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Out of the Past is an official canon[2] graphic novel tie-in to ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Kalinda Vazquez and Corinna Bechko, and came out on April 1, 2015.

Official Summary

Board the Jolly Roger on an adventure with the young Killian Jones, before he was known as the notorious Captain Hook, as he uncovers the mysteries of the Leviathan Shoals and the monster that lurks beneath the surface.

Witness the early sparks of Rumplestiltskin’s and Belle’s star-crossed romance, when Belle was just a servant in Rumplestiltskin's castle.

Travel to the Enchanted Forest with the Evil Queen, Regina, where she faces down demons from her past. Will the skeletons in her closet haunt her forever?

Experience Wonderland in the unforgettable origin tale of Jefferson, the portal-jumping Mad Hatter, and witness the loss that caused him to lock away his magical hat for good.[3]

Plot Overview

"Dead in the Water"

The Jolly Roger traverses a heavy storm on the highs seas of the Enchanted Forest. Its Captain, Killian Jones commands his crew to steady the ship. He realises his cook, whom is suffering of seasickness, is on the deck. Captain Jones directs him to head below where it is safer. An incoming wave almost sweeps the cook away if not for the captain throwing him a lifeline. Killian discusses the bleakness of their predicament with his right-hand man, Lewis. Killian spots calmer waters ahead covered by an ominous green fog. Lewis is well aware of the Leviathan Shoals and its perils. Killian weighs their options and sees it as their only hope of survival and they head towards the mist.

They successfully arrive at calmer seas of the Leviathan Shoals and with no time to waste Killian commands his crew to begin repairs immediately. As repairs continue Killian spots another vessel in the waters. He notices the one driving the ship: his supposed dead brother, Liam. The estranged brothers catch up over a hot meal, and Liam tries to explain what happened. He recounts that he somehow awoke on an desolate island. He was stranded until a ship which was off course found him. The ship sailed into a storm and they realised they were in the inescapable Leviathan Shoals. Madness gripped the crew and every attempt to escape the Shoals was thwart by the monstrous beast, the Leviathan. He explains that he is the only remaining survivor of the vessel. Lewis enters and requests a private word with Killian. Lewis tries to convince Killian that man could not possibly be his brother. Killian is more focused on the matter at hand and devises a plan to escape the grasp of the Shoals and its inhabitant, the Leviathan. With two vessels now at their disposal, Killian suggests the ships split up and both will retaliate, serving as a distraction hopefully allowing the ships to escape.

Killian gives a sentimental farewell to his brother commandeering the other ship. They near the edge of the Shoals as predicted come face to face with the Leviathan. The ships sail either side of it but the Leviathan goes for the Jolly Roger. From his ship, Liam fires the gunpowder. Liam throws dynamite into the creature's mouth causing the Leviathan to fall. Unfortunately, the ship catches fire. Killian yells to his brother to jump overboard but he fears what might be lurking in the waters. Killian helplessly look on as Killian makes the hard decision to sail towards freedom. Lewis tries to comfort Killian by reassuring him that Liam never feared the ocean and that it was their only chance to escape. Killian agrees and raises his bottle of rum to the stars and recites a small prayer for his brother.

"Truth and Daggers"

In the Dark castle, Rumplestiltskin calls for Belle, who is preparing to go to the market. Rumplestiltskin reminds her that the fastener for her shawl is enchanted, so if she runs off he will know, and she promises him that she's a woman of her word and wouldn't run away before heading out.

Upon arriving at the market, Belle is oblivious to the villager's whispered discussion on her being the Dark One's servant and not to mess with her. While buying potatoes, Belle is distracted by a group of wounded soldiers from the Ogre Wars being taken to the nearest camp where they can be treated. She recognizes one of the soldiers as Samuel, her childhood friend who she believed was dead. Upon learning that he has a wound made by an enchanted weapon on his leg and will likely die before they reach the camp, she tells the group to stop and takes Samuel back with her to the Dark Castle, where she begs Rumplestiltskin to help heal him. Rumplestiltskin doesn't care for the man's fate and refuses to use his magic to heal him. Finally, he agrees to allow Belle to bring Samuel in, but instead of helping him he decides to let fate decide whether the man will die or live.

Belle begins studying books to figure out what weapon caused the wound so that she can try to heal it herself. Finally, Samuel awakens and recognizes Belle. He questions why they are in the Dark One's castle, and she tells him the story of how she agreed to be Rumplestiltskin's servant and that she now lives in the castle. He begs her to escape with him, but she tells him that Rumplestiltskin promised not to harm him, and asks him to tell her how he got out of the ogre camps. He gives her vague answers, and claims that he cannot remember how his leg was wounded because his head is still foggy. Bell leaves to let him rest just as Rumplestiltskin calls for her. He remarks that he wouldn't have agreed to let the man stay if he had known how long it would take for him to die, but Belle informs him that Samuel is actually doing quite well and his fever has broken. Rumplestiltskin compliments her on her expert touch, but notes that fevers have been known to return and hopes the drama will end shortly. He then informs her that he's leaving on business and she has free reign of the castle until the morning. As he leaves, Belle returns to see Samuel still sleeping, unaware that he had been eavesdropping on them the entire time.

Belle makes Samuel some tea, still studying a book on enchanted weapons to try to determine how the wound was made. To her surprise, when she arrives in Samuel's room he is up and about, his leg perfectly fine. He admits to her that he never was injured, but faked it in order to get into the castle, as Belle's father had sent him to recover her. He shows her Pandora's Box and tells her that he plans on trapping Rumplestiltskin within it so that his reign of terror will be ended and Belle can return home. Belle tells him it would be wrong to betray him like that, as she promised to stay with him, but Samuel insists that if she helped, that would make her a hero, and asks her to show him where he can ambush the Dark One. Belle agrees to do so, and rushes him down the castle stairs, through the pantry, and to a door, where she lifts the bar lock and tells him that it is a secret entrance to Rumplestiltskin's sanctum. She tells him to go on in, and she will stay behind to lock the door back so that no clues of their deceit are left behind. Samuel thanks Belle for her assistance as she closes and locks the doors, but soon realizes that she tricked him into going outside. He begs her to let him back in, but she tells him to leave, as if Rumplestiltstkin finds him, he will kill him, and Belle can't do anything to help him. Samuel begs her to change her mind, but she tells him goodbye.

However, Rumplestiltskin makes his presence behind her known by clapping for her, telling her he had gotten back just in time to see the ending of her interaction with Samuel. He uses his magic to teleport Pandora's Box away from Samuel and into his own hands, then tells a nervous Belle that, as he promised, he did not kill Samuel, but simply sent him to somewhere "a bit less comfortable." He then tells her that he is quite touched by her actions to save him from the terrible fate of being trapped in the box, but Belle insists that she didn't do it for him, but for all the people of the Enchanted Forest, revealing that when Samuel refused to give her a proper answer on what he had been through, she dug through his things and discovered that he was a mercenary, who planned to steal the Dark One Dagger and use it to force Rumplestiltskin to help him plunder the Enchanted Forest. Rumplestiltskin is disappointed that his fate wasn't the reason Belle chose to rescue Samuel, and before she leaves for bed Belle asks him if he finally trusts her after all that's happened. Before the Dark One can answer, she tells him she already knows the answer and walks away.

"Ghosts"

In her castle, an angry and injured Regina, the Evil Queen, searches for an item she believed to have been lost before discovering it in a drawer.

Five hours earlier, the Evil Queen and her guards ride in one of her carriages through the Forest of the Dead, ransacking every town around to search for Snow White with no success. As Regina insists that their methods are incompetent and they must keep trying until they find Snow, her guard recommends that they pause the search until daylight, but Regina refuses. Suddenly, she hears her driver attempting to calm the horses and sticks her head out the window to assess the situation, only to see a cloaked figure standing in the road. The horses stumble fearfully, tipping the carriage and eventually crashing it.

When Regina recovers, she notices that all of the guards and both horses have died in the crash and mocks them before realizing her shoulder has been dislocated. Hearing the figure step on a branch, she sees only a glimpse of their face, but believes them to be Daniel Colter, her beloved ex-fiancé. As he flees, she follows him, insisting that he should not fear her despite her reputation as evil. However, her dress gets caught on the dead trees around and she trips, falling headfirst into a large pit. Although she is fine, her dislocated shoulder keeps her from climbing out, and she calls to Daniel for help. When he returns, she realizes he is not Daniel, and the man responds by stating his brother is moldering in the ground, leading Regina to deduce that he must be William, Daniel's runaway brother. William led Regina to the pit on purpose and intends to get revenge on Regina, holding her responsible for Daniel's death. Regina insists that this is not true, but William asks if she planned to run away with Daniel against her family's wishes, which Regina cannot deny. He believes that her insistence that Regina and Daniel could be happy together was the cause of his death, as it was no more than a fantasy, and refuses to listen to Regina as she tries to convince him that Snow White is to blame for telling Cora, Regina's mother, about their relationship. William informs her that he desires for her to stay trapped in the pit forever to contemplate her sins, and to this end has gained a powerful sand that can neutralize any magic from a sea nymph, which he plans to cover Regina in. To protect herself, Regina uses magic to put herself on the same level as William but insists that she doesn't want to hurt him and that they can work together to get revenge on Snow White. William pulls a sword out and attempts to stab Regina, but she retaliates by blasting him with magic, knocking him back into a tree. Realizing that the impact was deadly, she attempts to use magic to save him, but he tells her it's too late, just like it was too late for Daniel.

Back in the castle, the item Regina was searching for is revealed to be her engagement ring, and asks Daniel for forgiveness for killing William, promising to avenge him, then calls upon her guards to ready another carriage so that they can return to searching for Snow White.

"Tea Party in March"

In the kingdom of Camelot, a man named Jefferson has infiltrated a castle that is hosting a party. He eyes the ballroom, musing that his plan should not be difficult to enact, and trips a waiter, having carefully timed this act so that the drinks the man was carrying spill on a dancer's dress. The woman begins to throw a tantrum, distracting the guards and guests and allowing Jefferson to slip off down a hallway, where he seeks the castle's treasure vault. Once reaching the door, he finds that it has already been broken into. When he enters the room, he is distracted by the large amounts of gold, which allows someone to sneak up behind him and knock him to the ground, threateningly holding a rapier over his head. She demands to know his identity, and while he attempts to lie that he is a royal footman, she acknowledges that his clothing is not that of a royal servant and accurately guesses that he is a thief. Caught, Jefferson asks for her identity, and she introduces herself as Priscilla the Brave of the king's honor guard. When Jefferson points out her outfit, she explains that she is incognito to better catch miscreants such as him. Despite her story, Jefferson guesses that she is a thief as well, and when they hear guards tracking them, he notes that they will not be very hospitable to either of them and reaches for his hat. Priscilla questions if he is a portal jumper, which he confirms, though his hat only allows one person to make the return trip, and he is worried about Priscilla's fate should he leave her. Priscilla suggests that they leave her way, which can keep them both alive. As they flee, Priscilla muses that she might not enjoy free falling through a portal, though Jefferson disagrees and flirtatiously suggests that he show her someday.

A series of panels summarizes that Jefferson and Priscilla became partners-in-crime, successfully enacting several crimes and, in the process, falling in love. They are soon married, and Priscilla becomes pregnant. Shortly after their daughter is born, Jefferson retires his hat so that he and Priscilla can stay home to raise Grace.

Two years later, while Priscilla plays with Grace, Jefferson becomes frustrated as he works to keep the windows from being so drafty, though Priscilla reprimands him for swearing in front of the baby. Jefferson notes that there are many things that need fixing in their house and questions if they have enough gold to hire a handyman, though Priscilla responds that they spent it all on shoes for Grace, and she already needs a new pair. Jefferson is surprised to hear that they are completely broke and asks why Priscilla didn't tell him when taxes are coming up, and Priscilla explains that she was concerned that Jefferson would return to thieving if he knew, though she insists that they can solve the problem if they fix the house up enough to sell it. Their conversation is interrupted by Grace, who spots a bird carrying a note. Jefferson unfurls the note and discovers that it is from his old partner, William, who has discovered that the Clock of Evermore, a rare and priceless item, has been discovered in the possession of a notorious figure in Wonderland. When Jefferson tells Priscilla, she becomes apprehensive, and though Jefferson tries to persuade her, she is intent that they stick to their promise of quitting thievery and staying home with Grace. The matter settled, Priscilla and Jefferson send Grace to bed before doing so themselves, Priscilla suggesting to Jefferson that she could collect feathers and sell them at the marketplace as he undresses, though Jefferson isn't convinced.

Once Priscilla and Grace are both sound asleep, Jefferson slips off, donning his old thieving clothes and heading through his hat to Wonderland, promising himself that he will be back before his family knows he is gone with enough money for them to save the house and provide everything Grace will ever need and more. As he wanders through the confusing locations in Wonderland, he is startled by a Dodo. Jefferson asks the bird if it knows where he can find a large mansion with a garden owned by a well-to-do figure. The Dodo immediately recognizes his goal, and though it gives him the directions, it also warns that this figure is the March Hare, a sadist known for hunting hares and wearing them as a hat, though Jefferson insists that, since he is not himself a hare, he will be fine. When Jefferson reaches the mansion, he is able to slip through the garden as the guards are busy playing a dice game but soon finds himself knocked unconscious before he can find the Clock.

Upon awakening, he finds himself hatless and tied to a chair. When he questions the hat's location, a man across the table responds that it's been put away for safekeeping and suggests that he take a cup of tea to recover further. When Jefferson says there's been a mistake, the man notes that he's sure Jefferson has heard all kinds of horrible stories about him and in the process introduces himself as the March Hare. He notes that he is just a lonely man seeking intelligent conversation, though Jefferson insists that he must return to his family. The March Hare is insulted that Jefferson would dare eat and run, and refuses to set him free, announcing his plan to use the Clock of Evermore to make it teatime eternally. Though Jefferson is able to wriggle free from the ropes, he only successfully accomplishes splashing the March Hare in the face with tea, which doesn't even phase the villain, before being tied back up. The March Hare eventually grows bored and sets off to hunt more hares for his hat, and though Jefferson offers to tag along, the March Hare insists that he stay at the table and contemplate new topics to discuss, as he plans on returning just in time for tea. Once the Hare has left, Jefferson attempts to use his foot to pull a teacup over to him to use to free himself, but accidentally kicks it further away. As he begins to give up, Priscilla arrives, having enlisted the help of the White Rabbit to find him. Though she intends on leaving Jefferson's hat and just using the Rabbit, Jefferson notes that the March Hare is absolutely insane and could use the hat to follow them. Working together, they slip through the mansion and locate the hat. As they head back to the rabbit, Jefferson apologizes, though Priscilla notes that she should have just gone after the Clock with him in the first place. They're cut off by arrows narrowly missing them, signifying that the Hare has returned, and they attempt to escape. However, when they attempt to hide in a pantry, an arrow impales Priscilla through the chest. The March Hare and his guards attempt to break through the door, and though Jefferson suggests that Priscilla goes through the hat and get to the healer who can save her, she responds that it's too late, and as she dies tells him to go back to Grace. The March Hare finally breaks down the door, and Jefferson gives Priscilla a final kiss before escaping through the hat.

A month later, Jefferson and Grace move into a much smaller cabin. As Jefferson puts Grace to bed, she notes that she misses her mother, and Jefferson states that he does too, but promises that he'll never leave her again.

Characters Included

(Listed in order of appearance or first mention)

Regular Characters

New Characters

Trivia

Production Notes

Event Chronology

(For more details, see the Wonderland timeline)

Disney

Fairytales and Folklore

  • "Tea Party in March" is a rendition of the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland story, focusing on the neverending tea party with the Hatter and the March Hare. Also included is the Caterpillar from the same story, while the White Rabbit receives a mention.
    • This story explores the origins of the Hatter's poverty. In Chapter XI of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Hatter repeatedly refers to himself as a poor man.
    • The Red Queen from the story's sequel Through the Looking-Glass is mentioned.
    • Grace has a stuffed dragon called Mr. Sir Dragon. Dragons are creatures from European, Asian and Middle Eastern folklore.[7]
    • The appearance of the Dodo is closely based on John Tenniel's illustration from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
    • The March Hare has a pocket watch, just like the White Rabbit does in the novel. The watch, the Clock of Evermore, is based on the personification of Time from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: In Chapter VII, the Hatter tells Alice that if you are on good terms with Time, he (Time) will do almost anything you'd like with the clock, such as having it go round in a twinkling. The Hatter reveals that the reason why he and his friends have tea all day is because Time has punished him by eternally standing still at six pm, which is tea time.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Once Upon a Time: Out of the Past. Amazon. Retrieved on July 6, 2019. “Hardcover: 112 pages. Publisher: Marvel (April 14, 2015)”
  2. TwitterLogo Justine D. (@Lady_Junky) on X, formerly Twitter: @AdamHorowitzLA @KalindaVazquez @JaneEspenson #OUAT #OutOfthePast is canon, just like its prequel #ShadowoftheQueen right? :) (December 7, 2014). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
    TwitterLogo Kalinda Vazquez (@KalindaVazquez) on X, formerly Twitter: Yes it's within the canon of the show! (December 7, 2014). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
    TwitterLogo Matt C (@TheMatthewPaul) on X, formerly Twitter: @AdamHorowitzLA Any word on where the OUAT novels/comics stand, in terms of this whole canon re-classification? Are they no longer canon? (August 16, 2016). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
    TwitterLogo Adam Horowitz (@AdamHorowitzLA) on X, formerly Twitter: canon -- they were vetted / supervised by writing staff (August 16, 2016). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
  3. MARVEL AND ABC STUDIOS ANNOUNCE AN ALL-NEW ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL, ONCE UPON A TIME: OUT OF THE PAST. Marvel Comics (January 28, 2015). Archived from the original on April 15, 2016.
  4. TwitterLogo Kalinda Vazquez (@KalindaVazquez) on X, formerly Twitter: @Addicted_oncer @Captain_Meerkat @jlo1013 I came up the stories and the actual comic scripts were written by @CorinnaBechko :) (December 7, 2014). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
  5. TwitterLogo Justine D. (@Lady_Junky) on X, formerly Twitter: @CorinnaBechko @KalindaVazquez Question: the william who sent the letter to Jefferson. it is daniel's brother or william smee? #OutOfThePast (April 13, 2015). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
    TwitterLogo Kalinda Vazquez (@KalindaVazquez) on X, formerly Twitter: yes it was the same William! Meant to be a fun Easter egg :) (April 13, 2015). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
  6. Nymph. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on November 26, 2021. “They were distinguished according to the sphere of nature with which they were connected. The Oceanids, for example, were sea nymphs;”
  7. Dragon. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on December 12, 2021. “Dragon, in the mythologies, legends, and folktales of various cultures, a large lizard- or serpent-like creature, conceived in some traditions as evil and in others as beneficent. In medieval Europe, dragons were usually depicted with wings and a barbed tail and as breathing fire. (...) In general, in the Middle Eastern world, where snakes are large and deadly, the serpent or dragon was symbolic of the principle of evil. (...) In East Asian mythologies the dragon retains its prestige and is conceived as a beneficent creature. (...) Both Chinese and Japanese dragons, though regarded as powers of the air, are usually wingless. They are among the deified forces of nature in Daoism. Dragons also figure in the ancient mythologies of other Asian cultures, including those of Korea, India, and Vietnam.”

Notes

  1. "The Broken Kingdom" places the hunt for the Dark One Dagger five years before the scenes with the visitors from Storybrooke, meaning the time period is from the point of view of the Camelot people and does not include the Dark Curse's duration of 28 years where Storybrooke and parts of Fairy Tale Land were frozen in time. Since the events with the visitors from Storybrooke takes place two years after the curse was weakened and time started moving again, this indicates that the story takes place three years before the curse. This has been confirmed by Andrew Chambliss and Adam Horowitz (source, backup link).

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