Roma (comics)
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Roma is a
fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...
al character appearing in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. She is the daughter of Merlyn. Roma is the Omniversal Guardian, charged with the safety of the
Omniverse Omniverse may refer to: * '' Omniverse .:. Frequency'', a 2002 album by Rake * ''Omniverse'', a 1970s-era fanzine produced by Mark Gruenwald * '' Ben 10: Omniverse'', a series part of the Ben 10 franchise * Nvidia Omniverse, a graphics collaborat ...
. She is assisted in her task by
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. Formerly the servant of Roma (comics), Roma, ...
(the Omniversal Majestrix), and the
Captain Britain Corps Captain Britain is a title used by various superheroes in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Excalibur. The moniker was first used in publication by Brian Braddock in ''Captain Britain Weekly'' #1 by writer Chr ...
.


Publication history

Roma first appeared in Marvel UK's ''
Captain Britain Captain Britain is a title used by various superheroes in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Excalibur. The moniker was first used in publication by Brian Braddock in ''Captain Britain Weekly'' #1 by writer Ch ...
'', in the first issue in Oct. 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 is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
, with Roma in a small role. Initially published as a black & white story in the UK's ''
Super Spider-Man & Captain Britain ''Spider-Man Comics Weekly'' was a Marvel UK publication which primarily published black-and-white reprints of American Marvel four-color Spider-Man stories. Marvel UK's second-ever title, ''Spider-Man Comics Weekly'' debuted in 1973, initially pu ...
'' comic, this was then coloured and reprinted in an American title, Marvel's long-running ''
Marvel Team-Up ''Marvel Team-Up'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story. The series was originally published from March 1972 through February 1985, and featured Spider-Man as ...
'' series, issue #65.


Fictional character biography


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 The concept of an otherworld in historical Indo-European religion is reconstructed in comparative mythology. Its name is a calque of ''orbis alius'' (Latin for "other Earth/world"), a term used by Lucan in his description of the Celtic 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 endowing Captain Britain with great physical strength, Roma also originally gave him 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 Captain Britain is a title used by various superheroes in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Excalibur. The moniker was first used in publication by Brian Braddock in ''Captain Britain Weekly'' #1 by writer C ...
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
Colossus Colossus, Colossos, or the plural Colossi or Colossuses, may refer to: Statues * Any exceptionally large statue ** List of tallest statues ** :Colossal statues * ''Colossus of Barletta'', a bronze statue of an unidentified Roman emperor * ''Col ...
shortly after "
Mutant Massacre "Mutant Massacre" was a 1986 Marvel Comics crossover storyline. It primarily involved the superhero teams the X-Men and X-Factor. The solo hero Thor, the New Mutants, Power Pack and Daredevil crossed over for an issue each in their own comic boo ...
" and before "
Inferno Inferno may refer to: * Hell, an afterlife place of suffering * Conflagration, a large uncontrolled fire Film * ''L'Inferno'', a 1911 Italian film * Inferno (1953 film), ''Inferno'' (1953 film), a film noir by Roy Ward Baker * Inferno (1973 fi ...
." Colossus had just healed from his injuries inflicted on him by the Marauders when the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
were fighting to rescue the
Morlocks Morlocks are a fictional species created by H. G. Wells for his 1895 novel,''The Time Machine'', and are the main antagonists. Since their creation by H. G. Wells, the Morlocks have appeared in many other works such as sequels, films, televisio ...
. 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 An adversary is generally considered to be a person, group, or force that opposes and/or attacks. Adversary may also refer to: * Satan ("adversary" in Hebrew), in Judeo-Christian religion Entertainment Fiction * Adversary (comics), villain fro ...
), 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 A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to th ...
's spell, it took harnessing the souls of all eight active X-Men and
Madelyne Pryor Madelyne Jennifer Pryor is a Character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith (comics), Paul Smith, the character first appeared in ''Uncann ...
, 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 In Arthurian legend, the Siege Perilous ( cy, Gwarchae Peryglus, also known as The Perilous Seat, cy, Sedd Peryglus) is a vacant seat at the Round Table reserved by Merlin for the knight who would one day be successful in the quest for the Holy ...
. 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 Master Mold is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics most commonly appearing as an enemy of the X-Men and Mutant (Marvel Comics), mutant-related comic books. Publication History The Master Mold ...
/
Nimrod Nimrod (; ; arc, ܢܡܪܘܕ; ar, نُمْرُود, Numrūd) is a biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Books of Chronicles. The son of Cush and therefore a great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod was described as a king in the land of ...
), Havok,
Psylocke Psylocke is the name of two connected fictional Mutant (Marvel Comics), mutant superheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. The first character to use the Psylocke moniker, Betsy Braddoc ...
, Dazzler, 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 Meggan with the surviving X-Men
Shadowcat Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. The character first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #129 (January 1980) and was co-created by wri ...
and Nightcrawler. Together they saved
Rachel Summers Rachel Anne Summers (also known as Rachel Grey) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-plotter John Byrne (comics), John Byrne. In h ...
, host to the Phoenix Force, and formed
Excalibur Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...
. To keep the individualistic Captain Britain a part of Excalibur, Roma put a
jinx A jinx (also jynx), in popular superstition and folklore, is a curse or the attribute of attracting bad or negative luck. The word ''"jynx"'' meaning the bird wryneck and sometimes a charm or spell has been in use in English since the seventeent ...
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 () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Formerly a mortal man, Galactus is a cosmic entity who consumes planets to sustain his life force, and serves a functional role in the upkeep of ...
not to slay
Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
. 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 is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as an enemy of the British superhero group Excalibur. Created by writer/artist Alan Davis, the character first a ...
, 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, Master Mind or The Mastermind may refer to: Fictional characters * Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde), a fictional supervillain in Marvel Comics, a title also held by his daughters: ** Martinique Jason, the first daughter and successor of the ...
, 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
Gatecrasher Gatecrasher is an international clubbing brand made famous by the "Gatecrasher" (later "Crasher") dance music events, which were held at the Republic nightclub in Sheffield, UK during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The promoters of the brand ...
to kidnap Franklin Richards, thinking he was too powerful to stay on Earth and with his family.
Johnny Storm The Human Torch (Jonathan "Johnny" Storm) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of a si ...
was later able to convince her otherwise. She again appeared when
Abraxas Abraxas ( grc-x-biblical, ἀβραξάς, abraxas, variant form romanized: ) is a word of mystic meaning in the system of the Gnostic Basilides, being there applied to the "Great Archon" (), the princeps of the 365 spheres (). The word is found ...
was trying to find the Ultimate Nullifier. She summoned
Valeria Richards Valeria Meghan Richards, originally von Doom, is a fictional character of Marvel Comics, the daughter of Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) and the Invisible Woman (Susan Storm-Richards) and goddaughter of Doctor Victor von Doom. She is the younge ...
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-616 In the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 is the primary continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place. History of the term The term was first used in "Rough Justice", a story credited to both Alan Moore and Alan Davis p ...
, briefly appears to Captain Britain in a dream, telling him that he only has 48 hours to save Earth-616, which
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. Formerly the servant of Roma (comics), Roma, ...
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
Sage Sage or SAGE may refer to: Plants * ''Salvia officinalis'', common sage, a small evergreen subshrub used as a culinary herb ** Lamiaceae, a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint or deadnettle or sage family ** ''Salvia'', a large ...
before Merlyn removes the same knowledge and kills her.


Incursions

Lady Roma has since been revealed to have been restored to life. She is seen along with
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. Formerly the servant of Roma (comics), Roma, ...
expressing their concerns about the Incursions that are destroying many dimensions when they are interrupted by Spider-UK who reveals that all the spiders across the multiverse are being hunted and killed. Saturnyne rebuffs him rude and coldly, 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.


The Floating Kingdom

Following the rebirth of all existence after the Incursion crisis, Roma lost her position as the Omniversal Majestrix and ruler of Otherworld to Saturnyne and split apart from her father, Merlyn. This is the result of a deal she made with Saturnyne in the future Otherworld province Blightspoke, after Otherworld was destroyed by Mapmakers. They agreed that she would rebuild Otherworld with the Mapmakers power and become Omniversal Magestrix in exchange for making the Fair Courts for her to rule and the Foul Courts for her father to rule, allowing her to finally achieve power outside her fathers control. She created the Floating Kingdom of Roma Regina, which become one of the provinces of the Fair Courts in Otherworld, but due to her desire for freedom and lawlessness, her queendom has become a chaotic (but gentle) hedonism ranging from candylands, ruckus dance halls, neon playrooms, and lusty pleasure zones. As shown in an arc in
New Mutants The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically us ...
, she and her father are no longer on speaking terms. When her father unites most of the nations together in a invasion of the Starlight Citadel that forces Saturnyne and her allies into hiding, The Floating Kingdom of Roma Regina becomes one of the only parts of Otherworld not under his control, it becomes a refuge for mutants who are being hunted down by Furies. Roma brings together 10 specific mutants to help stop her father, declaring them the "Knights of X" and sends them on a mission to find the Siege Perilous. She also agrees to help Jubilee's son Shogo control the powers he has in Otherworld. For his first lesson, she and Saturnyne forced him to watch
Gambit A gambit (from Italian , the act of tripping someone with the leg to make them fall) is a chess opening in which a player sacrifices with the aim of achieving a subsequent advantage. The word ''gambit'' is also sometimes used to describe simi ...
seemingly being killed in battle with King Arthur in their scrying pool to teach him a lesson about sacrifice. She and Saturnyne later flew Shogo to Mercator where they converged with the Knights of X, as well as Arthur and Merlyn's forces.''Knights of X'' #4


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 Captain Britain is a title used by various superheroes in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Excalibur. The moniker was first used in publication by Brian Braddock in ''Captain Britain Weekly'' #1 by writer Ch ...
Corps obeys her commands.


Footnotes


External links

*http://www.marvel.com/universe/Roma
Roma's Profile at Women of Marvel Comics
* {{Captain Britain Characters created by Alan Davis Characters created by Chris Claremont Characters created by Herb Trimpe Comics characters introduced in 1976 Fictional characters from parallel universes Fictional characters with immortality Marvel Comics characters who use magic Marvel UK characters Marvel Comics female superheroes