The Marvel Universe is home to some pretty amazing places – from the X-Men’s island of Krakoa to the technologically advanced nation of Wakanda. As it turns out, this remarkable universe also houses realms that previously only existed in the world of imagination – such as the magical dreamland of Alice in Wonderland! This remarkable discovery was made in Excalibur #54, when team leader Captain Britain found himself battling some very unusual foes…
When his superhero team Excalibur was called in to investigate the disappearance of some English villagers, Captain Britain’s girlfriend – the shapeshifting metamorph Meggan – attempted to transform into a wolf to track down the missing people, but inexplicably turned into a white rabbit instead. She subsequently enters a hidden pothole and her teammates follow, although Captain Britain falls behind – and emerges into a warren full of giant owls, squirrels, and rats, where he fights for his life.
From there, things get weirder. Captain Britain escapes the warren – through the spout of a giant teapot. He gets knocked out by some pollen from a talking powder and held captive by vines. After waking up, a giant Cheshire Cat head materializes in front of him and begins psychoanalyzing him and pointing out his insecurities. Meanwhile, the captain sees his other teammates having a good time – Meggan, now dressed like Alice, is running to a tea party with the Mad Hatter and March Hare; new member Kylun is fishing with the Gryphon and Mock Turtle; and space warrior Cerise is playing flamingo croquet. Captain Britain, however, is convinced something devious is going on – a suspicion that seems confirmed when he sees the Crazy Gang, a team of Alice in Wonderland-themed villains, apparently holding the missing villagers captive at a tea party.
Moving to engage them, Captain Britain fights the Crazy Gang, who insist they’re not criminals anymore. Before things get too messy, Meggan throws herself between the combatants and mentions that talking to Captain Britain is like talking to a brick wall – causing an actual brick wall to materialize in front of the captain. Finally able to talk some sense into her boyfriend, Meggan reveals the truth about this Wonderland – it’s an artificial reality that reads unconscious thoughts and creates a dreamworld based on the perceptions and prejudices of its guests (which is why Captain Britain has received the antagonistic welcome he expected).
But how did this Wonderland come to be? Apparently, the Crazy Gang’s psychotic Red Queen fell into a deep slumber and was joined by Joyboy, an alien from a different group called “The Technet” with the power to turn anyone’s fondest dreams into nightmarish realities. But since the queen dreams of a nightmarish version of Wonderland, Joyboy reverses that distortion into a Wonderland paradise that provided the Crazy Gang with an idealistic sanctuary.
And the missing villagers? Turns out they’d been helping the Crazy Gang, and the former villains decided to reward their hosts by bringing them to their Wonderland. Satisfied that the people they were looking for had been found, Excalibur left the Crazy Gang in peace – although Captain Britain was disturbed by how his personal bloodlust had made his part of Wonderland a nightmare. Thankfully, Wonderland remained a paradise for most and was even used as a sanctuary for some troll refugee children. The Crazy Gang themselves would return to cause trouble later on, but mostly they’ve kept a low profile since. Considering what a great place they had to call home, that seems only appropriate.
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