Roland Burroughs (Earth-616)

Death Adder
Name	Roland Burroughs
Current Alias	Death Adder
Affiliation and Relationships
Affiliation	Formerly Roxxon's Serpent Squad, Serpent Society, Hood's Gang, Savage Six
Relatives	Unidentified parents
Marital Status	Single
Physical Characteristics
Gender	Male
Height	5′6″ (1.68 m)
Weight	151 lbs (68.49 kg)
Eyes	Irises: Blue
Unusual Features	Gills, Bionic Tail, Claws
Origin and Living Status
Origin	Human enhanced by Roxxon
Living Status	Deceased
Reality	Earth-616
Place of Birth	Rochester, New York
Cause of Death	Shot by the first Scourge of the Underworld (resurrected by the Hood) Killed by Agent Venom
Personal Information
Identity	Secret
Citizenship	American
Occupation	Professional criminal, mercenary
Education	Unspecified engineering degree
Creators and Appearances
Creators	Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio, George Perez
First	Marvel Two-In-One #64 (March, 1980)
First	Marvel Two-In-One #64 (March, 1980)
Death	Venom (Vol. 2) #20 (July, 2012)
Death	Venom (Vol. 2) #20 (July, 2012)

 Hey, Roland-- ya want another brew while I'm up? Hmm? Oops. Keep forgetting you can't talk. 

—Anaconda

History

Roland Burroughs underwent surgery thanks to the Roxxon Oil Company, giving him gills, claws, and a bionic tail, as well as certain other physiological changes. As a result of a mistake during the surgery to give him gills, Burroughs was rendered mute. He was also given a special costume and the alias Death Adder and joined the Serpent Squad along with Sidewinder, Anaconda, and Black Mamba. The Serpent Squad's first mission was to get the Serpent Crown, and once this mission was complete, the four of them became freelance mercenaries and criminals.

The Serpent Squad were later joined by a handful of other snake-themed villains and formed the highly organized team of criminals and mercenaries known as the Serpent Society. One of the Society's first missions was to kill the rogue A.I.M. leader known as M.O.D.O.K.. Death Adder was instrumental in the assassination, his poison finishing off their target. One of the other members, Princess Python, showed cowardice and betrayed them on this mission, and after her memory was wiped, he was sent to return her to her former team, the Circus of Crime. While they were in transit, the Serpent Saucer Death Adder was flying malfunctioned and crashed into the South Bronx. Leaving Princess Python in the saucer, Death Adder went to get help. He hailed and hijacked a cab which, unfortunately for him, was driven by Scourge who promptly killed him with an explosive bullet.

After his death, a simulacra was created by Grandmaster to compete in battle against the Avengers in a wager against Death.

More recently, Death Adder was one of many of Scourge's victims resurrected by the criminal the Hood to serve in his gang.

Some time later, he joined Crime-Master's Savage Six and was killed by Venom.

Attributes

Power Grid

Powers

• Amphibian: He was amphibious, able to breathe under the water by extracting oxygen molecules from the water by means of gills installed in his body. There was apparently no limit to the time that Death Adder could remain under water.
• Tail and Claws: Death Adder's physiology was also transformed by means of a series of operations, giving him a tail and claws. The tail, which was around four feet in length. Death Adder's tail was connected to his nervous system, meaning he could control it like an extra limb. Adder could use the tail to strike at great speed, since it could reach a speed of up to 60 miles per hour through the air.
• Toxikinesis: In addition, the tail was decorated with sharpened prongs, impregnated with a fast-acting poison that was of sufficient strength to be able to kill even superhuman victims like M.O.D.O.K. and Tigra. This poison was also in his claws. A single scratch can paralyze a 200 pound man within 90 seconds.
• Superhuman Durability: Death Adder's bone structure was modified with synthetic bone and tissue allowing him to survive the low temperatures and the high pressures of the ocean depths, enabling him to descend to depths up to 400 feet.
• Superhuman Strength: His strength was also enhanced in order for him to be able to survive the pressure of the ocean and as a result he can lift 1 ton.
• Enhanced Vision: A special membrane protected his retinas, to allow his eyes to adapt to the bluish-green light of depths up to 650 feet underwater.
• Superhuman Speed: Death Adder could swim at speeds of up to 34,5 miles per hour.

Paraphernalia

Weapons

Death Adder had a bionic tail and Death Adder Venom contained in the claws on his fingertips and the tip of his tail that would paralyze his victims and eventually prove fatal.

Transportation

Formerly Serpent Saucer.

Trivia

• Death Adder was mute due to an accident with his larynx during the operation which gave him gills.

See Also

• 26 appearance(s) of Roland Burroughs (Earth-616)
• 7 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Roland Burroughs (Earth-616)
• 4 minor appearance(s) of Roland Burroughs (Earth-616)
• 2 mention(s) of Roland Burroughs (Earth-616)
• 2 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Roland Burroughs (Earth-616)
• 14 image(s) of Roland Burroughs (Earth-616)
• 1 victim(s) killed by Roland Burroughs (Earth-616)

Links and References

• Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #16
• Death Adder on the Marvel Appendix