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“Paths go this way, paths go that way...“ This article is about the cowardly living Dan. For the undead hero, see Sir Daniel Fortesque. |
| “ | Lupo! It's time I pay visit on sweet Widow Lucinda! She can pay me this week's rent! Ha! It's good to be me! | ” |
– Captain Fortesque, MediEvil: Fate's Arrow | ||
Sir Daniel Wigginbottom Fortesque IV (born 1254), better known as Captain Fortesque, is the cowardly living version of the legendary Sir Dan. Originally destined to die a failure at the Battle of Gallowmere as part of Zarok the Sorcerer's evil scheme, his fate was changed when his future self took his place in the battle using a Body Swap Potion, trapping the Captain in a skeletal body. Hundreds of years after the fact, the Captain would recount the story to Professor Darrow of Cambridge Archaeology.
Story
Background
Dan was born in the kingdom of Gallowmere in 1254 as the eldest son of Lord Cedric Fortesque. Dan was a spoilt and bratty child who grew up to be a lazy, arrogant teenager. Daniel decided to become a knight solely to impress the maidens. He trained with the best weapons masters in the land, showing a degree of natural talent, but was too lazy to ever deliver on his potential. No matter! With daddy's money behind him, he rose through the ranks of the king's army. And then one day the king's champion, his horse spooked by a toad, was thrown head-first into a well where he promptly drowned. Against all good sense, the king - listening solely to the words of a new advisor - appointed Daniel to be the new Captain of his army.[1]
MediEvil: Fate's Arrow
Fate's Arrow
The Captain talks to Lupo.
Captain Fortesque is first seen by his undead future self while he is out hunting with his hound Lupo. The Captain decides to return to the castle to pay a visit to Widow Lucinda so he can mooch money off of her. His plan is interrupted when the guards at the gates tell him that the king wishes to see him at once.
In their meeting, the king reveals that the army of the undead is marching upon the castle and that they will reach it within a day. The Captain promptly excuses himself as he has wet his pants.
The Jabberwocky
Some time later, the Captain is waiting for Widow Lucinda in his bedchambers. He is startled when the undead Dan walks in instead. Griff, the undead Dan's fairy companion, tries to fajazzle the Captain, but fails, so the undead Dan knocks him out.
The Battle of Gallowmere
The fajazzled Captain Fortesque.
The night before the battle, the Captain tries to escape from the castle. However, he is captured by Griff and his sister Noreen who fajazzles the Captain properly this time, leaving him in a trance-like state. After Noreen's friend Wartilda successfully brews a Body Swap Potion, the Captain finds himself inside the undead Dan's body who takes his place on the battlefield. He is left tied up in Wartilda's hut where his faithful hound Lupo watches over him as well as a gift left behind by the undead Dan.
Modern Day
Hundreds of years later, in the present day, Captain Fortesque meets with Professor Darrow in Cambridge and recounts the story of the Battle of Gallowmere to her.[a]
Behind the scenes
Development
Concept art of Captain Fortesque by Jason Wilson.
Captain Fortesque was designed by Jason Wilson for the MediEvil: Fate's Arrow comic in 2018. As a character, he was originally conceptualised by Chris Sorrell as part of the 2003 MediEvil 3: Fate's Arrow concept pitch that the comic was based on. Captain Fortesque's eventual role in the comic ended up being largely similar to his role in the concept pitch. However, the idea that Sir Daniel Fortesque was a pompous failure in life originally came from script doctor Martin Pond during the development of the original MediEvil.[2] Chris Sorrell revealed that Captain Fortesque's depiction in the comic was largely inspired by the show Blackadder, specifically the titular main characters from its first two seasons.[3]
Notes
^a Though the identity of the modern day Dan is deliberately left unclear,[4] the original outline for Fate's Arrow had the cowardly Dan stay in his heroic counterpart's undead body. Chris Sorrell has also confirmed that Sir Dan is stuck in a time loop,[3] which lends more credibility to the modern day Dan being Captain Fortesque.
^b The years given in MediEvil: Fate's Arrow are 100 years off from the dates given in MediEvil 2. For the sake of consistency with MediEvil 2, 100 years have been added to years from MediEvil: Fate's Arrow on this page.
Trivia
- In his room, Captain Fortesque has portraits of himself and a close relative. A similar portrait of the Captain ends up in the possession of Professor Darrow hundreds of years later.
| Preceded by King Peregrin's Champion |
Captain of the Militia ? - 1286 |
Succeeded by Unknown |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2
MediEvil: Fate's Arrow. Written by Chris Sorrell. Art by Jason Wilson. Published by Titan Comics in 2019.
- ↑ Retro Gamer - The Making of... MediEvil on The Mean Machines Archive (PDF file). Published March 27, 2008.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Q&A with Chris Sorrell on MediEvil Boards. Published February 3, 2020.
- ↑ "That’s a secret for now and up for discussion. :) It’s something Chris and I had some interesting chats about at length." — Jay Gunn on Twitter.
