Look up Jake in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Jake is a modern, short form of the male name Jacob, but can also be a name in itself, as is the case with many people.

Individuals named Jake include:

• Jake Arnott, British novelist
• Jake T. Austin, American actor
• Jake Lloyd, American actor
• Jake Gyllenhaal (born 1980), American actor
• Jake Hager (born 1982), American professional wrestler better known as Jack Swagger
• Jake Humphrey, children's and football presenter
• Jake LaMotta (born 1921), former world middleweight champion boxer who was later portrayed by Robert De Niro in the 1980 film Raging Bull
• Jake Locker (born 1988), American football player (quarterback, University of Washington)
• Jake Long (born 1985), American football player (offensive tackle, Miami Dolphins)
• Jake Plummer (born 1974), American football player (unofficially retired)
• Jake Roberts (born 1955), American professional wrestler (aka "Jake the Snake")
• Jake Steinfeld (born 1958), American actor and fitness personality
• Jake Thackray (born 1938), English singer-songwriter, poet and journalist
• Jake Thomas (born 1990), American actor and singer
• Jake White (born 1963), South African rugby coach

Fictional characters named Jake include:

• Jacob David "Jake" Harper, a main character in TV comedy series Two and a Half Men
• Jake Featherston, Hitler-like dictator in Harry Turtledove's Timeline-191 series
• American Dragon: Jake Long, title character in an animated television series which airs on Disney Channel
• Jake, a video game character in the Ape Escape series
• Jake, a pet dog of Betty Spaghetty
• Jake, the main character dog in the game Dog's Life
• Jake Fischer, a character played by Ashton Kutcher in the film The Guardian
• Jake 2.0, title character in a science fiction television series that aired from 2003 to 2004 on UPN
• Jake Berenson, a character from the Animorphs book series by K. A. Applegate
• Jake Spidermonkey, a main character in My Gym Partner's a Monkey
• J.J. "Jake" Gittes, the cop turned detective and main character in Roman Polanski's 1974 film Chinatown
• Jake Blues, lead vocalist of The Blues Brothers band and one of the main characters in The Blues Brothers film
• Jake Chambers, a boy and one of the main characters in Stephen King's The Dark Tower series
• Jake Martin (All My Children), U.S. soap opera All My Children
• Jake Martin (Degrassi character), Canadian drama Degrassi
• Jake Green, the protagonist of the TV series Jericho
• Jake the Peg, a three-legged man, the subject of a song sung by Rolf Harris
• Jake Sully, protagonist of the film Avatar
• Jake Tucker, a character in Family Guy
• Jake the Dog, a main character of Adventure Time

Jake may also refer to:

• Jake, a young male Wild Turkey
• "The Jake," nickname of the Major League Baseball stadium once known as Jacobs Field, now Progressive Field
• Jake brake, a particular brand of engine brake
• Jake, a slang term in the United States for Jamaica ginger extract
• Jake, a slang term used in Discordianism to describe a prank, often celebrated on Jake Day
• Jake / Bot2, one of the ROVs used during the filming of the documentary Ghosts of the Abyss
• Jake the Alligator Man, an oddity on view in Long Beach, Washington
• Less Than Jake, a skate punk band
• The Japanese World War II reconnaissance floatplane, the Aichi E13A, Allied reporting name "Jake"
• Jake the Peg (Rolf Harris song)
• Jake, a slang term for masturbation

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Peter Pan
Peter Pan character
Illustration of Peter Pan playing the pipes, by F. D. Bedford from Peter and Wendy (1911)
First appearance	The Little White Bird (1902)
Created by	J. M. Barrie
Information
Aliases	The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up
Gender	Male
Nationality	English

Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A mischievous boy who can fly and who never ages, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with mermaids, Indians, fairies, pirates, and occasionally ordinary children from the world outside of Neverland. In addition to two distinct works by Barrie, the character has been featured in a variety of media and merchandise, both adapting and expanding on Barrie's works.

History[link]

Cover of 1915 edition of J. M. Barrie's novel, first published in 1911, illustrated by F. D. Bedford.

Peter Pan first appeared in a section of The Little White Bird, a 1902 novel written by Barrie for adults.

The character's best-known adventure debuted on 27 December 1904, in the stage play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. The play was adapted and expanded somewhat as a novel, published in 1911 as Peter and Wendy (later as Peter Pan and Wendy, and still later as Peter Pan).

Following the highly successful debut of the 1904 play, Barrie's publishers, Hodder and Stoughton, extracted chapters 13–18 of The Little White Bird and republished them in 1906 under the title Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, with the addition of illustrations by Arthur Rackham.^[1]

Appearance[link]

Barrie never described Peter's appearance in detail, even in the novel Peter and Wendy, leaving much of it to the imagination of the reader and the interpretation of anyone adapting the character. Barrie mentions in Peter and Wendy that Peter Pan still had all of his baby teeth. He describes him as a beautiful boy with a beautiful smile, "clad in skeleton leaves and the juices that flow from trees". In the play, Peter's outfit is made of autumn leaves and cobwebs. His name and playing the flute suggest the mythological character Pan.

Traditionally, the character has been played on stage by an adult woman.

In Peter Pan in Scarlet, Geraldine McCaughrean adds to the description of his appearance, mentioning his blue eyes, and saying that his hair is light (or at least any colour lighter than black). In this novel, Never Land has moved on to autumn, so Peter wears a tunic of jay feathers and maple leaves. In the Starcatcher stories written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Peter has carrot-orange hair and bright blue eyes.

In the Disney films, Peter wears an outfit that was easier to animate, consisting of a short-sleeved green tunic and tights apparently made of cloth, and a cap with a red feather in it. He has pointed elf-like ears, and his hair is a very red auburn. In the live-action 2003 film, he is portrayed by Jeremy Sumpter, who has blond hair and blue eyes, and his outfit is made of leaves and vines. In Hook, he is played as an adult by Robin Williams with dark brown hair, but in flashbacks to his youth his hair is more orangish. In this film his ears appear pointed only when he is Peter Pan, not Peter Banning; his Pan clothing resembles the Disney outfit.

Age[link]

Statue of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, London.

Statue of Peter Pan in Kirriemuir.

The notion of a boy who would never grow up was based on J. M. Barrie's older brother who died in an ice-skating accident the day before he turned 14, and thus always stayed a young boy in his mother's mind.^[2] The "boy who wouldn't grow up" has appeared at a variety of ages. In his original appearance in The Little White Bird he was only seven days old. Although his age is not stated in Barrie's later play and novel, his characterization is clearly years older. The book states that he has all of his baby teeth, and Barrie's intended model for the statue of Peter that was erected in Kensington Gardens was a set of photos of Michael Llewelyn Davies taken at the age of six. Early illustrations of the character generally appeared to be that age or perhaps a few years older. In the 1953 Disney adaptation and its 2002 sequel, Peter appears to be in late childhood, between 10 and 13 years old. (The actor who provided the voice in 1953 was 15-year-old Bobby Driscoll.) In the 2003 film, Jeremy Sumpter was 13 at the time filming started; by the end of filming he was 14 and had grown several inches taller. In the movie Hook, Peter is said to have left Neverland many years earlier, forsaking his eternal youth and ageing normally. When remembering his buried past, Peter is shown as a baby, and little boy, and also a near-teenager, suggesting that the ageing process does not entirely stop in Neverland until puberty or just before, or that Peter aged a little bit every time he left Neverland to come to the real world. When Peter says, "I remember you being a lot bigger," in the final duel, Hook answers, "to a 10-year-old I'm huge." He is portrayed by Robin Williams, who turned 40 during production of the film.

Personality[link]

Peter is mainly an exaggerated stereotype of a boastful and careless boy. He is quick to point out how great he is, even when such claims are questionable (such as when he congratulates himself for Wendy's successful reattachment of his shadow).

Peter has a nonchalant, devil-may-care attitude, and is fearlessly cocky when it comes to putting himself in danger. Barrie writes that when Peter thought he was going to die on Marooner's Rock, he felt scared, yet he felt only one shudder run through him when any other person would have felt scared up until death. With his blissful unawareness of the tragedy of death, he says, "To die will be an awfully big adventure". He repeats this line as an adult in the film Hook during the battle with Hook near the film's climax. He then inverts the phrase at the film's very end claiming "To live will be an awfully big adventure."

In some variations of the story and some spin-offs, Peter can also be quite nasty and selfish. In the Disney adaptation of the tale, Peter appears very judgemental and pompous (for example, he calls the Lost Boys "blockheads" and when the Darling children say that they should leave for home at once, he gets the wrong message and angrily assumes that they want to grow up). Nonetheless, he has a strong sense of justice and is always quick to help those in danger.

In the 2003 live-action film, Peter Pan is sensitive about the subject of "growing up". When confronted by Hook about Wendy's growing up, marrying and eventually "shutting the window" on Peter, he becomes very depressed and finally gives up on Wendy.

Abilities[link]

Peter Pan statue in Mary Martin's hometown of Weatherford in Parker County, Texas

Peter's archetypal ability is his unending youth. In "Peter and Wendy" it is explained that Peter must forget his own adventures and what he learns about the world in order to stay child-like. The fact that the other Lost Boys are growing up and able to be killed in Peter and Wendy contradicts this idea. The unauthorized prequels by Barry and Pearson attribute Peter's everlasting youth to his exposure to starstuff, a magical substance which has fallen to earth.

Peter's ability to fly is explained somewhat, but inconsistently. In The Little White Bird he is able to fly because he – like all babies – is part bird. In the play and novel, he teaches the Darling children to fly using a combination of "lovely wonderful thoughts" (which became "happy thoughts" in Disney's film) and fairy dust; it is unclear whether he is serious about "happy thoughts" being required (it was stated in the novel that this was merely a silly diversion from the fairy dust being the true source), or whether he requires the fairy dust himself. In Hook, the adult Peter is unable to fly until he remembers his "happy thought". The ability to fly is also attributed to starstuff – apparently the same thing as fairy dust – in the Starcatcher prequels.

Peter has an effect on the whole of Never Land and its inhabitants when he is there. Barrie states that although Never Land appears different to every child, the island "wakes up" when he returns from his trip to London. In the chapter "The Mermaid Lagoon" in the book Peter and Wendy, Barrie writes that there is almost nothing that Peter cannot do. He is a skilled swordsman, rivalling even Captain Hook, whose hand he cut off in a duel. He has remarkably keen vision and hearing. He is skilled in mimicry, copying the voice of Hook, and the tick-tock of the Crocodile. In the 2003 film, the mermaids speak by making dolphin-like noises, which Peter can both understand and speak.

In both Peter Pan and Wendy and Peter Pan in Scarlet, there are various mentions of Peter's ability to imagine things into existence, such as food, though this ability plays a more central role in Peter Pan in Scarlet. He also creates imaginary windows and doors as a kind of physical metaphor for ignoring or shunning his companions. He is said to be able to feel danger when it is near. In Peter Pan in Scarlet, it says that when Curly's puppy licks Peter, it licks off a lot of fairy dust, which may be interpreted to mean that he has become fairy-like to the point of producing his own dust, but could also simply mean that he spends so much time with fairies that he is coated in their dust.

In Peter and Wendy, Barrie states that the Peter Pan legend Mrs Darling heard as a child was that when children died, he accompanied them part of the way to their destination so that they would not be scared; he thus resembles the Greek god Hermes in his role as a psychopomp.

In the original play, Peter states that no one must ever touch him (though he does not know why), and the stage instructions specify that no one does so throughout the play. Wendy approaches Peter to give him a "thimble" (kiss), but is prevented by Tinker Bell.

Relationships[link]

Peter does not know his parents. In Kensington Gardens Barrie wrote that he left them as an infant, and seeing the window closed and a new baby in the house when he returned, he assumed they no longer wanted him. In Starcatchers he is said to be an orphan, though his friends Molly and George discover who his parents are in Rundoon. In Hook, Peter remembers his parents, specifically his mother, who wanted him to grow up and go to the best schools in London to become a judge like his father and have a family of his own. After Peter "ran away" to Neverland, he returned to find his parents forgot about him and had another child (the gender of Peter's sibling is revealed to be another boy in Peter and Wendy).

Peter is the leader of the Lost Boys, a band of boys who were lost by their parents, and came to live in Neverland; it is reported that he "thins them out" when they start to grow up. He is best friends with Tinker Bell, a common fairy who is often jealously protective of him. His arch-enemy is Captain Hook, whose hand he cut off in a duel. Hook's crew, including Smee and Starkey, also consider him a foe. The Starcatchers books introduce additional foes: Slank, Lord Ombra, and Captain Nerezza.

From time to time Peter visits the real world, particularly around Kensington Gardens, and befriends children there. Wendy Darling, whom he recruited to be his "mother", is the most significant of them; he also brings her brothers John and Michael to Neverland at her request. It is hinted that Wendy has romantic feelings for Peter. In the 2003 film Peter Pan, the feeling is mutual, as the only unhappy thoughts that Captain Hook is able to use to take away Peter's ability to fly are thoughts of Wendy leaving him, growing up, and replacing him with a husband; Wendy is also able to save Peter by giving him her hidden kiss (signifying that Peter is her true love), which once again gives him the will to live. He later befriends Wendy's daughter Jane (and her subsequent daughter Margaret), and Peter and Wendy says that he will continue this pattern indefinitely. In Starcatchers he previously befriends Molly Aster and young George Darling.

Peter appears to be known to all the residents of Neverland, including the Indian princess Tiger Lily and her tribe, the mermaids, and the fairies.

In Hook, Peter states that the reason he wanted to grow up was to be a father. He married Wendy's granddaughter, Moira, and they have two children, Maggie and Jack.

In the 1953 Disney film version it is hinted at the end that Wendy's father George also met Peter Pan once and went to Neverland, when Mr. Darling, seeing the Pirate Ship flying through the air, remarks that he has a strange feeling he has seen the ship before, when he was very young.

In the adaptation of Peter Pan by French comic artist Loisel, Peter Pan is a bastard child and is kicked out of the house by his abusive mother. He does not have a good relationship with her; he tries to win her love by procuring gold for her from Neverland, yet she rejects him countless times. She is later murdered but Peter Pan eventually forgets her death and seems to remember his mother as a kindhearted, beautiful woman and believes she is still alive; it is also implied that Hook is his father, as Hook has a photo of Peter's mother, but this point never was developed in the series.

In the 2011 Neverland TV miniseries, the origin story of Peter Pan is discussed. It is hinted at multiple points throughout the TV special that Peter and the Indian Princess, Tiger Lily, have romantic feelings for each other. It is also mentioned that James "Jimmy" Hook was originally a friend of Peter's. Prior to the film, Hook loved Peter's mother and murdered Peter's father. Feeling guilty after Peter's mother died, Hook took care of Peter, until later on when Peter finds out and becomes angry with Hook, sparking his hatred towards him. The hatred became mutual when Peter (as in other adaptations) cut off Hook's hand and fed it to a crocodile.

Major stories[link]

Of the stories written about Peter Pan, several have gained widespread notability.

By Barrie[link]

• Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens: Infant Peter flies from his home, makes friends with fairies, and takes up residence in Kensington Gardens. It is a "book-within-a-book" that was first published in Barrie's The Little White Bird.
• Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up (play) and Peter and Wendy (novel): Peter brings Wendy and her brothers to Never Land, where he has a climactic showdown with his nemesis, Captain Hook. This story was originally told in Barrie's stage play and novel, and repeatedly adapted in various media.

Later expansion[link]

• Hook, a film by Steven Spielberg: Peter has grown up, forgotten about his life in Never Land, and has a wife and children of his own. While the family is in London visiting a now elderly Wendy, Captain Hook abducts Peter's children to lure him back for a final duel to the death.
• Return to Never Land, a Disney film: During World War II, Wendy's slightly war-hardened daughter Jane is taken to Neverland by Captain Hook, but Peter saves her and asks her to be the Lost Boys' new mother
• Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and the Shadow Thieves, Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, Peter and the Sword of Mercy, a series of novels by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.: Peter leaves a London orphanage for a series of adventures, which offer an origin story for Captain Hook, fairies, his abilities, and the Lost Boys.
• Peter Pan in Scarlet, a novel by Geraldine McCaughrean: Wendy, John, and most of the Lost Boys return to Neverland, where Peter has begun to take Captain Hook's place. It serves as an official sequel to Peter and Wendy.
• Neverland, a TV miniseries, is a prequel to and re-imagining of the Peter Pan story.

In popular culture[link]

Statue in Queens Gardens, Perth, Western Australia

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The character of Peter Pan (or thinly disguised versions of him) has appeared in tributes and parodies and has been the subject of several later works of fiction. (See Works based on Peter Pan for notable examples.) J. R. R. Tolkien's biographer Humphrey Carpenter has speculated that Tolkien's impressions of a production of Barrie's Peter Pan in Birmingham in 1910 "may have had a little to do with" his original conception of the Elves of Middle Earth.^[3] Since featuring the character in their 1953 animated film, Walt Disney has continued to use him as one of their traditional characters, featuring him in the sequel film Return to Neverland and in their parks as a meetable character, and the focus of the dark ride, Peter Pan's Flight; he appears in House of Mouse, Mickey's Magical Christmas, and the Kingdom Hearts video games.

The name Peter Pan has been adopted for various purposes over the years. Three thoroughbred racehorses have been given the name, the first born in 1904. It has been adopted by several businesses, including Peter Pan peanut butter, Peter Pan Bus Lines, and Peter Pan Records. An early 1960s program in which Cuban children were sent unattended to Miami to escape feared mistreatment under the then-new Castro regime was called Operation Peter Pan (or Operación Pedro Pan). The Peter Pan syndrome was popularized in 1983 by a book with that name, about individuals (usually male) with underdeveloped maturity. Peter Pan is the name for an Indonesian pop-rock band.

Peter Pan has appeared in a number of adaptations, sequels, and prequels. These include the 1953 Disney animated feature film Peter Pan, various stage musicals (including one by Jerome Robbins, starring Cyril Ritchard and Mary Martin, filmed for television), live-action feature films Hook (1991) and Peter Pan (2003), and the authorized sequel novel Peter Pan in Scarlet (2006). He has also appeared in various works not authorized by the holders of the character's copyright, which has lapsed in most parts of the world.

Peter Pan is depicted in public sculpture. The original statue in Kensington Gardens by sculptor George Frampton was commissioned by Barrie and erected overnight on 30 April 1912 as a May Day surprise to the children of London. There are seven statues cast from the original mould.^[4] The other six are located in:

Two statues by a different sculptor are in Kirriemuir, Scotland, the birthplace of J. M. Barrie.^[12][13] A bronze statue by Diarmuid Byron O'Connor was commissioned by Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and unveiled in 2000, showing Peter blowing fairy dust, with Tinker Bell added in 2005.^[14]

See also[link]

Novels portal

• Peter and Wendy#Copyright status

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Peter and Wendy

• Peter Pan at Project Gutenberg (1991 Millennium Fulcrum Edition)
• Neverpedia
• The Pain of Peter Pan – Newsweek

v t e J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan Characters and setting Peter Pan Wendy Darling Captain Hook Tinker Bell The Lost Boys Other characters Neverland Official books and plays The Little White Bird (1902) Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (1906) Peter and Wendy (1911) Peter Pan in Scarlet (2006) Films Peter Pan (1924) Peter Pan (1953) Hook (1991) Return to Never Land (2002) Peter Pan (2003) Neverland (2003) Finding Neverland (2004) Tinker Bell films Tinker Bell (2008) The Lost Treasure (2009) The Great Fairy Rescue (2010) Pixie Hollow Games (2011) Secret of the Wings (2012) TV series The Lost Boys (1978) The Adventures of Peter Pan (1989) Peter Pan and the Pirates (1990–91) Jake and the Never Land Pirates (2011–present) Neverland (2011) Theatre 1950 musical 1954 musical 1976 musical Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure Peter and the Starcatcher (play) Peter Pan 360 (play) Video games Peter Pan and the Pirates Hook Starcatchers books Peter and the Starcatchers Peter and the Shadow Thieves Peter and the Secret of Rundoon Peter and the Sword of Mercy The Bridge to Neverland Never Land Books Other media Peter Pan's Flight (ride)

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Captain James Hook is the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up and its various adaptations. The character is a villainous pirate captain of the Jolly Roger brig, and lord of the pirate village/harbour in Neverland, where he is widely feared. Most importantly, he is the archenemy of Peter Pan. It is said that Hook was Blackbeard's boatswain, and that he was the only man Long John Silver ever feared. His only two fears are the sight of his own blood (which is supposedly an unnatural colour) and one fateful crocodile.

Hook wears a big iron hook in place of his right hand, which was cut off by Peter Pan and eaten by a saltwater crocodile, who liked the taste so much that she follows Hook around constantly, hoping for more. Luckily for Hook, the crocodile also swallowed a clock, so Hook can tell from the ticking when she is near. Hook hates Peter obsessively due to his cockiness (and the removing of his hand), as well as the way he always seems to have "good form" without trying or even realizing, which is the best "form" of all, and lives for the day he can make Peter and all his Lost Boys walk the plank.

Creation of the character[link]

Hook did not appear in early drafts of the play, with the capricious and coercive Peter Pan as the closest thing to a "villain" in it. The pirate captain was created for a front-cloth scene to be staged in front of the curtain while the set was changed from Neverland back to the Darling nursery, depicting the children's journey home. Barrie expanded the scene, knowing how much children were fascinated by pirates, and expanded the role of the captain as the play developed. The character was originally cast to be played by a woman: Dorothea Baird, the actress also playing Mary Darling. Gerald du Maurier, who was already playing George Darling (and the brother of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies), persuaded Barrie to let him take the additional role instead,^[2] a casting decision that has since been replicated in many stage and film productions of the Peter Pan story.

Biography of the character[link]

Barrie states in the novel that "Hook was not his true name. To reveal who he really was would even at this date set the country in a blaze." He relates the tale of how Peter Pan cut off his hand and fed it to the crocodile, setting up the rivalry between them. Barrie explains that "he was Blackbeard's boatswain, and that he was the only man Long John Silver ever feared". It is implied that he attended Eton College and Balliol'^[3] in the play; Hook's final words are "Floreat Etona", the College's motto. Barrie confirmed this in a speech delivered in 1927 to the first hundred at Eton College entitled "Captain Hook at Eton".

In Barrie's story, Hook captures Wendy Darling, the girl who loves Peter and whom Peter views as his surrogate mother, and challenges the boy to a final duel. When Hook is beaten, Peter Pan kicks him overboard to the open jaws of the waiting crocodile below. Just before his defeat, however, he takes a final jab at Peter by taunting him about his "bad form". Peter, with the callousness of youth, quickly forgets Hook and finds a new nemesis, but as Hook made a stronger impression on the public, most sequels brought him back one way or another.

Appearance[link]

1912 illustration by F. D. Bedford.

In the novel Peter and Wendy, Hook is described as "cadaverous" and "blackavized", with blue eyes and long dark curls which look like "black candles" at a distance. In most pantomime performances of Peter Pan, and in the film Hook, Hook's hair is simply a wig. He has a hook in place of his right hand (this is often switched to his left hand in film adaptations) and can use it as well as, or instead of, a sword when fighting. He is also described as having a "handsome countenance" and an "elegance of [...] diction" – "even when he [is] swearing". Captain Hook is often portrayed wearing a large feathered hat, a red, black or blue coat, and knee breeches. This pertains to the novel's description of him "In dress he somewhat aped the attire associated with the name of Charles II". Hook is often seen with a custom-made cigar holder that lets him smoke two cigars at once. Barrie also said of him in "Captain Hook at Eton" as, "In a word, the handsomest man I have ever seen, though, at the same time, perhaps slightly disgusting". While Hook is an evil and bloodthirsty man, Barrie makes it clear that these qualities make him a magnificent pirate and "not wholly unheroic".

In stage appearances and films, George Darling and Captain Hook are often played by the same actor, perhaps based on the belief in the book that "All grown-ups are pirates."

[edit] Peter Pan in Scarlet

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Geraldine McCaughrean's authorized sequel to Peter Pan gives Peter a new nemesis, while bringing back the old favourite.

Ravello, a circus man in a ragged woollen coat constantly unravelling, who offers to be Peter's valet to look after him in the quest for the treasure. Ravello's influence turns Peter Pan into a reincarnation of Captain Hook. Ravello is revealed in the middle of the book to be the old James Hook, who escaped the crocodile. The scarred character who emerged from the crocodile's stomach was no longer the pirate who jumped from the deck of the Jolly Roger, but Ravello, the travelling man.

One of Ravello's trophies is an Eton trophy dated 1894. If Hook was 18 - the last year of an Etonian - in that year, then he was born in 1876, a full one-hundred and one years after his appearance at The Pirates' Conference [see below], and even further after the times of Blackbeard and Long John Silver. It must also be said that Hook in this book denies that he was ever with Blackbeard, claiming that he would never have served such an uneducated man and that all suggestions that he has are merely rumours started by his enemies. Only upon receiving Wendy's kiss, and five weeks' worth of sleep, does the real James Hook again reveal himself.

[edit] Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth

According to the (non-canon) novel Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth, Captain Hook was born the illegitimate son of a nobleman, "Lord B", and an unnamed woman Hook has never met (however, throughout the story, there are multiple clues in the way characters act and react that the unnamed woman may in fact be the Queen). Denounced by Lord B, James Matthew is brought up by a Shakespearean actress he calls Aunt Emily. When he is fifteen he unwillingly attends Eton College as an Oppidan scholar.

James strives to reach the top of his class at Eton. He is an avid reader of Shakespeare and Shelley, and his motto is "Knowledge is Power". He describes many things as first rate - "Topping Swank", and he punctuates his sentences with "The End." He is very interested in the French Revolution.

In the novel James has only a few friends - Roger Peter Davies, whom he nicknames "Jolly Roger" and later names his ship after; and his pet Electra, a fatally poisonous spider. However, James Matthew has many enemies, particularly Arthur Darling, a seventeen-year-old Colleger, whom he rivals in studies, fencing, sports, and the attentions of the visiting Ottoman Sultana Ananova Ariadne. Although James successfully woos Ananova, their mutual affection sets off a chain of political outrage that affects the noble position of Lord B. Lord B selfishly arranges for James to leave Eton on his trading ship, the Sea Witch. The deeply hurt James doesn't leave without defeating Arthur in a final fencing duel, terrifying him with a home-made guillotine. He also burns his own school records so there would be no traces of his well-liked "notorious" behaviour.

James leaves Eton with Jolly Roger. Once on the trading ship, he meets the boatswain Bartholomew Quigley Smeethington, generally called Smee. Smee and all the other sailors live in terror of their ruthless captain, who, in a cruel twist, also happens to be a Christian priest. James, as always, is able to empathize with the underdogs. When James discovers in horror that his father is a slave trader, he frees the slaves on the ship and overthrows the ship's captain (who then is killed by Electra), and then murders the quartermaster with a metal hook.

Throughout Capt. Hook, author J.V. Hart relates events in James Matthew Barrie's life and the lives of the Llewellyn-Davies children; including naming James's arch-enemy after the Llewellyn-Davies' father. The author mainly expands upon details in Barrie's original play and novel, while changing a few key points - he ascribes James's strange colouring and yellow blood to a blood disorder; James's long dark hair is natural, rather than the usually suggested wig; James is christened "Hook" after murdering the quartermaster of the Sea Witch, rather than in reference to his prosthetic hand (in the original novel, Hook was known as "Hook" before he lost his hand, so this is consistent).

[edit] Peter and the Starcatchers

In the novel Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Captain Hook is at his nastiest - he is described as greasy and filthy, with terrible breath, beady black eyes, and a pock-marked face. He eats raw meat in his room, often leaving the food on his bed. This grotesque image of Hook contrasts strongly with J. M. Barrie's Etonian gentleman. In Peter and the Starcatchers, which takes place before the captain meets Peter Pan, Hook is called "Black Stache" because of his moustache, and his ship is called the Sea Devil - he obtains the Jolly Roger after using a corset-shaped sail to attack a British ship named the Wasp. In this prequel, although Peter cuts off Hook's hand, he does not throw Hook's hand to the crocodile; the animal simply gobbles it up in passing. Black Stache is renamed Captain Hook in the second installment, Peter and the Shadow Thieves. Which hand is severed differs. In Barrie's original novel, his right hand was purposely cut off by Peter. In Barry and Pearson's adaptation, his left hand was accidentally cut off by Peter, which would make their story non-canon to Barrie's original.

[edit] Peter and the Starcatcher (Play)

In the Broadway play, Black Stache, portrayed by Christian Borle, is a fast-talking, cruel gentleman who speaks in rhyme. He's also a bit foolish (his crew insists that the reason no one's heard of them is because they've been "keeping a low profile," indicating that the group has never really taken over any ships). In their final confrontation, Peter does not cut off Black Stache's hand. Rather, Hook closes the stardust chest on his wrist in a fit of anger and severs his own hand, then asks Peter if they could be mortal enemies in exchange for Molly and the Lost Boys' freedom, thus cementing his status as a fearsome pirate—since all fearsome pirates must have an arch-enemy.

Disney[link]

The version of Captain Hook who appears in the Disney animated film adaptation of Peter Pan is somewhat of a comic relief character, a fop prone to crying out for help as well as being called a codfish and having his clothes repeatedly ruined. This Captain Hook has the hook in place of his left hand instead of his right. In early development, the story department wrote their analysis of Hook's character: "He is a fop...Yet very mean, to the point of being murderous. This combination of traits should cause plenty of amusement whenever he talks or acts."^[4]

Frank Thomas was the directing animator of Hook.^[5][6] According to Disney's Platinum release bonus features, Hook was modeled after a Spanish King. One director insisted that Hook should be a darker villain with no comedic traits. Yet this would not work during the crocodile scenes. The animators realized he could not be truly evil, because of the children in the film that he would be threatening. The result is a "bad guy," but only to the point of matching Peter Pan.^[4]

Actor Hans Conried set the tone for Disney's interpretation of Hook, as he was the original voice for the Captain, as well as, in the tradition of the stage play, Mr. Darling. In addition Conried's acting skills were used, as he performed live-action reference for the two characters.^[7] In modern animation, Hook is voiced by Corey Burton.

Appearances[link]

Captain Hook is introduced in the animated film as a cunning, sinister man, plotting to trap Peter in his lair, but also a bit of a buffoon, hiding from the crocodile nicknamed 'Tick Tock' who took off his hand. He seeks revenge on Peter Pan for having fed the crocodile his hand amidst battle, and will keep his ship and its crew anchored in Never Land's waters until he finds the boy.^[7] Hook is a dangerous villain, without conscience, yet is dependent on his sidekick, Mr. Smee. He is fairly cunning and has a bit of a taste for loopholes in contracts or deals — after he promises Tinker Bell that he will not lay a finger (or a hook) on Peter, he then lays a bomb in Peter's hideout, since he didn't say he wouldn't do that. When Peter defeats Hook, he begs for mercy and promises to leave Neverland forever. However, Hook tries to attack Peter again, only to be foiled. At the conclusion of the film, Hook is being chased by the crocodile off into the distance. Walt Disney insisted on keeping Hook alive, as he said: "The audience will get to liking Hook, and they don't want to see him killed."^[4]

In the sequel Return to Never Land, Hook's comical side is expanded to the point where the character becomes, almost, a complete fool, little more than a joke. He mistakes Wendy's daughter Jane for her thinking she is the young Wendy, and uses her as bait to lure Peter Pan to his death. After this fails, he promises to take Jane home if she'll help him find the island's treasure (which leads to his taste for loopholes being made a comical trait as well). Another loophole he employs is that he promises Jane, "Not to harm a single hair on Peter Pan's head". After he captures Peter, he pulls a single hair out of Peter's head and says; "And THIS is the one I won't harm! Here, you keep it", and he tosses it to Jane; "The rest of him is mine". Unlike the rest of his crew, Hook is still competent enough to do something right, and takes Jane captive (after she and Tinker Bell manage to free Peter and the Lost Boys) in the final battle. However, he is quickly subdued and thrown into the water by Peter. His ship is sunk by the huge, half-blind octopus who believes him to be a codfish, and he and the pirates flee with the octopus behind them. It is unknown if they are ever eaten or not.

He stars in the Disney Interactive computer game, Disney's Villains' Revenge. He stole the happy ending of Peter Pan and altered the story. Peter was reduced to an elderly man and lost his fighting touch. The player would go against Hook in a duel and win, defeating Hook and returns Peter to his rightful age. Captain Hook fought the player again in the final battle along with the Queen of Hearts, Ringmaster and the Queen, but saw his ship destroyed. He retreats to Skull Rock where he fires cannonballs. Unfortunately, one is deflected and sends him flying into the sky. As he flies past the moon, he says to himself "I hate happy endings!"

Hook also appeared frequently on Disney's House of Mouse, and was one of the main villains of Mickey's House of Villains who take over the House of Mouse. He also appeared in Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse. Prior to this, he also made a special guest cameo on Raw Toonage in the episode hosted by Don Karnage from TaleSpin; there, he challenged Karnage to a swordfight for a treasure chest and won. In the Disney Junior series Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Hook serves as the series antagonist.

Occasionally, Hook appears in the Scrooge McDuck universe of comic books as the nemesis of Moby Duck, a whaler cousin of Donald Duck.

Kingdom Hearts[link]

Captain Hook (フック船長, Fukku Senchō^?) appears in the Action/RPG game Kingdom Hearts, in cooperation with Maleficent and other villains. He uses his pirate ship to get himself between worlds.

He takes Riku along with him, where Kairi is being held. Hook does not like Riku's bossiness and regrets taking him along; nonetheless, he follows his orders, as Riku now has control over the Heartless and would most likely unleash them on him should he disobey. When Sora, Donald, and Goofy arrive in Neverland, Riku throws them in the hold where they meet and escape with Peter Pan, who is searching for his friend Wendy. Captain Hook believed that Wendy was a "Princess of Heart" and that is why he captured her. However, Riku reports to him from Maleficent that Wendy is not a Princess of heart at all, irritating Hook (he hints that kidnapping Wendy was a very difficult task). After defeating the Heartless below deck, Sora fights a copy of himself summoned by Riku in Hook's office. After confronting Hook on the deck, learning that Riku took Kairi to Hollow Bastion, Sora and company are forced to surrender when Hook uses Tinker Bell as a hostage. When the crocodile appears, Hook flees to his office while telling Smee to have their prisoners walk the plank. However, Peter Pan returns to save Sora before using his Smee imitation to trick Hook out to the deck, resulting in the villain being thrown overboard and chased into the horizon by the crocodile. He later reappears in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, finding a large amount of treasure maps all leading to boxes that are actually set to release Heartless once Hook opens the chest (unknown to Hook and Smee, however, is that these chests were set up to help build Pete's Heartless army). In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories he appears as a figment of Sora's memories and is absent in Kingdom Hearts II. Hook later appears in the game series prequel, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, where he tricks Terra into attempting to kill Peter Pan for him. He later kidnaps Tinker Bell and takes Mickey Mouse's star fragment, but is defeated by Ventus and thrown into the water, where the crocodile chases him off. His Japanese voice actor was Chikao Ōhtsuka up until Birth by Sleep, where Chikao Ōhtsuka was cast as Master Xehanort and Hook thus voiced by Naoya Uchida. His English voice actor is Corey Burton.

[edit] Epic Mickey

Captain Hook is also featured prominently in the Wii game, "Epic Mickey", as the third boss. He appears in the Ventureland world, where he has been converted into an animatronic, cyborg version of himself (referred to in the game as a Bettleworx) and is waging an attack against the non-converted pirates. Smee, his loyal henchmen and one of the surviving pirates, request that Mickey Mouse find a way to save Hook. The player can either fight Hook by themself and earn a thinner upgrade (and a "bad ending" clip that shows the hook, what remained of Captain Hook after he was devoured by the robotic Crocodile, floating and sinking into the sea), or free the Sprite and have Peter Pan defeat him and earn a paint upgrade (and a "good ending" clip showing Peter Pan and Captain Hook in a duel).

Live events[link]

Captain Hook also appears at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts as a meetable character, as well as part of the dark ride Peter Pan's Flight.

In Fantasmic! at Disneyland, there is a scene in which we see Captain Hook and Peter Pan duelling aboard the Jolly Roger (portrayed by the Sailing Ship Columbia). This is replaced by a short re-enactment of Disney's Pocahontas at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

At Disney World's Dream-Along with Mickey show, Hook, along with Smee, is one of the villains that crashes Mickey's party. This happens when Peter and Wendy appear to make Goofy's dream for some adventure come true and play a game of "Pretend to Be Pirates" with Donald Duck, who pretends to be the captain until the real Hook appears and challenges Peter to a duel. At first, Hook's appearance seems to take place for no reason other than to add some action to the show, but is revealed to actually be working for Maleficent, who is insulted after not being invited to the party. He is defeated by Mickey Mouse, who leads the audience in a chant of "Dreams come true!", and scares off the villains.

At the Disney Villains Mix and Mingle Halloween Dance Party at Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Hook is summoned up by Maleficent along with the other villains, and co-hosts along with her, revealed by him being the only one of the villains beside her to sing and also being the villain that dances with her.

Other appearances[link]

[edit] Peter Pan (1954 musical)

Most notably, Cyril Ritchard played Captain Hook in the 1954 musical adaptation which starred Mary Martin as Peter Pan.

[edit] Peter Pan - The Animated Series (no boken)

In 1989, the Japanese Nippon Animation produced 41 episodes of Peter Pan - the Animated Series; this was aired on World Masterpiece Theater and in several other countries.

Hook's personality was far closer to the original character from Barrie's novel. Rather than the more clownish Hook portrayed in the Disney version, Hook was an aggressive strategist, feared by his crew and everyone else, except Peter. Besides his first objective, which is to destroy Peter Pan, he also is eager to become Neverland's first king. Hook also had a second hook-hand that both looked and functioned in a similar fashion as a crab claw.

He was voiced in the Japanese version by Chikao Ōhtsuka, who also portrayed the Disney incarnation of the character in Japanese media, particularly in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.

[edit] Peter Pan and the Pirates

In 1990, Fox produced the television series Peter Pan and the Pirates. Appearance wise, Hook was more early 18th century rather than the classic Charles II Restoration period. He also had white hair, rather than black. Hook's personality is far closer to Barrie's original character; he terrifies his crew, brutalizes his enemies, has no fear (except where the crocodile is concerned), shows great intelligence, and is passionate about plays by William Shakespeare. He was voiced by Tim Curry, who won an Emmy for this part. While the original version of Hook was said to have learned the pirating trade as the cabin boy of Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, this version learned it as the Midshipman of his elder brother, a notorious pirate who commanded a frigate called the Rake. Originally engaged to a young woman, one Christmas Day raid sees the Hook brothers (Hook's name in this account is given as "James Hook") capture a ship transporting Hook's fiancee, Cecilia. Also on a Christmas Day, the two brothers have a disagreement over the sharing of the loot, fighting a duel in which Hook leaves the ship after gouging out his brother's eye, thus earning him the moniker of "Captain Patch". While Hook eventually finds his way to Neverland, and thus a form of immortality, Patch perishes somewhere, his treasure eventually ending up in Neverland. One episode involves Hook finding the treasure, and unwittingly awakening the malevolent ghost of his elder brother.

[edit] Hook (1991 Film)

In the film Hook, Captain James Hook is played by Dustin Hoffman. Hook kidnaps the children of a now adult Peter to lure his arch-enemy back to Neverland after several years away. He then negotiates with Tinker Bell to let the out-of-shape Peter have three days to rekindle his spirit. He is somewhat depressed since Peter Pan, now named Peter Banning (played by Robin Williams), has left Neverland, and worries he has nothing left to accomplish, having killed the crocodile and made it into a foundation for a clock tower. He wants to have a grand war with Peter to end all wars on Neverland, but is upset to learn Peter has grown up and has forgotten everything about his past. He also has grown tired of killing Lost Boys. In one scene, he attempts to shoot himself, after which he comments, "Death is the only great adventure I have left." He keeps a clock museum full of broken clocks, since he becomes gripped with fear when he hears one ticking, likely because of the clock the crocodile ate. Ironically, this phobia is one of the factors that leads to his defeat.

At the same time, Hook attempts to brainwash Peter's children to his side by saying their father never loved them, and he is successful with Peter's son, Jack, who Peter already had a strained relationship with, and Jack soon sees Hook as a father figure. Peter's daughter, Maggie, however, retains her faith in her father. Eventually, Peter returns to rescue his children, and gives Hook the final battle he yearns for. Having won back Jack's loyalty after Hook slays Rufio - the previous leader of the Lost Boys - in front of Jack, Peter and Hook engage in a final duel amid a circle of Lost Boys holding him at bay with clocks, and is apparently "eaten" by the crocodile who seems to temporarily come back to life and falls on top of him. His final words are: "I want my mommy!"

In the film, Hook's hook is on his left hand due to Hoffman being right-handed, and has other attachments besides the hook, including a goblet and a pointer. He dresses very elegantly with a gold-trimmed red coat, matching hat, and a wig that hides his balding head. He keeps a ceremonial captain's sword at his side, but switches it for a proper dueling sword when fighting Rufio and Peter.

Hook's physical appearance in the film is heavily influenced by Disney's portrayal, though with greater embellishments of gold and silk on his clothes, and curled ends to his moustache (like a Hook), but he is far more threatening and closer to the characterization in Barrie's novel as gentleman pirate. He also seems to have the ability to travel to and from Neverland via the Jolly Roger, which is how he manages to kidnap Jack and Maggie, setting the primary conflict of the film into motion.

[edit] Peter Pan (2003 film)

In the 2003 film adaptation of Peter Pan, Captain James Hook is portrayed by British actor Jason Isaacs. Isaacs also plays the role of George Darling, Wendy's father, following a tradition which comes from the original play. In this version, Jason Isaacs has the hook on his right hand, which requires a shoulder harness to be worn while it is fastened on, presumably to help regulate the weight Hook feels while using it.

Hook, in this film is feared and ruthless, but also of a gentleman-like nature. He entrances Wendy for a while, but she later proclaims to him that she'd rather die than be a pirate. Hook also learns to fly, thus almost defeating Peter. Ultimately, the bad thoughts bring him down and he drops, resignedly, into the crocodile's mouth.

Sergio Bonelli Editore comic books[link]

In the Italian comic books published by Sergio Bonelli Editore, Captain Hook appears in at least two different versions. In Martin Mystère comic book, Neverland is located in the heart of London, the Lost Boys are actually late 18th century British students influenced by the French Revolution, and Captain Hook is a 19th century pirate who rules Neverland with an iron fist.^[8] In Dylan Dog comic book, Captain Hook's biography is the same as in J. M. Barrie's story, but he left Neverland after his defeat on the hands of Peter Pan. He came to the modern late 20th century world where he became a successful businessman.^[9]

Pirates of the Caribbean[link]

In A. C. Crispin's 2011 novel Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom, Captain Hook is referenced in a conversation between Captain Teague and Pirate Lord Don Rafael. "You'll never guess who I encountered at Oporto a few months ago. [...] James. [...] He's lost a hand. [...]he said it wasn't so bad, the hook was as good as a dagger in a fight. [...] He didn't look a day older, not a day. [...] James was a lot more...subdued. [...] The taberna keeper's little lad came round to collect our plates, and when he turned and saw he, for just a second he looked--scared. No, worse than that. Terrified. [...] Can you imagine that? Afraid! Of a young boy!"^[10] One of the early concept arts for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End showed a pirate similar to Captain Hook as one of the Pirate Lords of the Fourth Brethren Court.

Shrek film series[link]

Captain Hook is a minor character in the film Shrek 2, playing the piano in the "Poisoned Apple" tavern. In Shrek the Third, he has a greater role as a secondary villain.

[edit] Neverland (TV Miniseries)

In the TV miniseries Neverland, James Hook is played by Rhys Ifans and his past story is not related to the original story. He is introduced as "Jimmy", a fencing teacher and leader of a small group of pickpocketing children, in London of 1906. Jimmy treats the children as if his own and cares about their safety, especially Peter, who is part of the gang. Jimmy is after a mysterious orb from an antique shop, which Peter and his gang steal, but unknown to Jimmy. The orb sends the latter and all the boys, except Peter, to Neverland.

Jimmy and the boys (except for one called Fox) are found and captured by pirates who take them back to their ship to be questioned by Elizabeth Bonny, captain of the Jolly Roger. Bonny thinks that Jimmy's skill in sword fight would be useful to her and befriends Jimmy, who reveals that his name is James Hook. Bonny informs Jimmy that dust from the "Tree Spirits" has the ability to turn a person into a god but does not know how to use it properly. Jimmy offers his services to Bonny in exchange for the boys' safety.

Peter finds his way to Neverland and with Fox, try to rescue the other boys from the pirates but in the ensuing battle, Fox is killed by Starkey. Jimmy, Bonny, and a few pirates follows Peter who has now teamed up with Tinker Bell, one of the tree spirits, and Tiger Lily, a member of the Kaw tribe also stranded on Neverland, to a city where a certain Professor Fludd explains what Neverland is and tells Peter how to return to Earth thanks to the orb. Jimmy goes after Peter to London, and tells him about the promise he made to Peter's mother whom he loved, and shows him a pocket watch once owned by Peter's father.

Back in Neverland, Jimmy gradually becomes a pirate and explores the island to find the tree spirits location, where he comes to face with a flying Peter. Jimmy tricks Peter into showing him the location of the tree spirits. Bonny, who has followed them, tries to gain power over the spirits but fails and dies. Jimmy, in a rage, reveals that he killed Peter's father and attempts to leave the island. But Peter follows Jimmy to a cave where the orb is held and fights Jimmy. As Jimmy is about to deliver the killing blow, Peter cuts Jimmy's right hand off which falls into the water and is eaten by a crocodile. Jimmy throws the pocket watch at Peter but it misses and falls into the water where it is eaten by the same crocodile.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Captain Hook at the Internet Movie Database
• Captain Hook in the Disney Archives - Villains
• http://www.oxfordadvancedlearnersdictionary.com/dictionary/captain-hook

v t e J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan Characters and setting Peter Pan Wendy Darling Captain Hook Tinker Bell The Lost Boys Other characters Neverland Official books and plays The Little White Bird (1902) Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (1906) Peter and Wendy (1911) Peter Pan in Scarlet (2006) Films Peter Pan (1924) Peter Pan (1953) Hook (1991) Return to Never Land (2002) Peter Pan (2003) Neverland (2003) Finding Neverland (2004) Tinker Bell films Tinker Bell (2008) The Lost Treasure (2009) The Great Fairy Rescue (2010) Pixie Hollow Games (2011) Secret of the Wings (2012) TV series The Lost Boys (1978) The Adventures of Peter Pan (1989) Peter Pan and the Pirates (1990–91) Jake and the Never Land Pirates (2011–present) Neverland (2011) Theatre 1950 musical 1954 musical 1976 musical Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure Peter and the Starcatcher (play) Peter Pan 360 (play) Video games Peter Pan and the Pirates Hook Starcatchers books Peter and the Starcatchers Peter and the Shadow Thieves Peter and the Secret of Rundoon Peter and the Sword of Mercy The Bridge to Neverland Never Land Books Other media Peter Pan's Flight (ride)