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Viper (Madame Hydra) (Earth-616)

From Marvel Database

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Real Name
Unknown
Current Alias

Aliases
Warrior White Princess, Meriem Drew, Leona Hiss, Mrs. Smith, Viper, Madame Hydra

Identity

Alignment

Affiliation
Leader of HYDRA, member of the Hellfire Club Inner Circle, former ally of Red Skull, Wolverine, Seraph, former servant of Chthon, former employer of Silver Samurai and Boomerang, former leader of the Fangs, Serpent Squad, Serpent Society

Relatives
Unnamed parents (deceased), James Howlett (aka Wolverine, ex-husband)

Universe

Base Of Operations
Mobile, Madripoor

Characteristics
Gender

Height


Eyes

Hair

Unusual Features
Hair sometimes dyed green, right side of Madame Hydra's face is scarred and disfigured, although cosmetic surgery over the years has made this condition somewhat better. She disguises her disfigurement by wearing her hair in such a manner as to cover much of the right side of her face. Madame Hydra has elongated sharp canine teeth caps.

Status
Marital Status

Occupation
Ruler of Madripoor, former Hydra leader, terrorist, mercenary

Place of Birth
Unrevealed location in Eastern Europe

Contents

History

Viper

Born in the 1920s, the woman who would become Viper was orphaned as a child. Allying herself with the Elder God Chthon, who greatly slowed her aging, she became a mercenary and then a pupil of the adventurer Seraph on the island nation of Madripoor. Later, Viper and Seraph rescued another pupil, the mutant adventurer Wolverine, from his arch-nemesis, the feral mutant Sabretooth. Seraph died, but not before making Wolverine swear an oath of loyalty to Viper.

Viper was eventually recruited into the terrorist organization Hydra. Taking the name Madame Hydra, she took control of their New York operations and frequently clashed with the super-soldier Captain America. She later reorganized the then-defunct Serpent Squad group and killed the original costumed criminal Viper, taking his alias. Acquiring the ancient and powerful Serpent Crown artifact, she sought world domination but was again opposed by Captain America. Viper next organized her own terrorist cell and employed the mutant warrior the Silver Samurai as her bodyguard.

Viper

Viper battled Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) when Drew stumbled onto one of Viper's plots during her career as a private investigator in San Francisco. Viper, under the influence of Chthon, believed herself to be Meriem Drew, Spider-Woman's mother. Chthon sought to use the Viper as a weapon against Spider-Woman and briefly replaced the Viper's right eye with a black orb capable of projecting others into a magical dimension. Hoping to unravel the mysteries of her origin, Spider-Woman tracked Viper down to confront her and was tossed into this dimension and forced to confront Chthon. The elder god wanted to use Spider-Woman to emerge on Earth, but Viper ultimately defied Chthon, with the help of the force of will of Spider-Woman, who resisted Chthon long enough for Viper to ultimately free herself from his thrall.

Soon after, Viper and the Silver Samurai clashed with the New Mutants when they attempted to coerce the motorcycle stunt riding Team America into stealing the Cavorite crystal. Later still, Viper, alongside numerous other snake-inspired costumed villains, infiltrated the criminal organization known as the Serpent Society with the intent of taking it over. Viper subsequently entered into a brief alliance with the murderous Red Skull. However, this alliance was short lived as the two criminals soon double-crossed each other.

When the throne of Madripoor was left without an heir, Viper brainwashed many of the women closest to Wolverine in order for them to capture Wolverine and bring him to her. She reminded him of his old debt to Seraph, their mutual mentor. Following his code of giri, or honorable debt, Wolverine agreed to marry the Viper. The Viper had gambled that Wolverine's respectability in Madripoor would enable her to seize the throne. She also used him, along with Sabretooth and Shadowcat, to foil both Hydra and the Hand's attempts to control the island. Soon after, the Viper was installed as the ruling princess of Madripoor.

Following an illegal Bloodsport tournament hosted on the island, in which Wolverine was a participant at the Viper's request, the demonic ninja spirit Ogun attacked. After failing to possess Wolverine, Ogun possessed Viper. In order to exorcise the spirit, Wolverine seriously wounded Viper, and Ogun's spirit was dissipated. In return for ensuring she received medical treatment, Wolverine made the Viper agree to divorce him. During this time, the Viper must have had plastic surgery to repair her facial scarring, as she no longer bore scars on the right side of her face.

Her reign was subsequently challenged by the alien warlord Khan. Viper helped organize a resistance force against an attempted alien invasion of Earth which had made its beachhead in Madripoor. Viper ran afoul of the X-Men, and betrayed their leader, Storm, who was subsequently captured by the aliens. Ultimately, the invasion was repelled by the X-Men and the Avengers. Viper returned to ruling Madripoor.

Viper has since taken a more subtle hand at fighting her enemies and appears to be working with Hydra once more. She tried to place Spider-Woman as a double-agent within S.H.I.E.L.D., using Hydra resources to restore the powers that she lost some time ago. Spider-Woman agreed to the exchange, but grew uncomfortable with the arrangement. When Drew was later offered membership in the New Avengers, Viper urged her to accept the offer and continue being a double-agent for them as well. The situation came to a head when the Avengers captured Viper when she was attempting to restore the Silver Samurai in a position of power to take over the Japanese underworld. Viper forced Spider-Woman to help her escape from a plane high above the Pacific. The escape endangered Captain America, who was tossed from the plane, and Spider-Woman helped save him, although Viper seemed to have vanished. When pressed, Captain America got Spider-Woman to admit to being a double-agent, but he asked her to continue to play the role so as to have intelligence on both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra.

She is a member of the latest incarnation of the Hellfire Club, and has also associated with the Hand and resumed her ties with the Silver Samurai. She has also retaken the name "Madame Hydra".

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Retarded Aging: Viper’s aging process was greatly slowed by her pact with the Elder God Chthon. It is unclear if she has retained this gift since defying him.

Toxins Immunity: Madame Hydra has rendered herself immune to most toxins via controlled exposure.

Abilities

Viper is a brilliant and cunning criminal strategist who has been rigorously trained in various martial arts. She is also a skilled markswoman and expert in the use of a bullwhip. Viper is highly skilled in the management of criminal organizations and very well connected in the international criminal underworld. She is also a master of stealth and espionage. Perhaps her greatest strengths are her influence, the financial resources at her disposal due to her stature in organized crime, and an uncanny luck which has allowed her to cheat death in situations where lesser people would have died.

Viper is also extremely knowledgeable in the properties and uses of toxins, poisons, and snake venoms, frequently creating her own poisons that she spreads through her hollow fangs or poisoned lipstick.

Strength level

Normal human female with intensive regular exercise.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Teleportation Ring - Viper employs a teleportation ring that activates when twisted.

Transportation

Various HYDRA vehicles.

Weapons

The Viper carries a set of throwing darts tipped with a lethal poison based on the chemistry of snake venom. She also uses mundane weapons such as whips and guns alongside high-tech weaponry provided by HYDRA.

Links

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