Morgan le Fay is a Marvel Comics supervillainess. She debuted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in the third season of Runaways, as the main antagonist, and is portrayed by Elizabeth Hurley. She is an enemy of the Runaways, and attempts to use Nico Minoru as a conduit, to conduct her nefarious plan of world domination. Morgan also appears in several Marvel animated shows, commonly voiced by voice actress, Grey DeLisle.
This version of the Morgan le Fay character was created by Stan Lee and Joe Maneely.
Magic: A supernatural ability to wield power. Morgan is a powerful sorceress, with a coven of lesser witches under her tutelage.
Teleportation: The ability to appear from one location to another. Morgan has displayed this ability by disappearing in a cloud of smoke, and a flock of ravens.
Portal Creation: Another form of teleportation. Morgan can create a portal behind her, which also allows her to teleport alongside people.
Healing: The ability to enhance another being's health. Morgan is also able to undo the effects of this, rendering the person she healed, in the state they were in prior.
Molecular Immobilization: The ability to render someone inanimate. This power can be used amongst an entire group of people.
Power Enhancement: Morgan was able to elevate her magic by enchanting Corvus Phones, which entrances it users, and gives her more power.
Mirror Gazing: The power to see another location through the surface of a mirror. Morgan displayed this power when showing Alex's whereabouts in the Dark Dimension, to Nico.
Mind Control: The ability to influence another decisions. Morgan displayed this power when enchanting her Corvus Phone. She also created a magical totem, which placed people under her will.
Energy Blast: Morgan is capable of producing a lethal blast in the form of dark smoke, to attack her targets
Telekinesis: The ability to control object without touching them.
Deflection: The ability to counter an attack. Morgan was able to neutralize an attack from Chase's Fistagons, as well as from Karolina's Gibborim powers.
Ritual Magic: Morgan, with the combined magic of her coven, is able to perform rituals, which give her heightened powers, and allowed her to perform feats of magic, otherwise impossible alone.
Absorption: The ability to absorb attack directed at Morgan. When Nico threw a crystal in Morgan's chest, Morgan appeared unharmed, and was able to swallow it inside of herself.
Technopathy: Morgan displays some form of control of electric equipment, as displayed when she was able to remove all tracked of a video on the internet, which was posted by the Runaways, with a simple wave of her hand.
Abilities
Multilingual: Many of Morgan's spells and incantations are recited in Latin.
Weaknesses
Staff of One: Morgan considered the staff to be rightfully hers, and needed it to complete her ritual. When Nico bonded with the Staff, Morgan had to focus on manipulating Nico, to use it for her will, instead.
Enchanted Salt: Tina Minoru was able to enchant salt which required her blood and years from her life, in order to trap Morgan. When the ring of salt is placed around Morgan, she is imprisoned in it, unless someone were to break the circle.
Banishment Spell: The Darkhold hold a spell which has the ability to banish Morgan back to the Dark Dimension, where she has no way to free herself.
Many years ago, Morgan was banished to the Dark Dimension. She befriended Tina Minoru who was training in the ways of magic, and tried to manipulate her from the Dark Dimension, to gain access to the Staff of One. Morgan considered the Staff her birthright, but when Tina realised Morgan's intentions, she took the staff for herself, and fled. Years later, Morgan began to pursue Tina's daughter Nico, with the same goal.[1]
Morgan first appears in a vision, to a distressed Nico, who is searching for her girlfriend Karolina, and offers her services. She informs Nico of Karolina's status, before disappearing in a flock of ravens.[2]
Whilst Nico is hiding away from Jonah, she falls asleep, and Morgan's voice can be heard, prompting her to wake up. Nico later uses the Staff of One's power, but find herself succumbing to it's dark magic. Nico hears Morgan's voice once again, advising her not be afraid, and allow the darkness to take control. When the Runaways retreat back to their base, Nico mistakenly fears that the presence of Morgan, is actually the Magistrate's son, possessing her.[3]
Following the strange manifestations of her power, Nico begins contemplating on what Morgan is, and contacts her in a vision. Morgan claims her guidance will result in Nico embracing her identity, offering to be her mentor. She advises Nico to master her magic, now she no longer has her staff, and proposes to teach her, before once again, disappearing into a flock of ravens. Later, while Nico searcher her mother's office, she finds an image of Morgan centered around a group of acquaintances, including Tina. When Nico questions who Morgan is, to her father, he informs her they were close and trained together, but is unable to further explain.[4]
While searching the whereabouts of Leslie, Morgan calls out to Nico and materializes to her, within a mirror. She appears wanting to help, but Nico questions her motives and intentions, and pleads to be left alone. Morgan insists their fates are intertwined, and urges her to embrace the power, of the Staff of One, and when Nico informs her of it's destruction, Morgan pushes her arm through the mirror, and places it on Nico's chest, allowing the staff to reconstitute itself. During Nico's showdown with the Magistrate family, Nico uses a spell, which defeats the aliens, but frees Morgan from the Dark Dimension in the process. Later on, Morgan visits a hospital and subdues a nurse, before entering Robert's room. She begins reciting an incantation, filling the room with a dark smoke, which enters Robert's body, and heals him, waking him up. As he regains consciousness, Morgan greets him, telling him to ready himself for the work they have planned.[5]
The Runaways are later trapped within the Dark Dimension and Morgan sends an emissary, in the form of Amy Minoru, Nico's deceased sister, to bring Nico to her.[6]
In between the six months the Runaways are trapped within the Dark Dimension, Morgan place Robert under her thrall, pursuing a romantic relationship, all while taking over Wizard, and creating a magical new phone, which entrances its users, which she has freely handed out to the local residents. She also acquaintances herself with Tamar and Geoffrey Wilder.[7]
When Nico returns to Earth, Morgan urges Robert to arrange a meeting with his daughter, for lunch. She displays her magic to Nico, by freezing their surroundings, and making the assemblage of people, sans Robert, disappear. Having finally met in person, Morgan reveals Nico freed her, and offers to mentor her, once more, in order to free her friend Alex, who is still trapped. She divulges that she healed Robert, while Nico was away and when Nico retaliates by mentioning how her mother will feel, Morgan argues Tina is guilty of hurting people. Morgan reminds Nico of her her offer, before returning the people, she made disappear, and resuming time, with Robert, unaware of what transpired. Morgan later visits Tamar and Geoffrey and informs them the WizPhone Corvus HQ, will be located near their neighborhood. That night, a party is held for the success of Wizard, with Morgan being titled the new CEO. A confrontation between Morgan and an outraged Tina leads to a clash between the two witches. Whilst Tina attempts a spell, Morgan's minions keep her protected. Morgan later confronts Karolina, who is caught spying on Morgan's coven members, and claims ownership of Nico. Nico then accept Morgan's offer and is inducted into her group, via a magical initiation ceremony.[7]
Morgan has Tina institutionalised in a ward, following her outburst at the party. She greets Nico, following the coven's ceremony, and questions her on the Staff's whereabouts, though Nico only seems concerned about Alex. Morgan offers to help her find Alex and additionally train her, should she bring the staff to her. Later that day, the remaining Runaways release a message on the internet, warning people of the dangers that the WizPhone Corvus has. Morgan uses her magic to completely remove all traces of the footage, and orders her coven members to capture, them. She also offers Geoffrey, the opportunity to rescue his son, by giving him a magical totem, which he takes, which unknowingly puts him under Morgan's control, much like Robert. When Robert's control under Morgan is broken, and he begins looking for the Darkhold, Morgan's magical spell book, Nico restates her offer to show Morgan the Staff of One, in order to distract her from discovering Robert's activities. Morgan enchants the mirror to show Nico, Alex, but she senses someone holds the possession of the Darkhold, and appears to it, finding it in the possession of Robert. She recalls the spellbook back to her, and upon learning that Tina broke Robert free of her spell, she kills him in retribution, for his betrayal, and to additionally make her suffer.[8]
Morgan's coven manage to successfully capture Molly Hernandez, who is placed under Morgan's influence, as she is prepared for the upcoming ritual. Morgan and her disciples travel to the rooftop of the Olympic Grand Hotel, which is the highest point in the city and gives her maximum exposure to the natural elements, conditions which enable her to initiate a powerful spell. The witches begin their incantations, and summon a storm cloud, which hits Molly with lightning. Once the ritual is completed, the first stages of Morgan's endgame are complete - to merge the Earth with the Dark Dimension and release her Dark Dimension army. Morgan has her phones further handed out, pulling more people under her spell, and allowing her to draw power from them, which amplifies her magic, to turn down the veil between worlds. To complete her goal, Morgan requires the Staff of One, and arrives at the Runaway mansion. Met with attacks by Karolina and Chase, she simply redirects them, and appears unharmed by an attack from Nico. Morgan claims to be too strong to kill, and tries to prevent bloodshed, by giving the Runaways an ultimatum, either submit to submit to her, or face endless torture. One by one, the Runaways submit to Morgan, until Nico is the only one left, and Morgan reprimands her for being fearful, sighting it as a weakness. As she revels to Nico, in her upcoming dictatorship, her power suddenly begins to drain. Nico reveals that her friends "betrayal" was a ruse, to distract Morgan, while their parents hacked into Corvus' cell service, disconnecting its users and effectively removing Morgan's source of power. In an attempt to defend herself, Morgan sends a magical attack to Nico and Karolina. She also throws Molly and Gert across the room, before heading to Karolina, to finish her off, and finally claim control of Nico. Before Morgan can successfully kill her, an injured Gert berates Morgan for her evil actions. As Morgan dismisses her, Gert reveals she was diverting her attention, from a magical salt circle, she placed around her. The salt, which was enchanted, traps Morgan, and Tina appears and invokes a spell from a recording of the Darkhold, which expels Morgan back to the Dark Dimension.[1][9]
Following Morgan's defeat, Gert succumbs to her injuries and dies. Several years in the future, Chase Stein is able to build a time machine, and travels with his fellow Runaways, to prevent Gert from dying, arriving prior to her death, at the moment of Morgan and the Runaways final confrontation. Whilst the events of the past repeat themselves, Chase diverts the timeline, by standing up to Morgan instead of Gert. A blast is sent towards Nico and Karolina, who are able to weaken the impact with Karolina's powers. Morgan attacks Gert once again, but this time, she only makes contact with the wall. Chase attacks Morgan, and she throws shards of glass through his body. Before Chase can die, he completes the salt circle he placed around Morgan's body entrapping her, and containing her magic. Once again, Tina arrives, and invokes a spell, banishing Morgan back to the Dark Dimension[10]
Morgan appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man episode "Halloween Night at the Museum" (a crossover with Jessie). She is accidentally freed from her armor imprisonment at her museum by Jessie Prescott during the Ross Kids visit to the museum as she plans to claim the sword and cause the end of the world. Spider-Man comes to their aid as Morgan le Fay brings the exhibits (consisting of a skeleton, the Tyrannosaurus skeleton, a Triceratops skeleton, two wax caveman statues, a giant earthworm statue) to life while placing a jack-o'-lantern on a security guard turning him into Jack O'Lantern. Following the fight with Jack O'Lantern and the evasion of some exhibits, Morgan le Fay makes another attempt at the sword where she transforms Mrs. Kipling into a dragon.
Morgan le Fay then attacks Jessie as she uses the sword to combat Morgan le Fay. After blasting the sword out of Jessie's hands, Morgan le Fay grabs the sword in order to blot out the sun and become the true heir of Camelot. After Ravi regained control of Mrs. Kipling, Jessie places the sword back onto the armor as Morgan le Fay is re-imprisoned.
Morgan le Fay appears in the episode "Weirdworld" as the ruler of Weirdworld. She allies with Bruce Banner, who had been separated from the Hulk, to destroy Hulk once and for all. The plan is complicated with the arrival of Captain Marvel and Black Widow, who Morgan le Fay manages to capture until Banner finally incapacitates Hulk and brings him to Morgan le Fay. However, Morgan reveals that she intends to absorb Hulk's essence for herself rather than destroy him. Banner then double-crosses Morgan and frees his friends as Morgan le Fay summons minions to fight them. After falling into Morgan's magic chamber, Banner and Hulk are fused back together and overwhelm Morgan le Fay, forcing Morgan le Fay to retreat.
"Well, If you want to change the world, follow me. This is how change happens. A new regime, rising up to overthrow the old. You can't be naive enough to think your world is perfect. Poverty, disease, hunger, corruption. These are the very reasons people turn to spirituality and religion, and yet the world still suffers. Some things need to be razed to the ground, but only so we can rebuild, and the new world we will build, will be greater than you can ever imagine. Or you live a life of endless torture. Your choice."
Morgan's banishment to the Dark Dimension, resembles those affected by Thanos' snap.
Ben Balistreri, best known for his work on Wander Over Yonder, DuckTales, and Tangled: The Series, pitched an idea for a Disney-Marvel animated series centered around a teenage Morgan le Fay, modeled after Billie Eilish. She would have been accompanied by plague crows, dubbed Crow-nies, and would revolve around her attempting to pull off sinister schemes. The show was axed due to the pandemic cuts.[11]