| Copperhead | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | The Brave and the Bold #78 (July 1968) |
| Created by | Bob Haney (writer) Bob Brown (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | (I) John Doe (II) Nathan Prince (III) Unknown (IV) Jane Doe |
| Species | Metahuman |
| Team affiliations | (I & III)Secret Society of Super Villains Suicide Squad Black Lantern Corps (II)Terror Titans |
| Abilities |
|
Copperhead is the name of severalsupervillains appearing in comic books published byDC Comics, mostly as enemies of thesuperheroBatman.
Female variations appeared inBatman: Arkham Origins, and in live action on the first season ofGotham (namedLarissa Diaz), portrayed byLesley-Ann Brandt.
The first Copperhead first appeared inThe Brave and the Bold #78 (July 1968) and was created byBob Haney andBob Brown.[1]
The criminal known as Copperhead first appeared inGotham City in acopperhead costume.[2] He commits numerous thefts before being apprehended byBatman andBatgirl. Copperhead then turns to more deadly pursuits as a super-assassin, constricting victims to death with his costume's tail.[3]
At various times, he foughtHawk and Dove,Superboy, andJack Knight, in addition to joining the original incarnation ofSecret Society of Super Villains.[4] Copperhead used the travel opportunities his freelance career afforded him to pursue his hobby of collectingtransistor radios.
InUnderworld Unleashed, Copperhead sells his soul to the demonNeron in exchange for power and is transformed into a snake hybrid.[5][6][7]
Copperhead is later killed byManhunter (Kate Spencer).[1][8] He is resurrected as aBlack Lantern inBlackest Night before being killed by several Lanterns.[9][10][11]
Teen Titans (vol. 3) #56 featured a team of villains called the "Terror Titans", legacy villains whose mantles are inherited from older villains. One of the members shown is identified as Copperhead and appears visually as the character prior to the deal with Neron. The story did not reveal any information about the character or provide context with regard to previous stories.[12]
In the subsequentTerror Titans miniseries, it is revealed that the second Copperhead's true identity isNathan Prince, and he is the only member of the Terror Titans who does not have a familial connection to his predecessor. As a child, Nathan drowned his baby sibling out of jealousy, and even attempted to kill his parents. Unable to go through with it, he instead ran away to live on the streets, where he would solicit himself, having sex with older men, after which he would kill and rob them. During theDark Side Club'smetahuman battles, the heroine TNTeena is badly injured, and theClock King tasks Copperhead with watching over her as she recuperates. Copperhead complies, and over time, falls in love with her.[13] However, Nathan is later forced by the Clock King to kill her.[14] Nathan and the rest of the Terror Titans are then sent to assist theMartyr Militia, a group of brainwashed metahumans, in destroying Los Angeles, but the tables are turned byRavager andMiss Martian, the latter using her telepathy to undo the brainwashing. The Terror Titans flee to their base, only for the Clock King to kill Disruptor and leave them to be apprehended by the metahumans. Two weeks later, Nathan breaks his fellow Terror Titans out of custody, and the group swear revenge on the Clock King.[15]
A new incarnation of Copperhead appears inthe New 52 continuity reboot. This version is a snake man and member of theSecret Society of Super Villains.[16] He is killed byDeathstroke during theForever Evil event.[17]
A female Copperhead using the aliasJane Doe makes her debut sometime after the death of her predecessor. This version of the character resembles the incarnation seen inBatman: Arkham Origins; DC creative officerGeoff Johns said that this new incarnation would appear as a villain in the New 52 after the game's release.[18] It was adapted for comics in November 2016, three years after the game's release. This Copperhead is described as a deadly hitwoman and one of the two most toxic individuals on the planet (the other beingCheshire).[19]
This Copperhead is a South American crime boss inCentral City and a former mercenary who has fought Batman and theFlash.Two-Face placed a large bounty on Batman's head that many super-villains and mercenaries intended to collect, including Copperhead. Alongside several other villains, Copperhead tracked down Batman to an active train. Climbing on board, Copperhead attempted to kill Batman, but he was able to escape by jumping into a flowing stream. After a brief stint of assassinations and other mercenary jobs, Copperhead was called up to lead her families' crime business in Central City. After a mysterious rival boss started muscling in on her territory, she decided to hire several mercenaries to enforce her rule, includingShrapnel,Black Spider, and theTrigger Twins. However, they were all arrested by the Flash, which prompted Copperhead to open negotiations with the mysterious crime lord, whom she discovered wasCaptain Cold of theRogues, to find a way to defeat the Flash. Copperhead followed Cold's plan to eliminate the Flash, but Cold turned on her when he planted a cold bomb in a weapons delivery. The Flash was able to save her after he apprehended Cold, but without any evidence of her involvement, she was allowed to walk free.
An unidentified Copperhead takes part in a scheme organized byHelena Bertinelli's mother Fenice and is arrested by theBirds of Prey.He later appears as one of many villains who Batman andCatwoman defeat when he takes the latter on a typical night of his job.[20] Copperhead is later shown as one of the many villains who are beaten down byBane in his attempt to reach Batman inArkham Asylum.[21]
Copperhead's contortionist skills allow him to fit himself into incredibly small spaces (such as chimneys). He originally wore a snake-themed costume made of metallic and elastic fibers and covered vulnerable points withKevlar, making it bulletproof and impenetrable to almost any cutting weapon. The costume had been treated with a highly slippery water- and heat-proof silicon gel, allowing Copperhead to slide along any surface and slip out of tight spots. The tail could be stretched several feet and was strong enough to snap bone and shatter stone. The suit's helmet contained two seven-inch-long fangs which were capable of piercing human skin, and were coated in a potentneurotoxin derived fromcopperhead snakes. The toxin could paralyze a person almost instantly, and death would follow within 30 minutes. Later, Copperhead sold his soul to the demonNeron and was transformed into a human-snake hybrid. His reflexes and agility were greatly increased, and he gained venomous fangs, a forked tongue, claws, and a prehensile tail.
The second Copperhead does not have any superpowers and utilizes a snake-themed suit, like the original once did.[22]
The Copperhead from The New 52 has snake-like abilities.
The female Copperhead does not appear to have any superpowers and instead uses different poison equipment such as darts in addition to being a skilled martial artist.
A version of Copperhead appears inSensation Comics #15. This version is an enemy of Little Boy Blue.[23]
Another character named Copperhead appeared inLeading Comics. Francisco Pizarro is a criminal who briefly turns theSeven Soldiers of Victory against each other during an Andes treasure hunt.[24]
A child version of the John Doe incarnation of Copperhead namedJohnny appears in theTiny Titans comics.
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