Lizard

Curt Connors showed signs of genius as a child, and he was. He was the smartest kid around his hometown of Coral Gables, Florida. He was a gifted surgeon, and got a M.D. However, this was at the time the U.S was caught in Vietnam in a war. Good man that he was, Dr. Curt Connors left to become an Army surgeon. Connors performed emergency battlefield surgery on wounded GIs, but his right arm was injured in a blast and had to be amputated. After getting home, he became obsessed (that's how all supervillains start-obsession) with limb regeneration and tried to create a serum to help people regrow limbs. To this end, he studied the regenerative nature of reptiles and amphibians. He developed a radically advanced form of therapy which could reproduce these regenerative abilities in humans and began to use this therapy in experiments. He even successfully regrew a limb of a rabbit within a single hour. Despite the warnings of his wife, Martha Connors, Connors drank the serum. He did regrow the arm, but it had a grotesque side effect-it contaminated his body and turned him into a bipedal sapient reptilian humanoid-the Lizard.

The first time he became Lizard, he was a monster, and Spider-Man developed a serum that reformed him in the Glades. He had been terrorizing the Glades, including his wife and son. In fact, he nearly killed Spider-Man and both family members if not for Spidey's efforts and a lot of luck. This happened many times, and Connors would occasionally change into Lizard. But eventually, the Lizard developed a personality. He wanted all humans to be killed so the world could be populated by super-reptiles like himself, with the Lizard formula(the serum he drank) administered to all of them. He retained intelligence, but was no longer Connors. Like Hulk, seperate personalities had formed in his mind. The only thing that ever stopped him was Spider-Man. Occasionally, he would change into Connors, and was Spider-Man's ally. But when he didn't expect it, the mild-mannered Dr. Curtis Connors would transform into the evil Lizard and wage war on humanity! Thus begins the tragic saga of the Lizard.......

Early Years

As aforementioned, the early years of the Lizard followed a predictable pattern-mild-mannered Curt Connors would change into the Lizard and attack our fair city, Spider-Man would develop a serum that would make him Connors again, and administer it at the last second. In the first battle in the Glades, Spider-Man looked at Dr. Connors' notes to create a serum that would counteract the Lizard formula. Connors paid him back in a way that Spider-Man never forgot-after moving to New York City with Martha and his son, Billy Connors, he saved May Parker, or Aunt May's life. Peter had given her a blood transfusion, but his radioactive blood nearly killed her. Connors developed a formula that saved her. But he kept reverting to Lizard, and Lizard eventually developed his wicked personality. He began attacking New York on a regular basis. In Lizard's early years, Connors was a friend to Peter Parker, who worked as his teaching assistant. What Connors didn't know is that Peter was also Spider-Man.

Secret Wars and Family Trouble

In the Secret Wars, the all-powerful Beyonder teleported many of Earth-616's greatest heroes and villains to an uninhabited planet to wage war. Lizard was one of the villains there, along with other villains like Doctor Doom and perennial Spider-Man foe Dr. Octopus. The Lizard has a comparatively small role in the Secret Wars as he was driven away from the villains team early on in the adventure. He fled into the swampland after injuring Molecule Man. While in the swamp he met and befriended the Wasp who cared for his wounded arm. He returned to earth along with the other villains when Molecule Man transported Seattle home.

When he returned, Martha Connors took Billy and left Connors. Although Curt was a loving husband, she couldn't handle the occasional problem of having a homicidal supervillain as a husband. Curt was stricken with grief, and his actions because of it would lead to his almost death.

Fight the Lizard (and Calypso)

In all stages of despair, Connors made a last-ditch attempt to control his life-and the Lizard. He expended tremendous mental energy and gained weak control over the vicious alter-ego. But unfortunately for the poor man, the evil sorceress Calypso used her voodoo magic to revert him to Lizard and break him into a twisted, savage, vicious state where he was a mindless animal. Spider-Man fought him and Calypso many times in a series of rough, bloody battles before managing to defeat them both. Connors cured himself and submitted to the supervillain prison-the Vault. Calypso tried to control Lizard again before the villain murdered her, escaped from the Vault, and resurfaced. In a battle with Spider-Man and the bounty hunter Warrant, Lizard fell into a quicksand pit and seemed to have died.

Lizard-Clone and Martha's Death

After the original Lizard's apparent death, a huge, mindless animal Lizard appeared and started rampaging around destroying things, causing the thought the transformation was permanent. However, Dr. Connors had survived the quicksand, and when the savage Lizard met him, he reverted to the original Lizard and saved his family, killing the clone. The clone was actually developed when a formula was tested on a piece of the original Lizard's tail, which grew into a full Lizard creature. Lizard had more "adventures", mainly trying to contaminate the world's water supply to turn everyone into zombies. His plot failed, and tragedy struck. Both Martha and Billy were diagnosed with cancer. The reason was deduced by Spider-Man, Martha Connors and Billy Connors had been exposed to carcinogens living next to a facility of the Monnaco Corparation. Making matters worse, Curt's arm degenerated. Spider-Man helped Dr. Connors to expose the corrupt corporation, but it was too late. Martha passed away from the disease, and Billy barely survived and grew a vengeance for his father. Billy went to his aunt's care, and the stress drove Dr. Connors mentally unstable.

Dark Times

Curt revealed a horrible truth to Spider-Man afterwards, about his past. Dr. Connors had gone to New York in hopes of getting a research grant. When the grant went to another scientist, Connors detonated the lab, severely injuring the other man. Lizard was seen leaving the building, but he convinced Peter of his innocence. However, he asked Spider-Man to lock him in the sewers for others' safety. As this happened, the Daily Bugle exposed that the Lizard was the result of transformation. When Spidey went down to talk, the Lizard broke free. Lizard admitted to Spider-Man that he had lied. Connors had been controlling the Lizard for a long time, using the transformation to achieve his wicked ends. He smashed up Spider-Man, confronted Billy and horrified him, and finally reverted to Connors. He was broken inside by his deeds, and allowed himself to be arrested so he wouldn't hurt others. Recently, Green Goblin broke the Lizard out of prison, enhanced his powers, and asked the creature to join his Sinister Twelve, orchestrated to take down Spider-Man. The team quickly failed, and the Fantastic Four and assorted Avengers helped to take the short-lived team down.

Lizard, Jr.

Even more recently, Billy Connors helped attack Spider-Man in a new guise-a pint-sized version of his father! The Lizard had injected his son with the Lizard formula, and Billy/Lizard Jr. helped nearly kill the wall-crawler. Eventually, the Webslinger captured them both. Lizard Jr. was tragically shot and killed, but Lizard escaped into the relative safety of the sewers and remained at large before joining a new Sinister Six. It was taken down by Captain America's Secret Avengers, and Lizard is in prison-for now.

After the Civil War, Dr Connors help Spider-Man to formulate a cure for the victims of Mr. Hyde, who were given Spider-like powers. He is also monitoring an Initiative trainee named Komodo, who stole his formula and now has developed powers just like him.

Powers and Abilities

The Lizard has superhuman strength that gives him the ability to lift c. 12-37 tons. His speed, agility, and reflexes are equal to Spider-Man. His tough scaly skin offers great resistance to being cut or punctured by concussive force. He is thus amazingly tough, surpassing Spider-Man, and able to resist penetration by small caliber bullets. If he is actually wounded he heals at a superhuman pace, also able to regenerate missing limbs and his tail. He has sharp claws and razor-sharp teeth. His jaws can trap the limbs of opponents and his bites may easily prove lethal. His tail is superhumanly strong, sharp, and can whip at 70 mph. He can scale walls and stick to things, supporting his own weight.  His leg muscles allow him to clear 12 feet in a standing high jump and 18 feet in a standing broad jump. He can run at speeds of up to 45 mph. He can telepathically control all reptiles within one mile of him. Green Goblin   recently added a new ability to the Lizard who can now excrete pheromones that cause humans to be more violent..

Alternate Realities

Earth-1610 - Ultimate universe

Earth-20051 - Marvel Adventures universe

In the Marvel Adventures universe, Dr. Curt Connors works at Empire State University. He currently conducts research in secret to cure him of his Lizard alter ego. When he is stressed or under pressure the Lizard can exert influence to cloud his decisions. The Lizard obsessed with riding the world of mammalian life and returning to an age of reptiles. When Connors transforms into the Lizard he becomes a cold-blooded creature, Spider-man exploited this to force the Lizard into a hibernation so an antidote could be given.
 
Later on, the Lizard was then kidnapped by the Serpent Society as they tried to force Curt to stain the water supply with his Lizard formula, so that everyone in the city would turn into Lizards. But he prevented them from doing so by drinking the formula himself, which made him turn into a giant form of the Lizard. Spider-man eventually cured him by giving him a large amount of the anti-dote.

Earth-2149

In the Marvel Zombies universe Lizard has, as most of earth's heroes been transformed into a zombie.

Earth-3752

Here Curt Connors is the leader of the Science Squad.

Other Media

Spiderman 3 video game

In the spider man 3 video game Dr. Curt Connors is attempting to regrow his arm with an experimental serum. When he first injects himself nothing happens then suddenly he begins screaming and goes into a fit of rage and knocks the camera down. For a brief moment the screen goes black and then peter walks in to see a Lizard standing in the room with a torn lab coat and torn pants on. Peter must follow him outside and into a sewer. Once down in the sewer he must quickly reach the top of the ladder before he drowns. He runs into an old enemy who is hunting the lizard.....Kraven. After he battles kraven he must move on furthur to find Kraven again only after he beats Kraven this time Kraven has the lizard turned into a monster. Since the new lizard is to big for his normal attacks to work he must grab the lizards tale and spin him around and throw him into one of four generators, he must then run over to him and web his hands and mouth in order to get a few hits in on him.

Spider-Man Nintendo 64, Playstation video game

After chasing Venom, who had kidnapped Mary Jane, into the sewers, Spidey found Lizard who revealed that he had been beaten and imprisoned by Venom. Lizard's role in the game is minor though, he simply gives you directions to wear you can find Venom.

Spider-man Electro Nintendo 64, Playstation video game

While looking for Dr. Curt Connors you are ambushed by him while he is the lizard. You have to shoot the antidote Connors made into him to weaken him and beat the lizard unconscious. Then Connors reverts back to a human and tells you where the other scientist is.
 

Spider-Man Friend or Foe

 
In this game he appears as playable character to play along with Spider-Man

Spider-Man Sega the animated series

Lizard appeared in numerous episodes, in one notable episode, which was part of the "Secret Wars" story arc, the Lizard was "cured" at least mentally, as the Lizard body was now under the control of the Dr. Connors. The negative side effect was that Connor's could no longer become human, and was struggling emotionally with this, and  his newfound role as a super-hero.
 

Spider-man 2 and 3

In the Spiderman movies, Dylan Baker plays Peter Parker's college professor Curt Connors. And during the third movie, he studied and examined the alien aymbiote that eventually became Venom, (he still has a sample of it in his lab from the third movie). And it's speculated that he'll become the main villain in Spiderman 4 as the Lizard.
 

Spectacular Spider-man animated series