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Ophelia Sarkissian (Earth-616)

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Death, welcome and well-deserved. But Hydra, it seems, will never be done with me... To live, and die and live again.

—Viper[source]

A ruthless killer and a master poisoner,[17] the woman simply known as Viper[18] is a world-class terrorist mostly known for her position as Madame Hydra, supreme leader of the fascistic organization Hydra.[2] Born in a war-torn region of Europe, Viper was physically and mentally scarred by violence since tender age,[19] weaponizing her ire as a Hydra recruit.[16] Fully embracing nihilism as her ideology, she grew to despise corporations and government institutions, making her life goal bringing up their end.[20] Her actions and associations have constantly put her against super heroes, such as Captain America,[2] the Black Widow,[21] Spider-Woman,[22] Wolverine and the X-Men.[17] Moreover, Viper is also closely involved with the criminal affairs of the pirate nation of Madripoor, usually acting as the ruler of its underworld activities.[10]

History

Hail Hydra[]

Ophelia Sarkissian (Earth-616) and Daniel Whitehall (Earth-616) from Secret Warriors Vol 1 15 001

The Kraken overseeing several Viper candidates

The woman who would become the Viper was orphaned as a child after her parents became victims of the wars that tore Europe apart. She survived at a terrible cost, the right side of her face was permanently scarred and disfigured, though the psychological trauma she endured was significantly worse. Struggling for mere existence, her fate drastically changed as she gained new purpose by being recruited into the terrorist organization called Hydra.[19] She was one of the many students of the infamous Hydra recruiter, the Kraken. Overcoming all other potential agents as the most vicious of her generation, she earned herself the title of the "Viper" and a high-ranking position in Hydra's inner circle.[16]

For a time, Viper acted as a freelance mercenary as the pupil of the adventurer Seraph on the island nation of Madripoor. At some point, Seraph took in another pupil, the mutant adventurer Wolverine, who she saved from his archnemesis, the feral mutant Sabretooth. Seraph was eventually murdered by Sabretooth, but not before making Wolverine swear an oath of loyalty to Viper in which he would comply to any request she would eventually make.[10]

Assuming a position as Madame Hydra, in replacement of Baron Strucker as Hydra Supreme, she led a cadre of Hydra agents in a plan to contaminate the water supply of New York City. Opposed by Captain America and Rick Jones, she was forced to momentarily abandon her task.[2] Madame Hydra sought revenge by kidnapping Jones, culminating with the apparent death of the star-spangled hero.[23] After celebrating her victory, she defeated the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury during Captain America's funeral ceremony. Revealed to be alive, Captain America destroyed her plans. In desperation, she launched a suicidal attack to finish him with no avail. As a result, Madame Hydra was apparently killed in action.[19]

Serpent Crown[]

Before succumbing to death, Madame Hydra had her identity stolen by the Space Phantom, who turned her branch of Hydra into his own private army.[24] As such, her body was maintained in suspended animation in Limbo, saving her from dying. Although she survived, Madame Hydra's failures cost her her leadership position in Hydra.[18] Wishing to bring terror upon the world by herself, she found new purpose after being contacted by the unscrupulous Atlantean warlord Krang, who in possession of the ancient and powerful Serpent Crown wished for world domination.[20] As part of their plan, the former Madame Hydra claimed the name Viper for herself by murdering the original costumed criminal Viper, taking his alias and reorganizing his then-defunct gang, the Serpent Squad.[18]

Under Viper's ruthless command, the Serpent Squad kidnapped the president of Roxxon, Hugh Jones, being put against Captain America, who had also reinvented himself with the identity of Nomad. Able to escape him, Viper revealed to her lackeys her partnership with Krang.[18] The Serpent Squad subdued Jones with the Serpent Crown and used Roxxon in attempt to bring the lost kingdom of Lemuria to the surface to steal its resources. Nomad thwarted their plans,[20] and Viper, seeing no alternative, wore the Serpent Crown. Instead of admitting defeat at the hands of Nomad, the insane Viper would rather die honorably. She attempted to murder her own ally, the coward Cobra, but was ultimately knocked out by Nomad, going missing as her hideout collapsed.[25]

Nihilistic Terrorist[]

Miraculously, Viper survived, being rescued by the criminal mastermind Ishiro Tagara. In Japan, she met recovery and peace, as well as love in the arms of Tagara. In another attempt to use terror for her nihilistic goals, she counted with help from one of Nagara's associates, the mutant warrior known as Silver Samurai, who acted as her bodyguard in her missions. Wishing to acquire Cavorite samples to energize a teleportation unit, her scheme was foiled by the superspy agent Black Widow and the friendly neighborhood hero, Spider-Man.[26] To combat their intervention, Viper tampered with the Black Widow's mind through psychic torture for days. She also hired the mercenary known as Boomerang as well as brainwashed Clay Quartermain and other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to serve her. When targeting the confused and debilitated Black Widow, her actions were identified by S.H.I.E.L.D. and Spider-Man.[27]

Deploying the Hypno-Beam, Viper controlled the entire crew of S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier and accessed it through teleportation with the intention of weaponizing it. However, she was unable to defeat her enemies, being tricked by Nick Fury and Shang-Chi as they raided the Helicarrier.[26] Still counting with a legion of brainwashed agents, Viper's ultimate goal was assassinating the Presidents of the United States of America by crashing the Helicarrier into the congress. Overcoming the fear she had developed of her aggressor, the Black Widow dueled Viper on the propeller of the Helicarrier. Viper was defeated and, although the Black Widow attempted to save her from a fall to her doom, she was still lost.[28]

Spider-Woman[]

In fact, Viper survived and rejoined Silver Samurai, developing a deep friendship and a sense of care for him in their partnership. She was especially interested in having control of the war hero Michael Kramer, or Judas Man, before Fury could, in order to use his enhanced genetic make-up to create a biological weapon. Together, Viper and the Silver Samurai hunted Kramer's daughter, Pamela, in San Francisco. However, at that time, Kramer looked for assistance from private investigator Jessica Drew in looking into her father's disappearance. Since Drew was secretly the dark angel Spider-Woman, she confronted Viper and Silver Samurai to protect her client, foiling their kidnapping attempt. A former protégée of Hydra, Spider-Woman shared history with Viper, who believed herself to be Spider-Woman's mother, Meriem Drew.[29] Viper directly hunted Michael Kramer instead, after she could not defeat Bree Morrel, an associate of Spider-Woman, when attempting to kidnap Pamela Kramer. Meanwhile, Spider-Woman infiltrated Viper's base to secure Kramer by impersonating the villainess. The ruse was interrupted by the real Viper, who got swiftly knocked out.[30]

Under the influence of Morgan le Fay, Viper's scarred right eye was replaced with a black orb capable of projecting others into a magical illusion. Hoping to unravel the mysteries of her origin, Spider-Woman tracked Viper down to confront her and was tossed into this dimension. Spider-Woman confronted Chthon, the elder god of chaos who wanted to emerge on Earth, but Viper ultimately defied Chthon, with the help of the force of will of Spider-Woman, and freed herself from his thrall to protect her "daughter."[5] Spider-Woman relentlessly searched for Viper, arriving in a secret warehouse in San Francisco when on her trail. Viper explained that their connection was actually to be a conjuncture of false memories generated by hypnotic blocks placed in her mind by le Fey and blamed Spider-Woman for this violation of her mind, swearing her as an enemy.[6]

In a secret base, Viper maintained her operations with a large team hidden beneath a small town called Hartsdale, which embodied characteristics she hated in America. Under the identity of "Mrs. Smith," she pretended to be an ordinary American widow. Her plans involving causing terror by using germ warfare. Through one of her employees, the Constrictor, who she had broken free from captivity, she kidnapped Captain America.[6] However, Viper had a mole within her ranks, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Gail Runciter, who informed Nick Fury about the situation. As a result, the new Nomad and Dum Dum Dugan were dispatched to Harsdale, but a mind-controlled Captain America tricked them into falling into the Viper's nest.[31] During a parade in the town, Viper sent several balloons airborne full of plague-infected snakes to be released on civilians. Captain America broke free from the brainwashing while the Constrictor unexpectedly betrayed Viper for not agreeing with her insane plans of mass murder. In a final showdown abroad one of the balloons, Captain America dueled the overpowered Viper. In the end, Nomad destroyed the balloon as Captain America escaped with Dugan, seemingly ending Viper.[32]

Clan Yashida[]

Viper still wished to secure the Cavorite Crystals and, alongside the Silver Samurai, attacked Team America to summon the avatar Black Rider and force them to steal the item. The New Mutant named Moonstar was present during the attack and manifested the Black Rider, getting kidnapped. Tortured by Viper, Moonstar psychically manifested images of Viper's traumas and fear of being helpless, prompting an aggressive reaction. In order to liberate Moonstar, Viper demanded Team America to steal the items from an A.I.M. base in Mexico to pay the ransom.[33] The New Mutants' mentor Professor Xavier trained Team America to perform he heist. Meanwhile, the New Mutants assembled in California to rescue Moonstar. Viper was psychically subdued by Karma. Forced to escape with his mistress, the Silver Samurai destroyed their own headquarters in California after escaping.[34]

During this ordeal, the Silver Samurai learned his biological father, Shingen Yashida, had passed away. Having no rights in Clan Yashida as an illegitimate offspring, the Silver Samurai sought revenge against Mariko Yashida, his half-sister, and her soon-to-be husband, the now member of Xavier's X-Men Wolverine, who had killed Lord Yashida in combat. Viper promptly agreed to help her dear friend in his revenge plan.[34] As the Silver Samurai arranged a meeting with Mariko Yashida, Viper impersonated a servant and furtively poisoned most of the X-Men to prevent their intervention. However, the bandit Yukio and the X-Man Storm put Viper out of commission. She was rescued by the Silver Samurai as he retreated.[35] Viper and the Silver Samurai then attempted to murder Mariko Yashida, but were opposed by Wolverine and his teammate, the powerhouse Rogue, who placed herself in between Yashida and the firearm Viper deployed to murder her. After this, Viper and her ally teleported away[36] maintaining discreet criminal activities.[37]

Serpent Society[]

Alongside other snake-themed villains, Viper became interested in the criminal organization known as the Serpent Society. With help from Fer-de-Lance, she infiltrated it by impersonating Black Mamba and gaining access to its leader, Sidewinder. After poisoning him,[13] she took control over the Serpent Society with extreme brutality by threatening several members. Captain America and his allies raided her base and saved the victims, but Viper slithered away,[38] abandoning her teammates aboard a Serpent Saucer. Being followed by Captain America, she teleported to another position but was knocked out by her opponent, having her venom fangs and teleportation ring taken. Meanwhile, members of the Serpent Society executed Viper's plan of poisoning the water supply in Washington D.C.[39] with a component derived from Slither, which transformed several innocents, including the president, into snake monstrosities. Cobra broke Viper free, which led her to bring additional chaos to the White House to subdue the afflicted president. Once again she escaped, but this time she was ironically knocked out by Cobra, who wished to make up for her past aggressions against him and the world. Viper was jailed and her victims cured.[40]

The Deviant mastermind Lord Ghaur joined the nation of Lemuria ruled by Llyra to revive the elder god Set and bring destruction on Earth. For that purpose, he tasked the Serpent Society with gathering the Serpent Crown. One of his associates, Tyrannus, contacted Viper in prison for assistance, releasing her.[41] Immediately, as Madame Viper, she created a crew of slaves who she transformed into snake monsters through the Save Our Society clinic, which she operated under the guise of director Leona Hiss. These activities caught the attention of the brutal vigilantes Punisher and Moon Knight. In direct confrontation with the Punisher, she drugged him to escape from Moon Knight, but at the cost of her facilities.[3] The creatures Viper transformed were enlisted by the Cult of the Serpent, who venerated Set.[42] Seeking help with Tyrannus, she was actually betrayed by her ally, who instead attempted to sacrifice her to summon Set before Ghaur could. The ritual was interrupted by Doctor Strange, and Viper managed to flee.[43] She sensed as Ghaur was about to unleash Set, but had no further involvement in his plans.[44]

Red Skull[]

At some point, Viper was incarcerated. The vile Red Skull tasked his Skeleton Crew with breaking her free to recruit her for his cause.[9] Viper recovered in the Red Skull's luxurious hideout in the Rocky Mountains. Despite initially being resistant to the idea of working as a subordinate of the Red Skull, Viper was convinced of forging a partnership between equals for her nihilistic purposes as they became sexually involved with each other.[45] This relationship severely affected the Red Skull's lackey, Mother Night.[46] Viper and the Red Skull were summoned alongside other criminals by the Kree Supreme Intelligence to Hala to murder Captain America as part of a test, but failed.[47] As an ally of the Red Skull, Viper was involved in different activities to please him. At some point, she planned to smuggle Russian nuclear weapons, but was opposed by Nick Fury and Solo.[48]

As a way to confuse her enemies, Viper deployed doppelgängers called Pit-Vipers to act on her behalf. One of those gained independence and associated herself with the Punisher.[49] In secrecy, the true Viper used the Red Skull's resources for her own goals and, gradually, he found his agenda to be incompatible with Viper's nihilism. She cut ties with him as she schemed to activate a weapon to murder hundreds of thousands of innocents in America, a plan the Red Skull opposed to.[50] To counter her, he secretly hired Silver Sable and her Wild Pack, but they could only locate and arrest her doubles from the Pit-Vipers. The rogue Pit-Viper who worked with the Punisher was apprehended by Captain America, but the original Viper killed her before her duplicate could be arrested. This brought her in the open to be captured by Captain America and the Wild Pack.[12] While in captivity, she was approached by the Red Skull's lackey Iron Monger, who tortured her to gather intel. Her plot ultimately saw no fruition as Captain America foiled it with information provided by the Red Skull.[50]

Secret Empire[]

Retreating to a hideout in the Rocky Mountains, Viper associated herself with the Secret Empire, becoming leader of a clandestine project involving mutated subjects. Their existence was threatened when the Avengers Hawkeye stumbled upon their base, prompting Viper to order Trickshot and Javellyn to hunt him.[7] Her directive was to deactivate the base and in their escape she caused the destruction of a local hospital.[51] In the Amazon, Viper rebuilt the installations, perfecting monstrous beasts for her plans.[52] As Hawkeye tracked Secret Empire down, Viper unleashed her bio-weapons on him. As Hawkeye's former tutor, Trickshot decided to betray Viper due to her ruthlessness and aid his pupil. The enraged Viper wore a technological armor to destroy Hawkeye, which ended up exploding with one of his arrows. In the end, Hawkeye destroyed the facility, ending her plots for good.[53]

Still focused on her vile schemes, Viper contracted Spiral for the services of her Body Shop to perform experiments on innocents. From the Hellfire Club, she got custody of Leong and Nga Coy Manh, Karma's young siblings. Viper wished for revenge against Karma's family due to feuds from the past involving her criminal uncle General Coy and her twin brother Tran.[54] The children were aged up and transformed into cyborgs loyal to Viper. Spiral brought Karma to the Body Shop, but she was unexpectedly accompanied by the X-Men Beast and Cannonball. In the ensuing battle, they were defeated and Karma got apprehended to be transformed as well.[55] The X-Men resisted, causing the Body Shop to collapse. Spiral vanished, bringing Viper with her.[56]

Prince of Madripoor[]

The throne of Madripoor was left vacant, with an upcoming nomination catching Viper's interest.[57] Using her poisons, she brainwashed many women close to Wolverine to lure him. Although Jubilee and Kitty Pryde evaded capture, they inadvertently led Wolverine to the Princess Bar, where Viper intoxicated him. The Black Widow intervened, knocking Viper and her minions out. Unleashing his berserker fury upon Viper, Wolverine almost took her life, being stopped by Jubilee. Viper recalled Wolverine of the oath he had sworn to their old mentor Seraph. In a shocking revelation, Wolverine shared he was to marry Viper.[58] The wedding ceremony took place soon, and Wolverine and Viper were declared husband and wife. However, she was attacked by Sabretooth, leading to her capture[10] by Hydra. They planned to program her to become Madame Hydra once again as well as the ruler of Madripoor. Moreover, the Hand, led by Matsu'o Tsurayaba, was also an alternative faction in the run for the control of the island. After being broken free by Pryde, Viper subdued Sabretooth, using them to foil the plans of both Hydra and the Hand. She then made use of her husband Wolverine's respectability in Madripoor to seize the throne of the island, installing herself as the ruling prince of Madripoor.[57]

Bearing no softness for Wolverine, she stayed in the uneasy marriage by manipulating her hated husband. In one occasion, she was informed by a monk about a deadly virus emerging in the Himalayas and sent Hydra agents to investigate with no success. As an alternative, she tricked Wolverine into assessing the situation. Although successful, he ultimately destroyed the sample he had secured to prove he would not be his wife's pawn.[59] Caught in Wolverine's problems, Viper got captured by Arnim Zola, who wished to deliver her to an unknown part.[60] Somehow, she escaped, demonstrating amicable intentions with Wolverine when, in a gesture of good faith, she revealed to him that Kitty Pryde, assumed to be dead, was alive.[61]

The illegal Bloodsport tournament emerged on Madripoor, and Viper requested Wolverine to participate as Patch in an investigation to oversee it.[62] Viper played with Wolverine during the various battles, secretly poisoning him in order to disturb his performance as well as preparing the champion Mr. X to ultimately murder him so she would become a widow. She failed as Wolverine won the tournament. Before he departed, she begged for his help since his former sensei and demonic ninja spirit Ogun was secretly involved with the affairs of the Bloodsport.[63] Together, the unconventional couple hunted Ogun down in Madripoor. After failing to possess Wolverine, Ogun possessed Viper. To exorcise the spirit, Wolverine seriously wounded Viper, dissipating Ogun's spirit. In return for ensuring she received medical treatment, Wolverine forced Viper to agree with a divorce.[64]

Hellfire Club[]

Madripoor became a beacon for the extradimensional invasion orchestrated by the alien warlord Khan. Storm and her X-Men arrived on the scene and joined forces with Viper and a resistance force to fight Khan's army.[65] The vicious Viper was a challenging ally, using lethal force against enemy soldiers, leading Storm to physically restrain her. In retaliation, Viper poisoned Storm, who got subsequently captured by Khan.[66] To the X-Men, Viper claimed Khan had been the one who had harmed Storm. However, the analyst Sage saw through her lies[67] and, after the X-Men fended the invaders off, threatened Viper in response to her betrayal.[68] Seeking revenge against Storm, Sage and the X-Men, Viper trapped the group of mutants to be tortured in one of Arcade's Murderworlds in London, where Sage was apparently executed by Viper herself.[69] It was soon revealed that Wolverine had used an image inducer to take Sage's place for he had been aware of Viper's plans prior to the kidnapping, which led the X-Men to escape.[70]

Simultaneously, Viper left to carry out the assassination of Courtney Ross at the request of Sebastian Shaw, as they fought for positions in the Hellfire Club. Ross had a counter-offer to both Viper and Shaw, who recreated the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club together.[70] As Ross ascended as the White Queen, Viper became her private bodyguard as the Warrior White Princess. In Hong Kong, they investigated a slave trade operation in the Hellfire Club, being joined in an unconventional alliance by Emma Frost and Rachel Grey, with whom they shared their Hellfire positions.[71] Ultimately, they dissolved the operation by capturing the slavers.[72]

In order to expand her wealth, Ross wished to control the devastated island of Genosha. Viper then targetted the ruler of the neighboring nation of Zanzibar, Askari, by hiring the Weaponeers of Achmed Al-Khalad to accomplish her goal. This put her against the Mutantes Sans Frontières administered by Archangel.[73] As the Weaponeers raided Genosha, its local team of surviving mutants, Excalibur, also became involved in the crisis. In a reckless fight, Viper battled Archangel and Excalibur's leader Callisto, when the Weaponeers showed they had an agenda of their own and betrayed her.[74] This caused Viper to join her enemies and abandon her plans to stop the mercenaries she had contracted. Acting as bait, Viper managed to help Excalibur defeat the Weaponeers. In the end, thanks to Viper's intervention, Ross made her way to the politics of Zanzibar, gaining influence and profit.[75]

Regime Change[]

Ophelia Sarkissian (Earth-616) from New Avengers Vol 1 11 001

Back to her origins, Viper was reinstated as Madame Hydra within the leadership of Hydra. She was arrested by Captain America in Bulgaria, but its government refused to extradite her.[76] Instead, Alexei Shostakov arranged for her release as a way to annoy Nick Fury and the Black Widow.[77] As a Hydra superior, Viper took a subtle hand at fighting her enemies. She supervised the reintroduction of Spider-Woman as a double-agent within S.H.I.E.L.D. in exchange for the restoration of her lost powers. In fact, during the procedure, Spider-Woman had her identity usurped by the Skrull queen Veranke as part of a complex invasion of planet Earth by the shapeshifting aliens. When Spider-Woman was offered membership in the New Avengers, Viper urged her to accept the offer due to the privileged intel she could gather for Hydra.[78]

Having joined forces with the Hand, Hydra wished to put the Silver Samurai in a position of power in Clan Yashida to take over the Japanese underworld. In Osaka, Viper reunited with her old partner to discuss her plan despite him being reticent about it. Her intentions was to gather forces and allies to oppose hidden enemies within her adored Hydra, who were in fact the infiltrated Skrulls. Their arrangement was interrupted by the New Avengers, leading to a commotion.[79] Spider-Woman approached Viper by herself to discuss their activities. As the New Avengers identified them, Viper ordered Spider-Woman to simulate a fight, ending up in the terrorist's capture.[80] Aboard a Quinjet on their way back above the Pacific, Viper forced Spider-Woman to help her escape by activating an exit hatch door. Captain America was tossed from the plane, facilitating Viper's disappearance.[81]

Her position as world-class terrorist, leader of Hydra, and ruler of Madripoor put Viper under the aim of S.H.I.E.L.D., now directed by Tony Stark. Since S.H.I.E.L.D. could not attack a sovereign state, Stark planned to have Viper dethroned. After months of preparation, Stark went to Madripoor himself under the pretense of being on vacation. Viper welcomed Stark in her palace, where both tried to outsmart each other. She ordered Roughouse and Bloodscream to kill Stark with no success. Disgusted by Viper's sickening plots, Stark turned to the freedom fighter of Madripoor Tyger Tiger. Stark took the fight to Viper herself, secretly recording their interaction as she expressed her despise for her people. The public turned against Viper after the transmission, paving way for Tyger to replace her as the next ruler of Madripoor.[1]

Viper did not give up on Madripoor easily. She soon planned to regain her power by hiring the services of the Facility to produce bio-weapons that followed her command in the form of Predators X. Her activities caught the attention of Wolverine and the Punisher, who travelled to Madripoor to stop her.[82] Viper's contractor Kimura helped her oppose the vigilantes[83] and escape as Tyger joined them.[84] After programming the beasts to murder Wolverine and the Punisher,[85] Viper attacked them with a unit of Hydra agents. However, Tyger managed to use Viper's blood to turn the Predators X against her. Cowered, Viper retreated and abandoned her quest for the control of Madripoor.[86]

Humanity eliminated the threat of the Skrull invasion, culminating with the death of the alien queen who impersonated Spider-Woman. Freed from the Skrulls, Spider-Woman joined S.W.O.R.D. to combat external threats. Her first mission brought her to Madripoor,[87] where she was arrested by the local authorities. Madame Hydra intervened, murdering the police officers who kept Spider-Woman detained[88] and convincing her to escape. Madame Hydra attempted to convince Spider-Woman to join Hydra to eliminate remaining Skrulls.[89] When confronting a Skrull Madame Hydra kept caged, Spider-Woman ran away.[90]

Secret Warriors[]

Hydra decided to go in a more aggressive direction towards world domination. For that purpose, the High Council of Hydra was established in Gehenna, which included relevant icons, namely Hydra Supreme Strucker, the resourceful Kraken, the monstrous Hive, the resurrected Gorgon, and the new and mysterious Madame Hydra. The Viper left her lover, the Silver Samurai, in Japan to serve her duty as one of Hydra's leaders.[91] They participated in various terrorist activities across the globe, especially against S.H.I.E.L.D.'s replacement after the Skrull invasion, H.A.M.M.E.R., with Fury tracking their steps.[92]

While Fury and his Secret Warriors raided a H.A.M.M.E.R. facility and clashed with members of the High Council, Viper and Madame Hydra ran a parallel mission,[93] making a treacherous deal with the Silver Samurai to acquire a precious device from Clan Yashida. This harmed Viper's relationship with the Silver Samurai.[94] The cryptic organization Leviathan resurfaced from its Soviet past and targeted Hydra to secure the item.[95] As they raided Gehenna, Viper was taken captive in Long Winter,[96] being met by Madame Hydra.[96] In fact, Madame Hydra was a Leviathan infiltrator, Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine. In possession of the artifact that would bring upon an army of devilish soldiers, the Contessa brutally shot Viper dead.[15]

Her lifeless body was found by Hydra. The disgusting Hive merged with and reanimated the dead woman, in a process that left Viper with a bulbous octopus-like growth emanating from her head with sweeping tentacles. The true Madame Hydra was back.[16] She met her killer when Hydra arranged a meeting to reach an agreement with Leviathan, with no avail.[97] Months later, the High Council was eroded from within, with Madame Hydra and Gorgon ultimately considering Strucker to be a counter-productive liability due to his obsession with Fury. During a final showdown against Fury and the Secret Warriors, Madame Hydra betrayed and abandoned her former ally deploying a contingent of troops against him. Madame Hydra and the Gorgon withdrew to lead a faction of Hydra under their terms.[98]

New H.A.M.M.E.R.[]

As Norman Osborn orchestrated a breakout from prison, he wished to revive the defunct H.A.M.M.E.R. as a terrorist organization alongside Hydra, A.I.M., and the Hand,[99] with Madame Hydra seeing it as a great opportunity to gain power.[100] Osborn's main opponents and targets were the Avengers, whose reputation they wished to tarnish.[101] The scientists of A.I.M. were able to separate Madame Hydra from the remnants of the Hive, restoring her prime appearance. At Oscorp, she lured the Avengers with a legion of super-powered H.A.M.M.E.R. agents.[102] As a victory of this plan, Captain America was captured and tortured by Madame Hydra,[103] who schemed to betray Osborn alongside the Gorgon.[104] She proposed to the American government that the captured super-heroes should be arrested, with H.A.M.M.E.R. replacing their function. As Captain America resisted, war raged.[105] A victim of his own lust for power, Osborn fell, giving Madame Hydra the opportunity to seize his followers and strengthen Hydra as its only ruler.[106]

In her expanding operations, Madame Hydra was able to manipulate the Avengers into defeating an opponent of hers, Mister Negative.[107] Gathering her troops, she attempted to bring the Avengers Tower down, but was defeated by Earth's Mightiest Heroes with Archangel's help.[108] As usual, she did not stay incarcerated, resuming her typical criminal activities. At some point, she allied herself with the new Silver Samurai, her late partner's child, and took control of the underworld scene in Madripoor. She was approached by Mystique who wished to buy such control from Hydra, but the transaction was interrupted by the X-Men.[109] After keeping the Hand away from Madripoor,[110] Madame Hydra eventually relinquished it to Mystique amicably.[111]

Viper still maintained her influence in Madripoor, though. When Wolverine lost his healing factor and became vulnerable to death, she put out a contract for hitmen to kill him. One of those was the horrendous Nuke, who got defeated and revealed her plan to her target.[8] As Patch, Wolverine tracked her down to Madripoor in order to learn the true mastermind behind the assassination attempt, infiltrating Viper's castle under the pretense of selling an Iron Man Armor helmet. At her disposal, Viper had Sabretooth as a poisoned slave, who she deployed against Wolverine. She proposed that, if Wolverine won the duel, she would reveal the identity of her benefactor. The fight was interrupted by Lady Deathstrike, prompting Viper to escape. Her hirer was Ogun.[112] Wolverine ultimately died[113] with Viper and Mystique participating in an auction to get some of his mortal remains. Out of respect for his life and with the intervention of Daken, they stopped the transaction.[114]

Hydra Empire[]

Hydra's operations for world domination expanded immensely, with their ranks being reinforced by multiple super-villains under Baron Zemo's influence. With a doomsday weapon synthesized from Inhuman blood, they hoped to sterilize most of the world's population, save for themselves. Sam Wilson, the all-new Captain America, thwarted their plans.[115] Viper provided Hydra with a safe location to develop their doomsday device in Madripoor. However, she was put out of commission by Misty Knight.[116] Ultimately, Captain America saved the world from Hydra's malignant ploys.[117]

The original Captain America was cosmically subverted into a Hydra loyalist undercover.[118] This action led to the reformation of the High Council of Hydra. Viper, who controlled illicit opioid business in Madrippor, was offered belonging by the new Madame Hydra.[119] Under the direction of Steve Rogers, Hydra rose to power and took control of America, incapacitating any kind of resistance.[120] In charge of public safety, Viper facilitated the imprisonment of Inhumans as well as established political relations with Madripoor.[121] In Chicago, she pushed Hydra Youth Choir into her ideologies, putting her on the radar of the Black Widow.[14]

The Black Widow let herself be captured, being covered by her pupils from the Champions. As Viper carried out an interrogation, the Black Widow blackmailed her, revealing she was aware of Viper's parallel operations involving narcotics that were unbeknownst to the Hydra High Council, evident by her interactions with businessmen. Convinced by her enemy, Viper killed her escorts and freed the Black Widow, giving her access to the Inhuman with possessing abilities Mosaic.[122] Despite her betrayal, Viper was later in Washington D.C., fighting to suppress the resistance against Hydra, a futile act since Hydra was ultimately deposed.[123]

Master Manipulator[]

Wolverine's body disappeared from his final resting place, sparking mysteries all over the globe the X-Men went to investigate.[124] On Madripoor, a team of mutant heroines was ambushed by Viper's new local crime ring, the Femme Fatales, who swiftly incapacitated most of their enemies.[125] Viper's client was Soteira, who were especially interested in Wolverine.[126] The remaining X-Men planned a counter-attack, liberating one of Viper's prisoners, Magneto.[127] In the end, the Femme Fatales were defated and forced to run away, abandoning their mission.[128]

Alongside other criminals, Viper became embroiled in a convoluted plan that brainwashed the Black Widow by forging an ordinary life put up by Arcade in order to keep her out of action.[129] Viper had a unit of Hydra agents knock out and kidnap the Black Widow, creating the façade.[130] Her associates wished to kill the Black Widow off, something Viper vehemently opposed to, expecting the murder attempt would certainly fail and would also prompt the Black Widow to seek revenge. The Weeping Lion ultimately acted without the other's consent, attacking the Black Widow, enraging Viper.[131] In desperation, Viper planned to leave, but was convinced by Snapdragon to stay as a way not to scatter their might.[130] As the illusion shattered, the Black Widow lashed out against her assailants. Viper was defeated by Yelena Belova.[132]

At some point, Madame Hydra was approached by the brilliant and corrupted Gremlin for a plan involving manipulating young super-humans.[133] This coincided with super-criminal factions succumbing to a gang war in New York City, when Madame Hydra had her organization contact the crime lord Diamondback for an alliance to enhance his Diamond drug through the Typhon Group.[134] Their activities caught the attention of Spider-Woman, who infiltrated their headquarters in the Financial District, something Madame Hydra had expected. Spider-Woman blamed Madame Hydra for the disappearance for her infant son, Gerry Drew. As Madame Hydra escaped, Spider-Woman was fended off by Hydra's new top enforcer, Green Mamba.[135] In fact, Green Mamba was the missing child, artificially aged up by Gremlin to become a weapon of terror.[136] In San Francisco, Madame Hydra had Spider-Woman clash with the Assembly, a group of other young subjects experimented on by Hydra who worked for the Echidna company under the influence of Gremlin.[137]

Attributes

Power Grid[143]
:Category:Power Grid/Fighting Skills/Master: Several Forms of Combat:Category:Power Grid/Energy Projection/None:Category:Power Grid/Durability/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Speed/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Strength/Peak Human:Category:Power Grid/Intelligence/Learned

Powers

Ophelia Sarkissian (Earth-616) from Secret Warriors Vol 1 15 001

Reanimated by the Hive

  • Symbiosis: After her resurrection via The Hive entity, Madame Hydra sported a grotesque, sentient, octopus-like growth atop her head, giving her prehensile tentacles and glowing eyes. It is strongly suggested that this growth is The Hive itself and that its collective-parasites merged with her body to reanimate her. However it is not revealed if this infers a symbiotic bond between the two or if she is in entirely The Hive but in a new vessel - with the woman she was completely eradicated. Regardless, alive once more she still retained all the memories of her life. Later when Norman Osborn appoints her as a H.A.M.M.E.R leader, he facilitates her to undergo a procedure to restore her former human appearance. The details of this are yet to be revealed and the question of whether she is a single being or a facet of The Hive still stands.[citation needed]

Abilities

  • Martial arts: Viper is a brilliant and cunning criminal strategist who has been rigorously trained in various martial arts. She has the strength, agility, stamina, and coordination of an Olympic athlete.
  • Weaponry: She is also a skilled markswoman and expert in the use of a bullwhip.
  • Toxicology: Viper is also extremely knowledgeable in the properties and uses of toxins, poisons, and snake venoms, frequently creating her own poisons that she spreads through her hollow fangs or poisoned lipstick.[18][13]
  • Expert tactician/Leader: Viper is highly skilled in the management of criminal organizations and very well connected in the international criminal underworld. She is also a master of stealth and espionage. Perhaps her greatest strengths are her influence, the financial resources at her disposal due to her stature in organized crime, and an uncanny luck which has allowed her to cheat death in situations where lesser people would have died.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

  • Teleportation Ring - Viper employs a teleportation ring that activates when twisted.[26][13]
  • Protective Battle Armor - Green Kevlar/metallic armor that give her protection in dangerous missions.[108][109][110]

Weapons

The Viper carries a set of throwing darts tipped with either a lethal or paralytic venom based on the chemistry of snake venom.[18] She usually uses a whip and guns she keeps strapped to her waist, among other high-tech weaponry provided by HYDRA.[2]

Transportation

Various HYDRA vehicles.

Notes

Trivia

  • One of Viper's apartments was confiscated by S.H.I.E.L.D. and became a recurring location for their sting operations and witness protection.[141]
  • Madame Hydra still maintains a tenuous link with Spider-Woman, much to the latter's chagrin. On numerous occasions she has welcomed, fought, contacted and even rescued the Avenger all on the insistence of recruiting her back into Hydra. Her motives, whilst always seeming genuine, can never be fully trusted as her identity has shifted so many times to suit her situations.
  • In Captain America #342 (1988), Black Mamba tries to use her hypnosis powers on Viper to generate an image of someone Viper loves; Mamba fails, theorizing that it was because Viper loves nobody. However, in Secret Warriors #2 (2009) and Secret Warriors #2 (2010), she reveals that she is in love with the Silver Samurai.

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Annual #1
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Captain America #110
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Punisher Annual #2
  4. ↑ Uncanny X-Men #452–454
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Spider-Woman #44
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Captain America #281
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Hawkeye (Vol. 2) #1
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Death of Wolverine #1
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Captain America #394
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Wolverine (Vol. 2) #126
  11. ↑ Marvel Team-Up #82–85
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #15
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Captain America #341
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Secret Empire: Uprising #1
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Secret Warriors #14
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Secret Warriors #15
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Uncanny X-Men #172–173
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 Captain America #180
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Captain America #113
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Captain America #181
  21. ↑ Marvel Team-Up #83–85
  22. ↑ Spider-Woman #42–44
  23. ↑ Captain America #111
  24. ↑ Avengers #107
  25. ↑ Captain America #182
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 Marvel Team-Up #84
  27. ↑ Marvel Team-Up #83
  28. ↑ Marvel Team-Up #85
  29. ↑ Spider-Woman #42
  30. ↑ Spider-Woman #43
  31. ↑ Captain America #282
  32. ↑ Captain America #283
  33. ↑ New Mutants #5
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 New Mutants #6
  35. ↑ Uncanny X-Men #172
  36. ↑ Uncanny X-Men #173
  37. ↑ New Mutants #53
  38. ↑ Captain America #342
  39. ↑ Captain America #343
  40. ↑ Captain America #344
  41. ↑ Amazing Spider-Man Annual #23
  42. ↑ Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #9
  43. ↑ Daredevil Annual #4B
  44. ↑ Avengers Annual #18
  45. ↑ Captain America #395–397
  46. ↑ Captain America #398
  47. ↑ Captain America #400
  48. ↑ Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Vol. 3) #45
  49. ↑ Punisher War Journal #45–47
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 Captain America #419
  51. ↑ Hawkeye (Vol. 2) #2
  52. ↑ Hawkeye (Vol. 2) #3
  53. ↑ Hawkeye (Vol. 2) #4
  54. ↑ Beast #1
  55. ↑ Beast #2
  56. ↑ Beast #3
  57. ↑ 57.0 57.1 Wolverine (Vol. 2) #127
  58. ↑ Wolverine (Vol. 2) #125
  59. ↑ Wolverine (Vol. 2) #131
  60. ↑ Wolverine (Vol. 2) #139
  61. ↑ X-Men (Vol. 2) #109
  62. ↑ Wolverine (Vol. 2) #167
  63. ↑ Wolverine (Vol. 2) #168
  64. ↑ Wolverine (Vol. 2) #169
  65. ↑ X-Treme X-Men #10
  66. ↑ X-Treme X-Men #11
  67. ↑ X-Treme X-Men #12
  68. ↑ X-Treme X-Men #17
  69. ↑ Uncanny X-Men #448
  70. ↑ 70.0 70.1 Uncanny X-Men #449
  71. ↑ Uncanny X-Men #452–453
  72. ↑ Uncanny X-Men #454
  73. ↑ Excalibur (Vol. 3) #11
  74. ↑ Excalibur (Vol. 3) #12
  75. ↑ Excalibur (Vol. 3) #14
  76. ↑ Daredevil (Vol. 2) #61
  77. ↑ Daredevil (Vol. 2) #64
  78. ↑ New Avengers #42
  79. ↑ New Avengers #11
  80. ↑ New Avengers #12
  81. ↑ New Avengers #13
  82. ↑ Astonishing Tales: Wolverine/Punisher #1
  83. ↑ Astonishing Tales: Wolverine/Punisher #2
  84. ↑ Astonishing Tales: Wolverine/Punisher #3
  85. ↑ Astonishing Tales: Wolverine/Punisher #4–5
  86. ↑ Astonishing Tales: Wolverine/Punisher #6
  87. ↑ Spider-Woman (Vol. 4) #1
  88. ↑ Spider-Woman (Vol. 4) #2
  89. ↑ Spider-Woman (Vol. 4) #3
  90. ↑ Spider-Woman (Vol. 4) #4
  91. ↑ Secret Warriors #2
  92. ↑ Secret Warriors #3–4
  93. ↑ Secret Warriors #5
  94. ↑ Secret Warriors #6
  95. ↑ Secret Warriors #11
  96. ↑ 96.0 96.1 Secret Warriors #13
  97. ↑ Secret Warriors #16
  98. ↑ Secret Warriors #20–22
  99. ↑ New Avengers (Vol. 2) #16.1
  100. ↑ New Avengers (Vol. 2) #18
  101. ↑ New Avengers (Vol. 2) #17
  102. ↑ Avengers (Vol. 4) #20
  103. ↑ Avengers (Vol. 4) #22
  104. ↑ New Avengers (Vol. 2) #22
  105. ↑ Avengers (Vol. 4) #23
  106. ↑ Avengers (Vol. 4) #24
  107. ↑ Avengers (Vol. 4) #30
  108. ↑ 108.0 108.1 All-New X-Men #8
  109. ↑ 109.0 109.1 All-New X-Men #13–14
  110. ↑ 110.0 110.1 Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 3) #11
  111. ↑ Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 3) #16
  112. ↑ Death of Wolverine #1–2
  113. ↑ Death of Wolverine #4
  114. ↑ Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy #5
  115. ↑ All-New Captain America #1
  116. ↑ All-New Captain America #4
  117. ↑ All-New Captain America #6
  118. ↑ Captain America: Steve Rogers #2
  119. ↑ Captain America: Steve Rogers #14–16
  120. ↑ Free Comic Book Day 2017 (Secret Empire) #1
  121. ↑ Secret Empire #1
  122. ↑ Secret Empire #5
  123. ↑ Secret Empire #9–10
  124. ↑ Hunt for Wolverine #1
  125. ↑ Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor #1
  126. ↑ Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor #2
  127. ↑ Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor #3
  128. ↑ Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor #4
  129. ↑ Black Widow (Vol. 8) #1
  130. ↑ 130.0 130.1 Black Widow (Vol. 8) #4
  131. ↑ Black Widow (Vol. 8) #3
  132. ↑ Black Widow (Vol. 8) #5
  133. ↑ Spider-Woman (Vol. 8) #10
  134. ↑ Spider-Woman (Vol. 8) #1
  135. ↑ Spider-Woman (Vol. 8) #2
  136. ↑ Spider-Woman (Vol. 8) #3
  137. ↑ Spider-Woman (Vol. 8) #8
  138. ↑ Viper
  139. ↑ Earth X #1
  140. ↑ Contest of Champions (Vol. 2)
  141. ↑ Jessica Jones (Vol. 2) #4
  142. ↑ Marvel Avengers: The Ultimate Character Guide #2
  143. ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 12
Magyar
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