Malcom (better known as Peter Pan) is a major character in the first half of the third season of the ABC fairy tale drama series Once Upon a Time, as the main antagonist of the first half of the season. He is portrayed by Robbie Kay as a teenager and by Stephen Lord as an adult.
In the series[]
Before the First Curse[]
Malcom abandons his son before transforming to Peter Pan
Peter Pan's real identity was Malcolm, the father of Rumplestiltskin, separated spouse of the Black Fairy (formerly Fiona), the grandfather of Baelfire and Gideon, and the paternal great-grandfather of Henry Mills and one of the great-great-grandfathers of Lucy. Malcolm originally left his son in the care of two spinners, who gave Rumplestiltskin a magical bean to create a portal to leave his careless father. Using the magic bean, Malcolm and Rumplestiltskin travelled to Neverland, a place which Malcolm envisioned in his dreams. Upon arrival, Malcolm discovered he could not fly like in his dreams, and the Shadow told him this is because he did not belong on the island as it was only for children. Realizing that he could not be a child as he was a father, Malcolm forced Rumplestiltskin to be taken home by the Shadow. Malcolm transformed into his younger self, adopting the name of Peter Pan (which he named himself after Rumplestiltskin's doll). The Shadow informed Pan that his youth is limited, and he will die when the hourglass of Skull Rock is complete.
Sometime later, Pan visits Hamelin in the Enchanted Forest to expand what would later become the Lost Boys, a band of fearful followers who listen to Pan's every command and is in search for Henry, the son of Emma Swan and his great-grandson.
The Shadow arrives with a boy named Baelfire (who, unbeknownst to him, is his grandson). Wendy Darling then arrives in order to save him, but Pan decides to keep her prisoner and blackmails John and Michael Darling to help him with his tasks, in exchange for their sister Wendy's life.
After the First Curse[]
When the heroes arrive on Neverland in search of Henry, Pan appears to him as a fugitive boy pretending to escape from the Lost Boys. He "befriends" Henry who is also attempting to escape upon arriving in Neverland, following his kidnap from Storybrooke. He later reveals his true identity and tells Henry he possesses "the heart of the truest believer," which he now owns. Pan plots to sacrifice Henry to gain his youth as his time as a young boy begins to fade away. However, Emma, along with a team of heroes (being Snow White, Prince Charming, Rumplestiltskin, Queen Regina, and Captain Hook) comes to retrieve the boy.
Robbie Kay as the ruthless Peter Pan
The battle between the parties last for days, and eventually, they retrieve Henry and return to their home in the real world, known as Storybrooke, with Pan imprisoned. Pan, however, managed to switch his body with Henry's. Once they arrived in Storybrooke, Pan (in Henry's body) orders the Shadow to kill Mother Superior after reading Henry's book. He then steals the original curse from Regina that created Storybrooke, planning to enact it to turn the town into "The New Neverland". Emma soon finds out Henry is not who he seems, and the heroes are able to find out the truth, eventually returning Pan and Henry to their own bodies. His plot is successful. However, before it takes place, Gold manages to find a way to defeat his father by sacrificing himself with the Dark One's dagger, thus ending his reign. As Pan died, he reverted to his real form and identity after Rumple stabbed him in the back.
After the Third Curse[]
Pan in the Underworld, in season 5.
He returned in the second half of the fifth season when the heroes (led by his son) arrived in the Underworld to rescue Hook. Upon their arrival, Pan immediately approaches Gold and offers him a deal - one of Gold's current allies would stay behind, and Pan would return in his place. At this point, Gold refuses, and Pan hands over the Ale of Seonaidh, the means Emma later uses to contact Hook.
However, after Hades backs Gold into corner, Gold forms a partnership with Pan, and the two sorcerers kidnap Hades's true love Zelena, the Wicked Witch of the West. Then the malevolent father-and-son pair offer Hades a counterproposal - he tears up the contract (which stated that Gold owed Hades his second-born child, Gideon) and then he would get the witch. But after Hades tears up the contract that gives him claim of his second grandson, Pan attempts to rip out Zelena's heart, hoping to use it to return to life. This attempt is prevented by the timely arrival of Emma, who rescues Zelena. Pan questioned why his illegitimate granddaughter-in-law would be helping the king of death, and Emma pointed out that Hades promised to help them get them home. Gold then warned her that she had picked the wrong side, but Emma then questions why the Dark One was still there since he had already gotten what he wanted. Seeing her point, Gold responded by abandoning his father. Outnumbered, Pan is also forced to retreat.
Later, Pan tracks his son down and hands him Pandora's box, which he says Gold could use to more easily transport his wife Belle (who is under a sleeping curse, provided by Zelena) to Storybrooke. As a price of this gift, Gold was to steal a heart and give it to Pan, allowing the deceased man-child to return to life. However, the Dark One betrayed his father and instead inserted him with not the heart of Robin Hood, but a wineskin filled with water from the River of Lost Souls and damned him for eternity. As Pan faded, Gold reiterated the statement he gave his father the first time he killed him: "Villains don't get happy endings." Peter Pan was obliterated while his pleased son bid him a cold farewell.
In the final season, an alternate version of the character appears near the finale, having been trapped by his son.
Trivia[]
- Unlike the animated character, this version of Peter Pan is much more sinister and evil. He is also a villain instead of a hero. He is also currently the only variant of the character to be evil.
- Ironically, this more sinister and evil version of Peter Pan seems to be much closer to his original counterpart from the original J.M. Barrie play when compared to Disney's other iterations of the character.
- Its revealed later in the season that Peter Pan is actually Rumplestiltskin's father and his real name is Malcom.
- Pan chose the name Peter Pan because of a toy Rumple had when Malcom sent his son away.
- Out of the characters in the series, Peter Pan has had the most portrayers of 3; Robbie Kay as young Peter Pan, Stephen Lord as an adult and Jared S. Gilmore when Peter switched his and Henry's bodies.
- Pan is the only person other than Liam Jones to call Hook by his real name, Killian Jones.
Gallery[]
Photography[]
Screenshots[]
Variants[]
- Peter Pan (character)
- Sweet Pete
