Calypso
Calypso.
Art by Todd McFarlane
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceThe Amazing Spider-Man #209 (October 1980)
Created byDenny O'Neil (writer)
Alan Weiss (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoCalypso Ezili
SpeciesHuman
PartnershipsKraven the Hunter
Notable aliasesThe Witch
Kraven Witch
AbilitiesMind control
Resurrection
Use of potions

Calypso Ezili is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as an enemy of the superhero Spider-Man. She is a voodoo priestess who utilizes magic potions, and the occasional lover and partner of Kraven the Hunter.

Ariana DeBose will portray Calypso in the Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) film Kraven the Hunter.

Publication history

Calypso first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #209 and was created by Denny O'Neil and Alan Weiss.[1]

Calypso initially appeared as a minor character The Amazing Spider-Man #209 and Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #65, where she was an ally of Spider-Man's enemy Kraven the Hunter. After Kraven's death, Calypso bewitched the Lizard into helping her attack Spider-Man in Spider-Man Vol. 1, #1-5, then made guest appearances in Daredevil Vol. 1, #310-311 and Daredevil Annual Vol. 1, #9. Calypso next appeared in Web of Spider-Man Vol. 1, #109-110 and Spider-Man Annual 1997, and was killed off in a storyline that spanned The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 1, #249-253.

Fictional character biography

Calypso is a nameless voodoo priestess who was born and raised in Haiti.[2][3] She was a psychopathic woman who was associated with Kraven the Hunter. Calypso seemed to enjoy driving Kraven into fits of rage and furthering his hatred of Spider-Man which ultimately led to Kraven's suicide in the "Kraven's Last Hunt" storyline.[4][5]

When artist Todd McFarlane started writing the new Spider-Man comic in 1990, his opening five-issue story arc "Torment" featured Calypso as the main antagonist, whom McFarlane transformed into a dangerous threat for Spider-Man.[6] The explanation for Calypso's supernatural powers was the sacrifice of her younger sister. She used her abilities to hold Lizard in her grasp and the two nearly succeeded in murdering Spider-Man. However, the webslinger managed to beat them both and Calypso is apparently killed.[7]

Calypso resurfaces abducting Haitian refugees, turning some into zombie slaves and selling the rest back to her homeland's government. Her actions bring her into conflict with Daredevil and his Infinity War doppelganger, Hellspawn.[8] Calypso briefly enthralls Daredevil, but he is able to break free of her control, and she seemingly dies yet again when the spirits of those she turned into zombies overwhelm her.[9] Cheating death once more, Calypso flees to New Orleans, where her obsession with necromancy leads her to the resting place of Simon Garth, a self-aware zombie. Reviving Garth, Calypso tests his abilities and pits him against Hellspawn, though he eventually breaks free of her control and wanders off, leaving one of his Amulets of Damballah with Calypso.[10]

Calypso subsequently breaks into the Vault and attempts to make the incarcerated Lizard her servant again, but he resists and mauls her.[11][12] The Amulet of Damballah, which Calypso transferred her soul into while dying, ends up in the possession of Glory Grant, who Calypso possesses. Despite interference from Spider-Man, Garth, and Shotgun, Calypso is successfully able to exhume her own corpse and revive herself with the Amulet of Damballah.[13]

Commanding a squad of savages, she later attacks Spider-Man and Alyosha Kravinoff, the son of the original Kraven the Hunter. Desiring revenge for losing Sergei, she uses her powers to drive Spider-Man and Alyosha into fighting each other. Spider-Man and Alyosha fight off her spell and shared a handshake. Alyosha says that he will hold Calypso at his mansion so she can tell him about his long-lost father. However, Alyosha kills Calypso instead.[14][15][16][17]

Powers and abilities

Calypso was well-versed in the religion and practice of voodoo. She often used voodoo drums, potions, and charms. Calypso used mind control, resurrection, and poisons.

Other versions

An issue of What If? which asked the question "What If Spider-Man Killed the Lizard?" had Calypso in it. When Spider-Man is forced to kill the Lizard in an alternate version of the "Torment" story-arc, Calypso approaches the Lizard's distraught son Billy Connors and offers him the chance to get revenge on Spider-Man via a potion that will make him "just like daddy".[18]

In other media

Television

  • A character inspired by and nicknamed Calypso named Dr. Mariah Crawford appears in Spider-Man: The Animated Series, voiced by Susan Beaubian. This version is a research scientist who was engaged to Sergei Kravinoff before a serum made by a colleague transformed him into Kraven the Hunter. Throughout the series, she assists Spider-Man and Kraven in their adventures, such as creating a cure for the former's Man-Spider mutation, until she contracts an African plague she was helping to fight. In an effort to save her, Kraven injected her with the same serum that she used on him. However, upon their return to New York, Crawford mutates into a feral monster with long hair, claws, cat-like eyes, and lion-like ears. Eventually, Kraven joins forces with Spider-Man and Black Cat to subdue Crawford and administer a cure created by Dr. Curt Connors, which partially restores Crawford's human form and fully restores her reasoning. Accepting what she has become, she and Kraven leave New York for the wilderness of Africa.
  • Calypso appears in The Spectacular Spider-Man episode "Destructive Testing", voiced by Angela Bryant.[19]

Film

Calypso is set to appear in the Sony's Spider-Man Universe film Kraven the Hunter, portrayed by Ariana DeBose.[20]

Video games

References

  1. ↑ DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 69. ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
  2. ↑ Wiacek, Stephen; Lee, Stan; Bray, Adam, ed. (2 April 2019). "Marvel Encyclopedia New Edition". FK Publishing. p. 69. ISBN 9781465497819.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)
  3. ↑ "Spiderfan.org". Archived from the original on 2016-03-28. Retrieved 2006-06-03.
  4. ↑ Denny O'Neil (w), Alan Weiss (p), Janson, McLeod, Rubinstein, Wiacek and Milgrom (i), Bob Sharen (col), Mark Rogan (let), Allen Milgrom (ed). "To Salvage My Honor!" The Amazing Spider-Man, vol. 1, no. 209 (October 1980). United States: Marvel Comics.
  5. ↑ Bill Mantlo (w), Bob Hall (p), Jim Mooney (i), Sharen (col), Novak (let), Tom DeFalco (ed). "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man, vol. 1, no. 65 (April 1982). United States: Marvel Comics.
  6. ↑ Cowsill, Alan; Manning, Matthew K. (2012). Spider-Man Chronicle: Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. DK Publishing. p. 115. ISBN 978-0756692360.
  7. ↑ Todd McFarlane (w), Todd McFarlane (p), Todd McFarlane (i), Bob Sharen, Todd McFarlane and Gregory Wright (col), Rick Parker (let), Jim Salicrup (ed). "Torment" Spider-Man, vol. 1, no. 1-5 (August 1990 - December 1990). United States: Marvel Comics.
  8. ↑ Glenn Alan Herdling (w), Scott McDaniel (p), Bud Larosa (i), Max Scheele (col), Bill Oakley (let), Ralph Macchio (ed). "Devil Ge Rouge" Daredevil, vol. 1, no. 310 (November 1992). United States: Marvel Comics.
  9. ↑ Glenn Alan Herdling (w), Scott McDaniel (p), Bud La Rosa (i), Max Scheele (col), Bill Oakley (let), Ralph Macchio (ed). "Soul Search" Daredevil, vol. 1, no. 311 (December 1992). United States: Marvel Comics.
  10. ↑ Glenn Herdling (w), Scott McDaniel (p), Bud LaRosa (i), Max Scheele (col), Steve Dutro (let), Ralph Macchio (ed). "Resurrections" Daredevil Annual, vol. 1, no. 9 (July 1993). United States: Marvel Comics.
  11. ↑ Terry Kavanagh (w), Alex Saviuk (p), Stephen Baskerville (i), Bob Sharen (col), Steve Dutro (let), Eric Fein (ed). "The Savaging Prelude - Death Becomes Her!" Web of Spider-Man, vol. 1, no. 109 (February 1994). United States: Marvel Comics.
  12. ↑ Terry Kavanagh (w), Alex Saviuk (p), Stephen Baskerville (i), Bob Sharen (col), Steve Dutro (let), Eric Fein (ed). "The Savaging Part 1 - Final Sanction" Web of Spider-Man, vol. 1, no. 110 (March 1994). United States: Marvel Comics.
  13. ↑ Glenn Herdling (w), Shawn McMannus (p), Shawn McMannus (i), John Kalisz (col), RS/Comicraft/KS (let), Ralph Macchio (ed). "Dead Men Walking" Spider-Man '97, vol. 1, no. 1 (March 1997). United States: Marvel Comics.
  14. ↑ J.M. DeMatteis and Mark Bernard (w), Luke Ross (p), Dan Green (i), John Kalisz (col), Richard Starkings and Comicraft/KS (let), Ralph Macchio (ed). "Into the Light" The Spectacular Spider-Man, vol. 1, no. 249 (September 1997). United States: Marvel Comics.
  15. ↑ J.M. DeMatteis (w), Luke Ross (p), Dan Green and Al Milgrom (i), John Kalisz (col), Richard Starkings and Comicraft/KS (let), Ralph Macchio (ed). "Citizen Osborn!" The Spectacular Spider-Man, vol. 1, no. 250 (October 1997). United States: Marvel Comics.
  16. ↑ J.M. DeMatteis (w), Mike Deodato (p), Al Milgrom (i), John Kalisz (col), Richard Starkings and Comicraft's Kiff Scholl (let), Ralph Macchio (ed). "Son of the Hunter! Part 2" The Spectacular Spider-Man, vol. 1, no. 252 (December 1997). United States: Marvel Comics.
  17. ↑ John Marc DeMatteis (w), Luke Ross (p), Dan Green (i), John Kalisz (col), Richard Starkings and Comicraft's Kiff Scholl (let), Ralph Macchio (ed). "Son of the Hunter! Part 3" The Spectacular Spider-Man, vol. 1, no. 253 (January 1998). United States: Marvel Comics.
  18. ↑ Simon Furman (w), Dane McCart (p), Dane McCart (i), Mark Bernardo (col), Janice Chiang (let), Rob Tokar (ed). "What If Spider-Man Killed the Lizard?" What If?, vol. 2, no. 53 (10 September 1993). United States: Marvel Comics.
  19. ↑ Comics Continuum by Rob Allstetter: Monday, January 21, 2008
  20. ↑ "'West Side Story' Star Ariana DeBose to Play Calypso in Sony's 'Kraven the Hunter'". Variety. March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
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