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Marrina Smallwood is a fictional character of the Marvel Universe. She was a member of the Alpha Flight and an honorary member of the Avengers. She first appeared in Alpha Flight vol. 1 #1 (August, 1983). She was created by John Byrne.
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Fictional character biography
Marrina was a member of the alien species known as the Plodex, a species which sends its eggs to various planets. When the eggs hatch, young Plodex are born and take the forms of the native species they encounter. The egg which would become Marrina was unlucky by Plodex standards. The egg landed in the Atlantic Ocean about 40,000 years ago, at the turn between the Middle Paleolithic and the Upper Paleolithic and remained dormant for thousands of years. The egg, containing the genetic material that would become Marrina, became water-permeable; this permeability was responsible for her adaptations to aquatic environments. The egg eventually found its way to the surface and was found by fisherman Tom Smallwood. Tom took it home to Newfoundland, Canada. (Note: the author's 'Smallwood' selection of surname may have been a reference to the long-term famous Newfoundland leader Joey Smallwood.) The egg was opened prematurely by his wife Gladys Smallwood, causing Marrina to imprint a human female form. The genetic code of the human beings who touched it were added to the Plodex DNA, giving Marrina her female humanoid appearance. She was but an infant who needed raising like any other of her age. The childless Smallwoods accepted her as their own daughter. She left home as an adolescent of sixteen years of age to join Beta Flight, a team of super-heroes trained and funded by the Canadian government. After performing well in Beta Flight, Marrina was promoted to Alpha Flight. After being a member of Alpha Flight, Marrina left to marry her lover, Namor the Sub-Mariner. She served alongside him on Avengers missions and received honorary membership. When she became pregnant, the Plodex DNA reacted to her condition by turning her into a savage beast, a Leviathan. Namor was forced to slay her with the Black Knight's Ebony Blade.[1] However, Llan the Sorcerer later told the self-proclaimed Master of the World that, "Now she sleeps a false death under the waves."[2] This fact was revisited later when Warbird broke into the Master's lair where (unseen by Warbird) Marrina's body floated in a watery tank.[3] Whether Marrina will ever wake from her coma and return is uncertain.
Powers and abilities
Marrina was amphibious. She could survive in the ocean depths or on land indefinitely, and breathe in both environments. In order to survive the crushing depths of the ocean, her physiology was specially enhanced. Her strength, endurance, vision, and stamina were all heightened beyond levels attainable by humans. To travel, she could swim with considerable speed underwater, and also create massive waterspouts to propel herself into the air that stretch several kilometers inland and can also be made to strike a target with considerable force. On dry land, she could run at tremendous speeds and brace her body to withstand the full impact of a semi truck, completely stopping the vehicle dead in its tracks, while completely remaining unharmed herself. When Marrina became enraged and her Plodex DNA took over, she would take on a more beast-like appearance. Her hands would turn into talons that easily cut through most material, and her skin produced a contact poison that could blind an individual. During her pregnancy she grew to gigantic size.
