Vertigo is a native of the Savage Land and a former member of the Swamp Men tribe. Brainchild, one of the superhuman beings known as the Savage Land Mutates, used advanced genetic engineering techniques to transform her into a white-haired mutate resembling a human woman with the psionic power to disorient any living being's sense of balance.
Vertigo first battled the X-Men when she used her powers to defeat both Angel and Spider-Man. As their captives, the two heroes devolved into bestial, primordial creatures.[9] The mutates then planned to use the genetic transformer on an ordinary human, Tanya Anderssen, but Tanya's associates Dr. Karl Lykos and Ka-Zar intervened. Vertigo used her powers on Lykos, but he managed to shoot her in the head, incapacitating her.
Vertigo quickly recovered from the nonfatal shot, assisting the mutates as they ambushed the X-Men, who had come to rescue their teammate. Nightcrawler was able to overcome Vertigo's power and knock her unconscious with a stone. Vertigo later returned to the citadel under Sauron's orders and participated in a battle with the X-Men when Storm managed to overcome Brainchild's influences. During the battle, Vertigo was knocked out by Wolverine with a swift punch. Storm then defeated Sauron and Zaladane, destroying the genetic transformer which reverted Vertigo and the others mutates back to their swamp savage form.
Under unknown circumstances, Vertigo's powers and appearance were restored. Mister Sinister sent his agent Gambit to recruit mutant assassins for his team of Marauders. Gambit found Vertigo near a dock, and she agreed to join him in exchange for money.
Vertigo's first mission with the Marauders was to murder the entire population of the Morlocks, a community of mutants living underground in the New York City area. Vertigo and her teammates succeeded in this task, killing the vast majority of the Morlocks. In the course of this "Mutant Massacre," the Marauders first clashed with the mutant teams of adventurers known as the X-Men and X-Factor. Vertigo also briefly fought Thor, who had traveled to the sewers to assist the X-Men.
Subsequently, the X-Men thwarted the Marauders’ attempt to carry out Sinister’s order to murder his former pawn, Madelyne Pryor, in San Francisco. Later, Sinister sent the Marauders to battle the X-Men during the time of the demonic invasion of New York City known as the "Inferno."
Vertigo and her teammate Arclight temporarily left the Marauders to accept invitations to join the all-female supervillain team known as the Femizons. Led by Superia, Vertigo fought Captain America and Paladin but left the team after Superia's defeat.
Mister Sinister later ordered Vertigo and the Marauders to track down Threnody and X-Man. When they found the pair, X-Man used his powers to manipulate Riptide into killing Vertigo with his shurikens. The Marauders were quickly cloned and sent out once again to capture Threnody. Threnody jumped out of the way of Scalphunter's gunfire, resulting in Vertigo being gunned down. Threnody soon realized Scalphunter was using stun pellets as Vertigo was still alive.
The Marauders temporarily disbanded, and Vertigo was next seen back on the Savage Land as Brainchild attempted to manipulate Storm once again. She later assisted Brainchild against the Avengers, using her powers to force the heroes to sleep and allowing for easy capture. The Avengers eventually managed to escape captivity, and Spider-Woman quickly blasted Vertigo out of the battle.
When the Hauk'ka invaded the Savage Land, Vertigo and the mutates were pardoned for their past crimes to assist the Saurians in defending the land. The mutates worked alongside Ka-Zar and the X-Men to repel the enemy forces, with Vertigo using her powers to knock several Hauk'ka out of the sky. Vertigo was later mind-controlled by R'chel against the X-Men, but Psylocke threw her into the other mutates. Vertigo recovered and joined the team that traveled into the heart of the Savage Land to stop the Hauk'ka's control over the weather.
Returning to the Marauders, Vertigo joined Scalphunter in killing the Witness. Alongside the other Marauders, Vertigo ambushed the X-Men in their mansion when it was revealed Lady Mastermind and Mystique had betrayed them for Mister Sinister. The Marauders defeated the X-Men and returned to Mister Sinister's base.
Sometime later, in a race to obtain the first mutant born since the Decimation, Vertigo was once again killed, this time by Predator X.
Vertigo, now back in the Savage Land, discovered Sauron's cloning tubes, implying a partnership between Sauron and Mister Sinister. She attacked Sauron and later claimed leadership of the Savage Land with her teammates Lupa and Whiteout.
At some point, Vertigo (or a clone of Vertigo) rejoined the Marauders in massacring the Morlock population. This led an angered Chamber, their new leader, to rejoin the X-Men. When the X-Men re-encountered the Morlocks, the Marauders fought briefly, but ultimately surrendered, professing their innocence. Not believing them, Chamber burned them to death with his psionic flame.
She is later mentioned to be alive on Krakoa as Third Eye was looking for her.
