PRIMAL

Real Name: Adam Berman

Identity/Class: Human, Mutant

Occupation: Student

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Banshee, Emma Frost, M'Bala and Arlo (friends)

Enemies: Ginny Mahoney, Jocko Wilkins (a local bully), Bastion and Operation: Zero Tolerance

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Newton (?), presumably in Massachusetts

First Appearance: X-Men Unlimited I#16 (September, 1997)

Powers/Abilities: Adam Berman possesses the ability to transform into a lizard-like, clawed creature dubbed "Primal". In this form, he possesses superhuman strength (around class 10), agility, speed, and endurance, and stands nearly 50% taller. Even in his normal state, Adam's eyes glow red, and he hides this beneath his sunglasses. Using his reptillian form causes extreme dehydration upon his return to normal. He also forcibly reverts to normal when thrown unconscious.

History: (X-Men Unlimited I#16)- Adam Berman was a brilliant student at Newton North High School, who applied for a position at the Xavier School For Gifted Youngsters, without informing the headmasters that he was, in fact, a mutant himself, afraid of the treatment other public mutants had received. Berman had admired the world's great scientists for years, and hoped that given the right opportunity, he might make a name for himself. However, the headmasters-- Banshee and Emma Frost-- chose Berman's long-time academic rival Ginny Mahoney instead.

Simultaneously, Berman had also been noticed by Bastion, leader of Operation: Zero Tolerance, an organization dedicated to the eradication of mutantkind. Bastion converted Mahoney into a Prime Sentinel, and charged her with the mission of infiltrating Xavier's School, and publicly destroy Berman. Mahoney witnessed Berman using his power on local bully Jocko Wilkins to frighten him away, and began to make romantic overtones towards Berman in order to obtain a saliva sample from his mouth (so naturally, she kissed him).

Determined to convince Banshee to let him into Xavier's School, Berman met with him at the School, but Emma Frost used her telepathic powers to activate his own abilities. Berman scrapped with Banshee before realizing that he was a mutant as well, then fled.

The next day, Banshee gave a lecture at Berman's school, just as Mahoney made her assault upon Berman. Using the sample she had obtained earlier, she activated his powers, causing him to run amock. She then stepped into the fray in Prime Sentinel mode, claiming to be "protecting" by-standers from "the mutant menace". Banshee and Berman fought Mahoney, and in the midst of the battle, Berman observed that the only person injuring by-standers was Mahoney herself-- she was the true menace. Faced with this fact, Mahoney returned to normal, kissed Berman one last time, then fled the scene.

Banshee brought Berman to Xavier's School and offered him a place there, at last, but by now, Berman had decided that he shouldn't segregate himself from society. As Berman drove away from the school with his friends M'Bala and Arlo, Arlo described his powers as "totally primal". Berman liked the sound of that...

Comments: Created by Ben Raab and Melvin Rubi.

by Primal Et-- er, Prime Eternal

Clarifications: Primal should not be confused with:

• Primal One, Maur-Konn, an alias used to trick the charter into attacking the Shogun Warriors, @ Shogun Warriors#18
• Primal Gods, creators of the Cornerstones of Creation, @ Conan the Barbarian I#128
• Prime Eternal, official title of the ruler of Olympia, @ Eternals I#5
• Prime Celestial, official title of the One Above All, @ Eternals I#7
• Prime One, alternate title for the Prime Eternal, @ Eternals I#5
• Prime Evil, enemy of Genetix, @ Codename: Genetix#1
• The Prime Movers of "Acts of Vengeance", @ Avengers Spotlight#26
• Prime Movers of Tarkus, @ Marvel Two-In-One#63
• the Prime Mover, Dr. Doom's chess-playing robot, @ Strange Tales I#167
• Warlock Prime, Sir Nigel Carruthers, male witch, @ Silver Surfer I#12
• The Prime Sentinels, of which Ginny Mahoney was one, @ Uncanny X-Men#340