Cavewoman
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| Cavewoman | |
 Cavewoman's 10th Anniversary This image is a candidate for speedy deletion. It may be deleted after Saturday, 29 March 2008. |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Basement Comics |
| First appearance | Cavewoman #1 (Dec. 1993) |
| Created by | Budd Root |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Meriem Cecilbie Cooper |
| Abilities | Enhanced molecular structure extraordinary strength and stamina highly resistant to injury healing effect superhuman running speed hold her breath for long periods underwater resistant to drowning possibly superhuman sense of smell and hearing limited psychic powers psychic bond with Klyde and Harmony. |
Cavewoman is an American comic book published primarily by Basement Comics and additionally by Caliber Comics and Avatar Press. It features Meriem Cooper, a voluptuous superhuman jungle goddess in a snakeskin bikini who fights dinosaurs. The series was created by writer-artist Budd Root.
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[edit] Publication history
Meriem Cooper first appeared in Basement Comics' Cavewoman #1 (Dec. 1993), the first issue of a black-and-white, independent comics miniseries that ran six issues. She reappeared in the eight-issue miniseries Cavewoman: Rain(1996-1997) from Caliber Comics; the one-shot Cavewoman Meets Explorers (1997), jointly from Basement Comics and Explorer Press; the one-shot Jungle Tales of Cavewoman (1998), released in both a standard and a mature-audience edition; Cavewoman: Odyssey #1, the only issue of a planned five-issue miniseries from Caliber Comics; and other titles through at least 2001.
As of 2008, Meriem appears in the ongoing series Cavewoman: Pangean Sea and the semi-regular mature series Prehistoric Pin-ups and Jungle Tales.
[edit] Fictional character biography
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The plot summary in this article or section is too long or detailed compared to the rest of the article. Please edit the article to focus on discussing the work rather than merely reiterating the plot. |
[edit] Origin
Meriem Cecilbie Cooper was born in July of 1980 to her parents, Robert Addam Cooper and Gail Nicole Reicher, in the town of Marshville, Oregon. Her father died of unknown causes and Gail started taking drugs. She fell in with men who gave her more drugs and "filmed" her. The men also wanted to film the 7 year old Meriem as well, so Gail called Meriem's elderly scientist and inventor grandfather, Francis Peacock Reicher, affectionately called "Gramp" for help. Gramp tried to rescue Meriem, but he was beaten nearly to death by the men. Seconds later, Gramp returned healthy and superhumanly strong. He fought the men, who were armed with knives, defeated them easily and took Meriem away on a hovercycle that he got from the future. He gave Meriem her diary at this time.
Feeling confused and betrayed, Gail called the police on Gramp and the police went to Gramp's laboratory. Once at the laboratory, Meriem had discovered that Gramp had created a time machine and a body enhancer, which enables a body to survive the rigors of time travel. It was here that she first met Klyde, Gramp's 15 foot tall lab gorilla that he communincates with through sign language. Gramp explained that Klyde's huge size was due to an imperfection in the body enhancer when he tested the device on Klyde first. Gramp then enhanced Meriem like he enhanced himself and Klyde earlier. A secret branch of the government, unknown to even the president of the United States watched Gramp for months. They sabotaged the machine and rigged it to explode so the secrets of time travel would be theirs alone. Gramp realized that his time machine had been tampered with. He tried the best that he could to repair the machine, while the Marshville Police engaged the secret service agents. Gramp escaped with Meriem and Klyde by activating the time machine. The time machine exploded afterward. Gramp originally intended to go to the future, but instead traveled 70 million years to the past (Cretaceous Period).
Arriving in the past, the trio was quite afraid. They were expecting a clean future world, where traffic was above ground, not a young world, where dinosaurs roamed the earth. The first dinosaurs they saw were a stampeding Triceratops herd. Gramp built a tree fort, believing they would be safe from meat eating dinosaurs in the higher position. Gramp had taken several belongings with him including books and a motorcycle box. Meriem brought along her diary. At night, the meat eating dinosaurs could be heard in the distance, with terrifying sounds of prey being ripped apart. Meriem found it hard to sleep with all the noise. On their second night there, Klyde was attacked by a giant snake "the size of a Volkswagen". Klyde smashed the snake's head open and all the blood attracted lots of predators. Gramp took apart his motorcycle box and used a weapon that Meriem described as a "blue flame". The blue flame disintegrated whatever it hit and was instrumental in the trio surviving the night. However, the battle weakened the big branch the tree fort rested upon and everyone fell to the jungle floor. Gramp, Meriem and Klyde left, because all the corpses would attract even more predators.
Gramp used the "blue flame" to bore a garage-sized hole in solid rock. The trio stayed there for a night. They planned on moving to some mountains that they could see from the tree fort. The next day, they began their journey to the mountains. They were attacked by Velociraptors and Klyde fled. Gramp killed the raptors with a big stick. More raptors followed them, but instead of attacking, kept their distance. Once, Gramp and Meriem reached the cliffs, Klyde returned. Gramp created a new cave with the "blue flame". The entrance was created high and steep, so only primates (like Gramp, Meriem and Klyde) could climb a rope attached to a bell to reach the cave. This cave would become their permanent home. Gramp hoped someone from the future would come rescue them. He would have returned everyone to the future himself, but he suspected that the government agents damaged his time machine so badly that the return modulator didn't work anymore.
Near their cave grazed a Styracosaurus herd. The Styracosaurus were peaceful and mellow plant eaters. Gramp and Meriem stayed with the herd, foraging for food while the spiked plant eaters kept the dangerous meat eating dinosaurs away during the day. Klyde, however kept his distance from the grazing dinosaurs. Gramp encouraged Meriem to befriend Klyde, but the little girl despised Klyde's habit of whining and farting. The first carnivore the trio saw killed "Little Nipper", a baby Styracosaurus that Meriem had adopted. It was a very traumatic experience for the young Meriem. She vowed never to eat meat again and hated all meat eaters, except for Gramp. She stayed in the cave. Gramp called Meriem his "Little Cave Girl". When the carnivores roared in the darkness at night she roared back at them. She sobbed a lot, ate vegetables and got angry at Klyde for farting so much.
The rainy season was a terrible time because the meat eaters were constantly on the prowl. The Styracosaurus herd migrated to avoid the predators and Gramp, Meriem and Klyde followed the herd to forage safely. A Tyrannosaurus also followed the migrating herd to a river. Since there were giant crocodiles "as big as buses" in the river, nothing could cross with out getting attacked by them, so there was no escape. Gramp hid himself and Meriem in the mud, while Klyde fled into the jungle. The next time Meriem would see Klyde, it would be many years later.
[edit] Death of Gramp
At age 9 (and her second year in the past), Meriem and Gramp went to pick red-berries away from the Styracosaurus herd. Meriem was throwing berries at some small flying dinosaurs, when Gramp noticed a Tyrannosaurus lurking in the shadows of the jungle. It was the biggest T-Rex Meriem had ever seen. The massive beast came chasing after her until Gramp jumped in its path. The huge carnivore pinned Gramp under its foot and crushed him in its powerful jaws, throwing Gramps into the jungle thicket. Meriem ran to where Gramp had landed. Meriem tried to move him, but Gramp's wounds were mortal. Gramp took one last look at Meriem, putting his hand on her cheek and died. The T-Rex returned, took his body away in its jaws and disappeared into the jungle, leaving Meriem alone.
The grief-stricken Meriem returned to the cave and stayed inside for months, sleeping all the time and surviving off of snails and insects that crawled on the rocks at night. She became malnutritioned. Although Meriem was weakened, she wasn't unprotected. She always carried Gramp's knife with her. One day she ventured out onto the outside ledge of the cave and was snatched by a "Quasibird" (a winged Pterandon that was so called by Meriem, because its real name was hard for Meriem to remember). The Quasibird flew her to its nest, high atop a mountain peak. Before the Quasibird could drop Meriem to its young, she slashed its throat with her knife and both fell down the side of the mountain onto the shore of a big salt lake below. When Meriem woke from the fall, she discovered that she was surrounded by crabs. They couldn't hurt her because of her tough skin. Crabs were some of her favorite foods, namely seafood. Meriem heard the Quasibird's babies screams as they were being killed by flying predators. She swore to kill the predators because they killed babies. Meriem moved into the Quasibird's former den. By hunting crabs, she became healthy again. She crafted more weapons to help her fish: a bow, a spear and fishing pole. She also used the bow to kill the flying predators that she swore to kill. She hated those predators, but enjoyed how they tasted.
Shortly after, a large amount of land based carnivores appeared on the beach to wait for a large group for the flying predators' hatchlings to fail to learn to fly for the first time. When the babies fell to their deaths, the carnivores would be waiting below. Outraged by the cruelty to their young, Meriem grabbed her bow and killed fifteen of the flying birds, until the ledge she was standing on gave away. She fell into a sea of monsters below. Meriem fought with her spear and knife, hate and anger consuming all her emotions, until she was naked and covered in carnivore blood and gore. She left a week later, leaving a legendary feast for any predators who happened across the slaughter.
For five years Meriem wandered through the jungle slaying anything that looked at her for too long without hesitation. She was completely nude and barefoot except for her weapons. Any creature under a ton was taught to fear her. Meriem reveled in her savagery and felt "wild, savage and invincible...naked and free! Cavegirl the brave!" Although she felt empowered by her success in the jungle, there were two unresolved issues that she was not ready for and they bothered her. One was Gramp's cave and the other was Gramp's killer. She knew that once she entered Gramp's cave, she would go to kill the Tyrannosaurus. So she avoided it.
[edit] Back to Gramps' cave
One day, Meriem found Klyde in a tree. Meriem was overjoyed to see Klyde, but the great gorilla attacked her, shattering her bow and scattering her arrows. Klyde was never violent toward Meriem, just indifferent towards her. Meriem was shocked by the attack and fled to Gramp's cave. Inside the cave were Gramp's books, including a book that taught sign language, the way Gramp had communicated with Klyde. She had hated Klyde years ago, but she now knew that Klyde was her only link to her past life, civilization and Gramp.
Meriem had naked once she entered Gramp's cave for the first time in years. She could feel Gramp's presence and didn't want to be a savage any longer. She made her trademark snake skin bikini out of the bedsheet Gramp made for her years before. Gramp's presence also made her want revenge against his killer.
Meriem dipped arrows in dream berries (berries that dull the senses and cause drowsiness) and arrived at the Tyrannosaurus' cave, but fear overcame her and she left. Feeling worthless and alone she went to a grassy field Gramp had loved so much and spent his last moments in. There she ate dream berries, knowing that the berries would put her to sleep and make her vulnerable to predators that night. Instead of making her sleep, the dream berries put her into a trance. Meriem actually saw the predators coming and she wasn't scared. She was fascinated. When they attacked her, she felt no pain. She felt their hunger and need for her. Once she came out of her trance, the pain returned, but the predators weren't able to penetrate her skin. She slew one of them and filled its corpse with dream berries.
No longer afraid of death, Meriem returned to the Tyrannosaurus' den and left the corpse right outside the entrance. The beast ate the corpse and seconds later laid down. Meriem walked up and introduced herself as Gramp's granddaughter and its executioner. She tore through its side, giddy with passion of slaying the dinosaur. The T-Rex watched calmly, only looking toward its den once Meriem reached its heart. She ripped it out and heard quiet peeping noises coming from the cave. Stopping to spit upon the T-Rex heart, Meriem investigated the sounds. She ventured into its lair and found Gramps' corpse. Gramp's remains never decomposed due to his molecular structure being so tough. She also found five Tyrannosaurus hatchlings. Meriem left the hatchlings, thinking it was poetic to return the favor and leave them to survive, just as the T-Rex had made her an orphan. She took the necklace Gramp had and buried him on his favorite hill. Meriem felt hollow and returned to the T-Rex den. Velociraptors had come to the cave to feast upon the hatchlings, killing three of the five. She adopted the remaining two male hatchlings, naming them Peace and Harmony. Peace became violent, attacking Meriem one day. She drove him off and Peace grew into a particularly mean Tyrannosaurus. Harmony also grew, but stayed with Meriem for a time. She learned that she could control Harmony with a big stick. Soon Harmony also wandered off and Meriem was alone again.
[edit] Marshville
When her whole town of Marshville is transported 70 million years in the past, the buxom 19 year old Meriem becomes their guide and protector in the prehistoric world.
[edit] Powers and Abilities
Meriem's various superhuman powers come from her enhanced molecular structure. It was altered and enhanced by Gramp, so she can survive the rigors of time travel. If he hadn't altered her with the process, the time travel effect would have turned her body into "hamburger". Although she stands at 5'8", she weighs 350 lbs.[1] Meriem possesses extraordinary strength and stamina. She is strong enough to rip a Velociraptor's arm out of its socket.[2] She's also picked up a downed street lamp.[3] Meriem's strength also allows her to leap lengthy distances, such as between buildings in New York City[4], or leaping onto the top of a truck's trailer from street level.[5] She is strong enough to leap through the forest with a full grown man on her back.
Meriem is also highly resistant to injury. A low caliber gunshot to the back[6] and bites from Velociraptors have failed to penetrate her tough skin. She can survive falls from great heights, like when she fell from the cliffs to the beach. Things that have been proven to penetrate her skin and injury her are attacks that are directed with great strength or force such as a Tyrannosaurus bite, Klyde's blows or armor-piercing "cop-killer" ammunition.[7]
Meriem's enhanced molecular structure has a healing effect that slowly heals wounds over time. The effect is hastened when a lot of food is eaten and metabolised. The more food consumed, the more immediate the healing. Meriem always gets hungry after she gets injured. Meriem has healed dinosaur bites, armor-piercing bullets and even a Yeti yanking off all of her head hair. The next morning she had grown her hair back. The worst injury Meriem is shown taking is when she battled a berserk Klyde during the Cavewoman: Rain. Klyde beat her to the extent where Meriem stopped breathing and appeared dead in a "death state" while her enhanced molecular structure slowly repaired itself without Meriem eating anything to hasten the healing process. The citizens of Marshville buried her while the healing effect repaired the damage after two weeks. After completely physically healing, Meriem was extremely hungry afterward.
Meriem also has above average running speed, described as moving at "30 miles per hour". Once when she ran, Bruce had to ride after her in his motorcycle in order to keep up with her.[8]
She is an extremely powerful swimmer and can hold her breath for long periods when fighting underwater. She has also proven resistant to the effects of drowning, being capable of expelling water from her lungs even when unconscious.
Meriem's sense of smell and hearing are possibly superhuman or extremely well honed.
Meriem has psychic powers, the limits of which have not been revealed. She can see Gramp as some kind of spirit who appears to her from time to time, offering advice and insight. No one can see or hear Gramp but Meriem. She has a psychic bond with Klyde and Harmony.
[edit] Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
The name Meriem Cooper is in tribute to Merian C. Cooper, producer and director of the film King Kong (1933).
Among Meriem's favorite foods are McDonald's, seafood and chocolate ice cream. (Cavewoman: Rain #3, Cavewoman #5 and #2, respectively)
Meriem's bikini isn't a leopard skinned bikini as it appears in depictions, but a snake skinned bikini. There have been other alternate bikinis seen in pictures, such as a Santa themed bikini or a furry, prehistoric bikini in Prehistoric Pin-ups#5.
Meriem doesn't like her middle name. She hates being called "Cecil". (Cavewoman: Pangean Sea Special Origin Issue #0)
The secret government agents were watching Gramp since 1983. (Cavewoman: Pangean Sea #5)
Meriem only appears wearing normal clothing 3 times so far, not counting her childhood in Marshville and pin-up artwork. Normally Meriem is content to walk around barefoot in just her trademark bikini. Conventional clothing gets ripped while Meriem is leaping around or fighting dinosaurs and other creatures.
• The very first time the more conservative citizens of Marshville complained about the scantily-clad Meriem, so Meriem had taken to wear a t-shirt and pants until she had to rescue a child from a pterodactyl, while in her street clothes. While rescuing the child, she ripped her jeans in the back, revealing that Meriem didn't wear underwear underneath. Now, the townsfolk don't complain anymore.
• The second time was when she was addressing the Marshville townsfolk on stage, while wearing a dress and her hair up.
• And the very last time was when Meriem time traveled to New York. She was given an evening dress by Howie Sternum, since it would attract less attention on the streets of New York than her bikini.
Meriem is an expert knife thrower. She practices throwing her knife at targets carved in trees. She can decapitate a pterodactyl with a thrown blade.
[edit] Bibliography
- Cavewoman #1-6 (Dec. 1993 - n.a.)
- Cavewoman: Rain # 1-8 (1996-1997)
- Cavewoman Meets Explorers (1997 one-shot)
- Jungle Tales of Cavewoman (1998 one-shot)
- Cavewoman: Odyssey #1 (1999)
- Also: "Comic Connection Limited Edition" with variant cover
- Cavewoman: Pangaean Sea Prologue (1999)
- Cavewoman: Pangaean Sea #0- (2000-)
- Cavewoman: Intervention #1-2 (2001)
- Cavewoman: The Movie
- Cavewoman: One-Shot
- Cavewoman: He Said, She Said
- Cavewoman: Color Special (reprints Threshold #7 story)
- Cavewoman: Missing Link #1-4
- Cavewoman: Raptor #1-2
- Cavewoman: Beauties & Beasts
- Cavewoman: Reloaded # 1- (reprints Cavewoman #1-6 with new content)
- Cavewoman: Original Series vol. 1 (1996 trade paperback reprint of Cavewoman #1-6 with new content)
- Cavewoman: Jungle Jam #1-2
- Cavewoman: Cover Gallery #1
- Cavewoman: Prehistoric Pinups #1-5
- Basement / Amryl 2002 Convention Special Jam Book!
- Tanlines Pinup Book
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] References
- Cavewoman (official site)
- Cavewoman & Budd Root message board forum(official site)
- Basement Comics Amryl website (official site)
- Budd Root Interview on Cavewoman and Basement Comics
