Captain UK (Linda McQuillan) [Earth-238]

[Eric J. Moreels]

Real Name: Linda McQuillan
Group Affiliation: Captain Britain Corps
Known Allies: Captain Britain, Meggan, Crusader-X
Major Enemies: Mastermind III, Fury

The Captain Britain of a world whose superhumans were all slain by the soulless killing machine known as the Fury.

Captain U.K. was one of the few members of the Captain Britain Corps to survive a devastating attack by the android Mastermind - disguised as the goddess Roma - and his enslaved Warpies. She journeyed to the Earth of Brian Braddock to seek his help in stopping Mastermind.

APPEARANCES:
Captain Britain (2nd series) #7-9, 12-14
Daredevils #2, 7-11
Excalibur #44-45, 124-125
Excalibur: Sword of Power #1-4
Fantastic Four (3rd series) #8
Marvel Super Heroes #388
Mighty World of Marvel #8-13
X-Men: Die by the Sword #3

[Mesran]

I think it's worth mentioning that she was from "Earth 238" though she infact defended "Earth 839".

[Peter Luzifer]

Right.

Captain UK is the sole survivor of earth 238 where most heroes got killed by the Fury. Linda was saved by her husband Rick, who placed her into a transdimensional transporter. While she dematerialized, she saw Rick getting killed by the robot.

The Dimensional Development Court, by then ruled by Saturnyne's second in command Mandragon, totally erased reality 238 (though the Fury survived and was floating in a void)


Linda found herself on earth 616, and was very frightened. She tried to build herself a new life, but was hautned by nightmares of seeing her lover' s death time and again.

Later, she learns from the newspaper about politician Jim Jaspers demanding superhero legislation. She was shocked as her world had a Jim Jaspers too, and their speeches were identical - every single world. Jaspers started the program that built the Fury on her world and she feared it would be the same in this.

Deciding that she no longer could keep quiet, she travels to Braddock Manor, introduced herself as Captain UK and alerted Brian to the danger of James Jaspers. She told Brian and his many houseguests (Special Executive, Betsy, Saturnyne, ...) her story and all were shocked, yet did not know how to fight something that had not happened yet. LInda left, but outside the mansion she was attacked by the Fury, who had made the tramnsdimensional jump to earth 616 - intending to finish what he had started (kill every super-being) The assembled heroes manage to bury the Fury in a cave, and Linda was almost catatonic and paralyzed with fear. [Daredevils #2, 7-11]


Only a short time later James Jaspers discovered his reality warping powers and changed Great-Britain with a reality warping wave into his vision. In this altered reality, super-beings were incarcerated in concentration camps, forcing Brian and his friends to go undercover. Not before long they were discovered and some like Betsy were put into the camps; only Captain Britain, Saturnyne and the apathic Linda escaped. While Captain Britain tried to face Jaspers alone, Saturnyne was able get a reaction out of Linda : after insulting her to be a coward and blaming her for her husband's death, Linda hit back with her strength as Captain UK. Saturnyne made Linda re-adopt her costume and her superhero identity to help Brian against the overwhelming odds.
In the meantime the ever-evolving robot Fury dug itself out of the cave beneath Braddock Manor and relocated his prey Captain Britain. He interrupts the battle between Jaspers and Brian; the near-omnipotent Jaspers arouses his curiosity.

This man was similar to it's creator Mad Jim Jaspers of earth 238, but he was not the same and as such he has to be exterminated too. Jaspers and the Fury fought and were almost evenly matched but in the end the Fury won as he took the battle to the destroyed non-existent universe of earth 238, where Jaspers had no reality that he could warp. Jaspers died and the Fury now faced Captain Britain again, but it was weakened. Still Captain Britain was about to be defeated again as Saturnyne and Captain UK arrived. Linda lashed out against the Fury with all the anger and fear she stored for years and fell into a berserker rage ripping the robot apart. Brian could only make her stop 10 minutes after she already killed the creature, yet she continued to beat it and tear it apart. [Mighty World of Marvel #8-12]




Over the next months Linda McQuillan built a new life for herself as a photographer, but she was approached by agents Michael and Gabriel of R.C.X., the follow-up organization to S.T.R.I.K.E. They told her about the Warpie problem. Ever since the reality warp these mutated children were born as an after effect to Jaspers' reality altering. They claimed to have discovered that reality had not fully healed and these ruptures now caused more hatred among the population. With Captains Britain and UK as prominent figures in their cause they hoped to provide the Warpies with the chance to be accepted.

Linda found the cause reasonable and led them to Braddock Manor, but Brian refused to join this cause. He thought that every citizen still should make his/her own decisions and not be influenced by superheroes. Unfortunately he stood alone with his statement, as his sister Betsy invited Linda and the R.C.X. to use Braddock Manor as their quarters and after a while Brian was so annoyed with hundreds of Warpies living in his home that he left for a series of adventures around the world. [Captain Britain (2nd series)#7-9]


While he was gone, Linda McQuillan talked Betsy into taking over the mantle of Captain Britain II, using the modified uniform of Kaptain Briton, whom she had killed in self-defense. She was trained by Captain UK but after some time Betsy worked alone since Linda wanted to work as a photographer again. [Captain Britain (2nd series)#12-13]

Later, Roma discovered that the continued presence of Linda McQuillan on earth 616 was the anomaly that prevents reality from fully healing from Jaspers reality warp. She had to depart to Otherworld immediately. Once there Roma asked her to serve as Captain UK on earth 839, the reality of the killed Kaptain Briton, where the evil Satyr-9 continued to massacre her own people. That world was desperately in need for a hero and since Linda was a Captain without a world the solution was obvious. As reward for accepting the enormous task, Roma granted Linda her heart's desire - she plucks her husband Rick from the timestream, an instant before he was killed. Later Captain UK and her husband defeated Satyr-9 and took her into custody. [Captain Britain (2nd series)#14]


Much later, when Brian Braddock was put on trial by the Captain Britain Corps, Linda acted as his lawyer. However Brian was considered guilty and sentenced to death. Immediately a fight started and Linda helped Brian against the overwhelming odds until Saturnyne arrived and declares that Roma asked the Corp to clear Brian of his crime and stop the verdict. [Excalibur #44-45]

Afterwards she was only seen a few times, like attending the wedding of Brian and Meggan, and in the Excalibur : Sword of Power limited series.


Linda's Marvel UK appearances are :
Marvel Super Heroes #388
Daredevils #2, 7-11
Mighty World of Marvel #8-13
Captain Britain (2nd series) #7-9, 12-14,



Peter Luzifer

[Mesran]

Just updated appearances, thanks Peter

[Joey Meyers]

For those interested in the character, her story with Brian and the battle with the Fury and James Jaspers is collected in the recently released Captain Britin tpb.

[Eric J. Moreels]

And a damn fine read it is too!