Spiral

Origin

Ricochet Rita was a very well known stunt woman in Hollywood. When Longshot first came to Earth, she befriended him and the pair eventually began dating. She was attacked by a future version of herself when she attempted to help him return home. Rita was later kidnapped by Mojo and held prisoner while all of Longshot’s memories of Rita were erased. After several years of forced servitude to Mojo guarding the X-Babies, Rita was taken to the Body Shoppe.

The transformation by Arize left her with six arms, both cybernetic and organic, teleportation abilities and knowledge of the dark arts. While in the Body Shoppe, she also learned the skills needed to modify herself and others. Rita’s transformation into Spiral deeply damaged her mental stability, allowing Mojo to send her back into the past to attack both Longshot and her past self, thus setting into motion the events that made her Spiral.

Creation

Spiral was created by writer Ann Nocenti and artist Art Adams. She first appeared in a cameo in Longshot issue 1 (1985) before appearing fully in Longshot issue 4. It was only later revealed that Spiral was the future self of Ricochet Rita.

Major Story Arcs

Freedom Force

For More Information: Uncanny X-Men

After failing to kill Longshot and Rita, Spiral was left stranded on Earth by Mojo. Sometime after this, she joined Val Cooper’s Freedom Force and was a valued member of the team. She was on hand when the former Brotherhood of Evil Mutants captures Magneto to stand trial. After the Avengers are framed by former member Quicksilver, the government sends Freedom Force to capture them. Spiral is instrumental in the defeat of Iron Man and Captain Marvel.

She also joins the team against both X-Factor and the New Mutants in Freedom Force’s attempts to capture Rusty Collins. Alongside Freedom Force, Spiral has battled the X-Men on numerous occasions, and although stranded by Mojo, she successfully kidnaps Rachel Summers (Marvel Girl) for him. Spiral resents Mojo’s treatment of her and while loyal to him, she also assists the X-Men out on several occasions. While stranded on Earth, Spiral began running the Body Shoppe, supplying cybernetic parts and transforming many heroes and villains to satisfy her own agenda.

Spiral was responsible for Psylocke’s and Revanche‘s cybernetic eyes that allowed Mojo to see everything that the linked mutants saw. She also played a key part in Psylocke’s brain being transferred into the body of the Asian assassin known as Kwannon. Although changed by writers later, Spiral was originally responsible for Donald Pierce‘s Reavers. After being defeated by Vindicator and Wolverine, Lady Deathstrike is persuaded to allow Spiral to transform her into a cyborg.

Mojo

For More Information: Uncanny X-Men

Spiral’s loyalty to Mojo continued to switch back and forth. She often mocked him even while following his orders. On one such occasion, she defied him by helping Longshot and Shatterstar. Mojo reduced Shatterstar to a digital form and Spiral helped Longshot and Shatterstar get to Earth. She then transferred his being into the comatose body of Benjamin Russell and immediately left with the source of her feelings for Shatterstar as yet unrevealed. Spiral’s dual nature resurfaced when she appeared with the mark of the Crimson Dawn on her face.

She helped Excalibur free Captain Britain from the The Dragons Of The Crimson Dawn and vanished just as mysteriously after helping them. She was next seen returning to Mojo’s side when Nocturne possessed her in order to return to Earth along with Juggernaut. Nocturne’s possession was not as complete as she had thought when Spiral quickly recovered and turned the X-Men into the X-Babies once again.

Even though she was a loyal servant of Mojo, Spiral deeply resented his crass manner and cruelty towards her. In particular, Spiral has been known to go against Mojo’s orders and attack Longshot out of psychotic need for revenge for Longshot’s seduction of her and how her love for him led to her transformation into the being she is today. As such, Mojo has been known to leave Spiral stranded on Earth.

She was revealed to have conquered an alternate timeline and referred to herself as “The Apocalypse.” She managed to kill most of that Earth’s heroes, and only Cable and some of his X-Force/New Mutants allies were left. Spiral had kidnapped that universe’s Sunspot and tortured him by making him make love to her until his rescue. With the aid of Shatterstar, Spiral was evidently defeated and apparently returned to Mojo’s services. She later attacked the X-Men together with Mojo, but ended up defeated once again

Endangered Species

For More Information: Endangered Species

In the Endangered Species storyline, Spiral and Mojo were approached by Beast while searching for solutions for preventing mutants from becoming extinct. Although she offered no further advice, she did help Beast by informing him that no amount of science would solve this problem, and that he should instead turn to magic for a solution.

Sisterhood of Mutants

For More Information: Uncanny X-Men

Spiral later resurfaced while she was helping to fix Lady Deathstrike, who had been brutally beaten during the Messiah Complex. The two women were then recruited in the Sisterhood of Mutants by the Red Queen, with Lady Deathstrike calling Spiral her mistress and willingly doing any task that she asked.

Spiral had Deathstrike and Chimera assist her in digging up Psylocke‘s old body, and Spiral used her magic to assist the Red Queen in returning Betsy to her original form while keeping her under the control of the Sisterhood. Spiral then teleported the Sisterhood to the X-Men’s headquarters where they easily got the best of the mutant team. Later, with the Sisterhood separated, they battled the X-Men again in Westchester while the Red Queen sought Jean Grey’s body. With Spiral holding off Northstar, the Red Queen was defeated and she was forced teleport the rest of the Sisterhood to safety to an unknown location.

Marvel Now!

For More Information: Uncanny X-Force

Spiral is now operating in L.A. and selling a drug called Tao, which makes people feel “united”. This is until she is attacked by Psylocke. Spiral asks Betsy for mercy, but Betsy refuses wanting her vengeance. However, the club-goers under the influence of Tao attack Psylocke. After their adventure together, Spiral joins the Uncanny X-Force to atone for her sins.

Powers & Abilities

Spiral is an accomplished swordswoman. She carries two swords of an unknown metal and numerous other weapons. Her transformation in the Body Shoppe has granted her enhanced strength, speed and reflexes. She has considerable knowledge in the fields of cybernetics and genetics.

Her magical abilities allow her teleportation, the ability to become invisible, manipulate all forms of energy, stun or paralyze other people, and remove superhuman abilities. Spiral casts many of her spells by dancing or using her swords, the more complicated the spell the more elaborate her dance is. When Doctor Strange lost the title of Sorcerer Supreme, Spiral was one of twenty candidates to replace him for the title.

It was also established that Spiral is aware, through unknown mystical means, whenever a person speaks her name. Her immunity to some types of possession may stem from her magical abilities but that has not been revealed. She also possesses a genius-level intellect.

Characteristics

• Height: 5′ 10″
• Weight: 162 lbs.
• Eyes: White
• Hair: Silver
• Known Relatives: Unrevealed
• Citizenship: U.S.A
• Place of Birth: Unrevealed
• Marital Status: Single
• Occupation: Adventurer, Servant of Mojo, executioner, spy; former stuntwoman, Body Shoppe owner
• Education: Unrevealed

Alternate Realities

Ultimate Spiral (Earth-1610 – Ultimate)

In the Ultimate Universe, Spiral has no magical abilities and her arms come from her mutant gene. Still a skilled swordswoman, she was Longshot’s girlfriend until she cheated on him in favor of Lord Scheele. Angered about this, Longshot killed him and Spiral knocked him unconscious.

The X-Men investigated the murder and thought that Spiral did it, but with Jean Grey‘s telepathic powers, it was proven to be Longshot. She later emigrated to the U.S. to be with her sister, who was also a mutant.

Other Media

Television

Animated

X-Men: The Animated Series

Spiral first appears in the episode “Mojovisions.” However when she is introduced for the first time, not much is known about her. All we know that she works for Mojo and is an accomplished sorceress and that she helped capture the x-Men for Mojo. So he could put them on his television show, which of course was done against their wills.

Much later in the animated series Spiral makes a second and final appearance in the episode titled LongShot. Here she is near the beginning of the episode trying to Capture Longshot. Later she was revealed to have betrayed Mojo and had fallen for Longshot. However their relationship soured and she went back to working with Mojo. She was voiced by Cynthia Belliveau.

Wolverine and the X-Men

Spiral and the Reavers worked for Mojo. They were ordered to attack a ship named Avalon with mutant passengers heading to Genosha. They threatened all of its passengers, but Nightcrawler and his team of mutants defeated them in a battle that caused Spiral and the Reavers to teleport away from the ship.

She later tried to avenge her loss by tricking Nightcrawler and the Scarlet Witch into taking part, as prey, in a hunting game organised for Mojo. She, along with Mojo, was defeated by Kurt and Wanda with the help of Wolverine, whom Spiral had summoned and reverted to his Weapon X persona for this game. She was voiced by Grey DeLisle.

Video Games

Marvel vs. Capcom series

Spiral appears in 1994’s X-Men: Children of the Atom, a Japanese fighting game from Capcom. Her fighting style revolves around the use of her multiple limbs, as well as her ability to summon bladed weapons that can be hurled at her opponent. She also possesses the ability to shapeshift, similar to Mystique, as her Hyper Combo involves her transforming into the various other fighters in the case. Her in-game stage is Mojo World. In the game’s story, she battles the X-Men and other characters to bring higher ratings to Mojo’s TV series. In her ending, she defeats Magneto and destroys Avalon, which she claims is the perfect finale. After returning to Mojo’s dimension, she pitches an idea for a new show called “The Fall of Earth,” which will see her battling the rest of Earth’s heroes now that she has defeated the X-Men. She was voiced by Catherine Disher (the voice of Jean Grey in the animated series).

Spiral finally made her return to the series in 2000’s Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Her voice was once again provided by Catherine Disher. Though this was her last playable appearance to date, Spiral did make a cameo in Viewtiful Joe‘s ending in Marvel vs. Capcom 3, which was released in 2011.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

In the video game based on the movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Wolverine fights several multi-armed, sword-swinging, female mutants (possibly based on Spiral) who work for Gambit throughout the casino level.

Marvel Avengers Alliance

Spiral is a playable character in the game, recruitable as a reward in the PVP tournament Season 11.

Her bio says: Once a talented stunt woman named Rita Wayword, Spiral was kidnapped and genetically transformed into a six-armed assassin by extra-dimensional aliens. The experience damaged her sanity but granted her potent magical abilities. Though both her motives and loyalty are questionable, Spiral’s powers are such that having her as an ally is worth the risk… simply to avoid making her an enemy.

Merchandise

• Spiral was featured in the X-Men: Flashback Series from ToyBiz.
• Spiral was featured in the HeroClix figure game.
• Spiral was featured in Hasbro’s Super Hero Squad line.
• A 6-inch Spiral figure was featured in the Marvel Legends Red Hulk Build-a-Figure wave from Hasbro, which was a Walmart exclusive. In 2023, an updated Spiral figure was released as part of the second Retro X-Men wave.
• Spiral was featured in Diamond Select’s Minimates line as part of a two-pack with Mojo.
• Eaglemoss Publications included Spiral in their Classic Marvel Figurine Collection.
• Sideshow Collectibles released a diorama depicting a battle between Spiral and Psylocke.
• Bowen Designs released a Spiral statue.