1602 (comic)

1602 is an eight-issue Marvel comic miniseries written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Andy Kubert. Scott McKowen did the covers.

Plot

All over Europe, catastrophes are happening. Sir Stephen Strange, the court magician of Queen Elizabeth I, senses that there are unnatural forces at work. An anomaly is unraveling the universe, and is somehow linked to the "Virginia Maid", a ship that carries Virginia Dare and her hulking bodyguard Rojhaz. Virginia has strange shapeshifting powers, and is suspected to be the cause.

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At the same time, there is a race after the legendary Templars' treasure, thought to be a weapon of unlimited power. The Queens' head of intelligence, Sir Nicholas Fury, finds himself against the powerful Otto von Doom, the sinister Count of Latveria.

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James VI of Scotland lusts after the Queen's throne. He collaborates with Spanish High Inquisitor Enrique and Count Doom to assassinate Queen Elizabeth and blame the "witchbreed" of Carlos Javier for the crime. The murder succeeds, and James of Scotland becomes King.

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The anomaly becomes worse. Sir Stephen, Sir Nicholas and Javier betray King James to save the universe. Fury, Javier and his "witchbreed" launch a successful attack on Count Doom's fortress, retrieve the Templars' treasure (Thor's Hammer, wielded by a pilgrim called Donal) and liberate Otto's captives, the superpowered quartet known as the Fantastick Force. They then flee to the New World. They are followed by Enrique, who flees England after the Church found out he was a "witchbreed" spawn himself.

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There, it comes out that not Virginia Dare, but Rojhaz is the anomaly. "Rojhaz" is nobody else than Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, who was atomized by a fascist US government in a n future. His "destruction" (i.e. he disappeared from the normal timeline, but reappeared in this timeline) caused the rift that is destroying the universe.

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In order to close the rift, Rogers is sent back. Donal ("Thor") opens the rift with his lightning, and Enrique controls it with his magnetic powers. The universe restores itself, and Uatu, the Watcher, is granted a "pocket universe" in which the 1602 timeline remains intact.

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