Calvin Zabo (Earth-616)

From Marvel Database

Contents 1 History 1.1 Civil War 1.2 The Hood 2 Powers and Abilities 2.1 Powers 2.2 Abilities 2.3 Weaknesses 3 Links 3.1 Discover and Discuss

History

Dr. Calvin Zabo was a morally abject but brilliant medical researcher who was fascinated by the effect of hormones on human physiology. One of his favorite stories was R.L. Stevenson's 1886 classic, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He was convinced that the experiment in the story could actually be performed and obsessed with the idea of unleashing his full bestial nature in a superhuman form. However, he needed money to do this so he robbed his various employers systematically. Though too intelligent to be caught, the medical community was suspicious of his tendency to always be employed by organizations which were subsequently robbed.

He sought work as a surgeon in a hospital where Donald Blake was a directing physician, yet Blake would not allow him a job due to his history. Zabo was enraged that Blake would not give him the position, even though he did indeed intend to rob the organization. He swore revenge on Blake. He was eventually successful in creating his formula, and turned into a huge, Hulk-like creature he called "Mister Hyde", named after the Mr. Hyde in the book. In this new form he found he had vast superhuman strength enabling him to crush cars and tear through steel as though it were made of cardboard. With his new superhuman powers he sought out Blake, who transformed into Thor and beat him senseless.

At some point Hyde fathered a daughter, Daisy Johnson, who became a member of S.H.I.E.L.D.; her mother was apparently a prostitute with whom Calvin Zabo regularly had 'business'. The girl was put up for adoption after birth, subsequently manifesting superpowers due to Zabo's mutated genetic code being passed on to her.

He went into business as a full time professional super criminal and partnered himself with the Cobra to get revenge upon Thor. With the Cobra, he was employed by Loki to kidnap Jane Foster, and they battled Thor again. Hyde and Cobra were among the many costumed menaces assembled by Doctor Doom to disrupt the wedding of Reed Richards and Susan Storm.^[1] Hyde and the Cobra next battled Daredevil. Cobra then teamed with the original Jester and Cobra against Daredevil. With the Scorpion, Hyde then battled Captain America and the Falcon. Teaming with the Cobra again, Hyde attempted to acquire Cagliostro's serum. Hyde was next employed by the Purple Man, and battled Daredevil in an arena alongside Cobra, the Jester, and the Gladiator.

Hyde and the Cobra frequently fought Thor, Spider-Man, and Daredevil, and were essentially inept criminals. Eventually, tiring of their repeated failures, the Cobra elected to sever their partnership. He escaped from Ryker's Island, taking the time to taunt Hyde before leaving. Hyde never forgave him for the slight. With Batroc, Hyde later blackmailed New York City with a hijacked super-tanker. Hyde attempted to destroy the entire city in order to kill Cobra. Eventually, he was defeated by Captain America with Batroc's aid. Hyde then stalked Cobra seeking revenge, and this time battled Spider-Man. He was imprisoned again but escaped Ryker's Island, and stalked Cobra again, and battled Spider-Man and the Black Cat. Hyde later battled Daredevil again.

Hyde later became a member of the Masters of Evil IV. With the Masters of Evil, Hyde invaded Avengers Mansion. He tortured the Black Knight and Edwin Jarvis. With Goliath and the Wrecking Crew, he nearly killed Hercules, but was defeated by the Avengers. Hyde later attempted an escape from the Vault alongside Titania, Vibro, the Griffin, and Armadillo. He was defeated and recaptured by the Captain. He later eventually escaped from the Vault alongside the Wizard and others. Hyde was later defeated in combat by the Cobra.

Hyde later fought with the Grey Hulk and received head trauma that limited his ability to transform. Shortly after he had several run-ins with the Dan Ketch Ghost Rider in which he was defeated with the Penance Stare.

Hyde briefly helped the symbiote-bonded Toxin track Cobra after a prison escape by providing a piece of skin for the symbiote to track.

Zabo was being held in The Raft (the Ryker's Island Prison complex)^[2] When a prison break was caused by the villain, Electro, Zabo emerged in his Hyde persona and fought with Daredevil and was knocked unconscious by Luke Cage.

At one point, Zabo was discovered by the Young Avengers to be selling a derivative of his Hyde formula on the street as one of the various illegal substances known as Mutant Growth Hormone.

Civil War

Most recently, Zabo began to graft abilities similar to the powers of Spider-Man to homeless teenagers. After Spider-Man revealed his identity during the Civil War, Zabo sought to recreate the circumstances of Spider-Man's "birth", by taking in orphans off the street, imbuing them with spider-powers, and seeing whether or not the teenagers would give in to their darker impulses. During the ensuing battle with Spider-Man, Hyde pulled webbing off his face, taking his eyelids with it, and was hit in the face with hydrochloric acid, courtesy of one of his own guinea pigs. He was left blinded and his face was ruined as a result. Dr. Curt Connors later aided Spider-Man in a cure for Calvin, one of Zabo's test subjects.

The Hood

The Hood hired him as part of his criminal organization to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by the Superhuman Registration Act. Later. along with Firebrand, King Cobra, and Mauler, he attacked Yellowjacket, Constrictor and other Initiative staff and trainees.

Mister Hyde worked with Boomerang, Tiger Shark, and Whirlwind to manipulate Venom into procuring Norman Osborn's fortunes. This was thwarted by Venom and Green Goblin as Norman threw a bomb into Mister Hyde's mouth causing him to spit out blood. Norman Osborn then warned Mister Hyde and the villains that if they crossed him again, he would kill everyone that they ever loved before they were tortured to death.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Transformation Formula: Any and all superhuman attributes Zabo has are due to consuming a formula of his own design specifically to transform him into a superhumanly powerful being. By consuming different mixtures of his transformation potion, Calvin Zabo can transform back and forth from his alter-ego of Mister Hyde. The chemical process is hormonal in nature, causing the cells of his anatomy to instantly manufacture mutated hormones that induce a physical transformation encompassing his entire figure. The transformation is excrutiating, taking about 30 seconds, adds 7 inches and approximately 235 lbs of muscle and bone tissue to his frame. Aside from his greater physical size, the transformation process also stretches his skin, particularly his face to the point that he has a permanent sneer. Due to the process, Zabo's fingerprints in both his normal and Hyde forms are different.

• Superhuman Strength: Originally, Hyde possessed superhuman strength sufficient to lift about 11 tons. As his body adjusted to it's new form, Mr. Hyde's strength increased to the 50 ton range, making it possible to stand toe-to-toe with beings as powerful as Thor and survive. However, through further experimental procedures over the years, Hyde's strength has increased further. He is now capable of lifting about 70 tons.

• 'Superhuman Stamina:': Hyde's advanced musculature generates considerably less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of an ordinary human. He can exert himself at peak capacity for about 24 hours before fatigue begins to impair him.

• Superhuman Durability: Hyde's body is much harder and more resistant to conventinonal physical injury than the body of a normal human. He can withstand high caliber bullets, falls from great heights, exposure to extreme temperatures and pressures, powerful energy blasts, and tremendous impact forces without sustaining injury.

• Accelerated Healing Factor: While his body is highly durable, it is possible to injure him. If injured, his accelerated metabolism allows him to rapidly heal from mild to moderate injuries faster than a normal human. Ultimately, the full limits of his heightened healing abilities aren't known. However, it is believed that he is unable to fully regenerate severed limbs or missing organs should such injuries occur.
  

  Abilities

Calvin Zabo is a gifted scientist scientist and chemist. However, when transformed into Hyde, his intelligence decreases to within normal human ranges. Hyde is a formidable hand to hand combatant, though he's had no formal training. He tends to rely on street fighting techniques that allow him to make full use of his great strength.

Weaknesses

Zabo must ingest his formula on a regular basis in order to remain as Hyde, otherwise he will revert to his normal state after a certain amount of time. He is also less intelligent as Hyde and is prone to savage, almost beastial rages in which he becomes reckless.

Links

• Appearances of Calvin Zabo (Earth-616)
• Character Gallery: Calvin Zabo (Earth-616)
• Images that feature Calvin Zabo (Earth-616)
• Fan-Art Gallery: Calvin Zabo (Earth-616)
• Quotations by Calvin Zabo (Earth-616)

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