Hold on to your star sceptres Captain Britain fans as this weeks Secret Wars 2 has major changes in store for our hero. Yes entering the Secret War this week we have the good Cap and the citizens of Higher Avalon in all their glory, but is it the Captain Britain we know and love?
Spoilers for this weeks Secret Wars issue 2 follow the cover below, read no further if you don’t want to see what’s happened to Captain Britain now.
So where to start? Well, it seems the all the Battleworld’s are ruled over by Dr Doom and the one Captain Britain was assigned to – Higher Avalon – is no exception, so the Braddock family works for the good Doctor, that’s right you did read that correctly the Braddock Family, as in the picture below.
So we have Jamie Braddock as head of the family, Brian and Meggan – who is pregnant and Betsy, yes the surprises keep coming don’t they, Meggan is pregnant as confirmed in the picture below.
The Braddock’s are summoned before Doom and soon are embroiled in a verbal battle of wits with Mr Sinister, who decides he wants the dispute settled in the old way – trial by combat against Brian. The combat starts well as you can see below.
However even headless Sinister soon defeats Brian but Doom needs him alive as he believes he has answers to the location of a secret chamber where folk plot to defeat him.
Things look bad for Brian until Jamie steps in and takes the blame, Brian is promoted and Doom’s hand stayed by Susan Reed – Mr Fantastic’s wife.
Jamie’s punishment is to bring justice to the Deadlands where it seems some of the Marvel Zombies lurk.
So armed with an unnamed magic sword he does just that not even letting Venom scare him.
Though his chances of survival do seem quite slim.
So that’s a lot to take in, Jamie Braddock, Megan pregnant, the Braddock’s subservient to Dr Doom and a whole lot more, Secret Wars 2 pulls no punches when it comes to shaking up Captain Britain’s corner of the Marvel universe.
I find myself surprised by guessing Meggan’s pregnancy in my post here , and at the same time predicting the return of Jamie Braddock – though I thought it was the Ultimate Universe one.
So is all this change good, bad or even permanent? I’m hoping for some permanency especially with Meggan’s pregnancy which is an interesting plot twist and explains her absence in other Secret Wars titles like Mighty Defenders. It’s also an intriguing idea to see the Braddock’s not all powerful but beholden to Doom, with the Higher Avalon mystic background it brings together fantasy elements with the back stabbing and skulduggery of Games of Thrones. Hickman leaves a lot of questions unanswered such as what powers does Brian Braddock have, will Jamie survive, what is the Secret Chamber and how did that eye mysteriously reappear. Of course a lot of this could just be answered by saying it’s Secret Wars and that’s how it is, but I hope Cap and the Higher Avalon crew will reappear soon with some answers.
What do you think of Secret Wars 2 and all its Captain Britain changes? What do you think might happen next? Let me know in the comments below.
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Good shout on Meggan. I don’t dislike the idea. Brian and Meggan are one of the few positive examples of marriage in Marvel Comics. I can be down with that.
On one condition.
That they both survive Secret Wars with the baby intact.
And yeah that might be a big if.
Jamie being back is brilliant. Hickman may feel he has unfinished business with him. He and Ribic introduced Ultimate Jamie in the pages of The Ultimates, as a member of that Team. Only for the character to be utterly forgotten about by the following writer. Hickman left that book too early, really. His story was barely begun.
Either way, it’s great to see that they have a role to play in all this. Not just background furniture.
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Yes I so hope Meggan, baby and Brian come out intact when Secret Wars ends, I’ve always imagined Cap would make a good dad. I’m also pleased Jamie is back his character had become unsalvageable with his god like powers so a super powered Jamie like Brian with Betsy and Meggan would make for a great new Cap title.
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well, i haven’t read the issue, just this post, but it looks and sounds awful, crap Brian is back looking forlorn instead of confident, Baron Braddock?? ffs, it’s great that he is featured so prominently, but not if he is a wet posh idiot, very disappointed… so far.
Jamie? looks cooler, doomed to die?, don’t care for grumpy scowling Meggan, not bothered one way or the other about the pregnancy. i want to be upbeat, i really do, but so far i prefer Remender’s CB, which is ridiculous.
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Jamie does look and act cooler than Brian but give him a chance 🙂
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from what I have read in interviews, all the Battleworld domains are ruled by Barons who answer to Doom as the overlord of all Battleworld.The Thors are the Battleworld police force. Just trying to clarify things because it seems you weren’t aware of this.
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Ah that makes sense cheers
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no probs. Read this in a couple interviews on CBR about Secret Wars and particularly the Thors series.
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Just when you think that Hickman can’t screw up Captain Britain any further, along comes this travesty.
While I’m glad to see that Brian has two eyes again, and has lost the awful beard, I hate that MI-13 costume, and super-heroes should never, ever have children. The whole concept just sucks.
I’ve never been on-board with this whole Secret Wars things, and I hope this version of Captain Britain gets retconned out of existence. We’re so far removed from the glory days of Davis/Moore/Delano Captain Britain, that it’s not even funny anymore.
Not to mention Marvel have a two issue Captain Britain series looming, drawn by Alan Davis that doesn’t even have Captain Britain in it.
If Davis can’t be enticed back to fix this horrendous mess, then I think that Rick Remender might be our last, best hope.
I just can’t wait for Secret Wars to be over and for Hickman to sod off back where he came from.
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It’s rough times ahead I think but maybe there will be a continuity reset after Secret Wars
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It’s funny how fans of the same character can have such differing views of the way they’re depicted, isn’t it? I utterly, truly *loathed* the way Remender used CB in UXF and Secret Avengers, and if he never writes Brian again it’ll be a day too soon in my opinion.
Conversely, I’m immensely grateful to Hickman for including CB in Time Runs Out and restoring some much needed dignity and credibility to the good Captain when other, more established Marvel characters have been benchwarming throughout the event. I mean, he actually has REED FLIPPIN’ RICHARDS deferring to Brian’s knowledge and expertise in New Avengers #30. That’s pretty impressive. I feel.
The Secret Wars prelude saw the ‘mash – up’ of the last two remaining realities, so I guess it makes sense that 616 Brian and Ultimate Jamie are now in the same family. I’d also like to see Brian and Megan’s impending parenthood carried through, but this the way with these big ‘event’ stories; things get thrown up in the air, characters get shaken up, and then eventually the status quo pretty much re – asserts itself. In CB’s case, though, I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed his depiction far more in Time Runs Out than I did the couple of years that preceded it.
Secret Wars is the chance for some characters’ continuity to be tidied up and revised. In Brian’s case, I hope that means most of Chris Claremont’s early – era Excalibur and all of Remender’s characterisation of CB jettisoned for good
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Nicely said Cap is playing with the big boys now so long may it continue
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It was odd, for sure. Just reading a Bleeding Cool article comparing Jamie in it to Judge Dredd in it. Never thought I’d see that! I guess we’re all just waiting for what comes after Secret Wars right now.
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Yes that’s true he went on the long walk
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It must be deliberate, mustn’t it? Particularly with Strange’s “I AM THE LAW” declaration in the same issue.
Hickman has said “I loves me some Captain Britain” in the past, so I wouldn’t be too surprised if he’s a fan of Old Stoney Face and 2000AD as well.
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Captain Britain needs to cross over with Judge Dredd 🙂
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I wonder whether the one-eyed, beardy Thor is in fact the original Brian Braddock, and the High Avalon Brian is a clone. – maybe one of many clones created by Valeria to populate Battleworld? There was limited room on the raft she built.
Also, where’d Jamie’s boots go, between panels? Is it Jamie’s reality-altering powers manifesting ? (Or did the artist forget to draw them?)
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Ah so the real Cap is in disguise, that’s the most interesting theory yet
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Looks good to me. I am hoping this is all somewhat of a ruse on Brian’s part and not only is he holding back but he’s using the knowledge granted to him in Time Runs Out to build a new Captain Britain Corps to rival the Thor police Doom has. Jamie knowing this sacrifices himself so Brian can continue build a rebel army. (Bettsy messing with their mind to keep the cells secret also would be useful)
I would guess in general no one except Doom fully (if at all) remembers the past, but Brian with his unique view of the multiverse would be a prime candidate to remember as well.
Also if Baby Braddock is born and carries over into whatever the new normal is post Battleworld I vote it be named some variation on the name Jack…. in honour of one of the few stay dead characters (quite rightly) Jackdaw!
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Some nice ideas there hope Marvel are listening in
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