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King Phillip of Symkaria awarded this castle to Symkarian mercenary Ernst Sablinova for his efforts tracking Nazi war criminals. The castle was then used as headquarters for Sablinova's elite team Wild Pack[1] and eventually for Sablinova's daughter and successor Silver Sable.[2]

History

Castle Sable was a scenic view in the European country Symkaria.[3][4] Located near a mountain range that was visible on the horizon,[5] Castle Sable was surrounded by forests and it had a moat marking the limits of the construction itself.[2] The building had multiple very tall pepperbox turrets,[2] with banners flying on the conical roofs of several of them;[6][7] it was possible to look outside through multiple terraces and balconies in these towers.[1] Some of these towers were extensions built way after the inauguration of the castle.[4] Statues of gargoyles decorated the exterior walls of the building,[5] as did the immense statue of a bird with the extended wings that crowned one of the towers.[7]

The interior of the building, built centuries ago and the ancestral home of an ancient Symkarian family,[4] had classical decoration including paintings on the walls[1][6] and empty suits of armor next to the doors,[6] but was also modified[4] with the most advanced technology,[4][2][6] especially alarm, monitor and access control systems[2][8] provided by Wakanda technicians and designers. The technology available in the castle included computer systems that shared information with Interpol and the Symkarian Intelligence Net.[4] Several monitors allowed access to information broadcast from almost anywhere in the world,[8] or for use in videoconferences.[2] The Castle also had a huge gym with traps and equipment adapted for the training of the mercenary group Wild Pack,[1] which was mostly housed in a wing of the castle[4] (although the Wild Pack's official headquarters was in the capital city Aniana).[3] The facilities included an advanced med-lab,[9] laboratories and workshops for development and construction of experimental technology,[10] sliding doors for access to certain areas,[6] and hangars for takeoff and landing of Stealthcrafts.[2] An entire wing was for use exclusive to the castle's owner, Silver Sable, and her family if they were there;[4] she maintained the classical decoration in her personal chambers.[1]

Origin[]

Castle Sable was built in the early 18th century, but in subsequent centuries, the owners added additional towers and wings to the building.[4] After World War II, the Castle ended up in the hands of the Crown of Symkaria.[3][1]

Symkarian Ernst Sablinova formed a military unit[11] to hunt Nazi war criminals[12][3] commanded by himself[12] after 1959,[11] which became a critical constituent of the country's[13][3] weakened[6] economy.[13][3] In gratitude,[3] King Phillip[1] rewarded Sablinova with Castle Sable,[1] which Sablinova used as his family home[3][4] and the Pack's base of operations. At that point, Sablinova's daughter Silvija had just joined the Pack and helped apprehending fugitive Wilhelm Schultz.[1]

Silvija soon became second in command in the Wild Pack, answering only to her father. Ernst had suffered several heart attacks, but he refused to give up the position of field leader, considering that Silvija could not replace him yet because he allowed herself to be guided by his emotions. The two argued about this at Castle Sable, along with Morty, Ernst's brother-in-law, who managed the Pack at an organizational level.[1]

Shortly after, Ernst was presumed dead, and Silvija, who adopted the alias "Silver Sable", inherited the Castle, as well as a sizeable amount of money. She used her assets to finance the advance of the Wild Pack and reconvert it into an international mercenary unit, because there were not enough war criminals left to make the original mission profitable, and because she refused to ask for financial support from the still-poor state of Symkaria. She maintained Castle Sable as her base of operations,[6][13] although she eventually ended up using the Symkarian Embassy in New York City for her multiple operations in the United States.[13] Lorna Kleinfeldt joined the Castle Sable staff, also on administrative duties.[14] Shortly after, during a mission, Sable met the handsome soldier of fortune Basil[15] with whom she began a long romantic relationship; Basil married Sable and lived at Castle Sable for three years, although he maintained secret missions.[14] When Sable discovered that Basil was an international assassin, they divorced.[16]

Sable recruited technology expert Raul Quentino in Los Angeles and brought him to Castle Sable, where he would collaborate with several expert engineers on weapons development for a month-long training period. test.[10] She also conducted tests for Wild Pack candidates at the castle, for example in a CTF attempt in which she faced off against candidates and some people already on her payroll, such as the superhuman Sandman. In one of these tests, she defeated Sandman and at least four candidates before easily winning, but was impressed with the resilience shown by candidate Douglas Powell, so, after almost drowning him in the moat and hitting him multiple times, and overriding Kleinfeldt's protests, she hired him. After that test, Sable managed the multiple threats her people could respond to, and decided to go solo to rescue her relative Anna Sablinova on Long Island.[2] Shortly after, Sable expanded her elite group in the Wild Pack,[17] to include Powell, Quentino, and others, and had them stay at Castle Sable.[8]

During the Infinity War, Sable went to Latveria on a diplomatic visit. At the castle, under a cloudy night sky, Wild Pack "Team A" discovered that multiple American superheroes were being harassed by their doppelgangers. Simultaneously, they were unable to contact Sable or her driver, and became worried, correctly fearing that she might be in trouble. Morty authorized a rescue mission to Latveria; the group left Castle Sable[8] and returned shortly after.[18]

After a mission in South America in which Sable discovered that her father may still be alive and captured by her enemies, the Genesis Coalition,[19] Sable and the Pack returned to Castle Sable. During a training exercise in the Castle's gym, Sable confronted her friend and employee Chen and, tense by the news, Sable lost her temper and brutally beat Chen until superhuman Pack member Battlestar forcibly stopped her. Sable admitted to losing her temper, but Chen and the rest of her allies immediately forgave her. Sandman, who had been in the gym using technology to help train the man-tiger hybrid Man-Eater,[1] recently rescued in the same South American operation,[19] took advantage of those moments to present to Sable his resignation on a terrace at the Castle.[1]

Sable's lover, Jacques Girard, convinced Sable to pose for a photo shoot. The backdrop chosen was Castle Sable, with Silver Sable posing in white and silver dresses. After finishing the session, Sable kissed Girard, but they were interrupted by Morty. Sable had asked to be informed as soon as they learned anything about the cyborg Cyberwarriors sold to their enemies in the Genesis Coalition. Sable interrupted her leisure time with Girard to prepare for the mission; Girard decided not to stay at the Castle if she was not there. The Wild Pack's accountant, Mr. Lee, also present at the Castle, reproached Sable for going on a profitless operation, but she overruled Lee.[5]

Eventually, Sable managed to rescue her father, although he had permanently lost the use of his legs. She brought the elder Sablinova to Castle Sable, where they resumed their relationship.[7]

Due to a conspiracy against her, Sable spent time in an American prison before being released and broke off her affair with Girard. After that, the CIA was pressuring Sable to leave the United States by declaring her persona non grata there. She accepted and decided to operate from Castle Sable, leaving Battlestar in command of the missions on North American soil; she also fired Morty,[20] thou he still resided at Castle Sable.[21] Since she was especially shocked at the time, she decided to abandon active leadership of the mercenaries, despite her father's opposition, and settle in Castle Sable. The Foreigner visited her there, in part because, due to various events, she was indebted to him,[20] and she agreed to personally perform one last job for the Foreigner's benefit. At that time, Castle Sable's doctor, Dr. Fletcher, detected that Sable was pregnant, although she offered to perform an abortion.[22] After the operation for the Foreigner in Japan, Fletcher corrected his diagnosis, which had been erroneous, although by then it was already the talk of Sable's group. At Castle Sable, she gathered the Wild Pack and associates, and informed them that she was retiring from active command to devote herself solely to business aspects.[9]

Shortly afterward, CIA agent Bogart Jeffries visited Castle Sable in an attempt to convince Sable to accept an operation personally, offering not only payment but to clear her status with the American government. Sable, who didn't stop training as she spoke, dismissed Jeffries, pointing out how the CIA had damaged her reputation as well. Ernst Sablinova disagreed with her, since the United States was Wild Pack's best client, and he took command of the operation.[23] Unable to deal with his supposed retirement, Sable spied on his father's operation from Castle Sable with the help of Quentino and, deciding that the tactics were inadequate, he opted to take a Stealthcraft and join the operation in person, resuming his position.[21]

After the recent coup on Symkaria organized by Norman Osborn,[24] it is unclear what has happened to Castle Sable.

Points of Interest

Residents

Trivia

  • The Intruders were seen frequently in Castle Sable,[22] but it was never revealed whether Castle Sable was their official headquarters or not.

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #9
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #1
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Marvel Atlas #1 ; Symkaria’s profile
  4. 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 Domains of Doom #1
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #11
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #13
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #25
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #4
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #33
  10. 10.0 10.1 Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #22
  11. 11.0 11.1 Avengers NOW! #1 ; Silver Sable’s profile
  12. 12.0 12.1 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Women of Marvel 2005 #1 ; appendix
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #10 ; Silver Sable’s profile
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #15
  15. Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #14
  16. Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #16
  17. Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #2
  18. Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #6
  19. 19.0 19.1 Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #8
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #30
  21. 21.0 21.1 Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #35
  22. 22.0 22.1 Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #31
  23. Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #34
  24. Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 4) #26
  25. Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #18
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