Asp (Marvel)

Black Mamba on the right in Avengers: The Initiative v1 #31.

Asp is a female comic supervillain who features in Marvel Comics.

Biography

Cleopatra Nefertiti

While rifling through Sidewinder's belongings, Black Mamba found and showed the other two a series of files on them on several other snake themed criminals, including Princess Python, Asp, Cobra, and Constrictor. (Captain America v1 #308)

At a posh midtown Manhattan hotel, Sidewinder had invited several serpent-themed mercenaries to attend the organizational meeting for the Serpent Society. Those present were Sidewinder, Black Mamba, Death Adder, Princess Python, Cottonmouth, Diamondback, Constrictor, Bushmaster, Cobra, Asp, Rattler, and Anaconda. Sidewinder's pitch was to mimic the heroes and to band together as a united group. He had spent the previous nine months laying the groundwork for his new group, and promised a guaranteed pay scale, insurance, medical plans, pensions, greater access to tools and data, and, thanks to Sidewinder's teleportational abilities, no fear of long-term imprisonment. All but one attendee agreed to join; Constrictor refused and left. To test their ability to be team players, Sidewinder split the group into three sections, and set each group out in a van to retrieve objects that he felt would be of use to the Society. While Anaconda, Cobra, and Rattler went to retrieve mutagenics equipment from Brand, it is not known what the other groups were not what they retrieved. (Captain America v1 #310) Following the successful completion of all three tasks, the group reconvened in their new headquarters, the Serpent Citadel. Seeking to advertise the group, Sidewinder broke them into teams of two and sent them to contact all the major criminal and subversive organizations in America. Among the potential contactees were the Maggia, Zodiac, Secret Empire, Kingpin, AIM, and Hydra. Asp and Cottonmouth made contact with the Kingpin in a Manhattan skyscraper, knocking out many of his guards in the process, while another team convinced AIM to hire the Society to kill M.O.D.O.K. with a venom blast. (Captain America v1 #311)

Asp and Cottonmouth were investigating an abandoned A.I.M. facility when Sidewinder ordered them to New Jersey, where another team had found M.O.D.O.K. Locating him in a mall, Diamondback took charge of the Society members and they headed in, though Anaconda took offense and Diamondback's take-charge attitude before Asp defended her. After a 'gas leak' announcement arranged by Captain America emptied the mall, the team cornered M.O.D.O.K. but Captain America intervened; Cottonmouth ordered Asp, Diamondback, and Black Mamba to take out Cap while the rest attacked M.O.D.O.K. Black Mamba engulfed Captain America in her phantom 'skin' but Asp, unaware that it was part of Mamba, blasted Cap and the skin, knocking Mamba out. Diamondback leapt onto Cap's back but hesitated at the though of stabbing him with her poison darts; this hesitation allowed Cap to throw Diamondback into Asp, disabling both. (Captain America v1 #313) Sidewinder freed from jail those serpents that had been imprisoned. Needing M.O.D.O.K.'s corpse as proof of their success, Anaconda, Black Mamba, Asp, and Cobra stole the body from the Monmouth County morgue. Black Mamba used her powers to get the team inside unseen, while Asp and Cobra blasted those present in the morgue itself and Anaconda carried the body out; no one was killed in the theft. The foursome delivered the body to AIM and received $100,000 in payment; they returned with the money to the Citadel, where everyone received their share. (Captain America v1 #315) All the Serpents were looking for the missing Death Adder and were present when Sidewinder teleported in with Death Adder's body, having found it in the local morgue. Sidewinder ordered everyone to drop all missions and concentrate on finding the killer. Asp and Anaconda went after the Circus of Crime. (Captain America v1 #319)

At some point, the Serpent Society sent Cobra, Asp, and Bushmaster to kidnap a young America Chavez. (America v1 #7) Sidewinder introduced four new Serpents to the charter members, and appointed them as probationary members of the team. The foursome quickly betrayed the team to Viper. (Captain America v1 #341) Bushmaster, Black Mamba, and Asp refused to join Viper, so she injected them with a poison which would leave them dead in an hour. The Captain and Diamondback came to their rescue and Diamondback gave the Cobra's universal anti-toxin to the trio and left them there to recover. (Captain America v1 #342) Cobra accepted a commission from the Deviant leader Ghaur and the Atlantean Llyra to retrieve items of arcane mystic power; he split the Society into squads. Asp, Boomslang, and Puff Adder went to the Savage Land to retrieve a stone idol, but were interrupted by Wolverine and Dazzler who had been switched into Diamondback's body but was still wearing her own costume. Asp blasted Dazzler, knocking her out, and the trio retrieved the idol, but Wolverine ambushed them and took down Asp; the X-Men retrieved the item and the serpents returned home. (Uncanny X-Men Annual v1 #13)

Asp was present at a Serpent Society meeting when Cobra announced that a mystery man had teleported into the Society's Bronx headquarters. He asked the group to keep an ear out for information about the stranger. (Captain America v1 #365) Asp drove across the U.S.-Canada border not far from Winnipeg, called north due to the influence of Llan the Sorcerer. (Alpha Flight v1 #79) Controlled by Llan, Asp joined a battle between Alpha Flight and Nekra, the Scorpion, and the Owl. She exchanged blasts and blows with Diamond Lil while Gamma Flight joined the battle, trying to arrest all present, including Alpha Flight. Gamma Flight's sorceress Witchfire cast a spell which cut off the Llan's influence, and Asp and the other controlled Americans all fell unconscious. (Alpha Flight v1 #80) Bushmaster noted that the Society had had to spring Asp after she got into a little trouble. The following day, Asp was present at a noon meeting of the Society where Cobra announced that he felt that he had been underperforming as their leader and now intended to correct that and lead them to new heights as King Cobra. (Captain America v1 #367) Asp lunched with Diamondback and Black Mamba, and asked Diamondback to consider returning to the team. When a Society page told Asp that the Red Skull's people were offering a $100,000 reward for Magneto's whereabouts, Diamondback volunteered that he had been hanging with the Hellfire Club and the trio briefly considered investigating. (Captain America v1 #368) Captain America sought out Asp at the somewhat seedy Pink Flamingo Lounge, where she was an exotic dancer. After a brief struggle, he told her that he only wanted her to pass on to Diamondback that he was looking for her, as he had no way to get in touch with her. When Cap denigrated her occupation, she defended it as an art form; she also enjoyed it, enjoyed the reaction from men, and it was great exercise. However, Asp did pass along the message to Diamondback. (Captain America v1 #369) When Diamondback went out on a civilian date, Black Mamba, Asp, and Anaconda were determined to make sure the date was trouble-free. The threesome acquired a limousine, and when the couple got stuck in a traffic jam caused by the Gamecock taking a hostage, Asp slipped out of the limo and blasted him unconscious, after which the police collected him. Later in the evening the couple stumbled across a fight between Jackhammer and Poundcakes, but Anaconda pulled the battling criminals into the limo, and Asp quickly blasted them unconscious. (Captain America v1 #371) When the captive Diamondback was tried by the Serpent Society for treason, Asp was in the minority which voted for a verdict of innocent. Asp and Black Mamba went to King Cobra and told him that they had quit if he followed through with the execution; King Cobra replied they could leave but that if they interfered they would be executed as well. (Captain America v1 #380)

Asp and Black Mamba went to Mamba's chambers, where Mamba called Sidewinder to come rescue Diamondback. The two then began packing to escape themselves. King Cobra and Bushmaster confronted Black Mamba and Asp, bringing phone records that showed Mamba had called Sidewinder. The pair attempted to flee, but Cobra gassed them unconscious and trussed them in the gymnasium. Diamondback returned, with Paladin, to try to rescue them, but that pair was captured as well. (Captain America v1 #381) Captain America freed Paladin, Asp, Mamba, and Diamondback. King Cobra returned with Black Racer, Coachwhip, and Rattler, and Asp blasted Black Racer, knocking her out. While Captain America saw most of the Society hauled away by Guardsmen; Diamondback, Black Mamba, and Asp were allowed to remain free. (Captain America v1 #382) Asp participated in the Maria Stark Foundation charity swimsuit photo shoot. (Marvel Illustrated: The Swimsuit Issue v1 #1) From Paladin's Trump Plaza apartment, Asp, Black Mamba, and Diamondback watched coverage of the Society's arrests on TV, noting their own 'wanted' status. Realizing the other snakes might be hunting them, they decided to band together as the B.A.D. Girls Inc, taking their name from their three codenames. After acquiring new costumes to disguise their identities they returned to Diamondback's apartment but were quickly attacked by the other snakes. Rock Python cornered Cleo and forced her to surrender, binding her hands so that she could not blast the others. (Captain America v1 #385)

Overview

Powers and abilities

B.A.D. Girls Inc. in Cable & Deadpool v1 #20.

She had been classically trained dancer as well as an exotic dancer. (Avengers: The Initiative v1 #29)

Asp generates and projects 'venom bolts' of an unrevealed nature, this radiant energy can be expelled from her hands. She can adjust the potency of her venom to either temporarily paralyze or even kill organic beings. Prolonged or continued exposure to skin contact with Asp can prove fatal as her body secretes this venom through her pores. Projecting and focusing her power drains her energies which requires that she rebuild energy levels through swaying and undulating motions with her torso and limbs.

As a dancer, she has superb muscle control and is able to move in a manner that has been described as provocative and hypnotic. This has aptly been named her "snake-dance" while performing it - it can regenerate her energy within a matter of ten minutes.

Notes

• Asp was created by Mark Gruenwald and Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary where she made her first appearance in Captain America v1 #310 (October, 1985)

Alternate Versions

• In Ultimate Power v1 #1 (2006), an alternate version of Asp appeared in the Ultimate Marvel reality designated as Earth-1610 in the Multiverse.

In other media

Television

• In Marvel Future Avengers, Asp appeared in the setting of the anime television series in the episode "Mission Black Market Auction" where she was voiced by Japanese actress Yūko Kaida and by English actress Laura Bailey in the dub. This version was a member of B.A.D. Girls, Inc. where she was hired alongside Black Mamba and Diamondback to guard a cruise ship where an illegal auction for an Infinity Stone that was to take place. However, they were defeated by Wasp, Black Widow, and Charade.

Appearances

• Captain America v1: (1985)

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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