Cerebra's Files
Caliban
Real Name: Unknown
Affiliation: The 198
Previous Affiliations: The Four Horsemen, X-Force, Morlocks
Aliases: Pestilence II, Death II, Hell Hound
Status: Deceased
Alternate-X Versions: (AOA), (Evolution)
Codename Etymology: Pronounced kălĭ-'băn [Variant of cannibal, from Spanish canibal, from Caniba, Christopher Columbus's rendition of the Caribs' name for themselves, Galibi "brave men." Caliban from Shakespeare's The Tempest is a variation, found in Hakluyt's 1599 "Voyages"]; Savage, anthropophagite.
Powers & History: Caliban is the best living hound, i.e., a mutant whose power it
is to sense and locate other mutants. He also at one point had a fear-projecting
power, but that hasn't been seen in a long time. A slight and non-physical mutant,
Caliban first encountered some X-Men (plus Spider-Woman
I) at a Dazzler concert. He caused quite a commotion
before vanishing into the sewers. Later it was revealed that he was part of the
Morlock community, and he actually fell in love with Kitty
Pryde. He even saved her and cared for her when she was infected by Plague.
In gratitude, Kitty promised to stay with Caliban, but she forgot about that (half-delirious
as she was) when Storm took control of the Morlocks.
Soon after, the Morlocks captured Kitty and were going to force her to marry Caliban.
Even though Kitty accepted her fate, Caliban freed her from her promise when he
saw how unhappy she would have been living in the Alley.
Caliban survived the Mutant Massacre and was
taken in by X-Factor. However, he was never happy there
and longed for revenge against the Marauders.
Apocalypse offered Caliban that chance, and he
was augmented and given super-strength, -speed, and -stamina. Still, his mind
remains similar to that of a child, probably due to all the physical and emotional
trauma he's been through. After assisting Cable on a
mission, Caliban joined X-Force, but some time afterwards he began having seizures,
and was taken back to Apocalypse by Ozymandias during
Operation: Zero Tolerance. Caliban returned to the
U.S. in a boat's hold, mutated even further and much more aggressive. He debarked
in San Francisco and tracked down Cable, who was visiting with X-Force. Upon arriving,
he threatened to kill them all as his first act as Pestilence, First Horseman
of the Apocalypse! Caliban then revealed his new power of a mental virus (probably
based on his original fear power) which nearly drove X-Force insane, and subdued
them long enough for him to capture Cable. He also captured X-Man
for his master, but then disappeared in one of Mikhail's
dimensional rifts.
Somehow, Caliban returned to Earth, and encountered Apocalypse in the body of Cyclops and pledged loyalty to him. However, Anais attacked him and he was forced to abandon Cyclops to save Cable, proving that some of his memories remained. Pestilence was then captured by the Watchtower and was experimented on by the Administrator. He was rescued by Cable and the members of X-Force, bigger and stronger than ever, but seemingly without intelligence. However, he seems to be amenable to being called "Caliban" again.
Following M-Day, Caliban came to the Xavier Institute for sanctuary, and found himself effectively a prisoner with the other "198." He has yet to take a serious stand against the Sentinels, but it's clear he doesn't like being caged up. He also seemed to have regained some of his intelligence. Then, after the passing of the shra">Superhuman Registration Act, Caliban was contacted by former teammates Domino and Shatterstar, who broke into the 198 compound and liberated many of the mutants there. Caliban used his fear-virus powers again, this time on Bishop, and then they ran to one of Nick Fury's hideouts in the Southwestern desert. The bunker was a trap, but the combined forces of the X-Men and the O.N.E. saved the 198 after Val Cooper took control of the O.N.E. from the mad General Lazer. The 198 were all granted amnesty and their freedom from the prior restrictions, and Caliban disappeared.
He eventually returned to New York, where he and Leech sought out the remaining Morlocks. Unfortunately, they were ambushed by Masque's followers and Caliban was knocked out by and explosion. When he was brought to Masque, the face-changing Morlock used his powers in an advanced way to change Caliban's whole body back to his old scrawny self (though with the facial protrusions intact). Caliban then raced to the Xavier Institute, where he was found by Warpath just before collapsing.
Caliban helped the X-Men find and defeat Masque's band, then was recruited into Wolverine's "X-Force" to track Cable when the time-traveling mutant kidnaped the first mutant child born since M-Day. After failing to capture Cable, Cyclops sent X-Force after the Purifiers, who along with the Reavers had tracked down Cable. During the fight, Caliban jumped in front of a shot aimed at Warpath's back and it killed him.
199