Origin
Shiva was created by the Weapon X Project to be their enforcer and to track and terminate any Weapon X operative that went rogue or left the program. Shiva is a task specific robot which learns and adapts from its previous battles with its opponents and thus proving to be a difficult foe.
Creation
Shiva was created by Larry Hama and Marc Silvestri and first appeared in Wolverine #50.
Major Story Arcs
Shiva Scenario
While investigating his past, Wolverine was searching the Weapon X Compound when he mistakenly activated Shiva. The two battled and Wolverine found Shiva was resistant to his adamantium claws. After Wolverine managed to defeat it, Shiva subsequently attacked several other Weapon X agents including John Wraith, Sabretooth and Silver Fox. The targets all joined forces with Wolverine to battle Shiva.
Born in Blood
Shiva is sent after U.S. Secretary of the State, Condoleezza Rice, as she apparently was involved in some way with the Weapon X project. Simultaneously, Wolverine infiltrates the White House to confront Rice and extract whatever information she has about Weapon X. Shiva interrupts the two and, believing he is the target, Wolverine battles Shiva. To his surprise, Shiva incinerates Rice instead and seems uninterested in him. The two continue to battle and Wolverine destroys Shiva once and for all by slicing it with a Muramasa Blade.
Powers and Abilities
Shiva is a robot with great strength, speed and reflexes. It possesses great durability and is completely resistant to adamantium. Shiva can also fire energy blasts and blades from its hands and can create a force field around itself. Shiva can also teleport and emit frequencies which stun it’s prey. Shiva’s artificial intelligence learns from trial and error and can never be defeated the same way again.
In Other Media
X-Men: The Animated Series (1994)
Shiva, renamed Talos, appeared in two episodes of X-Men: The Animated Series. It’s first appearance was in the Season 1 episode “Deadly Reunions” when Professor X explores Sabretooth’s mindscape for clues on the villain’s past.
Talos reappears as the central villain in Season 4’s “Weapon X, Lies & Videotape” when Beast, Maverick, Sabretooth, Silver Fox and Wolverine investigate the Weapon X Compound for the truth about their pasts. They are attacked by Talos and must find a way to defeat him.