Cabeza is descended from Mayan gods, though he didn't inherit any of their powers. He was once a Mayan prince and priest from Tikal. He was trained to be one of the best Mayan warriors of his day and he more than excelled at what he was taught. So long as he lived, he kept the Snake Kingdom at bay and with his human demise, Tikal fell instantly into their hands.
He primarily speaks Spanish even though he is Mayan because he spent two thousand years in Spain, Basque, and Portugal before he was allowed to return to the Americas.
Cabeza is one of the Dogs of War.
The "Cabeza" Nickname[]
Kukulkan is called "Cabeza", which means "Head" in Spanish. When Kateri asked why people called him Head, he told this story.
| “ | When I was a boy … ten, my older brother was killed by Chacu’s father. It was a bad time in Tikal back then. The Snake Kingdom was always attacking us. In one such attack, they went after a group of children and wounded several. My older brother stayed behind to draw their fire so that the boys could get away. They made it back, but the price of that safety was my brother’s life. Barely fifteen, he didn’t last long against an entire band of seasoned warriors. Those bastards took my brother’s head and would play ball games with it. When my mother found out, it broke her heart all over again. She says it was like having him murdered every time they did it. She says she would never be able to sleep so long as they dishonored him so. I couldn’t stand to see her so miserable so I snuck over to their capital city and found my brother’s head, then I brought it home to my mother so that she could sleep again. My uncle, he was a bit loco. So he started calling me Head as a way of celebrating my bravery and loyalty. To remind me and others that the most honorable thing in life is not to live it selfishly, but to take risks for those we love. He used to say being a man is not about killing or taking. It’s not about proving your worth or seducing women. It’s when you are willing to give up your life rather than watch your family cry or be degraded. |
” |
–Cabeza, Time Untime, page 216 | ||
Appearances[]
Cabeza is first mentioned in Dream Warrior when the Dogs of War are moved to New Orleans to protect Nick Gautier.
Cabeza appears in Time Untime, when his ancient foe Chacu attacked Kateri. He accompanied Sasha, Urian, and Sundown to Xibalba, the Mayan underworld, to help Ren Waya and Kateri Avani escape. After that, they all went to the Valley of Fire to prevent an apocalypse and Cabeza fought with Chacu, though the man got away.