History
All these souls, lost and alone, I can save them! I can cure them! There's no need to stop me, Peter!
- — The Lizard
- — The Lizard
Cross-Species Genetics Research
One of Oscorp's leading scientific minds, Dr. Curtis Connors worked with Richard Parker to engineer a revolutionary regeneration serum to help re-grow limbs and human tissue from cross-species genetics. Richard would mysteriously perish, taking with him much of his scientific genius Connors was left unable to finish his work, effectively dooming his chances of regrowing his missing right arm.
Over a decade later, Connors is still working on the project at Oscorp, which has apparently been brought back due to the corporation's founder, Norman Osborn, being terminally ill. He also wrote a book about the possible medical breakthroughs from cross-species genetics. Under time constraints, Connors is unable to complete the project until Richard's son Peter comes into his life. Feeling guilty about cutting his close friend's son out of his life, Connors allows him to work on the project with him at Oscorp Peter also supplies a missing algorithm from his father's notes, leading to the successful development of a serum based on lizard DNA.
Becoming the Lizard
Dr. Ratha, Connors' superior at Oscorp, decides to fast-track human testing. Connors pleads with him to wait until they know the full side affects, but Ratha threatens to fire him and reminds him that Richard Parker took the same stand over ten years before. Ratha decides to test the serum at the city's largest veterans' hospital. In the hopes of preventing this, Connors tries the serum on himself, turning him into the monstrous Lizard. As Curtis notices his body mutating into a reptilian form, he orders a taxi driver to drive to the Veterans hospital in hopes of stopping Dr. Ratha from injecting the serum into the patients, where they will turn into Lizards too.
Suffering from mental problems as a result of his transformation, the Lizard attempts to kill Dr. Ratha on the bridge, but is stopped by Spider-Man. After he escapes, Connors creates a makeshift lab in a sewer, in which he begins increasing the dosage of the reptilian formula. After an injection, he senses a danger. Now fully mutated, the Lizard confronts Spider-Man again, who had tracked him down into the sewer. He severely wounds the hero, but Spider-Man escapes before the finishing blow can be delivered. However, he discovers a camera marked "Property of Peter Parker", and deduces that Peter and Spider-Man are one and the same, leading to him crushing the camera.
As the dosage is increased, so does the Lizard persona. After only two injections, the Lizard has already seemingly taken a mind of its own, and begins speaking to Connors mentally. The Lizard convinces Connors to inject himself again, under the promise that he will "save" the city. Once Connors transforms, he seemingly loses control of himself, and The Lizard fully takes over.
Rampage Across New York
The Lizard attacks Midtown High, looking for Peter, as he doesn't want anyone to stop what he has planned. He nearly kills Peter by causing a chemical reaction, creating a small explosive, but Peter emerges in his Spider-Man suit. During the fight, Peter tries to reason with him, but to no avail as the Lizard continues to attack him. After a lengthy battle, the police arrive, and The Lizard retreats. The Lizard then sets to work on unleashing the serum on New York City's populace via a device capable of infecting entire cities by unleashing a chemical "cloud" into the sky. On his way to OsCorp, he is attacked by a SWAT team, which he defeats easily and mutates into similar lizard-like creatures. He also transforms bystanders into lizards. Once inside OsCorp, he finds Gwen Stacy, who attempts to hide the device from him. He easily recovers the device and plants it on OsCorp tower.
As the timer counts down, Spider-Man arrives and attacks the Lizard, but is easily restrained, and Lizard destroys his web-shooters. Captain George Stacy arrives as well, and keeps the Lizard at bay by shooting him multiple times with a shotgun. Stacy gives Peter an antidote, which he replaces the reptilian formula in the device with. The Lizard murders Captain Stacy, and attempts to stop Peter. When the timer ends, a cure is released into the city, rather than the formula, curing the Lizard and all others he infected. Now reverted back into Dr. Connors, he saves Peter from falling off the OsCorp tower. In the aftermath of the crisis, Connors is incarcerated as a terrorist and is taken into a mental institution.
In the mental facility, he is visited by a shadowy figure, who demands to know if Connors told Richard's son the full story about his father. Connors says no and demands he leave Peter alone, though the man vanishes in the shadows.
Trial
On January 6, 2014, the trial of Connors came to an end. He was charged with 20 counts and found guilty of them all, including the murder of George Stacy. The former Lizard was represented by attorney Anne Weying. The defense used in the trial was that Connors experimented on himself to prevent Oscorp from experimenting on innocent people. The doctor was sent to the Raft instead of Ravencroft, which was a controversial move.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Reptilian Physiology: After injecting himself with the serum, Dr. Curtis Connors transformed his own physiology to alter resulting in him becoming a large lizard-like humanoid. This gave him superiority to humans in every physical and mental way, and also gave him new abilities he did not have as Curtis Connors. As his villainous incarnation known as the Lizard, Connors gains the following abilities:
- Superhuman Strength: The Lizard has remarkable superhuman strength, able to lift weight that no human ever could. The Lizard's physical might is so great, that he is obviously stronger than even Spider-Man himself. He has shown feats as to be able to tear through steel and metals effortlessly, overpower multiple men with ease, and even restrain Spider-Man without showing any struggle. The Lizard can lift 12 tons.
- Superhuman Speed: He has shown the ability to travel at great speeds.
- Superhuman Durability: The Lizard's skin, bone, and muscle tissue are denser and tougher than ordinary humans. The Lizard is even arguable tougher than Spider-Man. It took multiple S.W.A.T team men with automatic weapons to bring him down, he can fall from great heights, and even take blows from Spider-Man without sustaining much damage.
- Superhuman Agility: In his Lizard form, Connors possess a level of agility superior to even the finest of human athletes. His agility is on par with the likes of Spider-Man. He was able to climb all the way to the top of Oscorp Tower very quickly, jump amazing heights, and coordinate his body with unnatural equilibrium, dexterity, and flexibility.
- Superhuman Reflexes: The Lizard is capable of reacting much better than ordinary human beings. He can dodge incoming attacks and projectiles with great swiftness, respond to surprise attacks from Spider-Man with ease, and even showing he could out-react Spider-Man on occasion.
- Superhuman Stamina: He can do intense physical activity for long periods of time without being fatigued.
- Superhuman Senses: The Lizard has superhuman acute senses. He has shown that he was able to see farther than ordinary, he could smell Gwen's sent while only breathing in twice, and he could even hear Spider-Man from a great distance away.
- Regenerating Healing Factor: This was the only power that Doctor Connors wanted. But when things went wrong, he still received Regeneration and all of its benefits. He can heal much quicker than even Spider-Man, and the true extent of his healing isn't known. The Lizard could heal from multiple gunshot wounds within a few seconds, regrow a lost tail when Spider-Man ripped it off, and he could even regrow his lost arm. Even despite being partially frozen the Lizard was able to fully heal from shotgun wounds within seconds.
Tail: While transformed, Connors has a long, reptilian-like tail that he can use to help balance himself or as an offensive weapon. He is capable of whipping his tail at speeds of at least 70 miles per hour. Considering his strength and physical toughness, he can generate enough force to shatter concrete. Like some geckos, The Lizard can detach his tail and grow a new one.
Fangs & Claws: While transformed, Connors' fingers and toes are each tipped with razor sharp claws that, combined with his natural strength, are able to cut most conventional materials including flesh, bone, wood, stone, and some types of metals. His mouth is also filled with rows of razor sharp teeth that he can use as offensive weapons in close combat situations.
Abilities
Connors has a genius-level intelligence and is a world renowned herpetologist. Although he has had no formal combat training, his powers alone coupled with his natural savagery in his transformed state make him a formidable combatant.
Strength level
Unknown.
Weaknesses
Lizard's strength and agility are reduced when exposed to intense cold for more than a few minutes. High levels of stress can cause Dr. Connors to transform into the Lizard.
Paraphernalia
Equipment: None known.
Transportation: None known.
Weapons: None known.
Notes
- No special notes.
Trivia
- No trivia.
See Also
- Appearances of Curtis Connors (Earth-1010)
- Character Gallery: Curtis Connors (Earth-1010)
- Quotations by Curtis Connors (Earth-1010)
Discover and Discuss
- Search News for: Curtis Connors · Curtis Connors (Earth-1010)
Links and References
- None.