DR. MARIAH CRAWFORD
Real Name: Dr. Mariah Crawford
Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Earth-92131) human mutate
Occupation: Scientist
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Black Cat (Felicia Hardy), Anastasia Hardy, Kraven the Hunter (Sergei Kravinoff), Punisher (Frank Castle), Dr. James Reeves, Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
Enemies: None;
formerly Kraven the Hunter
Known Relatives:
Aliases: Calypso
Base of Operations: Mobile;
formerly Hardy Foundation Research Center, New York City
First Appearance: Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 1, Episode 7 (April 1st, 1995)
Powers/Abilities: Due to the effects of Dr. Reeves' serum Mariah Crawford possessed a healing factor, an immunity to disease and infection, superhuman strength, speed, agility, stamina and longevity to an unknown degree. It apparently also left her intellect diminished, leaving her unable to continue her work in science. She instead acted more feral and instinctive and became more accustomed to live in the wild than in a city environment.
While in her Calypso form her body was mutated in addition to the usual effects of Reeves' serum. She possessed brown fur, cat-like fangs, a long mane and cat-like ears in this form. Her intellect was vastly diminished to animal levels and she was completely out of control, attacking every man or animal she came across as part of her increased hunting instincts.
As a mere human Crawford was an expert in the field of genetics on par and to some degree even superior to the likes of Dr. Curt Connors.
Height: 5'8" (by approximation)
Weight: 120 lbs.; (mutated) 140 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Gray or brown (see comments); (mutated) green with yellow sclera
Hair: Black
History:
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 1, Episode 7 (fb) - BTS) - At some point Dr. Mariah Crawford worked with Dr. James Reeves. When Reeves went missing while doing in research in Africa she traveled there to search for him.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 1, Episode 7 (fb) ) - Crawford hired famous guide Sergei Kravinoff, a former big game hunter and descendant of Russian nobility, to help her find her colleague Dr. Reeves. At campfire one night Sergei dealt with a snake in quick fashion and Crawford fell in love with him. Their love flourished over the following months.
Months later they found Reeves, who had been mutated into a feral creature by a miracle healing drug he had synthesized in the jungle. Reeves gave Crawford the last vial of the drug, but warned her not to use it in its current form due to its mutative side effects. Crawford followed Reeves into the jungle, but was attacked by a pack of hyenas. Kravinoff came to her aid and drove off the hyenas, but got seriously injured in the process. Crawford used Reeves' drug on Kravinoff to save his life, but while he recovered immediately the side effects of the serum soon showed themselves. Kravinoff became more primal and bestial, began calling himself Kraven the Hunter and began fighting and hunting animals like he was one of them.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 1, Episode 7 (fb) - BTS) - Crawford left Sergei and fled to the US to find a cure for Reeves' serum, so she could turn Kraven into the man she had fallen in love with again. She started her work on the cure at the Hardy Foundation Research Center and at some point received an invitation to the Hardy Foundation Annual Animal Preservation Fund-Raiser, a fashion show with after-party at the Plaza Hotel.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 1, Episode 7) - Kraven went to Crawford's lab at the Hardy Foundation Research Center to take her back home. The aggressively jealous Kraven wrecked her lab while asking her if she had found another man. Crawford exclaimed that his current behavior was the reason why she had left him and asked Kraven to give her a chance to finish her research to find a cure for his condition. Moments later Peter Parker arrived for a job interview with Crawford, but when he tried to enter the lab Kraven pushed a cabinet in front of the door. While Kraven was distracted Crawford fled through a window and climbed to the roof on the fire escape, but Kraven followed her. Proclaiming his love for her and warning her not to give her heart to another man he drove Crawford to the edge of the roof. Though he promised he didn't want to harm her Crawford was so scared she fell off the roof, but Spider-Man saved her and brought her back to the roof. Kraven asked Spider-Man to stay out of his business with Crawford and even asked her to tell him to leave, but Crawford just watched them fight each other. Kraven disappeared after Spider-Man hurled him off the roof during the fight, but Crawford was sure Kraven would be back because she believed nothing could stop Kraven in his current form. While Spider-Man took Crawford to the apartment of Joe Robertson, who was out of town at the time, she explained how Sergei Kravinoff became the violent and ferocious Kraven. Crawford asked Spider-Man for help to get more time to find a cure, but Spider-Man instead asked her to hide at the apartment. She insisted to find a lab so she could finish her work on a cure and was sure Kraven would soon hunt both of them down, but Spider-Man considered it humanly impossible for Kraven to track them. Crawford reminded him how Kraven wasn't human anymore.
Crawford was working on her research when Robertson returned home. Afraid it was Kraven she fled the apartment and lost her invitation to the Hardy Foundation Annual Animal Preservation Fund-Raiser.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 1, Episode 7 - BTS) - Kraven arrived moments later at the apartment and could still smell her perfume. He confronted Robertson and kidnapped him after finding the invitation. Kraven then went to the fund-raiser in search for Crawford, but only found Spider-Man, who was attending as Peter Parker. Kraven called out Spider-Man and after a short struggle was given an ultimatum of six hours. Either Spider-Man would deliver Crawford to Kraven or Robertson would die.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 1, Episode 7) - Crawford worked at Medic Labs on the cure. She called her friend Paula and told her she needed to use her lab and promised to explain everything to her later. Crawford left Medic Labs on a bus only moments before Spider-Man arrived, then successfully tested the antidote on a rat at Paula's lab.
Crawford found Kraven fighting Spider-Man at the zoo and before Kraven could warn her she ran into one of his traps. Blasted by a water fountain Crawford ended up in a cage surrounded by lions. Kraven saved Crawford from the lions, but dropped to the floor badly wounded as soon as Spider-Man had locked the lions up again. Crawford used the antidote on Kraven to save him and return him to normal.
The next day Crawford and Kravinoff left New York City on a ship.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 5 (fb) - BTS) - The Daily Bugle reported on Crawford visiting New York for three days. She prepared herself to lead an African relief effort. Spider-Man read the article and called Crawford.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 5) - Spider-Man went to see Crawford at the Hardy Foundation Research Center. She was glad he came, but reminded him that her time in New York was short. She wondered what took him so long to call her and Spider-Man told her he had to be reminded to turn to his friends when he needed help.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 6 (fb) - BTS) - Crawford began searching for a cure for Spider-Man and created a serum that seemed to reverse the mutation process in Spider-Man's blood.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 6) - When Spider-Man came to Crawford at the Hardy Foundation Research Center again Crawford showed him the effect of her new serum on Spider-Man's blood, but she wasn't sure it was a permanent cure and wanted to wait a bit longer to see if the blood cells stayed normal. Spider-Man reminded her he didn't have much time left. Crawford warned him that if her calculations were wrong the serum could remove Spider-Man's powers or even destroy him. Spider-Man demanded the serum, but Crawford wouldn't give it to him in good conscience. Spider-Man lost his temper and took apart the lab to find the serum himself while Crawford tried to calm him down while a guard called for help. He stopped when Crawford told him he was already acting like the monster he feared to become, then handed over the serum. She didn't want his apologies after all he had done for her and Sergei, but as a friend she warned Spider-Man against using the serum. Spider-Man promised to be careful. Guards arrived and shot at Spider-Man, but Crawford told them not to hurt him while Spider-Man swung away with a vial of the serum.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 6 - BTS) - Parker used the serum on a sample of his blood at Empire State University. Michael Morbius stole the sample and Connors' Neogenic Recombinator to research the mutated DNA inside the blood sample, but while using the Neogenic Recombinator on the sample one of Morbius' vampire bats flew into the energy stream and drank from the blood. It bit Morbius, who got mutated into a pseudo-vampire by night. After defeating Morbius and witnessing how he returned to normal Spider-Man decided to take the serum.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 6) - Crawford continued her research and discovered the serum eventually accelerated the mutation instead of reversing it. Unable to warn Spider-Man she called Sergei Kravinoff to tell him. Meanwhile Spider-Man took the serum and grew four extra arms.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 7) - Spider-Man visited Crawford at her lab and she was shocked how the serum had accelerated his mutation. Crawford took a blood sample from Spider-Man, who was still in pain due to his ongoing mutation. She then told him she had feared Spider-Man had already mutated further when she heard on the news about Michael Morbius apparently being abducted by Spider-Man from the hospital. Crawford switched on the TV to show Spider-Man how the media blamed him for Morbius' disappearance. When Morbius reappeared at the hospital the media believed him to be Spider-Man, who decided to save him from the police despite Crawford warning him that he was too ill.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 7 - BTS) - Spider-Man succeeded to save Morbius, who fled to continue his search for a cure to his own condition. Attacked by the Punisher during his search for Morbius Spider-Man fully mutated into a man-spider (think Spider-Morphosis, but with six arms).
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 8) - Crawford called Sergei Kravinoff for help when she heard reports on the news about the man-spider because she knew it was Spider-Man.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 8 - BTS) - Crawford worked all night to create an antitoxin to cure Spider-Man's condition.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 8) - Crawford picked up Kravinoff at the airport and told him she needed to administer the cure to Spider-Man soon or else he would stay a man-spider. Kravinoff had his ceremonial hunting garb with him and was ready to hunt Spider-Man.
Kravinoff called Crawford at the lab and asked her to come quickly because he knew where Spider-Man was. Kravinoff and Crawford arrived at the garage of the World Trade Center where Kravinoff freed the Punisher from the man-spider's web. Crawford convinced the Punisher that Spider-Man was the victim of a disease and needed her help. Kravinoff and the Punisher held down the man-spider for Crawford to administer the serum. The serum worked and the mutated man-spider reverted to his human form once again. Crawford asked the Punisher to put his coat over Spider-Man's face to protect his identity. The Punisher then gave Crawford Spider-Man's mask, which he had picked up as a souvenir when Spider-Man mutated into the man-spider. Crawford put it on Spider-Man, who was scared of the Punisher at first, until Crawford told him they had all worked together to save him. (Kraven called Mariah Calypso in this scene and she explained to Spider-Man who Calypso was in myth; see comments) Crawford stayed with Spider-Man while Kravinoff told the Punisher the man-spider was not responsible for the seeming kidnapping of Morbius.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 9 (fb) - BTS) - Crawford left the US to fight the plague in Africa, but Dr. Curt Connors continued to use her data to keep Spider-Man from mutating by giving him Neogenic Recombinator treatments once a day.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 4, Episode 4 (fb) ) - While fighting the plague in Africa Crawford simultaneously worked on perfecting Reeves' serum to make it save for use. She eventually contracted the disease she was fighting and was deemed beyond remedy by the local doctors. In desperation Kravinoff used Reeves' serum on Crawford and she recovered quickly. They returned together to New York City where Crawford recuperated until the serum showed its strange side effects, mutating Crawford into a feral animal-like creature. She fled her apartment after overpowering Kraven.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 4, Episode 4 - BTS) - Kravinoff stole the serum originally created by Dr. Reeves from Crawford's old lab at the Hardy Foundation Research Center and used it on himself to regain the powers of Kraven so he could capture Crawford before anyone else could.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 4, Episode 4) - The mutated Crawford (lets just stark calling her Calypso from this point on because this was clearly what they were going for; see comments) attacked workers at a construction site in New York City, but Kraven prevented Spider-Man and Black Cat from capturing her. Calypso continued to terrorize NYC through the night with attacks on a lion at the Central Park Zoo, a man in Central Park and another man in a subway tunnel.
The Daily Bugle reported on the seemingly feral attacker. Debra Whitman and Flash Thompson investigated in the tunnel and Whitman found claw marks and a strain of hair in an air-duct.
Thompson accompanied Whitman to the Central Park Zoo where the creature was last spotted and were attacked by Calypso. Spider-Man, who was on the way to the zoo as well, saved them from Calypso, but Kraven knocked Spider-Man out with gas because he couldn't risk any further interference from Spider-Man. Black Cat saved Spider-Man from Kraven, who escaped before calling this hunt his tragedy.
(Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 4, Episode 4 - BTS) - Calypso attacked a man in East River Park, then headed to the east. Kraven was after her, but so was Spider-Man. Meanwhile Debra Whitman had asked Dr. Curt Connors for help to create a cure for the creature, which she later gave to Black Cat.
Kraven and Spider-Man fought at Prospect Park until Kraven revealed he was not the creature, but had created it accidentally by giving Crawford Reeves' serum. Black Cat gave the possible antidote based on Crawford's own blood, which was on file at the Hardy Foundation. She hoped it could reverse some of her mutation. Kraven sensed Calypso nearby and with Black Cat and Spider-Man's aid they overpowered Calypso and gave her the antidote, which partially transformed her back to her human form though she regained the feral behavior. Crawford wished to remain in her partially feral form because now she felt like a true kindred spirit to Kraven and they left together to a place where they could live together and be free.
Comments: Created by John Semper & Jan Strnad (story), Mark Hoffmeier (teleplay), the animators & Susan Beaubian (voice).
I am not sure why, but on the DVD set I own the Kraven the Hunter episode is listed as the 10th of Season 1 even though it was apparently aired as the 7th episode.
Sergei Kravinoff first called Crawford Calypso in Season 2, Episode 8 as a reference to the Greek goddess, who according to Mariah offered Odysseus the gift of life, which is a rather glorified interpretation of what Calypso actually did. The episode forgot to mention how obsessive the exiled Calypso was in her attempt to make Odysseus her husband and after basically trapping him on the island Ogygia for seven years tried to bribe him with immortality when he decided he wanted to go back home to be with his wife. Odysseus resisted her offer and was freed by Hermes on Zeus' order.
In her last appearance Crawford became this reality's version of Calypso. On Earth-616 Calypso was a Haitian voodoo priestess named Calypso Ezili, who was a former lover of Sergei and later his son Alyosha.
She preferred to stay as a wildwoman with wildman Kraven than to be a scientist to help the world...and so the two ran into the "jungle" and never returned. If it only were a real jungle and not just a park they could've avoided the embarrassing trip to the airport in their jungle outfits. They probably returned to Africa after their final appearance.
Profile by Markus Raymond.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Dr. Mariah Crawford has no known connection to:
images (without ads)
Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 8, 17:36 (main image)
Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 1, Episode 7, 7:23 (head shot, blue eyes)
Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 6, 4:44 (head shot, brown eyes)
Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 1, Episode 7, 15:57 (jungle action Crawford)
Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 4, Episode 4, 10:31 (Calypso full body)
Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 4, Episode 4, 17:51 (head shot)
Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 4, Episode 4, 18:06 (partially feral)
Appearances:
Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 1, Episode 7 - Kraven the Hunter (April 1st, 1995) - Susan Beaubian (voice)
Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 5 - Neogenic Nightmare Chapter 5: Mutants Revenge (October 7th, 1995) - Susan Beaubian (voice)
Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 6 - Neogenic Nightmare Chapter 6: Morbius (October 28th, 1995) - Susan Beaubian (voice)
Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 7 - Neogenic Nightmare Chapter 7: Enter the Punisher (November 4th, 1995) - Susan Beaubian (voice)
Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 8 - Neogenic Nightmare Chapter 8: Duel of the Hunters (November 11th, 1995) - Susan Beaubian (voice)
Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 2, Episode 9 - Neogenic Nightmare Chapter 9: Blade the Vampire Hunter (February 3rd, 1996) - Susan Beaubian (voice)
Spider-Man: The Animated Series: Season 4, Episode 4 - Partners in Danger Chapter 4: Return of Kraven (February 22nd, 1997) - Susan Beaubian (voice)
First Posted: 09/23/2017
Last updated: 06/27/2017
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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