Nicholas Scratch

Nicholas Scratch
Nicholas Scratch
Four27.jpg
Art by Valentine Delandro From 4 #27
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Fantastic Four #185 (August 1977)
Created by Len Wein (writer), George Pérez (artist)
In-story information
Partnerships Dormammu
Salem's Seven
Notable aliases Agatha Harkness, Stephen Strange
Abilities Vast magical powers

Nicholas Scratch is a fictional wizard in the Marvel Comics universe. He is predominantly a foe of the Fantastic Four. The name "Nicholas Scratch" is an amalgam of colloquial names for the Devil: "Old Nick" and "Old Scratch" or "Mr. Scratch" (as used in The Devil and Daniel Webster).[1]

Contents

Fictional character biography

Nicholas Scratch is the son of Agatha Harkness and was a resident of the hidden community of New Salem, Colorado, a secret community populated by magic users. Agatha left the reclusive community to live among normal people, and in time even became nanny to Franklin Richards, son of Reed and Sue Richards of the Fantastic Four. Scratch fathered seven children, who would come to be known as Salem's Seven. Scratch, now a warlock, became the leader of New Salem, and brought the community to believe that it had been betrayed by Harkness through her dealings with the outside world. The New Salem witches then abducted Agatha for her trial and execution. They also abducted Franklin Richards in the process, which then caused the Fantastic Four to follow them back to New Salem. Although initially defeated and captured, the Four escaped and confronted Scratch at Harkness's trial, where all of the New Salem community was present. They countered Scratch's claims against Harkness by explaining that they hadn't known of New Salem until Scratch's actions made them aware of it. Outraged, Scratch attacked, swaying the community against him. The New Salem community then exiled him and banished him to a dimension known as the Dark Realm.[1]

From the Dark Realm, Scratch restored the Salem's Seven's powers and took mental control of the Fantastic Four. He attempted a world conquest, but was thwarted and confined to the Dark Realm by Agatha Harkness.[2] From the Dark Realm, he later took mental possession of Franklin Richards. He had Salem's Seven take over New Salem, but was defeated by Agatha Harkness and Gabriel, Devil Hunter. Scratch's powers were removed by Harkness, leaving him as a normal human being.[3] Agatha Harkness eventually disowned Scratch as her son.[volume & issue needed]

Later, after the destruction of New Salem,[4] Scratch resurfaced in the town of Centerville as "Mayor Nicholas." The whole town of Centerville and all of its inhabitants had entered a contract as an amusement park version of "America's Heartland Next-Door." When Patsy Walker returned to visit her hometown, she discovered that the town's whole population was possessed by demons. A team composed of Avengers and Thunderbolts helped clear the town, which was apparently being victimized by a convoluted conspiracy composed of the amusement park developers, the Sons of the Serpent, and Salem's Seven. After defeating them, the Avengers/Thunderbolts team departed but Patsy elected to remain in Centerville.[volume & issue needed]

Soon Patsy discovered that Scratch was the mastermind behind the ongoing haunting of Centerville. She defeated him and accused him of serving Mephisto, but in reply Scratch called down his true new master Dormammu. Abducting Hellcat, Dormammu then revealed his plans for domination via conquest of Hell, and that Scratch would become Sorcerer Supreme. Dormammu's plans were later defeated by the other Hell Lords causing Hell to freeze over. Dormammu then fled with Scratch.[volume & issue needed]

Scratch had not been seen until he was featured in the The Resurrection of Nicholas Scratch three-part storyline in Marvel Knights 4 where Scratch manipulated Salem's Seven and the Fantastic Four into releasing Shuma-Gorath only for the Fantastic Four, Diablo, Doctor Strange, and his own children to defeat him and Shuma-Gorath. Scratch was banished to Hell, where he made an alliance with Mephisto.[volume & issue needed]

Powers and abilities

Scratch possesses vast indeterminate power through manipulation of the forces of magic. He has teleported, fired bolts of force and energy, and has traveled between dimensions. He also has shown the ability to control and influence minds. He has animated gargoyles to serve him. He could gain more power by the tapping of extradimensional energy by invoking entities or objects of power existing in dimensions tangential to Earth's through the recitation of spells. He had the mental powers of mesmerism, thought-casting, illusion-casting, and mental-probing. For a time, Nicholas Scratch was deprived of his supernatural powers by a spell cast by Agatha Harkness.

Scratch wields the Satan Staff, a mystical power object that served as a focus for Scratch's magical powers, although he could employ his powers without the staff. Using the staff, he could direct the combined magical powers of the entire community of New Salem when the allowed him to do so.

In other media

Television

References

  1. ^ Fantastic Four #185-186
  2. ^ Fantastic Four Annual #14
  3. ^ Fantastic Four #222-223
  4. ^ Vision and the Scarlet Witch Vol. 2 #2-3

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Nicholas Cavaliere — Frank Buck (right), director Clyde E. Elliott (next to Buck), cameramen Nick Cavaliere (far left) and Carl Berger (next to Cavaliere) ready to leave for the far east to film Bring Em Back Alive (1932) Born July 23, 1899 North Branford …   Wikipedia

  • From Scratch (music group) — Infobox musical artist 2 Name = From Scratch Img capt = Background = group or band Birth name = Alias = Born = Died = Origin = New Zealand Instrument = Genre = Occupation = Years active = 1972 present Label = Associated acts = URL =… …   Wikipedia

  • CHIJ Saint Nicholas Girls' School — (SNGS) 圣尼各拉女校 德纯义坚 Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in Duty Location Ang Mo Kio …   Wikipedia

  • Azrael (Comicserie) — Azrael war der Titel einer Comicserie, die zwischen 1995 und 2003 von dem US amerikanischen Verlag DC Comics veröffentlicht wurde. Die Serie brachte es auf insgesamt 100 Ausgaben, zuzüglich einiger Specials, und ist im Zwischenbereich der Genres… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Salem's Seven — Superteambox| imagesize= caption=Art by Valentine Delandro From Marvel Knights 4 #27 team name= Salem s Seven publisher= Marvel Comics debut= Fantastic Four vol. 1 #186 (September, 1977) creators= Len Wein (writer) George Pérez (artist) base= New …   Wikipedia

  • Sept de Salem — Les Sept de Salem (Salem’s Seven) sont un groupe de super vilains mystiques appartenant à l’univers de Marvel Comics. Ils ont été créés par Len Wein et George Pérez, et sont apparus pour la première fois dans Fantastic Four #186 en 1977. Origine… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Agatha Harkness — Superherobox| caption = comic color = background:#ff8080 character name = Agatha Harkness real name = Agatha Harkness publisher = Marvel Comics debut = Fantastic Four vol. 1 #94 (January, 1970) creators = Stan Lee (writer), Jack Kirby (artist)… …   Wikipedia

  • Vertigo (Marvel Comics) — Vertigo is the name of two separate characters in the Marvel Universe possessing similar powers. The member of Salem s Seven, whose father is Nicholas Scratch, first appeared in Fantastic Four #186 while the more well known character to be called …   Wikipedia

  • Gabriel the Devil Hunter — Superherobox| caption= comic color=background:#ff8080 character name=Gabriel the Devil Hunter real name=Gabriel Rosetti, although some of his earlier appearances imply that Gabriel is his last name. species= publisher=Marvel Comics debut= Haunt… …   Wikipedia

  • Joe Chill — Dieser Artikel oder Abschnitt bedarf einer Überarbeitung. Näheres ist auf der Diskussionsseite angegeben. Hilf mit, ihn zu verbessern, und entferne anschließend diese Markierung. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Gegner Batmans im Laufe der Jahrzehnte …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”