Calypso (Character)

Created by: Dennis O’Neil and Alan Weiss

1st appearance: Amazing Spider-man #209, 1980

Real Name: Calypso Ezili

Nationality: Haitian

Team Affiliations: None

Legal Status: Haitian Citizen with a criminal record in the U.S.A

Weight: 120 lbs    Height: 5’8

Eyes: Brown            Hair: Black

Relatives: Mambo Ezili (Sister, Deceased), Parents (unknown)

Skills and abilities: Skilled in the use of spears, blowguns, the kwele crossbow, and hallucinogenic drugs.

Powers: Skilled voodoo magic wielder including potions, powders, and arcane rituals. Using her mythical Bira Bells and Yoruba spirit drum, she could dull spider-man’s spider-sense and control animals.  She has used her powers to cloud the minds of others, create zombies, and possess others. By sacrificing her sister she gained even greater magical abilities and can even resurrect herself from the dead. She is one of the most powerful Voodoo practitioners on earth.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X92MalkVjEY&feature=related]

Biography

Born and raised on the Caribbean island of Haiti, she showed an affinity for magic from an early stage. Her family itself had a strong magical lineage, her sister also wielded magic. She was a natural with Voodoo and reveled in the dark arts. When Kraven the hunter came to her land after he had given up the hunt, it was she who’s lust and thrill of the hunt reignited his fire. As his lover, she tried to get him to resume his hunt of Spider-man though he had come to realize his obsessive behavior and tried not to. When Kraven transported wild animals to New York she freed them and framed Spider-man. Kraven and Spidey clashed and she found herself behind bars though they escaped. Thinking he must humble Spider-man to be worthy of Calypso’s love he hunted his foe again. On the cusp of victory, however, he realized she had drugged his foe and let him live since there was no honor in his defeat. They were again arrested by the authorities.

After Kraven’s suicide, she fell deeper into the dark magics and truly became evil. Returning to Haiti she increased her powers by sacrificing her sister, the sorceress Mambo, and added her considerable powers to her own [Peter Parker Spider-Man v1. #4]. To avenge her fallen love she used her powers to enthrall the Lizard and had him attack Spider-man. The trio barely escaped when Kraven’s mansion blew up [Peter Parker Spider-Man v1. #1-4]. Next, she turned her sights to Daredevil in hell’s Kitchen as she tried to resurrect her lover. She poisoned Daredevil and made him a “nameless one” and bound his will to her own. With an army of undead, she tried to gather enough people from her own land to sacrifice in exchange for Kraven’s soul. When Daredevil regained control however and freed all the zombies from her control and set them against her she managed to escape in a coffin as the building collapsed around her. Next, she killed another voodoo practitioner and resurrected Simon Garth as her slave in a test for resurrecting Kraven. When this was complete she broke into the Vault to free the Lizard. He was now resistant to her mind control and killed her. She resurrected herself by placing her soul inside a talisman which the Zombie Garth carried with him. She schemed with Kraven’s son Alyosha Kravinoff to kill spider-man but when the combatants called a truce Kravinoff fled with her and killed her once they arrived at his mansion. Yet again she resurrected herself and clashed with Daredevil and Spider-man aided by Garth. How Kraven’s return has affected her is unknown.