Marit Lage: Difference between revisions
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*[[Dominaria (plane)|Dominaria]]<ref name="Magic 6">MacKay, Jed. (2021). ''[[Magic (BOOM! comic)|Magic]]''. Vol 1, iss 6.</ref> | *[[Dominaria (plane)|Dominaria]]<ref name="Magic 6">MacKay, Jed. (2021). ''[[Magic (BOOM! comic)|Magic]]''. Vol 1, iss 6.</ref> | ||
*[[Innistrad (plane)| | *[[Innistrad (plane)|Innistrad]]<ref name="Magic 8">MacKay, Jed. (2021). ''[[Magic (BOOM! comic)|Magic]]''. Vol 1, iss 8.</ref> | ||
*[[Ixalan (plane)|Ixalan]]<ref name="Magic 8"/> | *[[Ixalan (plane)|Ixalan]]<ref name="Magic 8"/> | ||
*[[Kamigawa]]<ref name="Magic 8"/> | *[[Kamigawa]]<ref name="Magic 8"/> | ||
Revision as of 19:38, 23 December 2021
| Marit Lage | |
|---|---|
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[[File:{{#setmainimage:Marit Lage.jpg}}|250px]] | |
| Details | |
| Race | Avatar |
| Birthplace | Beyond the Blind Eternities[1] |
| Lifetime | during the Ice Age[1] - current[2] |
Marit Lage is a powerful avatar being comparable to a demi-god with a kraken-like figure who came to be imprisoned on Dominaria at some point before the Ice Age.[3]
Nature
The Argivian scholar Arkol thought Marit Lage was a planeswalker, but he was wrong: she is a being of immense power, able to move across the planes but not by the same means planeswalkers can. Little is known about her life, her fate, or even what exactly she is.
Relationship to the Eldrazi
Marit Lage bears many similarities to the Eldrazi creatures that first appeared on Zendikar in the set of the same name. Both Marit Lage and the Eldrazi are Lovecraftian horrors, with the Kraken-like features that are the hallmark of the Cthulhu mythos. Like Cthulhu specifically, she slumbers in a large body of water while human worshippers wait for her return. The flavor text for the original printing of Wrath of Marit Lage, "Dread Marit Lage lies dreaming, not dead", is very similar to Lovecraft's famous line "In his house at R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming" (presented as "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn" in the original in-universe language of that mythos).[4][5]
In addition to commonalities derived from their shared source material, Marit Lage shares the Eldrazi's innate capacity to move between planes. However, several differences exist. Marit Lage is female, while the Eldrazi are genderless, though the Eldrazi titans are sometimes referred to using the gendered pronouns for their corresponding Zendikari deities.[6] Marit Lage is specifically associated with black mana and referred to as both a mage and a sorceress, while the Eldrazi are colorless and do not cast spells. Additionally, her physical form is her true body. The assorted Eldrazi titans are merely projections of extraplanar entities, and the lesser Eldrazi are extensions of the titans. Furthermore, unlike the Eldrazi and despite all of her destructive power, Marit Lage never engaged in the consumption, transformation, and restructuring of entire planes.
Since Marit Lage and the Eldrazi were created fifteen years apart, they may have no deeper relationship than as separate interpretations of the Cthulhu mythos by different Creative teams.
History
Ice Age
 | This article or section discusses story elements that are canon only in the BOOM! comics. |
Hungry for worship, Marit Lage pulled herself through the Blind Eternities to Dominaria, where she emerged inside the Ronom Glacier, causing her to become trapped there.[1][7] For years, all she could do was telepathically whisper into the minds of Dominarians, sparking her cult. To her dismay, she always led her cultists to their deaths and had to continue seeking out new faithful.[1]
Toward the end of the Ice Age, the brine shaman Balash Xev led her cult in Balduvia, where he would anoint them with holy seawater, causing them to mutate into the likeness of Marit Lage.[1] These mutants were barely still humanoid with lots of eyes, teeth, and tendrils,[1] though they still had only a single brain.[2] He was slain by Jaya Ballard at the end of the Ice Age.[1]
Realizing Xev hadn't died in vain, Jaya decided to seek out and destroy Xev's god. Marit Lage was merely aware of Jaya as she stood atop the glacier that contained her. Jaya made herself known, and Marit Lage gave her full regard, which would have killed her had she not been a planeswalker; instead, Marit Lage's regard nearly drowned her mind. She spoke telepathically to Jaya of her failure and begged her to help free her. Elsewhere, Freyalise had just cast the World Spell, ending the ice age. Jaya realized she herself wouldn't be able to destroy Marit Lage, so she did the next best thing: She targeted a massive chunk of ice with a spell, exiling it and Marit Lage into the Blind Eternities, which she hoped would kill her.[1]
Ravnica
| This article or section discusses story elements that are canon only in the BOOM! comics. |
About 1600 years later, the guildless Hall of the Hospitallers of the Frozen Heart became a threat to Ravnica.[1] Shortly after a rumor started of a comet that would destroy Ravnica, the abbot of the hospital kidnapped Jace Beleren.[8] He used Jace's telepathic mind as a beacon to lure Marit Lage to Ravnica, fulfilling the prophecy of the comet (which was actually the chunk of ice containing Marit Lage).[2] This scheme was apparently the work of Tezzeret.[9] Although the abbot was eaten by Niv-Mizzet, the comet was already on course.[2]
Planes visited
Worshipped on
| This article or section discusses story elements that are canon only in the BOOM! comics. |
Planeswalkers met
In-game references
- Represented in:
- Associated cards:
- Depicted in:
- Quoted or referred to:
References
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m MacKay, Jed. (2021). Magic. Vol 1, iss 6.
- ↑ a b c d e MacKay, Jed. (2021). Magic. Vol 1, iss 7.
- ↑ Brady Dommermuth (August 14, 2006). "Is there a link that explains who/what Marit Lage is?". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ H.P. Lovecraft
- ↑ Cthulhu
- ↑ Doug Beyer (September 24, 2015). "So whats the deal the Eldrazi titans having genders now?". A Voice for Vorthos. Tumblr.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb. (2000.) "The Eternal Ice", Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ MacKay, Jed. (2021). Magic. Vol 1, iss 1.
- ↑ MacKay, Jed. (2021). Magic. Vol 1, iss 4.
- ↑ a b c d MacKay, Jed. (2021). Magic. Vol 1, iss 8.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (July 13, 2006). "Coldsnap Release Promo Card Revealed". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (August, 2007). "Ask Wizards - August, 2008". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Blake Rasmussen (March 28, 2018). "Dominaria Card of the Day: Time of Ice". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.