Saturnyne

Opal Luna Saturnyne is the name of a fictional comic book character created by Dave Thorpe and Alan Davis for their Captain Britain stories. She is the Omniversal Majestrix of Otherworld, and a servant of Roma, charged with the safety of the Omniverse.

Her first appearance was in Marvel Superheroes, #381 during The Crooked World storyline. She later played a major part in Alan Moore and Alan Davis' Jaspers' Warp storyline.

Fictional character biography

Saturnyne originally hails from Earth 9, one in a myriad of alternative universes. She was a highly intelligent and ambitious woman and ended up on Otherworld as the Omniversal Majestrix, a function where she was part of the Dimensional Development Court, oversaw the Captain Britain Corps and was charged with the safekeeping and maintenance of order and reality of the entire Omniverse. Saturnyne only had to report to Merlyn, the Omniversal Guardian. Saturnyne felt no moral or ethical conflict in sacrificing anybody, even an entire universe, if it meant the preservation of the Omniverse.

Whenever she decided to take a more personal interest in a matter, she could call upon the Avant Guard, her personal elite. The Avant Guard appeared to be normal men, dressed in business suits and each carrying an umbrella, but these umbrellas were in fact highly advanced weapons, capable of various abilities like interdimensional travel, destructive blasts and rays capable of devolving opponents. She was assisted by Dimples, an overweight man who loved Saturnyne deeply. Saturnyne herself cared little for Dimples and saw him only as a useful servant.

Saturnyne first came into contact with Brian Braddock, also known as Captain Britain, a warrior from Earth-616. They met on Earth 238, also known as the Crooked World. This Earth was deemed to be a threat to the Omniverse and Saturnyne convinced Captain Britain to help evolve the backwards planet, hoping to eliminate its threat. They were opposed by the Status Crew, a group charged with maintaining the status quo. Saturnyne and Captain Britain cooperated and managed to evolve the world, but were surprised to see a bigger threat take its place: an alternate reality Mad Jim Jaspers used his powers to create the Jaspers' Warp, causing widespread insanity and the collapse of reality. Captain Britain and Saturnyne wanted to stop him, but were stopped by the Fury, a killer machine. Saturnyne fled with her Avant Guard, leaving a heartbroken Dimples, Captain Britain and his sidekick Jackdaw behind. All three were killed by the Fury, shortly thereafter.^[1]

The Dimensional Development Court was not pleased with what they perceived as Saturnyne's failure. She was arrested and replaced by a man called Mandragon, who destroyed the Earth 238 universe to prevent the Jaspers Warp from spreading. Merlyn had resurrected Captain Britain (but not Jackdaw) though and the Fury managed to survive and escape under his own power. Captain Britain and the interdimensional mercenaries known as the Special Executive would help Saturnyne escape from the Court to Earth-616. On Earth-616, Mad Jim Jaspers, an even more powerful version than the one on Earth 238, came into power and threatened the world. Meanwhile the Fury also made its way to Earth-616 and came to battle with Jaspers. During the conflict, Merlyn died (though later he would reveal that he had just faked his death). In the end the Fury killed Jaspers and was killed shortly afterwards by Captain Britain and Captain UK from Earth 238 with help from Saturnyne and the Special Executive. Saturnyne managed to obtain cell samples of Jaspers though and threatened to unleash a clone on Mandragon's world if he didn't return her former position to her. Merlyn's daughter Roma succeeded her father, and Saturnyne became an agent of Roma.

Despite having cooperated with Captain Britain at various times, her duty would come first and foremost and she came into conflict with Captain Britain when she sent the bounty-hunters known as the Technet after Phoenix. The Technet failed to capture her and Phoenix joined Captain Britain, Shadowcat, Meggan and Nightcrawler to form Excalibur.^[2] Saturnyne later met Phoenix in person, but did not capture her.^[3] Saturnyne later appeared in a hologram, and rescinded her warrant against Phoenix but indefinitely extended the Technet's exile on Earth. She also delivered a message from Roma asking the other Captain Britains to free Excalibur's Captain Britain.^[4] Later events would reveal that Saturnyne was acting under Roma's orders when she originally sent the Technet against Phoenix, and that the Technet was meant to fail, resulting in the formation of Excalibur.

Saturnyne would remain Roma's servant and Omniversal Majestrix for the following years until the villain Mastermind destroyed the Captain Britain Corps and imprisoned Roma. Captain Britain managed to defeat Mastermind and Roma named Captain Britain, now more powerful than ever before, the new ruler of Otherworld. Saturnyne returned as Omniversal Majestrix, but had a bitter relationship with Brian, whom she deemed unworthy of his new position.

Saturnyne was also summoned by Roma when the being Abraxas tried to destroy creation. While Roma was killed, Saturnyne used her powers to protect Franklin Richards and Valeria. Though it is unknown what powers she might have.

Saturnyne made appearances in a House of M tie-in story in Uncanny X-Men #462-465, which included many classic Marvel UK characters such as Saturnyne, Captain Britain, Roma, Jamie Braddock and a resurrected James Jaspers. In the following Excalibur series, Captain Britain returned to Earth-616 and joined the group, apparently giving up his duties and powers as ruler of Otherworld.

During the Spider-Verse storyline, Saturnyne and Lady Roma express their concerns about the Incursions that are destroying many dimensions as Spider-UK arrives to express his concern about all the spiders across the multiverse 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.^[5]

Powers and abilities

Opal Luna Saturnyne has no known superhuman powers, but has an athletic build and is a cunning strategist. She sometimes employs otherworldly devices, such as pshyecom crystals which carry holographic messages. She also has access to space and dimension warp technologies.

Other versions

Saturnyne has counterparts on many worlds. The most important among these are:

• Courtney Ross: A banker on Earth-616. She was the ex-girlfriend of Captain Britain and was killed by Sat-Yr-9.
• Sat-Yr-9 (Opul Lun Sat-Yr-Nin): Despot of Earth 839, deposed by Captain UK and fled to Earth-616. She killed Courtney Ross and took her place. She later became the White Queen of the Hellfire Club.
• Sat'neen: A princess and sorceress from Earth 148, lover of Kylun, killed by Necrom.
• Queen Mother: Queen of England in Earth-1193, a world filled with magic and mystical creatures, who coexist with humans.

Notes

• Saturnyne has used the name Mitra as an expletive once, suggesting that this god is worshipped on her Earth.
• Saturnyne has tried to seduce Captain Britain at some points, while dismissing him completely at others. Brian in turn is physically attracted to the very beautiful Saturnyne (especially because she is also the spitting image of his first love, Courtney Ross), but is turned off by her occasional cruelty and coldness.

References

External links

• UXM entry on Saturnyne