Origin
Martel was a member of the Amestris State Military and she was nearly killed in the battles of the Southern Borders. Half-dead, she was taken to the labs in Central City and experimented on using alchemy. This saved her life, but her body was molded with a snake to make her a human chimera. She would eventually escape the labs with several of her allies, who had also been changed. Sometime later, they met the Homunculus known as Greed. They became part of his gang that had a base in the Devil’s Nest in Dublith.
Creation
Martel (????, M?teru) is a supporting character of the Fullmetal Alchemist series that was created by Hiromu Arakawa. The series first began serialization in Enix’s (later known as Square Enix after 2003) Monthly Shonen Gangan on August 2001. She would alter appear in the Journey to the South Arc that began in Volume 5.
Her first appears in Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 7 Ch. 26 “To Meet the Master”.
Character Evolution
Major Story Arcs
Journey to the South Arc
While in Dublith, Greed ordered Martel and the others to capture Alphonse Elric, a boy trapped in a living suit of armor. Alphonse evaded their capture with remarkable skill until Martel got inside his armor-body. She was able to use her own body inside to impede his movements. They chained him and took him back to the Devil’s Nest. Martel stayed inside of his body to keep him in check. While there, she told Al about how she was made into a chimera.
As Al’s brother, Edward, arrived, the hideout was attacked by military from Amestris. Roa and Dolcetto released Al’s chains so he could take Martel and run as they fought of King Bradley. Martel tried to force her way out of Al, but he held her in to save her. She then tried manipulating Al’s arm to kill Bradley for murdering her friends, but he pierced her through Al and killed her as well. It was her blood on Al’s seal that awoken his experiences at The Gate.
Powers & Abilities
Weapons & Equipment
Other Media
Anime
Fullmetal Alchemist (2003)
The Fullmetal Alchemist series is the first anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa’s original manga. It’s produced by BONES and first began airing in October 4, 2003. It lasted for fifty-one episodes, and ended in October 2004. The series first began by following much of the original manga story, but would often change events of the continuity. It would eventually diverse from canon to tell its own story. This is partly due to the fact that while the manga was published monthly, the anime was being aired weekly.
Martel’s first anime appearance is in Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 21 “The Red Glow“, which aired on February 28, 2004. Her character in the Japanese series is voiced by Rumi Kasaharaa, and the U.S. dub produced by FUNimation is done by Tiffany Grant.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009)
The Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood animated series is the second anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa’s original manga. However, the series was only known in Japan as simply Fullmetal Alchemist (? ?????, Hagane no Renkinjutsushi). The “Brotherhood” subtitle was only added on for the Western audience to better differentiate it from the first 2003 series. FMA: Brotherhood was designed from its inception to be the true animated adaption of Arakawa’s work. It was even set to end only a month after the final chapter of the manga was originally released in June 2010. It’s produced by BONES and first began airing in April 5, 2009.
Riza’s first appearance in this series was in in Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood – Episode 13 “The Beasts of Dublith“, which aired on June 28, 2009. Her character in the Japanese series is voiced by Takako Honda, and the U.S. dub produced by FUNimation is done by Tiffany Grant.