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This article, Curtis Connors (Earth-61615), is property of MarvelousMarty. |
5' 11" (as Connors)
175 lbs (as Connors)
Hazel (as Connors)
Brown (as Connors)
Spider-Man Vol 1 4
X-t(In)ction
Vol 1 7
History
This will restore me to my rightful form. But is that... What I really want?
- — Dr. Curt Connors
- — Dr. Curt Connors
Early Years
Dr. Curtis "Curt" Connors (born 1969, died 2026) was born and raised in Coral Gables, Florida. He attended Medical school graduating with twin doctorates in biology and biochemistry, but eventually enlisted in the U.S. Army as a surgeon during the Kosovo War. It was in college he met Martha and together they had a son Timmy after graduating and before he went to the army. A noted geneticist funded by the world-renowned Stark Industries who lost his right arm after getting caught in a land mine-triggered explosion in his fateful final mission in Afghanistan by late 2001, the recently discharged Curt Connors dedicated himself to finding a means of restoring lost limbs, studying the regenerative capabilities of reptiles; however, after five years without major breakthroughs, his sponsors were on the verge of cutting his funding.
The Lizard
Drowning his disappointment with alcohol, the drunken Connors injected himself with an experimental serum in a desperate attempt to achieve results. The serum regenerated his right arm but also transformed Connors into an inhuman reptilian creature. Seeking refuge in the sewers, he became an urban legend, dubbed the "Lizard" by the press. A sympathetic Spider-Man, who was Connors' student at Empire State University at the time, sought out Connors who attacked the young hero until Iron Man arrives at the scene to help the young hero take Connors down. At the end, they knocked him out and restored Connors to his human form. Connors’ restored right arm soon withered and died; however, his DNA remained irreparably damaged, with dormant potential for further transformation, and he cut himself off from his wife and son out of fear for their safety.
Sinister Six
He would eventually become the Lizard once again several times, both willingly or unwillingly, such as the time he was forced into joining the Sinister Six and help them hunt down Spider-Man just so he can keep his son and wife away from the hands of the Sinister Six, who morbidly threatens to kidnap or even kill them if he doesn't join the ruthless criminals and help in tracking down the web-slinger.
Ultimate War
Connors' presence was mostly absent during the starting events of Ultimate War since he was hiding in his abandoned basement located at his childhood home in Coral Gables. His presence remained undetected until his old home was annihilated and was fully demolished by the forces of A.I.M., discovering him in his secret basement. Before finally deciding to kill him, the following scans of their technology identifies Connors as someone who was a "genius intellect," reveals his history in expertise in biology and biochemistry, and his history of becoming the Lizard. His life was surprisingly spared and the A.I.M. commander nicely offers him to join their science division, as well as helping him find a cure for his condition before revealing their true plans for annihilation.
Curtis kept on declining the offer even though he was rapidly been beat up by the commander, although he remained loyal to his moral beliefs and still, refused to join even if a cure may be founded to his condition, until he was forced to join for a main reason. A.I.M. somehow found the location to the home of his wife and son, where two snipers were showed to be aiming on their heads. Connors, out of pain and mercy, telling them to leave his family alone, he had no choice but to join their ranks in order to create A.I.M.'s own version of the Super-Soldier Serum to fight against S.H.I.E.L.D. and other opposing agencies/organizations.
During the war, he was included into infiltrating a S.H.I.E.L.D. lab with several A.I.M. division unit, in order to steal some samples of the original and the modified formulas of the serum. Connors took as many as he can and gave it to A.I.M before keeping a few for himself, still trying to find a cure for his condition before leaving the now demolished laboratory. After the end of the war, A.I.M. had no choice but to surrender to the authorities, shutting down the criminal organization. For now, and Connors and a few members of A.I.M. have escaped capture and went in hiding into their now, "normal lives." Connors was also relieved when his wife and son was revealed to be safe and wasn't even harmed, before continuing his life as a researcher and a professor, finding the cure.
The Super Lizard
The Lizard form mutated with the Super-Soldier Serum
Only days after the Ultimate War, he returned to his same old apartment back in Brooklyn until he was eventually tracked down by the heroic Captain America and several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to arrest Curt, for stealing some of the Super-Soldier Serum kept by S.H.I.E.L.D. themselves. He confessed about A.I.M. threatening him and decides to finally surrender to them, but his post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety suddenly triggered and causes him to transform into the Lizard once again (whose system is now mixed with the serum) and attacks the defense forces, but was later knocked out by Cap after a duel, single-handedly. Conners, devastated at having once more wreaked havoc via reckless experimentation, confessed his involvement during the Ultimate War, being threatened by A.I.M., and willingly surrendered himself to Captain America and the authorities.
Helping S.H.I.E.L.D.
Connors was later pardoned for his supposed crimes due to his true reasons and motivations and was instead recruited by Nick Fury to work with S.H.I.E.L.D. into helping them find all the lost stolen super-soldier serums that have been lost during the Ultimate War, scattered all over New York, so they collect the remaining samples before anyone else could get it and use it for their own selfish ways. Curtis also accepted the offer for one another main reason, the protection of his family under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s supervision. Shortly thereafter, Connors and his own science team also began to work on a cure that would prevent him from transforming into the Lizard as well has its side-effects ever again, to which he eventually injected it into himself, turning him human again, eliminating any major chances of becoming the Lizard ever again, with other exceptional situations he still has to avoid in order to keep the cure in his system progressively effective as time went on, including high levels of stress and others yet specified.
X-t(In)ction Event
In the wake of Mister Sinister's later return as a high-ranking operative of Hydra during the earliest stages of the Ends of the Earth, the mutate villain finally decided to begin his main mission since he first studied mutants in the past several centuries of his life, which was to put an end towards their race, or at least a large portion of its population, due to reasons yet to be discovered. As a part of his crusade, Sinister somehow made a deal with the scientific, international terrorist organization, A.I.M., once more, the organization who once threatened Connors during the days of Ultimate War, as well the the agency Connors and S.H.I.E.L.D. had investigated during their clandestine involvement in funding Miles Warren's Genetic Vendetta, a series of attacks in the past year which were enacted by various superpowered criminals against Oscorp and its affiliates, only to be thwarted by the Defenders, as Oscorp had since disposed of Norman Osborn's deceitful and illicit activities under the current transformative and progressive directorship of Liz Allan.
With S.H.I.E.L.D. finding more about this secret alliance, Mace decided to have this situation investigated with the assistance and help of Phil Coulson's team, which now includes Connors as a significant member of their science division, his most trusted allies. Through several investigations, it led the team into tracking down and interrogating several members of both Hydra and A.I.M. and question them more about their alliance. However, instead of answering to the team, most of them were only shocked in disbelief, telling them why would they even have another deal with the organization and told them that they've never deal with anyone, since they only brought nothing but failure during the events of Ultimate War, which had occurred for almost a decade ago. Confused as well, Mace decided to just have the enhanced prisoners be imprisoned for a while inside a highly-protected S.H.I.E.L.D. prison, located inside the Triskelion.
Legacy Virus
However, unbeknownst to them, the captured prisoners were indeed aware of the alliance, and as they were imprisoned inside the prison, they suddenly started acting and feeling really strange, as they suddenly vomit and coughing blood, followed by other several lethal symptoms which eventually occurred to them later on. It was then revealed to everyone that those prisoners were infected by a strange mysterious virus, genetically developed by the one and only, Mister Sinister himself. As a result, the prisoners were force to be quarantined and isolated by the organizations' medical team, but it was already too late, as the virus released by those escaped prisoners have already spread throughout the entire prison, infecting thousands of enhanced and non-enhanced prisoners, and later it had also spread outside of it, from S.H.I.E.L.D. facilities, until it made its way towards the neighboring cities infecting thousands and thousands more civilians, from mutants, Inhumans, and humans.
The worse thing was, the presence of the virus weren't that much detectable to several peace-keeping organizations, until a few more civilians started showing symptoms across New York. Later, its symptoms weren't noticeable on humans, but were also noticeable on mutants, in fact, this mysterious virus seemed to have, ten times more deadlier effect towards the infected mutants than most lifeforms. Distraught by what was happening around the community, Mace with S.H.I.E.L.D., and other secret organizations and agencies all around the world deepened their search and investigation on Sinister to track him down and confront him on making a cure to this growing plague, and while at it, they studied more on how to help the prevention of keeping this virus from spreading and mutating into something much worse.
Self-Sacrifice
Connors reluctantly transforms into the Lizard one last time, during his sacrifice in order to temporarily fight off the effects of the Legacy Virus, while developing the cure for the virus
The X-Men even tried to help them at first, however it was too dangerous for them to participate during this biological warfare, since the virus' deadliest targets are mutants after all, forcing them to stay safe and prepared on wherever they are as the virus rapidly spreads. But despite that, the main roster of the team still helped the heroes in tracking down Sinister, so they can ultimately end this mess and save the mutantkind's fate from extinction. Due to its lethal effects on mutants and humans, this virus were dubbed by its creator as the Legacy Virus, and was later planned to even develop a more lethal version of this deadly virus capable of almost instantly killing a biomass of lifeforms, with or without superhuman enhancements to boost their immune systems from the pathogen's "otherworldly" infection. Much to Connors' surprise, he found out that both his own wife Martha and his son Billy were one of the first infected in New York and their conditions were only getting worse, immediately motivating Connors to help make the cure faster than they've already expected.
However, its already continuous and progressive process was later interrupted and has finally been destroyed for good thanks to the intervention of the surviving Mutant Alliances, led by Mace, Mockingbird, and S.H.I.E.L.D's mutant operatives, the X-Men, the Brotherhood, and even Black Bolt's Inhuman Royal Family, who unwillingly allied themselves with their situational enemies once again, just for the sake of saving mutantkind from Sinister's schemes. Unfortunately, this accomplishment wouldn't have been achieved if it wasn't for Curt's selfless sacrifice, having to let himself stay inside the last known functioning S.H.I.E.L.D. laboratory located within the ruins of the Triskelion right after the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters was completely obliterated by the forces of Mister Sinister, and work on the main ingredients for the Legacy Virus cure mostly by himself. Within the Triskelion, he was also forced to fully transform into the Lizard permanently, one last time, in order to fight off the lethal effects of the virus and keep himself alive for a few hours while battling a squad of Sinister's mutated henchmen, biding himself enough time to formulate the most essential ingredients to make the final cure in time, only to cost him his own life for choosing not to inject himself with the first successful sample of the cure, so his fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. teammates could mass produce it.
After finally delivering the cure to his teammates, a weak Connors was able to muster his remaining strength and make his way out of the almost demolished Triskelion lab, which he miraculously returned to his normal form by the time agents Coulson, Mockingbird, Leo Fitz, and Jemma Simmons, as when their search-and-rescue team came to his aid, but unfortunately, it was already too late for him to be saved, not even cryostatis, the most effective way of slowing a virus on a carrier, could prevent the effects of the virus from killing him at that very moment. Nevertheless, in his dying breath, Connors was contented with his final actions as he knew that he willingly gave his own life in order to let billions of lives more to live theirs. As Connors died peacefully surrounded by his S.H.I.E.L.D. teammates, they were all devastated and but also honored by his noble sacrifice.
Legacy
With Doctor Connors' noble and unforgettable death & sacrifice, he was able to save billions of lives on Earth from fully succumbing into the lethal Legacy Virus, including his own wife and son. Connors would be later be honored among the other fallen heroes of the traumatizing Mutant Ultimatum, having their bodies buried at the Calverton National Cemetery, where their allies and loved ones (including his own wife and son, along with his former students at the Empire State University, most notably Peter Parker) attended their funeral and remembered their beloved memories with them, one last time. Moments prior to his selfless sacrifice at the Triskelion, Connors recorded a farewell holographic message especially for his wife and son, along with his closest friends and allies, to be shown to them upon his death, thanking them and that telling that he loves both of them for all his life.
In the end of his journey in life, Connors' everlasting legacy was eventually remembered by everyone not mainly as the infamous and villainous creature that was the Lizard, but rather as who he really was, something he wished would happen for so long. Connors is also one of the few modern scientists famous and prominent enough to be pictured in the one of the science lab of Empire State University, his alma mater as a professor. His legacy would also be remembered in the very last organization he has worked with, as S.H.I.E.L.D. would form a scientific research-based subdivision dedicated to improving his and other scientists' greatest of works and contributions named the "Connors Research Initiative," for the sake of humanity's future.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Reptilian Physiology: While transformed into the Lizard, Connors possesses a variety of superhuman attributes. The serum that made him the Lizard had 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.
- Superhuman Strength
- Superhuman Speed
- Superhuman Stamina
- Superhuman Durability
- Superhuman Agility
- Superhuman Reflexes
- Regenerative Healing Factor
- Tail
- Fangs & Claws
- Psionics
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Abilities
- Genius Intelligence
Strength level
Class 13+
Weaknesses
- Legacy Virus
- Lizard's Cure (formerly; proven ineffective after his final transformation into the Lizard)
- Lizard's strength and agility are reduced when exposed to intense cold for more than a few minutes.
- High levels of stress can cause Connors to transform into the Lizard, similar to how Bruce Banner usually turns into the Hulk.
Paraphernalia
Equipment:
- Inhibitor Chip (formerly)
- Legacy Virus Cure (formerly)
Transportation: None known.
Weapons: None known.
Notes
- No special notes.
- ↑ Modern Comics: S.H.I.E.L.D. Vol 3 15
Trivia
- In his first few years working for S.H.I.E.L.D. as a scientist around mid to late 2010s, Curt mentored and befriended special agent Bobbi Morse, who wanted to reignite and put her scientific career to better use as a junior biologist.
- Whilst also working with Fitz-Simmons, Curt saw the greatness in Bobbi's promising ideas and high quality breakthroughs, similar to his former student Peter Parker.
- Bobbi saw Curt as the uncle she never had that besides his family, Bobbi was one of the closest friends most devastated to learn about Curt's death, although she was able to fulfill his final will to help mass produce the Legacy Virus Cure. During his funeral, Bobbi would later tell stories to Curt's ex-wife and son how much he talked about them whilst working at the laboratory or eating lunch at the cafeteria.
See Also
- Appearances of Curtis Connors (Earth-61615)
- Character Gallery: Curtis Connors (Earth-61615)
- Quotations by Curtis Connors (Earth-61615)
Discover and Discuss
- Search News for: Curtis Connors · Curtis Connors (Earth-61615)
Links and References
- None.