EBENEZER SCROOGE

Real Name: Ebenezer Scrooge

Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Ideaverse) human (late 19th century to modern era)

Occupation: Owner/operator of Scrooge & Marley;
    former apprentice, student

Group Membership: Scrooge & Marley (Bob Cratchit, formerly Jacob Marley)

Affiliations: Captain Ahab, Captain Nemo, Bob Cratchit, "Tiny" Tim Cratchit, the Headless Horseman, Jacob Marley, Shere Khan, the Spirit of Christmas Past, the Spirit of Christmas Present, the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come, the Wicked Witch of the West;
    formerly Bobby, Fan, Fezziwig, Jack, Dick Wilkins

Enemies: Bookworm (Nelson Gruber), Deadpool of Earth-12101, Ignorance, Want

Known Relatives: Fan (sister), Fred (nephew), unidentified father and niece-in-law

Aliases: "McDuck," "Sir" (nicknames)

Base of Operations: An unrevealed small town

First Appearance: (historical) A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas (December 19, 1843);
    (mentioned in non-story narration within a Marvel comic) Spellbound I#22 (May, 1954) (sort of - see comments);
    (fully seen & identified in a Marvel comic) Marvel Classics Comics I#36 (December, 1978)

Powers/Abilities: As a resident of the Ideaverse, Ebenezer Scrooge has a form of immortality, being unable to fully die as long as the ideas and stories that make up his life live on. As with most Ideaverse natives, Scrooge continually relives the events of his life over and over again in a temporal loop contained within the timeframe of the story of his life. Once the "story" ends, his life begins anew and goes up until his story ends before starting over again.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'11")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 158 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown (see comments)
Hair: Gray (formerly brown)

History:

(Deadpool Killustrated I#3 (fb) - BTS) - Ebenezer Scrooge existed within the extradimensional Ideaverse, a pocket realm housing inhabitants created from ideas that became fictional stories on Earth. The Ideaverse's Scrooge came into existence from the idea of author Charles Dickens, who wrote the account of Scrooge's life story into his A Christmas Carol story on Earth. Once brought into existence, Scrooge and other inhabitants of the Ideaverse lived out their lives according to the stories written about them on Earth over and over again in an infinite temporal loop.

(Marvel Classics Comics I#36 (fb) / A Christmas Carol) - As a young boy, Ebenezer Scrooge was once left behind alone by his classmates Bobby, Jack and others in his school room during Christmas. Reading 1,001 Arabian Nights, Scrooge imagined seeing Ali Baba, Aladdin and his genie and even Robinson Crusoe from the book of the same name, creating his own Christmas joy despite being left alone. Years later, when Ebenezer Scrooge was a young man, he was visited by his sister Fan, who had been sent by their father to bring Ebenezer home for the holidays. Scrooge eventually became an apprentice with old Fezziwig and worked alongside Dick Wilkins. During one Christmas season at Fezziwig's, Scrooge and Dick Wilkins were asked to clear the room by Fezziwig for a Christmas party. Shortly after, Fezziwig's daughters, their significant others and all of Fezziwig's employees arrived for a large party that ended around 11pm. Some time later, after Scrooge had begun seeing a woman, the woman met with him over Christmas and broke off their relationship, feeling as if the increasingly money-obsessed Scrooge loved money over her. The woman eventually married another and had a family as Scrooge became more isolated, his only friend his business partner Jacob Marley. When Marley was near death, the husband of Scrooge's former girlfriend noticed a candle in Scrooge's office and pitied Scrooge, whom he felt was all alone as his business partner was dying. The man returned home to inform his wife and the woman also pitied the lonely miser Scrooge. Following the death of Jacob Marley, old, rich miser Ebenezer Scrooge opted to leave Marley's name on his business sign because it was cheaper and later that same day, Scrooge attended Marley's funeral as the only mourner.

(Marvel Classics Comics I#36 / A Christmas Carol) - Uncaring that some new customers still occasionally called him Marley due to the old sign some seven years later, the greedy Ebenezer Scrooge went about his business, preferring to keep any potential human sympathy and caring at a distance. One Christmas Eve, as the townspeople went about their way, Scrooge sat in his countinghouse with a very small fire, counting his money and keeping an eye on his clerk, Bob Cratchit, whose fire was significantly smaller. When Cratchit went to put another coal in the fire, Scrooge threatened to fire the clerk if he used another coal and the chilled clerk quickly went back to work as Scrooge's nephew Fred arrived at the door to greet everyone with a hearty "Merry Christmas!" Scrooge shrugged off the good tidings with a grumbling "Bah! Humbug!" and asked what his nephew had to be merry about as a poor man. Fred responded by asking what Scrooge had to be morose and dismal about as a rich man. Scrooge grumbled that Christmas was no more than another time to pay bills and find one's self another year older, noting that, if he had his way, everyone saying "Merry Christmas" would be boiled in their own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through the heart. Fred reminded Scrooge that there were many things considered good that didn't involve money, Christmas being one of those things, and when Fred asked for God to bless the Christmas season, Bob Cratchit cheered the nephew. Scrooge responded by again threatening Cratchit's job and when Fred invited Scrooge to Christmas dinner with his family, to which Scrooge argued against the notions of love and family before bidding Fred a good afternoon. As Fred left, bidding Bob Cratchit a "Merry Christmas!" on the way out, a duo of fundraisers for the poor entered the office, introduced themselves and asked Scrooge how much money they could put him down for. Scrooge refused to give anything to the poor and suggested their deaths would at least reduce the population before ordering the collectors to leave the premises. When a young caroler began to sing outside, Scrooge grabbed his ruler to threaten the boy, who ran off.

    A short time later, as it became time to close the office for the day, Scrooge remarked on how Cratchit would likely want the entire Christmas off from work while still expecting a full day's pay. Cratchit reminded Scrooge that it was only once a year and as Scrooge departed for the evening, Scrooge asked his clerk to be at work early on December 26th to account for the day off on the 25th. Scrooge then visited his local tavern, where he had a melancholy dinner and reviewed his banker's book before venturing home. When Scrooge extended his key towards the door-knocker, he was shocked to see the ghostly Marley's face on the knocker, only to double-take and see the knocker appearing normal again. Lighting a candle, Scrooge entered his home and briefly inspected the door-knocker before venturing towards the staircase upon which he soon saw a ghostly team of horses pulling a hearse barrel up the stairs. Thinking perhaps the darkness was playing tricks on his eyes, Scrooge took the stairs to his bedroom, which he inspected meticulously before double-locking the door and changing into his nightclothes to eat a plate of gruel by the fireplace. Thinking back on the faces he'd seen that day, a grumbling Scrooge got to his feet and exclaimed "Humbug!" once again before the bell at his door rang. Soon, all of the bells in all of the rooms in the building rang and Scrooge was terrified to see the ghost of his old partner Marley enter the room carrying heavy chains. When the specter proclaimed himself to be Jacob Marley, Scrooge attempted to explain away the spirit as nothing more than a vision given to him by an upset stomach but the ghost rattled his chains loudly, convincing Scrooge that he was truly the ghost of Marley. The ghost then fell into a series of woes explaining the regret and torture he had endured the past seven years due to his own misuse of his time on Earth before warning Scrooge that he yet had a chance to change his own ways before leading into his own suffering after death. Marley revealed that Scrooge would be visited by three more ghosts that night through which Scrooge may learn to avoid Marley's fate. Marley then departed out of Scrooge's window and Scrooge noticed numerous other phantoms outside before the mist seemed to take them all and appearances returned to normal, prompting Scrooge to go to bed.

    Scrooge was awakened when his clocked rang twelve and, confused as to whether his encounter with spirits had been nothing more than a dream, Scrooge decided to wake until the clock struck one to see if Marley's warnings about further ghostly visits would come to pass. One o'clock soon struck and Scrooge was indeed visited by the Spirit of Christmas Past, who brought Scrooge flying into his own past, where he relived his childhood Christmas left alone imagining his own joy. Regretting having frightened the young caroler away earlier that day, Scrooge was then taken several years further into Scrooge's past, to a Christmas when his sister Fan was sent to bring him home for the holidays. Scrooge barely had time to recall the weak Fan's death and her son before the Spirit whisked Scrooge to another Christmas long past, during which Scrooge was working for Fezziwig. Witnessing a Christmas party at Fezziwig's once more, Scrooge admitted wishes that he could speak with his clerk. As the Spirit of Christmas Past's time with Scrooge grew shorter, the Spirit showed Scrooge the time his girlfriend had ended their relationship over Scrooge's increased greed and how both the former girlfriend and her later husband pitied the lonely Scrooge. Demanding to be shown no more, the tortured Scrooge grabbed a horn from the Spirit's belt and used it to snuff out the Spirit, quickly falling back into a deep sleep.

    Awaking a short time later to find his clock again ringing one on Christmas morning, Scrooge found himself confronted by the Spirit of Christmas Present, who brought Scrooge out into the city to see the townspeople enjoying the holiday before taking him to Bob Cratchit's home. Upon seeing Cratchit's sickly and lame son Tiny Tim, Scrooge asked the Spirit if Tim would live. Foreseeing that if events were unchanged by the future, Tiny Tim would indeed die, the Spirit of Christmas Present reiterated Scrooge's own earlier comments about the deaths of the poor decreasing the surplus population, feeling Scrooge with penitence and grief. Scrooge then watched as Bob Cratchit prepared a toast to Ebenezer Scrooge, whose money had paid for their meager Christmas dinner, and how Cratchit's wife angrily reminded her husband what kind of man Scrooge was before agreeing to drink to the toast only on Bob's behalf. The Spirit then Scrooge past several laborers enjoying the holiday before settling at the home of Scrooge's nephew Fred, who explained to his wife how lonely Scrooge must be and refused to not at least give Scrooge a chance to get away from his loneliness every year by inviting him to his home for the holidays. Scrooge then witnessed Fred's party guests unflattering imitate him in a game of charades but Scrooge nonetheless found himself wishing he could participate in the games with them and wished for the Spirit to allow him to stay another hour. The increasingly aged-looking Spirit of Christmas Present was unable to allow Scrooge to stay longer and Scrooge soon noticed the Spirit's increased enfeeblement. After explaining how all Spirits of Christmas Presents had a short time on Earth, the Spirit revealed the hideous, childlike Ignorance and Want, whom the Spirit warned Scrooge against. Noticing their childlike nature, Scrooge asked if the monstrous children had anywhere to go on such a night, to which the Spirit responded with Scrooge's own earlier comments of those badly off going to prison or to work in the treadmills. Raging in frustration at the Spirit, Scrooge raised his fists, only to find the Spirit gone in a patch of fog.

    Recalling Marley's warnings of there being three ghostly encounters, Scrooge found himself facing the wraith-like Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come. Despite knowing that the Spirit likely wished to help Scrooge change his ways, Scrooge feared the imposing figure that silently pointed in the direction they needed to go. As they progressed, Scrooge witnessed a vision of his own future death. At first unsure of who the townspeople were talking about so harshly, Scrooge was soon led to his own home, where the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come showed Scrooge his own future corpse before taking Scrooge to the Cratchit home, where Tiny Tim had also died. Realizing that Tiny Tim's death meant that his time with the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come was running short, the still-confused Scrooge asked the Spirit whose corpse he had been shown, at which point the silent Spirit led Scrooge to his own gravestone. As Scrooge realized the townspeople had been talking about him and the corpse had been his own, the Spirit pointed at Scrooge and the emotional Scrooge insisted that his experiences had changed him. Begging for some chance to change the future he had been shown, Scrooge promised to honor Christmas and keep in his heart the lessons of the past, present and future. Agonizing for a chance to change what he had seen, Scrooge grabbed the bony wrist of the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come, only to find it seemingly transformed into a bedpost.

    The confused Scrooge then jumped up to find himself in his own bed and noticed that time enough had been given to him to make amends for past miserly actions. Changing out of his nightclothes into normal clothes, Scrooge realized he had lost track of what day it was and he leaned out of his window to ask a passing young boy what day it was. Learning that it was Christmas Day, Scrooge asked the boy if the local poulterer still had a prize turkey for sale and when he was told the turkey was still there, Scrooge ordered the boy to go buy the turkey and bring it back to Scrooge's home so Scrooge could direct the poulterer where to send the purchased turkey. When the poulterers arrived at Scrooge's home, he happily paid them double the price for the turkey and gave them cab fare to get them to Bob Cratchit's home, where Scrooge wished to anonymously send the turkey. Quickly shaving, dancing while he did so, Scrooge then departed his home and met one of the collectors for the poor on his way through town. After handing the man a large amount of cash for the poor, Scrooge then attended a Christmas church service to learn the real joy of it for the first time. Later that afternoon, he paid a visit to his nephew Fred's Christmas dinner and within five minutes had joined in the holiday festivities.

    The next morning, Ebenezer Scrooge purposely arrived at his office early so he could catch Bob Cratchit arriving late. As expected, Cratchit did arrive late and Scrooge, feigning the attitude of his old grumbly self, berated Cratchit for being late. When he announced that he wasn't going to stand for it any longer, Scrooge laughed and announced that he was increasing Cratchit's salary. He then suggested they discuss Cratchit's future status with the office over an afternoon bowl of Christmas plum pudding before ordering Cratchit to fetch a large load of coal for their fire. That afternoon, Scrooge visited the Cratchit home, where he joined in their holiday festivities and kept the Christmas spirit alive going forward.

(Deadpool Killustrated I#3) - Following the looping back of time, Ebenezer Scrooge lived his life all over again up to the point in which the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come was showing Scrooge his own gravestone. As he again realized the earlier corpse he had seen had been his own, Scrooge again asked the Spirit if he might alter his fate by changing his ways, only to find himself facing Earth-12101's Deadpool, who was standing over a bullet-ridden Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come. Announcing that he doubted Scrooge changing his ways would alter anything, Deadpool proclaimed that the Spirit had neglected to tell Scrooge that his funeral would be of the closed casket variety before shooting Scrooge dead.

(Scarlet Witch III#7 (fb) - BTS) - Ebenezer Scrooge was restored to life (see comments).

(Scarlet Witch III#7) - When the Bookworm was transported into the Ideaverse, from which he had the ability to briefly summon its inhabitants to Earth, Ebenezer Scrooge, Captain Ahab, Captain Nemo, the Wicked Witch of the West, Shere Khan and the Headless Horseman confronted Bookworm, angry at how the Bookworm had pillaged the Ideaverse for his own gain. As Scrooge and the other villains of the Ideaverse surrounded Bookworm, he begged for his life, insisting that he was actually real.

Comments: Created by Charles Dickens. Adapted into Marvel Comics by Doug Moench and "Diverse Hands."

    Scrooge is mentioned in the opening narration in the "Worse Than Death!" story from Spellbound I#22 (May, 1954) but only in introducing readers to the story's greedy protagonist, Georges Ferdu, whom the narration refers to as an "Old Scrooge." While this mention MAY be the first mention of the character of Scrooge in a Timely/Atlas/Marvel comic book, there's no story element to the mention and therefore, I have not included the issue in Scrooge's History section. Additionally, there are several references to Scrooge in various Marvel Comics but many of these are referencing the fictional version of Ebenezer Scrooge that Earth-616's Charles Dickens wrote into A Christmas Carol and not directly the actual Ebenezer Scrooge from the Ideaverse, whom the overwhelming majority of Earth-616 natives aren't even aware is a real physical being. Since they are referencing the fictional Earth-616 Scrooge and not the actual physical being of the Ideaverse, these mentions are not included in this profile.

    Scrooge's eyes appear blue in Marvel Classics Comics I#36 but brown in Deadpool Killustrated I#3 & Scarlet Witch III#7. Since brown was used more often, I went with brown for the purposes of this profile.

    While not outright explained, Scrooge was presumably restored to life following his murder at the hands of Deadpool-12101 due to the Ideaverse's Sherlock Holmes retaining his knowledge of the individual stories whose inhabitants make up the Ideaverse. Since the idea of the residents did not truly die, the deceased residents were eventually restored as the Ideaverse healed itself from the damage done by Deadpool-12101.

Profile by Proto-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Ebenezer Scrooge should be distinguished from:

• MCDUCK, SCROOGE - anthropomorphic duck & uncle of Donald Duck, richest duck in all of Duckberg--Four Color I#178
  
• SCARECROW (Ebenezer Laughton) - scarecrow-themed criminal--Tales of Suspense I#50
• other "Ebenezer" or "Scrooge" characters, groups, items, races or events
  

Appearances:
Marvel Classics Comics I#36 (December, 1978) - Doug Moench (writer), "Diverse Hands" (art), Richard Marschall (editor)
Deadpool Killustrated I#3 (May, 2013) - Cullen Bunn (writer), Matteo Lolli (pencils), Sean Parsons (inks), Jordan D. White (editor)
Scarlet Witch III#7 (October, 2023) - Steve Orlando, Jonathan Hickman (writers), Lorenzo Tammetta, Sara Pichelli (art), Alanna Smith (editor)

First posted: 12/25/2025
Last updated: 12/25/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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