Caliban (Marvel)

Caliban is a male comic character that features in Marvel Comics.

Biography

Origin

He is born an albino mutant with a pale complexion and large yellow eyes. At some point in his life, he is banished from his home by his father, who called him Caliban, after a character from the play The Tempest by William Shakespeare.

Growing up, a still young Caliban, who speaks in the third person, is discovered by the mutant Callisto and taken under her wing. Learning of his mutant tracking ability, Callisto uses Caliban to locate other disenfranchised mutants and organizes them into the Morlocks, a band of homeless, rejected mutants. The founding Morlocks consist of Caliban, Callisto, Masque, Plague, and Sunder. The Morlocks live in the sewers and abandoned subway tunnels running underneath New York City, and, like Caliban, most of them had grotesque appearances.

Caliban senses the presence of nearby mutants and enters a New York City nightclub seeking their friendship. He finds Storm, Dazzler, Sprite), and the original Spider-Woman in the club, and has a misunderstood confrontation with them. Though the battle ends peacefully, Caliban returns to his home underground. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #148)

Shortly thereafter, Morlock leader Callisto desires a consort and has the Morlocks abduct Warren Worthington, the Angel and member of the X-Men, to be her husband. The X-Men arrive in the sewers to rescue their ally, and Shadowcat is infected with a virus by Plague. Caliban takes her to his quarters to care for her. Shadowcat pleads with Caliban to allow her to assist her teammates. Caliban agrees, but only if she will return after the fight and stay with him. Though Kitty promised to stay with him forever, she left and returned home.<ref>Uncanny X-Men #169-170</ref> Weeks later, Callisto, vengeful after losing a one-on-one battle with X-Men leader Storm, orders the Morlocks to kidnap Shadowcat to force her to marry Caliban, knowing Storm would return. Caliban, however, realized Shadowcat did not truly love him and released her from her promise. Kitty then became Caliban's friend. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #179)

Caliban was later temporarily magically merged with Professor X by Kulan Gath during a confrontation with the sorcerer.<ref>Uncanny X-Men #190-191</ref>

X-Factor

During the Morlock massacre, X-Factor rescued Caliban from the Marauders, and Caliban swore vengeance upon the Marauders. (X-Factor v1 #11) With nowhere else to stay, he took up residence at X-Factor headquarters with several other surviving Morlocks. (X-Factor v1 #12) Soon, he forced Masque to undo damage to the Beast's face, and then returned to the Alley. (X-Factor v1 #15) However, shortly thereafter, Rictor went missing and Caliban volunteered to help X-Factor find him, officially joining the group at that point.<ref>X-Factor #17</ref> Alongside X-Factor, he next battled the Horsemen of Apocalypse. (X-Factor v1 #19) Caliban voiced his wish for increased power, so Iceman began teaching Caliban unarmed combat. (X-Factor v1 #21) He next fought the Right's soldiers and was nearly killed by them;<ref>X-Factor #22</ref> then he aided X-Factor in rescuing the Right's mutant captives. (X-Factor v1 #23)

Not long after that, X-Factor's immortal enemy Apocalypse kidnaps the entire team after changing Angel into Death. Caliban, intrigued by Apocalypse's transformation of the fallen Angel, betrays X-Factor and asks Apocalypse to do the same to him. Agreeing, Apocalypse promises to give Caliban enough power to gain revenge against the Marauders who killed his Morlock family.<ref>X-Factor #24</ref> Caliban agrees to become Apocalypse's servant and locator of mutants. Apocalypse renames him Hellhound.<ref>X-Factor #25</ref> Caliban senses the telepathic cry of Val-Or.<ref>X-Factor Annual #3</ref> Through genetic manipulation, Caliban becomes the second Horseman of Apocalypse known as Death.<ref>X-Factor #50</ref>

When Apocalypse had re-located to the moon in a confrontation with the original X-Factor and the Inhumans, Caliban returns to the Morlock tunnels. There, he locates Sabretooth, a ferocious mutant and member of the Marauders, who is stalking the sewers to find and kill more Morlocks. In combat, Caliban breaks Sabretooth's back and leaves him for dead, not realizing that he has a healing factor. (X-Factor v1 #51) Caliban then attacks and defeats Archangel. (X-Factor v1 #53) He later finds and defeats Sabretooth again. (New Mutants v1 #90-91)

As Death, Caliban performs various tasks for his new master, serving as his warrior servant. During the X-Cutioner's Song, Caliban attacks former X-Factor members (and current X-Men) Jean Grey and Cyclops, under Apocalypse's (actually Mister Sinister posing as Apocalypse) orders.<ref>Uncanny X-Men #294</ref> Alongside War and Famine, Caliban kidnaps Cyclops and Jean Grey so Apocalypse can give the pair to the mad telepath Stryfe, who believes the couple to be his parents.<ref>X-Factor #84</ref> Famine, War, and Death then battle the X-Men and are defeated by them. (X-Force v1 #16)

Caliban eventually returns to the Morlock sewers.

X-Force

Eventually, the loner Caliban defeats Apocalypse's control at the cost of his mental faculties. At one point, when Sabretooth is a reluctant X-Men member, the mutant detector kidnaps X-Man Jubilee in exchange for the savage mutant, but he flees when Sabretooth mauls his face. (Uncanny X-Men Annual v1 #18) Though mentally unwell, he retains enormous physical power and is befriended by the mutant Cable. Oddly, Caliban's color shifts from white and monstrous to a semi-friendly Ogre-like form that is purple in coloration. Cable invites Caliban to join his team X-Force. Caliban has many adventures with the team, such as confronting Mojo and his forces, and when Apocalypse's enemy Mister Sinister infiltrates the X-Mansion, Apocalypse's mental leash causes him to savagely maul Sinister. He also has several confrontations with Sabretooth during this time. During his time with the team, it is discovered Caliban could play the piano with great skill.

After some time, Apocalypse returns and takes Caliban away from X-Force. This time, Apocalypse makes him his new Horseman Pestilence (coincidentally, the former Pestilence was Caliban's Morlock ally Plague). This time, Apocalypse augments Caliban's physical power even more and gives him the ability to spread telepathic disease as well. This time, Apocalypse's horsemen include Ahab, Deathbird, and Wolverine. After Apocalypse is merged with Cyclops, Caliban tracks down the merged being, and is freed from his service shortly before Cable destroys Apocalypse's spirit. Released from his servitude to Apocalypse, Caliban once more reverts to his childlike state although he retains the monstrous physique he attained through Apocalypse's machinations. Subsequently, Caliban is captured by an anti-mutant medical research facility called the Watchtower. The Watchtower wishes to use Caliban for their own purposes but he is freed by X-Force. Caliban has devolved into a feral mental state where he only grunts and snarls but he manages to help X-Force against a menace called the Skornn.

Notes

• Caliban was created by Chris Claremont Dave Cockrum where he made his first appearance in Uncanny X-Men v1 #148 (August, 1981).

In other media

Television

• In X-Men, Caliban made a cameo appearance as a Morlock in the episode "Slave Island" but later featured in the episode "The Fifth Horseman". By this point, Caliban had joined Fabian Cortez and became one of Apocalypse's Hounds where he was empowered with an enhanced physique and abilities. As a Hound, he was tasked with finding a vessel that was a powerful Mutant that could become the new host body of Apocalypse. The initial sacrifice managed to escape and the Hounds captured Beast and Jubilee that were exploring the area. Jubilee was selected as the sacrifice with Caliban attempting to save her life but Cortez refused. Following an insult, Caliban flew into a rage and attacked Cortez and the Hounds as he attempted to free Jubilee. This resulted in Fabian Cortez taking away his new powers turning Caliban back to his older form. He later felt regret over his actions in siding with Apocalypse for power and asked for the X-Men's forgiveness.

Films

• In X-Men: Apocalypse, Caliban made a minor appearance in the live-action movie where he was portrayed by actor Tómas Lemarquis. He was shown as being a third person speaking Mutant underground broker that traded information for a cost who enlisted the services of Psylocke to be his bodyguard. Mystique met with him to try to get the newly freed Nightcrawler to safety. En Sabah Nur later arrived in search for powerful Mutants to become his Horsemen of Apocalypse with Pyslocke chosen who abandoned Caliban.
• In Logan, Caliban appeared in the live-action film where he was portrayed by actor Stephen Merchant.

Video games

• In X-Men: Destiny, Caliban appeared in the video game where he was voiced by actor Bob Glouberman.

Appearances

• Uncanny X-Men:
• X-Factor:
• X-Force:

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry

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