Silverclaw

History

The Kamekeri are a small South American tribe located in Costa Verde. Originally part of the Tahuantinsuyu, they worshipped both the Incan and their own local gods until missionaries convinced them to reject their old beliefs for modern ways. However, Peliali, the Volcano Goddess, swore never to leave her home or her people. Though the Kamekeri kept in touch with the outside world the Costa Verde government officially learned of their existence only recently.

Years ago Jamie Santiago returned from one of many journeys into the Andes with an infant girl he claimed was his by Peliali. Revealed as a shape-shifter at her christening, Lupe grew up teased by other children. When her father died, Lupe was taken in by the Church orphanage, despite their misgivings about her “ungodly” powers. When a TV ad brought the orphanage a letter from Edwin Jarvis they decided to make Lupe his sponsor, believing that his connections to Iron Man might be able to help her someday. Lupe began a correspondence with Jarvis that lasted several years, though not revealing her birthright. Agents of Moses Magnum learned of her powers while traveling to America and forced her to fight the Avengers while they stole a seismic cannon being shipped through JFK Airport. Lupe cooperated on the condition that no hostages or bystanders were killed. Once Magnum Force escaped, Lupe, now called Silverclaw, helped the Avengers retrieve the cannon.

Lupe attended college classes until a telegram warned her of an old Costa Verde prophecy coming true. Once Silverclaw and the Avengers arrived they discovered that sorcerer Kulan Gath had transformed the Kamekeri into Hyborian Era (circa 10,000 B.C.) versions of themselves and was intending to sacrifice Peliali in order to attain godhood and destroy the Earth. The Avengers were able to distract Gath long enough for Silverclaw to channel the belief of the Kamekeri into Peliali allowing her to escape and leaving Gath to the mercy of his demonic masters.

Now an Avenger reservist, Silverclaw continued her studies while helping out against such foes as Ronan the Accuser, a homunculus of Estaban De Ablo, and Kang. When the Avengers helped Mantis save her son Sequoia from one of the Thanosi (renegade Thanos duplicates), Silverclaw was attracted to the extra-dimensional Haywire, but his obsession with reviving his dead girlfriend Inertia ultimately destroyed him. Silverclaw also aided the Avengers when an extra-dimensional madman tried to merge their universe with his own and when an insane Scarlet Witch attempted to destroy the Avengers.

Powers & Abilities

Silverclaw possesses the superhuman ability to mimic the physical characteristics of various animals native to rain forests and jungles. Thus far, Lupe has demonstrated the following animal aspects: jaguar, anaconda, cockatoo, monkey, sloth, puma, cheetah, and crocodile. When assuming an animal form, Lupe does not transform fully into the animal. Instead, she assumes a form that combines elements of the animal with her normal human appearance. These were-forms are similar to the transitional forms assumed by other animal shape-shifters, such as the mutants Wolfsbane and Catseye. Each of these forms grant Silverclaw additional abilities. Silverclaw has demonstrated enhanced strength, speed and agility, claws, flight and enhanced senses while transformed. She has also shown the ability to alter her size to some degree, as when she transformed into a giant sloth.

In her powered form, Silverclaw's skin assumes a silvery quality. This silver skin also manifests whenever Silverclaw assumes an animal form. It has not been revealed if Lupe's silver skin is merely cosmetic or if it possesses superhuman qualities of its own. As a shapeshifter, Lupe has complete control of her form. Through force of will, she has overcome powerful transformative enchantments and reverted to her true form.

Weakness

Gallery

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