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Quote1 One of us is tender, one of us is not. Quote2
Typhoid[src]

Typhoid is the main alias of one of the Kingpin's deadliest enforcers.[13] As a mutant,[4] Typhoid displays low-level psychic abilities, which include the capacity to ignite small fires, move small objects, and disturb the minds of others. In combination to her powers, she also possesses a highly fractured psyche, which usually manifests at least two main personas: the innocent "Mary" and the vicious "Typhoid".[13] During a mission to emotionally destroy the Kingpin's nemesis, Daredevil, Typhoid fell in love with her target.[17] The distressful relationship she has developed with the Kingpin and Daredevil usually leads her to alternate between helping and hurting both of them.[18]

In a desperate crusade to have her personalities integrated, Typhoid has interacted with many other superhuman agents and organizations whom she could relate with, including Wolverine,[19] the Ghost Rider,[20] Spider-Man,[21] Deadpool,[22] and the Sisterhood of Mutants.[23] More prominently, during her quest to cure her mind, she joined the Initiative as a secret agent named Mutant Zero and found specialized help.[24] Eventually, she was neglected by the Initiative and resumed her toxic affairs with Daredevil and the Kingpin.[25]

Thanks to the Kingpin, who had become the Mayor of New York City, Typhoid found her divergent personalities integrated.[26] Their relationship eventually evolved beyond the years of violence into a respectful romance[27] and they have married each other.[15] At the Kingpin's side, Typhoid assisted him in his rise against super heroes,[10] as well as provided support during his fall from office. Together, they sought for happiness away from Daredevil.[28] Their destination ultimately came to be Krakoa, the mutant-exclusive island nation in which Typhoid had rights to citizenship.[29]

History

Mary and Typhoid[]

Mary Walker[19] was born to parents who constantly argued with one another before she was born. After her birth, her father began molesting her in her crib. One night, when her father came into her room, Mary retreated deeply into her mind and a new alter ego emerged to attack him. After that incident, her father never touched her again; she was protected.[30] Mary's need to protect herself led to her second persona developing latent powers of subtle mind control, telekinesis, and pyrokinesis.[14] Her paranormal abilities are of mutant nature[4] and first manifested when she found a dead pigeon which she involuntary burned and reanimated. The fires young Mary accidentally caused in her house escalated the domestic violence she suffered at the hands of her father.[31] Moreover, around her early years, Mary developed an extreme sense of faith in Catholic imagery.[32]

As a fascinating psychiatric case, Mary became the interest of researchers and spent most of her life institutionalized. Since infancy, in the Mary persona, she was sweet and cooperative, but also fragile, sickly, and prone to epilepsy. She was unaware of her second identity, which in contrast was violent and uncontrollable, with no symptoms of sickness. Running a constant fever, the disturbed persona became known as Typhoid. The only interest Typhoid ever showed in the mental institution regarded the development of her psychic abilities.[13] Due to her exceptional condition being an vulnerability, Mary Walker fell to the clutches of a group of researchers who performed damaging psychic brainwashing to weaponize sleeper agents[33] linked to Project Psyche, the ninth installment of Weapon Plus.[34] At some point, when institutionalized at the Creed Psychiatrist Hospital, Mary met the lethal Elektra, who broke her free from the facility.[32]

Some time later, the free Mary became well-known as a successful stage actress with a promising career ahead of herself. One more time, she disappeared, which was assumed to be Typhoid's fault.[13] She eventually worked as a prostitute in a brothel; this is where she first met Matt Murdock before he became Daredevil. He was there to attack a criminal named Angelo at the brothel where Mary worked. To his surprise, the girls working there defended him. In a moment of panic, he lashed out against the women, knocking Mary out the window. At that moment, Mary vowed that she would never allow a man to hurt her again. She became Typhoid.[9][35]

Woman Without Fear[]

In Chicago, Typhoid built herself a reputation in robbery and blackmailing. Her activities led her to New York City, where she became a deadly vigilante and a criminal murder. This got her involved in the underworld affairs of the Kingpin of Crime, Wilson Fisk. The Kingpin was impressed by Typhoid's history and abilities and put word out on the street for her to contact him. He hired her to seduce and emotionally destroy his archnemesis Daredevil. Typhoid accepted the offer and introduced herself to Daredevil in his blind civilian identity, Matt Murdock, in a hospital for blind patients where she claimed she volunteered at. Having fabricated a story about her father being a blind man she used to nurse, Typhoid soon gained Murdock's trust as Mary. To become closer to him, Mary helped the kid Tyrone Janson recover from an accident that had blinded him.[13] Very rapidly, Typhoid was able to make Murdock ignore his lover Karen Page and focus his attention on her. Simultaneously, she tormented Daredevil as Typhoid in order to confuse him. However, the Mary persona started to become infatuated with Daredevil in the process.[17]

Typhoid performed other missions for the Kingpin, such as threatening agents of the legal system to do his wishes in judicial battles against Murdock. Slowly, the Kingpin started to be intrigued by Typhoid as well. When discussing her plans with the Kingpin, she took the opportunity to manipulate him into starting a romance with her as well. However, her mental stability suffered with this scheme, and she ended up in conflict between her two personalities. During a battle with Daredevil, her psyche collapsed and she reverted to Mary; unable to hurt him, she was forced to flee.[36] The Kingpin grew impatient and ordered her to finish her machinations immediately. Realizing that the Mary persona could ruin her, Typhoid recruited Bullet, Ammo, and the Wildboys to join her in destroying Daredevil. Her last recruit was Bushwacker.[37] They violently struck at Daredevil, leaving him physically and psychologically vulnerable to Typhoid Mary. Tragically, she executed his murder by throwing him off a bridge.[38]

Her decision to kill Daredevil infuriated the Kingpin, degrading their toxic relationship. As a result of so much turmoil, Mary finally became aware of her condition and of Typhoid's existence.[39] Eventually, the suicidal Mary made it to the location where Daredevil's body was, only to find him alive. Murdock finally realized that Mary and Typhoid were the same woman.[40] She rescued him and brought him to a hospital, where she tormented Karen Page with the revelation that she was his lover. Amidst a demonic inferno in the city, Typhoid forged an alliance with the Prince of Lies Mephisto to exert her control over the Kingpin and fight Daredevil.[18] With the end of the demonic invasion, Typhoid, as usual, disappeared with no trace.

The Termination of Typhoid[]

In order to gather information on the group of children known as the Power Pack, Doctor Doom was able to assign Typhoid to perform the mission, learning about her existence from the Kingpin's intelligence. Once again, she pretended to be a specialist in caring for blind individuals and make her way into being hired as a school teacher. She lured Power Pack into an activity in Central Park. She soon gained their trust and was introduced to their father, the scientist James Power. Simultaneously, she also got involved with the eldest child in Power Pack, Alex Power. She was able to create tension between father and son, psionically suggesting a rivalry between them. Having fragilized the familial bonds in Power Pack, Typhoid contacted Alex, informing him she had been captured by a villain. As he met her, she had his father at her mercy. The rest of Power Pack was able to save their loved brother and father. Her mission was apparently a failure; however, in the end Typhoid revealed that her real intentions all along were to manipulate Doctor Doom in exposing his fragilities to her by playing with the paternal relationship of Power Pack.[41] Soon after, Typhoid tormented the creature known as Lifeform after he had clashed with Daredevil.[42]

Eventually, Typhoid resumed her alliance with the Kingpin, acting as his bodyguard. This coincided with the return of Fisk's former assassin Bullseye. The Kingpin's activities caught the attention of the Black Widow and Captain America, who engaged Bullseye while he was on a mission.[43] As a gang war ensued in the city and cost the Kingpin some of his operatives, Typhoid was sent into the field to investigate.[44] She soon found herself unable to manipulate Captain America when he approached her boss.[45] After his visit, Crossbones attacked Fisk under the Red Skull's orders, but was followed by Daredevil. In the fight, the Kingpin and Typhoid were able to escape. Typhoid then assigned Bullseye with the mission of assassinating the Red Skull;[46] he killed a robotic simulacrum instead.[47]

Not only her work associations with the Kingpin were rekindled, but also their romantic ones.[48] Together, they attempted to build a media empire to help Fisk expand his control[49] using brute force to threaten and scare their associates.[50] Daredevil decided to tackle the Kingpin's operations by confronting him at his office. The conversation made Fisk remember his wife, Vanessa. This caused him to lash out at Typhoid, accusing her of being incompetent as his right hand. Determined to prove her worth, Typhoid executed a mission in the Bronx against Jimmy Sabini. Exposed in the field, Typhoid was taunted by Daredevil. In the ensuing fight, Daredevil was able to cause Mary to re-emerge. After a night of love, Daredevil vanished, but not before alerting the authorities to restrain Mary, who was taken away in a straitjacket.[11]

Fractured Fairy Tales[]

An insane serial killer named Roberts contacted the lone agent Logan, the X-Man known as Wolverine, in search of help. Roberts claimed to have been manipulated by the Project, a dark organization that performed psychic surgery to create sleeper agents. Roberts asked Logan to contact Mary Walker, another victim of the Project, for assistance.[19] Logan was able to contact Walker, meeting her in a café. She informed him she struggled with memory problems, something he could relate to. They soon became sexually involved with each other.[51] Together, they were able to locate a laboratory. As they uncovered the Project's methods, Typhoid emerged. She viciously set Logan on fire, catching him off-guard.[52] She went on the run, wishing to get revenge at those who had experimented on her. She was able to locate two researchers and torture them. Logan tracked her, wishing to prevent her from becoming a killer.[53] During the fight, Mary reasserted her control, but Logan chose to abandon her due to her dangerousness.[33] Walker was able to find the lead researcher of the Project, Dr. Sidney Joern, in hopes of having his assistance in reverting the brainwashing that she had been subjected to in order to eliminate Typhoid.[54] However, Joern decided to erase the Mary persona instead. Logan was able to interrupt the process, an event which awakened Typhoid from her induced coma.[55] Struggling to keep her two personalities at check, Typhoid decided to abandon the site, leaving Logan and her former captors as she left.[56]

Using medication to keep her vicious tendencies controlled, Mary established herself in a community, joining a feminist movement and befriending a single pregnant girl named Eve. After running into Danny Ketch, Mary witnessed the possible return of Typhoid.[20] Her evil side fully emerged when she was sexually assaulted by two security guards. As she lethally counterattacked them, she was met by Ketch in his Ghost Rider identity. He had been experiencing disturbing nightmares about Typhoid and chose to engage her in combat, defeating her with his Penance Stare.[57] The Ghost Rider found himself in conflict since Mary was, in her alternate persona, an innocent. After he left, she recovered[58] and searched for the intriguing Ghost Rider. In her quest, she killed the surviving security guard. This sparked the lust for vengeance in the Ghost Rider.[59] This was revealed to be a trick schemed by the demon Dusk to fragilize the Ghost Rider.[60] In return for her assistance, Typhoid was promised mental stability. As soon as she realized that the demon had tricked her, Typhoid decided to help the Ghost Rider.[61] In the process of invading Dusk's realm of insanity, Typhoid was separated from her sane half. She was able to help Eve overcome the fear a creature had inflicted on her. Afterwards, she chose to reject the Ghost Rider and committed suicide.[30] However, the Ghost Rider was able to bargain for Typhoid's life with Dusk, who was defeated. Typhoid once again vanished, secluding herself for protection.[62]

Typhoid once again was hospitalized, this time in an apparently regular mental institution. She was treated by the psychiatrist Michael Hunt, who became obsessed with her. They attempted to integrate Typhoid's personas to stabilize her. However, Logan resurged into Typhoid's life again, asking for her help in rescuing Jessie Drake, a powerful empath who had caught the attention of the X-Men. Disguised as a technician, Mary was able to infiltrate the Fortress run by Dr. Hoffner. As Typhoid she retrieved Drake, whose empathic powers involuntarily touched the minds of Logan, Daredevil, and Vengeance to help her in her turmoil. The Fortress was able to restrain Typhoid, who lashed out in a new misandristic and cold personality called Bloody Mary. On the run with Drake, Bloody Mary started a killing agenda against men who had committed violence against women. She became a target for her former allies as well for the Fortress' guard, Steel Raven. Upon learning Drake was born male, Bloody Mary felt betrayed and rejected her.[2] For days, Bloody Mary assassinated domestic abusers. Found by Steel Raven, Bloody Mary in fact found an ally. However, Mary and her personalities collapsed as she was hunted. She found comfort with Jessie Drake, who help her integrate her personalities into a fourth one as Walker. In full control of her abilities, Walker pressed charges against Dr. Hunt and decided to fight for justice for women legally with Jessie Drake as her protégé.[14]

Soon, Mary Walker resumed her murderous activities agains abusers who evaded justice. In one of her crimes, she regressed back to the innocent Mary persona. Journalist Peter Parker found her as she claimed a powerful woman was responsible for the murder. In compassion, Parker invited Mary for dinner to meet his wife, Mary Jane. However, she attended as Typhoid. After molesting Mary Jane over her marriage, Typhoid caused a mess in the apartment and escaped. Since Parker was secretly the independent hero Spider-Man, he went to Typhoid's trail. In the confrontation, the man-killing Blood Mary appeared and targeted the sexual criminal Jack Morray. Spider-Man intervened,[21] leading Typhoid to use her ways to seduce and execute Morray. She was once again stopped by Spider-Man, who had Morray under arrest instead. Walker was ultimately able to take control over her three personalities and turned herself in for treatment at the Ravencroft Institute.[63]

Hardcore[]

At one point, Mary was confined to a mental institution where each alter hired a mercenary. Mary Walker hired Deadpool to kill her, Typhoid hired Deadpool 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 Walker, allowing the Typhoid alter to become dominant.[64] Typhoid and Deadpool had a few adventures together. But when Deadpool pushed her out of a window, her memories of Daredevil kicking her out of the brothel window returned. She and Deadpool traveled to New York City to confront Daredevil, but Deadpool became upset when he found out that she had also been killing people from her past who couldn't defend themselves against her. He and Daredevil defeated her but, against Daredevil's pleas, Deadpool insisted on trying to rehabilitate her himself; however, Mary discovered Deadpool's infatuation with Siryn and, using an Image Inducer, tricked Deadpool into sleeping with her. When Deadpool discovered the ruse, he was so shocked and betrayed that he gave up trying to help Mary.[65]

Through hypnosis, the abnormal and violent alters of Typhoid were suppressed from Walker's consciousness. She returned to a normal life, becoming an actress on a soap opera. At some point, the Kingpin fell from power and was left in a coma. He eventually recovered, and started reestablishing his power again and wanted to take out his enemies. He recruited Walker to distract Daredevil, using brute force to shock her out of her hypnotic treatments.[16] As the Kingpin's assassin, Typhoid brutally went to the streets, executing criminals who posed opposition to her boss. In order to create a distraction to give the Kingpin time to consolidate his plans, she also confronted Daredevil while he was in his civilian identity as Matt Murdock, setting him on fire[16] before his bodyguards Jessica Jones and Luke Cage took her down, with Murdock landing the final hit.[66] Typhoid was imprisoned on the maximum security prison for superhumans known as the Raft.[67] During a massive breakout sparked by Electro, she was among the several prisoners who made their escape.[68]

Mutant Zero[]

Mutantkind suffered a severe decimation, mystically implemented by the Scarlet Witch. Most of the mutants lost their abilities, except for a few dozen.[69] Only 198 mutants were catalogued as still active.[70] Around this period, the Superhuman Registration Act was implanted, forcing superhumans to register to the law to operate under the Initiative.[71] Typhoid was one of the few mutants to retain her powers during the crisis, but she was not initially included in the official record of the remaining mutants. As the cryptic "199th" still empowered mutant, Typhoid was approached by Henry Peter Gyrich and recruited into the Shadow Initiative squad unit, who acted as Gyrich's personal guard.[4] She was promised treatment for her dissociative identity disorder to attempt to integrate her fractured mind, and a legal pardon in exchange for her services as a secret agent.[24] The superhuman psychiatrist Dr. Leonard Samson prohibited references to her other identities to prevent any period of instability. She started to be referred only by the classified identity of Mutant Zero.[4] Due to her mental instability, Mutant Zero was only allowed to be "activated" once per mission, being always isolated in the Zero Room in-between missions.[72]

Mary Walker (Earth-616) from Avengers The Initiative Vol 1 5 0001

Mutant Zero

In the Shadow Initiative's first mission, they were assigned to rescue cadets who fell to the Hulk's attack on humanity. Mutant Zero effectively liberated the hostages.[4] She was also activated when the rogue experiment K.I.A. attacked Camp Hammond. Seeing no alternative, Mutant Zero used her psychic abilities to cast a telepathic cloak to render herself and Gyrich undetectable to the senses of the destructive creature.[73] In a subsequent attack to Camp Hammond, Mutant Zero was forced to get into action as alien Skrull invaders executed their massive plan of overtaking Earth. Mutant Zero directly attacked the Skrull Queen, but was tricked by her deceiving actions.[74] After the Skrull invasion failed thanks to the efforts of Earth's heroes, including a final blow fired by Norman Osborn,[75] much changed for the Initiative program. Gyrich was no longer associated with the operation, and Mutant Zero initially responded to the Gauntlet, who did not adopt Gyrich's methodology to prevent her mental collapse. To make matters worse, the abhorrent Taskmaster was able to recognize Mutant Zero's true identity by analyzing her body movements and fight matterns.[76]

The Taskmaster was also appointed as field leader of the Shadow Initiative. They were assigned to Madripoor to combat a Hydra organization.[24] With her identity exposed, Typhoid abandoned the Mutant Zero identity during the mission. She was able to gather complex intel about Hydra's activities, which were run by the Scorpion.[77] During the ensuing fight, the Taskmaster cowardly decided to retreat as they were counted with no support from the Initiative program due to S.H.I.E.L.D. being dismantled and supplanted by Osborn's H.A.M.M.E.R..[78] In Madripoor, the lost agents were forced to fight Roughouse and Bloodscream. By remaining active in the field for too long with no support, the psychological controls guiding the Mutant Zero project alter failed, and Typhoid manifested an independent alter to evade Hydra. As the dust settled, she coldly chose to abandon her teammates of the Initiative.[79]

Shadowland[]

In order to end the Hand's endless bloodlust, Daredevil took the controversial decision of seizing control of the ancient clan of murderers to control it.[80] Typhoid, now in full control of her integrated personas due to the Initiative, contacted Daredevil to join him in his crusade. Seeing her as a valuable asset, Daredevil accepted Typhoid as one of his agents.[81] However, the superhero community opposed Daredevil because of his descent into cruelty, invading his Shadowland empire in Hell's Kitchen. Although the heroes met a fight in Daredevil and Typhoid, the latter being able to set Spider-Man on fire, they managed to harm their operation by freeing their prisoners. In order to prepare himself for a rematch, Daredevil had Typhoid assist him in resurrecting Bullseye.[82] In a subsequent fight, Spider-Man was able to neutralize Typhoid as Daredevil succumbed to the influence of the Beast.[83] In the end, Daredevil was defeated and exorcized. Even without her master, Typhoid loyally kept his rule over the Hand. She resisted the Kingpin's attempt to seize the organization from Daredevil. However, the Kingpin revealed that she was a sleeper agent for him all along, being controlled with subliminal messages. As the Kingpin released her from her trance, he became the new leader of the Hand, having Typhoid at his side as one of his prime bodyguards and assassins.[84]

Having grown interested in Wakandan affairs, the Kingpin targeted a board member of the Bank of Wakanda, K'Tamo Chatarko, for assassination. This sparked the interest of the Black Panther who, at the time, operated in Hell's Kitchen. The Kingpin sent his assassins, Typhoid and Lady Bullseye, to eliminate the Black Panther.[85] He was able to evade his aggressors, which was part of the Kingpin's plan of manipulating him.[86] Typhoid and Lady Bullseye attempted to murder Chatarko, but were intercepted by the Black Panther,[87] who decided to destroy Shadowland alongside his allies. The Falcon was instrumental in defeating Typhoid. In the end, the Kingpin's operation was severely harmed by the attack.[88]

With intel about a serum that could negate healing factors designed by Tombstone against Deadpool, the Kingpin became interested in it and sent Typhoid and his Hand agents to secure it. In order to protect himself, Deadpool informed X-Force that the serum could be weaponized as an anti-mutant asset. Typhoid ran into X-Force during her mission.[89] She had no option but to retreat and return to the Kingpin. Thanks to the machinations of Daken, the run for the serum sparked a conflict between the Kingpin, X-Force, and Tombstone.[90] The Kingpin captured Deadpool's associate Bob to lure X-Force. Amidst the fight, the Kingpin fled.[91] As a result of these incidents, Deadpool was a victim of the serum and lost his healing powers.[92] Eventually, the Kingpin's Shadowland empire was brought down by the Superior Spider-Man.[93]

Sisterhood[]

At some point, Typhoid became an employee for the drug lord Ana Cortés. Obsessed with using technology to improve herself and her organization, Cortés merged her consciousness with that of Lady Deathstrike. Following a confrontation with the X-Men, the all-new Deathstrike became aware of the technological intelligence known as Arkea. In order to weaponize Arkea against her enemies. Typhoid had the mission of retrieving Arkea.[94] Typhoid invaded the Jean Grey School to recollect samples Arkea. Although the X-Man Psylocke identified her presence, she was able to escape with the item. However, the piece was found to be inert. Typhoid accessed John Sublime's mind to acquire other pieces of Arkea. In the process, they recruited the witch the Enchantress. As Typhoid wished for gratification due to her assistance, Deathstrike promised to use Arkea to heal her mental instability and decided to create a Sisterhood of Mutants to fight the X-Men.[23]

The Sisterhood went to the Body Shoppe to accomplish their goals, but Arkea was activated and took control of the leadership of the group. The X-Men engaged in battle[95] and the Sisterhood escaped in order to expand their roster and gather power to defeat their opponents.[96] Soon, the Sisterhood realized Arkea was a malevolent and dangerous entity. Deathstrike asked Typhoid to mercy-kill her before she could succumb to Arkea's schemes; however, Typhoid found herself unable to execute Cortés,[97] who was sacrificed to resurrect Madelyne Pryor. As the X-Men intervened, Psylocke was able to catch Typhoid this time, telepathically tormenting her troubled mind and putting her out of commission. In the end, Arkea was defeated.[98]

Queenpin of Crime[]

Following the public revelation that Matt Murdock was Daredevil, an insane Typhoid invaded his home in San Francisco to torment him and his girlfriend Kirsten McDuffie. Although Typhoid set the house on fire, Daredevil defeated her and handed her over to the authorities.[99] Typhoid was eventually taken to court in a request to be remanded. At this point, the Black Cat had stepped in as the main crimelord in New York City, the Queenpin of Crime. As part of her plans, the Black Cat wished to gather intel about S.H.I.E.L.D. and had the mental conditioner Doctor Lusk control people for her objectives. With Lusk's influence, Typhoid was pardoned in court and offered a position in the Black Cat's gang to supervise espionage operations. Typhoid was assigned to investigate Hawkeye, who might have gotten access to the Black Cat's plans from the hacker Jeremy Ellsden. After surprising him at his apartment,[100] Typhoid was able to capture him and have him fall to the mind control operations of Lusk.[101] Later, this put her in combat against his allies, the other Hawkeye and Deadpool. Although Typhoid escaped, at some point the brainwashed Hawkeye betrayed his partners.[102] Deadpool struck back to recover Hawkeye and stop the Black Cat.[101] Typhoid covered the Black Cat's escape and took the opportunity to punish Deadpool due to their shared past. However, after breaking free from the mind control, Hawkeye was able to surprise Typhoid and knock her out. The Black Cat abandoned her lackeys and vanished. Being sedated by the authorities as a way to prevent her from using her mutant powers, Typhoid was arrested.[103] In Ryker's, she had Jessica Jones as a cellmate. Jones was under arrest as part of an undercover mission. Typhoid violently threatened Jones, but with brute force she was easily dealt with.[104] She eventually made her escape and integrated herself into the super-villain community.[105][106][107]

First Lady Mary[]

Once again, Typhoid succumbed to lunacy and was hospitalized. Under the care of Dr. Charles, she was subjected to therapy to lock up her damaging personas. Another of Charles' patients was the mutant Amp. In contact with Amp's abilities, the experiment boosted Typhoid's powers instead, including her dissociation. As a result, Typhoid reemerged and brutally burned Charles. He was saved from death by Spider-Man. With her enhanced abilities, she was able to mentally control Spider-Man to cause mayhem. Amp's guardians, the X-Men, became aware of the crisis and chose to intervene.[108] As they were tortured by Typhoid, she looked for Amp to further amplify her powers and destroy the entire city.[109] In a church, where she communed with Amp, she was opposed by the martial artist Iron Fist. Controlling a legion of civilians, she combated Iron Fist. However, as Amp was fully forced to expand Typhoid's psychic abilities, her body succumbed to the exceeding energies. Back to his senses, Amp restored her body and mind and covered her escape.[31]

She found solace in a Catholic church[31] in Hell's Kitchen. Wilson Fisk, who had gone from the Kingpin to the Mayor of New York City, stumbled upon her and, wishing to grant her some peace, had his doctors condition her to live a calm life as a nun working in the church.[26] As such, Mary abandoned her previous lives and became Sister Elizabeth. Ironically, she provided guidance to Matt Murdock in her duty, as he had sought the church for advice many times.[110][111][112] However, when the criminal Stromwyns decided to profit from crime in Hell's Kitchen, a legion of super-villains attacked the neighborhood and the brutal Rhino terrorized Sister Elizabeth in the church. Daredevil attempted to protect the area, but the Typhoid persona was still released.[113] In a peculiar team-up, Typhoid joined Daredevil and Fisk to protect the city. As the Rhino was defeated, Typhoid chose to vanish as usual.[114]

She returned to the ruins of the church after realizing her psyche was finally cohesive due to her recent religious experience. There, she discussed her situation with Fisk[26] and offered her services as a bodyguard to City Hall. As she started to work with Fisk again, Daredevil was placed under arrest.[115] Soon after, Earth fell to a massive invasion of symbiotes. In an attempt to protect Fisk, Typhoid was infected with one of the aliens and unwillingly bonded with it, becoming a monstrous creature. The insane Typhoid clashed with Elektra, who had gone to adopt the mantle of Daredevil to protect civilians during the infection.[116] Elektra managed to momentarily trick Typhoid into believing she was successful in murdering her, only to be able to escape.[117] Following the end of the crisis,[118] Typhoid was found by Fisk's agents completely fractured. Fisk felt compassion for her turmoil and offered his emotional support, bonding to Mary in unprecedented ways.[119] He also chose to discharge Mary from her duties in order to allow her to recover.[120]

Bullseye was on the loose, which made Fisk worried.[121] Typhoid decided to reassume her position as a bodyguard to protect her boss by hunting down Bullseye. Fisk asked her not to come after Bullseye, fearing she could be murdered. As a response, Mary declared that, if they were to resume a relationship, it should not be a toxic and possessive one.[27] Sensing Fisk's despair,[122] Typhoid still decided to pursue Bullseye. She dressed herself up as Daredevil to taunt him. Alongside Elektra, she fought a collection of duplicates of Bullseye in Hell's Kitchen.[6] Eventually, as Bullseye made it to Fisk's location, Typhoid risked her own life to protect her employer. As a result, Fisk proposed to Typhoid as he professed his love, which she accepted.[5] Following a wedding ceremony, Typhoid became Mrs. Fisk, the First Lady of New York City.[15]

Fisk was obsessed with the secret identity of Daredevil, which he had been manipulated into forgetting. Back from his honeymoon,[15] the Mayor implemented a severe anti-vigilantism policy in New York City, only allowing his agents to operate in order to hunt super-heroes.[10] The super-hero community organized itself to oppose Fisk's brutal rule as Mary helped Fisk plan a presidential campaign. As they discussed their sorrowful past, Fisk accidentally unlocked memories that Typhoid had lost using his cane imbued with the Purple Man's powers. This led him to revert the mental conditioning that had made the entire world forget about Daredevil's identity as well.[123] A war erupted between the illegal super-heroes and Fisk's licit super-villains. In the end, Daredevil, Elektra, and the other heroes directly confronted Fisk. Elektra defeated Typhoid, but Daredevil was able to use the Purple Man's powers to erode Fisk's reign. Instead of facing prison, Fisk was offered an alliance with the influential Stromwyns to stay in politics. He brutally rejected the offer and escaped to international waters with Mary in hopes of finding happiness.[28]

Fall of Krakoa[]

Being a mutant, Typhoid had rights as a citizen of the mutant-exclusive island nation of Krakoa. She claimed her citizenship and extended it to her husband. Together, they found asylum in it. Fisk shared a past with one of Krakoa's most influential leaders, Emma Frost, due to their previous businesses.[29] They arrived in time for the third Hellfire Gala, which they attended. Tragically, the ceremony was a disaster, since the anti-mutant organization known as Orchis not only managed to obliterate many mutants, but also spark anti-mutant sentiment. Another consequence of their actions was tricking Professor X into sending the mutant population through teleporting Gateways away from Earth. Tragically, the ruse caused mutants to vanish. As a human, Fisk was not affected and joined the few survivors of the mutant resistance, using his grief to help Frost and mutants.[124]

In fact, Typhoid emerged in Vanaheim alongside a few other mutants, including Marrow, Magik, Mirage, and Dust. They were caught amidst a war between Vanir warriors from House Mult and the mysterious White Witch. The mutants, including a reluctant Mary, assisted the House Mult. The mutants were recognized as prophesized heroes who would liberate Vanaheim from the White Witch.[125] Fighting alongside the Vanir and Asgardian heroes such as Thor and Sif, the mutants would defeat Saturnyne and return to Earth.[126] Mary would promptly return to her husband, next being seen working as the Kingpin's bodyguard during New York's super-villain Gang War.[127]

Personality

Mary Walker struggles with dissociative identity disorder, causing her to have at least two abnormal alters, but in later years she has shown five different personas:

  • Mary is a timid, quiet, and pacifist woman, exhibiting compassionate feelings and an inability to access her paranormal powers. Due to her more innocent demeanor, she can occasionally be immature and naive;
  • Typhoid is an adventurous, lustful, and violent persona who employs her psionic abilities erratically. The Typhoid is identifiable by the right side of her face being totally pale. Moreover, Typhoid's body temperature is constantly elevated. This fever disturbs her mental stability;[13]
  • Bloody Mary is sadistic, brutal, and misandrist. As Bloody Mary, she uses her telekinetic powers to cover her body with metal scraps as a body armor. Moreover, Bloody Mary demonstrates an affinity to firearms. Similarly to Typhoid, Bloody Mary has half of her face in pale hue,[2] sometimes it being the left side;[21]
  • Walker is fully aware of her condition, being focused, detached, and stable. Although no physical evidence is apparent, Walker can use her psionic powers;[14]
  • Mutant Zero represents a no-nonsense, efficient, military-type agent.[74]

Attributes

Power Grid[132]
:Category:Power Grid/Fighting Skills/Experienced Fighter:Category:Power Grid/Energy Projection/Multiple Types:Category:Power Grid/Durability/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Speed/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Strength/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Intelligence/Learned

Powers

Mary Walker is a mutant[128] and possesses a number of psionic powers. The effectiveness of her powers differs on which alter is in control of her mind. The innocent "Mary" typically has no access to her powers, although they occasionally express themselves without her awareness. The other personas all have conscious access to telekinetic, pyrokinetic, and telepathic abilities to varying degrees.[13]

  • Telekinesis: Using her mind, Typhoid can levitate small objects over short distances, which usually are weapons such as knives and razors. She tends to employ her telekinetic abilities by making a knife spin in place or retrieving her weapons if they are dropped.[13] Her "Bloody Mary" persona often gathered and assembled small metal objects into an improvised battle-armor.[21]
  • Telepathy: Gifted with low-level telepathic abilities, Typhoid can implant mental suggestions in the minds of others. She can induce sleep in weak-minded individuals and most animals, or create sensory ghosts as a distraction, causing people to be distracted. She can compel people to take simple actions without thinking about it, like reaching for a blade or kissing her, letting her predict their next move or guide them into traps. Usually, she uses her power to psionically seduce men, using a combination of behavioral psychology and telepathic prods to make them quickly become obsessed and fall in love with her.[13]
  • Unstable Vital Signs: Typhoid's personalities have different body function readings. Her different physiological traits display specific heart rates, respiratory patterns, scents, electrocardiographic readings, and mental patterns. Daredevil proved to be unable to recognize Mary and Typhoid as the same person despite his enhanced senses,[13] and even sighted people often believe the alters to be different people.[129]

Abilities

Typhoid is very skilled in the martial arts and the use of edged weapons.[13] As Bloody Mary, she shows an expertise in using firearms in combat situations.[2]

Weaknesses

Dissociative Identity Disorder: Typhoid's fractured psyche has been shown to be the cause of her inefficiency in combat on different occasions.[130]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

As Mutant Zero, Mary is 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.[4]

Weapons

Guns, swords.

Notes

  • Mary's real full name was first revealed in Daredevil #297 as Mary Mezinis by creator Dan G. Chichester. However, in Marvel Comics Presents #109, which was written by the character's creator and main writer Ann Nocenti, she was revealed to be named Mary Walker. Walker was confirmed to be her birth surname in Marvel Comics Presents #151, also written by Nocenti. After its first mention, the name Mezinis has never been brought up again.
  • Typhoid's status as a mutant was only confirmed in the Avengers: The Initiative series. In issue #5, she was introduced as a mutant who had survived decimation. Her true identity was only fully revealed in issue #20. Before that, the origins for her powers remained unexplained. Her entry in Marvel Encyclopedia #Spider-Man merely hinted the possibility that her paranormal abilities could be the result of mutant genetics, psychic experiments, or both.
  • The identity of Mutant Zero remained undisclosed in the Avengers: The Initiative for months, only being revealed in issue #20. Due to discreet suggestions of telepathic, telekinetic, and pyrokinetic abilities, as well as insinuations of her being a red-haired woman, readers could be inclined to assume Mutant Zero to be the deceased member of the X-Men Jean Grey.

Trivia

  • Typhoid is a bacterial disease characterized by long-lasting fever which may cause confusion. The name "Typhoid Mary" is a direct reference to Mary Mallon, an asymptomatic carrier of typhoid-inducing bacteria, who unwillingly infected dozens of people as a result of her job as a cook at the beginning of the 20th century. The nickname she has earned because of her condition "Typhoid Mary" is used to refer to those who spread disease or misfortune while not always aware that they are doing so.
  • The name "Bloody Mary" is a reference to Queen Mary, who earned the nickname from her Protestant opponents since she implemented violent policies to re-establish Catholicism in England.
  • Typhoid can be interpreted as an allegory to the categories that represent the way women are judged in a patriarchal society. Her three main personas correspond to stereotypical roles women are imposed to, namely the submissive and innocent girl, the lustful and slutty minx, and the misandrist and frigid feminist.[2][129]
  • Typhoid sometimes refers to her split personality by reciting the nursery rhyme "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary".[16][108]

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. Ben Reilly: Spider-Man #1
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Marvel Comics Presents #150
  3. Avengers: The Initiative #4
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Avengers: The Initiative #5
  5. 5.0 5.1 Daredevil (Vol. 6) #35
  6. 6.0 6.1 Daredevil (Vol. 6) #34
  7. Deadpool (Vol. 3) #1213
  8. Deadpool (Vol. 3) #38
  9. 9.0 9.1 Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #2
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 Devil's Reign #1
  11. 11.0 11.1 Daredevil #297
  12. Daredevil #196
  13. 13.00 13.01 13.02 13.03 13.04 13.05 13.06 13.07 13.08 13.09 13.10 13.11 13.12 Daredevil #254
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Marvel Comics Presents #151
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Daredevil (Vol. 6) #36
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Daredevil (Vol. 2) #46
  17. 17.0 17.1 Daredevil #255
  18. 18.0 18.1 Daredevil #263
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 Marvel Comics Presents #109
  20. 20.0 20.1 Marvel Comics Presents #123
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Spectacular Spider-Man #213
  22. Deadpool (Vol. 3) #6
  23. 23.0 23.1 X-Men (Vol. 4) #8
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 Avengers: The Initiative #21
  25. Shadowland
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 Daredevil (Vol. 6) #22
  27. 27.0 27.1 Daredevil (Vol. 6) #32
  28. 28.0 28.1 Devil's Reign #6
  29. 29.0 29.1 X-Men (Vol. 6) #20
  30. 30.0 30.1 Marvel Comics Presents #129
  31. 31.0 31.1 31.2 Typhoid Fever: Iron Fist #1
  32. 32.0 32.1 Elektra: Black, White & Blood #3
  33. 33.0 33.1 Marvel Comics Presents #113
  34. Wolverine & Captain America: Weapon Plus #1
  35. Daredevil/Deadpool Annual #1997
  36. Daredevil #256257
  37. Daredevil #259
  38. Daredevil #260
  39. Daredevil #261
  40. Daredevil #262
  41. Power Pack #53
  42. Daredevil Annual #6
  43. Captain America #373
  44. Captain America #374
  45. Captain America #375
  46. Captain America #376
  47. Captain America #377
  48. Daredevil #292
  49. Daredevil #294
  50. Daredevil #295
  51. Marvel Comics Presents #110
  52. Marvel Comics Presents #111
  53. Marvel Comics Presents #112
  54. Marvel Comics Presents #114
  55. Marvel Comics Presents #115
  56. Marvel Comics Presents #116
  57. Marvel Comics Presents #124
  58. Marvel Comics Presents #125
  59. Marvel Comics Presents #126
  60. Marvel Comics Presents #127
  61. Marvel Comics Presents #128
  62. Marvel Comics Presents #130
  63. Spectacular Spider-Man #214
  64. Deadpool (Vol. 3) #67
  65. Deadpool (Vol. 3) #1214
  66. Daredevil (Vol. 2) #48
  67. New Avengers #1
  68. New Avengers #2
  69. House of M #8
  70. X-Men: The 198 #1
  71. Civil War #7
  72. Avengers: The Initiative #11
  73. Avengers: The Initiative #10
  74. 74.0 74.1 Avengers: The Initiative #17
  75. Secret Invasion #8
  76. Avengers: The Initiative #20
  77. Avengers: The Initiative #22
  78. Avengers: The Initiative #23
  79. Avengers: The Initiative #2124
  80. Daredevil #500
  81. Daredevil #509
  82. Shadowland #3
  83. Shadowland #4
  84. Shadowland #5
  85. Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive! #525
  86. Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive! #526
  87. Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive! #527
  88. Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive! #529
  89. Deadpool (Vol. 4) #50
  90. Deadpool (Vol. 4) #51
  91. Deadpool (Vol. 4) #52
  92. Deadpool (Vol. 4) #53
  93. Superior Spider-Man #14
  94. X-Men (Vol. 4) #7
  95. X-Men (Vol. 4) #9
  96. X-Men (Vol. 4) #10.NOW
  97. X-Men (Vol. 4) #11
  98. X-Men (Vol. 4) #12
  99. Daredevil (Vol. 5) #17
  100. Hawkeye vs. Deadpool #1
  101. 101.0 101.1 Hawkeye vs. Deadpool #3
  102. Hawkeye vs. Deadpool #2
  103. Hawkeye vs. Deadpool #4
  104. Jessica Jones (Vol. 2) #9
  105. Generation X (Vol. 2) #67
  106. Despicable Deadpool #297
  107. Infinity Wars #1
  108. 108.0 108.1 Typhoid Fever: Spider-Man #1
  109. Typhoid Fever: X-Men #1
  110. Daredevil (Vol. 6) #2
  111. Daredevil (Vol. 6) #7
  112. Daredevil (Vol. 6) #17
  113. Daredevil (Vol. 6) #19
  114. Daredevil (Vol. 6) #20
  115. Daredevil (Vol. 6) #24
  116. Daredevil (Vol. 6) #26
  117. Daredevil (Vol. 6) #27
  118. King in Black #5
  119. Daredevil (Vol. 6) #28
  120. Daredevil (Vol. 6) #30
  121. Daredevil (Vol. 6) #31
  122. Daredevil (Vol. 6) #33
  123. Devil's Reign #4
  124. X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1
  125. Realm of X #1
  126. Realm of X #4
  127. Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 6) #41
  128. Avengers: The Initiative #45
  129. 129.0 129.1 Typhoid #1
  130. Daredevil #257
  131. Women of Marvel: Celebrating Seven Decades Handbook #1
  132. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 12
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