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Typhoid Mary (comics)
Encyclopedia
Typhoid Mary also known as Typhoid, Walker, Bloody Mary and Mutant Zero, is a fictional character
, a supervillain
and enemy of Daredevil
and Deadpool in the Marvel Comics
Universe
. She first appeared in Daredevil #254, and was created by Ann Nocenti
and John Romita, Jr.
. Her name comes from early 20th century Irish-American cook and typhoid fever
carrier "Typhoid Mary" Mallon
.
In the pages of Avengers: The Initiative
a mysterious character named Mutant Zero was shown. Writer Dan Slott stated that she was secretly a well-known character in disguise. She first appeared in Avengers: The Initiative #4 as a member of Henry Peter Gyrich
's black ops
team but it wasn't until issue #20 that she was finally revealed to be Typhoid Mary.
. She has been a professional criminal employed by organized crime
syndicates as an assassin
in the past. She is also truly and gravely mentally ill
.
Her condition was accidentally caused by a pre-Daredevil Matt Murdock. He had tracked a villain down to the brothel where Mary worked. He attacked the man, but to his surprise, the girls working there came at him. Panicking, he lashed out, knocking Mary out the window. It was at this moment that Mary somehow became Typhoid Mary, vowing no man would ever hurt her again. In later appearances, however, she would imply that she was a victim of child abuse
.
Suffering from dissociative identity disorder
, Mary Walker has three other abnormal personalities in addition to her seemingly healthy one. Her "Mary" personality is a timid, quiet, pacifist
; her "Typhoid" personality is adventurous, lustful, and violent; and her "Bloody Mary" persona is brutal, sadistic, and misandric. Mary once claimed that there was a fourth personality, who is 'lost,' but it has not since been mentioned. Aside from highly developed martial arts
skills, Walker also possesses telekinetic powers and, more dangerously, pyrokinesis
, the ability to set people or objects in her immediate vicinity aflame.
In her first appearance, she met Matt Murdock, and was hired as an assassin by the Kingpin
. She then first battled Daredevil, while beginning a romance with Matt Murdock. She temporarily reverted to her "Mary" personality, but then reverted back to her "Typhoid" personality, and began a romance with the Kingpin. She hired Bullet
, Bushwacker
, Ammo
, and the Wild Boys
to attack Daredevil, and then personally led these criminals against him.
A favorite pawn of the Kingpin, Typhoid frequently battled and had a love-hate relationship
with Daredevil before disappearing. Through hypnosis
, the abnormal and psychotic
personalities were suppressed from Walker's consciousness, and she began to lead a normal life, becoming an actress on a soap opera
. She was sent by Doctor Doom
to learn the secrets of Kymellian
technology from Power Pack
during the Acts of Vengeance
. She was subsequently in the Kingpin's employ once again, and met Bullseye
. She helped thwart an attempt on the Kingpin's life by Crossbones
. At one point, as she struggled to keep her multiple personalities under control, she befriended Mary Jane Watson
and battled Spider-Man
when Bloody Mary resurfaced and she began killing men who committed domestic abuse. With the web-slinger's help, Mary regained control and voluntarily turned herself in to the police for treatment.
At one point, Mary was confined to a mental institution where each personality hired a mercenary. Mary hired Deadpool
to kill her, Typhoid hired him to break her out, and Bloody Mary hired The Vamp/Animus
to break her out to resume a killing spree. Deadpool defeated the Vamp/Animus but refused to kill Mary, allowing the Typhoid personality to become dominant. Typhoid and Deadpool had a few adventures together, including traveling to New York City to confront Daredevil for accidentally kicking her out of the brothel some years ago (Typhoid regained the memories of this incident when Deadpool pushed her out of a window), before Deadpool attempted to reform Typhoid. This did not go well and the two eventually separated.
However, following the Kingpin's fall from power and subsequent near-death coma
, he recovered and started rising back to power, taking out his enemies. To distract Daredevil while he retook his criminal empire, the Kingpin paid a visit to Walker at her show and, with a blunt slap, released the abnormal personalities. Murdock's bodyguards Luke Cage
and Jessica Jones
managed to take her down after she confronted Daredevil in his secret identity
and set him on fire. Mary was imprisoned on The Raft
, a maximum security prison for super-powered criminals.
Electro later led an attack on the Raft, breaking out the prisoners. While the Avengers
arrived and managed to stop some of the prisoners, Mary managed to escape and was briefly mentioned as once more working for the Kingpin.
At some point after the events of the superhuman Civil War
, Mary is found by Henry Peter Gyrich
and recruited into the Initiative program. It is currently unknown whether she suffered some sort of psychotic episode which left her too unstable to be left to her own devices or whether she sought out treatment and joined of her own free will. Gyrich reveals that 'Mutant Zero' is a mutant that not only remained empowered following M-Day
, but one that is not included in the official record of the remaining mutants. Technically not existing in any official capacity (according to Gyrich), Mary's true identity is made classified and she is given the codename of "Mutant Zero." According to Dr. Leonard Samson
, Mutant Zero is still mentally unstable and that referencing any of her other identities could lead to a period of instability. Mutant Zero is inducted into the Initiative's black ops team, the Shadow Initiative, but due to her mental instability she can only be "activated" once per mission or risk her becoming mentally unstable.
When Taskmaster
is appointed as field leader of the Shadow Initiative, he senses something familiar about Mutant Zero's body language (thanks to his superhuman ability), and initiates an impromptu sparring match with her to satisfy his curiosity. After witnessing her fighting style and provoking her into using her pyrokinesis, Taskmaster shatters her helmet's faceplate and reveals her as Typhoid Mary.
As the Shadow Initiative prepares to capture Hardball
in Madripoor
, Mary reveals that the reason why she joined the Initiative is because she couldn't merge or block out her four personalities, so she offered to join in exchange for a pardon and to help integrate her fractured mind, which is still a work in progress. During the Shadow Initiative's fight against HYDRA
, Mary loses control of her personalities, having spent too much time from the Zero Room, and flees into the wilds of Madripoor.
in providing martial law
for an ever increasing area of New York City. She claims that her time in the Initiative was successful in integrating her fractured mind, but Daredevil does not believe her. Following the war, Kingpin - using secret code words to activate her fourth personality - reveals that she was an inside agent who was ignorant of her 'true' goal all along.
However, she has three separate personalities
as a result of her mental illness. The timid, pacifist "Mary" personality has no psionic abilities. The "Typhoid" and "Bloody Mary" personalities have the full range of these psionic powers and they are strongest in "Bloody Mary". Her original "Mary Walker" personality is supposed to be a balanced amalgam of all of these, but is seldom dominant. Because of the different heart rates and voice patterns of her different personas, not to mention the different ways of dress, even Daredevil's super-senses were long unable to tell the different personas all belonged to the same woman, and Typhoid Mary took advantage of this situation to hide from Daredevil/Matt Murdock even within earshot.
As Mutant Zero, Mary appears to possess the same psionic powers utilized by both Typhoid and Bloody Mary. It is unknown whether the powers she possesses as Mutant Zero are equal to or stronger than those of the "Bloody Mary" personality. Recent battles suggest they are more powerful, but take their toll on Mary when used as a result of this strength. Mutant Zero is also equipped with a suit of full body armor that appears to enhance her physical strength and an arsenal of weapons, including guns and various blades.
Typhoid Mary is in excellent physical condition. She has peak human reflex
es and agility, and is highly athletic. She is also trained in the martial arts, particularly Judo
and Zen
-Sword. She has exceptional skill in wielding and throwing bladed weapons, and is usually armed with a variety of machetes and smaller knives.
.
reality, Typhoid Mary is a member of the Avengers.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
and enemy of Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
and Deadpool in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. She first appeared in Daredevil #254, and was created by Ann Nocenti
Ann Nocenti
Ann "Annie" Nocenti is an American journalist, writer, editor, and filmmaker best known for her work on comic books and magazines. As an editor for Marvel Comics, she edited New Mutants and The Uncanny X-Men...
and John Romita, Jr.
John Romita, Jr.
John Salvatore Romita, Jr. is an American comic book artist best known for his extensive work for Marvel Comics from the 1970s to the 2000s...
. Her name comes from early 20th century Irish-American cook and typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
carrier "Typhoid Mary" Mallon
Mary Mallon
Mary Mallon , also known as Typhoid Mary, was the first person in the United States identified as an asymptomatic carrier of the pathogen associated with typhoid fever. She was presumed to have infected some 53 people, three of whom died, over the course of her career as a cook...
.
In the pages of Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series dealt with the aftermath of Marvel's Civil War crossover Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series...
a mysterious character named Mutant Zero was shown. Writer Dan Slott stated that she was secretly a well-known character in disguise. She first appeared in Avengers: The Initiative #4 as a member of Henry Peter Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers Vol. 1 #165 and was created by Jim Shooter and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:...
's black ops
Black operation
A black operation or black op is a covert operation typically involving activities that are highly clandestine and often outside of standard military protocol or even against the law.-Origins:...
team but it wasn't until issue #20 that she was finally revealed to be Typhoid Mary.
Fictional character biography
Typhoid Mary is an enemy and former lover of Daredevil with low level psionic powers, including telekinesisPsychokinesis
The term psychokinesis , also referred to as telekinesis with respect to strictly describing movement of matter, sometimes abbreviated PK and TK respectively, is a term...
. She has been a professional criminal employed by organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
syndicates as an assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
in the past. She is also truly and gravely mentally ill
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
.
Her condition was accidentally caused by a pre-Daredevil Matt Murdock. He had tracked a villain down to the brothel where Mary worked. He attacked the man, but to his surprise, the girls working there came at him. Panicking, he lashed out, knocking Mary out the window. It was at this moment that Mary somehow became Typhoid Mary, vowing no man would ever hurt her again. In later appearances, however, she would imply that she was a victim of child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
.
Suffering from dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis and describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities , each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment....
, Mary Walker has three other abnormal personalities in addition to her seemingly healthy one. Her "Mary" personality is a timid, quiet, pacifist
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
; her "Typhoid" personality is adventurous, lustful, and violent; and her "Bloody Mary" persona is brutal, sadistic, and misandric. Mary once claimed that there was a fourth personality, who is 'lost,' but it has not since been mentioned. Aside from highly developed martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
skills, Walker also possesses telekinetic powers and, more dangerously, pyrokinesis
Pyrokinesis
Pyrokinesis, derived from the Greek words and , was the name coined by horror novelist Stephen King for the ability to create or to control fire with the mind that he gave to the protagonist Charlie McGee in Firestarter...
, the ability to set people or objects in her immediate vicinity aflame.
In her first appearance, she met Matt Murdock, and was hired as an assassin by the Kingpin
Kingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
. She then first battled Daredevil, while beginning a romance with Matt Murdock. She temporarily reverted to her "Mary" personality, but then reverted back to her "Typhoid" personality, and began a romance with the Kingpin. She hired Bullet
Bullet (comics)
Bullet is fictional character that has appeared in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Existing within Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe, Bullet mostly appeared in the pages of Daredevil in the 1980s and early 1990s....
, Bushwacker
Bushwacker (comics)
Bushwacker is a fictional character, a supervillain in the , who is primarily an enemy of Daredevil, although he has had dealings with the Punisher and Wolverine. He first appeared in Daredevil #248 ....
, Ammo
Ammo (comics)
Ammo is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Ammo first appeared in Daredevil #252 , and was created by Ann Nocenti and John Romita, Jr.....
, and the Wild Boys
Wildboys (comics)
The Wildboys are fictional characters in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:The Wildboys are an unruly pair of street-dwellers that enjoy committing violent acts of vandalism...
to attack Daredevil, and then personally led these criminals against him.
A favorite pawn of the Kingpin, Typhoid frequently battled and had a love-hate relationship
Love-hate relationship
A love–hate relationship is an interpersonal relationship involving simultaneous or alternating emotions of love and hate. This relationship does not have to be of a romantic nature, and may be instead of a sibling one...
with Daredevil before disappearing. Through hypnosis
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
, the abnormal and psychotic
Psychosis
Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
personalities were suppressed from Walker's consciousness, and she began to lead a normal life, becoming an actress on a soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
. She was sent by Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
to learn the secrets of Kymellian
Kymellian
The Kymellians are a fictional extraterrestrial race that have appeared in many Marvel Comics. They were introduced in Power Pack #1 .-Fictional biography:...
technology from Power Pack
Power Pack
Power Pack is a fictional team of comic book superheroes consisting of four young siblings who appear in books published by Marvel Comics. They were created by writer Louise Simonson and artist June Brigman and first appeared in their own series in 1984. The series lasted 62 issues...
during the Acts of Vengeance
Acts of Vengeance
"Acts of Vengeance" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through several titles published by Marvel Comics from December 1989 to February 1990.-Publication history:...
. She was subsequently in the Kingpin's employ once again, and met Bullseye
Bullseye (comics)
Bullseye is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.A psychopathic assassin, Bullseye uses the opportunities afforded by his line of work to exercise his homicidal tendencies and to work out his own personal vendetta against Daredevil.Although he possesses no...
. She helped thwart an attempt on the Kingpin's life by Crossbones
Crossbones (comics)
Crossbones is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by writer Mark Gruenwald and artist Kieron Dwyer in Captain America #359-360 . Crossbones usually appears as a henchman of the Red Skull...
. At one point, as she struggled to keep her multiple personalities under control, she befriended Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson, often shortened to MJ, is a fictional supporting character appearing, originally, in Marvel comic books and, later, in multiple spin-offs and dramatizations of the Spider-Man titles as the best friend, love interest, and one-time wife of Peter Parker, the alter ego of Spider-Man...
and battled Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
when Bloody Mary resurfaced and she began killing men who committed domestic abuse. With the web-slinger's help, Mary regained control and voluntarily turned herself in to the police for treatment.
At one point, Mary was confined to a mental institution where each personality hired a mercenary. Mary hired Deadpool
Deadpool (comics)
Deadpool is a fictional character, a mercenary and anti-hero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool first appeared in The New Mutants #98 Deadpool (Wade Winston Wilson) is a fictional character, a mercenary and...
to kill her, Typhoid hired him to break her out, and Bloody Mary hired The Vamp/Animus
Vamp (comics)
Vamp is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Using her absorbo-belt, the Vamp joined the S.H.I.E.L.D. Super-Agent program along with Blue Streak, Texas Twister, and Marvel Man. The Vamp had an additional alter-ego: the Animus, a huge-headed pink-skinned...
to break her out to resume a killing spree. Deadpool defeated the Vamp/Animus but refused to kill Mary, allowing the Typhoid personality to become dominant. Typhoid and Deadpool had a few adventures together, including traveling to New York City to confront Daredevil for accidentally kicking her out of the brothel some years ago (Typhoid regained the memories of this incident when Deadpool pushed her out of a window), before Deadpool attempted to reform Typhoid. This did not go well and the two eventually separated.
However, following the Kingpin's fall from power and subsequent near-death coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
, he recovered and started rising back to power, taking out his enemies. To distract Daredevil while he retook his criminal empire, the Kingpin paid a visit to Walker at her show and, with a blunt slap, released the abnormal personalities. Murdock's bodyguards Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
and Jessica Jones
Jessica Jones
Jessica Campbell Jones Cage is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos. Jones debuted in the series Alias as an embittered former superheroine who had used the aliases Jewel, Knightress, and currently Power Woman...
managed to take her down after she confronted Daredevil in his secret identity
Secret identity
A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
and set him on fire. Mary was imprisoned on The Raft
The Raft (comics)
The Raft is a fictional island prison facility in New York City for psychopathic superhuman criminals appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics...
, a maximum security prison for super-powered criminals.
Electro later led an attack on the Raft, breaking out the prisoners. While the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
arrived and managed to stop some of the prisoners, Mary managed to escape and was briefly mentioned as once more working for the Kingpin.
The Initiative
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
, Mary is found by Henry Peter Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers Vol. 1 #165 and was created by Jim Shooter and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:...
and recruited into the Initiative program. It is currently unknown whether she suffered some sort of psychotic episode which left her too unstable to be left to her own devices or whether she sought out treatment and joined of her own free will. Gyrich reveals that 'Mutant Zero' is a mutant that not only remained empowered following M-Day
Decimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...
, but one that is not included in the official record of the remaining mutants. Technically not existing in any official capacity (according to Gyrich), Mary's true identity is made classified and she is given the codename of "Mutant Zero." According to Dr. Leonard Samson
Doc Samson
Doc Samson is a fictional character, a superhero and psychiatrist in the Marvel Comics universe, known as a supporting character in stories featuring the Hulk.-Publication history:...
, Mutant Zero is still mentally unstable and that referencing any of her other identities could lead to a period of instability. Mutant Zero is inducted into the Initiative's black ops team, the Shadow Initiative, but due to her mental instability she can only be "activated" once per mission or risk her becoming mentally unstable.
When Taskmaster
Taskmaster
Taskmaster is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. The character is primarily a supervillain but is often portrayed as an antihero. The Taskmaster first appeared in Avengers vol.1 #195 and was created by David Michelinie and George Pérez...
is appointed as field leader of the Shadow Initiative, he senses something familiar about Mutant Zero's body language (thanks to his superhuman ability), and initiates an impromptu sparring match with her to satisfy his curiosity. After witnessing her fighting style and provoking her into using her pyrokinesis, Taskmaster shatters her helmet's faceplate and reveals her as Typhoid Mary.
As the Shadow Initiative prepares to capture Hardball
Hardball (comics)
Hardball is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by writer Dan Slott and artist Stefano Caselli, and first appeared in Avengers: The Initiative #1 ....
in Madripoor
Madripoor
The Principality of Madripoor is a fictional island located in Southeast Asia in the Marvel Comics universe. Based on illustrations, it is in the southern portion of the Strait of Malacca, southwest of Singapore.-Publication history:...
, Mary reveals that the reason why she joined the Initiative is because she couldn't merge or block out her four personalities, so she offered to join in exchange for a pardon and to help integrate her fractured mind, which is still a work in progress. During the Shadow Initiative's fight against HYDRA
HYDRA
HYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
, Mary loses control of her personalities, having spent too much time from the Zero Room, and flees into the wilds of Madripoor.
Shadowland
Mary answers Daredevil's call for superheroes to join him and The HandHand (comics)
The Hand is a fictional supervillainous organization in the Marvel Comics universe.The Hand is an order of evil mystical ninja who are heavily involved in organized crime and mercenary activities such as assassination plots. The Hand covets power above all other objectives. They are primarily based...
in providing martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
for an ever increasing area of New York City. She claims that her time in the Initiative was successful in integrating her fractured mind, but Daredevil does not believe her. Following the war, Kingpin - using secret code words to activate her fourth personality - reveals that she was an inside agent who was ignorant of her 'true' goal all along.
Powers and abilities
Typhoid Mary is a mutant and possesses a number of limited psionic powers. She can use telekinesis to levitate small objects over short distances (such as weapons of under 10 pounds; knives, razors, etc., which her "Bloody Mary" persona often gathered and assembled into improvised battle-armor). She is a powerful pyrokinetic, meaning she can cause spontaneous combustion within line of sight to set objects in her immediate vicinity aflame. She can implant mental suggestions in the minds of others. She can use her psionic hypnosis ability to induce sleep in weak-minded individuals and most animals; certain individuals are mentally resistant to her hypnotic powers.However, she has three separate personalities
Dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis and describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities , each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment....
as a result of her mental illness. The timid, pacifist "Mary" personality has no psionic abilities. The "Typhoid" and "Bloody Mary" personalities have the full range of these psionic powers and they are strongest in "Bloody Mary". Her original "Mary Walker" personality is supposed to be a balanced amalgam of all of these, but is seldom dominant. Because of the different heart rates and voice patterns of her different personas, not to mention the different ways of dress, even Daredevil's super-senses were long unable to tell the different personas all belonged to the same woman, and Typhoid Mary took advantage of this situation to hide from Daredevil/Matt Murdock even within earshot.
As Mutant Zero, Mary appears to possess the same psionic powers utilized by both Typhoid and Bloody Mary. It is unknown whether the powers she possesses as Mutant Zero are equal to or stronger than those of the "Bloody Mary" personality. Recent battles suggest they are more powerful, but take their toll on Mary when used as a result of this strength. Mutant Zero is also equipped with a suit of full body armor that appears to enhance her physical strength and an arsenal of weapons, including guns and various blades.
Typhoid Mary is in excellent physical condition. She has peak human reflex
Reflex
A reflex action, also known as a reflex, is an involuntary and nearly instantaneous movement in response to a stimulus. A true reflex is a behavior which is mediated via the reflex arc; this does not apply to casual uses of the term 'reflex'.-See also:...
es and agility, and is highly athletic. She is also trained in the martial arts, particularly Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
and Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
-Sword. She has exceptional skill in wielding and throwing bladed weapons, and is usually armed with a variety of machetes and smaller knives.
House of M
Typhoid Mary appears as an assassin of Wilson FiskKingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
.
Mutant X
In the Mutant XMutant X (comics)
Mutant X was a comic book published by Marvel Comics featuring Havok, a mutant and former member of the X-Men, who was transported into a parallel dimension. It was written by Howard Mackie....
reality, Typhoid Mary is a member of the Avengers.
Television
- Typhoid Mary makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the X-MenX-Men (TV series)X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
episode "Beyond Good and Evil pt. 3." She appears as one the psychics captured by ApocalypseApocalypse (comics)Apocalypse is a fictional character who is an ancient mutant that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Factor #5 , created by writer Louise Simonson and designed by artist Walter Simonson...
(including PsylockePsylockePsylocke is a fictional character depicted in comic books published by Marvel Comics, most notably those comics featuring the superhero team the X-Men. The character has also appeared in licensed adaptations. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Herb Trimpe, she first appeared in the UK...
, OracleOracle (Marvel Comics)Oracle is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Oracle is a long-time member and warrior serving in the Royal Elite of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard. She is the Empire's premiere telepath, capable of all the standard abilities demonstrated by other telepaths...
, MoondragonMoondragonMoondragon is a fictional character in Marvel Comics Universe. A vastly powerful telepath, master martial artist, minor telekinetic, and highly skilled geneticist, Moondragon's most notable characteristics are her shaved head, superiority complex, and gruelling elite excellence in virtually every...
, Emma FrostEmma FrostEmma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
, StryfeStryfeStryfe is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character was created by Louise Simonson and Rob Liefeld, and first appears in The New Mutants #87...
, Jason Wyndgarde and Rachel SummersRachel SummersRachel Anne Summers is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne for Marvel Comics....
).
Films
- A villain named Typhoid (portrayed by Natassia MaltheNatassia MaltheNatassia Malthe is a Norwegian model and actress.-Biography:Natassia is the younger of two daughters. She was born in Oslo, Norway. She is half Filipino. She is usually credited by her birth name however is sometime credited as 'Lina Teal'...
) appears in the Elektra filmElektra (2005 film)Elektra is a 2005 superhero film directed by Rob Bowman. It is a spin-off from the 2003 film Daredevil, starring the Marvel comics character Elektra Natchios . The story follows Elektra, an international assassin whose weapon of choice is a pair of sai.For the screenplay, Zak Penn, Stuart Zicherman...
, but the only real similarity she had to the comic book character is the name. In the film she is an assassin for the HandHand (comics)The Hand is a fictional supervillainous organization in the Marvel Comics universe.The Hand is an order of evil mystical ninja who are heavily involved in organized crime and mercenary activities such as assassination plots. The Hand covets power above all other objectives. They are primarily based...
whose breath or touch kills whatever they come into contact with. Her poison touch spreads vastly throughout an area at will, killing life, and she can poison her weapons by breathing on them. The precise limitations to the poison that leaves her body is unknown, nor to how quickly and wide she can spread it. She was once a skilled ninja called the Treasure, and is jealous of Abby who is the new Treasure. Typhoid gives Elektra a poisonous kiss, which almost kills her. She succeeds in killing Abby with her breath-poisoned weapons, although Elektra later resurrects Abby with the same method that her master, StickStick (comics)Stick is a fictional American comic book character owned by Marvel Comics who appears in that company's Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:The mysterious Stick is a sensei who trained the young but inexperienced Matt Murdock Marvel...
, had used to revive her after she was killed by BullseyeBullseye (comics)Bullseye is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.A psychopathic assassin, Bullseye uses the opportunities afforded by his line of work to exercise his homicidal tendencies and to work out his own personal vendetta against Daredevil.Although he possesses no...
in the Daredevil movieDaredevil (film)Daredevil is a 2003 American superhero film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson. Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, the film stars Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who fights for justice in the courtroom and out of the courtroom as the masked vigilante Daredevil...
. After Elektra kills KirigiKirigiKirigi is a fictional ninja assassin in the Marvel Comics universe. After being resurrected by The Hand, he works as an operative for the group. He is extremely powerful; for example, he is capable of lifting at least 1000 pounds...
in a final battle, Elektra throws a sai through the hedges of a maze and straight into Typhoid's face. Typhoid falls back onto the ground and disintegrates. The character is specifically named as "Typhoid Mary" rather than just Typhoid by both the producers and Jennifer Garner during the "Making of Elektra" feature on the DVD.
Video games
- Typhoid Mary appears in The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The KingpinThe Amazing Spider-Man vs. The KingpinThe Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin is a video game produced by Sega of America and developed by Technopop...
for the Sega CD, as one of Kingpin's personal bodyguards (BullseyeBullseye (comics)Bullseye is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.A psychopathic assassin, Bullseye uses the opportunities afforded by his line of work to exercise his homicidal tendencies and to work out his own personal vendetta against Daredevil.Although he possesses no...
is the other). Both of them must be defeated before Spider-Man can reach Kingpin.
External links
- Profile at marvel.com
- Fanpages