RED LUCY

Real Name: Lucy Keough

Identity/Class: Human magic user, pre-modern (16th century)

Occupation: Pirate Queen

Affiliations: Crew of the Scarlet Raider Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff), Valmoora, Vivienne

Enemies: Captain Vasquez, Earl of Darwell, Spanish Shipmen

Known Relatives: Quentin & Lenore (children of Lucy), Magneto (Erik Magnus Lensherr, descendant), unnamed sister of Magneto (descendant) , Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff, descendant), Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff, descendant), Luna (descendant)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Scarlet Raider (mobile through the oceans of the 16th century)

First Appearance: Marvel Comics Presents I#61/3 (1990)

Powers/Abilities: None. She was a strategic expert and one of the finest swordswomen of her time.
Aided by the spirit of her descendant Wanda she was able to use the hex power of the Scarlet Witch.
 

 

History:
It isn't known how and why Lucy Keough became a pirate and the captain of the Scarlet Raider. Only months before Wanda became a part of her life, Lucy gave birth to twins. She gave them to Vivienne and paid her to watch over them. She visited them from time to time at Vivienne's cottage at the Normandy Coast.

(Marvel Comics Presents I#61/3) - Shortly before she attacked another Spanish clipper in the year of 1587 together with her crew, the spirit of her descendant Scarlet Witch entered her and she felt woozy for a moment. After she defeated Captain Vasquez of the Spanish clipper she showed mercy for the first time and let the crew and their Captain the chance to surrender and leave. Her crew thought she had become soft, and Aaron attacked her. She defeated him, and he respected her again for her new wish to stop the slaughtering and just make some booty. Red Lucy and her crew continued to amass worldly treasures over the next weeks without shedding blood. One day after a routine visit to her children and their nanny Vivienne, she was attacked by Captain Vasquez, whom she had spared weeks before, and two of his men. Suddenly the mind of Scarlet Witch awakened in her and helped Red Lucy to drive Vasquez and his men away with her magic. Lucy not only felt the spirit of her descendant, but Wanda also told her everything that happened. After some talk Lucy agreed to help her descendant Wanda to return to her own body in the future.

(Marvel Comics Presents I#62/3) - Lucy was brought to Lundy Island by crewman Aaron in a landing craft. Wanda told her to get to the seeress Valmoora. Lucy gave Valmoora some jewels and the seeress showed her how her bloodline continued until one day her descendant Magneto became the father of Wanda, who was now a part of Lucy. Lucy learned from Valmoora the spell to bring the spirit of Wanda back to her time and body. She was told that she needed the power of the Stones of Merlin to be effective with the spell. Lucy went with her crew to the castle of the Earl of Darwell, who was in possession of the Stones of Merlin. Lucy was cut off from her crew by a wall of fire. The demon of the Earl of Darwell threatened her and Lucy was afraid, but Wanda reminded Lucy that she was now also wielding her hex power. Lucy attacked the demon with her hex power and was surprised when the demon caught fire. She put out the fire with the water of an underground river and revealed the demon to be the Earl of Darwell himself with a mask. She spared his life and was given all his treasures. Lucy touched the Stones of Merlin and after she spoke the spell of Valmoora, the spirit of Wanda left her body and returned to her own town. Afterwards Lucy told her men that this was her last voyage and that she would begin a new life with her share of the loot together with her children. She didn't want the Stones of Merlin and left them for her crew.

 

Comments: Created by Richard Howell

The crew of the Scarlet Raider became the crew of Blackbeard (who turned out to be the Thing of the Fantastic Four) as it was mentioned that they were now on the search for a new captain in Marvel Comics Presents I#62 and a box told the reader that this was a story told in its entirety in Fantastic Four I#5.

        The historical Blackbeard was around a little bit longer than the Blackbeard of Marvel Comics. He began his career as a pirate under the name Edward Teach (or Thatch) until he became captain of his own ship as Blackbeard. He put fear into the hearts of seamen through the years 1713 to 1718. November 1718 he was killed by a contingent of the Royal Navy in North Carolina.

People have questioned whether it was Magneto or Magda who was the descendent of Red Lucy

The comic shows a series of pictures following Lucy, including her marriage and children, followed by Magneto, followed by Wanda & Pietro.
    Based on that, it's Magneto until proven otherwise--Snood.
 Sure it is still strange because Keough is a name with Irish roots (I think), but this doesn't fit with Magda either (or does it?)--Markus.
Certainly a male of Gypsy (Rom) influence could have married into her lineage, producing children that became part of the Gypsies--Snood..

In Marvel Comics Presents I#63, the Scarlet Witch refers to Valmoora as a "Druid Witch" which could explain the similarity to Stonehenge in that structure that she used to look into the future.
--Per Degaton

More information on the Stones of Merlin can be found in the Merlin profile.

by Markus Raymond

CLARIFICATIONS:
Red Lucy should not be confused with:

Scarlet Raider should not be confused with: Earl of Darwell should not be confused with: Valmoora should not be confused with: Captain Vasquez should not be confused with: Vivienne should not be confused with:

Crew of the Scarlet Raider

The crew of the Scarlet Raider became richest pirates under the leadership of Red Lucy. Nevertheless they were suspicious when she showed mercy for the first time, and they nearly revolted. They continued to follow her and even helped her to attack the castle of the Earl of Darwell although they were afraid of the demon. They were cut off by a firewall from their captain, but they got to the precious gems after she defeated the false demon. They lost Red Lucy as a captain after the spirit of Wanda returned to her time and Lucy decided to become a gentlewoman and mother. They kept the Stones of Merlin and started to search for a new captain.

Crewmembers drugged Mr. Fantastic, Human Torch and Thing, who were sent to this time by Dr. Doom to find the treasure of Blackbeard. They took the heroes onto the Scarlet Raider and got into a fight with them when they woke up. The Thing helped the crew of the Scarlet Raider when hostile pirates attacked the ship and became their new Captain. They called him Blackbeard (the treasure the FF searched for was on board) and he wanted to stay with them, but the ship sunk through a tornado, along with the Stones of Merlin the FF should have brought to Dr. Doom.

Some of the crewmembers were named: Aaron (the bare chested guy in the front), Francis (only seen in shadows) and Nathan (right picture)

--Fantastic Four I#5 (Marvel Comics Presents I#61-62, Fantastic Four#5

 


Earl of Darwell

The Earl of Darwell got in the possession of the Stones of Merlin and started to scare all thieves off with the story of a demon that guards the stones. Still Red Lucy and her crew attacked his castle and were trapped by the Earl of Darwell between the gate and a firewall. The Earl, posing as a demon in some lion-like costume, threatened Lucy, who was the only one on his side from the firewall. She used magic, and the costume of the Earl caught fire. He was saved by Lucy with water from an underground river and showed her the way to the Stones of Merlin after she spared his life.

--Marvel Comics Presents I#62/3

 


Valmoora

The seeress Valmoora was well known in her time and lived on Lundy Island. Lucy went to her to learn a way to return the spirit of Wanda to her time. Valmoora got some jewels and told Lucy about the future of her bloodline and a way to return the spirit of Wanda. She told Lucy a spell and the need of the Stones of Merlin to make the spell effective.

The place where Valmoora was watching into the future looked like Stonehenge. She was able to show the future through the bubbles in the mist that came out of her pot.

--Marvel Comics Presents I#62/3

 


Captain Vasquez

Vasquez was Captain of a Spanish clipper that got attacked by Red Lucy and her crew in the year 1587. He surrendered when Lucy gave him the chance to and got away with his life. Weeks later he attacked Lucy with two of his men when she came from her children. He tried to kill her for the humiliation that destroyed his life, but the magic of Wanda scared Vasquez and he ran away with his men.

--Marvel Comics Presents I#61/3

 


Vivienne

Vivienne took care of the children of Red Lucy and lived in a cottage nearby the Normandy Coast. She was paid a good price for her service and Lucy was very thankful.

--Marvel Comics Presents I#61/3

 


Quentin and Lenore

Quentin and Lenore were born some months before the spirit of Wanda became a part of Lucy. She gave them to Vivienne who watched them while Lucy was doing her job as a pirate. Lucy visited them as often as she could and after the spirit of Wanda returned to her time, she ended her career as a pirate for them and began a new life with them.

--Marvel Comics Presents I#61/3

 


images:
Marvel Comics Presents I#61, p21, pan1 (body shot)
Marvel Comics Presents I#61, p20, pan4 (head shot)
Marvel Comics Presents I#61, p18, pan2 (Crew of Scarlet Raider)
Marvel Comics Presents I#62, p20, pan3 (Earl of Darwell as demon)
Marvel Comics Presents I#62, p22, pan1 (Earl of Darwell face)
Marvel Comics Presents I#62, p18, pan2 (Valmoora)
Marvel Comics Presents I#61, p23, pan2 (Captain Vasquez)
Marvel Comics Presents I#61, p22, pan2 (Vivienne)
Marvel Comics Presents I#62, p22, pan3 (Children of Red Lucy)


Appearances:
Marvel Comics Presents I#61-62 (October-November, 1990) - Richard Howell (writer/artist), Terry Kavanagh (editor)


Last updated: 02/14/13

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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