MARTA CABELMARTA CABEL
Real Name: Marta Cabel
Identity/Class: Human (possible magic-user);
German resident (citizenship seems unlikely);
16th century
Occupation: None
Group Membership: Gypsies
Affiliations: Solomon Kane, unidentified woman and other villagers who sought her aid
Enemies: Justin Cabel in his werewolf form;
many townspeople in Aubermach considered her a witch and blamed her for any suspicious occurrences
Known Relatives: Nathan Cabel (husband, presumably deceased), Justin Cabel (step/adoptive son, deceased), unidentified father (presumably deceased), unidentified brother (werewolf, deceased)
Aliases: "Gypsy woman," "witch woman" (from some of the villagers);
"my dear" (from a local villager woman who got better under Marta's care)
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
a home in the Black Forest outside Aubermach, Germany;
First Appearance: (Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (November, 1985)
Powers/Abilities: Marta was versed in the occult, and she used various potions and rituals in an effort to help others with health or in attempts to cure occult afflictions. It is unrevealed whether she truly had any magical powers vs. just knowledge of herbal medicine, etc.
Her abilities were unable to control the lycanthropy (werewolf-affliction) of Justin Cabel, although perhaps she did not have sufficient time or resources.
Height:
Unrevealed (approximately 5'5"; she seemed to tower over some people,
such as the villager woman, but when she was actually pictured next to
Solomon Kane, she seemed to just be taller than his shoulder)
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 110 lbs.; she was very lean)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black (looks blue, but probably just for shading)
History:
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - Marta and her brother were given twin amulets by their father.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb)
- BTS) - Allegedly an evil warlock, Marta's brother reportedly vowed
vengeance on her for using her skills to aid the sick.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - Marta's brother was afflicted with lycanthropy (he became a werewolf). Although she believed she could help with this affliction, he refused her aid.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb)) - Marta came upon the wounded and dying Nathan Cabel, a Puritan Englishman serving as a mercenary in Germany.
She dragged his half-dead body back to her home, and she treated him with her "strange herbs" and rituals; Nathan recovered while under Marta's care.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - After thanking Marta, Nathan took the earliest ship back to England, where he found his wife, Cara, had become deathly ill.
Unable to help Cara nor to get medical assistance due to be shunned for his Puritan faith, Nathan led his young son, Justin, to help take Cara aboard a ship bound for Germany, where they sought the aid of Marta.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb)) - Marta's treatments also failed, and Cara died.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS)) - Believing they were too late in finding Marta, Nathan cursed and renounced God (Yahweh).
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb)) <1545 A.D.> - Marta stayed with Nathan and Justin, and Nathan considered that his was all that saved his sanity.
Nathan and Marta eventually fell in love and were married, and they remained in Aubermach, Germany, as Nathan had no reason to return to England.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - Nathan often spoke highly of his old friend Solomon Kane to Marta.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - Villagers often blamed Marta for suspicious events due to her dabbling in the occult.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 - BTS) - In the nearby Black Forest, Justin was attacked by Marta's werewolf brother (though the werewolf's identity was not known to others).
Drawn to the region by his wanderlust following his return form Africa, Solomon Kane (an old friend of Nathan and Justin) heard the sounds of the struggle, and he beheaded the seeming wolf with his silver-coated rapier. Not having seen each other in at least a decade, neither Justin nor Solomon recognized the other, and Justin fled,.
Turning to find the wolf he had slain to now be in the form of a decapitated man, Solomon picked up the werewolf's fallen amulet and then buried the body.
In Aubermach,
Solomon was reunited with Nathan, who invited him back to their cabin. 
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2) - Marta gave a local villager medication. As Solomon and Nathan arrived, they witnessed as the woman thanked Marta, noting that she was completely healed, and that her spells and potions had done what no physician in Aubermach could do. However, she noted that she must hurry home, as her husband would kill her if he knew that she had gone to the "witch woman" for healing.
Appreciating Solomon's devoutly religious nature, Nathan told Solomon that this talk of potions and spells was merely a cover for her herbal remedies. Solomon assured his friend Nathan that he would not bear his friend's wife any ill will for what she chose to dabble in.
Nathan then introduced Marta and Solomon, and Marta noted this to be an honor, as there was no one of which Nathan spoke more highly.
When Marta asked Solomon what had brought him to the region and why he would stay, Solomon told her of his encounter with the werewolf, and he showed her the amulet he had recovered from it, noting that he was not going to leave the area until he had learned the amulet's significance.
Noting its markings to be quite beautiful, Marta asked to hold the amulet, and Solomon told she could keep it as he did not want it on his person.
When Justin returned home, he and Solomon recognized each other from the recent encounter and realized each other's identities.
In the ensuing hours, Solomon regaled his hosts with tales of his exotic encounters on his continents-spanning quests.
((Sword
of) Solomon Kane#2 - BTS) - That night, as the others slept, Marta
compared the amulet to one the one her father had given her, and she
realized that the wolf who had attacked Justin was her brother.
She begged/prayed for this not to be the case.
At some point, Marta shared this information with Nathan, but certainly not with Solomon and presumably not with Justin.
((Sword
of) Solomon Kane#2) - The next day, after Solomon and Justin had hunted
some rabbit and fowl for the meal, Marta told Solomon that he musn't do
so much work as he was their guest, but Solomon told her that idelness
was the worst vice, as it was the one which encouraged all others.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 - BTS) - That night, Justin transformed into a werewolf, went into town and slew at least three people and a horse.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - The following morning, the townspeople noted how a wolf had rampaged through town, ripping out the victims' throats.
As was typical of the superstitious folk, they believed that Marta had something to do with it. Venturing into town, Nathan heard these accounts and accusations.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2) - BTS) - Solomon saw animal tracks and found them leading to Justin's room, with Justin naked and covered in dirt and dried blood.
Nathan returned and told Solomon of the reports of a marauding wolf and the accusations against Marta, and Solomon informed Nathan that his son was that marauding wolf.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2) - Solomon and Nathan then shared this information with Marta.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2) - Marta and Nathan stood by as Solomon confronted Justin, revealing him what had happened. Solomon told the family that he had things to attend to in town, and that he would return that evening.
Marta assured Justin that she knew things to help him through this.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - While Solomon purchased a volume of silver-coated wire, Marta had Justin bound and gagged atop wooden logs while she burned incense and candles and apparently spoke incantations and performed spells over him.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2) - When the returning Solomon questioned these rituals, Nathan told Solomon of his desperation and of Marta's knowledge of rituals that may affect the curse.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 - BTS) - Solomon
went outside and used the silver-coated wire to form a corral to
contain the creature before loading silver-coated bullets into his pistols.
Solomon then waited,
knowing the wait would be brief.
Justin broke free and escaped the house; hearing screams and the sound of shattering glass, Solomon concluded that the Gypsy rituals had failed, as he knew they would.
Kane trapped the werewolf with the silver corral, but when he entered to confront the creature, its speed caught him off guard, and it tackled him to the ground.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2) - When Marta rushed out and told Justin not to kill again, Solomon warned her away and told her she had had her chance, but a single swipe of the werewolf's claws ended Marta's life.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 - BTS) - Kane convinced Nathan to use his silver-sword to slay the werewolf to save Justin's soul from Satan.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (fb) - BTS) - The next morning, Solomon and Nathan buried Justin and Marta on either side of Cara's grave.
((Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 - BTS) - Standing over the graves, Solomon paused/struggled to say that Marta was a good woman and that she was now at peace (as was Justin).
Noting that Marta was not a Christian woman and wondering if God would find it in his heart to...
Interrupting Nathan, Solomon told him that while the Lord was vengeful that he was also merciful.
Discussing the matters reaffirmed Nathan's faith, and he revealed to Solomon that the wolf who had transformed Justin was Marta's evil brother.
Acknowledging that the werewolve's amulet had previously caused Solomon discomfort, Nathan gave it back to Solomon, asking him to keep it in remembrance of what his presence had wrought that day.
Solomon took the amulet and thanked Nathan, but a few miles down the road, he cast it aside into the snow.
Comments: Created by Ralph Macchio and Bret Blevins.
Solomon Kane was clearly uncomfortable with Marta's non-Christian nature and dabbling with the occult, but his friendship with Nathan caused him to tolerate this and not denounce her.
Although she had some knowledge of the occult, there is not any real evidence that she actually had any magical abilities.
Additionally, while Nathan believed her to be benevolent and there is not really evidence to support the contrary, when I read this story, I've suspected that perhaps Marta had something to with the death of Cara, Nathan's first wife. And that perhaps her dabbling drew the werewolf to them...but again, she seemed to be giving and caring, and she obviously gave her life trying to peacefully stop Justin.
Werewolves were created by the power of Chthon, rather than Satan, but, as far as Solomon Kane is concerned, what's the difference?
This profile was completed 09/12/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Marta Cabel should be distinguished from:
Appearances:
(Sword of) Solomon Kane#2 (November, 1985) - Ralph Macchio (scripter), Bret Blevins (artist), Carl Potts (editor)
First posted: 09/18/2021
Last updated: 09/12/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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