Kaimann (Character)

Kaimann was the commander of the pirate craft the Flying Star. A noble stripped of his rights due to his mutation, he eventually became the commander of a pirate crew, along his lieutenant Olaf, and established his headquarters in the asteroid known as Tortuga Island. He rescued Luz de Garra from Diavaloo's satellite and later married her. Years later he dies while helping to defeat the Bethacodon, sacrificing himself so that others could safely escape.

His first appearance was in the sixth issue of Before the Incal, Suicide Alley.

Early life
Due to the fact that Kaimann's father was a mutant sired to one empire's greatest noble houses Kaimann was born with a repitilian tail. Because of his tail he was stripped of his legitimate rights, and like all descendants of mutants sired to a noble he was meant to be killed at birth. However, Olaf, who was the most senior palace servant, was so touched by Kaimann’s refined spirit that he decided against killing him, and instead left for another planet with the baby. They eventually arrived to an asteroid, which at the time was inhabited by a band of apemen. Since the apemen also had tails they adopted Kaimann as one of their own.

Meeting Luz
Overtime Kaimann grew up to become the commander of a pirate craft (the Flying Star) with his own crew, Olaf being the lieutenant. The asteroid where he grew up came to be known as Tortuga Island,a pirate stronghold.

One day, the Flying Star attacked Diavaloo’s satellite and took it over, although Diavaloo managed to escape. The pirates had an orgy with the women from Diavaloo's harem to celebrate. Olaf informed Kaimann, that there was an aristo of pure blood on board, which peaked Kaimann's interest. They found the woman chained, but upon removing her helmet he killed two of Kaimman’s men by using her halo. Kaimann managed to stop her by kicking her with his reptilian tail, leaving the woman unconscious. At that point Kaimann decided that it was time to leave the satellite, and they all returned to the Flying Star, with the woman on board.

Kaimann expected to marry the woman, named Luz, but she said that she was not interested in being the commmander's bride, she wanted to be a warrior instead. When Kaimann declared his love for her, Luz told him that she was stil in love with John DiFool a detective from Terra. Kaimann, who had spies on the planet, told her that John had already moved on. Luz and Kaimann decided to go land on City Shaft to verify this information, disguised as Technos. Luz tried to approach John, but he didn't seem to remember him (unbeknownst to Luz John memory had actually been erased). Luz left the planet sad and disappointed, but Kaimann pledged to remain faithful to Luz and that he would prepare to unleash a galactic revolution against the Empire.

Attack on Tortuga Island and mutation
Luz entered into a sacred union with Kaimann, and they lived at Torguta Island for several years. At one point, due to fighting between Black Vampires and Archangels in space, the pirates were forced to stop their lucrative activities and tried to live in isolation, but then three Gounas -gigantic spatial spiders- arrived and attacked the asteroid. Kaimann thought he might be able to negotiate with the Goungas, but Luz got ahead of him and came out of the ship first. The Goungas, seeing Luz's halo, thought she was a goddess and they took her to their planet, in exchange, they left the rest of the pirates alone.

Tortuga Island was left on ruins, and the pirates eventually turned to cannibalism, while Kaimann mutation worsened, becoming almost completely saurian.

Visit by John DiFool
Some time later John DiFool (and three other versions of himself) arrived at Tortuga Island, escaping from a Terra 2014 that was being attacked by the Bethacodon. In the asteroid they were attacked by the remaining cannibal pirates, although they managed to get away. Once the pirates were gone they found Lieutenant Olaf, who explained to them what had happened and Kaimann's situation. Eventually Luz was rescued by John, and they reached a deal with the Technopope so that Kaimann could be turned back into human. In exchange John and Luz would travel back to Terra to find factions that could align with the Technos and defeat the Bethacadon and the Meca-prezident.

Death
Luz and John managed to rally a rebel faction to launch an attack against the Meca-prezident, which allowed the Technopope to send his Techno Armada to Terra 2014, headed by Kaimann and with the help of Elohim.

The techno-armada -protected by the tail of an Archangel- was approaching Terra 2014 when they began to be attacked by the Mec-preziden'ts orbital defenses, closing their communications. Elohim destroyed all the robot satellites, but half of the Techno Armada had been lost in the battle. With the help of Elohim they reassembled again and entered Terra 2014’s stratosphere. Once there the Techno-army started attacking the Palace’s defenses and taking down virus-carrying vessels. Elohim started to attack the Bethacodon, who was immune to conventional weapons, and their fighting created an energy hurricane. Meanwhile Kaimann and Olaf’s ship entered the Palace. Shortly after entering the Palace Olaf was killed by the Meca-prezident's forces, but Kaimann managed to survive.

Upon learning that the Bethacadon was planning to spread a viral cloud through the Palace’s upper ventilation system so that the air current created by the energy hurricane would spread throughout the atmosphere, Kaimann offered to destroy the ventilation control system himself, so that his friends could have enough time to escape. Before sacrificing himself Kaimann also suggested setting his ship to self-destruct so that the Bethacodon could die from the explosion. When Kaimann started to manually postpone the release of the virus he started to turn into solid metal, and was eventually killed when John, following Kaimann suggestion, activated his ship's self-destruction.

Etymology
His name is a reference to the caiman reptile.