Land of Oz/Characters: Difference between revisions

 

=== The Wizard, AKA O.Z. Diggs ===

 

An Omaha, Nebraska sideshowman, ventriloquist, and [[Master of Illusion|magician]], who came to the [[Magical Land|Land of Oz]] by accident in a hot air balloon. He tells Dorothy and her friends they must first kill the Wicked Witch of the West before he will grant the favors they seek from him. After accomplishing this mission, Dorothy discovered him to be a [[The Man Behind the Curtain|humbug]] (not a real wizard). After being exposed by Dorothy he finds a way to help the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion get what they desire most, brains, a heart, and courage. He then leaves the Land of Oz the same way he first arrived, by a hot air balloon. After returning to America, the Wizard found his way back to Oz once again, where he was invited to stay and become a real wizard. He has learned much real magic from Glinda the Good, and is now one of Ozma's closest advisers.

 

=== The Gump ===

 

Originally the Gump was a mounted head over the mantle in the great hallway of the Royal Palace in the Emerald City. It has antlers like an elk, but it's up-turned nose and billy goat chin whiskers give it an air of absurdity. The Tin Woodman uses the Gump as a head along with two large sofas for a body, four palm leaves for wings, an a broom for a tail to fashion a means to escape the Army of Revolt. Tip then applies the last of the Powder of Life to bring bring this strange creation to life. Thus the Gump becomes an unlikely aerial transport for Tip and his friends in their escape from Jinjur and the Army of Revolt. After tranquility and order is finally restored to the Emerald City, the parts of this strange flying machine are returned to their original function, with the Gump returning to its place over the mantle, where he sometimes strikes up conversations with shocked visitors.

 

=== Mombi ===

 

An old woman who secretly engages in the practice of magic. Although she has developed many powers, she is not simply a witch, but more of a sorceress. Her best magic involves the creation of very [[Master of Illusion|realistic illusions]]. She uses these powers in an attempt by rebels to retain control of the Emerald City and to foil Glinda the Good's move to restore the rightful heir to the throne of Oz.

 

=== Army of Revolt ===

 

An [[Amazon Brigade|army of girls]] from all over the Land of Oz that Jinjur assembled to conquer the [[The City|Emerald City]], depose King Scarecrow, and run the government to suit themselves. They looted the city upon its capture, picking out the emeralds and other jewels which decorated the streets and buildings. Their uniforms include a green sash around the waist and a skirt in four colors; blue, yellow, red, and purple representing the four countries of Oz. Each of the four companies of girls wear their skirts so that the color of their country are to the front. Their weapons are [[Exotic Weapon Supremacy|two long, glittering knitting-needles]] stuck through the knot of their hair at the back of their head.

 

=== Tik-Tok ===

 

[[Robot Names|Tik-Tok]] is an incredible [[Robot Buddy|copper mechanical man]]. He has a [[Clock Punk|wind-up clock mechanism]] for thinking, speaking, walking, and other movements. He was made by Smith & Tinker at their Works in Evna. He was purchased by King Evoldo and named [[Robot Names|Tik-Tok]] because of the sound he makes when wound up. Dorothy finds him in the rock chamber where he had been placed by Evoldo. He proves to be quite invaluable to her in the challenges she faces in this adventure which carries them deep into the Nome King's underground domains. Tik-Tok becomes an honored member of Ozma's retinue in the Emerald City, joining in many other adventures in the Land of Oz.

 

=== The Nome King ===

 

Although the Wicked Witch of the West is the most famous of Oz's villains (thanks to [[The Wizard of Oz (film)|the popular 1939 film]]), the Nome King is the closest the book series has to a primary [[Big Bad]]. He appears again and again to cause trouble for the Land of Oz. He's described as looking like an demented Santa Claus. Originally his name was Roquat the Red, but in ''The Emerald City of Oz'' he was reformed after a dunking in the Water of Oblivion; he soon returned to his evil ways, but forgot his name, and started calling himself Ruggedo.

 

=== Shaggy Man ===

 

A kindly old wanderer, dressed all in rags. His basic philosophy of life centers on love and an aversion to money and material possessions. His one possession of value is the Love Magnet. He first meets Dorothy on her Uncle Henry's farm in Kansas. They become lost and have a series of adventures, culminating at a grand birthday party for Ozma in the Emerald City of Oz. In later stories we learn that the Shaggy Man becomes a full time resident of Oz, where Ozma appoints him Governor of the Royal Storehouses.

 

=== Button-Bright ===

 

A little boy who accompanies Dorothy and the Shaggy Man on their adventures in the Land of Oz. They find him lost on the road while they are hunting for Butterfield. He has blue eyes, pretty curls, a chubby round face, and always wears a sailor suit. Button-Bright appears to be 2 or 3 years younger than Dorothy. To almost every question his answer is "Don`t know," or similar words. In later appearances he is older and more verbose, but has gained a knack for getting lost. In the adventure recounted in ''Sky Island,'' we learn he comes from Philadelphia and his real name is Saladin Paracelsus de Lambertine Evagne von Smith.

 

=== Ojo the (Un)Lucky ===

 

A poor Munchkin boy who lives with his uncle Unc Nunkie in the Northern part of Oz, and is first thought to be a common Munchkin, but in later books is revealed to be the lost prince of Seebania. He's the primary protagonist of ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz'' and the later ''Ojo in Oz.''

 

=== Bungle The Glass Cat ===

 

Bungle's body is made entirely of clear glass, with a blood-red ruby stone in her chest for a heart, two emeralds for eyes, and several bright pink marbles in her head for brains. She was made and brought to life by Dr. Pipt and his Powder of Life, for the specific purpose of catching mice for his wife. But the Glass Cat turned out to be exceptionally vain, and unwilling to do any work.

 

=== Scraps, the Patchwork Girl ===

 

A living doll given "too many marbles", she's eccentric (read: insane) even by Ozian standards, yet is quite friendly. She has an enduring crush on the Scarecrow.

 

=== The Woozy ===

 

A strange, yet friendly creature made up of only squares and flat surfaces, and who therefore prides himself on [[A Worldwide Punomenon|"being square."]] He's good-natured and helpful, but insists that he can be very ferocious when angry, fire flashes from his eyes, and he has the most terrifying growl of any animal. {{spoiler|The part about the fire turns out to be true, the part about the roar turns out to be very, very false.}}

 

=== Betsy Bobbin ===

 

A little girl who was shipwrecked along with her donkey, Hank, Betsy is another American country girl left to wander. She's more or less another Dorothy, and Princess Dorothy takes a great interest in her welfare.

 

=== Queen Ann Soforth ===

 

Queen of Oogaboo, a tiny kingdom within the greater Oz, Ann is bored of her quiet life, where all she really does is watch over her kingdom and fight with her sister, Salye. While Anne is 'old enough to make jelly,' it's explained that she's only Queen since her father wandered off, and her mother followed him, leaving Ann to 'rule.' As a result, she's convinced that the world outside of Oogaboo is infinitely more interesting and worth ruling over. She orders the men of Oogaboo to form an army, with only one, Jo Files, agreeing to be the lone Private. While she doesn't want to shed any blood (she might faint at the sight, after all), she determines to conquer the rest of Oz, knowing that Ozma doesn't even keep a Private Soldier anymore. What she ''doesn't'' know is that Glinda's been paying attention to her book of records, and magically diverted the mountain pass that leads from Oogaboo into the rest of Oz, instead dropping Ann and her army out in the desert...

 

=== Jo Files ===

 

The sole private of Queen Ann's army, Jo Files is intelligent, well-read and brave -- which is why he declines to be an officer like the others. For all his talk about battle and conquest, though, he's a polite and friendly person who always apologizes if he thinks he's hurt someone, and when commanded to conquer pretty young ladies, he immediately resigns from the army because that would be "impolite." He grows very close to Princess Ozga over the course of the story.

 

=== Quox ===

 

A young dragon in the service of the fairies, as punishment for being disrespectful towards his elders. He takes it in good humor, though, serving as a beast of burden for the party for parts of the book and even comes to their rescue at a crucial moment.

 

=== Red Reera ===

 

A Yookoohoo- a magical being with great powers of transformation- Red Reera is characterized by her fondness for things other people dislike (such as [[Reptiles Are Abhorrent|lizards]], huge spiders, and wolves) and her disdain for human company.