First Magic, the source of all earthly magic, which had power exceeding even Morgaine's. Betrayed by Mordred, who snatched the Amulet and used it to banish her and all adults on Earth to a parallel dimension, she brokered a deal with Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern
    Green Lantern
    The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...

    , changing them into children so they could return to Earth and fight Mordred. When they tricked him into becoming an adult so he'd be banished, he arrived in the parallel dimension where Morgaine told him that he had made a grave error. When the spell was broken, Morgaine changed the heroes back to their proper ages and then proceeded to take care of her son, who was now old and weak, having broken the eternal youth spell his mother had cast on him centuries earlier.

  • Morgaine le Fey appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold
    Batman: The Brave and the Bold
    Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...

    episode "Day of the Dark Knight" voiced by Tatyana Yassukovich. She uses her magic to take over Camelot
    Camelot
    Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world...

     and Etrigan resulting in Merlin gaining help from Batman and Green Arrow
    Green Arrow
    Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...

    . When it came to the location of Excalibur
    Excalibur
    Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...

    , Morgaine took control of Batman and turned him into a Dark Knight to retrieve Excalibur for her. Merlin engages Morgaine le Fey while Green Arrow is sent to stop Batman from claiming Excalibur for Morgaine. Batman was eventually freed from the spell. With Etrigan also freed, Morgaine transformed into a dragon
    Dragon
    A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...

    . When Batman wasn't able to budge, she attacked them and turned Merlin and Etrigan to stone. Green Arrow and Batman pulled Excalibur from the stone and combined their moves to defeat Morgaine le Fey.

Video games

  • Morgaine le Fey appears in the DS
    Nintendo DS
    The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...

     version of Batman: The Brave and the Bold – The Videogame
    Batman: The Brave and the Bold – The Videogame
    Batman: The Brave and the Bold – The Videogame is a video game based on the comic book character Batman and the television cartoon series Batman: The Brave and the Bold. It was developed by WayForward Technologies and distributed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment...

    . She teams up with the Clock King
    Clock King
    Clock King is a title used by two fictional characters, supervillains published by DC Comics. The first Clock King debuted in World's Finest Comics #111 , and was created by France Herron and Lee Elias.-Publication history:...

     on Dinosaur Island
    Dinosaur Island
    Dinosaur Island is an island that has appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. The island is not the same "Dinosaur Island" that appeared in Batman #35...

     and must be defeated by Batman and the Red Tornado
    Red Tornado
    Red Tornado is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Justice League of America #64 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Dick Dillin.-Publication history:...

    .

External links

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