Creation
Gladiatrix was created by Mike Carlin and Ron Wilson in 1986 and first appeared in The Thing # 33.
History
Gladiatrix was in a female wrestling group called the Grapplers which wrestled for the Unlimited Class Wrestling Foundation. Gladiatrix became a client of the Power Broker and had her physique and strength augmented to a super-human level. One of the Grapplers named Titania was killed in the showers after she lost her championship belt to Battle-Axe. Gladiatrix and the Grapplers engaged the Thing when he was found inside the Grapplers’ locker room. Sharon Ventura was able to diffuse the situation when she was able to prove that the Thing and Battle-Axe were together when Titania was murdered. Gladiatrix’s stint as a wrestler was short lived and would leave the UCWF.
Story Arcs
Gladiatrix, Speedball, Mechanaut and Blue Shield are invited to Avengers Island to try out for membership with the mighty Avengers. These four had inquired about membership within the past six months and all four were invited at the same time. Captain America was supervising one of their training exercises and realized these four lacked experience and the concept of teamwork. Captain America had to cut the exercise short when he received a code yellow message from security. Captain America was told that some unknown energy discharge was heading towards Avengers Island, right near the training compound.
Gladiatrix and the rest of her training partners were alarmed when the Soviet Super Soldiers appear. Gladiatrix is unsure if this was a test or full scale attack so her group attack the super powered Russians. Gladiatrix throws Speedball into Vanguard but he repels the attack with his mutant powers. Gladiatrix tussles with Ursa Major and manages to bring him down. Things turn ugly when the Soviets gain the upper hand but the fighting ceased once Captain America arrives. The Soviet Super Soldiers state their business on the island so Captain America tells Gladiatrix and the rest of the guys that the auditions had to be cut short. Captain America tells Gladiatrix that she has raw talent and great potential but needed to fine tune her fighting styles.
Gladiatrix is one of many super-powered females that join the Femizons. It was a group led by Superia and she had plans to create a utopia where women rule the world and men become their slaves. The Femizons would come into conflict with Captain America and Paladin. Black Mamba, Asp and Diamondback would betray the Femizons and help Captain America and Paladin bring down Superia’s operation. Gladiatrix would later be seen attending the AIM Weapons Expo on an island protected by international law.
Civil War
Gladiatrix would oppose the Super Human Registration Act during the Civil War and take refuge in a secret location somewhere in Manhattan with numerous unregistered combatants. The group was planning a way to reach Captain America and his people when the location was ambushed by SHIELD agents. Battlestar wanted Gladiatrix to escape through a passageway and protect a reporter named Sally Floyd. Gladiatrix was caught in an explosion and trapped under some rubble. She would be apprehended and placed into custody.
Powers & Abilities
Gladiatrix has a degree of super-human strength, durability and stamina. She is a skilled wrestler and formidable in hand-to-hand combat.