Feral debuted in The New Mutants #99 (March 1991), created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza.[3] She appeared in the 2021 Women of Marvel series.[4][5]
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.[6]
Alongside X-Force, she first battled the Mutant Liberation Front, during which she broke Wildside's jaw.[7] She then severely injured Cannonball during combat training.[8] She fought her sister Thornn, when Thornn and Masque invaded X-Force Base.[9] She next battled Sauron.[10] Alongside X-Force, she battled Weapon P.R.I.M.E.[11] She was later compelled by the Druid to go to Starkesboro, Massachusetts.[12]
Feral was always the ticking time bomb of X-Force especially when it came to 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 abused 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 that she 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,[16] 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&issueneeded]
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 Armageddon 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&issueneeded]
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 the 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.[17]
She stayed with X-Corp for quite some time, but she returned to New York after 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 depowered and in Mutant Town, looking for answers.[volume&issueneeded]
They both traveled to Wakanda where both sisters met up with other feral heroes such as Sasquatch and Wolfsbane. As a group, the four of them were to aid Wolverine in his search for his longtime foe Sabretooth. During the group's investigation to find Sabretooth, both Feral and Thornn are kidnapped by the enigmatic geneticist Romulus, a 2,000 year old mutant. Romulus specializes in feral mutations preferring wolf-based entities such as individuals like Wolfsbane. Despite Feral and Thornn's cat-like exteriors, the girls are put under extreme experiments that changed them on the genetic level.[volume&issueneeded]
The sisters woke up and found that they were in a Weapon X experiment facility, and remembered nothing of the events that brought them there. Though not feeling any different except for their slight amnesia, they were more than surprised when they got up and looked at each other, the sisters realize that their bodies had been tampered with as they only saw their once mutant forms; cat-like in appearance. Whatever had been done to them had, in their beliefs, reversed their depowering and they were both mutants again.[volume&issueneeded]
Fighting Sabretooth
Their memories however, began to slowly come back when Wolverine appeared. He was surprised to see their visages but gladly accepted the additional power that their mutant forms carried, should they wish to continue. Feral chose to proceed, ecstatic in the chance to use her powers again. Now that Wolverine had finally found and secured the sisters he could continue his search for Sabretooth. The two continued to search the facility they were in. With so many hallways and doors they inadvertently got separated. While alone, Feral stumbled upon Sabretooth. He was very different, more animalistic, even more so than normal. Confident in her skills, she willingly confronted him. In such close quarters and Sabretooth in his apparently mindless state, she found the truth about her powers far too late. Sabretooth killed her. Wolverine arrived right after Sabretooth killed her,[18] and later killed Sabretooth by beheading him.[19]
In the end, the team regrouped. With Feral dead, it was then speculated by Wolfsbane that the sisters were still baseline humans. Only their outward appearances had been changed back to their once feline forms. Wolverine agreed, as it explained why she lost so easily. It appeared that Romulus only reverted their physical forms back to their previous mutant forms without actually granting them their mutant powers. Feral's life came full circle; she was murdered in cold blood by a feral mutant in a berserker state as she in a similar state did to much of her family in her youth.[volume&issueneeded]
Despite the fact that she had lost her powers prior to her death, Feral was resurrected and repowered 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 took part in the assault on the mutant nation of Utopia and was seen attacking X-23 and Dr. James Bradley.[20]
Hassling Wolfsbane
Later as Shatterstar and Wolfsbane defeated a demon calling itself a Sin-Eater at a local church, the two are about to leave when they encounter Feral waiting outside the church.[21] Feral wants to get Wolfsbane's unborn baby for herself, even if she has to kill Rahne Sinclair to get it. Feral's attack fails as she passes through Wolfsbane's body, and Rahne reminds her that Feral is dead. Feral does not believe it but feels something is wrong about herself, and vanishes when she realizes that she is dead. She later materializes, with her memories intact in the taxi Rahne and Shatterstar are riding, as they are being chased by their enemies. She reveals that there are many supernatural entities, specifically animal-type gods with dog and cat forms, now after Rahne's hybrid unborn baby. They are using Maria's spirit as a homing beacon on Rahne as she was once part of the human world when she was still alive, with the promise that they will reward her service to them by fully resurrecting her.[22]
Years later, Feral was resurrected by the Five and resides on Krakoa alongside other mutants including her former teammates of X-Force.[23]
Powers and abilities
Feral possesses superhuman and feline attributes.[24][25] Her powers include superhuman speed, agility, stamina, senses, and reflexes.[26] Her regenerative healing factor allows her to heal faster than a regular human being.[27] She has sharp claws, fangs, and a prehensile tail.[28]
Reception
Critical response
Deirdre Kaye of Scary Mommy called Feral a "role model" and a "truly heroic" female character.[29] Adam Holmes of CinemaBlend included Feral in their "7 X-Force Members Who Should Appear In The Upcoming Movie" list.[30] Scoot Allan of Comic Book Resources ranked Feral 2nd in their " Scariest Members Of The New Mutants" list,[1] and 16th in their "X-Force: The Deadliest Members from Marvel’s X-Men Spinoff" list.[31] Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly ranked Feral 26th in their "Let's Rank Every X-Man Ever" list.[32]
Other versions
Age of Apocalypse
An alternate version of Feral appears in the follow-up limited series to the 1995-96 "Age of Apocalypse." She is introduced as a member of the Morlocks.[33]
House of M
An alternate version of Feral appears in the 2005 "House of M" storyline. She is a member of the strike-force known as the Brotherhood.[34]
An alternate version of Feral appears in X-Men '92. She is part of a group of mutants called Rej-X. She later joined X-Force, along with Shatterstar.[volume&issueneeded]
X-Factor is a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist/co-writer Jack Kirby and editor/co-writer Stan Lee, the team first appeared in The X-Men #1. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to low sales, following its 1975 revival and subsequent direction under writer Chris Claremont, it became one of the most recognizable and successful franchises of Marvel Comics. They have appeared in numerous books, television shows, the Disney's 20th Century Studios X-Men films, and video games. The X-Men title may refer to the superhero team itself, the eponymous comic series, or the broader franchise including various solo titles and team books such as the New Mutants, Excalibur, and X-Force.
Sabretooth is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men, in particular as an enemy of the mutant Wolverine. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Byrne, the character made his first appearance in Iron Fist #14. The original portrayal of Sabretooth was that of a non-powered serial killer, but was later written as a mutant possessing bestial superhuman abilities, most notably a rapid healing factor, razor-sharp fangs and claws, and superhuman senses. He is a vicious assassin, who was responsible for numerous deaths throughout history, both as a paid mercenary and for his personal pleasure. Accounts on how his enmity with Wolverine originated differs depending on different writers. One of the most common accounts is that Wolverine and Sabretooth were both participants of the Cold War supersoldier program Weapon X, and that Sabretooth saw Wolverine as competition and therefore antagonized him. While Wolverine is depicted as suppressing his more savage qualities, Sabretooth does the opposite and embraces them, until the events of the 2014 storyline "AXIS".
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Morlocks are a group of mutant characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters are usually depicted as being associated with the X-Men in the Marvel Universe. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith, they were named after the subterranean race of the same name in H. G. Wells' novel The Time Machine, but unlike in the Wells book, they are not a faceless, threatening mass of villains. They first appeared as a group in The Uncanny X-Men #169. Caliban appeared prior to that, but he was not yet a member of the Morlocks.
Wolfsbane is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is commonly associated with the X-Men. A Scottish mutant, Wolfsbane can transform into a wolf or a transitional state somewhere between human and wolf, similar to a werewolf. She honed her powers to shift between human and wolf characteristics but must keep her feral instincts at bay when she does.
The X-Force is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in New Mutants #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series called X-Force. The group was originally a revamped version of the 1980s team, the New Mutants.
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Shatterstar (Gaveedra-Seven) is a fictional mutant superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in The New Mutants #99, after which he became a member of the superhero team X-Force. He later became an employee of X-Factor Investigations, a private detective firm starring in the series X-Factor. In 2013, ComicsAlliance ranked Shatterstar as #29 on their list of the "50 Sexiest Male Characters in Comics".
Siryn is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Steve Leialoha, the character first appeared in Spider-Woman #37. Theresa Cassidy belongs to a subspecies of humans called mutants, who are born with superhuman abilities. She possesses a sonic voice providing various effects while her name refers to the Sirens of Greek mythology and their hypnotic voices. She is depicted most commonly in association with the X-Men. Theresa Cassidy is the daughter of the superhero Sean Cassidy. The character has also been known as Siryn and Banshee at various points in her history.
Arclight is a mutant supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita Jr., she is a former military officer who later becomes an assassin. She is primarily known as a member the original Marauders team, a group of mutants who often work for the mad scientist villain Mister Sinister. As a Marauder, she has often fought the X-Men as well as related teams and heroes such as X-Factor and X-Force. Like many of the Marauders, Arclight has been killed in battle more than once, only to be revived each time by Sinister through advanced cloning techniques.
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