THE SERPENT SQUAD
Membership: Cobra (Klaus Voorhees), Eel (Leopold Stryke), Princess Python (Zelda DuBois), Viper (Ophelia Sarkissian, formerly Madame Hydra)
Purpose: World domination
Affiliations: Hugh Jones, Warlord Krang, Set (manipulating the Serpent Squad through the Serpent Crown)
Enemies: Nomad (Steve Rogers, formerly Captain America)
Base of Operations: An abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
First Appearance: Captain America I#180 (December 1974)
History:
(Captain America I#181 (fb)) - After discovering the Serpent Crown of Lemuria (which
had fallen into an undersea chasm @ Sub-Mariner I#13), Warlord
Krang placed it upon his head -- an inhuman voice (likely Set)
gibbered in his thoughts, commanding him to seek out Madame Hydra.
Directions and a plan were given to him, so Krang journeyed to Madame
Hydra's hiding place and offered her a part in the Crown's great scheme
-- she accepted Krang's offer, and the two formed a partnership.
Realizing that she would need troops to accomplish their goals, Madame Hydra met with a "sister serpent"--Princess Python--and told her of her plan to form a new Serpent Squad.
(Captain America I#180) - On a secluded road in Virginia, Madame Hydra ambushed a car carrying three US Marshals and the original Viper (Jordan Dixon). She subsequently killed the Marshals, and told Viper that she was now claiming the Viper name for herself, then she gunned him down as well and took his costume and weaponry.
Meanwhile, at the Virginia State Penitentiary, Princess Python and her snake attacked the prison guards, and she freed the incarcerated Eel and Cobra, announcing that the Serpent Squad had been reborn. Eel told her that he knew his brother--the original Viper--would make arrangements to get them out, but Princess Python told him that his brother had nothing to do with their escape, and that she was working with another one who was about to liberate the Viper.
Soon after, the new Serpent Squad held their first "official" meeting in an abandoned warehouse. Eel asked Madame Hydra why she was wearing his brother's costume, whereto the new Viper responded that Eel's brother was killed in a battle with the forces of order. Eel was devastated by the loss of his only brother, but the new Viper told him to control himself, for he would get his revenge soon. Cobra listened to Viper's tale and then challenged her leadership of the team by attacking her; but Viper fought him off, telling him that he was lucky that she didn't have her fangs, because then he would be dead. She then shot Cobra with a dart dipped in paralyzing venom. Cobra was defeated, and the new Viper thus proved she was worthy of leading the Squad.
Later in Washington, D.C., the first part of the Serpent Squad's plan began when they kidnapped a man in front of a cinema. Nomad arrived and fought the Serpent Squad, but he accidentally stepped on his own cape and fell, which gave the Serpent Squad time to escape with their victim.
Afterwards in their hideout, Viper revealed to her teammates that the man they had kidnapped was none other than the president of Roxxon Oil, Hugh Jones. She also introduced their silent partner, the Atlantean Warlord Krang, who came in through the door, holding the Serpent Crown in his hands.
(Captain America I#181) - Viper told Warlord Krang about their run-in with Nomad, and that it didn't stop them from getting the president of Roxxon; Krang told Jones that he would soon be a willing pawn of the Serpent Squad. Hugh Jones cried out to Viper that, as she was a woman, she couldn't let that happen, whereto Viper responded, "Pig! You think my sex makes me soft? You are wrong, Mr. Executive! I am the hardest person you will ever encounter!" Krang told the others how he got the Serpent Crown and how he joined forces with Viper, and when his tale ended, he put the Crown on Jones' head, entrancing him with its power. They had the enthralled Jones broadcast a radio message to Roxxon Oil, and he told his employees that he would not be harmed if they didn't take any actions against the Serpent Squad; by chance, the Sub-Mariner and Nomad overheard that same broadcast, and by the tone of Jones' voice, Namor told Nomad that the Roxxon president was under the spell of the Serpent Crown.
Later, the Serpent Squad used their aircraft to transport Jones to an offshore oil drilling platform in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. When they disembarked from the aircraft, Eel blasted one of the Roxxon workers -- this was done without seriously harming the man, and the Squad announced to the workers that they would not be harmed; in turn, the workers told the Squad that it was only an ordinary drilling rig, and oil wasn't that big of a deal since the end of the energy crisis, whereto Krang answered,"It's not the oil we want, fools--! We want the entire lost continent of Lemuria!" The Squad then had Jones activate and reverse the pumping machinery, which forced oil and water into the fissures below Lemuria -- as the inhabitants of the sunken continent were water-breathers, they would be forced to abandon their land when it surfaced, then Krang and his allies could take their secrets and plunder the planet.
But suddenly, Nomad attacked the Squad from behind. He easily defeated Eel and Princess Python, using Princess Python's enormous snake as a weapon against them. Warlord Krang was also knocked down, but then Jones personal task force arrived in a helicopter to rescue him, and they began shooting at the people on the drilling rig. Not wanting the Serpent Crown to be taken, Krang took it off Jones' head and threw it to Viper, who then climbed aboard the Squad's aircraft with the Cobra; the two took flight and escaped, while Nomad defeated Warlord Krang.
(Avengers I#131 - BTS) - Cobra and Viper flew back to the USA again and landed in Seattle; after taking refuge inside an abandoned building, they were surrounded by the police and became involved in a shoot-out.
(Captain AmericaI#182) - Nomad arrived to put an end to the standoff between the cops and the two Serpent Squad members. Inside the building, Cobra told Viper that they were surrounded and that they were going to die; but determined to go out in a blaze of glory, Viper told him that it was a price she was willing to pay. The fearful Cobra told her that his intention was to only get rich, but that she and Krang prevented it with their terrorism. Viper told Cobra to cease his sniveling as she placed the Serpent Crown upon her head and asked it what to do -- Cobra realized he was trapped between the law and a madwoman. When the police tried to storm their hideout, Cobra and Viper gunned down three officers.
Then a tear gas grenade was thrown into the building, and it exploded by a shattered gas line, causing a fire that swiftly began to engulf their hideout. The terrified Cobra hallucinated, seeing his former partner Mr. Hyde in the smoke. Viper struck Cobra and knocked him down, telling him to shut up, but was herself attacked by Nomad. Cobra joined the fight, trying to defeat the hero, but was himself defeated. When Nomad told Cobra and Viper that the only way they would survive was to come with him, Viper responded that she and Cobra would be martyrs to the cause. Cobra changed his mind and told Nomad that he wanted out, but when he tried to escape, Viper shot him in the back. Rapidly, the roof came down on them, separating Viper and Nomad. But Nomad found the wounded Cobra, who was still alive, and carried him out -- the Cobra was subsequently taken to a hospital; but Viper seemingly died in the flames, and the second Serpent Squad was thus informally disbanded -- meanwhile, after the fire department arrived to extinguish the burning building, a torrent of water from their fire-hoses carried the Serpent Crown unseen into a sewer...
(Marvel Team-Up I#84 (fb)) - ...but when the building collapsed in flames, the Viper actually plunged through the floor, and a falling brick knocked her out. When the fire ignited the ruptured gas main and the house blew apart, she was saved by collapsing bricks and masonry that formed a protective cocoon around her while she was out cold. After she revived, the Viper found a drainpipe and entered a sewer that took her beyond the police lines around the house. A member of the Japanese Red Army (Ishiro Tagara) then found her and gave her a ride.
Comments: Created by Steve Englehart, Sal Buscema and Vince Colletta.
It should at least be mentioned that an eel is not a snake... Neither is a "Krang" (that's a giant ant, of course).--Snood
But these discrepancies can easily be reconciled as
described by Kyle:
Eel was associated with the original Viper, a snake-themed moniker, via
blood relation and was tricked into joining the Squad for vengeance over
his brother's death through the deceit of his sibling's true killer, the
former Madame Hydra and second Viper. (Coincidentally, like his brother
Viper, Eel was also killed by a super-villain, the Daredevil foe
Gladiator. He was slain after being sliced-up by his
killer's wrist-mounted buzz-saw blades, once again illustrating the
point that freelance super-villainy can be a cut-throat career.)
As for Krang, he was manipulated by the serpentine Elder
God Set through the Serpent Crown (Is that serpent-y enough for
ya?). (Plus, I'm sure that the word "Krang" doesn't mean the same
thing in the warlord's native Atlantean dialect as it does in the
English language).
Right. Krang doesn't mean "ant", either -- it was
a tongue-in-cheek reference to the pre-modern era monster Krang,
a giant ant.
--Snood
The Captain America issues didn't have much to offer in
images that featured this Serpent Squad all together, but both Marvel
Two-in-One I#66 and Avengers I#147 had flashbacks that showed them
more clearly (...although Cobra's face-mask was mis-colored in
both).
--Ron Fredricks
New and additional images by Ron Fredricks.
Profile by The Beetle.
Profile updated/edited by Kyle Sims
CLARIFICATIONS:
This Serpent Squad should not be confused with:
Cobra (Klaus Voorhees) should not be confused with:
The Eel (Leopold Stryke) should not be confused with:
The Viper (formerly known as Madame Hydra) should not be confused with:
Nomad (Steve Rogers, the original Captain America) should not be confused with:
Warlord Krang should not to be confused with:
images: (without ads)
Captain America I#181, p5, pan2 (Eel, Princess Python, Viper, Hugh Jones, Warlord Krang, Cobra)
Marvel Two-in-One I#66, p6, pan3 (in Hugh Jones memory flashback, Princess Python and her snake, Warlord Krang, Viper, Eel and Cobra; Hugh Jones [seated, center])
Avengers I#147, p5, pan3 (in Captain America's memory flashback, Eel, Cobra, Viper, Hugh Jones, Warlord Krang, Princess Python and her snake)
Appearances:
Captain America I#180-181 (December, 1974 - January, 1975) - Steve Englehart (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Avengers I#131 (January, 1975) - Steve Englehart (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Joe Staton (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Captain America I#182 (February, 1975) - Steve Englehart (writer), Frank Robbins (pencils), Joe Giella (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Marvel Team-Up I#84 (August, 1979) - Chris Claremont (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Steve Leialoha (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
First Posted: 06/04/2003
Last updated: 06/15/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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