| This article is about Mary from the mundane world. You may be looking for her reflection, Bloody Mary; Mary who lives at the Farm; or Mary Mary, a prisoner at the Golden Boughs Retirement Village. |
| “ | To be charged with the care of another living thing... Oh sir, I know this to be my calling! | „ |
| ~ Mary to the Knave of Hearts, Fables: The Wolf Among Us #25 — "Heart of Glass Part 4 “Keep Feeling Fascination”" |
Mary is a timid, British mundy from the Victorian era, who falls under the seductive spell of the Knave of Hearts. After she is killed while giving birth to their glass baby, her reflection transforms into the vengeful Bloody Mary. She first appears in a flashback from 1887 in Fables: The Wolf Among Us #22 — "Heart of Glass Part 1."
History
Mary is a well-to-do young lady from Hampstead, London.[5] A sweet and timid aristrocrat of the Victorian era, she lives in a mansion with her family. On Halloween 1887, she is playing snap-the-apple with her "friends," Elizabeth Benton, Henrietta and Jane, who tease and make fun of her. Feeling adventurous, Elizabeth suggests they try a daring divination spell together. As part of the ritual, the four women gather in Mary's dimly lit bedroom with candles in hand and stand before a mirror, hoping to catch a glimpse of her future husband. To their great shock, the Knave of Hearts emerges in the reflection in the mirror. Everyone runs out of the room in terror, but Mary bravely returns to face whatever may be there, walking in reverse and keeping her back to the mirror, desperately trying to convince herself that it was all just a figment of her imagination. As she looks at her reflection in the mirror behind her, she is taken aback to see that the man is still present.[1]
It is November 1 when the Knave makes another appearance in Mary's mirror and showers her with compliments and flattery. Her reflection mimics her every move, but when the Knave offers his handkerchief, the reflection actually moves on its own and takes it and wipes away her tears, while Mary remains still. Mary finds herself succumbing to the Knave's flattery, and when he confesses his love for sweet tarts, she bakes some as a gift for him. The following day, she presents them to him and he happily indulges in the tarts' reflections in the mirror.[4]
While walking through Kensington Gardens with her Elizabeth and Jane on November 3, Mary reveals that she has a secret "gentleman caller," but the two don't believe her and ridicule Mary. Mary meets the Knave once more through the mirror and fills him in on everything that has happened. Although she acknowledges that Jane and Elizabeth can be cruel at time, she still considers them her friends. The Knave admits to having access to multiple mirrors and uses one to show Mary what two women are doing in front of another mirror. They are mocking Mary behind her back, with Jane calling her "Stupid bloody Mary!" Mary is devastated, and the Knave suggests that she cut off all contact with them. She protests, fearing loneliness, but the Knave assures her that she will always have him until her dying day.[6]
Marriage
While she is out shopping following day, Mary strolls through the bustling stalls of Long Acre in Covent Gardens while having a conversation with the Knave reflected in the mirrors she passes by. The Knave proposes the idea of having a child together, pointing out how they both desire one. He even shows her an image of her reflection pushing a stroller, symbolizing their potential future as parents. Mary is overjoyed by the prospect of becoming a mother but insists that they must wed first. The Knave consents to her conditions.[7]
On November 5, Mary stands naked in front of the mirror as the Knave dresses her reflection in her wedding outfit: the finest cotton smuggled out from Americana, a corset with stays made from whalebone from a beast harpooned off the coast of Bornegascar, petticoats hand-sewen for the Snow Queen herself, and finally her wedding dress. However, Mary is upset that only her reflection gets to wear the dress and only the latter can feel the Knave's touch, but the Knave assures her that she will feel his touch on their wedding night. The Knave says that he cannot cross this plane until they are wed, so he tasks her with creating her own wedding dress for herself. Despite her success in sewing a dress, Mary continues to prick her finger while working on it. As a result, the white dress becomes stained with her blood. Even the dress worn by her reflection bears these same bloodstains. However, the Knave insists that the dress is lovely nevertheless.[8]
The crow officiates the wedding between Mary and the Knave of Hearts on November 7, with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum acting as witnesses. The two consummate their marriage through a mirror on their wedding night.[3] However, while Mary's reflection becomes visibly pregnant, Mary herself does not, even though she can feel the child moving within her.[9]
Death
Mary goes into labor on August 5, 1888, but struggles to give birth, as there is nothing to give birth to;[9] prompting an impatient Knave to cut Mary's reflection's belly open and rip out a baby[2] made from glass.[10] Mary suffers the same injuries as her reflection. As the Knave leaves with the glass baby,[2] planning to use him to flee the kingdom,[10] Mary calls after him, desperately wanting her child back. Mary's reflection reaches out to her and the two hold hands through the shattered mirror.[2] With her dying breath, Mary begs her reflection to save the baby.[5] She succumbs to her injuries, but not before allegedly sacrificing herself so that her reflection is set free.[10] After becoming untethered, Mary's reflection lives on as the vengeful Bloody Mary. She tracks down the Knave and spitefully shatters the baby by throwing him on the ground.[10] She then collects the shards of the glass baby and shoves them into her skin to keep her child close.[11]
Mary's family discovers her dead body and summon the police. The officers inspect her remains on August 7 and are perplexed by the physical indications that she was recently pregnant, despite her family's insistence that she was not expecting a child. Afterward, Bloody Mary appears in the mirror, speaking to Mary's dead body. She thanks her for giving her life, saying that she saved the baby, like Mary asked her to; adding that while Mary, sadly, will not live to regret it, there are many others who will.[5]
Legacy
Henrietta, Elizabeth and Jane attend a Halloween party in London on October 31, 1888. They hold a candlelight vigil to remember Mary, although Elizabeth mocks the tribute by openly criticizing Mary's faults. Immediately afterward, Henrietta and Jane see Bloody Mary lunge out of a nearby mirror towards Elizabeth.[12]
Personality
Unlike her psychotic reflection Bloody Mary, the original Mary is gentle and kind, yet shy and reserved.
Appearances
Flashbacks:
Fables: The Wolf Among Us
- Fables: The Wolf Among Us #22 (first appearance)
- Fables: The Wolf Among Us #23
- Fables: The Wolf Among Us #24
- Fables: The Wolf Among Us #25
- Fables: The Wolf Among Us #26
- Fables: The Wolf Among Us #27
- Fables: The Wolf Among Us #28
- Fables: The Wolf Among Us #29
- Fables: The Wolf Among Us #30 (mentioned)
- Fables: The Wolf Among Us #32 (corpse)
- Fables: The Wolf Among Us #33 (mentioned)
Behind the scenes
Divination ritual
Historically, the urban legend of Bloody Mary, who in the comics is Mary's untethered reflection, was a ritual of divination practiced in Britain,[13] where young women were instructed to ascend a staircase while facing backwards. Once they reached the top, they were to enter a dark room and gaze into a mirror while holding a candle. As they gazed into the mirror, they were supposed to be able to catch a glimpse of their future husband's face.[14] On the other hand, if the woman was to see the Grim Reaper's face instead, it was a sign that she would die before she would have the chance to marry. Robert Burns describes this mirror ritual in a footnote to his 1786 poem "Halloween," and up until the 20th century, there were Halloween greetings cards with pictures of this ritual.[13]
The origin of the ritual was adapted for the side story Fables: The Wolf Among Us #22 — "Heart of Glass Part 1." In this flashback tale set in London in 1887, Mary and her friends partake in a divination ritual on Halloween. As part of the ritual, they gather in Mary's dimly lit bedroom with candles in hand and stand before a mirror, hoping to catch a glimpse of her future husband. To their surprise, the Knave of Hearts emerges in the reflection on the mirror. After her terrifying experience, Mary carefully descends the stairs, clutching a candle and facing in the right direction. As she returns to the room, she walks in reverse and keeps her back to the mirror, desperately trying to convince herself that it was all just a figment of her imagination. As she looks at her reflection in the mirror behind her, she is taken aback to see that the Knave is still present.
Mary's pregnancy
Mary's unique pregnancy, in which her reflection becomes visibly pregnant while she herself remains unchanged,[9] and she is unable to give birth because there is nothing to give birth to,[2] is a reference to Queen Mary I, better known to history as "Bloody Mary"; who is said to be the inspiration behind the legend of Bloody Mary. Queen Mary was certain she was carrying a baby and her body looked visibly pregnant, yet when she went into seclusion to give birth, no child was born. Gossip floated around that Queen Mary had passed away, or that the child had died. In truth, the Queen had never been expecting a baby: instead, she had a medical condition known as false pregnancy, which made her body show all signs of carrying a child without actually having one.[15]
References