RATTLER

Real Name: Dr. Henry Bingham

Identity/Class: Human (Earth-77013) mutate

Occupation: Former shopkeeper at Reptile world, former snake devenomizer

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Harry Osborn, Spider-Man, "Flash" Thompson, Mary Jane Watson

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Reptile World, Manhattan, New York

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man newspaper strip

Powers/Abilities: The Rattler has enhanced human strength and speed. His skin is virtually frictionless, enabling him to escape even Spider-Mans's grip and webbing. His "Rattler's Venom" touch allows him to render normal men unconscious with a touch or to render one of Spider-Man's limbs paralyzed on contact. In addition, he can compress his skeletal structures to fit through small holes.

    He required regular doses of his the anti-venom serum to maintain his power, but the Rattler transformation drove him insane.

History:
(Amazing Spider-Man newspaper strip) - Henry Bingham made his living devenomizing snakes until one day when he was bitten by a particularly deadly specimen. He rushed to Curtis Chemicals where a chemist analyzed his blood and offered him an experimental anti-venom serum to save his life. He was cured, but a few days later he began to change into the Rattler. However, he found that the changes were not permanent, and he began seeking more samples of the serum to maintain his Rattler form.

(Amazing Spider-Man newspaper strip) - Exercising the idea of hiding in plane sight, the Rattler walked the streets, wearing a sandwich sign advertising Reptile World. He walked right into Curtis Chemicals, fought his way past some guards, and then stole a sample of serum. He returned to Reptile World and took the sample to perpetuate his powers, but Mary Jane Watson took a picture of Peter Parker in front of the store just as the Rattler walked by. Not wanting to have his secret lair discovered (apparently wearing the big sign that said "Reptile World" wasn't too conspicuous), he plotted to steal the film they had used. The Rattler followed Peter and Mary Jane back to his apartment and attacked them (along with Flash and Harry), subduing them each and stealing the film. Peter only feigned unconsciousness and revived and followed soon after as Spider-Man. Though the Rattler escaped, Spider-Man managed to recover the film, and Peter developed the film and made the connection between the Rattler and Reptile World.

    The Rattler returned to Reptile World and human form, and Parker entered soon after. As Peter tried to look around for the Rattler, he was zapped unconscious from behind. He awakened tied to a chair as the Rattler revealed his origins to him. Peter told him that the serum was killing him, but the Rattler left him behind with some venomous snakes and went out to get more serum. Spider-Man escaped and tracked the Rattler down. The two fought, and Spidey managed to destroy the serum, after which the Rattler managed to stun him. However, the serum began to fade, and the Rattler turned back human. Bingham regained his sanity at last, thanking Spider-Man for preventing him from remaining the Rattler forever. The damage to Bingham was done though, and he died shortly thereafter.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee and John Romita.

The story in its entirety is reprinted in Pocket Comics#1-2 (which also features a Kingpin back-up feature), in 1980.

The comic strips are not necessarily canon/Earth-616 continuity. It could take place in between Amazing Spider-Man I#70 and 83 or between Captain America I#147 and Amazing Spider-Man I#164

When the Serpent Society was first announced in the pages of the magazine Amazing Heroes, they claimed that the Rattler who would be a member of the team would be the same character from the comic strip who had fought Spider-Man. They were, of course, wrong. --Prime Eternal

Profile by Snood.