Macon "Melchizedek" Ravenwood is the son of Silas Ravenwood and Arelia Valentin and the brother of Hunting and Leah. He is also Lena and Ridley's uncle. Macon was an Incubus, a creature who fed on people's dreams and memories to sustain himself and after he was released from the Arclight, he became a Light Caster.
However, being a kind hearted person with good nature, he instead chooses to feed on the dreams of mortals, which is shown to be an alternative way to survive for his kind, rather than on the blood of humans and turning to needless killing. As Lena's uncle, he was chosen to watch over her before her Sixteenth Moon, under the protection of the Ravenwood Manor. Despite his reputation to be the "Boogeyman" of Gatlin, Macon is shown to have a kind and good natured heart, always looking out for those his loved ones and those whom he cares about to whatever lengths are needed to ensure their safety.
Biography
Early life
Macon's mother fled Ravenwood with his sister Leah after Silas finally gave into his Blood Incubus urges, leaving both Macon and Hunting behind (as Silas would not let Arelia take away his sons). Both boys spent their childhood living with either their mother or their father. According to the Sisters, when Macon and Hunting lived with Silas they were beaten terribly and never let out of Silas' sight, not even to go to school.
Macon attended Duke University at some point in his life, where he met Lila Evers. The two fell in love and desperately wanted to be together, even seeking out ways to unite their species. However, since Macon was transforming into an Incubus, he knew he would eventually kill her due to his growing dark uncontrollable nature and so he ended their relationship for the sake of her safety, breaking both their hearts.
Death and resurrection
On the night of Lena Duchannes claiming,[1] Sarafine Duchannes, Larkin Kent, and Hunting Ravenwood were gathered in the graveyard. Hunting and Macon started to fight, resulting in Macon pushing him into a tree which Hunting went straight through. Using his traveling powers, he traveled onto Macon, drinking his blood. Being a Blood Incubus, Hunting was stronger than Macon, causing him to pass out (most likely from the loss of blood). Gramma then used her Empath powers to take Ryan's powers and heal Macon as well as Mrs. Lincoln, whose body was being used as a puppet for Sarafine. Macon told Ethan to find Lena, which Ethan did.
Ethan went to find Lena and using their connection of Kelting, Lena said that she was on top of a grave and that she was stuck. Ethan then went go to her and climbed up, only to see Sarafine Duchannes family instead. Sarafine then stabbed him in the stomach, killing him. Lena then sensed his death, causing her to stop time altogether in her pain and grief.
The sky went dark with no moon and no stars. Amma appears to Lena and Lena asks if The Greats "did this". She tells her that it was her who actually caused it. Lena asks for The Book of Moons in order to do the resurrection spell on Ethan. However, on the first attempt there is no success. She does it again once more, and Amma gets flown back as Lena is thrown into the mud. She goes to see Ethan lying and still seemingly dead, much to her pain. However, she then also sees Macon suddenly dead. Lena then realized the cost for Ethan's revival was Macon's life and returns to Ethan's body to see him alive and breathing.
Macon is left presumed dead.[2] However, Lila Evers had instead placed him in the Arclight, a prison for an Incubus to be stored in. Ethan, Liv and Link towards the end of the novel discover this and soon free him from it, bringing him into the Mortal world again. He becomes a Light Caster as a result of his revival and gains new powers.
Characteristics
Personality
He is known as the "boogeyman" of Gatlin known for being a shut in and always quiet and mysterious. However, he is shown to actually be kind and caring towards people, especially Lena whom he cares for on a fatherly level; nothing at all like his dark reputation in Gatlin. Macon is shown to be strong willed and protective of his family and loved ones. He is even willing to put his own life on the line for someone he cares about.[3] He often uses Boo, his caster dog, to watch over his family and friends when he cannot be with them as he did with Lena upon her arrival in Gatlin.
Physical attributes
He is described as dressing "like it was 1942," with "dark and gleaming" eyes that are almost black that look as though they are looking "right through you," that stand out from his white as snow face. His hair is described as being salt and pepper, gray near his face, and black on top.
Powers
Being an Incubus, Macon fed on people's dreams and memories to sustain himself unlike most Incubus who gorged on human blood. He was very strong and powerful, taking down enemies with complete ease. He was also able to Travel. In the film adaptation, he is an Evo, able to morph into anyone he wants and control anyone he wants.
After becoming a Light Caster, he is able to mindhunt which is roam someone's mind and to see things that "aren't supposed to be there." He can also channel his Light energy and create a green light and create a black hole in the sky as both Light and Darkness exist within him. He is shown to be able to Kelt when he Kelted with Lena. He is also shown to control sunlight during the fight with Abraham Ravenwood.[4]
Relationships
Lena Duchannes
Lena is Macon's niece, whom takes in order to watch her as her Sixteenth Moon, during Beautiful Creatures, is about to arrive and protects her, making sure she is taken care of. During their relationship, he is shown too deeply for her and see her as his own daughter, being very fond of her as she is shown to be towards him, seeing him as her father. Macon has shown on many occasions to go out of his way to protect Lena; even going to her school when she is about to be wrongly expelled, making his first public appearance in years being the town's shut in, shocking all the townsfolk speechless. He is shown to even be willing to die for her if it meant her being alright as seen in Beautiful Creatures, when he is willing to die (due to being an Incubus, a Dark creature, at the time) in order for Lena to turn Light.
Ethan Wate
He and Ethan first meet in Beautiful Creatures, when he wanted to ask Macon questions about the locket he and Lena found in the novel. He warmly greets Ethan and reveals how he knew of his mother, surprising him, though not revealing the true nature of his relationship with her. He actually soon grows to be fond of Ethan.
An example of this being seen when he scanned Ethan's thoughts in Beautiful Chaos during a meeting with everyone and detected "wrong" in his mind (though this is presumed to be Ethan's severed soul). But mistaking it and initially thinking that he brought an "uninvited guest" to the group's private meeting inside his home. Macon abruptly stands up and says while staring at Ethan, "You of all people..." showing he has come to care for him like that of a close friend/relative.
When Ethan gets ready to commit his sacrifice in the novel, Macon arrives as both moral and needed support for Ethan. He then promises him that he will look after Amma, knowing how much Ethan cares for her, "whether she likes it or not". As Ethan climbed up the ladder of the water tower to throw himself over it, Macon then bids his goodbye to him solemnly telling him, "So long, Mr. Wate." (A reference to Macon's nickname for Ethan, often referring to him by his last name.)
Amarie "Amma" Treadeau
He and Amma are shown to have to have a somewhat strict business-like relationship only speaking or associating when they absolutely have to; such as in the first novel of the series when discussing Ethan and Lena's growing intimate relationship and saying how they have to stop them from seeing each other (though knowing there was nothing to do). Amma is shown to greatly dislike Macon and begrudgingly shows respect for her. This is presumed to be because of his family line and heritage often referring to Macon as "[your] kind" when making references to his family.
In Beautiful Chaos, when Ethan must be sacrificed, Amma blames Macon for the outcome of things that resulted in Ethan's must-needed death and vows never to forgive him for it. Macon, while holding Amma back as she tries to leap for Ethan, however promises Ethan that he will look after her after his (Ethan's) sacrifice and death.
Olivia Durand "Liv"
Olivia can be seen with Macon in Beautiful Chaos studying the effects of Lena's Claiming as both Dark and Light. It is shown that he helps her with her studies like a teacher does with a student. He is shown to be close to her like a father to a daughter; resulting in jealousy from Lena especially when Macon begins to spend a large amount of time with her in their studies of the after effects of her Claiming on both the Caster and Mortal worlds. Olivia even says how she has grown to care for Macon, refering to him as a father figure for her since she reveals her biological father wasn't present in her life growing up as a child.
Lila Evers
Lila had formerly been Macon's lover before and during the time he was becoming an Incubus. They were shown to be passionately in love, like Ethan and Lena, and desperately sought out ways to be together after Macon found out he was turning into an Incubus. However, due to Macon's growing dark nature as he turned into an Incubus, he soon began to fear for her safety fearing, and knowing, he will eventually hurt or kill her. Just as Ethan and Lena have done, the two tried to find ways to be together since Mortals and Incubus's could not be together, but soon realized there was no hope for them.
Despite Lila's insistence that she did not care about the risks of being with him as she loved him too much to be without him, he forced himself to sever ties with her for the sake of her safety; breaking both of their hearts. It is revealed by Macon that as he died in Beautiful Creatures, he had seen and met Lila just as he was prepared to cross over and described her as "beautiful as the day she left." Lila was the one who locked him within the Arclight, therefore giving him the chance to be released and return to the Mortal world again, therefore indirectly saving his life.
Quotes
- "Ravenwood. Macon Ravenwood."
- "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Wate."
- "I suppose I am a snob. I loathe towns. I loathe townspeople. They have small minds and giant backsides. Which is to say, what they lack in interiors they make up in posteriors. They're junk food. Fatty, but ultimately, terribly unsatisfying."
- "Nonsense. This is a celebration. You've made a friend. Kitchen would be offended."
- "You should have told me you went to Greenbrier. That's not part of Ravenwood. I can't keep you safe there."
- "Five months. Do you know what lengths I will go to, to keep her safe for five months? What it will cost me? How it will drain me, perhaps, destroy me?
- "I've had quite an eventful evening myself, Amarie, but this matter requires our immediate attention."
- "Good to see you again, Mr. Wate."
- "I warned you that this friendship would be dangerous, that it could develop into something more. A future between the two of them in an impossibility."
- "A Dark Caster entered my house tonight; that in itself is impossible. She arrived with your boy, Ethan, which can only mean one thing. He has power, and you have been hiding it from me."
- "Mr. Wate, it seems you are not yourself. Something quite significant is missing. Which explains why I sensed a stranger in my house, even if the stranger is you."
- "It's Boo. He is, for lack of a better word, my eyes."
- "Ladies and gentlemen. How nice to finally meet you all."
- "Mortals. Everything is so black and white to you."
- "You, of all people."
- "You never had a boyfriend before, let alone a Mortal one. None of us ever dreamed it would be an issue. We didn't realize how strong your connection with Ethan was until it was too late."
- "It seems you have brought something - no, someone - here with you this evening. And uninvited guest."
- "I'll take care of Amarie, Ethan. Whether she wants me to or not."
- "So long, Mr. Wate."
- "As my mathematically gifted brother clarified, I've already died once."
Film portrayal
Macon talking to Lena and Ethan
Melchizedek Ravenwood was portrayed by Jeremy Irons, as announced on March 13, 2012, for the film.
Behind the scenes
- In a quote from Beautiful Creatures, Melchizedek Ravenwood describes Mortals as 'beautiful creatures'. Surprisingly, this denomination, which is as well the title of the first book, was originally a reference to the Casters.
- In the film adaptation, he has Evo abilities, like shape shifting and mind control.
- He used mind control to make Ethan Wate seem like an undesirable friend to Lena in the beginning.
- Then he used shape shifting to look like Ethan to become the needed sacrifice to break the Duchannes family curse.
- To make sure nobody knows he's gone, he asked Larkin Kent to pretend to be him, as he is an Illusionist.
- He is most likely an Evo as he was Dark rather than Light like in the novel, where he is an Telepath.
- Both times Macon used his powers in the movie has to do with Ethan.
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