Callisto

Origin

Callisto’s origins are unknown, although she has claimed that the scars she bears are proof of “how dumb a mistake” it was for her to try to live among normal humans; in one of her earlier appearances, her greatest psychological fear is the image of the beautiful woman that she once was, although she may have overcome that as of the present.

Creation

Callisto was created by Chris Claremont and Paul Smith. She appeared for the first time in 1983’s Uncanny X-Men #169.

Major Story Arcs

Morlocks

When Callisto first appeared she was leader of the Morlocks, a group of mutants who lived in the sewers . The Morlocks were first formed well over twenty years ago by Callisto, Sunder, Caliban, and Masque. In her first appearance, Callisto kidnapped Angel and stripped him of most of his clothing, intending to make him her mate. Callisto also attempted to cripple Angel by cutting away his primary feathers. To rescue Angel, Storm challenged and beat Callisto in a duel for the leadership of the Morlocks. As the new leader of the Morlocks, Storm decreed that they would no longer kidnap and terrorize surface-dwellers, and in return they would have peace. Callisto regards Storm with both resentment and respect due to Storm defeating her in hand-to-hand combat, but she sneers at what she considers Storm’s “weakness,” namely her conviction not to take a life, or to take revenge on baseline humans that despise mutants.

Callisto attempted to take revenge on the X-Men by trying to force Kitty Pryde to wed Caliban, and battled Storm again.

When the wizard Kulan Gath enslaved the city of New York and transformed it into a Hyborian Age city, Callisto became his warrior servant. She battled Storm again, but Storm saved her life. Callisto helped defeat Kulan Gath, and as a result Callisto and her allies found themselves on a new time-line where Kulan Gath never transformed New York. Thereafter, Callisto found herself as more of an ally to the X-Men. She rescued Professor Xavier after he was nearly killed by anti-mutant Columbia University students. She also saved Power Pack from the Morlocks Annalee and Masque. Callisto was wounded during the Marauders‘ massacre of the Morlocks, and took refuge with the X-Men. She befriended Storm and convinced her not to give up leadership of the X-Men.

Muir Island

After a while, Callisto moved to Muir Island to become the bodyguard for Moira MacTaggert. With Moira, she was transported to an alternate Earth were Britain was dominated by Nazis. Meanwhile, the Nazi counterparts of Callisto and Moira appeared on the mainstream Earth. These counterparts captured Brigadier Alistaire Stuart at the Tower of London, but failed in their attempt to escape the Tower of London. Both Callisto and Moira and their counterparts then returned to their native Earths.

Callisto later encountered an amnesiac Colossus, who had assumed the identity of artist Peter Nicholas. Peter remembered nothing of his former life after his journey through the Siege Perilous. The two became attracted to each other after Masque reshaped Callisto’s flesh, restoring her beauty to greater than what it was before she was scarred. Rather than an act of kindness from Masque, he had taken control of the Morlocks in Callisto’s absence and saw fit to capture and psychologically torture her when she reappeared in their tunnels, restoring Callisto’s beauty only to take it away later as a means of tormenting her. The process was repeated several times before Callisto and Colossus were finally rescued by Forge, Banshee and Jean Grey.

Callisto began a career as a fashion model and moved above ground, embarking on a new life with Peter Nicholas as her lover. They were attacked at one point by Genoshan Magistrates but defeated them. Together they were happy until the Morlocks later attacked Callisto, who were still under the influence of Masque. Masque had grossly transformed the Morlocks, leaving them with grotesque physical mutations. They nearly beat Callisto to death. The Morlocks’ Healer treated her wounds, but accidentally restored Callisto’s scars and her original physical deformities. The Healer’s powers were overloaded by the severity of her injuries, killing him in the process. Callisto vowed revenge on her former followers for stealing away her looks, and then allied herself with Mikhail Rasputin, Colossus’ older brother. Mikhail and Callisto appeared to have perished when he used his powers over matter to flood the Morlock tunnels.

Callisto & Marrow

She next appears with Marrow and the two join forces and rekindle the relationship they had before. The two commonly fought alongside one another and Marrow posed as a daughter. They clashed with Storm and Cable some time later. Later still they tried to kill Gyrich for his support of Operation Zero Tolerance only to be stopped by Spider-Man. In the end she saved Marrow and Spidey by throwing herself in between them and certain death at the hands of a Prime Sentinel. They returned to the sewers. Severely wounded, she was cared for by Marrow, but the Dark Beast manipulated her during her recovery. During this time, she asked Marrow to join the X-Men in order to protect her and not to let her be alone.

The Arena

More recently, Callisto was once again transformed by Masque, having her arms reformed into tentacles. Callisto was also under Masque’s control in “The Arena,” an elite fight club in Japan. Callisto and Storm battled each other in the Arena, but later both escaped with help from Storm’s friend, Yukio.

Genoshan Excalibur

Last seen, Calisto was one of the main characters in the new Excalibur title, where she was helping Professor Xavier and Magneto rebuild Genosha. Ironically, this alliance briefly reunited her with Archangel. Callisto also has a maternal relationship with Marrow, acting as a mother-figure towards the young mutant, making her the only person Marrow would follow nearly blindly.

M-Day & X-Cell

In the aftermath of M-Day, Callisto is among the many mutants to have lost her powers. Quicksilver offered to her the Terrigen Mists, stolen from the Inhumans, as a way to restore her powers. Callisto willingly accepted the offer and the Mist effectively restored all her previous abilities but without any control over them. Her new senses were so acute that even a drop of rain caused her tremendous pain; unable to handle it, she fell into a coma.

She was later taken to a hospital, where the effects of the Mists wore off. Eventually, Callisto had been reunited with Marrow; they are both members of the X-Cell, a group of mutants who hold the government responsible for their power loss.

In truth however, Callisto only joined the reactionary terror sect to war her fellow depowered mutants not to take Pietro’s offer. But only Sarah took to her warning whilst others kept to their would-be benefactors scheme. It was not until the intervention of Layla Miller did the truth get out that Quicksilver and he Scarlet Witch were the real cause behind the Decimation that left the majority of Homo Superior nearly powerless.

A fight would break out between Callisto, Marrow, Richtor and Mr. Maximoff in the homebase of X-Cell before he’d beat a hasty retreat just as the rest of thier members powers began overloading due to the Terrigen infusion the later had given them while battling X-Factor.

Later Life

Callisto would divvy her time after that between slumming it with the X-Men and resuming her stance as a squatter in the underground every now and then. From battling the likes of Donald Pierce to taking in runaways escaping from horrible lives begotten from domestic abuse. Encountering her old rival from the past over missing persons whom the former Morlock queen had taken to sheltering within her misbegotten sewers. She and her little refugees even saw the beautiful, if albeit mournful, display of an aurora borealis as a parting tribute by Storm to commemorate the passing of her longtime friend, teammate and former lover; Wolverine.

When the mutants in her care came back to her neck of the underground with an odd affliction. Callisto ended up calling Monet for assistance in an anonymous manner, but would find herself dismayed at the sight of one whom helped in the slaughter of her people; Sabretooth.

Initially the two would get into a brutal bout where Victor ended up taking the spelunkers pot shots as penance for her peoples murders from years back. But the fight was quickly broken up by M before things got too far out of hand. Callisto would inquire as to the real reason why it is she called the X-Men for help.

She revealed to them that, while Professor X may be gone, his dream still lives on as she’d founded a New Morlock community within her hidden passages. Many of the new residents were mutants driven below ground by the Terrigen Cloud roving across the globe, coupled with a great many humans whom were frightened by the current happenings in the world as it stood. That same fear driving the two races together all under the watchful protection & care of their patron.

This however was not the happy scene said caregiver was interested in showing her new guests however.

The truth of the matter being that her denizens were steadily dying again due to malformities that were causing severe biodegredation. One of the sick patients showed alarmingly familiar symptoms which Ms. Croix immediately recognized, Callisto on the otherhand was at a loss for words as she’d never witnessed one of her flock act in such a hostile manner while protruding mawed tendrils before.

M reveals’ that the stricken mutants in their benefactors newfound society have been enthralled by her vampiric brother M-Plate. Hence the spontaneous monsterization happening before they’re eyes. The three of them immediately set about tracking those whom had taken the unafflicted members of the neighborhood back to the lair of their sire as a means to bait Monet along. Eventually reaching the end of the trail Marius left for them, negotiations would quickly break down as Creed went on the warpath not long afterwards. Callisto would attempt to aid her rescuer/helper in battling the mutant leech but was quickly knocked out of the fight not long afterward.

She would later turn up in prison at an incarceration facility designed specifically for mutants. Her reason for being slated at The Box were never touched upon. What was known is that she was the new cell mate of one of the recently incarcerated X-Men, Kate Pryde.

While the ladies have they’re time out in the yard. Callisto offers warnings that some of the inmates at the correctional facility are all too eager to get a piece of one of the Uncanny’s to boost their prison cred. Specifically speaking, the fem cellblock alpha by the name of Crazy Maisie. Backed by other female prisoners Electric Eve, Animax & Bliss; all of whom were put up to brawling with the X-Women by Callisto.

The later of whom seeing the situation as a personally beneficial escapade, seeing as Kathrine, Rachen & Ororo’s failure leads to satisfaction.

Otherwise, they’re success enables her to take the alpha position while the the women’s prison sect. All the while simply enjoying the show seeing as she could never beat the taller, burlier mutant herself as it stood. While Kitty and them would eventually be let out of jail on good behavior, Callisto soon escaped confinement upon hearing news of the former’s wedding. As the empress of the underground bears nothing but ill tidings should the X veteran do anything to harm her lost love; Piotr Rasputin.

Kathrine wonders how she got out of prison but her would be kidnapper refrains from divulging her secrets as the two fight for a little while. The assailant leaves with the simple advice of not hurting her old flame lest Callisto be the one to crack down on her for it later.

After the events of X-Men Disassembled. Cyclops took to traveling around looking up old contacts of the now distorted mutant community, eventually hitting up the Morlock Tunnels where he is confronted by Callisto over his being welcome down in her domain or not. But she is held at by new resident Chamber, after the world above came down to hers and kicked the ever-loving smack out of everyone again.

Tragedy would strike the Morlocks once more when the purported Marauders had set upon the lowlies in the new worlds wake. Callisto waylaying Logan with a knife to the eye in hopes of securing one of their number to kill herself. She fell off the grid again after Chamber rejoined Cykes X-Men.

Krakoa & The Hellfire Company

Callisto joined Krakoa nation, along with many other former Morlocks. She was later recruited by Emma Frost for the Hellfire Company (formerly known as Hellfire Club).

After a new fight with Storm, she eventually died, only to reborn with her powers once again.

Powers & Abilities

Callisto had heightened strength and reflexes, and also possessed enhanced senses of sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch. She later developed a mutant tactical ability, and was able to immediately intuit the solution to any tactical problem, be it a particular circumstance or an opponent. She was classified as a delta level mutant.

For a short while her arms were transmorphed into tentacles by Masuque adding to her fighting prowes, she lost them after M-Day.

Even without her powers, Callisto is an excellent tactician, huntress and tracker, and a very formidable and capable leader. She is skilled in virtually every form of hand to hand combat known, and is also adept in the use of knives, which she frequently employs.

Characteristics

• Gender: Female
• Height: 5′ 9″
• Weight: 130 lbs (59kg)
• Eyes: Blue
• Hair: Black

Alternate Versions

Earth-597

In this reality Callisto was a Nazi. She was the bodyguard of the Nazi version of Moira MacTaggert. While on a train ride, they were transported to Earth-616 where they were watched over by Excalibur. This event led up to the Excalibur Story arc, “Cross-Time Caper.”

Earth-1610

In the Ultimate Universe, Callisto was a member of The Morlocks.

Earth-295: Age of Apocalypse

In the Age of Apocalypse,Callisto was the head of a band of pirates. They saved a bunch of people – including Nightcrawler – from suffocating in a submarine, but later they stole their goods and left them to die in the ocean. She is confronted by Nightcrawler after he realized what she was doing. During their struggle Mystique appeared and killed her, out of the frame, leaving Callisto’s body floating in the Atlantic Ocean.

Earth-1298

In the Mutant X reality, Callisto was a member of the Morlocks and the lover of the Mole Man.

X-Men: The End

In this reality Callisto is the companion of Charles Xavier. Psylocke enters a room with the two inside and Callisto can instinctively sense something is wrong. She yells for Charles to get to safety and then proceeds to start throwing knives at the intruder, who turns out to be a War Skrull in disguise. Callisto is knocked through a wall and her knives are hurled back at her, killing her.

Other Media

Film

X-Men: The Last Stand

Callisto appears in X-Men: The Last Stand, played by Dania Ramirez. In the film Callisto has gone through quite a change, she was the leader of the Omegas and then joins Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants. In place of an eye-patch and scars this version of Callisto is instead beautiful but heavily tattooed and she seems to harbor a strong dislike towards Storm. She was electrocuted by Storm during their climactic battle on Alcatraz. It is unknown if she was destroyed by Jean’s telekinesis, or even if she survived Storm’s lightning, though in the novel version she was spared by Storm who chose to follow Xavier’s more peaceful attitude.

Callisto’s powers in the film are a combination of her own and two other characters. While she retains most of her fighting abilities, she has gained Quicksilver’s ability of super speed, and Caliban’s ability to detect other mutants.

Television

• 

  Callisto appears in X-Men: The Animated Series, voiced by Susan Roman. Instead of Angel, whom the Morlocks abducted in the comic books, Callisto leads a group of Morlocks to abduct Cyclops and Jean Grey. However, the aforementioned mutants were later rescued by their fellow X-Men. Due to the increased censorship faced by Saturday morning cartoons, she is not stabbed in the heart during her encounter with Storm. Callisto subsequently appears in several other episodes, including the Christmas special.

• Callisto appears in X-Men: Evolution, voiced by Saffron Henderson. Here Callisto is depicted as a less-violent, more even-tempered leader of the Morlocks. She first appeared to sabotage a beverage company where its beverage is revealed to be poisonous to mutants. She later returned when anti-mutant thugs were using laser technology to attack the X-Men, Spyke, and Leech. Callisto inspired Spyke with her advocacy of living a more peaceful life underground, within the tunnels for those mutants who fear to live with humans because of the violence against their race. Callisto acts as their leader and cares about her members – especially for Torpid who is only a kid. When the humans decided to attack Morlocks they found above ground, Spyke gets them fight back. The Morlocks, including Callisto, fought against the humans until the conflict was resolved by the powers of Leech.

Merchandise

• Callisto was featured in the HeroClix figure game.
  
• Callisto was featured in Hasbro’s Marvel Legends line as part of an Amazon-exclusive Wolverine box set that also featured Wolverine, Mastermind, Cyber and Omega Red.