History
Caliban was an albino mutant who was born with a freakish appearance which caused his father to name him (or possibly only nickname him) after the grotesque being in William Shakespeare's The Tempest. At some point, Caliban was recruited by Callisto, to use his superhuman ability to locate other mutants for her, whom she organized into the underground community known as the Morlocks. Caliban lived beneath the Manhattan streets with them, in The Alley, but felt lonely, even among his fellow mutant outcasts.
Mutant Massacre
The Morlocks were being massacred by the Marauders. Caliban escaped and contacted the X-Men Nightcrawler and Colossus, who attempted to get the Marauders out of the Alley. However, they were captured by Mr. Sinister and Caliban was aided by Iceman, who rescued his friends and the former Morlock.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- X-Factor Detection: Caliban is able to psionically sense the presence of other mutants within a 25 mile radius of himself. He once proved to be able to catch mutants presence far more away that those 25 miles.
- Fight or Flight Response: When stressed, Caliban's adrenaline kicked in, causing him to temporarily manifest two additional powers. These powers subsided when his stress level returned to normal.
- Superhuman Strength: Caliban's panic response increased his physical strength.
- Fear Absorption: Caliban was able to absorb the psionic energy in the fear from others and amplify it back into his environment. This effect could quickly turn nearby people into a panicking mob. Caliban occasionally manifested an enlarged, menacing shadow when his fear power was in effect.
As Pestilence:
- Psychoactive Virus: After becoming Pestilence, Caliban's fear-inducing ability changed again to become a mental plague. Caliban soaked up negative emotion from his environment and convert it into a psychic attack that struck from within on the highest planes of the mindscape and broke down the physical/mental functions of the target. Victims would experienced bodily symptoms such as fever, delirium and weakness while being psychically subjected to their personal fears or worst memories.
Abilities
None known.
Strength level
Caliban originally possessed the normal human strength of a man of his age, height, and build who engaged in minimal regular exercise. However, he can draw from the fear of nearby people and use it to enhance his strength. The limits of that superhuman strength are unknown, but he proved he could easily outmatch the original Spider-Woman, who could lift (press) about 7 tons.
Weaknesses
- Albinism Related Limitations: Caliban has to protect his eyes and skin from UV sun exposure.
Paraphernalia
Equipment: None known.
Transportation: None known.
Weapons: None known.
Notes
- No special notes.
Trivia
- No trivia.
See Also
- Appearances of Caliban (Earth-1010)
- Character Gallery: Caliban (Earth-1010)
- Quotations by Caliban (Earth-1010)
Discover and Discuss
- Search News for: Caliban · Caliban (Earth-1010)
Links and References
- None.