Salem's Seven is a fictional team of magical beings and former
supervillains
A supervillain or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character that is commonly found in American comic books, usually possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero.
Supervillains are ofte ...
appearing in
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 ...
. They were initially foes of the
Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Her first appearance was in ''The X-Men'' #4 (March 1964) ...
and the
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
, but became allies to both. All seven are the children of
Nicholas Scratch and the grandchildren of
Agatha Harkness
Agatha Harkness is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a powerful witch, typically portrayed as a friend and teacher of Scarlet Witch, Wanda Maximoff, as well as the mother of Nicholas Scratc ...
. They are humans with magic powers who can transform into fantastic creatures with super-powers.
Publication history
The team first appeared in ''
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
'' #186 (September 1977), and was created by
Len Wein
Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men ( ...
and
George Pérez
George Pérez (; June 9, 1954 – May 6, 2022) was an American comic book artist and writer, who worked primarily as a penciller. He came to prominence in the 1970s penciling ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' and ''The Avengers (co ...
.
Fictional history
Salem's Seven originated in New Salem,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
, a hidden town in an unsettled part of the
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
, populated entirely by magic users who mostly lived in fear of normal humanity due to the persecution they faced during the
Salem witch trials
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 200 people were accused. Thirty people were found guilty, 19 of whom w ...
. Salem's Seven were fathered by
Nicholas Scratch with different mothers. Scratch's own mother
Agatha Harkness
Agatha Harkness is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a powerful witch, typically portrayed as a friend and teacher of Scarlet Witch, Wanda Maximoff, as well as the mother of Nicholas Scratc ...
was the most powerful of the town's inhabitants, but she chose to live among humanity. In time, she becomes the governess for
Franklin Richards (son of
Invisible Woman
The Invisible Woman (Susan "Sue" Storm-Richards) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four and was the first female superhero created by Marvel during ...
and
Mister Fantastic
Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace a ...
of the
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
). Scratch has Salem's Seven abduct Agatha purportedly for betraying the New Salem community. They bring Franklin back with them to give to Scratch a new host-body, which forces the Fantastic Four to pursue. Although initially overcome and imprisoned, the Four defeat their captors, banish Scratch from this dimension, and save Harkness. When Salem's Seven try to retaliate against Harkness later, she removes their ability to change forms.
Over the years, Salem's Seven manage to reverse the spells locking them away from their enhanced forms, greatly weakening Harkness in the process. They take control of New Salem, and with Vertigo as their leader, they turn the community against Harkness and burn her at the stake. The
Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Her first appearance was in ''The X-Men'' #4 (March 1964) ...
and
the Vision are drawn to New Salem, where they are captured by the Seven. Gazelle disagrees with the group's plans of sacrifice, and is thrown in with the prisoners. The Vision escapes and battles Vertigo, who draws the powers of the other 665 residents of New Salem into herself. When the Vision defeats Vertigo, she loses control of the power. The Scarlet Witch manages to channel some of it off, but in the ensuing explosion all of New Salem is apparently wiped out, including the Seven.
The next Halloween, Wanda attempts to commune with Harkness's spirit, but instead is drawn into the land of the dead, where she confronts spirits of the Seven (except Gazelle) who had aligned themselves with a being that called itself
Samhain
Samhain ( , , , ; gv, Sauin ) is a Gaelic festival on 1 NovemberÓ hÓgáin, Dáithí. ''Myth Legend and Romance: An Encyclopaedia of the Irish Folk Tradition''. Prentice Hall Press, 1991. p. 402. Quote: "The basic Irish division of the year ...
. Wanda defeats Samhain and binds him within the spirits of six of the Seven.
Through samples of their DNA, Brutacus, Hydron, Reptilla, Thornn, and Vakume are later reanimated as some of
Arnim Zola
Arnim Zola is a supervillain appearing in American comic books by Marvel Comics. He is a master of biochemistry and a recurring enemy of Captain America and the Avengers (comics), Avengers. The character first appeared in ''Captain America (comic ...
's proto-husks. They are all introduced and then promptly slain for humorous effect by
Deadpool
Deadpool is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (cover-dated Feb. 1991). Initially, Deadp ...
.
All members of Salem's Seven are resurrected when the Scarlet Witch's
mental breakdown
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
and manipulation of magic restore them to life. Scratch manipulates them into releasing
Shuma-Gorath
Shuma-Gorath () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
Shuma-Gorath first appears as an adversary for Doctor Strange in ''Marvel Premiere'' #10 (September 1973), created by wr ...
, but they later aid the Fantastic Four,
Diablo, and
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...
in defeating Scratch and Shuma-Gorath. The seven subsequently live with Doctor Strange and are friends of the Fantastic Four.
In the 2014 ''
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They traditionally consisted of teenage and young adult heroes, and were often seen to serve as a junior counterpart to Avengers (comics), ...
'' series, Salem's Seven are seen living as the resident protectors of New Salem, which has become a haven for all people "born of magic".
Through the advice of a mysterious benefactor called Quiet Man,
Wizard enlists Gazelle, Reptilla, and Vertigo to join his
Frightful Four
The Frightful Four are a group of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They serve as the antithesis to the Fantastic Four.
Publication history
The Frightful Four first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' # ...
. They attack Mister Fantastic in Chicago until Scarlet Witch arrives to help him.
During the "
Hunted" storyline, Gazelle is among the animal-themed superhumans captured by
Taskmaster and
Black Ant for
Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter (Sergei Kravinoff; Russian: Сергей Кравинов) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' issue #15 (August 1964) as an adversary to ...
's Great Hunt, sponsored by
Arcade
Arcade most often refers to:
* Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine
** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware
** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board
* Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games
* ...
's company Arcade Industries. In the ensuing chaos, Gazelle is stabbed by a Hunter-Bot controlled by one of the participants.
Members
* Brutacus: Transforms into a
lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...
-like humanoid with red horns. In this form, he has strength and durability sufficient to match
the Thing or Vision.
* Gazelle: Transforms into a cloven-hoofed
deer
Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...
-like person with super-speed and agility.
* Hydron: Transforms into a
fish-man
The fish-man of Liérganes ( Cantabrian: ''L'hombri pez'' or es, El hombre pez) is an entity of the mythology of Cantabria, located in the north of Spain. The fish-man would be an amphibian human-looking being, who looked a lot like a metamor ...
who can fire controllable streams of water from the stump-end of his left arm.
* Reptilla: Transforms into a
snake
Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...
-like form with a single long snake tail instead of legs, and two poisonous snakes instead of her arms. She can constrict and bite with her hand-snakes.
* Thornn: Transforms into a yellow
demon
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...
-like humanoid with large red thorns jutting from the arms and legs. He can throw explosive thorns or stunning thorns.
* Vakume: Transforms into a featureless purple humanoid. He can become intangible and control air, creating winds and vacuums.
* Vertigo: Eldest daughter of Scratch with no special transformation. She is not the same character as
Vertigo
Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...
of the
Savage Land Mutates
The Savage Land Mutates is a supervillain group of criminals appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Their creators were writer Roy Thomas and the penciler/inker team of Neal Adams and Tom Palmer. Within the comic books, th ...
, but possesses the same ability to attack a person's sense of balance.
Other versions
Ultimate Marvel
Appearing in
Ultimate Fantastic Four
''Ultimate Fantastic Four'' is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running ''Fantastic Four'' comic book franchise as part of the Ultimate Marvel imprint. The Ultimate ...
and operating out of Salem, Oregon, the Seven are a new superhero team. Although they save many people, they are just as quick to fight the Fantastic Four. Members include:
* Alpha Dog: Leader of the Seven. He can alter the density of objects to make it appear he has super strength and invulnerability.
* Ghostware: Member of the Seven who can phase others and self through solid matter.
* Neuropath: Member of the Seven with emotional induction that can control others' emotions.
* Penultimate: Member of the Seven with cybernetically-enhanced body and high-tech weaponry.
* Primal Screamer: Member of the Seven with powerful vocal blasts.
* Filament: Member of the Seven who creates hyper-dimensional threads which cut through all matter
* Synchron: Member of the Seven who can alter probability in such a way that he can be in several positions at once, attacking from many directions.
In issue #56, it is revealed that the group are one being: a creature known as the Dragon-of-Seven that can separate into multiple forms. As a single entity, the Dragon-of-Seven takes the form of Agatha Harkness. The Dragon-of-Seven poses as Harkness in order to make the Fantastic Four doubt how they work as a team, and as the Seven so that they would doubt even further, as part of a plot to kidnap the
Human Torch
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 ...
, to force him to explode, and give birth to more just like him. The Dragon-of-Seven is killed when the
Invisible Woman
The Invisible Woman (Susan "Sue" Storm-Richards) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four and was the first female superhero created by Marvel during ...
finds a way to reverse the heat waves, so that the Dragon-of-Seven, in the form of the Seven, explodes instead.
[''Ultimate Fantastic Four'' #56. Marvel Comics.]
In other media
Salem's Seven appeared in ''
The Avengers: United They Stand'' episode "The Sorceress Apprentice". Alongside Nicholas Scratch, they kidnap Agatha Harkness. Scarlet Witch and Vision fight them while the other
Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
fight
Grim Reaper
Death is frequently imagined as a personified force. In some mythologies, a character known as the Grim Reaper (usually depicted as a berobed skeleton wielding a scythe) causes the victim's death by coming to collect that person's soul. Other b ...
.
References
External links
Salem's Sevenat Marvel Wiki
Salem's Sevenat Comic Vine
*
{{Fantastic Four
Marvel Comics witches
Marvel Comics characters who use magic
Marvel Comics supervillain teams
Fantastic Four characters