Morgaine

Morgaine, as she appears in Battlefield

**Morgaine**, also known as the Sunkiller, Dominator of the Thirteen Worlds, and Battle Queen of the S'rax, was a powerful sorceress who did battle with King Arthur and Merlin in Camelot.

## Biography

Morgaine was not human, but the Battle-Queen of the S'rax; she came to Earth having detected strange energies around King Arthur and was fascinated to see that Arthur's knights had far more advanced weaponry than any of his contemporaries.

Prior to Arthur's courtship and marriage with Guinevere, Arthur had a passionate affair with Morgaine. However, she refused to marry him, not intending to settle down with "any one male". Despite this refusal, she subsequently felt betrayed when Arthur married Guinevere, and stayed on Earth to declare war on Camelot alongside their son Mordred. The two and their Knight Commander leading knights with advanced weaponry and the capability to travel between dimensions against them. (TV: *Battlefield*, *The Herald*) "Merlin", by then impersonated by the Eighth Doctor, met personally with Morgaine near the Ice Caves, intending to talk her out of summoning the Destroyer. She refused to stand down, engaging in a battle of minds with the Doctor and sending him flying into the caves, sealing the entry behind him. Despite being ambushed by Arthur's forces, starting the Battle of Camlann in the process, Morgaine was able to successfully flee and summon the Destroyer. Without her knowledge, Arthur was killed on accident by Guinevere (TV: *The Herald*), though Mordred later took credit for the killing. (TV: *Battlefield*) She saw the Doctor escape from the Ice Caves with the help of his companion Raine Cunningham, and, after the Destroyer was defeated, ordered her forces to retreat. (TV: *The Herald*)

After crossing to Carbury, England, Mordred created a meeting point, allowing Morgaine to follow him across the realities. They then set out to prevent Ancelyn and the Seventh Doctor (Merlin in her universe) from possessing Excalibur. She unleashed the Destroyer to help, but it was defeated. Morgaine made a final attempt at victory by unleashing a nuclear weapon from a nearby missile convoy, but the Doctor convinced her that this was a dishonourable form of warfare and she surrendered. Morgaine and Mordred were taken prisoner by UNIT. (TV: *Battlefield*)

## Personality

Morgaine was ruthless, willing to sacrifice almost anything, including her son Mordred, to achieve her ends. Despite this, she had a strong sense of honour. (TV: *Battlefield*, *The Herald*) She became enraged when, by reading a tombstone, she discovered that Mordred, had misled them and they had fought on the enemy's soil without proper respect for the dead. (TV: *Battlefield*) She was a tactical individual, being able to plan attacks quickly and effectively, even when ambushed. (TV: *The Herald*) She had incredible powers, being able to control people, cure blindness, (TV: *Battlefield*) produce electricity from her fingers and telekinetically lift objects and people. (TV: *The Herald*)

## Behind the Scenes

* In the real world, she is sometimes known as "Morgan le Fay", "Morgain", or "Morgana". She was a sorceress of Arthurian legend often described as the half-sister of King Arthur. In the legends, it was Morgan's sister Morgause who was the mother of Mordred by an incestuous affair with Arthur, but Morgan and Morgause are often conflated in later retellings.
* Jean Marsh also played Morgan le Fay in the 1989 adaptation of *A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court*. She also previously appeared in *Doctor Who* as Joanna in *The Crusade* and Sara Kingdom in *The Daleks' Master Plan*.
* She was played by Jenny Agutter in *The Twilight Zone*.