Viper (Marvel Comics)

Viper
File:VIPER.JPG Viper Julie Bell, Art
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Captain America Vol.1 #110 (February, 1969)
Created by	Jim Steranko (writer and artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	unknown
Team affiliations	The Hand Hellfire Club Madripoor HYDRA
Notable aliases	Madame Hydra, Merriem Drew, Warrior White Princess
Abilities	Skilled swordsman and marksmen Teleportation Excellent strategist and tactician Enhanced life span

Viper a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe who is a foe of the Avengers and the X-Men. The character was created by Jim Steranko and first appeared in Captain America (1st series) #110 (February 1969), under the name Madame Hydra.

Character biography

It is known that Viper was orphaned as a child in Eastern Europe and that part of her face was scarred at one time, but this is obviously no longer the case. She arose through the ranks of the elite criminal underworld through sheer ruthlessness, treachery, and the cunning of her black heart.

She first appeared as a leader of HYDRA under the codename Madame Hydra and frequently came into conflict with Captain America and the organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D.

She severed ties with HYDRA in Captain America (1st series) #170 (February, 1974). In Captain America (1st series) #180 (December 1974), Madame Hydra helped Jordan Stryke, a supervillain codenamed Viper, escape custody in Virginia, only to proceed in assassinating him and usurping his codename. The previous Viper was the founder and leader of the supervillain association known as the Serpent Squad. Later, in one of her many terrorist acts, she would try to gain control of the similarly themed organisation called Serpent Society, attempting to assassinate its leader Sidewinder, but she was betrayed by Cobra and arrested by Captain America.

The Viper is a professional terrorist and has her own organization. She has come into conflict with many superheroes and supervillains over the years. Her nihilism and tendency to spread death around her has made it hard for other villains to associate with her. Only the Red Skull has found it a charming tendency and pursued a relationship with her for a while. The relationship ended when the Skull found out Viper was using his resources to finance massacres with no apparent financial benefit for either of them.

In Spider-Woman (1st series) #42- #44 (February - June, 1982), Viper was apparently revealed to be Merriem Drew. Drew was the mother of Spider-Woman and was considered deceased since 1931. The issue revealed Merriem had become allied to Chthon and was granted longevity in return. Captain America (1st series) #281 (May, 1983), revealed that Chthon had actually granted Viper false memories of mothering Jessica as part of a plan to place both women under his control. Whether Viper actually has extraordinary longevity was left uncertain.

Viper has also had conflict with the X-Men. She first came into contact with them upon trying to assassinate Mariko Yashida on behalf of her ally and presumed lover Silver Samurai. She once nearly killed the X-Men member, Rogue. She also faced the New Mutants and was considered responsible for the demise of Karma for a while (Karma was only wounded and was abducted by the Shadow King for his own reasons).

Later she black-mailed Wolverine into marrying her as a means to secure her criminal empire in Madripoor. Although this was a marriage of convenience, she did request to consummate the arrangement. They have since divorced. Her body was once briefly inhabited by the spirit of Ogun.

She is a member of the latest incarnation of the Hellfire Club, and has also associated with the Hand and resumed her ties with the Silver Samurai. She has also retaken the name "Madame Hydra".

Powers and abilities

Viper has no superhuman abilities but her reflexes and agility are of the order of an Olympic athlete. She is a great swordswoman and even greater marksman with most long range weapons. Viper occasionally employs poisoned weapons with snake-motifs, such as venomous darts or artificial fangs filled with poison. She utilizes experimental weaponry, including a ring that enables teleportation, and most recently in X-Treme X-Men, she made use of razor-sharp claw attachments apparently built into her gloves. A brilliant strategist and tactician, Viper is highly skilled in the management of criminal organizations and very well connected in the international criminal underworld. She is also a master of stealth and espionage. Perhaps her greatest strengths are her influence, the financial resources at her disposal due to her stature in organized crime, and an uncanny luck which has allowed her to cheat death in situations where lesser people would have died. Viper may or may not have supernaturally augmented longevity.

Other Media

• Sandra Hess portrayed Viper in the 1998 TV-movie Nick Fury: Agent of Shield. It was stated in the film that her real name is Andrea Von Strucker - however, this is likely not the case in mainstream Marvel continuity (as that name already belongs to the legitimate daughter of Baron Von Strucker, the female half of Fenris).

• Viper has appeared in an episode of X-Men: Evolution as Madame Hydra, leader of the HYDRA organization. It is unlikely that she survived her base's destruction at the hands of X-23, but her comics counterpart has been known to cheat death on occasion.

• X-Men: The Last Stand (although is a male in this film) he was giving a speech to a host of mutants about the cure and why it isn't so bad.

The character was portayed by Julian Richings.

External links

• MarvelDatabase:Character Gallery Viper (Madame Hydra)
• Viper's Profile at The Women of Marvel Comics
• Viper's Profile at The Appendix to the Marvel Handbook