The Lizard
Real Name: Dr. Curt Conners
First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man 6
What's His Problem? After losing an arm during "the War," Curt Conners became obsessed with the reptilian ability to regenerate limbs. When a serum proved successful on lab animals, Curt swallowed down a beaker full himself. The result: the scaly monstrosity known as the Lizard began to haunt the Florida Everglades, as Spider-Man discovered after accepting a Daily Bugle challenge to confront the creature. With Conners becoming less human with each passing moment, Spidey had to use his scientific know-how to concoct an antidote using the Doctor's lab notes. Despite initial success, subsequent relapses proved the mutagen had invaded Conners' system. Anything from environmental contamination to sudden shocks (like seeing Morbius about to drink the blood of a six-armed Spider-Man) could bring a reversion to Dr. Conners' mammal-hating alter-ego. With the lessening effectiveness of the original antidote, Spidey often had to resort to other tactics when faced with the Lizard, such as luring him into a refrigeration car or hitting him with dehydrating powder.
Powers: The Lizard is stronger than the Wall-Crawler, possesses rock-hard skin that Spidey nearly breaks his hands on, and has claws that make him Spidey's equal at scaling vertical heights. The Lizard can speak, but extended periods as a reptile erodes his intellect and often reduces him to snarls. What type of lizard his mutation is based on has never been clear, but he has stated that water is his natural element, so it's likely a crocodilian of some sort. In reptilian form, the Lizard has displayed a psionic rapport with other reptiles that allows him to direct their actions. Curt is no slouch in human form; as well as being a herpetologist and a chemist of note, he apparently knew enough archaic languages to translate the Table of Time and grant Silvermane, however briefly, the gift of youth.
Favorite Quote: "The Swampland is mine! I have warned the world! But you dared to invade my domain! And so...you are doomed!" (Amazing Spider-Man 6--Spidey receives the first in a long-running series of threats from the creature about to become one of his major reoccurring foes--and one of his best friends when in human form.)
Favorite Thing Said To The Lizard: "Drop that mast, Lizard!" (Human Torch in Amazing Spider-Man 77 as the two battle at New York's harbor front. How often does even a super-hero get to say that in a lifetime??)
Heroes He Keeps Running Into: The Lizard hated Spider-Man above all other mammals, but also found time to battle the Human Torch and Morbius. He participated in the Beyonders' Secret Wars (giving him a whole slew of heroes to impress), feuded with fellow reptile Stegron and was for a time controlled by the witch Calypso.
People Who Think He's Not So Bad: Spidey himself has repeatedly relied on Conners, whether it was to find a cure for a sudden attack of six-armed-ness or to replenish his life force after having most of it swiped by the Kingpin to revive his son, the future Rose. Curt's wife, Martha, has remained devoted to him despite his reptilian predilection. His son, Billy, has no fear of the Lizard, although the Lizard is extremely ambivalent about him.
Most Despicable Act: The Lizard has no hesitation when it comes to killing mammals in (ahem) cold blood. He ripped his former partner Calypso to shreds while escaping from a maximum-security lock-up. Being a voodoo priestess, she got better--but it still wasn't very nice!
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