Marvel Database
Advertisement
Marvel Database

History

Early Life[]

Nicholas Scratch, the son of the powerful sorceress Agatha Harkness, hails from New Salem, a hidden enclave in Colorado founded centuries ago by survivors of the Salem Witch Trials. This hidden enclave, populated by magic users, was created to escape persecution. The identity of his father remains a mystery, with some speculating demonic origins. Unlike his mother, who chose to leave the secluded magical community and integrate with the outside world, Nicholas harbored resentment. Agatha, over time, not only distanced herself from New Salem but also took on the role of nanny to Franklin Richards, the son of Reed Richards and Sue Storm, members of the Fantastic Four.

Leader of New Salem[]

Scratch became the leader of New Salem and led the community to believe that it had been betrayed by Harkness through her dealings with the outside world. The New Salem witches then abducted Agatha for her trial and execution. They also abducted Franklin Richards in the process, causing the Fantastic Four to follow them back to New Salem.[3] Although initially defeated, the Four escaped and confronted Scratch at Harkness's trial, where all of the New Salem community was present. They countered Scratch's claims against Harkness by explaining that they hadn't known of New Salem until Scratch's actions made them aware of it. Outraged, Scratch attacked, swaying the community against him. The New Salem community banished him to a dimension known as the Dark Realm.[4]

Return[]

When Agatha later took the Fantastic Four back to New Salem for a festival, they were confronted by the return of the Salem's Seven. The Salem's Seven defeated the Fantastic Four and left Agatha and all the residents of New Salem in a coma-like trance. Salem's Seven arranged the inert bodies of the Fantastic Four as a nexus to return Nicholas to the the earthly realm. Agatha was able to take away Salem's Seven's power and keep her son, Nicholas Scratch, imprisoned.[5]

Possession of Franklin[]

Nicholas escaped through a portal into the Negative Zone and traveled back to Earth to possess Franklin.[6] Gabriel the Devil Hunter contained his presence, but he escaped and freed his children. However working together they were able to stop him and restore the Dark Realm, his mother stripped him of his magic and denounced him as her son.[7]

Hellcat[]

Later, after the destruction of New Salem, Scratch resurfaced in the town of Centerville as "Mayor Nicholas." The whole town of Centerville and all of its inhabitants had entered a contract as an amusement park version of "America's Heartland Next-Door." When Patsy Walker returned to visit her hometown, she discovered that the town's whole population was possessed by demons. A team comprised of Avengers and Thunderbolts helped clear the town, which was apparently being victimized by a convoluted conspiracy composed of the amusement park developers, the Sons of the Serpent, and Salem's Seven.[8] After defeating them, the Avengers/Thunderbolts team departed but Patsy elected to remain in Centerville.[9]

Soon, Patsy discovered that Scratch was the mastermind behind the ongoing haunting of Centerville. She defeated him and accused him of serving Mephisto, but in reply, Scratch called down his true new master, Dormammu. Abducting Hellcat, Dormammu then revealed his plans for domination via conquest of Hell, and that Scratch would become Sorcerer Supreme. Dormammu's plans were later defeated by the other Hell-Lords causing Hell to freeze over. Dormammu then fled with Scratch.[10]

Resurrection[]

Posing as Agatha Harkness, Scratch deceived Salem's Seven into orchestrating events to resurrect "Nicholas Scratch", although his true intention was to summon Shuma-Gorath to Earth. Salem's Seven launched a series of magical attacks on New York City.[1] Scratch ambushed and imprisoned Doctor Strange and Wong in a pocket dimension using his magic. Scratch then released Diablo from the realm where the Fantastic Four had imprisoned him. Disguised as Doctor Strange, Scratch tricked the Fantastic Four into casting a spell that brought Shuma-Gorath to Earth.[11] He offered both the Fantastic Four and Salem's Seven to Shuma-Gorath, who shielded him from their attacks. Doctor Strange, freed by Diablo, arrived and teleported Shuma-Gorath away. Diablo then altered Scratch's spell, allowing Franklin and Valeria Richards to banish Scratch to Hell. In Hell, Scratch agreed to become Mephisto's agent for the upcoming war.[12]

Attributes

Power Grid[14]
:Category:Power Grid/Fighting Skills/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Energy Projection/Multiple Types:Category:Power Grid/Durability/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Speed/Warp:Category:Power Grid/Speed/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Strength/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Intelligence/Normal

Powers

  • Sorcery: Scratch is a skilled magic user. He can manipulate magical forces for various effects, including teleportation, energy projection, animation of inanimate objects, and tapping extradimensional energy by invoking the principalities (entities and objects of power in dimensions tangential to Earth's) through recitation of spells. Scratch is also skilled at mesmerism, thought-casting, illusion-casting, mental probing, and mind possession.[13]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

  • Satan Staff: A mystical power object that served as a focus for Scratch's magical powers, although he could employ his powers without the staff.

See Also

Links and References

References

Advertisement