JONATHAN NILSSON
Real Name: Jonathan Nilsson
Identity/Class: Normal human (early
1890s era)
(possibly Swedish citizen)
Occupation: Opera singer (baritone)
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Loki (loose)
Enemies: Sister Sorrow
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: King in Yellow (opera role)
Base of Operations: Palais
Pandemonium, Paris, France;
formerly Sweden
First Appearance: Bring on the Bad Guys: Loki
(September, 2025)
Powers/Abilities: Young adult Jonathan Nilsson
is an excellent baritone opera singer and stage actor in the manner of
opera drama.
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 155 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Strawberry blond
History:
(Bring on the Bad Guys: Loki (fb) - BTS) - Jonathan
Nilsson was a popular baritone opera singer and recognized for his
skills in the 1890s.
(Bring on the Bad Guys: Loki) - Manipulative Loki,
caught in the machinations of Mephisto and servant Sister Sorrow, took
on the task to murder a poor but creative Parisian musician in the same
era. But Loki became entranced by the musician's street-side song and
encouraged him to expand it, magically crafting a grand opera hall, the
Palais Pandemonium, and summoning Nilsson to perform in the title role
for what became "The King in Yellow"
opera. Nilsson and the opera writer became very close; the singer lured
and distracted the writer away from his writing process. Loki, focused
on the story as was his nature, angrily chided the musician and
revealed his true godly nature. The musician ran and inadvertently
imbued the opera with his passion and soul. Eventually the opera's
opening night arrived, but evil Mephisto, impatient with Loki, sent
Sister Sorrow, who callously sent costumed Nilsson falling off a
catwalk high above the stage. The musician writer wept next to
Nilsson's dead body, but Loki spurred him to continue with the show.
With Nilsson gone, Loki took over the title role in the triumphant and
dramatic climax where the Yellow King stood revealed.
Comments: Created by Anthony Oliveirac & Jethro Morales.
"The King in Yellow"
is a direct reference to the
milestone
fiction by Robert W. Chambers from 1895; it is a collection of 9 short
stories and a sequence of poems that range from supernatural and
weird fiction, and end with romantic stories. The book is said to have
been an influence on the master of weird fiction, H.P. Lovecraft. The
first 4 stories are loosely connected by three main elements: a play in
book form titled "The King in Yellow" that can drive readers mad, a
mysterious and malevolent
supernatural being known as the King in Yellow, and a strange symbol
called the Yellow Sign. The second story in the collection "The Mask"
is in part a story of love, art and revelation (reinforcing the implied
romance between Nilsson and the opera writer). This story opens with an
early "excerpt" from the fictional play "The King in Yellow":
Camilla: You, sir, should unmask.
Stranger: Indeed?
Cassilda: Indeed it's time. We have all laid aside disguise but
you.
Stranger: I wear no mask.
Camilla: (Terrified, aside to Cassilda) No mask? No mask!
These lines are the triumphant closing scene of the comic's opera
wherein Loki
plays the role of the chaotic stranger.
Other
"excerpts" from Chamber's play are included in the comic's opera
lines, and Chambers' strange symbol is devised and incorporated in the
comic's opera (mind you, a similar sigil was designed for the Yellow
King roleplaying game). So, you'd think the name of the opera's author
character in the comic
would be Robert W. Chambers or an anagram or a character from the book
or somesuch, but the opera's writer is never named in the comic (which
has been an online criticism, given he's a main character). The only
clue is the opera advertisement poster (see last image) where the name
is partially obscured, something like "Art--- ----ewe" (Arthur
something?). Any suggestions
or solutions welcome.
Whichever, I do recommend Chambers' "The
King in
Yellow"
as an early weird fiction piece. If you like Lovecraft and
Ashton-Smith, you'll enjoy at least the first half of this collection.
Support your local bookstore and grab a copy!
This profile was completed 04/19/2026 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25thanniversary celebratory event.
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
Jonathan Nilsson has no known connections to:
The "King in Yellow" opera was penned by a poor Parisian musician (who is never named), but the young busker was the target of murder by Mephisto, who tasked the god Loki to kill him. Loki was fascinated by the story and melody in the musician's song, detecting even magic within upon first meeting the lad in 1895. Loki created the Palais Pandemonium, a grand opera hall where the musician wrote his opera opus containing bizarre and supernatural elements. Loki had the renown baritone Jonathan Nilsson brought in for the starring role. Nilsson was killed just before the opera opened, so Loki took over the title role in the triumphant opening night, although Loki killed the musician with Mephisto's dagger at the climax. The opera gained popularity and continued to be performed into the modern day. Because of the musician's intense storytelling for the opera, his soul was forged with the opera, so while Loki did Mephisto's bidding, he did not deliver the lad's soul as Mephisto had wished (but not contractually specified).
The "King in Yellow" opera is a direct
reference to the "King in Yellow" play, an in-story element in the
milestone fiction by Robert W. Chambers from 1895 (see Comments).
--Bring on the Bad Guys: Loki
Delaying his murderous task given him by Mephisto,
crafty Loki used Dwarven spellcraft to instantly create the Palais
Pandemonium, a grand opera hall in Paris to lure in the poor musician
who was Loki's target. Paris shifted at Loki's command, making its
instant appearance unobtrusive. The Palais was the musician's domain
where would live and work; there he met the baritone star Jonathan
Nilsson of his eventual opera "The King in Yellow" and there it would
be performed. However, Mephisto grew impatient and sent his servant
Sister Sorrow, who maliciously killed Nilsson just before the opera's
first performance. Loki took Nilsson's role in a triumphant opening
night, although Loki killed the musician with Mephisto's dagger at the
climax. It's unrevealed what became of the building.
--Bring on the Bad Guys: Loki
images:
(without ads)
Bring on the Bad Guys: Loki, p7, pan4 (main image)
p14, pan1 (headshot, dead)
p20, pan1 (modern opera stage)
p20, pan3 (modern opera poster)
p6, pan1 (Palais Pandemonium)
Appearances:
Bring on the Bad Guys: Loki (September, 2025) - Anthony Oliveirac
(writer), Jethro Morales (art), Lindsey Cohick (editor)
First posted: 09/08/2026
Last updated:
04/19/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
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and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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