Black Mamba (Marvel)

Latest revision as of 11:42, 7 December 2024

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

Black Mamba is a female comic supervillain who features in Marvel Comics.

Biography

Tanya Sealy

At some point in her past, Tanya was noted to had gone on a date with a man called the Trump who left her to pay the check. (Captain America v1 #371)

She was later recruited by Roxxon Oil where she was given powers and trained alongside Sidewinder, Anaconda and Death Adder. This saw them being formed as the Serpent Squad where their assignment was to recover the Serpent Crown. To that end, they were sent to a Roxxon oil derrick placed in the Pacific Ocean that was to serve as their base of operations. Once they found the Crown, they set off underwater explosions to bring it to the surface though this had the unintended side effect of damaging the derrick. The damage resulted in the hero Stingray investigating the scene underwater. In response, Anaconda was dispatched to confront him where she threw him back onto the derrick. (Marvel Two-in-One v1 #65) At that Pacific Roxxon oil derrick, the Serpent Squad revealed themselves to the Thing Ben Grimm demanding that he surrender. (Marvel Two-in-One v1 #64) After forcing Grimm's surrender and confining him, the Squad returned underwater, where Anaconda found the crown and gave it to Sidewinder. The Thing and Stingray soon escaped and returned with the Inhuman Triton; Black Mamba almost drowned Grimm using her Darkforce to convince him to remove his airmask before a blast from Stingray knocked her out. A depth charge dropped by the fleeing Sidewinder accidentally buried Black Mamba and the other two serpents in an underwater landslide. (Marvel Two-in-One v1 #65)

Anaconda came to unbury the other two serpents and they escaped together. Anaconda, Black Mamba, and Death Adder broke into the Long Island Zoo, with Black Mamba killing a guard, Harry. Their employer wanted them to steal a Stark microscanner which could be used to power a weapon, but their information on the location of the control room proved wrong. At Mamba's suggestion, they released several zoo animals to create a diversion and cover their search. Finding the control room, Mamba grabbed the scanner and inserted it into the weapon. She tested it on a zoo executive, apparently killing him as well, but Iron Man intervened. Iron Man took down Anaconda and Death Adder, and Black Mamba's Darkforce phantoms of Iron Man's loves slowed him long enough for Mamba to fire the weapon at him. His armor protected him and he put Mamba down and reclaimed the sensor. (Iron Man v1 #160)

Anaconda, Black Mamba, and Death Adder would later break into Sidewinder's apartment. Their target though was not home, so they decided to sit and wait for him. (Captain America v1 #307) 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. Sidewinder returned home and interrupted them, he teleported away, donned his costume, and returned. Anaconda demanded the money he owed them from their first job together ($10,000 each), and Sidewinder retrieved it from his safe with about 20% added interest from investments he'd made with the money. He then asked the trio to stay and listen to his proposal for an original criminal operation, which would make the money they just got seem like subway fare. (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'd 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 thought 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 Manhattan, while Diamondback and Bushmaster made contact with AIM's inner council where they were hired there to kill M.O.D.O.K. The make-up of the other groups and who each contacted is unrevealed. (Captain America v1 #311) Black Mamba and the Rattler were investigating an underwater AIM facility when Sidewinder ordered them to New Jersey, where another team had located him. Mamba and Rattler found two freight loaders dead near a local mall where M.O.D.O.K. had taken refuge, and contacted the rest of the Society before proceeding inside. After a 'gas leak' announcement arranged by Captain America emptied the mall, the team cornered M.O.D.O.K. but Captain America intervened. This led to Cottonmouth ordering Asp, Diamondback, and Black Mamba to take out Cap whilst 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. (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 members of the Serpent Society later went 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. Black Mamba sought information from Death Adder's parents. (Captain America v1 #319) After dropping the tipsy Hercules off at the Avengers' doorstep following what he called an 'enjoyable cruise', Tanya phoned Baron Zemo to let him know that Hercules was full of enough drugged booze to put out an elephant. Zemo replied that he had already deposited her fee in her Swiss account. (Avengers v1 #274) Sidewinder and Black Mamba had begun a relationship at some point in their history. Though interested in Captain America, Diamondback apparently made a play for Sidewinder, but was warned off by Black Mamba, who had already staked her claim. Diamondback subsequently warned Fer-de-Lance that Mamba wouldn't tolerate competition when her new teammate expressed interest in the group's leader, but recommended Rattler as an alternative option for a 'good time'. 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. Fer-de-Lance and Viper proceeded to Black Mamba's room where Viper shot her and donned her costume before using that disguise to take Sidewinder by surprise. (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. Aided by the Captain, Diamondback succeeded in rescuing them and gave the universal anti-toxin to the trio before leaving them to recover while she went after Viper. (Captain America v1 #342)

Cobra later 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. Anaconda, Black Mamba, Rock Python, and Coachwhip went to Lima, Ohio, where an American Indian totem was buried. When members of the X-Men investigated the teams fought one-on-one; Havok took out Black Mamba. The X-Men retrieved the item and the serpents returned home. (Uncanny X-Men Annual v1 #13) Black Mamba 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) Black Mamba was present at a noon meeting of the Society where Cobra announced that he felt that he'd been underperforming as their leader and now intended to correct that and lead them to new heights as King Cobra. (Captain America v1 #367) Mamba lunched with Diamondback and Asp. 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'd been hanging with the Hellfire Club and the trio briefly considered investigating. (Captain America v1 #368) 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 had to intervene three times to keep the date trouble free. Mamba watched as the Asp disabled Gamecock, and when the villainous Trump interrupted the show at the Mostly Magic club where Diamondback and her date Steve were in attendance where she used her Darkforce powers to hypnotize him and pull him off stage. Later in the evening the couple stumbled across a fight between Jackhammer and Poundcakes, but Anaconda and Asp quickly took care of them, and after Diamondback's date took a cab home the trio left, their goal accomplished. Later that night, Tanya entered Diamondback's apartment and, after Rachel told her that she intended to go straight, counseled her on how difficult it would be. The following morning Rachel phoned Tanya to get information on the boutique owned by Sidewinder's sister, saying that she intended to get a sales clerk job there. (Captain America v1 #371) When the captive Diamondback was to be held trial by the Society for treason, Black Mamba acted as her counsel and was in the minority which voted for her innocence. Asp and Black Mamba went to King Cobra and told him that they'd quit if he followed through with the execution; King Cobra replied that they could leave but that if they interfered they'd be executed as well. With Asp at her side, Tanya decided to make a phone call. (Captain America v1 #380)

Tanya called Sidewinder, who came and rescued Diamondback; Black Mamba and Asp began packing to make their own escape. Sidewinder stated that he and Black Mamba were now even and that she would not want to be in his debt. 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 and Paladin came to their rescue, but were quickly captured themselves. (Captain America v1 #381) Captain America freed Paladin, Asp, Mamba, and Diamondback, and Black Mamba led him to get the antidote for Rachel. King Cobra returned with Black Racer, Coachwhip, and Rattler, and Cap ordered Mamba to retrieve the antidote. Black Mamba did manage to get the antidote into Rachel before Coachwhip attacked them, but Diamondback stopped her. While Captain America saw King Cobra, Coachwhip, Black Racer, Fer-de-Lance, Cottonmouth, and Rattler hauled away by Guardsmen; Diamondback, Black Mamba, and Asp were allowed to remain free. (Captain America v1 #382) From Paladin's Trump Plaza apartment, Black Mamba, Asp, 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; Tanya went to make some food, cooking the only dish she knew how to make: macaroni and cheese. However, they were quickly attacked by Anaconda and Rock Python; the roof collapsed and Tanya was buried. (Captain America v1 #385)

Overview

Personality and attributes

Sweets had described herself as being sapiosexual. (X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic v1 #11)

Powers and abilities

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

She had a limited ability to cook where she could only prepare an easy dish like macaroni and cheese. (Captain America v1 #385)

It was shown that she was capable of manipulating shadows and darkness to achieve various effects. (Marvel Two-in-One v1 #65)

She was capable of some form of hypnotic ability, enabling her to mesmerize her opponents. Black Mamba was known to use this ability in conjunction with her hypnosis ability. Typically, she hypnotically caused enemies to relax before making her shadow constructs to appear as a trusted loved one to get them to further let their guard down. (Marvel Two-in-One v1 #65)

After gaining her powers, she came to be part of the first incarnation of the Serpent Squad. (Marvel Two-in-One v1 #65) She later accepted the invitation to join the ranks of the newly established Serpent Society. (Captain America v1 #310) At one point, the Serpent Society had been broken up leading to Diamondback suggesting to Black Mamba and Asp that they partner up. Taking the first initials of their code names, she decided to name their mercenary group B.A.D. Girls, Inc. (Captain America v1 #385)

Notes

• Black Mamba was created by Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio where she made her first appearance in Marvel Two-in-One v1 #64 (June, 1980).

Alternate Versions

• In Ultimate Power v1 #1 (2006), an alternate version of Black Mamba appeared in the setting of the Ultimate Marvel reality set on Earth-1610 in the Multiverse.

In other media

Television

• In Marvel Future Avengers, Black Mamba appeared in the setting of the anime television series in the episode "Mission Black Market Auction" where she was voiced by Japanese actress Hana Takeda and by English actress Colleen O'Shaughnessey in the dub. This version was a member of B.A.D. Girls, Inc. where she was hired alongside Asp 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

• Marvel Two-in-One v1: (1980)
• Iron Man v1:
• Captain America v1:

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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