COPPERHEAD

Real Name: Davis Lawfers

Identity/Class: Human technology user

Occupation: Professional criminal;
   former civil servant

Group Membership: Serpent Society (aka Serpent Solutions) (Anaconda, Asp, Black Mamba, Black Racer, Boomslang, Bushmaster/Quincy McIver, Coachwhip, Cottonmouth/Burchell Clemens, Death Adder/Theodore Scott, Eel/Edward Lavell, Fer-de-Lance, King Cobra, Princess Python, Puff Adder, Rattler, Rock Python, Sidewinder/Gregory Bryan, Viper/Jordan Dixon);
   formerly Viper (Madame Hydra)'s unnamed "Serpent Squad" (Black Racer, Fer-de-Lance, Puff Adder)

Affiliations: Formerly Sidewinder (Voelker), Slither, Viper (Madame Hydra)

Enemies: Avengers (Captain America/Steve Rogers, Hawkeye/Clint Barton, Red Hulk/Thaddeus Ross, Spider-Man/Peter Parker, Spider-Woman/Jessica Drew, Wolverine/James Howlett), Captain America/Falcon (Sam Wilson), D-Man, Falcon, Mr. Jip, Nighthawk (Kyle Richmond simulacrum), Nomad, Nova (Richard Rider), Nova Corps

Known Relatives: Unmarried; relatives unrevealed

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Briefly first Serpent Citadel

First Appearance: Captain America I#337 (January, 1988)

Powers/Abilities: Copperhead is highly educated, with a degree in business administration, and very literate. He apparently has no superhuman powers. His suit and tunic and both composed of reinforced micro-mesh chain mail. He can emit "poison blasts" (actually electrical discharges) from his finger-shooters; has a wrist-mounted spring-loaded grappling hook (a "shooting fang"); stores exploding magnesium flare bombs ("copper bursts") in his helmet, and his gloves and boots contain microsuction cups to allow him to climb to walls and ceilings. He carries spare weapon cartridges in his belt. 

Height: 5'5"
Weight: 140 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown (with brown beard)

History:

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, Master Edition) - Davis Lawfers was born in Rochester, New York, grew to gain a degree in business administration and become a civil servant, and eventually was recruited by Viper to become Copperhead, in a suit designed and built for him by technicians in her employ.

(Captain America I#342 - BTS) - Viper (Madame Hydra) concocted a plan to invade the Serpent Society from within, and use its members to dump a mutagenic toxin into the drinking water of Washington D.C. She recruited Fer-de-Lance, Black Racer, Puff Adder, Copperhead, Coachwhip, Boomslang, Rock Python, and Slither to help her with this.

(Captain America I#337) - In Las Vegas, Copperhead led Fer-de-Lance, Black Racer, and Puff Adder in committing what is at least the second in a string of casino robberies. However, after an alarm was tripped they were forced to hole up in a casino penthouse. The Captain (Captain America under another identity), Falcon, D-Man, and Nomad invaded the penthouses and captured the quartet.

(Captain America I#338) - The four Serpents were held in the same cell, opposite the vigilantes who'd captured them. Sidewinder teleported in and began freeing the snake-themed villains one-by-one, but by the time he came to the last, Fer-de-Lance, the Captain had broken into the cell and grabbed Sidewinder before he could teleport out. Sidewinder grabbed Fer-de-Lance by the throat and threatened to kill her, forcing the Captain to let him go to save the villainess' life.

(Captain America I#341/2) - Sidewinder introduced the four new Serpents to the charter members of the Serpent Society, and appointed them as probationary members of the Society, with full status to be determined in three months time, and their first assignments to be given the following morning at 9AM. That evening the Viper's takeover occurred, with Copperhead supporting it.

(Captain America I#342) - Copperhead, Boomslang, Rattler, Cobra, Anaconda, Black Racer, and Rock Python were set loading canisters of an unknown substance into Serpent Saucers, and he, Boomslang, and Cobra subsequently departed for Washington D.C. with a full load of toxin.

(Captain America I#343) - In Washington D.C., Cobra, Boomslang, and Copperhead dumped their toxins into the cities water supply.

(Captain America I#344) - Cobra, Boomslang, and Copperhead return to their Saucer through a D.C. rife with people mutating into snakes (Copperhead quickly deduced that their canisters had contained bio-mutagens), only to find Diamondback and the Captain waiting for them. Copperhead was knocked unconscious there by the Captain.

(Uncanny X-Men Annual#13) - Cobra accepted a commission from Ghaur (Deviant leader) and Llyra (Atlantean) to retrieve items of arcane mystic power; he split the Society into squads. Diamondback, Fer-de-Lance, and Copperhead were sent to steal a jeweled cro-magnon skull from the mystical scholar Mr. Jip; they were quickly knocked unconscious by a magic blast and when Copperhead awoke, teleported far away, Diamondback was gone.

(Nova IV#19) - Copperhead joined members of the Serpent Society in taking hostages at a compound in Danzig, Ohio, caught up in the frenzy of the recent Skrull invasion. Members of the Nova Corps arrived to quickly defeat them and Copperhead was punched unconscious by Nova (Richard Rider).

(Avenging Spider-Man#5 - BTS) - Chemicals used to create Copperhead's snake gas were bought by the Serpent Society. The Avengers learned about it.

(Avenging Spider-Man#5) - The Avengers intercepted the delivery and Copperhead was caught after a surprise attack on Captain America and Spider-Man.

(Avenging Spider-Man#11) - Spider-Man punched and webbed up Copperhead as he fled from a robbery he had committed. Onlookers and Copperhead thought it strange that Spider-Man was less chatty than usual.

SECRET WARS III HAPPENED