Caliban (Marvel Comics)
Caliban is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #148 (Aug. 1981), by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum. A mutant with the ability to sense other mutants, he was originally a member of the Morlocks. He was also a member of the X-Factor, X-Men, X-Force and The 198. He was chosen twice by Apocalypse as one of the Horsemen of Apocalypse, first as Death and the second time as Pestilence, and Apocalypse also enhanced his superpowers through genetic manipulation.
Caliban
The Uncanny X-Men #148 (Aug. 1981)
Pestilence; Hellhound; Hound; Death
Pre-alteration:
- Sensing and tracking other mutants
- Terror empowerment
- Sensing and manipulating fears
Apocalypse enhancements:
- Body augmentation
Formerly:
- Shadow power
- Claws and fangs
- Invulnerability
- Psychoactive virus generation
The character was portrayed in film by Tómas Lemarquis in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) and his alternate older version by Stephen Merchant in Logan (2017).
Powers and abilities[edit]
Caliban is a mutant with the ability to psionically sense other mutants out to several miles away and track their movements. He also has the uncontrolled ability to psionically sense, absorb, and turn the psionic energy of fear radiated by humans against them, inducing more intense fear within their minds. He could also utilize fear from others to boost his strength to a level sufficient to easily overpower the original Spider Woman (Jessica Drew).[1]
He is a formidable hand-to-hand combatant, having been trained by Iceman and later Apocalypse.
As Death, he attained superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, coordination, balance, endurance, claws and fangs as well as imperviousness to physical injury through Apocalypse's genetic manipulation.[30] He also has great skill at climbing and possesses superhuman leaping ability. He was also mentally conditioned to attack Apocalypse's former ally Mister Sinister on sight.[31] His fear siphoning abilities had also been augmented and he can now control them as well as cast his power over a much wider net; not only gaining in strength from siphoning the anxiety of others but could harness strengthen and redistribute it in much stronger quantities by force of will.[32] This facet of his bolstered power was dubbed the Shadow of Fear by Caliban himself.[33]
As Pestilence, Apocalypse gave him the ability to generate a mental plague, a virus that attacks from within on the highest planes of the psyche and breaks down the mental functions of the target.
Being reverted to his original form by Masque, Caliban still appears to retain some superhuman strength affected by his adrenaline, as he was shown lifting rubble off of Skids that proved difficult for even Warpath to hoist.
After being reanimated through the Technarch transmode virus, his ability changed to psionically sense not living mutants but dead mutants.
Once resurrected after the rise of the new mutant homeland, he resumed his muscular physical appearance he had when he was a Horseman of Apocalypse and before Masque warped his excess flesh away.[29]
Other versions[edit]
Age of Apocalypse[edit]
In the Age of Apocalypse reality, Caliban was a henchman of the bounty hunter Domino, using his powers to track down Nate Grey. In this incarnation he is an egotistical coward who is nonetheless well-learned in literature and a skilled swordsman. He is killed by Toad, a member of the Outcasts.[35]
House of M[edit]
In the House of M reality, Caliban is seen as a member of the Genoshan Black Ops version of the Marauders.
Ultimate Marvel[edit]
In the Ultimate Marvel reality, Caliban appears in the pages of Ultimate X-Men #82 as a member of the Ultimate Morlocks. His look is somewhat different, as he is now portrayed with a darker grey color instead of chalk white. He is also a stronger physical combatant and has the ability to change into a hulking monster.[36]