Mystic Arcana
Encyclopedia
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 whose plot continues through all four books. The main story in each book focuses upon a different fictional character
, each of whom in previous Marvel publications have had associations with magic. The four characters featured are Magik
, the Black Knight
, the Scarlet Witch
, and Sister Grimm. Artist Marko Djurdjevic
illustrated the cover for each issue.
." As part of his report Beard interviewed Mystic Arcana's editor Mark Paniccia who explained:
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.
In an interview at Comic Book Resources
, creative director David Sexton gave an in-depth view of his goals for the Mystic Arcana series:
adversary, to collect one implement from each of The Cornerstones of Creation.
Each individual issue of the Mystic Arcana series corresponds to one of the four classical Greek elements
and features a different Marvel character. 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. 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.
, 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, nercromancer 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 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."
. 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.
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 McNee with a riddle, 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 sounds more like 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 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 McNee 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's the last page of the infamous Darkhold she received from the Dark Mirror. LeVeau states that she's 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, he states that perhaps Dr. Strange would be better suited for 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, Moragen LeFey, 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 that 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 lost a part of his soul and Ashake is now "lost" in the present. At that 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.
which collects Mystic Arcana: Magik, Mystic Arcana: Black Knight, Mystic Arcana: Scarlet Witch, Mystic Arcana: Sister Grimm, The Official Tarot of the Marvel Universe and The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe:Mystic Arcana.
2007 in comics
-January:*January 10: Superman & Batman vs. Aliens & Predator released.*January 24: The Boys is canceled with issue #6.-February:*February 2: Newsarama reports that The Boys has been picked up by Dynamite Entertainment....
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
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 whose plot continues through all four books. The main story in each book focuses upon a different 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...
, each of whom in previous Marvel publications have had associations with magic. The four characters featured are Magik
Magik (comics)
Magik is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men. She is the younger sister of the Russian X-Man Colossus.-Publication history:...
, the Black Knight
Black Knight (Sir Percy)
Sir Percy of Scandia, also known as the original Black Knight, is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He was a medieval knight created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Joe Maneely.- Publication history :...
, the Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
, and Sister Grimm. Artist Marko Djurdjevic
Marko Djurdjevic
Marko Djurdjević is a German illustrator and concept artist of Serbian descent, best known for his character designs. He currently works for Marvel Comics, and has produced a large body of cover art, as well as promotional designs, character concepts, and interior artwork...
illustrated the cover for each issue.
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, AnnihilationAnnihilation (comics)
"Annihilation" was a 2006 crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics, highlighting several outer space-related characters in the Marvel Universe. The central miniseries was written by Keith Giffen, with editor Andy Schmidt.-Publication History:...
." As part of his report Beard interviewed Mystic Arcana's editor Mark Paniccia who explained:
When the "Mystic Arcana" series was introduced at the 2007 New York Comic Convention in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at the Marvel Comics "Cup 'O Joe" panel, Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada
Joe Quesada
Joseph "Joe" Quesada is an American comic book editor, writer and artist. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books, such as Ninjak and Solar, Man of the Atom...
announced that the series would be published under the creative control of Tarot
Tarot
The tarot |trionfi]] and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of cards , used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot...
deck artist David Sexton.
In an interview at Comic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
, creative director David Sexton gave an in-depth view of his goals for the Mystic Arcana series:
Format
Each individual 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"). The back-up stories focus on the quest of Ian McNee, one time Dr. StrangeDoctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
adversary, to collect one implement from each of The Cornerstones of Creation.
Each individual issue of the Mystic Arcana series corresponds to one of the four classical Greek elements
Classical element
Many philosophies and worldviews have a set of classical elements believed to reflect the simplest essential parts and principles of which anything consists or upon which the constitution and fundamental powers of anything are based. Most frequently, classical elements refer to ancient beliefs...
and features a different Marvel character. Additionally, David Sexton explains,"the series is called Mystic Arcana...because the Minor Arcana
Minor Arcana
|thumb|[[King of Swords]] card from a Minor Arcana deckThe Minor Arcana of occult or divinatory tarot refers to the portion of a Tarot deck that consists of 56 cards. The Minor Arcana are roughly similar to the cards found in a common deck of playing cards...
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. Information on the focus of each issue and their different creative teams is as follows:
- Mystic Arcana Book I: Air (focusing on Illyana Rasputin/MagikMagik (comics)Magik is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men. She is the younger sister of the Russian X-Man Colossus.-Publication history:...
). Author: Louise SimonsonLouise SimonsonLouise Simonson, born Mary Louise Alexander , is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as Power Pack, X-Factor, New Mutants, Superman: The Man of Steel, and Steel...
. Pencils: Steve Scott. - Mystic Arcana Book II: Earth (focusing on Sir Percy of Scandia, the Black KnightBlack Knight (Sir Percy)Sir Percy of Scandia, also known as the original Black Knight, is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He was a medieval knight created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Joe Maneely.- Publication history :...
). Author: Roy ThomasRoy ThomasRoy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
(with plotting assist by Jean-Marc LofficierJean-Marc LofficierJean-Marc Lofficier is a French author of books about films and television programs, as well as numerous comic books and translations of a number of animation screenplays. He usually collaborates with his wife, Randy Lofficier .-Biography:Jean-Marc Lofficier was born in Toulon, France in 1954...
). Pencils: Tom GrummettTom GrummettThomas "Tom" Grummett is a Canadian comic book artist and penciller. He is best known for his work as penciller on titles such as The New Titans, The Adventures of Superman, Superboy, Power Company, Robin, New Thunderbolts and Heroes.During his run on The Adventures of Superman, Grummett and...
& Scott Hanna. - Mystic Arcana Book III: Water (focusing on Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet WitchScarlet WitchThe Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
). Author: Jeff ParkerJeff Parker (cartoonist)Jeff Parker is a Portland, Oregon-based writer and comic book artist. He is a member of Periscope Studio, formerly Mercury Studio.-Biography:Parker's earliest work in comics was Solitaire, published by Malibu Comics...
. Pencils: Juan Santacruz. - Mystic Arcana Book IV: Fire (focusing on Nico Minoru/Sister GrimmNico MinoruNico Minoru , is a fictional comic book character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. Created in 2003 by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona, the character first debuted in Runaways vol. 1 #1 with most of the other main characters...
) Author: C. B. CebulskiC. B. CebulskiC.B. Cebulski is an American writer and editor for Marvel Comics, known for his work on titles such as Marvel Fairy Tales. As of 2011, he holds the position of Senior Vice President of Creative & Creator Development.-Career:...
. Pencils: Phil Noto.
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.
Mystic Arcana: Magik
Former New Mutants scribe Louise Simonson's one-shot "Time Trial" features Illyana Rasputin and Egyptian sorceress Ashake, with minor appearances by Danielle MoonstarDanielle Moonstar
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men....
, alias Mirage, of the New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
and Egyptian necromancer Heka-Nut. The story takes place during the events of New Mutants #32, during which Magik misguides one of her teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
discs through the space-time continuum and strands the pair in ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
. 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
Invisibility
Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be invisible . The term is usually used as a fantasy/science fiction term, where objects are literally made unseeable by magical or technological means; however, its effects can also be seen in the real...
spell, nercromancer 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
Canopic jar
Canopic jars were used by the Ancient Egyptians during the mummification process to store and preserve the viscera of their owner for the afterlife. They were commonly either carved from limestone or were made of pottery...
given to her by Egyptian goddess Ma'at. Ashake returns the Sword of Bone to its hiding place under the watch 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."
Mystic Arcana: Black Knight
Roy Thomas' one-shot, simply titled "The Black Knight," takes place in Avalon during the 6th century A.D.Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
. The wizard Merlin
Merlin (Marvel Comics)
Merlin is the name of multiple fictional characters in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:The first Merlin of the Marvel Universe is apparently the figure of Arthurian legend, hailing from 6th century A.D. Britain. He was born in Carmarthen, Wales. He was a powerful sorcerer who...
finds Sir Percy of Scandia
Black Knight (Sir Percy)
Sir Percy of Scandia, also known as the original Black Knight, is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He was a medieval knight created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Joe Maneely.- Publication history :...
, 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
Mordred (comics)
Mordred the Evil is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He is based loosely on the Mordred of Arthurian legend.-Fictional character biography:...
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
Gwyn ap Nudd
Gwyn ap Nudd is a Welsh mythological figure, the king of the Tylwyth Teg or "fair folk" and ruler of the Welsh Otherworld, Annwn. Described as a great warrior with a "blackened face", Gwyn is intimately associated with the otherworld in medieval Welsh literature, and is associated with the...
, a hunter spirit and harbinger
Harbinger
-Places:* Montes Harbinger, lunar mountains* Harbinger, an unincorporated community in Currituck County, North Carolina-Transportation:* Harbinger , ship also called Norfolk in 1797* Harbinger , thoroughbred racehorse...
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." Unknownst 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 drowningDrowning
Drowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
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 McNee with a riddle, 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
Pendant
A pendant is a loose-hanging piece of jewellery, generally attached by a small loop to a necklace, when the ensemble may be known as a "pendant necklace". A pendant earring is an earring with a piece hanging down. In modern French "pendant" is the gerund form of “hanging”...
on a necklace
Necklace
A necklace is an article of jewellery which is worn around the neck. Necklaces are frequently formed from a metal jewellery chain. Others are woven or manufactured from cloth using string or twine....
. Ammut then informs McNee his next task is to retrieve the Ebony Rose, the Cornerstone of Earth, from 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...
.
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 sounds more like 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 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 McNee 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
Llyra
Llyra is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics super-villainess. She was created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema and first appeared in Sub-Mariner #32 .-Fictional character biography:...
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's the last page of the infamous Darkhold she received from the Dark Mirror. LeVeau states that she's 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, he states that perhaps Dr. Strange would be better suited for 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, Moragen LeFey, 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 that 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 lost a part of his soul and Ashake is now "lost" in the present. At that point, the real Oshtur
Oshtur (Marvel Comics)
Oshtur is a fictional character published in Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as an Elder Goddess born from the demiurge sometime billions of years ago. Unlike her siblings, Oshtur had a fascination with the realms beyond Earth. She took to the heavens before the fall of the Elder Gods...
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 volumeTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
which collects Mystic Arcana: Magik, Mystic Arcana: Black Knight, Mystic Arcana: Scarlet Witch, Mystic Arcana: Sister Grimm, The Official Tarot of the Marvel Universe and The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe:Mystic Arcana.
- Hardcover (December 2007, ISBN 0-7851-2719-4)
- Softcover (June 2008, ISBN 0-7851-2720-8)
External links
- Mystic Arcana #1: Magik Review, Comics BulletinComics BulletinComics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...
- Mystic Arcana: Magik review, Ain't it Cool NewsAin't It Cool NewsAin't It Cool News is a website founded and run by Harry Knowles, dedicated to news, rumors and reviews of upcoming and currently playing films and television projects, with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, horror, comic-book and action genres...
- Mystic Arcana: Magik, The X-Axis
- Louise Simonson - Where Has the "Magik" Gone?, Comic Book ResourcesComic Book ResourcesComic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...