Raptor (Marvel Comics)

Civil War

During the Civil War storyline, Raptor was among the many superhumans trying to flee out of USA and into France, but was confronted by the French superhero Le Peregrine over the Bay of Biscay, during a massive incursion tentative of refugees.

Powers and abilities

Raptor is a mutant that can transform himself into a bird-like creature. When transformed, he possesses superhuman strength and durability, a prehensile tail, sharp beak and claws, and wings which enable him to fly.

Fictional character biography

Brenda Drago was forced by her father into what was supposed to be a life of crime, as he gave her a suit equipped with functional wings (created from technology used in the costume he had worn as the second Vulture). Brenda became a flying thief known as the Raptor. But her crime spree was stopped by the combined efforts of Spider-Girl and The Buzz. In a surprising twist of fate, Raptor actually became friends with Spider-Girl. She even began to use her flight-suit as a hero, joining with Spider-Girl and Buzz in the formation of a new New Warriors. She even fell in love with Spider-Girl's friend Normie Osborn, and the two became engaged.

However, Raptor's luck went bad when she was held accountable for her previous crimes by a man named Agent Wheadon, who made Raptor join his crime-fighting team of "reformed" criminals, in exchange for a pardon. However, Normie bonded with the Venom symbiote, and made a bargain with Wheadon, offering his new powers in helping Wheadon's team in exchange for Raptor's release.

In an attempt to remove Spider-Girl from her friends, the new Hobgoblin, (later revealed to be the original Hobgoblin, Roderick Kingsley) savagely attacked Raptor and chained her body to a fence. In the following issue, she was taken to the hospital where she seemed to be recovering. She later marries Normie Osborn.

Powers and abilities

Raptor's costume has functional artificial wings that enable her to fly at high speeds. She is incredibly maneuverable in the air, and combined with the fact that the tips of her wings are razor-sharp, she is incredibly formidable when airborne.

Fictional character biography

In his first appearance, Damon Ryder infiltrated May Parker's engagement party in Boston. He had stalked her relatives, the Reilly's, for some time in an attempt to find Ben Reilly, whom he claimed burned down his house and killed his family. He found Peter Parker, whom Ben was cloned from, and attacked him, believing him to be Ben. Peter was able to fend off Raptor's attack long enough to sneak off and change into his Spider-Man costume. The two battled, and Raptor was eventually defeated. However, he managed to escape while Peter was distracted at the shock of learning about Ryder's interest in Ben Reilly.

Ryder later tracked Peter down to New York, first attacking him at the Front Line office, then going to his apartment with the intent of leaving a message for Peter with his roommate, Michelle Gonzalez. He then went to May's house, where Peter's cousins and Harry Osborn were staying, and took all the occupants hostage. When Peter arrived, Raptor threatened to kill them all unless Peter revealed his "true" identity.

Through flashbacks, it was shown that Ben Reilly once worked as lab assistant to Ryder. The two became close friends during their work searching for proof of dinosaurs being human ancestors, with Ben meeting Ryder's wife and children. However, Ben soon discovered that Ryder had experimented on himself with velociraptor genes in an attempt to further their research. When he confronted him, Ryder grew angry and the two argued. Damon attacked Ben, but Ben managed to restrain him, hoping to bring in a geneticist to purge his system of the mutation. Damon managed to escape in the interim, and Ben followed him to his home, where Damon revealed that he was starting to mutate, thus become more susceptible to Ben's assistance. As they talked, both were unaware that Ben's fellow clone, Kaine, was hiding just outside the house. Kaine jumped in through a window and attacked Ben, with a fire starting during the ensuing battle. It was then shown that Damon had murdered his own family, though he did not realize it, having been driven insane by his mutation, his warped mind causing him to conclude that Ben had killed his family in 'protest' against his experiments. Furious, Ben beat him unconscious, with Kaine commenting that the events that unfolded would have drastic consequences.

In the present, Kaine broke into the Parker house, revealing that he was working with Raptor, under the promise of being cured of his cellular degeneration. During the fight, he exposed Peter's identity as Spider-Man, and Ben's identity as a clone. He encouraged Raptor to kill Peter, since anything Ben would do, so would Peter. Refusing to accept this, Peter affirmed both his and Reilly's innocence, proclaiming that neither of them would ever kill anyone, and beat Raptor unconscious, just as Ben had. However, Kaine managed to take Raptor and escape before the police arrived. Raptor later told Kaine that he lied about curing him in order to gain an ally. Enraged, Kaine then breaks Raptor's neck, seemingly killing him.

Powers and abilities

Through combining his DNA with that of a velociraptor, Ryder gained enhanced strength, speed, senses and endurance. He also gained the ability to sprout large claws from his arms, and large fangs from his mouth. He also carries a pair of Submachine guns, displaying moderate marksmanship. He is also highly intelligent, having been a skilled geneticist in past times.