SNAPDRAGON

Real Name: Sheoke Sanada

Identity/Class: Human, martial artist, technology user; Japanese descent

Occupation: Assassin, mercenary

Group Membership: Superia's Femizons

Affiliations: Superia (one of her lieutenants); former employee of Count Nefaria (Luchino Nefaria), Damon Dran; formerly worked with Black Lotus, Deadshot Darrance, Laralie, and N'Kama; apparent associate of Golddigger; trained at one of the Taskmaster's academy by Brock Rumlow (Crossbones) and others;
hired Night Shift (Dansen Macabre, Digger, Misfit, Needle, Tatterdemalion, Tick-Tock)

Enemies: AIM, Avengers (Beast/Hank McCoy, Iron Man/Tony Stark, Ms. Marvel/Carol Danvers, Protector/Noh-Varr, Spider-Woman/Jessica Drew, Thor, Wolverine/James "Logan" Howlett), Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff), Count Nefaria (Luchino Nefaria), Diamondback (Rachel Leighton), Echo (Maya Lopez), Detective Paul Hall, Buck Lime, Moon Knight (Marc Spetor), James "Jimmy" Woo

Known Relatives: Kono Sanada (brother)

Aliases: She (short for Sheoke)

Base of Operations: Los Angeles, California;
Formerly Femizonia Island; Damon Dran's undersea base; Taskmaster's Academy of Criminal Arts and Sciences, Pennsylvania

First Appearance: Marvel Fanfare I#12 (January, 1984)

Height: 6'
Weight: 158 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black (strawberry blonde with wig)

Powers/Abilities: Snapdragon is highly skilled in numerous forms of martial arts. She is a master hand-to-hand combatant, and she is also adept with the bo staff, bladed weapons, and the bola. Parts of her costume are armored to protect her from attacks. Her helmet enables her to utilize the infra-red spectrum to see other beings in the absence of visible light.

History: Little is known about the past of Snapdragon.

(Captain America I#403/2 (fb) ) - Sheoke received some of her early training at one of the Taskmaster's Academy's, alongside Rachel Leighton. Their initial meeting was friendly.

(Captain America I#388(fb)-BTS) - I don't think its been shown anywhere, but something happened between Sheoke and Leighton, that dishonored Sheoke. She swore she would avenge her honor and pay Leighton back for what she had done.

Sheoke went on to study the martial arts extensively, and established the identity of Snapdragon as a mercenary and assassin of some renown.

(Marvel Fanfare I#11 - BTS, 12-13) - Snapdragon was hired by Damon Dran to bring in the Black Widow as part of a plot to get revenge for a previous defeat. In Japan, the Black Widow overcame the other six assassins sent by Dran. The Widow then entered a pitch-black corridor, attempting to follow the trail of one of the assassins. Snapdragon ambushed and defeated the Black Widow, and brought her to Dran. The Widow recovered and escaped, and Snapdragon was sent to subdue her. This time the Widow, somewhat refreshed and prepared for the fight, overpowered Snapdragon, sending her on a several hundred foot drop.

(Captain America I#387 - BTS, 388-392) - Snapdragon was one of the many women recruited by Superia to serve in her Femizons. She was one of the first, and she signed on to a several year contract under Superia. While en route on the S. S. Superia, Snapdragon recognized the uncostumed Rachel Leighton, and decided to have her revenge. She drugged Leighton into uncosnciousness and brought her to a room for a fight to the death. Snapdragon easy outmaneuvered Leighton and beat her into unconsciousness. She then tossed her body overboard. Although Leighton did drown, she was almost immediately discovered, and she was recovered with CPR. Snapdragon kept her actions secret and they were known to no one besides herself and Leighton.

Following the defeat of Superia's initial plot, Snapdragon continued her contract with her, serving as one of her lieutenants in her core of Femizons, alongside Blackbird and the Iron Maiden.

(Captain America I#411-413) - Snapdragon accompanied Superia and the other Femizons to the AIM Weapons Expo in Boca Caliente. The plan was for Superia to usurp control of AIM and use its profits and weapons for her own plans. They encountered Diamondback, who had come to the island alongside Captain America and other allies, but she was disguised as Mother Night. Diamondback followed Snapdragon, and as the group made its way to the AIM head office, she pulled Snapdragon aside. Diamondback revealed her true identity and challenged Snapdragon to a rematch. Diamondback had recently been toughened by her kidnapping and training by Crossbones, and her infusion with a portion of Captain America's blood. This time Snapdragon was no match for Diamondback, who beat her into a submission. Still insane with a thirst for a revenge, Diamondback pushed Snapdragon into a fountain and choked the life out of her. By the time Diamondback regained her senses, Snapdragon was seemingly dead. (she was DEAD, until retcon!!!)

(Captain America I#428 (fb) - BTS) - Lou Dexter (Dead Ringer) adapted the powers of Snapdragon from her corpse in New Orleans.

(Captain America I#428 - BTS) - Death Ringer demonstrated his powers to Code: Blue's Lt. Stone and Diamondback by taking the form of Snapdragon.

(Captain America I#429 - BTS) - Snapdragon's brother Kono claimed Snapdragon's body had been cremated. (SOOOOOOOO DEAD, but Bendis came along and....)

(Moon Knight VI#2 (fb) - BTS) - She got better and was hired by Count Nefaria!

(Moon Knight VI#2) - As part of Nefaria's underworld empire Sheoke led a stripper spy ring. She explained to the girls working for her that the information they gathered from the men visiting the club was the thing that would make them rich. Her speech was interrupted by Moon Knight, dressed up as Spider-Man, who assaulted Snapdragon and her two muscle-bound henchmen. Moon Knight got knocked out by a shot through the shoulder from one of Snapdragon's henchmen. Snapdragon planned to deliver Moon Knight to Nefaria, but Echo, who was working undercover at the club, saved Moon Knight and brought him to safety by knocking out Snapdragon and her remaining henchman with a surprise attack.

   Sheoke later met with Nefaria, who wasn't pleased with her performance. She asked him for another shot at Moon Knight with a team of her choice. Nefaria allowed her to proceed and told her to bring back what Moon Knight had stolen from him (the head of Ultron).

(Moon Knight VI#3) - Sheoke hired Night Shift (Dansen Macabre, Digger, Misfit, Needle, Tatterdemalion, Tick-Tock) to seek out and capture Moon Knight.

(Moon Knight VI#6) - Snapdragon, disappointed in Night Shift's failure to catch Moon Knight and Echo, took them to meet with her boss Count Nefaria, who wanted to discuss why the six of them had failed to capture the two heroes. Nefaria incinerated them with an ionic energy blast. As the Night Shift's remains continued to smolder, Nefaria turned to Snapdragon and requested she aimed a bit higher the next time she hired outside help.

(Moon Knight VI#7) - Sheoke asked the strippers if they knew anybody that could track down Moon Knight for her like Paladin or Sabretooth. Destiny, dressed as Scarlet Witch, came in to tell Sheoke that Ex-SHIELD agent Buck Lime wanted to meet her. Lime offered her Ultron's head, but wanted to meet her boss. Sheoke called Nefaria, who agreed to the meeting.

   During the meeting Lime handed over a fake Ultron head to Nefaria, which Nefaria crushed, releasing a chemical agent that temporarily depowered Nefaria. While Moon Knight attacked Nefaria, Lime knocked out Sheoke's henchmen and fought her. Nefaria left Sheoke behind with Moon Knight, Echo and Lime.

(Moon Knight VI#8 (fb) - BTS) - Moon Knight knocked out Sheoke Sanada.

(Moon Knight VI#8) - Moon Knight delivered Sheoke to Detective Paul Hall at the precinct's garage.

   Sheoke was locked up for one day when Hall told her that nobody would be coming for her, convincing her to make a deal with the police. She told them how to find Count Nefaria.

(Moon Knight VI#10) - After having some fast food at the police station Snapdragon was shown images of Madame Masque. Snapdragon told Detective Hall that Masque was Nefaria's daughter. Snapdragon wanted to know when Hall would honor his deal with her and Hall just promised he would. Snapdragon admitted to be scared of Madame Masque.

(Moon Knight VI#12) - Snapdragon pleaded to be released from police custody as soon as possible. During her transfer Count Nefaria attacked the police station. Snapdragon hid under a table while Nefaria slaughtered several policemen until Moon Knight arrived. When Nefaria had his back turned on her Snapdragon shot him and Moon Knight multiple times to ensure her escape.

   Outside the police station Snapdragon was captured by the Avengers, who then aided Moon Knight to defeat Nefaria.

Comments: Created by Ralph Macchio and George Perez.

Snapdragon's form was one of the ones adopted by Dead Ringer (Cap428), who could duplicate the appearance and abilities of corpses he touched (...eww!) Anyway, that doens't mean a whole lot to me, since other characters he has adopted have since come back to life (such as Nighthawk). Diamondback saw Dead Ringer take the form of Snapdragon, and questioned him on where he had contacted her dead body. This led her and Cap to New Orleans and a conflict with Damon Dran. It was at this time that Kono revealed that Sheoke's body had been cremated.

Snapdragon's murder haunted Diamondback for some time, causing her to freeze up in battle. She even agreed to serve out her contract with Superia as penance (well, that was part of it). Diamondback probably could have gotten off on temporary insanity, as the blood she was transfused with contained a narcotic derivative which had bound to the Super Soldier Serum. (see the Streets of Poison issues).

Supplemental info supplied by Prime Eternal. Updated by Markus Raymond (Moon Knight)..

Clarifications: Snapdragon, Sheoke Sanada, should be distinguished from:

• Snap, of the Parasites @ Captain Britain II#13
• Snapdragon, aka Diamondback, Rachel Leighton, who used that name while filling a contract with Superia, @ Avengers I#387