TENDRIL

Real Name: River Verys

Identity/Class: Human mutate, deceased

Occupation: Test subject/convicted felon; formerly an armed robber

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Dryrot, G.A.R.I.D. (Galannan Alternative Research for Immunization Development); Calvin Falconer, Bill Galannan, Dr. Eric Schwinner, Dr. Monica Staphos (deceased)), Spider-Man

Known Relatives: Janet Verys (Mother, deceased), Brandon Verys (father)

Aliases: None

Place of Birth: Klamath Falls, Oregon

Base of Operations: Portland, Oregon

First Appearance: Spider-Man: The Final Adventure#1 (November 1995)

Powers/Abilities: As Tendril, River Verys body had become web-like, making it like wet cotton; incredibly tensile, but stretched thin. This provided him with resistance to physical attacks and gave him the ability to stick to various surfaces similar to Spider-Man. He was able to alter the shape of his body, enabling him to grow extra spider-like arms from his back and shoot webbing. He possessed spider-like agility, strength (class 10) and endurance.

Height: (Verys) 5' 6"; (Tendril) 7' 9"
Weight: (Verys) 160 lbs.; (Tendril) 100 lbs.
Eyes: (Verys) Green; (Tendril) solid white or red
Hair: (Verys) Red; (Tendril) grey-black

History: (Spider-Man: The Final Adventure#1,2, 3 (fb)) - River Verys was raised by hippie parents. His mother committed suicide when he was two, and his father suffered mental problems that led to River being put into a string of foster homes. He was later convicted of armed robbery and at some point he contracted NF (necrotizing fascitis, a flesh eating disease). He was operated on twice by Dr. Monica Staphos at G.A.R.I.D. In order to cure him and other NF sufferers, Staphos had created an SSD (Synthetic Skin Derivative) using an Isotope Genome Accelerator similar to the one that gave Peter Parker his spider-powers.

(Spider-Man: The Final Adventure#1,2,3,4 ) - Dr. Staphos used the SSD on Verys in an attempt to cure him of his disease, but the NF cells multiplied faster than the SSD cells. While investigating Staphos' files, Peter Parker noticed similarities between her radiation therapies and the radiation that gave him his spider-powers. He added a sample of his own blood to the SSD and left it over night to see what effect it would have. Before he returned, Dr. Staphos found his formula and used it on Verys, mutating him into Tendril. Tendril then escaped killing Staphos and two of his guards.

River abducted three victims seemingly at random; Paula Khourri, Biff Nostrell and Gene Byrne. Using his web-like body, he attached them to the underneath of the steel bridge where he had been arrested for robbery years before. G.AR.I.D.'s security chief, Calvin Falconer, tracked him down and lead and assault team to the bridge. Tendril fought the team, and Spider-Man, briefly before escaping again.

Verys visited his mothers grave briefly before abducting another victim and taking her to a hotel room. Before he could do anything more, Spider-Man burst in and Tendril fled into the ventilation system. On leaving the system he was attacked by Dryrot and Spider-Man, who used a genome dampener to weaken him. Dryrot and Tendril where taken back to G.A.R.I.D. where Dr. Schwinner and Peter Parker attempted to rid them of their powers and the NF by using the Isotope Genome Accelerator. Tendril struggled and damaged some of the equipment, but Peter Parker leapt in to repair the damage. In the end Tendril lost his life trying to fight the reversion and his body disintegrated, while Dryrot was cured.

Comments: Created by Fabian Nicieza, Darick Robertson and Jeff Albrecht

Every time I typed the words Spider-Man: The Final Adventure while doing this profile I had to groan! It's a bit like old rock bands saying it's their last tour, and of course Peter's since made a comeback. Peter's proximity to the Isotope Genome Accelerator in this story caused him to lose his powers temporarily. When his powers returned, at no point did he get worried that maybe Dryrot and Tendril were maybe getting theirs back too (I know Tendril appeared to die, but if his powers were restored to his dead cells then perhaps he could have reformed. Physically speaking, of course!).

Tendril received an entry in the Spider-Man - Back in Black Handbook. His father's name was revealed in this entry.

Profile by Changeling

CLARIFICATIONS:
River Verys, AKA Tendril, has no known connections to:

Appearances:
Spider-Man: The Final Adventure#1-2 (November-December, 1995) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Darick Robertson (pencils), Jeff Albrecht (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Spider-Man: The Final Adventure#3 (January, 1996) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Darick Robertson (pencils), Jeff Albrecht & Arne Starr (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Spider-Man: The Final Adventure#4 (March, 1996) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Darick Robertson (pencils), Jeff Albrecht, Greg Adams & Chris Ivy (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)

Last updated: 12/04/03

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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