Roma (comics)
Encyclopedia
Roma is a fiction
al character featured in numerous Marvel Comics
titles. She is the daughter of Merlyn
. Roma is the Omniversal Guardian, charged with the safety of the Omniverse
. She is assisted in her task by Saturnyne
, the Omniversal Majestrix and the Captain Britain Corps
.
series volume 1, in the first issue in October 1976, and subsequently appeared in the second volume of Captain Britain's series. The second volume was reprinted in the U.S. in the Captain Britain trade paperback.
In 1978, Chris Claremont introduced Captain Britain to an international audience, fully integrating him into the Marvel Universe via a story that starred Captain Britain and Spider-Man
, with Roma in a small role. Initially published as a black & white story in the UK's Super Spider-Man & Captain Britain
comic, this was then coloured and reprinted in an American title, Marvel's long-running Marvel Team-Up
series, issue #65.
Roma and her father exist in another dimension called Otherworld
, operating out of Roma's Starlight Citadel. Captain Britain, or more specifically, his spirit, met them in this dimension after a battle with a villain named Lord Hawk that left him in a coma.
Aside from bequeathing Captain Britain with great physical strength, Roma also originally gifted him with a quarterstaff, a weapon that could be used for direct attack or emit a protective force field. Merlyn eventually replaced the staff with Captain Britain's Star Scepter.
Roma would eventually replace her father as the Omniversal Guardian and ruler of Otherworld, thinking her father had died. In fact, Merlyn had faked his death so he could manipulate future events while being safe from his enemies. As the successor to the seemingly deceased Merlyn, she observed Captain Britain from Otherplace. She later brought Captain UK to an alternate Earth and reunited her with her husband.
shortly after "Mutant Massacre
" and before "Inferno
." Colossus had just healed from his injuries inflicted on him by the Marauders
when the X-Men
were fighting to rescue the Morlocks
. Roma approached him and asked him to draw a sketch of her; she offered to pay him by telling him his fortune. When he finished his sketch, she hinted at things that would happen in the X-Men's future, but remained vague enough to anger him. She disappeared from the scene, leaving behind a figurine of him in his armored (steel) form.
During this encounter, Roma was really being held captive in her Starlight Citadel by the Trickster (aka the Adversary
), a deity who planned on destroying the earth to remake it into whatever image he chose. The X-Men defeated the Adversary, freeing Roma and forcing the Adversary into a portal. Using Forge
's spell, it took harnessing the souls of all eight active X-Men and Madelyne Pryor
, who was there at the time, to create and shut the portal. Roma repaid them by retrieving their souls from the portal, which had a side effect of making them undetectable to electronic equipment and cameras, effectively making them "invisible" to their enemies.
Roma also bequeathed the X-Men with and made them the guardians of a mystical portal called the Siege Perilous
. This portal is a gem that enlarges into a doorway. Individuals walk through the portal to have their lives and deeds judged on a cosmic scale, eventually being reborn if they are deemed worthy. X-Men who have traveled through the Siege Perilous include Rogue
(accidentally sucked into it while battling the Master Mold
/Nimrod
), Havok, Psylocke
, Dazzler
, and Colossus.
with the surviving X-Men Shadowcat and Nightcrawler
. Together they saved Rachel Summers
, host to the Phoenix Force, and formed Excalibur
. To keep the individualistic Captain Britain a part of Excalibur, Roma put a jinx
on him. Whenever he tried to act independently of the team, he would make mistakes and fail. Roma had foreseen that Excalibur would become essential to the safety of the Omniverse; only a group with their specific talents could stop an unknown threat. Roma later warned Galactus
not to slay Phoenix
.
Roma eventually discovered that Merlyn was still alive. Merlyn in disguise, manipulated Captain Britain into confronting Roma and she removed the jinx and told him about the secret threat. Excalibur encountered the threat shortly afterwards: Necrom
, Merlyn's teacher had been planning for millennia to use the Phoenix Force to increase his own power. Roma persuaded Excalibur to destroy Merlyn's tower in the multiversal energy matrix, but prevented Merlyn from killing Excalibur. The combined powers of Excalibur defeated Necrom as Merlyn had planned. Roma told Excalibur that from now on, they would be free to determine their own destiny.
Roma was captured and impersonated by the villain Mastermind
, who planned on using the Sword of Might and the Amulet of Right to reshape the Omniverse. Mastermind was defeated by Captain Britain and his friends and Roma gave the throne of Otherworld to Captain Britain, who now wielded both the Sword and the Amulet. Roma would retain her function as Omniversal Guardian though.
to kidnap Franklin Richards
, thinking he was too powerful to stay on Earth and with his family. Johnny Storm
was later able to convince her otherwise.
She again appeared when Abraxas
was trying to find the Ultimate Nullifier. She summoned Valeria Richards and Franklin Richards to protect them from Abraxas but was unsuccessful, since she was murdered in the process. But Franklin revealed that Roma had taught him for an unknown period of time and that Valeria and himself would be needed in resurrecting Galactus. They used up all their powers to resurrect Galactus and ended the threat of Abraxas. Roma, who was killed, was ultimately resurrected in the process.
, briefly appears to Captain Britain in a dream, telling him that he only has 48 hours to save Earth-616, which Saturnyne
states has become a "causality cancer."
before Merlyn removes the same knowledge and kills her.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al character featured in numerous 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...
titles. She is the daughter of Merlyn
Merlyn (Marvel Comics)
Merlyn is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He claims to be the Merlin of British Legends and has served for many years as the Omniversal Guardian, a function his daughter Roma took from him...
. Roma is the Omniversal Guardian, charged with the safety of the Omniverse
Omniverse
The Omniverse is the conceptual ensemble of all possible universes, with all possible laws of physics.In this physical cosmology context, the limitation of the definition of "universe" that it has only one set of "physical laws and constants that govern them," is expanded to include multiple sets...
. She is assisted in her task by Saturnyne
Saturnyne
Opal Luna Saturnyne is the name of a fictional comic book character 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....
, the Omniversal Majestrix and the Captain Britain Corps
Captain Britain Corps
In Marvel Comics, the Captain Britain Corps is a league of super-heroes all known as, or appear as an alternative version of, Captain Britain. They are all essentially the same hero except they each come from an alternative reality.-Fictional team history:...
.
Publication history
Roma first appeared in Marvel UK's Captain BritainCaptain Britain
Captain Britain , briefly known as Britannic, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Herb Trimpe, he first appeared in Captain Britain Weekly, #1...
series volume 1, in the first issue in October 1976, and subsequently appeared in the second volume of Captain Britain's series. The second volume was reprinted in the U.S. in the Captain Britain trade paperback.
In 1978, Chris Claremont introduced Captain Britain to an international audience, fully integrating him into the Marvel Universe via a story that starred Captain Britain and Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, with Roma in a small role. Initially published as a black & white story in the UK's Super Spider-Man & Captain Britain
Super Spider-Man & Captain Britain
Super Spider-Man and Captain Britain was a weekly comic book magazine published by Marvel UK from July–December 1977. It was a continuation of the ongoing Marvel UK Spider-Man weekly reprint comic, previously known as Super Spider-Man and the Titans, hence the high issue numbers .-Publication...
comic, this was then coloured and reprinted in an American title, Marvel's long-running Marvel Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up is the name of several American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story...
series, issue #65.
Captain Britain
Captain Britain, then still a baseline human, was working as a research assistant at the Darkmoor Research Centre when the nuclear complex was suddenly attacked by a man named Joshua Stragg (the Reaver). In his efforts to escape, Brian was chased over a cliff. Roma, then calling herself "the Lady of the Northern Skies," appeared to him and offered him the chance to become a hero. Her father, Merlyn, was with her during this first encounter with Brian. Roma urged him to choose between two weapons, the Sword of Might, or the Amulet of Right; Roma's decision to offer him salvation and power rode on this choice. Brian subsequently made the correct choice, choosing the Amulet.Roma and her father exist in another dimension called Otherworld
Otherworld (Marvel Comics)
Otherworld is a fictional dimension in the Marvel Comics Marvel Universe. It is more commonly known as, and based on, the mythical Avalon from Celtic and more specifically Welsh mythology....
, operating out of Roma's Starlight Citadel. Captain Britain, or more specifically, his spirit, met them in this dimension after a battle with a villain named Lord Hawk that left him in a coma.
Aside from bequeathing Captain Britain with great physical strength, Roma also originally gifted him with a quarterstaff, a weapon that could be used for direct attack or emit a protective force field. Merlyn eventually replaced the staff with Captain Britain's Star Scepter.
Roma would eventually replace her father as the Omniversal Guardian and ruler of Otherworld, thinking her father had died. In fact, Merlyn had faked his death so he could manipulate future events while being safe from his enemies. As the successor to the seemingly deceased Merlyn, she observed Captain Britain from Otherplace. She later brought Captain UK to an alternate Earth and reunited her with her husband.
X-Men/Siege Perilous
Roma appeared in human form while reaching out to a recovering and disillusioned ColossusColossus (comics)
Colossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
shortly after "Mutant Massacre
Mutant Massacre
"Mutant Massacre" was a major Marvel Comics crossover storyline, which took place during the fall of 1986. It primarily involved the superhero teams the X-Men, X-Factor and the New Mutants...
" and before "Inferno
Inferno (Marvel Comics)
Inferno was a Marvel Comics company-wide crossover in 1989 that mainly involved the mutant titles, namely The Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, X-Terminators, Excalibur, and The New Mutants...
." Colossus had just healed from his injuries inflicted on him by the Marauders
Marauders (comics)
The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita, Jr., the team first appear in Uncanny X-Men #210 The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by...
when the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
were fighting to rescue the Morlocks
Morlocks (comics)
The Morlocks are a group of several fictional comic book mutants associated with the X-Men in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith, they were named after the subterranean race of the same name in H. G. Wells' novel The Time Machine. They first appeared...
. Roma approached him and asked him to draw a sketch of her; she offered to pay him by telling him his fortune. When he finished his sketch, she hinted at things that would happen in the X-Men's future, but remained vague enough to anger him. She disappeared from the scene, leaving behind a figurine of him in his armored (steel) form.
During this encounter, Roma was really being held captive in her Starlight Citadel by the Trickster (aka the Adversary
Adversary (comics)
The Adversary is a fictional character, a demonic supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:The Adversary first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #187-188 , and was created by Chris Claremont and John Romita, Jr....
), a deity who planned on destroying the earth to remake it into whatever image he chose. The X-Men defeated the Adversary, freeing Roma and forcing the Adversary into a portal. Using Forge
Forge (comics)
Forge is a fictional character in the , a superhero associated with The X-Men.A mutant with an unsurpassed brilliance in technology, Forge has had a lengthy career as a government weapons contractor. He shared a romantic relationship with Storm, and a brief affair with Mystique which led him to...
's spell, it took harnessing the souls of all eight active X-Men and Madelyne Pryor
Madelyne Pryor
Madelyne Pryor is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. As the love interest and first wife of X-Men leader Cyclops , she became a long-standing member of the X-Men supporting cast, until a series of traumas — being abandoned by her husband, losing her infant son, and...
, who was there at the time, to create and shut the portal. Roma repaid them by retrieving their souls from the portal, which had a side effect of making them undetectable to electronic equipment and cameras, effectively making them "invisible" to their enemies.
Roma also bequeathed the X-Men with and made them the guardians of a mystical portal called the Siege Perilous
Siege Perilous (comics)
Siege Perilous is the name of two fictional devices appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. The first appeared in books starring Captain Britain, and the second in books featuring the X-Men...
. This portal is a gem that enlarges into a doorway. Individuals walk through the portal to have their lives and deeds judged on a cosmic scale, eventually being reborn if they are deemed worthy. X-Men who have traveled through the Siege Perilous include Rogue
Rogue (comics)
Rogue was first slated to appear in Ms. Marvel #25 , but the book's abrupt cancellation left her original introduction story unpublished for over a decade, before seeing print in Marvel Super Heroes #11 in 1992. Rogue's first published appearance was in Avengers Annual #10...
(accidentally sucked into it while battling the Master Mold
Master Mold
Master Mold is a fictional character, a robot supervillain in the Marvel Universe. Since his primary purpose was to act as a portable Sentinel-creating factory, and the Sentinel robots were primarily used to hunt mutants, Master Mold has almost exclusively appeared in the X-Men and related,...
/Nimrod
Nimrod (comics)
Nimrod is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #191 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita, Jr. Hailing from the "Days of Future Past" timeline, Nimrod is a powerful, virtually...
), Havok, Psylocke
Psylocke
Psylocke is a fictional character depicted in comic books published by Marvel Comics, most notably those comics featuring the superhero team the X-Men. The character has also appeared in licensed adaptations. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Herb Trimpe, she first appeared in the UK...
, Dazzler
Dazzler
Dazzler is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men. She first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #130 ....
, and Colossus.
Excalibur
One of the X-Men who sacrificed herself was Psylocke, Captain Britain's sister. The grief over his sister's death united Captain Britain and his girlfriend MegganMeggan
Meggan Puceanu is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the . She first appeared in Mighty World of Marvel #7, , and was created by Alan Moore and Alan Davis....
with the surviving X-Men Shadowcat and Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler (comics)
Nightcrawler is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe. He has been associated with both the X-Men and Excalibur, originally appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
. Together they saved Rachel Summers
Rachel Summers
Rachel Anne Summers is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne for Marvel Comics....
, host to the Phoenix Force, and formed Excalibur
Excalibur (comics)
Excalibur is a Marvel Comics superhero group, an off-shoot of the X-Men, usually based in the United Kingdom. Conceived by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, the original Excalibur first appeared in Excalibur Special Edition , also known as Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn.The...
. To keep the individualistic Captain Britain a part of Excalibur, Roma put a jinx
Jinx
A jinx, in popular superstition and folklore, is:* A type of curse placed on a person that makes them prey to many minor misfortunes and other forms of bad luck;...
on him. Whenever he tried to act independently of the team, he would make mistakes and fail. Roma had foreseen that Excalibur would become essential to the safety of the Omniverse; only a group with their specific talents could stop an unknown threat. Roma later warned Galactus
Galactus
Galactus is a fictional character appearing in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus...
not to slay Phoenix
Rachel Summers
Rachel Anne Summers is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne for Marvel Comics....
.
Roma eventually discovered that Merlyn was still alive. Merlyn in disguise, manipulated Captain Britain into confronting Roma and she removed the jinx and told him about the secret threat. Excalibur encountered the threat shortly afterwards: Necrom
Necrom
Necrom is a fictional character created by Alan Davis forMarvel Comics. Necrom was a powerful sorcerer and an enemy of Excalibur.-Fictional character biography:...
, Merlyn's teacher had been planning for millennia to use the Phoenix Force to increase his own power. Roma persuaded Excalibur to destroy Merlyn's tower in the multiversal energy matrix, but prevented Merlyn from killing Excalibur. The combined powers of Excalibur defeated Necrom as Merlyn had planned. Roma told Excalibur that from now on, they would be free to determine their own destiny.
Roma was captured and impersonated by the villain Mastermind
Mastermind (computer)
Mastermind is a fictional comic book computer that has appeared in various series published by Marvel Comics. Residing under Braddock Manor, home of Marvel Universe character Captain Britain, in the United Kingdom, he first appeared in Captain Britain Vol...
, who planned on using the Sword of Might and the Amulet of Right to reshape the Omniverse. Mastermind was defeated by Captain Britain and his friends and Roma gave the throne of Otherworld to Captain Britain, who now wielded both the Sword and the Amulet. Roma would retain her function as Omniversal Guardian though.
Fantastic Four/Franklin Richards
Roma briefly appeared in Fantastic Four when she sent GatecrasherGatecrasher (Marvel Comics)
Gatecrasher is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Gatecrasher was created by Jamie Delano and Alan Davis, and first appeared in the UK comic Captain Britain Vol. 2 #3 . The character made her U.S...
to kidnap Franklin Richards
Franklin Richards
Franklin Richards is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in Fantastic Four.Franklin is an Omega-Level mutant with vast psionic and reality-manipulating powers...
, thinking he was too powerful to stay on Earth and with his family. Johnny Storm
Human Torch
The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
was later able to convince her otherwise.
She again appeared when Abraxas
Abraxas (comics)
Abraxas, sometimes called the Dark Man, is a fictional cosmic entity in the Marvel Multiverse. He first appeared in Fantastic Four 2001...
was trying to find the Ultimate Nullifier. She summoned Valeria Richards and Franklin Richards to protect them from Abraxas but was unsuccessful, since she was murdered in the process. But Franklin revealed that Roma had taught him for an unknown period of time and that Valeria and himself would be needed in resurrecting Galactus. They used up all their powers to resurrect Galactus and ended the threat of Abraxas. Roma, who was killed, was ultimately resurrected in the process.
House of M
Roma, after sending Captain Britain to Earth-616Earth-616
In the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 or Earth 616 is the name used to identify the primary continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place.-Origin of Earth-616:...
, briefly appears to Captain Britain in a dream, telling him that he only has 48 hours to save Earth-616, which Saturnyne
Saturnyne
Opal Luna Saturnyne is the name of a fictional comic book character 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....
states has become a "causality cancer."
X-Men: Die by the Sword
Mad Jim Jaspers and Fury return to attack the Starlight Citadel in a plan orchestrated by Roma's father Merlyn. During the battle, Roma is mortally wounded and gives all her knowledge to SageSage (comics)
Sage, also known as Tessa, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She has most often been associated with the X-Men and the Hellfire Club, whom she spied upon for Professor Charles Xavier....
before Merlyn removes the same knowledge and kills her.
Powers and abilities
Roma is the youngest member of the extra-dimensional race of Otherworld, but still millennia old and immortal. She has been highly trained in the mystical arts, with an extensive knowledge of sorcery rivaling that of her father Merlyn. She has extraordinary prowess in manipulating the vast magical powers at her disposal, which she can use in countless ways, including interdimensional teleportation, astral projection, healing, mind-reading, energy manipulation and many more. As the Omniversal Guardian she also has access to the technology and power of Otherworld, which has devices capable of destroying complete universes. The Captain Britain Corps obeys her commands.External links
- http://www.marvel.com/universe/Roma
- Roma's Profile at Women of Marvel Comics