THE SERPENT SQUAD

Membership: Cobra, Eel, Viper

Purpose: Revenge against Captain America

Affiliations: Quentin Harderman

Enemies: Captain America, Falcon

Base of Operations: New York City

First Appearance: Captain America I#163 (July 1973)

History: (Captain America I#159) - Alongside other members of Crime Wave, Viper and Eel were sent to jail by Captain America.

(Captain America I#163) - Viper and Eel broke out of prison.  The prison guards tried to stop them but were helpless against the super-villains.  To get over the prison wall, the Cobra helped them.  The three of them escaped in a car and drove to their secret hideout.  The Serpent Squad was now formed.

They began to plan their revenge against Captain America and Falcon.  Viper decided to call his old friend Quentin Harderman, to make him start an ad campaign for him called "the un-selling of Captain America."  The campaign was to convince the public that Captain America was a glory-grabbing vigilante, despoiling the name of America.  After Viper hung up the phone, Eel told him that he always had some nutty ideas.  But Viper told him, "Wait and see.  Never underestimate the power of advertising."  Eel broke in, reading in the paper that Captain America was now in Virginia visiting his girlfriend.  The three of them decided to go after the Captain and kill him, traveling to Virginia, in turn.

Together, they broke through the window to the room where Captain America and Falcon were present.  Announcing that they were the Serpent Squad and that both heroes must die, they attacked Falcon and Captain America.  Viper hurled one of his lethal darts against Captain America, but Captain America managed to evade the dart by using his shield and then knocked down Viper.  Realizing that they needed to regroup, the three villains escaped to find their weapons.  Later at Dave Cox's house, the Serpent Squad made another attack against Captain America, Viper wielding his Venom-Firer (pictured above) this time.  When the villains realized that they couldn't bring Captain America out in the open, they went down to Cox's house, and broke down the door.  Realizing that Captain America was gone, they tried to get Dave Cox to tell them where Captain America was.  Dave refused to tell them, and Cobra decided to use his Cobra Convulsion Pistol against Dave, while Viper and Eel looked for Captain America.  Suddenly, Captain America came down from the roof surprising the villains.  Taking out Cobra and Eel with ease, Viper was about to use his Viper fangs, but Captain America smashed his shield into Viper's face, knocking him out.  After Cobra and Eel had been taken down, the three of them were sent to jail--again.

Comments: Created by Steve Englehart, Sal Buscema and John Verpoorten.

It should at least be mentioned that an eel is not a snake.--Snood

Yeah, but Eel's Viper's tag-along brother so whaddaya' gonna' do?!--Kyle

by The Beetle

Profile updated/edited by Kyle Sims

CLARIFICATIONS:
The original Serpent Squad shouldn't be confused with:

• the Serpent Squad, led by the Viper, @ Captain America I#180
• the Serpent Squad, led by Sidewinder, @ Marvel Two-In-One#64
• the Serpent Squad, led by the Viper, @ Captain America I#337
• The Serpent Squad, led by the Viper, @ Captain America I#337
• The Serpent Society, which sprung from the Serpent Squads, @ Captain America I#308
• Or any other serpent or snake character

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

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