The Red Queen

The Red Queen © Juke Box Productions AstroFacts Status: Real Name: Lucia Base of Operations: Brixton, England Personal Data Occupation: Crime mistress Date of Birth: late 1950s/early 1960s Hair: red InfoDump Appearances (in Publication Order): Kurt Busiek's Astro City Vol.2 #17 Event Timeline The Red Queen The Red Queen grew up in the slums of London. She took advantage of the skills of her childhood friend, Martin Chefwick, so she could take advantage of technology and become one of the most dominate crime-lords in London. History She was manipulative and she always held Chefwick under her spell. He was none the wiser about her true devious nature, always viewing her as the innocent Lucia. She could sweet talk him into anything, helping her acquire by design or by theft, more technology and riches. She happened upon the abandoned Chessmen armor in the mid to late 1990s and used Chefwick to help restore and enhance some of the pieces abilities. At the same time, she was starting to make her outward moves into some of other British crime lords territories, with her own troops, the Red Queen's Men. A rival crime-lord, Clever Dick, went to Marty and convinced him (for a tidy sum), to help Dick the upper hand in the turf wars. Poor Marty was still completely unaware of Lucia and that it was her, who was the Red Queen, usurping the power of London's underworld. After he returned to Lucia from a crushing defeat, Lucia revealed her true nature to Marty. Enraged at him for all her years of feigning kindness and to be re-payed by having her growing empire smashed by him unwittingly aiding her ally, she unleashed the Chessmen to kill Chefwick. They chased him throughout England, even crossing the Atlantic Ocean, and finally catching up with him approaching Astro City. With the aide of Steeljack and the dozens of minor "black masks" living in Kiefer Square, Chefwick witnessed the defeat the Queen's henchmen. Observations Her attire and name, like the Mock Turtle's come from Lewis Carroll's from Alice in Wonderland. Their design is influenced by John Tenniel's drawings.