Saturnyne

Opal Luna Saturnyne is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Dave Thorpe and Alan Davis for their Captain Britain stories. She is the Omniversal Majestrix of Otherworld, and a servant of Roma, charged with the safety of the Omniverse.

Saturnyne
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics; Marvel UK
First appearanceUK: The Mighty World of Marvel: Marvel Superheroes #381 (Jan 1982)
US: Captain Britain Special Edition #1
Created byDave Thorpe
Alan Davis
In-story information
Alter egoOpal Luna Saturnyne
Team affiliationsCaptain Britain Corps
Notable aliasesOmniversal Majestrix, Her Royal Whyness, White Witch

Her first appearance was in Marvel Superheroes #381 playing a major part in Alan Moore and Alan Davis' Jaspers' Warp storyline. She later had a recurring role in the pages of Excalibur.

Fictional character biography

Saturnyne originally hails from Earth 9, one in a myriad of alternative universes. She is a highly intelligent and ambitious woman and ends up on Otherworld as the Omniversal Majestrix. In this role she is part of the Dimensional Development Court, overseeing the Captain Britain Corps and charged with the safekeeping and maintenance of order and reality of the entire Omniverse. Saturnyne reports to Merlyn, the Omniversal Guardian. Saturnyne feels no moral or ethical conflict in sacrificing anybody, even an entire universe, if it means the preservation of the Omniverse.[s 1]

Whenever she decides to take a more personal interest in a matter, she calls upon the Avant Guard. The Avant Guard appear to be normal men, dressed in business suits and carrying an umbrella, but these umbrellas are in fact highly advanced weapons, capable of various abilities like interdimensional travel, destructive blasts and rays capable of devolving opponents. She is assisted by Dimples, an overweight man who loves Saturnyne deeply. Saturnyne herself cares little for Dimples and sees him only as a useful servant.

Saturnyne first came into contact with Brian Braddock, also known as Captain Britain, on the alternate Earth known as the Crooked World. This Earth is deemed to be a threat to the Omniverse and Saturnyne convinces Captain Britain to help evolve the backwards planet, hoping to eliminate its threat. They are opposed by the Status Crew, a group charged with maintaining the status quo. Saturnyne and Captain Britain manage to evolve the world, but are surprised when a bigger threat take its place: an alternate reality Mad Jim Jaspers uses his powers to create the Jaspers' Warp, causing widespread insanity and the collapse of reality. Captain Britain and Saturnyne want to stop him, but are stopped by the Fury, a killer machine. Saturnyne flees with her Avant Guard, leaving a heartbroken Dimples, Captain Britain and his sidekick Jackdaw behind. All three are killed by the Fury, shortly thereafter.[1]

The Dimensional Development Court arrest Saturnyne and replace her with a man called Mandragon, who destroys the Earth 238 universe to prevent the Jaspers Warp from spreading. Merlyn resurrects Captain Britain (but not Jackdaw), and the Fury manages to escape under his own power. Captain Britain and the interdimensional mercenaries known as the Special Executive help Saturnyne escape from the Court to Earth-616. On Earth-616, Mad Jim Jaspers, an even more powerful version than the one on Earth 238, comes into power and threatens the world. The Fury also makes its way to Earth-616 and battles Jaspers. During the conflict, Merlyn dies (though later he would reveal that he had just faked his death). In the end the Fury kills Jaspers and is killed shortly afterwards by Captain Britain and Captain UK from Earth 238, with help from Saturnyne and the Special Executive. Saturnyne manages to obtain cell samples of Jaspers and threatens to unleash a clone on Mandragon's world if he does not return her former position to her. Merlyn's daughter Roma succeeds her father, and Saturnyne becomes an agent of Roma.

Despite having cooperated with Captain Britain at various times, she comes into conflict with Captain Britain when she sends the bounty-hunters known as the Technet after Phoenix. The Technet fail to capture her and Phoenix joins Captain Britain, Shadowcat, Meggan and Nightcrawler to form Excalibur.[2] Saturnyne later meets Phoenix in person, but does not capture her.[3] Saturnyne rescinds her warrant against Phoenix but indefinitely extendeds the Technet's exile on Earth. She also delivers a message from Roma asking the other Captain Britains to free Excalibur's Captain Britain.[4] Later events reveal that Saturnyne was acting under Roma's orders when she originally sent the Technet against Phoenix, and that the Technet was meant to fail, resulting in the formation of Excalibur.

Saturnyne remains Roma's servant and Omniversal Majestrix for the following years until the villain Mastermind destroys the Captain Britain Corps and imprisons Roma before being defeated by Captain Britain. Saturnyne returns as Omniversal Majestrix, but has a bitter relationship with Brian, newly appointed ruler of Otherworld, whom she deems unworthy of his new position. She is summoned by Roma when the annihilistic cosmic entity Abraxas tries to destroy creation. While Roma is killed, Saturnyne shields Franklin and Valeria Richards from him.[5]

Saturnyne appears in a House of M tie-in story in Uncanny X-Men #462-465, which includes many classic Marvel UK characters.[6] During X-Men: Die by the Sword, she blasts the resurrected Mad Jim Jaspers with a massive energy-weapon; Jaspers however pulls himself together again and threatens to kill her before members of the Exiles distracts him, allowing her to escape.[7]

During the Spider-Verse storyline, Saturnyne and Lady Roma express their concerns about the Incursions that are destroying many dimensions as Spider-UK arrives to express his concern about all the spiders across the multiverse being hunted and killed. Saturnyne rebuffs him, but Roma sympathizes with him and gives him a talisman that allows him to travel through the web of life in order to save all the remaining spiders.[8]

Ultimately, Saturnyne is forced to confront the growing threat of the Incursions when the destruction of the various universes leads to the deaths of many members of the Captain Britain Corps. Saturnyne captures a Map Maker and attempts to use it to determine the cause of the Incursions. This instead brings forth an army of Map Maker robots which slaughter the Captain Britain Corps, Roma, and ultimately Saturnyne. Her last act is to place the secrets of the Starlight Citadel into the 616 Captain Britain's brain so that he can warn the Illuminati.[9]

As of the 2019 series Excalibur (v4), Saturnyne has been restored to life and is now referred to by some characters as the White Witch, and has gained a new enemy, the ancient mutant Apocalypse/En Sabah Nur. It is also stated that she has replaced Merlyn as the Omniversal Guardian, but remains referred to as the Omniveral Majestrix by her minions.[10]

Characterization

According to Alan Davis, Dave Thorpe's original script had specified Saturnyne's appearance to be based on American actress Veronica Lake.[s 2] Davis has explained that Saturnyne "enjoys power, and she's a bit of an ice princess, which is why she's silver and blue, with a cold appearance".[s 3] The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z of 2008/09 describes Saturnyne as having a Machiavellian mind and being a cunning strategist, and while not being outright brilliant (listed as a three on a scale of seven in intelligence), her indomitable strength of will and ambition has allowed her to ascend to her lofty position through hard work without being born into it.[s 1]

Other versions

Saturnyne has counterparts on many worlds. The most important among these are:

  • Courtney Ross: A banker on Earth-616. She was the ex-girlfriend of Brian Braddock (Captain Britain) and was killed by Sat-Yr-9.[11] Courtney and Saturnyne have been described as "Two women. As unlike each other as are the worlds they inhibit. Yet, in all the ways that truly matter, they're one-and-the-same".[12] In spite of having met Saturnyne earlier, it did not dawn upon Brian that the two were each other's counterparts until Courtney dyed her hair back to her original platinum blond color, which he hadn't seen until then as she had dyed it auburn years ago in the hope of being taken more seriously by others.[13][11] The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe of 1989 acknowledges Sat-Yr-9 to be the counterpart of Saturnyne, but only labels Courtney as an "exact look-alike" who by "seeming coincidence" happens to look like Saturnyne and Sat-Yr-9.[s 4]
  • Sat-Yr-9 (Opul Lun Sat-Yr-Nin): Despot of Earth 839, deposed by Captain UK and fled to Earth-616. She killed Courtney Ross and took her place.[11] She later became the White Queen of the Hellfire Club.
  • Sat'neen: A princess and sorceress from Earth 148, lover of Kylun, killed by Necrom.
  • Queen Mother: Queen of England in Earth-1193, a world filled with magic and mystical creatures, who coexist with humans. She is described by Brian Braddock as an "older and kinder" version of Saturnyne.[14]

References
Primary
  1. recounted in Captain Britain Vol. 2 #1
  2. Excalibur Special Edition #1
  3. Excalibur #24
  4. Excalibur #42, 44
  5. Carlos Pacheco, Rafael Marin, Jeph Loeb (w), Jeff Johnson (p), Joe Weems (i), Liquid! Graphics (col), Richard Starkings, Albert Deschesne (let), Tom Brevoort, Bobbie Chase (ed). Fantastic Four v3, 48 (December 2001), Marvel Comics
  6. Chris Claremont, Alan Davis (w). Uncanny X-Men #462 (September 2005), Marvel Comics
  7. Chris Claremont, Juan Santacruz (w). X-Men: Die by the Sword #3 (January 2008), Marvel Comics
  8. Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3 #7
  9. New Avengers #28
  10. Tini Howard (w), Marcus To (a). Excalibur v4, 9 (2020), Marvel Comics
  11. Chris Claremont (w), Alan Davis (p), Paul Neary (i), Glynis Oliver (col), Tom Orzechowski (let), Terry Kavanagh (ed). Excalibur 5 (February 1989), Marvel Comics
  12. Chris Claremont (w), Alan Davis (p), Paul Neary (i), Glynis Oliver (col), Tom Orzechowski (let), Terry Kavanagh (ed). Excalibur 24 (July 1990), Marvel Comics
  13. Chris Claremont (w), Alan Davis (p), Paul Neary (i), Glynis Oliver (col), Tom Orzechowski (let), Terry Kavanagh (ed). Excalibur 1 (October 1988), Marvel Comics
  14. Chris Claremont (w), Alan Davis (p), Paul Neary (i), Glynis Oliver (col), Tom Orzechowski (let), Terry Kavanagh (ed). Excalibur 13 (October 1989), Marvel Comics
Secondary
  1. "Saturnyne". Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z. Vol. 1 no. 10. Marvel Comics. September 2009. ISBN 978-0-7851-3028-4.
  2. Alan Davis (December 25, 2006). "Saturnyne". Alan Davis Forum. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  3. Peter Sanderson (May 1991). "Alan Davis on Excalibur". Marvel Age. Vol. 1 no. 100. Marvel Comics. pp. 21–23. ISSN 8750-4367.
  4. "Saturnyne". Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. Vol. 3 no. 6. November 10, 1989.
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