Feral (Maria Callasantos) is a fictional character that appears in the Marvel Universe. She has been both a superhero and a supervillain and most recognizably associated as a member of X-Force.
Fictional character biography
The cat-like mutant Feral attempted to escape from the tyrannical rule of the Morlock, Masque. She was saved from Masque by Cable, and agreed to join Cable's paramilitary group X-Force in return for protection.[1]
Alongside X-Force, she first battled the Mutant Liberation Front, and she broke Wildside's jaw.[2] She then severely injured Cannonball during combat training.[3] She fought her sister Thornn, when Thornn and Masque invaded X-Force Base.[4] She next battled Sauron.[5] Alongside X-Force, she battled Weapon P.R.I.M.E.[6] She was later compelled by the Druid to go to Starkesboro, Massachusetts.[7]
During the X-Cutioner's Song saga, she was attacked by the X-Men and X-Factor alongside X-Force. She was captured by Wolverine, and was taken prisoner with X-Force by the X-Men and X-Factor.[8] Feral later received a new costume, and left Xavier's mansion with the rest of X-Force.[9] With X-Force, she then fought Nick Fury and War Machine.[10]
Feral was always the ticking time bomb of X-Force especially when it came to fellow teammate Siryn, barely capable of controlling her deadly temper. Prior to joining the group, it was later revealed that Maria and her sister Lucia (who later became known as Thornn) had to leave home and lived with the Morlocks. It was later discovered that both girls had been molested by their cocaine addict stepfather; in retaliation, Feral killed the man and shoved his body into the wall. Her mother, who was also addicted to cocaine, found out and sought vengeance on the girl by killing all of her pet pigeons. This infuriated Feral to the point where she also killed her mother in a fit of rage. It was also hinted at that she had purposely pushed their younger sister down the stairs, leading to her death, as well as allowed their younger brother to fall to his death from their roof. Ultimately, Feral betrayed X-Force and became the enemy of her former teammates when she was convinced to join the terrorist group known as the Mutant Liberation Front,[11] although her alliances would continue to shift.
After a brief stint with the MLF, Feral emerged from hiding when the New York City police captured Thornn. Thornn revealed that she had seen Feral kill Harry Bellinger, their mother's boyfriend. Cannonball provoked Feral into admitting that she had murdered her mother. Cannonball overpowered Feral, and an old friend of Lucia's, police detective Jose Hidalgo, arrested her for killing three members of her family and Bellinger. During her jail time, Feral discovered she was infected with the Legacy Virus. She was either unable to be convicted or escaped, as she was next seen trying to obtain Isotope E (along with other virus sufferers) as a possible cure from the High Evolutionary.[volume & issue needed]
X-Force #90 where Feral injures Siryn
Feral, now mentally distraught from her illness later resurfaced with a new incarnation of the Hellions led by King Bedlam. Although the team's criminal activities were limited to stealing the Armaggedon Man to use him as a weapon, Feral left her mark. All of the rage that she had felt for Siryn in the past boiled over in an argument where Feral sliced through Siryn's vocal cords, incapacitating her powers.[volume & issue needed]
After being cured from the virus, Feral apparently had a change of heart. She, as well as her sister Thornn, were recruited to be members of Mumbai branch of the X-Corporation along with her former teammate Warpath and Sunfire. The team helped save Professor X from an assassination attempt by a crazed Lilandra Neramani, who still believed that Charles Xavier was Cassandra Nova.[volume & issue needed]
She stayed with X-Corps for quite some time, but she returned to New York after the M-Day, where the Scarlet Witch caused the mutant gene to disappear from 90-95% of the mutant population worldwide, making them "baseline humans". Both Feral and her sister were shown to be depowered and in Mutant Town, looking for answers.[volume & issue needed]
Next time we see Feral, she is alongside her sister, Sasquatch and Wolfsbane in Wakanda, offering their assistance to Wolverine against Sabretooth. Both Feral and Thornn had been kidnapped by a mysterious man named Romulus. Romulus concerns himself with wolf-based entities, despite Feral and Thornn's cat-like exteriors.[volume & issue needed]
They both suffered from amnesia. Their feline looks were restored, but not their powers. Feral helps Wolverine search for answers in a Weapon X facility while effectively still powerless.[volume & issue needed] During a fight with Sabretooth (who is in a mindless beast-like state) Wolverine is separated from Feral.[volume & issue needed] He later finds Sabretooth, after he had just killed her.[volume & issue needed]
With Feral dead, Wolfsbane speculates that the sisters had never regained their powers, rather, they had simply been returned to their animalistic forms. Wolverine took this as fact, as it explained how Feral was defeated by Sabretooth so easily. The enigmatic Romulus had the genetic skills to revert the sisters to their mutant forms.[volume & issue needed]
Despite the fact that she had lost her powers prior to her death, Feral is resurrected by means of the Transmode Virus to serve as part of Selene's army of deceased mutants. Under the control of Selene and Eli Bard, she takes part in the assault on the mutant nation of Utopia.[12] The story is ongoing.
Powers and abilities
Formerly had a feline mutation that endowed her with a thin layer of light orange fur covering her body, sharp claws and fangs, pointed ears, superhumanly acute senses including night vision and sense of smell, enhanced strength, speed, agility, reflexes, coordination, balance, and endurance paired with enhanced healing capabilities as well as a prehensile tail. In appearance Feral resembles a werewolf, but with feline rather than lupine features.
Feral is a fierce hand-to-hand combatant, trained in unarmed combat by Cable. She is also an excellent hunter and tracker.
Feral was depowered during M-Day.
Other versions
Age of Apocalypse
In the follow-up limited series to the Age of Apocalypse, Feral was seen as a member of the Morlocks.[volume & issue needed]
House of M
Feral appears in the House of M as a member of the strike-force known as the Brotherhood.[13]
Ultimate Marvel
Feral appears as a member of the Mutant Liberation Front.[volume & issue needed]
In other media
Television
- Feral made cameos in the X-Men episodes "Slave Island" and "Graduation."
- Feral appeared in the Wolverine and the X-Men episode "X-Calibre". She is seen amongst the mutants on a ship bound for Genosha.[citation needed]
Films
- In the film X2, her name appears on a list of names Mystique scrolls through on Stryker's computer while looking for Magneto's file.[citation needed]
Bibliography
- Captain America (vol. 1) #406-407
- New Mutants (vol. 1) #99; 100; Annual #7
- New Warriors (vol.1 ) Annual #1
- Quicksilver #6; 8-9
- Spider-Man #16
- Uncanny X-Men #295; Annual #15
- Wolverine (vol. 3) #53-54
- X-Factor (vol. 1) #84; Annual #6
- X-Force (vol. 1) #1-17; 19-28; 40-41; 87-90; Annuals #1; 2; 4
- X-Men (vol. 2) #133
- Wolverine (vol. 3) #53-54
References
- ^ New Mutants #100 (the final issue of the comic book series)
- ^ X-Force #1
- ^ X-Force #2
- ^ X-Force #7
- ^ X-Force #9
- ^ X-Force #7, 9
- ^ Captain America #407
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #295; X-Factor #84; X-Force #16-17
- ^ X-Force #19
- ^ X-Force #21
- ^ X-Force #28
- ^ X-Force (3rd Series) #21, January 2010
- ^ House of M: Avengers #2
External links
