Lizard

Curt Connors showed signs of genius even as a child. 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 the Vietnam War and he was enlisted as an U.S. Army surgeon.

Connors performed emergency battlefield surgery on wounded GI's, but his right arm was injured in a blast and had to be amputated. After getting home, he became obsessed with limb regeneration. To this end, he extensively studied the regenerative nature of reptiles and amphibians. He developed a radically advanced serum which could reproduce these regenerative abilities in humans and began to use this serum in his 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.

Connors was able to control himself at first and sought to cure himself, but his intellect began deteriorating as his savage and base instincts began to grow stronger and he found it increasingly difficult to figure out a cure. Frustrated and in a fit of rage, he destroyed his own lab and with the last of his humanity, he fled out into the Everglades to prevent himself from attacking his wife and child, Billy.

He began terrorizing the region, including his own wife and son. Rumors and sightings of the Lizard prompted J. Jonah Jameson of the Daily Bugle in New York to issue a challenge to Spider-Man to hunt down the creature, alerting Spider-Man to the threat.

After arriving in Florida, Spider-Man decided to track down Dr. Connors due to his acknowledged reputation as an expert in reptiles. In doing so, he discovered the truth about the Lizard and narrowly saved Martha and Billy Connors from the mutated reptilian scientist. Using Connors' notes, Spider-Man was able to complete a formula that he forcibly administered to the Lizard and reverted him back to Curt Connors.

Shortly afterwards, Connors suffered a relapse and reverted back to the Lizard but fortunately, he was saved by an old colleague, Professor Charles Xavier with his first team of X-Men.

But it would not be the last time that Curt Connors would find himself transformed into the bestial reptile known as the Lizard...

Early Years

In the early years, mild-mannered Curt Connors would forcibly change into the Lizard and force Spider-Man to develop a serum that would make him Connors again.

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 original serum Connors drank) administered to all of them. He retained intelligence, but was no longer Connors. Like Bruce Banner and his alter ego, the Incredible Hulk; separate personalities had formed in his mind. The only thing that ever stopped him was Spider-Man.

Later, Connors and his family moved to New York City and Connors eagerly tried to assist Spider-Man on several occasions. He helped saved May Parker, Peter Parker's beloved aunt when she developed complications from a blood transfusion that he had given her. Connors developed a formula that saved her.

Connors became a close friend to Peter Parker who worked as his teaching assistant. Connors was unaware that Peter was also Spider-Man.

Soon afterwards, Spider-Man approached him for aid against the Rhino and dissolve his armored costume but Connors was accidentally exposed to several chemicals that caused him to change into the Lizard once more. Spider-Man was narrowly able to defeat the Lizard and force fed him his counter-serum to change Connors back to normal.

Connors was later kidnapped by the Maggia crime boss Silvermane for his chemical expertise. The elderly Silvermane was obsessed with a youth formula enscribed on an ancient clay tablet and wanted Connors to recreate it. However, the extreme stress of his kidnapping ultimately caused Connors to transform into the Lizard once more, greatly complicating Spider-Man's rescue attempt.

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 Corporation. 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 Spider-Man 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. (Source: Wikipedia)

Gauntlet

Curts life soon began to spiral out his control once again. After getting a new job at a company called Phelcorp he began to hear a voice (most likely the Lizard) telling him to behave violently. He finally cracked when his boss Brian King slept with his assistant whom Connors was attracted to. He felt himself turning into the Lizard again and tried to take a drug to halt the change, but Brian stopped him believing he was trying to turn into the Lizard on purpose. Emerging the Lizard devoured Brian. The Lizard later killed his own son, Billy Connors, with no sign of Dr. Curt Connors being present in the Lizard.

After killing his own son, Spider-Man finds Billy’s body and follows his tracer to the Lizard. He finds his remains as well and believes Curt to be dead. Suddenly the newly shed Lizard burst out and reveals his new ability to speak. He also explains how the lizard brain has now taken over totally and how he always felt like he was Spider-Man’s prey and now it is the other way around. They begin to fight when Spider-Man begins to feel his primal instinct take over. He runs away and the Lizard takes off while a small bit of the Lizard’s mammal brain tells him he’s naked. Spider-Man goes to Connors’ lab assistant and takes whatever’s left of his antidote and a picture of Billy. Everyone in the city falls under the Lizard’s control and goes crazy fighting each other over territory and possession. Spider-Man takes a vial of antidote and takes on the Lizard again. Lizard mocks him for taking the poison and chaining his inner reptile when Spider-Man spits the antidote into the Lizard’s waiting jaws. Then he stabs him with every last vial of antidote and shoves a picture of Billy in his face. The Lizard becomes confused and Spider-Man is overcome by the crowd. The Lizard comes back and pulls Spider-Man from the swarm of people and takes him to a rooftop nearby. There he tries to rationalize the killing of the mammal brain’s son with Spider-Man, and how he know feels something horrible about the picture he sees in his mind. Spider-Man explains this is shame and part of being a mammal. The Lizard takes off and releases his control on the city. However he does keep a few under his control.

Origin of the Species

The Lizard is revealed as being the one who attacked Chameleon and stole Menace’s baby.

Powers and Abilities

The Lizard has superhuman strength that gives him the ability to lift approximately 12 tons. His reaction timing is about twice that of a regular human. 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.

As Curt Connors, he has no powers, but is a genius and is a world-famous herpetologist(scientist who studies reptiles). He also has significant knowledge in the fields of genetics and biochemistry. The Lizard persona demonstrates normal human intelligence, the ability of speech and higher reasoning. At times neither sentient persona seems to be in control and the Lizard acts as a mindless animal. While this (third?) persona is unintelligent its sheer ferocity still makes the Lizard a dangerous opponent.

The Lizard body has the main weakness of cold-blooded reptiles, being vulnerable to prolonged exposure to cold temperatures.

Characteristics Height: 6'8" (as the Lizard); 5'11" (as Curt Connors)

Weight: 510 lbs (as the Lizard); 175 lbs (as Curt Connors)

Eyes: Red (as the Lizard); Blue (as Curt Connors)

Hair: None (as the Lizard); Brown (as Curt Connors)

Alternate Realities

Earth-1610 - Ultimate universe

Ultimate

In the Ultimate universe, Dr. Curt Connors (last name is spelled differently) transforms into the Lizard. It is less intelligent than the 616 version, and has many of the same powers. Also, as Dr. Conners, he created the villain Carnage of the Ultimate universe using his and Spider-Man's DNA. He was arrested and lost funding from Stark Industries, but barely escaped and remains at large, trying to have his sick vision of the world come alive.

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.

MC2

Over the years, both Spider-man and the Lizard clashed and every time it was believed to be their last. Eventually, Connors had created a chemical that could purify the Everglades' water supply but in the process would hurt other reptiles. Eventually, the Lizard took back control but after a brief battle with Spider-man. The Lizard was convinced that no matter what they did, one family was going to be hurt no matter what. The Lizard gave Connors back control of his body and eventually he created a new chemical that not only safe guarded his family and purify the Everglades' water supply but put the Lizard completely out of Connors' mind since.

Earth-311 - Marvel 1602

Marvel 1602

Curtis Connors is mutated into a dinosaur with limited intelligence by Dr. Octavius hands.

Other Media

Spider-Man 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 further 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, Spider-Man 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

The Lizard appears in the very first episode of the Spider-Man "Night of the Lizard" and was voiced by Joseph Campanella. This version of the Lizard first transforms when Dr. Curtis Connors uses lizard DNA to try regrow his arm.

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 new found role as a super-hero.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 (2009)

Lizard is an exclusive boss for the PSP, PS2, NDS and Wii versions of the game. As with many villains in the game he soon appears to have been inducted into the Fold. He confronts and attacks the heroes at the portal that leads out of Prison 42, along with Scorcher, Electro and Grey Gargoyle.

Movies

In the Spider-Man movies, Dylan Baker plays Peter Parker's college professor Curt Connors. And during the third movie, he studied and examined the alien symbiote that eventually became Venom, (he still had a sample of this in his lab at the end of the movie). It was speculated he would have been the villain in Spider-Man 4, if it had not been passed up, in favor of rebooting the franchise.

Lizard in amazing spider-man

In The Amazing Spider-Man the character is played by Rhys Ifans.

Television

In the Spectacular Spider-man animated series TV-show, like all the other versions of Curt, develops a formula to regenerate his lost arm. At first it was thought to be a success, until it was discovered that he was reverting to a Lizard like form. He eventually turned into the Lizard and rampaged throughout the city, battling Spider-man all the way to the Bronx Zoo, where Spider-Man managed to give him the anti dote to turn him back to normal again.

At the end of the season two, he was fired from his job as head scientist of ESU due to all the security issues, (with help from Miles Warren), and then Curt and his family moved back to Florida to continue their research there.

Dr. Connors will appear in Ultimate Spider-Man as a SHIELD scientist.