Marrina Smallwood is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a member of the Plodex alien race. Raised on Earth, she becomes a member of Alpha Flight before she marries Namor the Sub-Mariner and becomes a member of the Avengers.
Origin[]
Marrina is a member of the Plodex, a brutal alien race bent on universal domination. 40,000 years ago, the Plodex sent one of their eggs through space to Earth. This was their method of promulgating the species. By imprinting the DNA of each unique race, they hoped to learn more of their opposition in order to one day conquer the universe. The egg landed in the Atlantic Ocean and settled into its depths. As the result, the genetic material inside of the egg adapted to its underwater environment in an effort to stay alive.
In present day Newfoundland, Canada, a horrific storm nearly drowns fisherman Thomas Smallwood, and he discovers the Plodex egg glowing beneath the waves. He dislodges the egg from the sea floor and it buoys him to the surface, saving his life. Smallwood takes the egg home to his wife, Gladys Smallwood, who accidentally hatches the egg prematurely. This causes the genetic material inside the egg to take the form of an infant human female. The egg is flawed, however, as Marrina does not exhibit the natural Plodex inclination to destroy. The Smallwoods take Marrina into their home with open arms and adopt her as their daughter despite her peculiar physical characteristics.
Story[]
Alpha Flight[]
When Marrina grows to maturity, her brother tells the Canadian government about his remarkable sister, and she is inducted into the Canadian superhuman trainee program Gamma Flight. Marrina proves herself to be a valuable asset to the team, and quickly rises through their ranks. Martina is about to be promoted to Canada's premiere superhero team Alpha Flight, but the governmental funding is cut. The team disbands, but the members assume responsibility for keeping the team going, and Marrina is accepted into Alpha Flight. Marrina is later kidnapped by the Master of the World. The Master of the World had been a victim of an alien warrior known as Plodex, and as a result, he wanted to destroy Marrina for being a member of their kind. He provides Marrina with the shocking details of her past before she is rescued by Alpha Flight and Namor the Sub-Mariner. By rescuing Marrina, the Master of the World is freed of the Plodex technology.
Namor invites Marrina to join him in Atlantis, and they quickly fall in love. Unfortunately, the Master of the World locates another member of the Plodex race on planet Earth, a vicious behemoth with no qualms about killing. The Master of the World allows the alien to go on a killing spree, and Marrina is sent to investigate the merciless killings. Upon discovering her fellow Plodex, Marrina reverts to a combative feral form. She attacks Namor and Puck, who had followed Marrina, but the trio is captured by the Master of the World. Once at the Master of the World's base of operations, Marrina is disgusted and shocked to learn the other Plodex was her intended mate. After a brutal battle, the Master of the World's submarine is destroyed and Marrina allows Namor to believe the ensuing explosion claims her life as well. Ashamed of her actions and believing herself to be a horrible monster, Marrina leaves everyone to live her life alone at sea.
The Avengers[]
Eventually, Marrina overcomes her shame. She rejoins Namor and becomes the queen of his underwater kingdom of Deluvia. Deluvia sadly fails, and Namor is cast out of his own kingdom. Marrina joins her husband when he accepts membership into the Avengers, becoming an associate to the team herself. Marrina is pregnant at the time. Her unique Plodex physiology reacts to the intrusion by transforming her into a massive sea creature resembling the Leviathan of mythic lore. After attacking Atlantis and destroying a fleet of ships, the Avengers are able to track Leviathan down. Namor is forced to stab his love with the Black Knight's Ebony Blade, mortally wounding her. The monster transforms back into the form of Marrina and is buried by Namor and the Avengers with honor. Later, the Avengers discover a nest of Plodex eggs laid during Leviathan's rampage in the Atlantic ocean, though a number of them have already hatched. A vast number of Marrina's offspring presumably escape into the depths of the sea.
The Avengers later battle Kang when he threatens the Earth. The Master of the World is infuriated by this new enemy claiming himself to be the guardian of the planet. The Avengers are caught in the middle and eventually managed to overpower the Master and take control of his base of operations. The Avengers are at a loss to determine how the Master of the World has located the genetic material required to create a race of Plodex warriors, as Warbird neglects to see Marrina floating in a tank in the Master of the World's biological research laboratory.
Powers & Abilities[]
Marrina's unique hybrid of Plodex and human DNA provides her a unique physiology that makes her completely amphibious. She has webbed hands and feet, pale yellow skin, black fish-like eyes, and green hair. Marrina can survive on land or underwater indefinitely due to possessing both lungs and gills. Marrina is also immune to freezing temperatures. Her skin protects her from harsh elements and also aids her while swimming. Marrina exceeds speeds normal humans could never hope to achieve while underwater by shedding the outer layers of her skin. Marrina's unique physiology protects her from the deeper parts of the ocean as well, granting her enhanced speed, sight, strength, and endurance. Her preferred method of transportation is by swimming underwater, although she possesses superhuman speed while on land as well. In one instance, she destroys a semi-truck by striking it full force, while remaining unharmed herself. Marrina also uses her considerable speed underwater to generate water spouts that can propel her several feet into the air, causing severe damage to anything that she may strike.