Avalon (Otherworld)

Avalon
Name	Avalon
Aliases	The Golden Forest, the Bosom of Gaea
Location Details
Reality	Multiverse
Dimension	Otherworld , Inner Planes, God Realms
Country	Vassal-state of the Starlight Citadel
Locale	Fair Courts
Creators and Appearances
Creators	Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
First	Fantastic Four #54 (June, 1966)
First	Fantastic Four #54 (June, 1966)

Avalon is a kingdom in Otherworld and one of the provinces of the Fair Courts governed by the Starlight Citadel. A realm steeped in ancient magic and existing beyond the bounds of time and space, it is accessible from Earth through several specific points. Historically, the paths between Avalon and Earth were mostly open; however, as humanity grew distrustful of the old ways and the worship of Celtic gods gave way to Catholicism, a rift formed between the two worlds. While often described as a land of ancient towers and serene medieval splendor, non-native visitors have observed that its appearance tends to shift over time.

History

An overview of Avalon with Starlight Citadel in the background

Avalon was created by Gaea as her own dimensional realm and one of the first four Inner Planes. In many ways, it reflects Earth during the golden age of the goddess, when its forests were nurtured by druids, its skies filled with faeries, and its lands abundant with magic. A realm of tranquil beauty and enchanted forests, Avalon has long been a haven for honor, magic, and the ideals of knightly virtue. It is spiritually and subconsciously connected to Britain on Earth; Avalon's prosperity mirrors that of Britain, and when Avalon is threatened, Britain often suffers as well.

For centuries, Avalon has been under the protection of the wizard Merlyn. The seat of power, located at Camelot, has largely been ruled by King Arthur Pendragon and his knights. From the fairy isle of Tír na nÓg to the storied Green Chapel, Avalon is rich in history and culture. Magic permeates its very fabric, and the realm is home to numerous powerful magi and practitioners. This deep connection to magic has allowed its people to live in peace, safety, and comfort for generations.

See also: History of Otherworld

Eighth Cosmos

Monarch briefly assumed the throne of Avalon

Following the destruction of the Multiverse caused by the incursions and its subsequent rebirth, Otherworld underwent significant changes and expansion. For millennia, Avalon was believed to be the only realm within Otherworld. However, it was recently revealed that Avalon is just one of five Fair Courts, which exist alongside five Foul Courts.

As a result of this political turmoil, Avalon became the site of a civil war, with key figures such as Merlyn and Saturnyne vying for control due to its strategic importance, as the Starlight Citadel—the seat of the Omniversal Guardian—is located there. During the first Krakoan era, mutants from Earth-616 opened gates to the realm, seeking to assert control and extend their influence. Consequently, the kingdom underwent a series of shifts in rulership, transitioning from King Arthur to Morgan Le Fay, then to Jamie Braddock, and back to Arthur. As of now, the fall of Merlyn has brought an end to the conflict, ushering in a period of peace for its inhabitants.

Geography

Avalon is a small, otherdimensional planetary body—a relatively flat, asteroid-like landmass suspended in space. Its geography is partially shaped by the collective subconscious of the British Isles. The kingdom of Avalon primarily consists of two main islands, each representing one of the Inner Planes:

• The eastern Avalon, also known as the Golden Forest or the Bosom of Gaea, is one of the first Inner Planes, created by the Elder Goddess Gaea as her personal domain.
• The western Tír na nÓg is a God Realm created by the Tuatha de Danaan, the Celtic gods.

Other notable locations include the Sunken Kingdom of Lyonesse, now reduced to a few scattered islands, and Tír fo Thuinn, a realm beneath the seas. Tír na nÓg holds entrances to the Fomorian's Dark Realm and the Celtic underworld, Annwn, while Avalon's Great Rift leads deep into the Netherworld.

Access

Portal to Otherworld from Stonehenge

Avalon is spiritually and subconsciously tied to the British Isles, with a deep connection to its symbolic sites in the Earth realm. In places of power, permanent portals provide access between Earth and Avalon in Otherworld. Notable locations with such portals include the ring of standing stones in the Cheviot Hills' Darkmoor, Stonehenge, the Tower of London, Avebury, Buckingham Palace, Hadrian's Wall, Cragside in Northumberland, Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, Cavern Club in Liverpool, Karl Marx's grave at Highgate Cemetery, Alan Moore's Greenhouse in Northampton, the Long Man of Wilmington, Glastonbury Tor, St. James Park, as well as various hidden sidhe (fairy mounds) scattered throughout the British Isles.

Routes created by the Twelve Walkers—men of power who perceived the magical Ley lines connecting the two dimensions—also lead to Otherworld. A small island near the village of Stanleigh, England, conceals the Gates of Otherworld, which can only be opened using Captain Britain’s Star Sceptre. The Captain Britain Corpsmen are able to move freely between Otherworld and their native reality at will. The native faeries also possess the ability to cross back and forth between the two realms.

Recently, a gateway was established between the mutant island-nation of Krakoa and Avalon, but it was destroyed after Merlyn took control of Otherworld. A second, larger gateway, known as the External Gate, opened beneath the Starlight Citadel. Following Krakoa’s merge with its Atlantic counterpart into the White Hot Room, it is unclear whether these means of access are still functional.

Points of Interest

• Avalon
  • Apple Orchards
  • Camelot
    • Castle Camelot
      • Avalon Gate (Destroyed)
    • Courtyards of Camelot
    • Hildebrandt Wood
  • Citadel of the Manchester Gods (Destroyed)
  • Clevermore
  • Darkmoor, Otherworld's counterpart.
  • Domain of the Trolls
  • Fairyland
    • Fairyland Hillfort
      • Fairy Hillfort Strategy Room
    • Doors to Other Universes
  • Fomorian Encampment (Destroyed)
  • Forest of a Thousand Sorrows
    • The Falls
      • Shrine of James Braddock Sr.
    • Pyramid of the Ogre Mage Krokwel
  • Gates of Otherworld
  • Gorre
    • Valley of Wailing Mists
      • Castle Le Fay/Mongibel, home to Morgan Le Fay. (Relocated to Britain)
  • The Great Rift
    • Necromon's Castle
  • The Great Woods
    • The Forgiven Forest
      • Base Camp of the Priestesses of the Green
  • The Green Chapel, home to the Green Knight.
    • Albion's Sanctum
    • The Armory
  • Grove of Sacred Trees (Destroyed)
    • Oaken Altar (Destroyed)
  • Halls of Avalon
  • Hobgoblin Bog/Goblin Territory
  • Jackdaw's Nest
  • Leir's Village
  • Merlyn's Castle
  • Merlyn's Tower, Otherworld's former dimensional matrix nexus.
  • Mists of Time
  • Mountains of Misery
    • Mountain Kingdom of Gargantua
  • New Camelot/Vortigen's Castle
  • Niamh's Lake
    • Niamh's Castle
  • Northern Portal to Earth
  • The Pits
  • Sea of Secrets
  • South Woods/South Woode
    • Cavern of the Insect Nobles
    • Davis Creek
  • Southern Portal to Earth
  • Stargazer's Castle
  • Stonehenge, Otherworld's counterpart.
  • The Vale
• Tír na nÓg
  • Cities of Falias, Finias, Gorias and Murias.
  • Entrances to the Dark Realm and to Annwn.
  • Gwynn's Woods
  • Magh Mor
• Sunken Kingdom of Lyonesse
  • Island of Three Stones
• Tír fo Thuinn, a realm under the seas.
• Annwn, the Celtic underworld.
• Dark Realm, the subterranean home to the Fomorians.

Residents

• Regents
  • King Arthur
    • Mordred, Prince of Avalon
    • Court of Camelot
  • The Mad Monarch, King Jamie Braddock (Formerly)
  • Morgan Le Fay (Formerly)
• Green Knight
  • Green Priestesses
• Dragons
  • Sir Benedict of the Falls (Dragon/human hybrid)
• Druids
  • Amergin Glúingel (Deceased)
• Elves
  • Buckthorn (Deceased)
  • Jackdaw (Deceased)
  • Moondog (Deceased)
  • Sundog (Deceased)
• Faeries
  • King Oberon
  • Tink
  • Titania
  • Grande Dame
• Fomorians
• Giants
• Goblins
• Leprechauns
• Ogres
  • Lords of the Thousand Sorrows
    • Krokwel
• Proud Walkers
  • Bran
  • Gael, Gamael and Gwent
  • Herne
  • King Vortigen
• Trolls
• Tuatha de Danaan

Notes

• Avalon was inspired by the location from Celtic and Arthurian myths.
• Another Avalon, created by Glenn Herdling and Geof Isherwood in Namor, the Sub-Mariner #62, was inspired by that mythical Avalon , and possibly by theosophist William Scott-Elliot, who mentioned that Atlantis survived in the form of two islands: Ruta (which also appears in Namor, the Sub-Mariner Vol 1 62) and Daitya.

See Also

• 76 appearance(s) of Avalon (Otherworld)
• 2 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Avalon (Otherworld)
• 2 minor appearance(s) of Avalon (Otherworld)
• 25 mention(s) of Avalon (Otherworld)
• 8 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Avalon (Otherworld)
• 85 image(s) of Avalon (Otherworld)
• 55 article(s) related to Avalon (Otherworld)
• 6 citizen(s) of Avalon (Otherworld)