I am the Locust! I protect the lost, the wandering and the nomadic! I am a friend to the forlorn and an ally to all! 
- —The Locust[src]
History
Fernanda Rodriguez is a vigilante known as the Red Locust from San Diego, California. She is the only child of a family with a centuries-long tradition whereby a group of Aztec trackers, known as the Locust Brotherhood, had passed down symbolic armor to firstborn sons named Fernando, in honor of the first king of Spain, to protect nomads, vagabonds, and runaways.
Her mother died before bearing a son; however, the Brotherhood was convinced to give the girl a chance to prove herself. Fernanda then studied hydraulics and exoskeletons to significantly upgrade the ancient armor, making it bulletproof and allowing for super strength, leaps, and kicks. The Red Locust of each generation had received requests at the Immaculate Conception Church and then tracked down the missing loved ones. During her first such mission, Fernanda encountered Viv while chasing Mateo Garza. The Synthezoid was in town keeping tabs on the Freelancers in nearby Coronado and the two teamed up to take down Mr. Gloom's child trafficking and drug manufacturing operations.
Impressed by Fernanda's dedication to helping the less fortunate, Viv made her an honorary Champion and pledged to petition the team for full membership on her behalf.[2] The Red Locust later encountered Patriot and Falcon in Mexico's Sonoran Desert where they assisted a group of migrants left trapped in a hot vehicle by coyotajes. The group was soon ambushed by the smugglers, but the sudden arrival of Ms. Marvel and Spider-Man helped to turn the tide in their favor, and the trio were subsequently recruited by the Champions.[3]
After the government passed "Kamala's Law" which outlawed individuals under the age of 21 from being a superhero, Locus was one of the individuals who were apprehended by C.R.A.D.L.E..[4]Paraphernalia
Equipment
Notes
- The character was originally introduced as Fernanda Ramirez in Champions (Vol. 2) #9. At the request of her own co-creator Humberto Ramos, her surname was changed to Rodriguez and the adjective dropped from her alias. The story of Champions Vol 2 #9 was edited to include the change of her name in the collected reprint.[1]
Trivia
- Locust was inspired by El Chapulín Colorado, a famous character of the late Mexican director and actor, Roberto Bolaños, also know as Chespirito, who has been described as one of the most recognized Mexican comedians of the 20th century as well as being well-known and honored throughout Latin America.[5] When the Champions creative team of Mark Waid and Humberto Ramos were offered by Marvel to come up with a character with a Latin American background and heritage, Ramos told them about El Chapulín Colorado, and suggested for the new character to honor him.[6]
- When Ramos left Champions, he suggested dropping the "Red" from Fernanda's alter-ego to "set the clear idea that she is a character of her own."[6]
- Fernanda is named after Ramos' wife.[6]
- The heart sticker in The Locust's helmet is a memorial to her grandmother, who used to call her "corazón" ("heart" in Spanish). The scarf she wears belonged to her grandmother.[6]
See Also
- 15 appearance(s) of Fernanda Rodriguez (Earth-616)
- 1 mention(s) of Fernanda Rodriguez (Earth-616)
- 23 image(s) of Fernanda Rodriguez (Earth-616)
- 2 quotation(s) by or about Fernanda Rodriguez (Earth-616)
- 1 item(s) used/owned by Fernanda Rodriguez (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Zub, Jim (2 January 2019) How come Fernanda’s last name changed from Ramirez to Rodriguez? Tumblr. Retrieved on 2 January 2019.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Champions (Vol. 2) #9
- ↑ Champions (Vol. 2) #16
- ↑ Champions (Vol. 4) #1
- ↑ Gayosso el Mié, Fernando (7 June 2017) El Chapulín Colorado ahora es un superhéroe de Marvel Comics. Retrieved on 8 June 2017.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Matter, Brittany (14 October 2020) Humberto Ramos Talks Inspiration for Fernanda Rodriguez, The Locust Marvel.com. Retrieved on 20 October 2020.