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Captain Britain

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Captain Britain (Brian Braddock), also briefly known as Britannic, is a Marvel Comics superhero.

Contents

Publication history

Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Herb Trimpe for Marvel’s United Kingdom line, Marvel UK, Captain Britain first appeared in Captain Britain Weekly #1 (October 13, 1976). The character was supposed to be the British equivalent of Captain America. Endowed first with the Amulet of Right and then with a costume that provided flight and super strength by the legendary magician Merlyn and his daughter Roma, Captain Britain was assigned to uphold the laws of Great Britain.

The character is especially notable for a classic 1980s run by British writer Alan Moore and writer/illustrator Alan Davis when both were at the start of their careers in which Captain Britain visited multiple alternate reality versions of England, each guarded by its own member of the Captain Britain Corps. (See Character biography below.)

In 1988, after the cancellation of Captain Britain's solo adventures, Claremont and Davis launched the American series Excalibur, featuring an eponymous team lead by Captain Britain and including his lover Meggan and several one-time members of the X-Men. Captain Britain currently leads a new version of the team in the series New Excalibur.

Character biography

Origins

Captain Britain in the costume he wore during most of his time with Excalibur, art by Alan Davis.
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Captain Britain in the costume he wore during most of his time with Excalibur, art by Alan Davis.

Creators Claremont and Trimpe established Captain Britain as a mystical hero from the onset, establishing a mythic origin story for the charater. Born and raised in the small town of Maldon, Essex, Brian is seen as a a shy and studious youth, living a realively quiet life with his parents and siblings (older brother Jamie and fraternal twin Elizabeth); he grew up lonely, being in a family not wealthy enough to mix with the other aristocrats but too wealthy to mix with lower classes. 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 goddess 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 instead. This choice results in his transformation into Captain Britain.

It is later revealed that Braddock in 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. For example, on one Earth the Nazis won World War II, so its Captain Britain ("Hauptmann Englande") upholds the Nazi regime. On another Earth, mutants have been eradicated and Captain Britain runs a league of enforcers who hunt down any remaining mutants. In some of these alternate universes Captain Britain is the alternate version of Brian Braddock, in others it is someone completely different. The Earth of the "normal" Marvel Universe is called "Earth-616".

In Alan Moore's run, it was revealed Merlyn had been manipulating Brian's life for years, trying to mould his mind into a specific form so he would be able to withstand the horrors of Jasper's Warp.

Early Career as Captain Britain

As his career as a superhero begins, Brian fights as the champion of Great Britan, often clashing with STRIKE 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 abroad. By a strange twist of fate, he rooms with Peter Parker (the spectacular Spider-Man) at Empire State University. As a result, the two began 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 is able to take control of his drinking enough to graduate with a doctorate in physics, but the demons of alcoholism would continue to haunt him.

As time went on, Brian began fighting more supernatural enemies rather than regular supervillains, eventuallybeing driven to madness and isolation by the demonic Necromon. Existing as a hermit for two years on the Cornish coast, he was eventually called to Merlyn's service again. Alongside the Black Knight and the elf Jackdaw, Captain Britain fought to defend Otherworld from Necromon, finally defeating him with the help of King Arthur himself.

Jasper's Warp

Necromon defeated, Captain Britain was sent with Jackdaw to the bizaare Earth-238, a madcap dictatorship run by the Status Crew, where he worked with the extra-dimensional Saturnyne to jump-start the reality's development.

This led into one of Captain Britain's more memorable adventures by Alan Moore. It was revealed Earth-238 was Mad Jim Jaspers, an individual with the ability to warp time and reality, and it was his madness that was warping the world; he had killed all the world's superheroes with his creation, an unstoppable "cybiot" known as the Fury who hunted and murdered superhumans. Only Captain U.K. of that world, Linda McQuillan, escaped execution by fleeing the dimension before being caught. In fact, the Fury kills Brian Braddock as he kneels in a graveyard full of fallen heroes, while Earth-238 was finally destroyed in a reality warp caused by Jaspers. Braddock is again resurrected (or, more accurately, reconstructed) by Merlyn and sent to his home Earth. This entire experience proved to be the last part of Merlyn's plan to prepare Captain Britain for the time when the Jim Jaspers of Earth-616 would make his attempt to rule and reshape reality. With the help of Captain U.K., his sister Betsy, Saturyne and the Special Executive, Braddock battled both the Fury and the Jim Jaspers of Earth-616, who briefly took control of Britain. In the end, it is actually the Fury that kills Jim Jaspers. After Jasper's death, Braddock and McQuillan destroy the Fury together.

Substituted

Due to the pressures put on him after the Warp, he went abroad for a while and gave up the Captain Britain identity. Government taskforce RCX had his sister Betsy to take up the mantle. She managed in the role for a while, but unfortunately she proved no match for Slaymaster and he tore out her eyes. Aware of of his twin's pain through their telepathic bond, Brian rushes back to fight Slaymaster, who he eventually kills. After this episode, Brian resumes the mantle of Captain Britain.

The Drawing of the Sword

Excalibur from left to right, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Widget, Captain Britain, Meggan, and Phoenix II, art by Alan Davis.
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Excalibur from left to right, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Widget, Captain Britain, Meggan, and Phoenix II, art by Alan Davis.

After the cancellation of the Captain Britain series, writer Chris Claremont and artist Alan Davis created Excalibur, with Braddock in the role of leader. When the X-Men appeared to perish in Dallas (see The Fall of the Mutants), a group of heroes including Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Phoenix II, and Meggan joined Brian to form Excalibur, Great Britain's premier superteam.

Identity Crises

Brian quit costumed adventuring for a time and concentrated on his science, building the Midnight Runner for the team's use. Then he and Meggan took some time off from the team and got engaged, but they and the rest of Excalibur were soon captured by the R.C.X. and Brian was severely beaten when he resisted. Dying, broken and bloody, he was healed by Roma, who fixed the arcane circuitry in his costume to match his body's frequencies, and who also removed the "blunder factor" she had cast over him, ensuring that he would need the help of a team until he saw the innate value in it. Immediately afterwards, Phoenix reappeared and Excalibur journeyed to the future to save it from the Sentinels. Unfortunately, on the way back Brian was lost in the timestream. No one had a clue how to find him until his body parts started appearing in the same space as Rachel's, first his arms, then his chest, for brief flickers. Meggan confronted Rachel about Brian's whereabouts and with Daytripper's help they opened a rift in which Brian and Rachel switched places. Rachel was flung to the far future to become the Mother Askani, and Brian returned home. However, he was flooded with memories of the far future and seemed disconnected for the real world. He called himself Britannic for some time, but eventually re-acclimated himself to his old life, although he did quit drinking. After receiving a message of impending danger from Jean Grey, who had found Alistair Stuart running from Black Air, and one from Shinobi Shaw regarding Mountjoy's infiltration into the London Hellfire Club, Brian went to the Club and claimed his father's position as Black Rook, defeating the contender for Red Rook with one punch. When Black Air and the Club made their move, Brian was attacked by the Black Queen and Scribe, who was possessed by Mountjoy. Luckily, Brian was in his newly-refurbished costume, complete with projectable forcefield, and he defeated them both. He appeared to have come to terms with both his scientific and superhero sides.

King of Otherworld

Brian Braddock as King of Otherworld.
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Brian Braddock as King of Otherworld.

Soon afterwards, in a battle with the Dragons of the Crimson Dawn, Brian expended all of his power to stop a dimensional portal from opening. Having lost his powers, he left the team for a while, but returned to fulfill his dream of marrying Meggan. After the ceremony on Otherworld, the rest of the team decided to return to the United States. As a result, Excalibur disbanded, leaving Captain Britain and Meggan as Britain's foremost heroes.

Cover to New Excalibur #6, art by Michael Ryan.
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Cover to New Excalibur #6, art by Michael Ryan.

Brian soon went to work at the Darkmoor research facility, and it was during one of his tests (on the new blade and armor of his friend the Black Knight that Widget reappeared with warriors who attacked him and Meggan, stating that Roma ordered it done. The heroes (including Psylocke, who was also visiting in England) drove the attackers off, then followed them to Otherworld, where they discovered that that Captain Britain Corps had been decimated. Together with the survivors, Crusader X and Captain U.K., Brian and his comrades had to stop Roma from acquiring the Sword of Might, which together with the Amulet of Right (which had returned to Otherworld when Brian lost his powers) could remake the cosmos. Brian went in search of the sword, and ended up finding a computer-filled shrine in a cavern built by his father. A hologram of James Braddock, Sr. explained to Brian that he was the savior and rightful heir of Otherworld, and had the innate right to wield Excalibur. The hologram re-activated Brian's powers, and Brian drew the sword, which generated a fiery cross (from the British flag) as a mask on his face. Brian then confronted Roma, who was revealed to be his father's sentient and insane computer Mastermind, and defeated him together with the real Roma. Roma then relinquished control of Otherworld to Captain Britain, and he and Meggan remained in Otherworld as effectives 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.

Recently, Brian and Meggan appeared to Kelsey Leigh, a British mother who had died protecting her kids and Captain America from The Wrecking Crew with Cap's own shield. Braddock offered her the choice between the Amulet and the Sword. Feeling that she could better defend her children with a weapon, she chose the latter. Although she was changed into a new Captain Britain, she was cursed by the inability to ever reveal herself to her children. Brian himself was captured by Morgan Le Fay, who hoped to kill him, thereby destroying England via Brian's mystical connection with the land. Because he transferred his power to Kelsey, however, the plan failed. Later, Brian invited some of the X-Men to his home, where they were attacked by a regenerated Fury first.

New Excalibur

Returning to Otherworld, Braddock and Meggan became rulers of the realm. However, Captain Britain was 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 sacrificed her life to close a rip in time that would have destroyed all existence. This resulted in Brian becoming active as Captain Britain again and the formation of the all new Excalibur, along with Pete Wisdom, Sage, Juggernaut, Dazzler and Nocturne.

Alternate versions

Age of Apocalypse

In the Age of Apocalypse, Brian Braddock never became Captain Britain, and was one of the members of the Human High Council, alongside Moira Trask, Bolivar Trask, Emma Frost and Mariko Yashida. Braddock was also the most vocal advocate the extermination of mutants, much to the weariness of Yashida and Frost, who seemed much less fanatical in their beliefs. However, Braddock became the victim of a mind control device and was forced to act as a mole for Donald Pierce and his Reavers, all servants of Apocalypse. Under the control of Pierce, Braddock proposed the assembly of the entire Council fleet to attack Apocalypse's capital. Braddock died at Pierce's hands when he overcame his influence and refused to kill Emma Frost.

Ultimate Captain Britain

In Ultimate Marvel continuity, Captain Britain is a member of the European Defense Initiative (the EU equivalent of the Ultimates), with Captain Italy, Captain France and Captain Spain, all of whom have similar powers. All four of them developed their powers from the same source: a super powered exo-suit developed by his father, Professor Sir James Braddock, who oversees the EDI super soldier program.

Powers and abilities

Brian Braddock has superhuman strength, the ability to fly, and near-invulnerability and his mystical link with Britain also enhances his stamina and reflexes to superhuman levels. The energy that powers his abilities is drawn from inter-universal space.

His power of flight renders him immune to the atmospheric effects of flying at high speeds. His near invulnerability is provided by a force field closely over his skin. This force field can withstand a bazooka shell without any deformation. It is currently understood that repeated impacts will weaken the field and eventually penetrate it. However, the exact weakness of the force field has altered, partly because of a poor grasp of continuity by writers and editors. Originally it was completely impenetrable, but required continued concentration on Brian's part to maintain it. Subsequently, a weakness was introduced by Alan Moore regarding a very small but vulnerable point near the left shoulder. Since then it has been breached in a variety of ways. During Excalibur it was more or less forgotten, and was at one point demoted to a force field to protect him from atmospheric conditions when flying. There also seems to be confusion as to whether the force field is projected by Brian or is part of the suit. From Captain Britain's appearance in The Daredevils, it was an ability he personally possessed. However, it may be that he is not yet aware of this fact and still believes it is an inherent part of the suit. After all, in a later issue of Excalibur he specifically refers to the suit as generating the force field.

Brian is the 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. (See issues of Uncanny X-Men, #462-#465.)

For a time, all of Braddock's abilities were localized to Britain; if he went abroad for too long a time without wearing his costume, his powers eventually diminished to nothing. His costume acts as an antenna and battery, allowing him to retain his powers wherever he goes. Originally, his powers were linked to the Amulet of Right, worn around his neck, and he depended on a mace-like Star Sceptre to fly. Later on Merlyn changed his costume just before he entered an alternate Earth (Earth-238), removing the Amulet and the Scepter and in turn placing their powers in his new costume. Not long after that he was killed by the Fury. Merlyn remade his body and chose to make Braddock's powers innate and stronger, with his costume merely serving as a "battery" and amplifier. Again this idea has not been consistent and during the appearance of Excalibur in Quasar he states that both Meggan and he will lose their powers outside of the UK although he is wearing his costume at the time. Indeed, the whole device of Brian and Meggan's powers fading outside the UK seems to flatly contradict episodes in Captain Britain monthly where they consecutively visited Africa, Russia, and ancient South America without any apparent diminution of their abilities.

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.

Relations

Brian is a member of an extraordinary family. He has two siblings: his twin sister Elizabeth (Psylocke of the X-Men), and his older brother Jamie, both with unique mutant abilities. Brian's father, Sir James Braddock, was originally from another dimension called "Avalon" or "Otherworld". It has been suggested that Brian, like his siblings, is a mutant. However, it has been stated that Captain Britain derives his powers from the magic of Otherworld. In addition, Braddock is a brilliant scientist with a Ph.D. in physics. However, he rarely uses his training as a physicist.

Appearances in other media

Captain Britain was briefly seen in the fourth part of the Phoenix Saga from the X-Men animated television series. Psylocke mentions him during Beyond Good and Evil, though she merely says "my brother", hinting also he's a mutant in this continuity.

Bibliography

List of titles

Collections

UK published titles

US published titles

Significant stories

See also

External links

 

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