X-Men’s Weirdest Romance Was Left Out of The Movies

X-Men member Kitty Pryde has had many high-profile romances. She’s been in love with – and nearly married – the popular Russian mutant Colossus, and in the Ultimate Universe, Kitty was deeply in love with Spider-Man. However, Kitty’s strangest romance happened early on in her time with the X-Men… and included a mutant star of Logan!

Although a largely forgotten plotline today, Kitty once became the object of affection for a grotesque but sympathetic mutant named Caliban, who almost married Kitty in an underground mutant ceremony.

X-Men movie fans have seen two versions of the bald, chalk-white Caliban – once in X-Men: Apocalypse where he helps mutants gain falsified documents to relocate, and again in Logan where Caliban helps a dying Wolverine and sickly Charles Xavier evade the mutant-hunting Reavers. In the comics, however, Caliban has always been closely linked with Kitty Pryde ever since he first showed up in The Uncanny X-Men #148.

At the time, Kitty was still only a young mutant adjusting to her new superhero life. Although she formed deep friendships with Storm and Wolverine, she was still nervous around mutants with inhuman appearances like Nightcrawler. So, when Caliban, a frightening creature in a hat and cloak, emerged from the sewers, Kitty was understandably freaked out. It didn’t help that Caliban could project waves of fear and trigger panic attacks in others – and then use that fear to make himself stronger.

Sensing that Kitty was a mutant like himself, Caliban tried to take her back into the sewers to be his friend. Luckily for Kitty, Storm and a visiting Spider-Woman managed to stop Caliban. In the process, Caliban’s hat and mask were knocked off, and Kitty saw that he was actually a chalk-white, frail-looking mutant with large sad eyes. Apologizing for the trouble he caused, Caliban released Kitty and admitted that he had become so lonely living beneath the city that his isolation was now unbearable. Although Caliban returned to the sewers, the experience had a lasting effect on Kitty, who realized how damaging prejudice against non-human looking mutants could be. Resolving to be a better person, she responded to Nightcrawler’s gestures of friendship, and she and Kurt formed a close bond.

Years later, Kitty – now calling herself Ariel – ventured into the sewers with the X-Men where they found an entire community of mutant outcasts called the Morlocks (after the underground dwelling creatures in H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine). One of the Morlocks touched Kitty and infected her with a plague, nearly killing her. Caliban found her, however, and tried to heal her with medicines, hoping she would stay with him this time.

Fearing the X-Men could die in the Morlock tunnels, Kitty promised that she would stay with Caliban if he would help her friends. As Kitty fell unconscious, Caliban carried her to the Morlocks’ leader Callisto and begged her to save Kitty. Storm ultimately earned the X-Men’s freedom by beating the leader in combat and took Kitty home.

Sometime later, the Morlocks abducted Kitty and tried to force her to make good on her promise by marrying Caliban. Although Kitty didn’t want to go through with the ceremony, she realized the Morlock’s healer could save Colossus – who had become seriously injured – and agreed to join the Morlocks if they would heal her friends. Feeling guilty for taking advantage of Caliban’s affection so many times, Kitty also agreed to marry him, but Caliban, realizing Kitty didn’t love him, released her from her vow and granted Kitty her freedom.

While Kitty and Caliban’s relationship shows elements of classic tales like Beauty and the Beast or The Phantom of the Opera, it also has a curious link to Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. In the play, the wizard Prospero uses two magical slaves, Ariel (Kitty’s former X-Men code name) and Caliban. Like Kitty, Ariel is an intangible spirit (alternately played by men and women) who spies on people for Prospero. Caliban, by contrast, is a brutish monster who tried to rape Prospero’s daughter and later tries to get some sailors to murder Prospero – only to be stopped by Ariel. At the end of the play, Ariel wins his/her freedom, while Caliban submits to Prospero, who may or may not have granted him his freedom.

In the X-Men version, Caliban is considerably more sympathetic and, while attracted to Kitty, ultimately chose to free her. His good deeds were rewarded when Kitty chose to befriend him and return periodically to the tunnels to chat with him and give him gifts. Tragically, however, the Morlocks are later massacred by the Marauders and Caliban fled to the surface with X-Factor. Feeling weak and useless, Caliban ended agreeing to serve Apocalypse in exchange for power. Apocalypse transformed Caliban into a hulking “Hellhound” creature – similar to Shakespeare’s Caliban – and made him attack other mutants like Sabretooth.

Despite the changes to his body and personality, Caliban still loved Kitty, and got to meet her one last time while trying to protect her from Sabretooth. Ashamed of the creature he had become, however, he begged her not to approach him. Some time later, he freed himself from Apocalypse’s control, but his mind began to deteriorate, causing him to become childlike and ultimately feral. Even so, he engaged in numerous heroic acts, only to die in the process and get resurrected just so he could die all over again.

Although not one of Kitty Pryde’s more popular “boyfriends,” Caliban was a good-hearted mutant who worked hard to overcome his personal demons, often at great emotional and mental cost to himself. Sadly, writers seemed to always put him in the most tragic circumstances, never allowing him to attain any real happiness. Considering that Kitty Pryde recently returned from the dead, perhaps it’s time for Caliban to make a similar resurrection and reunite with his old friend?

About The Author

Michael Jung
(700 Articles Published)

See also  Frozen 2: What Really Happened To Elsa & Olaf

Michael Jung is a mild-mannered freelance writer-for-hire, actor, and professional storyteller with a keen interest in pop culture, education, nonprofit organizations, and unusual side hustles. His work has been featured in Screen Rant, ASU Now, Sell Books Fast, Study.com, and Free Arts among others. A graduate of Arizona State University with a PhD in 20^th Century American Literature, Michael has written novels, short stories, stage plays, screenplays, and how-to manuals.

Michael’s background in storytelling draws him to find the most fascinating aspects of any topic and transform them into a narrative that informs and entertains the reader. Thanks to a life spent immersed in comic books and movies, Michael is always ready to infuse his articles with offbeat bits of trivia for an extra layer of fun. In his spare time, you can find him entertaining kids as Spider-Man or Darth Vader at birthday parties or scaring the heck out of them at haunted houses.

Visit Michael Jung’s website for information on how to hire him, follow him on Twitter Michael50834213, or contact him directly: michael(at)michaeljungwriter(dot)com.

More From Michael Jung