Slither (comics)
Encyclopedia
Slither is a fictional character
, a snake-like mutant
in the Marvel Comics
Universe. His first appearance was in Captain America Annual #4 and was created by Jack Kirby
.
, Lifter
, Peepers
, and Shocker), to serve in Magneto
's new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
Wanting to exploit a tiny spaceship he had found, Magneto sent the Brotherhood to apprehend the diminutive Mister One
, who controlled the large Mister Two. The villains attacked Mister One and Mister Two, and Captain America
, in a park. During the battle, Salomon wrapped himself around Captain America, stating, “Slither is my name!, and strangling is my game!”. When S.H.I.E.L.D.
arrived, the Brotherhood fled back to headquarters, and Magneto captured Mister One. The Brotherhood was shocked to learn the plot involved the tiny spaceship. When Captain America and Mister Two attacked, Salomon constricted around Mister Two until Mister Two threw Salomon against Lifter. As he prepared to crush Captain America, Mister Two threw Salomon around Lifter, incapacitating him. When Mister One exploded the tiny spaceship, the villains were forced to flee.
The five mutants, abandoned by Magneto, became mercenaries and were hired by the Mandrill
in his scheme to take over the U.S. and given the team name of the Mutant Force, a name they kept in the following years. They attacked a Coloradan Air-Force base with an army of female warriors (under the control of the Mandrill). When the Defenders
(Hellcat, Valkyrie, Wasp
, and Yellowjacket
) attacked, Salomon constricted around Valkyrie, until Yellowjacket zapped him. When things got out of hand, Burner, Lifter, and Peeper were able to escape with a pile of gold and an unconscious Yellowjacket, leaving Salomon and Shocker behind.
The three villains battled the Defenders alongside the women warriors again and rescued their teammates. During the battle, the Wasp hit Salomon with a blast, then Burner’s flames kept Salomon from attacking for a time. Salomon constricted around a fallen Hellcat. After capturing Valkyrie, Hellcat, and the Wasp, they returned to the base, where Mandrill put the women under his control and put Valkyrie in charge of the Mutant Force. The mutants caroused with the controlled women, and Salomon made out with one. After the Wasp escaped, the Mandrill ordered his forces to attack the Air Force again.
In their battle with the army, Salomon wrapped himself around individual soldiers. All the surviving soldiers were rounded up in one building and held under an electrical field created by the Shocker. Nighthawk
attacked, and soon the field was shorted out and the Mutant Force was quickly defeated.
The Mutant Force, still in custody, was brought before a special United States Intelligence Services branch. They agreed to become special government operatives in exchange for full presidential pardons.
After the Hulk
invaded a baseball stadium, the Mutant Force was sent in with the army to stop him, and the stadium was evacuated. During the battle, Salomon tried to suffocate the Hulk by constricting around his head, but was thrown aside into Shocker. Valkyrie and Hellcat attacked, and Valkyrie knocked a structure down on the mutants, the Hulk escaped.
The Mutant Force was called to testify against the Defenders in what they thought was a government inquisition (but was actually the alien Tribunal). Lifter testified about their recent battle with the Defenders.
No longer working for the government, the Mutant Force (minus Peeper) was recruited by the Secret Empire
alongside several other operatives. Mad-Dog
was put in charge of the Mutant Force.
Mad-Dog and the Mutant Force were sent in to attack the Defenders at the wedding of Hellcat and the Son of Satan in Greentown, Ohio. During the battle, Salomon restrained the Beast by constricting around him, but the Beast shortly knocked Slither unconscious. The villains were quickly defeated.
The villains were held in S.H.I.E.L.D.
null-fields for questioning. Professor Power
arranged for their release while Leviathan
created a distraction.
Equipped with special strength-sapping devices, Calley fought alongside the other Secret Empire operatives (Mad Dog, Mutant Force, Leviathan, Seraph, and Harridan) against the Defenders, who were quickly captured.
Mad Dog and the Mutant Force fought off the attacking Defenders while the Secret Empire launched a satellite that would start a world war.
The satellite exploded, and the Defenders quickly defeated the villains.
For unknown reasons, Salomon joined up with the Viper, an international terrorist and murderer, and began to act as her terrorist lackey. While there, his intelligence seemed far less. He followed her plan to infiltrate the Serpent Society and release a toxin into the water that would turn much of America into human snakes.
Salomon, with Viper
, Coachwhip
, and Puff Adder
, helped interrogate the villainous members of the Serpent Society
to coax them into joining Viper's group. Black Mamba
, the Asp
, Diamondback
and Bushmaster
(with the deposed Sidewinder) refused to join with Viper, but the rest of the villains did. When Captain America, Diamondback, and Nomad attacked and started defeating the villains, Salomon leaped at Captain America and was zapped by one of Coachwhip's whips. Later, Salomon leaped on Demolition Man
(also attacking), but was brutally knocked out on Nomad.
Salomon was taken captive aboard the heroes' ship. Nomad, D-Man, and Diamondback were joined by the Falcon
. Nomad interrogated Salomon brutally. The heroes landed the ship and ran out, leaving Salomon tied up aboard.
As part of Viper's group, the Fangs (with Bludgeon, Heat-Ray, and Razorblade) Salomon assisted Viper in another nihilistic plot, to blind every American who owned a TV set. When Viper got captured, she was tortured by the Red Skull's agent, the Iron Monger, who broke Viper's leg. The Fangs, armed with guns and jet-packs, rescued Viper. Back at the base, Captain America (Steve Rogers), Battlestar, and Silver Sable
attacked. Salomon constricted around Sable, who stabbed him with several weapons and left him moaning in pain. The heroes successfully stopped the plot.
Back together with the Mutant Force, Salomon attacked an armored truck for money. The New Warriors
noticed and attacked. Speedball bounced an unconscious Salomon into the open truck. All the villains were quickly defeated.
whose head greatly resembles that a large snake, and his long neck resembles part of a snake's body. Although the rest of his body is humanoid in shape, he has green scaled skin like a reptile's. He speaks with a pronounced hiss. He often crouches or crawls rather than standing or walking erect. Slither is a fair hand-to-hand combatant, and can wrap his extraordinarily flexible body around an opponent's as a snake can, and constrict himself, exerting suffocating pressure upon his victim. He has superhuman strength and endurance. His main limitation is his emotional dependence on the Viper
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a snake-like mutant
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
Universe. His first appearance was in Captain America Annual #4 and was created by Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
.
Fictional character biography
Salomon was recruited, alongside four other mutant men (BurnerBurner (comics)
Burner , also known as Crucible is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe whose first appearance was in Captain America Annual #4.-Publication history:...
, Lifter
Lifter (comics)
Lifter is a fictional mutant supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby in Captain America Annual #4 .-Publication history:...
, Peepers
Peepers
Peepers is a fictional character in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared as a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, a group of mutants in Captain America Annual #4. He was created by Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
, and Shocker), to serve in Magneto
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
's new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
Wanting to exploit a tiny spaceship he had found, Magneto sent the Brotherhood to apprehend the diminutive Mister One
Mr. One & Mr. Two
Mister One & Mister Two are fictional characters in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Publication history:Mister One and Mister Two appeared in Captain America Annual #4 , and were created by Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
, who controlled the large Mister Two. The villains attacked Mister One and Mister Two, and Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
, in a park. During the battle, Salomon wrapped himself around Captain America, stating, “Slither is my name!, and strangling is my game!”. When S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
arrived, the Brotherhood fled back to headquarters, and Magneto captured Mister One. The Brotherhood was shocked to learn the plot involved the tiny spaceship. When Captain America and Mister Two attacked, Salomon constricted around Mister Two until Mister Two threw Salomon against Lifter. As he prepared to crush Captain America, Mister Two threw Salomon around Lifter, incapacitating him. When Mister One exploded the tiny spaceship, the villains were forced to flee.
The five mutants, abandoned by Magneto, became mercenaries and were hired by the Mandrill
Mandrill (comics)
Mandrill is a fictional character, a mutant supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. His first appearance was in Shanna the She-Devil #4. He was created by writer Carole Seuling and artist Ross Andru...
in his scheme to take over the U.S. and given the team name of the Mutant Force, a name they kept in the following years. They attacked a Coloradan Air-Force base with an army of female warriors (under the control of the Mandrill). When the Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
(Hellcat, Valkyrie, Wasp
Wasp (comics)
The Wasp is a fictional character, a superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe and founding member of The Avengers. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #44 ....
, and Yellowjacket
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
) attacked, Salomon constricted around Valkyrie, until Yellowjacket zapped him. When things got out of hand, Burner, Lifter, and Peeper were able to escape with a pile of gold and an unconscious Yellowjacket, leaving Salomon and Shocker behind.
The three villains battled the Defenders alongside the women warriors again and rescued their teammates. During the battle, the Wasp hit Salomon with a blast, then Burner’s flames kept Salomon from attacking for a time. Salomon constricted around a fallen Hellcat. After capturing Valkyrie, Hellcat, and the Wasp, they returned to the base, where Mandrill put the women under his control and put Valkyrie in charge of the Mutant Force. The mutants caroused with the controlled women, and Salomon made out with one. After the Wasp escaped, the Mandrill ordered his forces to attack the Air Force again.
In their battle with the army, Salomon wrapped himself around individual soldiers. All the surviving soldiers were rounded up in one building and held under an electrical field created by the Shocker. Nighthawk
Nighthawk (Marvel Comics)
Nighthawk is the name of several fictional characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. There have been five versions of the character: a supervillain-turned-superhero from the mainstream Marvel Universe continuity, Kyle Richmond, who belonged to the team Squadron Sinister;...
attacked, and soon the field was shorted out and the Mutant Force was quickly defeated.
The Mutant Force, still in custody, was brought before a special United States Intelligence Services branch. They agreed to become special government operatives in exchange for full presidential pardons.
After the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
invaded a baseball stadium, the Mutant Force was sent in with the army to stop him, and the stadium was evacuated. During the battle, Salomon tried to suffocate the Hulk by constricting around his head, but was thrown aside into Shocker. Valkyrie and Hellcat attacked, and Valkyrie knocked a structure down on the mutants, the Hulk escaped.
The Mutant Force was called to testify against the Defenders in what they thought was a government inquisition (but was actually the alien Tribunal). Lifter testified about their recent battle with the Defenders.
No longer working for the government, the Mutant Force (minus Peeper) was recruited by the Secret Empire
Secret Empire
-Fictional organization history:This subversive organization has been headed by a number of different leaders, always known as “Number One,” with each iteration's goals following the desires of its current leader. The Secret Empire was originally founded by a scientist who felt like an anonymous...
alongside several other operatives. Mad-Dog
Mad Dog (comics)
Mad-Dog is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Publication history:His first appearance is in Miss America Comics #2 . His first appearance as Buzz Baxter in modern comics was in Amazing Adventures #13 , and his first appearance as Mad-Dog was in Defenders vol...
was put in charge of the Mutant Force.
Mad-Dog and the Mutant Force were sent in to attack the Defenders at the wedding of Hellcat and the Son of Satan in Greentown, Ohio. During the battle, Salomon restrained the Beast by constricting around him, but the Beast shortly knocked Slither unconscious. The villains were quickly defeated.
The villains were held in S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
null-fields for questioning. Professor Power
Professor Power
Professor Power is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. His first appearance was in Marvel Team-Up vol. 1 #117, although individuals working for him appear before then.-Fictional character biography:...
arranged for their release while Leviathan
Gargantua (comics)
Gargantua is a fictional character and exists in the Marvel Universe. He first appeared in Defenders #126.-Fictional character biography:...
created a distraction.
Equipped with special strength-sapping devices, Calley fought alongside the other Secret Empire operatives (Mad Dog, Mutant Force, Leviathan, Seraph, and Harridan) against the Defenders, who were quickly captured.
Mad Dog and the Mutant Force fought off the attacking Defenders while the Secret Empire launched a satellite that would start a world war.
The satellite exploded, and the Defenders quickly defeated the villains.
For unknown reasons, Salomon joined up with the Viper, an international terrorist and murderer, and began to act as her terrorist lackey. While there, his intelligence seemed far less. He followed her plan to infiltrate the Serpent Society and release a toxin into the water that would turn much of America into human snakes.
Salomon, with Viper
Viper (comics)
Viper is the name of three fictional characters in the Marvel Comics universe. All three are villains.-Viper :The first known Viper was created by Steve Englehart, Steve Gerber, Sal Buscema and John Verpoorten and first appeared in Captain America #157 .-Fictional character biography:Jordan...
, Coachwhip
Coachwhip (comics)
Coachwhip is a fictional character. She is a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, most notably as a member of the Serpent Society.-Publication history:...
, and Puff Adder
Puff Adder (comics)
Puff Adder is a mutant supervillain in the Marvel Universe, most notably as a member of the Serpent Society.-Fictional character biography:Gordon "Gordo" Fraley was born in Atlanta, Georgia...
, helped interrogate the villainous members of the Serpent Society
Serpent Society
The Serpent Society is a fictional organization of snake-themed supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The group was initially formed from the membership of a previous supervillain team, the Serpent Squad. The group, like its predecessor, has been made up of longtime antagonists of Captain...
to coax them into joining Viper's group. Black Mamba
Black Mamba (comics)
Black Mamba is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, most notably a member of the Serpent Society and BAD Girls, Inc.-Publication history:...
, the Asp
Asp (comics)
The Asp is a former supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, most notably a member of the Serpent Society and BAD Girls, Inc.. She was created by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary, and first appeared in Captain America vol. 1 #310....
, Diamondback
Diamondback (comics)
Diamondback is the name of four fictional characters appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Diamondback first appeared in Captain America #310 , written by Mark Gruenwald and illustrated by Paul Neary.-Willis Stryker:The first Diamondback was a foe of Luke Cage...
and Bushmaster
Bushmaster (Marvel Comics)
Bushmaster is the name of two Marvel Comics brothers, both supervillains.-Fictional character biography:John McIver was a powerful crime boss, criminal financier and organizer, and was oft-confronted by the super-hero Iron Fist. McIver is best known for his attempts to lure Misty Knight to his...
(with the deposed Sidewinder) refused to join with Viper, but the rest of the villains did. When Captain America, Diamondback, and Nomad attacked and started defeating the villains, Salomon leaped at Captain America and was zapped by one of Coachwhip's whips. Later, Salomon leaped on Demolition Man
Demolition Man (comics)
Demolition Man , also known as D-Man, is a fictional character in the .-Publication history:Dennis Dunphy first appeared in The Thing #28 , written by Mike Carlin and illustrated by Ron Wilson...
(also attacking), but was brutally knocked out on Nomad.
Salomon was taken captive aboard the heroes' ship. Nomad, D-Man, and Diamondback were joined by the Falcon
Falcon (comics)
The Falcon is a fictional comic book superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics.Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan, and introduced in Captain America #117 , the character is mainstream comics' first African-American superhero...
. Nomad interrogated Salomon brutally. The heroes landed the ship and ran out, leaving Salomon tied up aboard.
As part of Viper's group, the Fangs (with Bludgeon, Heat-Ray, and Razorblade) Salomon assisted Viper in another nihilistic plot, to blind every American who owned a TV set. When Viper got captured, she was tortured by the Red Skull's agent, the Iron Monger, who broke Viper's leg. The Fangs, armed with guns and jet-packs, rescued Viper. Back at the base, Captain America (Steve Rogers), Battlestar, and Silver Sable
Silver Sable
Silver Sable is a fictional character from Marvel Comics, a female mercenary, hunter of war criminals, the leader of the Wild Pack, and CEO of Silver Sable International...
attacked. Salomon constricted around Sable, who stabbed him with several weapons and left him moaning in pain. The heroes successfully stopped the plot.
Back together with the Mutant Force, Salomon attacked an armored truck for money. The New Warriors
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
noticed and attacked. Speedball bounced an unconscious Salomon into the open truck. All the villains were quickly defeated.
Powers and abilities
Slither is a mutantMutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
whose head greatly resembles that a large snake, and his long neck resembles part of a snake's body. Although the rest of his body is humanoid in shape, he has green scaled skin like a reptile's. He speaks with a pronounced hiss. He often crouches or crawls rather than standing or walking erect. Slither is a fair hand-to-hand combatant, and can wrap his extraordinarily flexible body around an opponent's as a snake can, and constrict himself, exerting suffocating pressure upon his victim. He has superhuman strength and endurance. His main limitation is his emotional dependence on the Viper
Viper (Madame Hydra)
Viper, formerly known as Madame Hydra, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe who is a foe of the Avengers and the X-Men...
.
Television
- Slither (alongside the other Mutant Force members) appeared in the X-MenX-Men (TV series)X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
episode "Sanctuary." Slither appeared in the episode "Secrets Not Long Buried" where he is one of the many residents of the mutant-dominated community of Skull Mesa.