THE SIDEWINDER

Real Name: "Wild" Willie Wilson

Identity/Class:  Extradimensional (Earth-8107) human technology user

Occupation: Rodeo owner/thief

Group Membership: Wild Willie Wilson’s Rodeo, leader of his own gang

Affiliations: Wild Willie Wilson’s Rodeo, members of his gang

Enemies: Betty Brant, J.Jonah Jameson, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), the daughter of his ex-partner

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile; temporarily an unidentified rodeo arena

First Appearance: Spider-Man cartoon episode, "The Sidewinder Strikes" (December 5, 1981)

Powers/Abilities: Wilson was smart enough to build flying robot horses, or at least smart enough to contract the job out. He had an extensive knowledge of the American Wild West. He carried a laser pistol and gas grenades.

Height: 5'10" (by approximation)
Weight: 160 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed, possibly black (see comments)
Hair: Black

History: (Spider-Man cartoon episode, "The Sidewinder Strikes" -  BTS) - The rodeo that would become Wilson's was owned by him and his partner. Via unrevealed means, Wilson cheated his partner out of the rodeo. Wilson kept the man's daughter as an employee though, unaware of her quest to expose him. 

(Spider-Man cartoon episode, "The Sidewinder Strikes") - "Wild" Willie Wilson was at the Daily Bugle, having his picture taken by Peter Parker and showing the prize of his Wild West memorabilia collection, namely a set of gold spurs given to Buffalo Bill by the King of England. The entire collection was valued at a million dollars. He boasted that there no amount of money that would make him part with the spurs. As a guard put the spurs inside a secured briefcase, Wilson explained to a curious Parker that the armored truck parked outside was simply a decoy, and in fact, valuable items were often transported on the subway. Wilson left, claiming he was needed at an important meeting.  

The subway was soon attacked by the Sidewinder, who had barricaded the tunnel with logs via unrevealed means and greeted the stunned train driver from atop his flying robot horse. Two members of his gang flew out from their hiding place and attacked the train with a super strong lasso. Tearing the doors open, the Sidewinder tossed a gas grenade inside the car, blinding the passengers. During the distraction, the Sidewinder stole the guard's briefcase and headed back to their hideout, with Spider-Man in hot pursuit. With the aid of a stolen police motorcycle, Spider-Man was able to snatch the spurs from Sidewinder's hands. The masked bandit swore they would still get the spurs, but at the rodeo later. Later, "Wild" Willie Wilson was having lunch with J. Jonah Jameson at the Publisher's Club, boasting about his collection. When Spider-Man slipped inside the Club and returned the stolen spurs, Wilson jumped up and thanked the wall-crawler with a special invitation to his rodeo, being held the next night.

That night, while the Sidewinder's gang (including "the Clown") attempted to kill Peter Parker with a tampered mechanical bull ride as he visited the rodeo to get photos for the Daily Bugle, the Sidewinder broke into the New York Cultural Museum. With two members of his gang and their flying horses to help him, he subdued the guard and walked out with a painting.    

The next day, with Spider-Man at the rodeo as the guest of honor, the Sidewinder hid in the dressing room that housed his stolen goods. When the daughter of his ex-partner and Spider-Man made their way inside, with the daughter about to expose his identity, the Sidewinder captured them with a net and exposed them to knockout gas. He ordered two of his gang to dispose of Spider-Man. Wilson then appeared in the main box with Betty Brant and J. Jonah Jameson, saying he had some loose ends to tie up. Brushing off concerns about the wall-crawler's disappearance, he insisted the show must go on. He then ordered that Diablo, a robotic bull, be activated, seemingly unaware that Spider-Man had been chained to the robot by his gang.

As the daughter crawled out of the barrel she had been placed in and the crowd saw Spider-Man on the back of Diablo, Wilson loudly cursed his gang's actions before leaving the box. Disguised as the Sidewinder, he then slipped into the control room and tried to kill Spider-Man by blowing up Diablo, but the blast only freed Spider-Man. Slipping out and joining up with his gang, the Sidewinder tried to attack Spider-Man, but his robot horse was snared by the hero's webbing. Sent crashing into the stands, the Sidewinder was stunned enough for Spider-Man to pull his mask off, thus exposing the Sidewinder as "Wild" Willie Wilson.

Comments: Created by Creighton Barnes, Doug Booth, Francis X. Feighan, Donald F. Glut, Jack Hanrahan, Christy Marx, Larry Parr, Jeffrey Scott and Marvel Productions, Ltd. (see Appearance list for full list of storyboard and layout animators).

While Peter Parker was taking photos of the arena, we see a shadow on the wall when he discovers the Sidewinder's mask in a dressing room, but we're not told if it was him or just another member of the gang.   

Also, the daughter (seriously, she's never given a name) mentions at the end that her father was blamed for the Sidewinder's crimes, yet there is nothing to suggest there were any suspects in the robberies we saw on screen. Also, why was Wilson stealing his own spurs? Insurance fraud is possible, but there's no mention of that and it is never brought up again.

According to a few online sources, the Sidewinder was voiced by Philip L. Clarke.

His eyes are two black lines (squinting maybe?) so I would guess (his eyes were) black.

Interesting thing of note are the similarities between Sidewinder's mask and that of Earth-616's Crime-Master. - Proto-Man

Profile by David Lawrence.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Earth-8107's Sidewinder has no KNOWN connections to:

• Sidewinder (Seth Voelker), serpent-themed super-criminal @ Marvel Two-in-One I#64
• Sidewinder, Iron Fist foe @ Iron Fist III#1
• Sidewinder (Gregory Bryan), replacement Serpent Society member @ Captain America IV#31
  
• any other "Sidewinder," snake or cowboy themed characters

"The Clown"

An unidentified member of the Sidewinder’s gang, he was a rodeo clown. Possibly acting under orders, he helped convince Peter Parker to ride Betsy the Mechanical Bull, but not before spraying the seat with glue. He later bumped into Peter Parker the next day. His shiny cowboy boots tipped Spider-Man off about his connection with the gang, but he slipped away in the corrals.












--Spider-Man cartoon episode, "The Sidewinder Strikes"

The daughter of Sidewinder's ex-partner

The daughter of Wilson’s old partner, she searched for evidence to expose Wilson’s crimes. She worked various jobs with the rodeo. She was manning Betsy the mechanical bull and cajoled Peter Parker to ride it. When the controls malfunctioned, she raced off for help, unware of the glue smeared on the seat or Parker’s spider powers saving him. Via unrevealed means, she later discovered the Sidewinder’s identity and where he stashed his equipment. Dressed as a rodeo clown, she bumped into Spider-Man and lead him to the room. She was knocked unconscious by the Sidewinder’s gas before being tossed into a barrel. She freed herself as the barrel was rolled into the center of the arena. She shouted encouragement as Spider-Man rode the bull and even kissed him when he caught the Sidewinder.

--Spider-Man cartoon episode, "The Sidewinder Strikes"