Death Adder (comics)
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| Death Adder | |
 Death Adder. Art by Rick Bryant. |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Marvel Two-in-One #64 (June 1980) |
| Created by | Mark Gruenwald Ralph Macchio |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Roland Burroughs |
| Team affiliations | Serpent Society Serpent Squad |
| Abilities | Bionic tail with spikes Poison-tipped talons Ability to breathe underwater |
Death Adder (Roland Burroughs), a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, was one of the original members of the Serpent Society.
Contents |
[edit] Fictional character biography
Roland Burroughs was born in Rochester, New York. A small time thug, Death Adder is chosen by Roxxon Oil Company to participate in a covert operation to retrieve the powerful Serpent Crown from the Atlantic Ocean. At Roxxon's Mutagenic Laboratory, Roland is surgically given gills and a bionic tail, as well as poison-tipped claws, to help him in his endeavors. An accident happens during this process which renders Death Adder mute. During the mission, he and his group, the third Serpent Squad, came into direct conflict with the heroes known as The Thing, Stingray, and Triton. The Serpent Squad is successful in finding the Serpent Crown, but are defeated by the heroes and taken into custody.[1]
He and his former teammates, Black Mamba and Anaconda, joined together again to infiltrate a zoo to sabotage Tony Stark's automatic animal-feeder and find a valuable weapon known as the "microscanner". This device scans and disrupts various body functions. They are ambushed and defeated by Iron Man, but were able to escape.[2] They later receive an invitation to join Sidewinder's Serpent Society.[3] All three attended the first organizational meeting of the Serpent Society.[4] It was there in the Serpent Society that Death Adder was able to shine, killing M.O.D.O.K. during their first mission by scrapes of his poisoned talons. He encounters Captain America during this mission.[5] He also participates in the mission to retrieve the retired Porcupine's costume, eventually leading to a battle with Captain America.[6]
When ordered to bring the failed Princess Python back to her original group, the Circus of Crime, Death Adder's serpent saucer crashes in the South Bronx due to unrevealed reasons. Leaving Princess Python where she was and attempting to take a cab back to the base, he is shot and killed by the vigilante known as the Scourge of the Underworld, who is posing as the cab driver. His body is later found by Sidewinder, and his closest friends Anaconda and Black Mamba were able to mourn his death.[7]
[edit] Powers and abilities
Through mutagenic experimentation by the Brand Corporation, Death Adder's strength, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes were artificially enhanced. He also became amphibious, able to breathe underwater through artificial gills as well as breathing on land through his nose. His anatomy was bionically bolstered to be able to withstand the ocean depths. His eyes were augmented to be able to see clearly in the murky depths of the ocean. He had a bionic tail which he could control like a fifth limb. He was able to swim at superhuman speeds.
Death Adder wore lightweight full body armor supplied by the Brand Corporation, which included special spike-studded casing for his tail and titanium talons on his gloves. He sometimes filled the reservoirs in each of his gloved fingers with snake venom which could be squeezed through a tiny hole in each of his talons. These fingers could be pneumatically elongated from 8 to 15 inches in length.
Roland Burroughs had a college degree in engineering.
[edit] Death Adder (Unknown)
[edit] Civil War/The Initiative
Recently, a new Death Adder has appeared during Civil War.
Death Adder has been identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear on the cover of the comic book Avengers: The Initiative #1. [8]
[edit] Other versions
- Death Adder, among other villains, was revived by the Grandmaster and pitted against the Avengers. He eventually poisoned and killed Tigra, but after Death was freed from her imprisonment, she reverted the world back to the way it was before The Grandmaster's meddling.
[edit] Ultimate Death Adder
Death Adder appeared in the Ultimate Universe, though this version is actually female. She works alongside the Serpent Squad and battles the Fantastic Four while searching for the Serpent Crown.
[edit] Bibliography
- Avengers Annual #16
- Captain America #307-311, 313, 315, 318-319
- Civil War Files'
- Iron Man #160
- Marvel Two-in-One #64-65
- Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition #16
