Martel is a character from the manga/anime series Fullmetal Alchemist. Formerly a member of the Amestrian State Military, she and the other members of her Special Ops unit were arrested prior to the war in Ishval. They spent the next fourteen years undergoing cruel experiments meant to create human chimerae, with Martel being turned into a chimera that was half human, half snake.
Appearance[]
Although she possesses snake genes, Martel still appears human. She has Caucasian skin, short blonde hair, outlined lips and green eyes with slit pupils (her only visible reptilian trait). She has a tattoo that runs from her right cheek down to her shoulder. Her attire consists of a black tank top and blue combat trousers.
History[]
Manga and 2009 anime[]
According to the manga, Martel had been critically injured in a conflict in Aerugo after stepping on a landmine. After being taken to an alchemic lab, her mutilated body was restored after she was alchemically combined with a snake. While she still appeared human on the outside, her skeletal structure was more similar to that of a snake, allowing her to extend and contort her limbs in ways that a normal human could never do. Not long after the experiment, Martel escaped from military custody along with the other surviving members of her unit. They would flee to South City where they met with the rogue homunculus Greed, joining forces with him and agreeing to satisfy his vices.
After the chimerae abducted Alphonse Elric, they drew the attention of both Edward Elric and the Amestrian military. Soldiers stormed the Devil's Nest via the sewers and most of Martel's friends were killed in the assault, but Martel took to hiding inside Al's armour to escape the military's notice. From inside the armour, Martel witnessed Greed fighting against none other than King Bradley, taking note of the Fuhrer's apparent superhuman agility. After disabling Greed, Bradley then turned his attention to Alphonse, having apparently noticed Martel inside him. The Fuhrer then slid a sword through the gap in the armour's collar, skewering Martel and killing her.
2003 anime[]
In the 2003 series, Martel was turned into a chimera at Lab 5 within Central City where she would remain locked up for years. Following the Elric brothers' encounter with the Homunculi at Lab 5, Martel and her fellow chimerae - Roa, Dolcetto and Bido - escaped and joined forces with the renegade homunculus Greed. They fled to South City where they set up a hideout in a pub called Devil's Nest.
After the chimerae abducted Alphonse, they drew the attention of both Edward and the military. After Solf J. Kimblee betrays Greed's group, they flee and scatter. Martel hides inside Alphonse's armour who escapes while Roa and Dolcetto confront the homunculi Lust and Gluttony. Though she exits later on, she eventually reappears and helps the Elric brothers meet up with Roy Mustang at Eastern Command. While hiding inside Al's armour, Martel exposes herself when she sees an opportunity to take revenge on Kimblee. She also eavesdrops on a conversation between Kimblee and Fuhrer Bradley discussing the destruction of Reole in order to make a Philosopher's Stone. When Martel attempts to warn the Elrics, Bradley confronts her, taking off his eyepatch and revealing an Ouroboros symbol on his left eye, indicating that he is a homunculus. Martel rushes to find Al and hides in his armour again, telling him to warn Ed about the Fuhrer. Just then, Bradley appears brandishing a sword which he plunges into the gap in Al's collar and skewers Martel.
Abilities[]
- Limb Contortion and Extension - With a snake-like skeletal structure and elasticated skin, Martel is capable of stretching her limbs to three times their standard length, giving her extraordinary combat range. She can also twist and contort her limbs in order to constrict a person or squeeze into small spaces.
- Stunted Ageing - Since the experiment that turned her into a chimera, Martel's ageing process seems to have paused and she remains as young and attractive as she had been since before the procedure.