THE "SERPENT SQUAD"

Membership: Black Racer, Copperhead (Lawfers), Fer-de-Lance, Puff Adder.

Purpose: The members of this "Serpent Squad" were employees of Viper (Madame Hydra) as part of a plot to infiltrate the Serpent Society.

Affiliations: Employed by Viper (Madame Hydra); worked with Boomslang, Coachwhip, Rock Python, Slither.

Enemies: Captain (Steve Rogers/Captain America), D-Man, Falcon, Nomad (Jack Monroe), Serpent Society (Anaconda, Asp (Nefertiti), Black Mamba, Bushmaster (McIver), Cobra (Voorhees, later King Cobra), Cottonmouth, Diamondback (Leighton), Rattler, Sidewinder (Voelker)).

Base of Operations: Serpent Society Citadel (Pawling, NY); Las Vegas, NV area.

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

History:

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition) - The Viper (Madame Hydra) recruited Davis Lawfers 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 then 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) - Initially in civilian disguise, four serpents (Black Racer, Copperhead, Fer-de-Lance, Puff Adder) broke into a Las Vegas casino vault, with Fer-de-Lance apparently killing one guard and Puff Adder using his acid breath to dissolve the casino's reinforced doors. However, security responded more quickly than expected and they found themselves surrounded, leading Copperhead to sigh that at least "it may save us the aggravation of having to pull another such job." The foursome holed up in a penthouse suite, contacted the police negotiators (making sure their names were spelled correctly), and settled in to wait. The Captain, D-Man, Falcon, and Nomad soon burst in, and the four snakes were captured.

(Captain America I#338) - The four serpents were imprisoned in a Las Vegas jail, immediately across from the four heroes who had captured them (illegally acting as vigilantes in doing so). The Serpent Society's Sidewinder teleported in and began rescuing them one at a time, but the quartet of heroes broke into their cell before Sidewinder could get the last, Fer-de-Lance, out. Sidewinder pretended to threaten to kill Fer-de-Lance if the heroes failed to allow them to escape, and the quartet acquiesced.

(Captain America I#341) - In a meeting before the entire Serpent Society at the Serpent Citadel, Sidewinder offered the quartet a three-month probational membership into the Serpent Society, with their first assignments to come at a meeting at 9 AM sharp the following morning. That evening, Fer-de-Lance signaled Viper, who teleported in; she took down Black Mamba and Sidewinder while the quartet attacked other members and allowed the Viper's other four agents access into the headquarters.

(Captain America I#342) - Puff Adder, Fer-de-Lance, and Coachwhip attacked Diamondback and the wounded Sidewinder, and the pair fled. With the rest of the Society either captured or agreeing to join Viper, she became de facto leader of a Serpent Society created by the combined numbers of her own agents and all of Sidewinder's Society excepting Sidewinder, Diamondback, Bushmaster, Asp, and Black Mamba.

Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald (writer), Tom Morgan (penciler), Dave Hunt (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor).

   For the fate of Viper's merged Serpent Society, please refer to the Serpent Society's entry.

   This "Serpent Squad" is never named as such in the original books. The name comes from The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition, wherein it is attributed not to Viper and all eight of her agents, but rather only to the quartet which robbed the Vegas casino and infiltrated the Society. That naming is maintained here.

Profile by SQUEAK

CLARIFICATIONS:
This "Serpent Squad" should not be confused with:

• Serpent Cartel of Earth-712 @ Avengers#147
• The Serpent Society of Earth-616, led by the Sidewinder (Seth Voelker) and later by King Cobra, @ Captain America I#310
• The Serpent Society of Earth-27537, fought the Exiles, @ Exiles #89
• The Serpent Society of the Marvel Adventures Earth, fought the Avengers, @ Marvel Adventures The Avengers I#11
• The Serpent Squad of Earth-1610 (Ultimate Universe), fought that universe's Fantastic Four, @ Ultimate Powers I#1
• The Serpent Squad of Earth-616, led by the Viper, @ Captain America I#163
• The Serpent Squad of Earth-616, led by the Viper (Madame Hydra), @ Captain America I#180
• The Serpent Squad of Earth-616, led by the Sidewinder (Seth Voelker), @ Marvel Two-in-One#64
• The Serpent Squad of Earth-616, led by Sin to free Crossbones, @ Captain America IV#28
• Soldiers of the Serpent, Earth-MC2 counterparts of the Sons of the Serpent, @ A-Next#4
• Sons of the Serpent of Earth-616, racist group @ Avengers I#32
• or any other serpent or snake groups/characters, nor those with a similar name

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Captain America I#337, pg 6, p3 (main image)