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| Anaconda | |
|---|---|
 Anaconda as seen inBattle Scars #3. Art byScot Eaton | |
| 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 | Blanche Sitznski |
| Species | Human Mutate |
| Team affiliations | Six Pack Serpent Squad Serpent Society Femizons Legion Accursed Assassins Guild |
| Abilities | Excellent swimmer Skilled street fighter Superhuman strength and durability Limb elongation Underwater breathing Regeneration |
Anaconda (Blanche Sitznski) is asupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. She has generally been associated with theSerpent Society, often as a foe ofCaptain America. Sitznski was given her superhuman abilities by theRoxxon corporation, giving her the codename Anaconda due to her powerful,adamantium-enhanced arms which she uses to constrain or crush her opponents. Her first appearance was as part of theSerpent Squad, when they tried to retrieve theSerpent Crown only to be thwarted byThing,Stingray andTriton. She later became a core member ofSidewinder's Serpent Squad and remained a member when they became the Serpent Society.
In 2020, Anaconda was ranked asCBR's 5th best female Marvel supervillain.[1]
Anaconda was created byMark Gruenwald andRalph Macchio and first appeared inMarvel Two-in-One #64 in June 1980.[2]
The character received biographical entries inTheOfficial Handbook of the Marvel Universe #1 (1983),The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #1 (1985),Gamer's Handbook of the Marvel Universe #4 (1988),The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #1 (1990), andDeadpool Corps: Rank and Foul #1 (2010).
Blanche "Blondie" Sitznski was born inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She worked as a steelworker until executives at theRoxxon Oil Company selected her to become a special agent in covert operations. Sitznski was already well-adjusted to villainy, having been acalisthenics instructor at the criminal trainerTaskmaster's Academy. It was there that she trained several women in hand-to-hand combat, most notablyDiamondback andSnapdragon. Sitznski is eventually taken to Roxxon's laboratories and biologically enhanced to possess anadamantium skeleton, gills, and the ability to elongate her limbs.[3]
Anaconda's first mission as part of the secondSerpent Squad groups her with three other snake-themed villains:Sidewinder,Black Mamba, andDeath Adder. They are tasked with retrieving theSerpent Crown for Roxxon presidentHugh Jones. During the mission, the group battles theThing,Stingray, andTriton. The three find the Serpent Crown, but the Thing and Triton retaliate, trapping them underwater.[4]
Anaconda frees herself and her teammates from their underwater captivity, and they are sent to search for a powerful weapon known as the Micro-Scanner. After battlingIron Man, Anaconda and the others are defeated and imprisoned.[5]
Anaconda escapes prison and seeks out Sidewinder for payment from her first mission. He gives her a share of the money and invites her to join theSerpent Society.[6] At her orientation, Sidewinder groups Anaconda together withCobra and theRattler to perform an initiation test: stealing equipment from the bankruptBrand Corporation.Constrictor, annoyed with the idea of the Serpent Society, spies on Anaconda's group and calls theAvengers to tip them off. Anaconda attempts to crush Captain America's bones, but one well-placed hit of his shield knocks her out, and she is taken to jail.[7]
Teleported out by Sidewinder, Anaconda visits Constrictor, beating him to near death. Anaconda also participated in a mission to murderMODOK, but is knocked out early in the fight. However, her teammatesCottonmouth and Death Adder are able to kill MODOK and bring his corpse toA.I.M. for the large sum profit they were promised.[8] Soon after, Death Adder is murdered by theScourge of the Underworld. Anaconda vows to find the murderer and avenge Death Adder.[9]
Anaconda later becomes romantically involved withPuff Adder, a new member of the Serpent Society. They andRock Python are sent to retrieve Diamondback, who has escaped herdeath sentence.[10] Their kidnapping attempt is interrupted by an invitation to joinSuperia's all-female villain group, theFemizons.[11] After the Femizons disband, Anaconda rejoins the Serpent Society.[12][13]
Anaconda later joinsS.H.I.E.L.D.'s espionage team, theSix Pack. She eventually turns on them, along with Constrictor,Solo, andDomino, to join forces withCable, who is trying to create a sanctuary.[14] She continues to work with the Six Pack as they commit acts of terrorism in Rumekistan to diminish Cable's reputation. Cable exacts revenge on the Six Pack by defeating them all and returning them to the United States.[15]
During theSecret Invasion storyline, Anaconda rejoins the Serpent Society. The Society holds a number of civilians hostage in theAmerican Midwest, claiming to be protecting them from theSkrulls. However, the Society is stopped byNova and theNova Corps.[16]
As part of theAll-New, All-Different Marvel event, Anaconda appears as a member ofViper's Serpent Society under its new name Serpent Solutions.[17]
During theSecret Empire storyline, Anaconda and the members of Serpent Solutions joinHelmut Zemo's Army of Evil.[18]
Anaconda has thesuperhuman ability to elongate her limbs andconstrict her opponents. Her arms and legs are able to elongate to about one and a half times their normal length, while her muscles engorge with blood, giving the appearance of massive, snake-like limbs. She has also been surgically given gills, which allow her to breathe underwater, and modified lungs for extracting oxygen from water. Anaconda also possesses a healing factor, allowing her to heal from non-fatal wounds several times faster than a normal human being. Her entire skeletal structure is laced with anadamantium alloy-based substance, increasing her durability.
An alternate universe variant of Anaconda from Earth-1610 appears in theUltimate Marvel imprint as a member of theSerpent Squad.[19] She later leaves the Serpent Squad and joins the Serpent Skulls gang.[20]
An alternate universe variant of Anaconda fromEarth-20051 appears inMarvel Adventures Spider-Man #44 as a member of the Serpent Society.[21]
In the Avengers series dedicated to theAmerican Armed Forces, Anaconda appears as a member of the Serpent Society.[22]
An alternate universe variant of Anaconda from Earth-17154 appears inMarvel Super Hero Adventures as a member of the Serpent Society.[23]
Anaconda appears in the second volume ofDeadpool: Samurai, part of theMarvel × Shōnen Jump+ Super Collaboration.[volume & issue needed]
Anaconda appears inThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, voiced byVanessa Marshall.[24]