Nikolai Dante

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Nikolai Dante

Nikolai Dante on the cover of 2000 AD prog 1139, drawn by Simon Fraser; copyright Rebellion A/S 2005.
Publication information
Publisher Rebellion A/S
First appearance 2000 AD #1035 (1997)
Created by Robbie Morrison
Simon Fraser
In story information
Alter ego Nikolai Dante
Team affiliations Agent of Tsar Vladimir the Conqueror, Romanov Dynasty, Katarina Dante's pirate crew
Notable aliases The Gentleman Thief, The Hero of Rudinshtein
Abilities Bio-blades, accelerated healing, telepathic communication with a Weapons Crest (an alien computer disguised as the Romanov crest); expert marksman with fast reflexes

Nikolai Dante is the eponymous hero of a comics series published in the weekly British science fiction anthology 2000 AD. Created by writer Robbie Morrison and artist Simon Fraser, Dante first appeared in 1997 in Prog 1035. Fraser was the primary artist on the series for the first three years, with support from artists such as Charlie Adlard, Henry Flint, Chris Weston and Andy Clarke. From 2000 the majority of the stories were painted by John Burns. Fraser returned to the character in October 2006, his first work on the strip since April 2002.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Set in future Russia, the series follows Dante, a swashbuckling young thief and ladies' man, as he discovers he is an illegitimate scion of the Romanov Dynasty, aristocratic rivals to the Tsar, Vladimir the Conqueror of the House of Makarov. Dante's Romanov genes enable him to bond with a "Weapons Crest", a biological weapon which gives members of the dynasty superhuman abilities: in Dante's case, the ability to extend bio-blades from his hands. He gleefully outrages aristocratic society and enjoys a turbulent relationship with the Tsar's daughter Jena. Eventually war breaks out between the Makarov and Romanov dynasties, despite Jena and Dante's attempts to prevent it, and they break off their burgeoning romance to side with their families. After the end of the war and the defeat of the Romanovs, Dante returns to thieving, joining his mother, Katarina Dante, and her notorious pirate crew, before being recruited by the Tsar to investigate the proliferation of cyborganic weaponry similar to the Romanov Weapons Crest.

[edit] Characters

  • Nikolai Dante - thief, ladies' man and illegitimate son of Dmitri Romanov. Dante's mother is Katarina Dante, a feared pirate. Abandoned at a young age, Dante has been forced to survive by turning to crime. Inadvertently bonded with the weapons crest intended for Arkady Romanov. The crest allows Dante to generate bio-blades as well as providing him with limited regenerative abilities. The crest is also programmed to educate Dante on the correct manners of a nobleman.

[edit] The Romanovs

The Romanovs are one of the most powerful dynasties in Russia, rivalling the Makarovs in influence and military power. The main source of the family's power is its "Weapons Crests", cybernetic symbiots from another dimension which provided their bearers with incredible powers. The Crests were designed to only bond with members of the Romanov family.

  • Dmitri Romanov - head of the Romanov dynasty, aristocratic rivals to the Tsar, and Dante's father - Committs suicide at the end of the war;
  • Jocasta Romanov - Dmitri's sister and, via genetic engineering, the mother of his legitimate children. After the war she enters a nunnery, refusing to join the Tsars court. Her children with Dmitri were:
    • Valentine - the "blunt instrument" of the Romanov Dynasty, scarred physically and mentally by his prototype Crest - Killed by Dante during the "Darkstar Crisis";
    • Konstantin - born leader, Crest generates nuclear fusion energy - Believed killed (by Dante) during the Battle of New Moscow;
    • Andreas - womaniser and hellraiser, Crest gives him throwable bio-blades - Killed during the Siege of Rudinshtein;
    • Viktor - enigmatic loner, Crest transforms him into a Romanov eagle - Believed killed by the Lord Protector;
    • Lulu - seductive vamp, Crest creates swarms of vicious demons, at the end of the Civil War Lulu surrenders to Imperial forces but escaped shortly after, she then begins waging a terrorist campaign against the Empire - Killed by Dante shortly after the war;[1]
    • Alexandr and Alexandra - twins whose Crests allow them to combine into one super-being as well as produce explosive nano-mines - Killed by Dante;
    • Nastasia - narcissistic sexual predator, Crest allows her to spit deadly venom and acids - Killed by the Lord Protector;
    • Arkady - youngest of Dmitri's sons, the Crest intended for him bonded with Dante instead, survived the war and was made a ward of the Tsars Court. Recently promoted to commander of the Scarlet Wraiths, part of the Empires intelligence agency.

[edit] The Makarovs and their allies

  • Tsar Vladimir the Conqueror - ruthless ruler of the Russian empire;
  • Tsarina Eugenia (Jena) Vladimirovna Makarova[2] - the Tsar's eldest daughter and Dante's on-off love interest;
  • Lady Juliana Makarov - the Tsar's younger daughter, killed by Konstantin Romanov;
  • Count Pyre - shape-changing alien, Lord Protector of the Tsar and commander of the Scarlet Wraiths;
  • The Lord Protector - Mysterious armoured warrior who serves the Tsar, kills several members of the Romanovs;
  • The Arbatov family - whose members always seem to be on the wrong end of Dante's escapades.

[edit] The Rudinshtein Irregulars

During the war Dante is given command of a regiment raised in his own fiefdom, Rudinshtein. Initially made up of regular soldiers the regiment was eventually supplemented by troops drawn from penal units.

  • Sergeant Elena Kurakin - Half Russian, half Mongolian swordswoman, imprisoned for killing her superior officer for cowardice. Dante makes her his bodyguard;
  • The Grozny Gang:
    • Boris Grozny - Eldest member and leader of the gang. Dies during the siege of Rudinshtein destroying several Imperial war machines;
    • Foma "the Coma" Grozny - A fragment of metal in his brain makes him impervious to pain. Dies alongside Boris;
    • Ursa Grozny - the only female in the gang, killed by Dante to prevent her being tortured to death;
    • Unnamed Member - An unnamed member of the family was killed by Dante;
  • Lord Peter Flintlock - Former British officer, a somewhat foppish coward;
  • Spatchcock - Described as the filthiest man in the Empire due to his poor personal hygiene habits.

[edit] Other recurring characters

  • The Countessa de Wynter - a beautiful and manipulative con-artist;
  • Katarina Dante - pirate queen and Dante's mother;
  • Eloise de Janissaire - leader of the mercenary Warlords and Dante's wife;
  • Akita Sagawa - Japanese Yakuza leader;
  • The Kraken - leader of the Pacific Rievers;
  • "Papa" Yeltsin - Leader of the criminal elements in New Moscow.

[edit] Other Characters and Imperial Factions

  • The White Army and the Red Guard - warring factions from a parallel dimension, the White Army created the Weapons Crest technology, while the Red Guard fight to preserve their humanity:
  • Sir Richard Hawksmoore - former Tsarist warrior turned mercenary, obsessed with Jena Makarov;
  • Captain Luther Emmanuel - Former agent of Britannia Intelligence and member of the Cadre Infernale. A powerful Psionic, he uses his abilities both to interrogate prisoners and swindle casinos. After the war he supports Lulu Romanov's terror campaign before being captured (and killed) by the Lord Protector.[3]

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] Comics

Nikolai Dante has appeared in a large number of stories in 2000 AD all of which have been written by Robbie Morrison.

[edit] Collections

Rebellion are collecting the stories into a series of trade paperbacks:

  • Nikolai Dante: The Romanov Dynasty (November 2004, ISBN 1-904265-20-0):
    • "Nikolai Dante" (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD #1035-1041, 1997)
    • "The Romanov Dynasty" (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD #1042-1049, 1997)
    • "Russia's Greatest Love Machine" (with Chris Weston, in 2000 AD #1066, 1997)
    • "The Gentleman Thief" (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD #1067-1070, 1997)
    • "The Full Dante" (with Charlie Adlard, in 2000 AD #1071, 1997)
    • "Moscow Duellists" (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD #1072-1075, 1997)
    • "The Gulag Apocalyptic" (with Henry Flint, in 2000 AD #1079-1082, 1998)
  • Nikolai Dante: The Great Game (March 2005, ISBN 1-904265-32-4):
    • "The Trouble with Arbatovs" (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD #1083, 1998)
    • "Cruel Britannia" (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD #1084, 1998)
    • "The Great Game" (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD #1101-1110, 1998)
    • "The Octobriana Seduction" (with Andy Clarke, in 2000 AD #1113-1116, 1998)
    • "Masque of Dante" (with Charlie Adlard, in 2000 AD #1125-1127, 1999)
    • "The Moveable Feast" (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD #1128-1130, 1999)
    • "Tour of Duty" (with Charlie Adlard, in 2000 AD #1131-1133, 1999)
    • "The Cadre Infernale" (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD #1134-1137, 1999)
    • "The Hunting Party" (with Andy Clarke, in 2000 AD #1139-1140, 1999)
  • Nikolai Dante: The Courtship of Jena Makarov (January 2006, ISBN 1-904265-44-8):
    • "Fists of Fury" (with Charlie Adlard, in 2000 AD #1141, 1999)
    • "Last Dance of the Trans-Siberian" (with Charlie Adlard, in 2000 AD #1142-1143, 1999)
    • "Cruel Seas" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD #1148-1149, 1999)
    • "Requiem for Lost Love" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD #1150, 1999)
    • "The Courtship of Jena Makarov " (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD #1161-1172 , 1999)
    • "Love and War" (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD prog 2000, 1999)
  • Nikolai Dante: Tsar Wars Vol. 1 (September 2006, ISBN 1-904265-95-2):
    • "Rudinshtein Irregulars " (with John Burns, in 2000 AD #1183-1190, 2000)
    • "Love and War" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD #1200-1207, 2000)
    • "Battleship Potemkin" (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD #1213-1220, 2000)
  • Nikolai Dante: Tsar Wars Vol. 2 (March 2007, ISBN 1-905437-24-2):
    • "One Last Night in the House of Sin" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD prog 2001, 2000)
    • "The Beguiling" (with Steve Yeowell in 2000 AD #1234-1235, 2001)
    • "Fiends" (with Steve Yeowell in 2000 AD #1236-1239, 2001)
    • "The Romanov Empire" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD #1250-1262, 2001)
  • Nikolai Dante: Hell And High Water (April 2008, ISBN 1-905437-59-7):
    • "The Return of the Gentleman Thief" (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD prog 2002 & #1273-1274, 2001-2002)
    • "The Romanov Job" (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD #1280-1287, 2002)
    • "Hell and High Water" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD prog 2003 & #1322-1328, 2002-2003)
    • "The Sea Falcon" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD prog 2004, 2003)
    • "Agent of Destruction" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD prog 2005 & #1420-1427, 2004-2005)

[edit] Uncollected

  • Nikolai Dante:
    • "How could you believe me when I said I loved you when you know I've been a liar all my life?" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD #1428-1431, 2005)
    • "Primal Screams" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD #1433-1436, 2005)
    • "Devil's Deal" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD prog 2006, 2005)
    • "Usurper" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD #1487-1489, 2006)
    • "The Depths" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD #1500-1501, 2006)
    • "Dragon's Island" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD #1502-1507, 2006)
    • "Sword of the Tsar" (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD #1511-1516, 2006)
    • "The Road of Bones" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD prog 2007, 2006)
    • "Deadlier than the Male" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD #1518-1520, 2007)
    • "Hellfire" (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD #1526-1531, 2007)
    • "The Beast of Rudinshtein" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD #1532-1535, 2007)
    • "The Dissenter" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD #1537, 2007)
    • "Thieves' World" (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD #1538-1544, 2007)
    • "The Chaperone" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD #1560-1564, 2007)
    • "Destiny's Child" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD prog 2008, 2007)
    • "The Tsar's Daughter" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD #1578-1580, 2008)
    • "Amerika" (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD #1589-ongoing, 2008)

[edit] Novels

A number of novelisations have been written by David Bishop and published by Black Flame. The first, "The Strangelove Gambit", details Dante's misadventures as a tutor in a boarding school for young ladies that hides a deadly secret.

So far they include:

[edit] Trivia

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • In the installment "The Romanov Job" there are cameo appearances by thinly disguised characters from other comics including:

[edit] References

  1. ^ 2000AD Prog 1531 - 04 April 07
  2. ^ 2000AD Prog 1537 - 16 May 07
  3. ^ 2000AD Prog 1528 - 14 March 07

[edit] External links