In Marvel Comics, the Captain Britain Corps is a league of super-heroes all known as, or appear as an alternative version of, Captain Britain. They are all essentially the same hero except they each come from an alternative reality.
Fictional team history
Founded by Merlyn, his daughter Roma and Sir James Braddock, the Corps' main duty was to guard the Multiverse. Each member protected his or her reality based on their dimensional equivalent of Britain, and was powered by the friction between dimensions.
Merlyn and Roma arranged for each chosen member of the Corps to gain superpowers, using any means, disguise or otherwise, possible.
The making of Brian Braddock
Merlyn chose Brian Braddock to become Earth-616's version of Captain Britain. After Braddock had adventured as Captain Britain for a few years, Merlyn sent Braddock to Earth-238, where he overheard that this reality once had a Captain UK, however Braddock was unsure of what this meant until he met Captain England and Captain Albion at a trial in another reality.
Back in his own home world, Braddock allied himself with Captain UK who had taken up home there after her Britain had become a fascist state and the heroes living there were targeted for a genocidal purge. Together they fought the hero-killer Fury after which Captains Britain and UK and their new ally Saturnyne were transported to Merlyn's home, Otherworld. Here they discovered that Merlyn had apparently died. Later they discover that it was one of his many ruses.
Otherworld
For what seems like the first time, the Corps in their entirety attended Merlyn's funeral. Afterwards Roma began taking a more direct approach with the Corps, even making Saturnyne her subordinate (mainly to keep an eye on her). She started bringing Corps members to the Starlight Citadel for training. Roma then added another duty to the Corps list of responsibilities. In addition to protecting their home realities, they must also take turns in defending Otherworld.
During the adventures of Captain Britain (Braddock), Corpsmen would occasionally appear. These appearances are usually to observe important events (such as the wedding of Meggan and Braddock and the conclusion of the Cross-Time Caper) or to carry out a sentence, as when they acted as jury at Braddock’s trial for breaching the Corps Code of Conduct.
Franklin Richards
When Roma perceived Franklin Richards to be a threat, not only to his home reality (Earth-616) but to all of reality, she dispatched the Warwolves, Gatecrasher and her Technet to kidnap him. When her plan was being opposed by the Fantastic Four and Alyssa Moy, who was babysitting Franklin at the time, Roma teleported them all to Otherworld to face the full fury of the entire Corps.
Although they were hampered by having never worked as a team, the Corps eventually started wearing down the heroes, until Franklin used his reality manipulating mutant powers to supercharge his family who defeated the entire Captain Britain Corps. After a brief debate with Human Torch, Roma agreed that Franklin should be left with his family.
However, it was suggested that the entire kidnapping was just a ruse to let Caledonia, a former prisoner of Roma's starlight citadel, infiltrate the Fantastic Four's home as Franklin's nanny to prepare them for their forthcoming battle with Abraxas.
Near destruction
The Corps was nearly wiped out by Mastermind, a villainous computer belonging to Brian Braddock, and a group of mutated children known as the Warpies (victims of the Jaspers' Warp), who were once the wards of Captain UK. Roma stepped down as omniversal guardian, giving the title to Brian Braddock, who became King of Otherworld and rebuilt the Corps.
When the insane mutant Wanda Maximoff altered reality in House of M, another wave of destruction tore through Otherworld. Roma and Saturnyne, in an effort to save the omniverse, give Brian 48 hours to fix the tear in reality, or they will erase his Earth completely. With the sacrifice of Meggan, the heroes are able to seal the tear.
The corps rebuilt its ranks but once again it came under attack, this time from Mad Jim Jaspers and corps members which he began to turn into Furys. The end of the battle saw Roma dead and most of the corps along with her. Saturnyne appointed Albion leader and told Captain Britain to stay and keep an eye on his reality as they rebuilt the corps once again.
Time Runs Out
During the events of "Time Runs Out", the Captain Britain Corps began investigating universal Incursions which were resulting in the destruction of various realities, which had resulted in the deaths of twenty Corpsmen. After the members of the Corps captured a Mapmaker, the Ivory Kings sent their entire forces to overrun the Starlight Citadel, resulting in the entire Corps being decimated. Saturnyne was able to teleport Brian Braddock to safety, leaving him and Billy Braddock (the Spider-Man of Earth-833 who was involved in the events of Spider-Verse at the time) as the Corps' only survivors.
Membership
Although members usually call themselves simply "The Corps", other seems to attach their name to the Corps. For example, "Crusader X Corps" or the better known and most prevalent "Captain Britain Corps", which is better known since Braddock became King of Otherworld.
The Captain Britain Corps spans the multiverse and have a huge collection of members most of which go unnamed. The Corps, not only consists of alternative versions of Brian Braddock from throughout the multiverse, but also characters representing a vast array of different worlds, such as Hauptmann Englande, a member representing a world where Nazis won World War II and Captain Airstrip-One from a world based on George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, while some even vary in species, like an animal version and even more exotic forms. While some members, like Captain U.K., have been utilized throughout many worlds, she provided support for Braddock on Earth-616, and replaced the fallen Captains of Earth-794 and later Earth-839.
Membership is depleted following the attack by Mastermind and the Warpies, M-Day, and Jaspers return, with the ranks slowly being rebuilt first under the command of Brian Braddock (Earth-616) and currently Albion.
Known current members
Former members
Those members who have left or are known to have died:
Unconfirmed
Lists members whose status is unclear, the Corps was decimated in X-Men: Die by the Sword and the full aftermath of that incident has yet to be shown.
- Agent Albion (Victoria Whitman) (Earth-10221) - Excalibur vol. 2 #1 (2001)
- Anglo-Simian (Joseph Cornelius) (Earth-5905) - Excalibur vol. 1 #44 (1991)
- Britannic (Brian Braddock) (Earth-28927) - Excalibur Annual #2
- Britanicus Rex (Brian Braddock) (Earth-99476) -Excalibur vol. 1 #51 - He resided in the dimension also known as Dino-World.
- Britanotron - Excalibur #43
- Caledonia (Alysande Stuart) (Earth-9809) - Fantastic Four vol. 3 #9 - She was a prisoner in the Starlight Citadel before becoming Franklin Richards' nanny on Earth-616 as well as a spy for Roma.
- Cap'n Saxonia (Frideswide Lawley) (Earth-924) -Excalibur #49 - Also a member of Calibur alongside that dimension's versions of Spider-Girl, Iron Fist, Hulk and Dr. Strange. She was sometimes known as Captain Saxonia.
- Captain Albion (Katherine Huggen) (Earth-523) - Daredevils #6
- Captain Angleterre (Paul-Henri Spencer) (Earth-305) - Mighty World of Marvel vol. 2 #13 (1984)
- Captain Britain (Meggan) (Earth-1189) - Excalibur vol. 1 #44 - Her world was devastated by nuclear war. She took over the mantle after her version of Braddock died and became part of the Corps.
- Captain Britain (Brian Braddock) (Earth-3913) - Excalibur vol. 1 #44 (1991) - He was accused of murdering a police officer.
- Captain Britain (Brian Braddock) (Earth-4400) - Exiles #43
- Captain Britain (Brian Braddock) (Earth-7475) - Alpha Flight #74 - Runs the common market, all of Western Europe and North Africa.
- Captain Britain (Brian Braddock) (Earth-8545) - Exiles #20
- Captain Britain (Betsy Braddock) (Earth-9012) - Excalibur vol. 1 #43 (1991)
- Captain Britain (Brian Braddock) (Earth-9411) - Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 2 #114
- Captain Britain (Brian Braddock) (Earth-21993) - What If? vol. 2 #46
- Captain Britain (Brian Braddock) (Earth-32000) - X-Men Unlimited #26
- Captain Britain (Brian Braddock) (Earth-98125) - Marvel Vision #25 - He chose both the Amulet of Life and the Sword of Death.
- King Britain (Brian Braddock) (Earth-9997) - Paradise X: X - Captain Britain became King of England and resides in the Realm of the Dead.
- Captain Colonies (Stephen Rogers) - Excalibur vol. 1 #44.
- Captain Cymru (Morwen Powell) (Earth-1282) - Excalibur vol. 1 #24 - One of the few known Captains who uses a gun with Plastrix.
- Centurion Britannus (Thracius Scipio Magnus) (Earth-4100) - Excalibur vol. 1 #24 (1990) - His costume resembles that of the Roman Empire. He invokes Mithras, a god worshiped in both India and Ancient Rome.
- Centurionous Britainicosarus (Magnus Rex) (Earth-6993) - Excalibur vol. 1 #44 (1991)
- Chevalier Bretagne (René de Bragelonne) (Earth-1508) - Excalibur vol. 1 #24 (1990) - He wears a purple and green suit similar to a Musketeer.
- Chieftain Justice (T'Challa) (Earth-6606) - Excalibur vol. 1 #44 (1991)
- Crusader X (Bran Braddock) (Earth-2122) - Excalibur vol. 1 #21 - (1990)
- Enforcer Capone (Adolfo Costa) (Earth-89947) - Excalibur vol. 1 #44 (1991)
- Friar Albion (Petros Wisdom) (Earth-9586) - Excalibur vol. 1 #44 (1991)
- Gizmo (William "Billy" Ransom) (Earth-40121) - Excalibur vol. 2 #1
- Gotowar Konanegg (Kavin Plundarr) (Earth-8413) - Mighty World Of Marvel vol. 2 #13 (1984)
- Kommandant Englander (Helga Geering) (Earth-846) - Mighty World Of Marvel vol. 2 #13 - She is from a German dominated world.
- Lady London (Sybil Sherman) (Earth-9006) - Excalibur vol. 1 #24 (1990)
- Maasai Marion (Sadiki Namuntaya) (Earth-1857) - Excalibur vol. 1 #43 (1991)
- Madam Sussex (Francesca Grace) (Earth-4811) - Excalibur vol. 1 #44 (1991)
- Maid Britannia (Guinevere Wren) (Earth-8406) - Mighty World Of Marvel vol. 2 #13
- Major Commonwealth (Byron Falsworth) (Earth-4904) - Mighty World Of Marvel vol. 2 #13 (1984)
- Mercian Marsh'al (C'rta M'ller) (Earth-5511) - Excalibur vol. 1 #44 (1991)
- Officer Saxon (Peter Hunter) (Easth-9106) - Excalibur vol. 1 #43 (1991)
- Percy Penfold (Earth-81289) - Excalibur vol. 1 #44 (1991)
- Pookie Pendragon (Kozfran) (Earth-9246) - Excalibur vol. 1 #24 (1990)
- Privateer Albion (Jack Turner) (Earth-9890) - Excalibur vol. 1 #124
- Rifleman (Lance Hunter) (Earth-22110) - Excalibur vol. 2 #1
- Right Honorable Captain Winston Faneshawe-Sinclair (Earth-3208) - Excalibur vol. 1 #44 (1991)
- Samurai Saxonai (Kendra Matsumoto) (Earth-6315) - Excalibur vol. 1 #44 (1991)
- Sister Gaia (Serena Foster) (Earth-9111) - Excalibur vol. 1 #44 (1991)
- Skrull Lord: Colony UK7 (Kl'rt) (Earth-6309) - Excalibur vol. 1 #49
- Will Of The People (John Raven) (Earth-7305) - Excalibur vol. 1 #50
Unknown association
Characters that have taken the name and role of Captain Britain but have not been stated as being part of the corps.
- Captain Britain (Kymri) (Earth-1289) - Excalibur vol. 1 #16 - She and Lockheed jointly took the mantle of Captain Britain. Her planet was conquered and her people enslaved. She was bound to Kyllian as his personal hound by Tullamore Vogue.
- Captain Britain (Lockheed) (Earth-1289) - Excalibur vol. 1 #16 - He and Kymri jointly took the mantle of Captain Britain.
- Captain Britain (Brian Braddock) (Earth-1610) - The Ultimate version
- Captain Britain (Brian Braddock) (Earth-2149) - Marvel Zombies #2 - was infected with the zombie virus by Quicksilver.
Significant issues
- Mighty World of Marvel vol. 2 #14 (1984) - Merlyn's funeral.
- Excalibur vol. 1 #43-45 (1991) - Trial of Brian Braddock.
- Fantastic Four vol. 3 #7-8 (1998) - Battled the Fantastic Four over Franklin Richards.
- Excalibur: The Sword of Power #1-2 (2001) - decimated by the Warpies and Mastermind.
- X-Men: Die by the Sword #1-5 (2007) - rallied to defend Otherworld against Mad Jim Jaspers and his army of Furies.
References
External links
- The Captain Britain Corps at the Comic Book DB
- Captain Britain Corps at Alternity
- Captain Britain Corps at Comic Vine
- Captain Britain Corps at the Marvel Database Project
- Captain Britain Corps' Room
