Lizard (Marvel)
The Lizard is a male comic supervillain who features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Curt Connors
During the war, he was said to had lost his right arm as he returned to the United States. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #6)
He became fascinated at the ability of reptiles to regrow lost limbs and over time became the world's leading expert in the creatures. This was because he looked to apply a reptile's natural regenerative ability to humans that wold allow him to regrow his own lost arm. From his reptiles, he developed an experimental serum over the course of months and he tested it on animals with a rabbit re-growing a new leg in an hour. Dr. Connors then looked to move forward to human testing starting on himself with his arm being restored to him. However, his body began to mutate into a humanoid lizard and he was forced to leave his home and family. Curtis looked to create a new serum that make him human again but found that his mind began to dull and change making it a fruitless endeavour. Seeing no means of becoming human, he wrote a note to his family as he said good bye to them whilst the reptilian portion of his brain became dominant thus leading to him becoming the Lizard. He then looked to use Connors serum and inject it into giant lizards making them as intelligent as himself thus creating a savaged super-powered lizard army. They would be the basis of a new form of life that would take over the planet and replace mankind. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #6)
Seeking to claim the swamps, he began scaring any humans in the area with news reports spreading quickly of the Lizard in the Florida Everglades. Upon learning of this, J. Jonah Jameson made a public challenge in the Daily Bugle of Spider-Man to defeat the Lizard. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #6)
Connor's laboratory was later broken into by a drug addict who stole vials of the animal stem cell project that transformed the person into the Freak. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #552) He learned that the NYPD had taken samples of the chrysalis that was being studied by forensic specialist Carlie Cooper with Connors visiting her in order to take some of the samples for study. Even though it was against procedure, Carlie provided the sample in the interest of public safety but on the condition that Curt shared his findings with her. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #553)
Despite leaving with his followers, he could not find them as equals but mere Homo Sapiens and ended up devouring the entirety of the group. At this point, Michael Morbius believed he had developed a cure to return the mind of Curt Connors and teamed up with Spider-Man in administering it to him. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #688)
Afterwards, he was given an Inhibitor Chip designed to control his Lizard mutation giving Connors the ability to switch between his forms. He became determined in rehabilitating himself and becoming a productive member of society once more whereby he gave his genome patent research to E.S.U. that was worth millions. This saw him being admitted into E.S.U. as a member of the faculty and began teaching classes. (Amazing Spider-Man v5 #2)
Following the incident, he decided to lock himself away in an isolated facility he designed to hold him and was staffed with self-replicating robots to prevent the Lizard from escaping. Spider-Man discovered the site where Connors believed he could not trust him not falling to his Lizard nature and harming others. However, the Wall-Crawler managed to convince Curt to be with his family and he was fitted with a new inhibitor chip to control his Lizard side. This saw him resume his civilian life and he returned to E.S.U. to continue teaching where he claimed that his recent absence was due to being on a sabbatical. (Amazing Spider-Man v5 #25)
Overview
Personality and attributes
Connors was noted for being a decent and talented man. It was said that he was a good man and a good father with both his wife as well as his son adoring him. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #6)
As the Lizard, he changed into becoming a being that was far more ruthless. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #6)
The Lizard planned to replace mankind by evolving other reptiles into a form like himself that would become the new rulers of the Earth with himself as their master. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #6)
Powers and abilities
Dr. Curtis Connors was noted for being a surgeon though the after the loss of his arm in the war he came to study reptile life. This led to him becoming the world's leading authority of reptiles and an expert on the animals. It was because he was fascinated by the creatures ability to regrow lost limbs and wanted to apply this to human beings. From his lizards, he came to develop an experimental serum that could be applied to a person that allowed them to regenerate limbs. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #6)
Use of serum caused his quick transformation into a humanoid reptile. The Lizard gained the abilities three thousand different kinds of lizards that existed on Earth. This included the ability of the gecko-lizard that can slither up walls. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #6)
It was said that the serum had similarly affected his brain leading to a marked change in his personality. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #6)
The transformation led to his skin becoming strong like armor with it being like dinosaur's natural armor. Such was its hardness and toughness that it was capable of repelling gunshots. Even superhumans such as Spider-Man nearly broke their hands when trying to punch the Lizard. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #6)
He was noted for being fast and able to match the superhuman agility of Spider-Man. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #6)
The Lizard was shown to be equally as strong as his tough skin and said to be far stronger than certain superhumans like Spider-Man. Such was his degree of superhuman strength that he was able to snap a huge tree and lift it. Spider-Man found his strength to be unbelievable and had commented that the villain was a dozen times stronger than he originally estimated of his foe. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #6)
He possessed a long tail that he could use in combat such as using it to sweep a foe off their feet. The strength of his tail was capable of sending a foe flying nearly half a mile backwards. The Lizard could also use his tail to easily rip through the webbing of Spider-Man. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #6)
It was shown that the Lizard had a certain degree of control over other reptiles. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #6)
Notes
- The Lizard was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko where he made his first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man v1 #6 (November, 1963).
Alternate Versions
In other media
Television
- In Spider-Man: The Animated Series, the Lizard appeared in the 1990s animated television series where he was voiced by actor Joseph Campanella.
- In The Spectacular Spider-Man, the Lizard appeared in the animated television series where he was voiced by actor Dee Bradley Baker.
- In Ultimate Spider-Man, the Lizard appeared in the animated television series where he was voiced initially by actor Tom Kenny and later by actor Dee Bradley Baker.
Films
- In The Amazing Spider-Man, the Lizard appeared as the primary antagonist in the live-action film where he was portrayed by actor Rhys Ifans.
- In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Curt Connors was only referenced in the live-action film sequel and made no appearance. The viral marketing website mentioned that he was on trial for his actions and was being represented by his defense attorney Anne Weying. He was found guilty despite the claim that he was being influenced by his transformation into the Lizard with him sent to Ryker's Island prison despite Dr. Ashley Kafka's argument that the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane was better suited for Connors.
- In Spider-Man: Far From Home, the Lizard appeared in the setting of the live-action film where he was once again portrayed by actor Rhys Ifans.
Video games
- In The Amazing Spider-Man, the Lizard had a supporting role in the video game tie-in to the live-action film where he was voiced by actor Steven Blum.
Appearances
- Amazing Spider-Man v1: (1963)
- Clone Conspiracy v1:
- Amazing Spider-Man v5:
External Links
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