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Magnus Crome was a male human who was introduced in Mortal Engines as the Lord Mayor of London and the Head of the Guild of Engineers.
He was killed when MEDUSA imploded on London.[1]
In the the 2018 film, he was portrayed by Patrick Gerald Duggan, known professionally as "Patrick Malahide".
Description[]
Crome was described as being as "thin as an old crow, and twice as gloomy", with a shiny bald head and the common Engineer guildmark of a red wheel on his brow. Crome elected not to wear the typical scarlet Lord Mayor robes, still wearing his white Engineer rubber coat.[3] He has thin,[4] bony hands[5] and wears a wristwatch.[6] He had a cold, thin voice.[3] On special occasions, he wore the Lord Mayor's ancient seal around his thin neck.[4]
Crome was old, with pale skin and no hair. He wears red robes.[2]
Personality[]
Crome was an exceptionally intelligent Engineer and Lord Mayor, managing to keep London moving as it was isolated from the Great Hunting Ground. Despite this, he was exceptionally proud and ambitious, wanting to "make London strong", showing that he was fanatically patriotic to his home city.
Typical of an Engineer, he valued his guild above all others and strove to strengthen its hold over the city. Crome was quite a workaholic, ensuring meetings took place at the exact time specified and making sure that nobody knew of his secret plans.
Despite this, during his final moments in St. Paul's Cathedral before MEDUSA backfired, he broke down and sobbed, likely due to his plans failing - suggesting that he believed his intentions were good and honorable for the traction city.[5]
Valentine mentions that his daughter was right about Crome being mad.[6]
Crome was similar to Adlai Browne, being a staunch Municipal Darwinist.[2]
History[]
Pre-Series[]
Magnus Crome was born on London in 936 TE. He was raised by the Guild of Engineers in the Deep Gut nurseries, during which he read about the dwindling amount of prey and that traction cities were doomed. Deciding to make it his life's work to keep tractionism alive, Crome acquired his guildmark and climbed the ranks of the Guild until becoming the Chief Engineer. During his time as Chief Engineer he strengthened the Engineer's power through increasing the number of seats it held in the city council. Crome was also a firm believer in Municipal Darwinism - once claiming to be descended from Dr. Gideon Crumb.
In the aftermath of the Big Tilt of London of 997 TE, Lord Mayor Waverly Egg was ousted from his position due to the ensuing scandal and gave rise to Crome's election - though some believed that Crome had caused the Big Tilt himself to attain more power. Crome enforced fierce anti-waste and recycling laws to help keep London moving.
Differently from past Lord Mayors, Crome did not have his guildmark removed, not even wearing the typical red robes required of a Lord Mayor - preferring to wear the Engineer's white rubber coat. Many objected to Crome still being the Chief Engineer whilst acting as Lord Mayor, though they themselves admitted Crome was an exceptional leader.
Crome was a firm supporter of Thaddeus Valentine, whom he made into the Head Historian after the archaeologist discovered the super-weapon MEDUSA; the Engineers began work implementing the weapon into St. Paul's Cathedral. Realising that this weapon would give London an advantage in the waning years of tractionism, Crome, under the guise of looking for more prey east, ordered his city to move over the Land Bridge and into the Great Hunting Ground. The Lord Mayor intended to use MEDUSA to destroy the Shield Wall of Batmunkh Gompa, allowing passage into Shan Guo and the innumerable resources there. From then on, he believed in extending Tractionism to the whole Earth, making it consume other planets for resources.
A year-and-a-half before the events of Mortal Engines, the Stalker Shrike boarded London and was captured by the Guild of Engineers. Crome had Dr. Evadne Twix, the head of K Division, study Shrike in order to make Stalkers as foot-soldiers for London. Shrike warned Crome that Hester Shaw, the daughter of archaeologist Pandora Shaw (and Valentine's former lover who originally discovered MEDUSA), would be coming to London to assassinate Valentine in revenge for her parents' murder. In return for studying Shrike's components, Crome would allow Shrike to bring Hester's body to the Engineers and turn her into a Stalker companion for him.
Mortal Engines quartet[]
Mortal Engines[]
Giving the order to chase a small mining town called Salthook after crossing the Land Bridge, Crome presumably witnessed the town being eaten. He later visited Valentine after an incident with Hester. Crome sends Valentine to scout ahead in his airship the 13th Floor Elevator, to see what lies between London and the Shield Wall. Valentine wants to try and find Hester, but Crome tells him that he is sending an "agent" to track her down.
Crome then returns to the Engineerium, the Guild of Engineers' headquarters, and meets with Twix. The pair then visit the imprisoned Shrike, and Crome informs him of Hester's boarding of London. Shrike demands to go after her, and Crome agrees, supplying him with a Godshawk 90 airship.
He was later present when London encroached on the Shield Wall. He spotted the Jenny Haniver flying and dispatched the Elevator to destroy it. Crome was in St Paul's Cathedral when Tom Natsworthy destroyed the Elevator.
In the cathedral, Crome and the other engineers prepared to fire MEDUSA when Twix's Stalkers brought in an arrested Hester. Crome orders Valentine to kill Hester, but Katherine Valentine (who had been planning to bomb MEDUSA) stood in front of the blade. Crome hisses at Valentine to clean up MEDUSA, and wails about making London strong again as Hester leads Valentine up St. Paul's to find help for Kate.
As Tom and Hester fled a dying London in the Jenny (at the urging of Valentine), Crome was killed by MEDUSA imploding on London.
Predator's Gold[]
Crome was mentioned when Freya asked Hester to stay in Anchorage to protect its people.
A Darkling Plain[]
Magnus was mentioned when Tom initially saw Chudleigh Pomeroy wearing the scarlet robes of London's Lord Mayor.
Field Guides[]
The Illustrated World of Mortal Engines[]
Crome was mentioned in the book.
Film[]
Crome's role in the film differs in many ways from his portrayal in the novels. The film version chooses to wear the red robes displayed with the position of Lord Mayor, and no indication of any past history with the Engineer's guild is made. Although he is still a staunch supporter of Municipal Darwinism and firmly dedicated to the city in which he rules, Crome is a fierce believer of what has at that point become tradition with the ongoing hunting of cities to feed London's populace, rather than investing time in "fruitless" projects such as Valentine's Energy Project (which is significantly different to how he supported MEDUSA in the books).
Upon discovering Valentine's efforts to construct MEDUSA within St. Paul's Cathedral, an outraged Crome orders the weapon dismantled and Valentine stripped of his power, only to discover the Guild of Engineers and London's Security have chosen to side with Valentine. A defiant Chrome continues to belittle Valentine's ambitions, until Valentine, who declares Crome "a dinosaur", shoots him dead in front of everybody, him being "the meteor".
Trivia[]
- "Magnus" is a late Latin name meaning "great".[7]
References[]
- ↑ Mortal Engines, Chapter 36: "The Shadow of Bones"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Mortal Engines (2018)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Mortal Engines, Chapter 5: "The Lord Mayor"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mortal Engines, Chapter 14: "The Guildhall"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Mortal Engines, Chapter 35: "The Cathedral"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Mortal Engines, Chapter 34: "Idea for a Fireworks Display"
- ↑ Magnus - Behind the Name