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History

Margali Szardos' past is as much of an enigma as she is. She was supposedly born in Paris, France and taught magic by her mother, but she has yet to reveal her true origins. Margali's particular discipline of magic is called 'The Winding Way,' She is confirmed to be Romani.[citation needed]

Once having been married, Szardos had two children: Stephan and Jimaine (later known as Amanda Sefton). She supposedly had an affair with the demonic mutant Azazel, who at the time had also seduced Mystique who was then posing as the wife of Baron Christian Wagner. The Baron, who was infertile, suspected his wife of infidelity and, when the pain of childbirth caused Mystique to shift back to her natural form and deliver a devilish-looking child, the locals rose up against mother and son. Mystique fled, throwing the child over a waterfall where he was later found and adopted by Margali. Whether or not she knew the child's origins, she raised the boy as her own.[citation needed]

Working at Der Jahrmarkt in Winzeldorf as a fortune-teller to cover her tracks, Margali discovered that the Demon Belasco was sowing seeds of destruction in the Earth. She tricked her daughter into staying with her in Der Jahrmarkt by killing Sabu, Jimaine and Kurt's trapeze mentor. A day after Sabu's death, Kurt left Der Jahrmarkt to join a circus in Florida. After his return to Germany, he was recruited by the X-Men and moved to the USA. Jimaine followed him to America and changed her name to Amanda Sefton, taking a job as a flight attendant. She and Kurt have since had an on-again, off-again relationship. Years later Margali learned that Kurt had killed Stefan. Too deep in grief to question why, Margali exiled Nightcrawler's soul to a dimension resembling "Dante's Inferno." With help from Jimaine and Doctor Strange, Kurt was exonerated.[citation needed]

During Margali's time of weakness on The Winding Way, she was captured by the demon D'Spayre. After being rescued by Jimaine and Nightcrawler, Margali began her quest to take possession of a magical weapon called the Soulsword. Margali tricked her daughter once again by giving her a warning about a sorcerer called Gravemoss who was trying to kill all above him on The Winding Way. Amanda traveled to Muir Island and found that Gravemoss had possessed Kurt. After defeating Gravemoss, Amanda gave her mother the Soulsword and Margali used it to kill all the other sorcerers stationed above her. Amanda then joined Excalibur under the codename "Daytripper". Hoping to release a demon under London, Margali joined the U.K. branch of the Hellfire Club and kidnapped the mutant hybrid Douglock. Her efforts were foiled by Excalibur and Margali disappeared only to be captured by Belasco. With her last bit of magic she swapped souls with her daughter. Margali's soul, now in Amanda's body, took Nightcrawler to Limbo where they were able to rescue her body and defeat Belasco. After the battle, Nightcrawler returned to the X-Men and Margali left Amanda to rule Limbo. Amanda then took the name "Magik" for herself.[citation needed]

Margali Szardos (Earth-616) from Nightcrawler Vol 3 8 001

Margali Szardos during her time in the German circus

Margali has reappeared recently to find Nightmare torturing her daughter. Nightmare was under control of a demon called Hive who was looking for the Soulsword. Nightcrawler was able to defeat Hive with the help of Margali, Jimaine, and Nightmare. During the battle Margali revealed that Nightcrawler was in possession of the Soulsword.[citation needed]

Margali was later hired by Orchis, who had her cast a hex that caused mutants around the world to transform into monsters. She accepted the job, but secretly planned to use the spell for her own ends. When Kurt and the Legionaries confronted her, she attacked them with the hex, transforming both Doctor Nemesis and Kurt. As the latter began uncontrollably attacking Orchis soldiers, Margali mused that Kurt had always held onto a bright spark of hope that he had clung to even as his faith was in jeopardy. However, with his mind addled by the mutation hex, she was able to rip it out of him, fashioning it into the Hopesword. Prize in hand, she left Kurt among the bodies.[6] When Legion and the Legionaries went to rescue Kurt from the Orchis Forge where he was being held, Szardos attempted to stop them and take Wagner for herself. Mother Righteous revealed that they had made a deal in the past that had let Margali climb the Winding Way, mystically putting her in Righteous' debt. Deciding Legion was more important to her goals, Righteous called in the debt and absorbed her essence into a sphere, possibly killing her.[2]

Attributes

Power Grid[8]
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Powers

As the Sorceress Supreme,[citation needed] with her experience in magic surpassing even that of Doctor Strange, Margali is capable of controlling magical forces for a wide range of effects. Margali is an accomplished sorceress, to the point that her power is equal to that of almost any sorcerer on Earth, having fought its Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange, to a stalemate in her own dimension, and occupying "The Winding Way's" highest position. The Winding Way grants mystic power, but that power ebbs and flows unpredictably, affecting the strength of Margali's magic. Margli can cast spells and transform herself. As the Red Queen she manifested her magic as a flaming sword, could extend her nails into long talons, and fire blasts of red arcane energy.[citation needed]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

  • Wand of Power: The original source of Margali's powers.[3]
  • Eye of Agamotto; Margali formerly wielded the Eye of Agamotto, and told Strange that he was not the first custodian of the ancient amulet. She tells him he will not be the last either, magically summoning the Eye by a gesture of her hand, shocking Strange, as he was unable to prevent the eye from going up to Margali. Margali says a chant relating to the Eye, and a golden glow shines down on Kurt, it is the Eye of Truth.[7]
  • Hopesword: Margali created the Hopesword by ripping Kurt's sense of hope out of him and turning it into a blade. Mother Righteous took it for herself after absorbing Szardos.[2]
  • In addition, in the Marvel Tarot, Margali is shown on the Wheel of Fortune along with Jimaine and Irene Adler.

See Also

Links and References

References

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