Marco (Animorphs)

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Marco, as portrayed by David B. Mattingly, morphing into his battle morph, a gorilla

Marco is a fictional character from the sci-fi book series, Animorphs, written by K. A. Applegate. His last name is never mentioned.

[edit] Biography

Marco is often referred to as the strategist of the group. He coined the name "Animorphs." His methods can be ruthless, but he is good with strategy and security. He is slightly conceited and has dubbed himself the "cute" Animorph. He and Jake have been best friends since they were little.

Marco's dad is Peter, who lost interest in life for two years after the supposed death of Marco's mother, Eva. In reality, she was infested by Visser One roughly a year and a half prior to the series,^{[citation needed]} and her death in a boating accident was faked as a way to get her off the planet. Throughout most of the series, Marco battles with himself about her fate—should he kill her or try to set her free?—and comes very close to killing her in many of the books, until he finally frees her in The Revelation. Marco's father was uninformed until that same book, when he is finally told the truth and is the first of the Animorphs' relatives to join the war effort.

Marco is reluctant to fight because his father would not be able to handle his death. He also argues that they are simply kids and that this is not their battle. When he coins the phrase "Animorphs," he describes the group as "idiot teenagers with a death wish." However, he also has a strong sense of loyalty, and says that he will fight to free Jake's brother, Tom. He announces that he is quitting in #5, but when he sees his mother is a Controller, he vows to continue on fighting until she is free.

Like Rachel, Marco has a bit of a dark side, which shows up in his (at times) very cold and ruthless schemes. Marco is often focused on the "big picture" (winning the war), sometimes at the cost of the "little" things (his mother, for example). He also struggles between the dream of his mother returning to normalcy and moving on, accepting her for dead. This conflict is revealed in The Proposal. He isn't entirely comfortable with this aspect of himself, but has embraced it. In #10: The Android, he develops a lust for gruesome revenge against the Yeerks, and admits to enjoying being violent (for example, he worries Ax when he tries to kill a beetle in spider morph), even though he constantly derides Rachel's violent habits.

Marco prides himself on an ability to see from A to Z - to chart a plan without thought for morals or values. This is not to say he is amoral, as he is able to factor in these values and alter the plan accordingly - but he does have the ability to see what needs to be done to achieve goals. In this way, he is extremely valuable strategically.

At the end of the series, Marco has a flourishing post-war life; specifically, he becomes a celebrity, starring in TV shows, giving interviews, and becoming the unofficial spokesperson for the Animorphs. He deeply enjoys the playboy lifestyle, although he does not hesitate to give it all up and join Jake in a possibly suicidal mission in order to rescue their friend Ax.

Marco is also the only Animorph in the series without a main love interest, though not for lack of trying. It is hinted that he may have a bit of a crush on Rachel, and the two do date in an alternate reality in Megamorphs #4: Back to Before.

[edit] Marco's Morphs

• Gorilla ("Big Jim", first morph, preferred battle morph)
• Osprey (preferred aerial morph)
• Cobra
• Wolf
• Trout
• Dolphin
• Seagull
• Lobster
• Ant
• Cockroach
• Housefly
• Mouse
• Termite
• Great Horned Owl
• Skunk
• Irish Setter
• Wolf Spider
• Bat
• Spider Monkey (cannot be used: Sario Rip morph)
• Jaguar (cannot be used: Sario Rip morph)
• Llama
• Horse (Racehorse)
• Parrot
• Hammerhead Shark
• Mole
• Mosquito
• Leeran,
• Tyrannosaurus rex (cannot be used: Sario Rip morph)
• King Cobra ("Spawn")
• Flea
• Rhinoceros
• Anteater
• Seal
• Polar Bear (Nanook)
• Giant Squid
• Chimpanzee
• Eel
• Human ("Mr. Grant")
• Mountain Goat
• Squirrel
• Cockatiel
• Poodle ("Euclid")
• Orca ("Swoosh")
• Cheetah
• Honeybee
• Hork-Bajir
• Beaver
• German Shepherd ("Champ")
• Mallard
• Human (State Governor)

[edit] Marco's Books

This is a list of books narrated solely by Marco:

• The Predator
• The Android
• The Escape
• The Discovery
• The Extreme
• The Reunion
• The Proposal
• The Other
• The Revelation
• The Absolute

Marco also takes part in the narration of:

• The Andalite's Gift
• In the Time of Dinosaurs
• Elfangor's Secret
• Back to Before
• The Journey - narrates partly because Rachel and others are shrunken inside his body
• The Beginning

[edit] Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• Marco is one of the characters whose battle morph is often forgotten for merchandising and illustration purposes; although he very rarely uses anything besides his gorilla morph in regular battle, he was illustrated morphing into a wolf on the cover of Megamorphs #1, and a cobra in Megamorphs #4, while the other characters were all shown morphing into their preferred battle morphs. In the Animorphs TV series, he was usually portrayed morphing into a wolf (Cassie's usual battle morph), rather than a gorilla.
• In 1999, four different Transformers toys of Marco were made. Two of the larger ones that were sold in stores turned into a Gorilla and a Fire Beetle, while the third was one piece of the Tyrannosaurus Rex made up of Jake, Cassie, and Marco figures. The smaller transformer was part of a Taco Bell children's meal promotion and turned into a hammer head shark.^[1]

[edit] References

1. ^ http://www.tfu.info