Serpent Society

Concept and creation

The Serpent Society first appeared in Captain America #310 (October 1985) and was created by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary. Serpent Solutions first appeared in Captain America: Sam Wilson #1 by writer Nick Spencer and artist Daniel Acuña.

Most of the villains Mark Gruenwald introduced in Captain America were created to symbolize aspects of contemporary American culture and the world political situation. In the case of the Serpent Society, Gruenwald created them to symbolize trade unions.

Serpents of the World Unite!

The Serpent Society was founded by Sidewinder, and was a descendant of sorts from the original Serpent Squads. The first squad consisted of the original Viper, his brother the Eel, and the Cobra. The second squad consisted of the second Viper (who was also formerly Madame Hydra), the Eel, Princess Python, Cobra, and the Atlantis Warlord Krang. Sidewinder led the third incarnation of the Squad that included Anaconda, Black Mamba and Death Adder. They were to retrieve the fabled Serpent Crown from its then underwater grave. Sidewinder used his cloak and abandoned his comrades during an underwater mishap, and proceeded to collect the reward for the Crown.

Anaconda, Mamba and Adder survived and confronted Sidewinder. During that time Sidewinder had invested the money and started the groundwork for the Serpent Society. The Society was to provide its members with better access to technology, bigger access to jobs, higher pay, comradeship, safe lodging, and a host of other benefits. Most importantly, with Sidewinder's teleportation cloak, members never had to fear imprisonment again. It was, essentially, a supervillain labor union.

After persuading his former comrades of his true intention to better their lot (and paying their share of the reward plus interest), he had them contact other snake-themed criminals which included the Asp, Diamondback, Constrictor, Cobra, Princess Python, the Viper, the Rattler, Cottonmouth, and Bushmaster. The Viper refused to attend the first initial gathering. Constrictor, unimpressed with the proceedings, walked out and tried to turn the group over to the Avengers.

Sidewinder, Anaconda, Black Mamba, Death Adder, Asp, Diamondback, Cottonmouth, Cobra, Bushmaster, Rattler, and Princess Python became charter members of the Serpent Society. They headquartered at Serpent Citadel, which was an abandoned mental hospital located in upstate New York. Sidewinder sent them out to contact various criminal organizations including HYDRA, the Maggia, the Kingpin, and A.I.M.. From A.I.M. they received their first paying assignment: the elimination of their former leader MODOK. The Society's success in killing MODOK quickly cemented their reputation as criminal talents of the first caliber. Captain America intervened many times during their early years but was never able to put them out of commission.

Two charter members soon left the Society. Princess Python fled during the MODOK assignment and was soon after expelled from their ranks. Death Adder was killed by Scourge of the Underworld when he was sent to ransom the Princess to her Circus of Crime cohorts.

Serpent War

Later, the Viper sent a fourth Serpent Squad (though not named as such) consisting of Copperhead, Black Racer, Fer-de-Lance and Puff Adder to infiltrate the Society with the intention of assassinating Sidewinder and putting herself as the rightful leader. When the four were taken to Serpent Citadel by Sidewinder, it was easy for the rest of the Viper's allies (Coachwhip, Boomslang, Slither, and Rock Python), to assault the place. Many of the charter members turncoat and supported the Viper whereas the Asp, Black Mamba, Bushmaster, and Diamondback remained loyal to Sidewinder.

The Viper used the Society and its resources to poison the water supply of Washington DC, which turned its citizens into snake-men. The ensuing chaos nearly destroyed the capital. Diamondback managed to escape with Sidewinder and solicited help from Captain America (who then was known as "The Captain" while another man donned the Captain America costume and identity) and his allies D-Man, Nomad, the Falcon, and Vagabond. The team stormed Serpent Citadel, rescued the Society members that were loyal to Sidewinder, and captured many others. The Viper, however managed to escape.

In the end, Cobra subdued the Viper and turned her over to the Captain on the condition that he allowed the Serpent Society 24 hours to evacuate from their headquarters. When the Captain refused the deal the Cobra turned Viper over anyway.

Bitter over the betrayal, Sidewinder left the Society and Cobra became its new leader, eventually calling himself King Cobra. With the exception of Slither and the Viper herself, all of the Viper's agents remained with the Society. The Society re-located to a new secret headquarters in the Bronx.

The Trial

Shortly afterwards, Diamondback became romantically involved with Captain America and tried to leave the Society altogether to be with him. Despite the fact that she was a member of a criminal organization that he desperately wanted to put out of commission, Captain America did not force her to betray her companions. The Society, however, had Diamondback under surveillance and when they realized she had been seeing Captain America socially, certain members demanded that she should be put on trial for treason.

Diamondback was found guilty... every member voted for her death except for Asp, Black Mamba, Bushmaster and Rock Python. Penalty was death by injection, but King Cobra said he would commute the sentence if she would cooperate with them by revealing the true identity of Captain America. Diamondback refused but Black Mamba secretly alerted Sidewinder, who teleported in to save Diamondback at the last moment.

Diamondback, seeking revenge against the Society, sought out the Paladin when Captain America could not guarantee that Black Mamba and Asp be given immunity from arrest. The two infiltrated the Society's headquarters only to be captured along with Mamba and Asp. Captain America on the other hand, from his sky cycle, spotted a Serpent Saucer piloted by Cottonmouth and Fer-de-Lance, which was heading back to the Society's hideout. Cap entered the hideout along with the saucer and quickly subdued the two serpents. He quickly freed Diamondback, Paladin, Mamba and Asp and together they brought down the Society. All members were taken to prison with the exception of Diamondback, Asp, and Mamba (Asp and Mamba eventually were given immunity from arrest due to their help defeating their former colleagues). Anaconda, Puff Adder and Rock Python escaped capture as they were not at the headquarters at the time. Boomslang was in the hospital after being shot by thugs around this period. Puff Adder and Rock Python were eventually imprisoned after being thrown out of their Serpent Saucer by MODAM. Anaconda, Black Mamba, Asp, and Diamondback were all invited by MODAM to join the Femizons. Afterwards, Mamba, Asp, and Diamondback formed a new team called BAD Girls, Inc. with fellow Femizons Impala.

After spending time in prison, the Society re-formed again, going back to their old ways. Another encounter with Captain America and the now defunct team called Force Works seemed to have permanently put them out of commission; both Puff Adder and Mamba later said that the Society had disbanded.

Disassembled

However, the Society re-formed yet again in the Captain America/Avengers Disassembled tie-ins. More recently, King Cobra, Rattler, Bushmaster, and a new Death Adder had aided the Thunderbolts during the Civil War storyline. After that the four villains have been identified as members of the 142 registered superheroes who appear on the cover of the comic book Avengers: The Initiative #1. Anaconda served with the Six Pack and was later defeated by the New Warriors; Diamondback, Black Mamba, and Asp have reformed BAD Girls, Inc.; Cottonmouth hadn't been seen since he broke free from prison with Hawkeye, but was later taken back into custody by S.H.I.E.L.D.

Secret Invasion

Nova and his Nova Corps deputees helped federal authorities take several members of the Society into custody shortly after the Skrull's Secret Invasion. The Serpent Society (consisting of Sidewinder, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Death Adder II, Fer-de-Lance, and Copperhead) held a number of civilians (including their own families) hostage in a compound in the American Mid-West claiming they were protecting themselves from the Skrulls. Nova and his deputees defeated them in literally seconds. The Society never even had a chance to defend themselves.

Later, several Serpent Society members including Anaconda, Black Mamba, Bushmaster and Cottonmouth, fought members of the New Avengers in a semi-tropical locale. They were seen defeated. Society members King Cobra, Bushmaster, Anaconda, Rattler, and the second Death Adder were then hired by Mister Negative to battle the young X-Men Anole and Rockslide. They were unable to defeat the young heroes, even with the aid of Mister Negative, and thus retreated.

Avengers vs. X-Men

A more recent incarnation of the Society appeared in the Avengers vs. X-Men event. The new group consisted of Asp, Anaconda, Puff Adder, Cottonmouth and Bushmaster. The Society attempted to rob a bank and took a number of employees hostage only to be defeated by Hope Summers. Cyclops and Emma Frost arrived where they stopped Hope from beating Cottonmouth to death. They were next seen battling Taskmaster and Deadpool after they were contracted by Leviathan to capture Marcus Johnson.

Leaving retirement, Sidewinder returned to lead the Serpent Society. He, Black Mamba, Anaconda, and the second Death Adder ambushed Elektra, Cape Crow, Matchmaker, and Kento Roe in the Himalayan Mountains. The Assassin's Guild had hired numerous mercenaries and criminals (including Crossbones, Blizzard, and Tiger Shark) to kill Cape Crow and his son Kento, but Elektra agreed to protect them. Having studied the Serpent Society and its members while working for S.H.I.E.L.D., Elektra was able to defeat Sidewinder, Anaconda, and Death Adder while Matchmaker defeated Black Mamba and the others escaped.

Serpent Solutions

After Sam Wilson took over the Captain America mantle, Jordan Stryke (also known as Viper) returned from the dead and became leader of the Serpent Society as part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel event. Branding the organization as Serpent Solutions, he began contacting various corporations and offering the group's service with a promise of profit as well as using the personnel of both A.I.M. and HYDRA for genetic experiments. Captain America caught on to Viper's plans and visited Diamondback (who had retired from mercenary work) in order to find out more information on the group. Their meeting was interrupted by Cottonmouth, Black Racer, and Copperhead. During the ensuing battle, Black Racer stabbed Diamondback in the gut. After Captain America defeated the three villains, he rushed to Diamondback's aid. Diamondback immediately betrayed Captain America revealing herself to be a member of the Serpent Society once again. Captain America awoke in the Serpent Society's lair, greeted by Viper and the entire Serpent Society members King Cobra, Puff Adder, Cottonmouth, Black Racer, Princess Python, Anaconda, Copperhead, Rattler, Rock Python, Black Mamba, Eel, Death Adder, Coachwhip, Fer-de-Lance, Boomslang, and Sidewinder. Although not seen at the end of the last issue, Asp and Bushmaster were also seen as members of Serpent Solutions. While at Serpent Tower, Captain America was kept paralyzed by Asp's venom bolt. After giving Captain America a speech on the supposedly righteous nature of his business that would save the economy and make America marvelous again, Viper threw Captain America out of the window only for Captain America to be saved from falling to his death by Joaquin Torres. The Serpent Society caught up to Captain America and Joaquin Torres. While Captain America recovered from the paralysis, Joaquin held off the Serpent Society until Misty Knight and D-Man arrived. Diamondback later turned against Viper and helped to defeat the Serpent Solutions. After their business was shut down, the Serpent Society were arrested by the SWAT Team.

Under unknown circumstances, most (if not all) of the members of Serpent Solutions escaped from prison and reunited at their headquarters. Later, Baron Helmut Zemo recruited Serpent Solutions into his army of super-villains.

Membership

The membership of the Serpent Society has included:

Exiles

Another alternate version of the Serpent Society appeared in Exiles #89. The Exiles team had to restore Earth #27537. The Exiles had a hard time defeating the Society, which consisted of Cobra, Anaconda, Bushmaster, Death Adder, Cottonmouth, Diamondback, Rattler, Sidewinder, and an unnamed woman, but eventually the Exiles did manage to win and moved over to another reality. What the Serpent Society was doing on this Earth exactly was not revealed, though it was revealed they had previously killed the Spider-Man of their reality.

Marvel Adventures

The Marvel Adventures features the Sons of the Serpents as the Serpent Society. However, the actual group eventually appeared, consisting of Sidewinder, Cobra, Anaconda, and Cottonmouth, and battled Spider-Man. They plotted to turn the civilians of the city into snake-like creatures by poisoning the water supply. However, Spider-Man's interference led to the Lizard drinking the poison himself, becoming a giant reptilian creature. The Serpent Society, satisfied with their success, teleported away, leaving Spider-Man to battle the Lizard.

Ultimate Marvel

In the Ultimate Marvel universe, the Serpent Society is instead a gang known as the Serpent Skulls. Led by Crossbones, the group consisted of second-in-command Diamondback and lieutenants Black Racer, Sidewinder, Death Adder, King Cobra, Bushmaster, and Anaconda. Each member had his or her own underlings thematic to that character: Sidewinder had several men dressed as chauffeurs, Black Racer had a group of ninjas, Death Adder led a group of punks, and Anaconda was the leader of a female biker gang. The Serpent Skulls took over a Roxxon facility and began distributing super-powered drugs in Hell's Kitchen. Bushmaster was murdered by the Scourge of the Underworld, a masked vigilante who had targeted gang members. The Serpent Skulls clashed with the New Ultimates on several occasions. In the final showdown, Death Adder was murdered by the Scourge, Diamondback fled alongside Sidewinder as the Ultimates member Bombshell wanted revenge for the murder of her boyfriend Poey, and the rest of the Serpent Skulls were presumably arrested and taken into custody.

Earth-33900

In the Avengers series dedicated to the American Armed Forces, the Serpent Society attacks an airport in search of Sergeant Joe Wilton and his satchel containing a possible secret weapon. The membership consists of leader Cobra, Viper (Murtaugh), Eel, Death Adder (Scott), and Anaconda. Their plans are thwarted by the Avengers, as well as Anaconda, whose father is a former marine.

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