Asp (character)
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Asp (Cleo Nefertiti) is a fictional character appearing in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
s published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. The character has been depicted as a member of the villainous
Serpent Society The Serpent Society is an organization of snake-themed supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The society is a continuation of the original group the Serpent Squad and was later changed into Serpent Solutions. ...
as well as the group
BAD Girls, Inc. The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several fictional teams and organizations and this page lists them. 0–9 198 A A-Force A-Next A.I. Army The A.I. Army is a fictional organization appearing i ...
, an all-female group of adventurers. Egyptian Cleo Nefertiti took up her criminal career using the name Asp as part of the Serpent Society. There she formed a friendship with
Black Mamba The black mamba (''Dendroaspis polylepis'') is a species of highly venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. It is native to parts of sub-Saharan Africa. First formally species description, described by Albert Günther in 1864, it is ...
and Diamondback. During one her first jobs with the Serpent Society, she was contracted to kill
MODOK MODOK (; also written as M.O.D.O.K.; an acronym for Mental/Mobile/Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing) is a Character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Ja ...
, but ran into
Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...
during the job. When
Viper Vipers are snakes in the family Viperidae, found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, New Zealand, Ireland, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipe ...
took control of the Serpent Society from Sidewinder; Asp, Black Mamba, and Bushmaster refused to betray their leader. With the aid of Captain America they managed to defeat the Viper. Together with Black Mamba and Diamondback, Asp broke away from the Serpent Society and formed BAD Girls, Inc., who, while not being outright heroes, often aided Captain America and others in taking down various supervillains. During the Marvel ''
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
'' the BAD Girls, Inc. sided with Captain America's forces. She later returned to the Serpent Society.


Publication history

She was created by writer
Mark Gruenwald Mark Eugene Gruenwald ( ; June 18, 1953 – August 12, 1996) was an American comic book writer, editor, and occasional penciler known for his long association with Marvel Comics. Career Early career Gruenwald got his start in comics f ...
and artist
Paul Neary Paul Neary (18 December 1949 – 10 February 2024) was a British comic book artist, writer and editor. His first work was for Warren Publishing in the 1970s before working with Dez Skinn at Marvel UK as well as work for '' 2000 AD''. He later ...
, and first appeared in ''
Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...
'' #310, published October 1985.


Fictional character biography

Intelligent yet soft-spoken, Asp was born in
Tanta Tanta ( ' ) is a city in Egypt. Tanta had a population of 658,798 in 2018, making it the fifth most populous city in Egypt. Tanta is located between Cairo and Alexandria: north of Cairo and southeast of Alexandria. The capital of Gharbia Gove ...
,
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
. It was there that she earned her reputation as an
exotic dancer A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at private events. Modern forms of stripping m ...
, being able to charm snakes with her sensual movements. Her ability to generate blasts of energy which cause paralysis intrigued the leader of the Serpent Society, Sidewinder, and he invited her to join the group. Given the task to spread the word of a new criminal organization to those who would be interested brought Asp and her comrade,
Cottonmouth ''Agkistrodon piscivorus'' is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. It is one of the world's few semiaquatic vipers (along with the Florida cottonmouth), and is native to the Southeaster ...
, straight to the notorious Kingpin. She also participated in the mission to murder
MODOK MODOK (; also written as M.O.D.O.K.; an acronym for Mental/Mobile/Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing) is a Character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Ja ...
, though she was defeated when
Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...
entered the battle. She was not as cold-hearted as some of her teammates, though she did not hesitate to get down and dirty with the best of them. With the Serpent Society, she stole MODOK's corpse from the morgue, and turned it over to A.I.M. Alongside
Anaconda Anacondas or water boas are a group of large boas of the genus ''Eunectes''. They are a semiaquatic group of snakes found in tropical South America. Three to five extant and one extinct species are currently recognized, including one of the l ...
, she confronted the Ringmaster over the Death Adder's murder. Asp became firm friends with fellow members Diamondback and
Black Mamba The black mamba (''Dendroaspis polylepis'') is a species of highly venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. It is native to parts of sub-Saharan Africa. First formally species description, described by Albert Günther in 1864, it is ...
after
Viper Vipers are snakes in the family Viperidae, found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, New Zealand, Ireland, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipe ...
attempted to take over leadership of the Serpent Society. Viper captured and poisoned Asp, Black Mamba, and Bushmaster because they refused to betray Sidewinder. They were later rescued by Captain America and Diamondback. Asp participated in the Serpent Society's mission to recover mystic objects for
Ghaur Ghaur () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. In the Marvel Universe, he is the head of the Deviant race's priesthood. Publication history Ghaur was created by Peter B. Gillis and Sal Busce ...
and
Llyra Llyra is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history Llyra first appeared in '' Sub-Mariner'' #32 (December, 1970) and was created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema. Fictional character biogra ...
, and battled the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
. She also skirmished alone with Captain America at the club where she worked as an exotic dancer, when he confronted her about Diamondback's whereabouts. With Anaconda and Black Mamba, she shadowed Diamondback on her first date with Steve Rogers, and battled the
Gamecock Cockfighting is a blood sport involving domesticated roosters as the combatants. The first documented use of the word gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a "game", a sport, pastime or entertainment, was recorded in 1634, after the term " ...
. When the Serpent Society put Diamondback on trial, the Asp voted in her favor. When
King Cobra The king cobra (''Ophiophagus hannah'') is a species complex of snakes Endemism, endemic to Asia. With an average of and a record length of , it is the world's longest venomous snake and among the heaviest. Under the genus ''Ophiophagus'', i ...
ordered the death of Diamondback, the Asp contacted Sidewinder to rescue Diamondback. The Asp and Black Mamba fought the other Serpent Society members, but were captured along with
Paladin The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers (), are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, wh ...
and Diamondback by King Cobra and Bushmaster. With the help of Captain America, the four of them escaped and defeated the Serpent Society. She also briefly battled
Alpha Flight Alpha Flight is a fictional team of Canadian superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters premiered in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #120 (April 1979), and were created to serve as part of the X-Men member Wolv ...
during the
Acts of Vengeance "Acts of Vengeance" is a comic book crossover storyline running through several titles published by Marvel Comics from December 1989 to February 1990. Publication history This company-wide fall crossover was centered on the Avengers and Fanta ...
while fleeing the first
Superhuman Registration Act Superhero fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction examining the adventures, personalities and ethics of costumed crime fighters known as superheroes, who often possess superhuman powers and battle similarly powered criminals known as super ...
, where it was revealed that she is a
mutant In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It i ...
. She soon joined Diamondback and Black Mamba in forming
BAD Girls, Inc. The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several fictional teams and organizations and this page lists them. 0–9 198 A A-Force A-Next A.I. Army The A.I. Army is a fictional organization appearing i ...
, adopting a new costume. After being ambushed by
Anaconda Anacondas or water boas are a group of large boas of the genus ''Eunectes''. They are a semiaquatic group of snakes found in tropical South America. Three to five extant and one extinct species are currently recognized, including one of the l ...
and captured by the Serpent Society, the B.A.D. Girls were rescued by
MODAM Maria Trovaya Pym is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, depicted as the first wife of Hank Pym and the mother of Nadia van Dyne. After being initially held captive by the Red Room and killed, she is res ...
. With other female costumed criminals, the B.A.D. Girls were invited aboard
Superia Superia may refer to: * ''Superia'' (video game), a Norwegian game based on ''Adventure Rock'' * ''Superia'' (comics), a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe * Fujifilm Superia, a brand of photographic film * Superior craton The Su ...
's cruise ship and joined her
Femizons Femizon is the name of two fictional groups appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Fictional team history Earth-712 Femizons The first group to be called Femizons were the women of Femizonia, a gynarchic future world in ...
. When Captain America and Paladin infiltrated the cruise ship the Femizons resided on, Asp and Black Mamba decided to help the heroes escape Superia. Asp, Black Mamba, and
Impala The impala or rooibok (''Aepyceros melampus'', lit. 'black-footed high-horn' in Ancient Greek) is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The only extant member of the genus '' Aepyceros'', and tribe Aepycerotini, it ...
went to one of the "
Bar With No Name Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar *Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of ...
" locations, and battled
Battleaxe A battle axe (also battle-axe, battle ax, or battle-ax) is an axe specifically designed for combat. Battle axes were designed differently to utility axes, with blades more akin to cleavers than to wood axes. Many were suitable for use in one ha ...
, Steel Wind, and Golddigger. Asp and her friends broke into a former Serpent Society headquarters, battled
Sersi Sersi () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as a member of the Eternals, a race of superhumans. She was also a member of the Avengers and God Squad. Sersi first a ...
, and took an abandoned Serpent Saucer. She later joined up with the Serpent Society once again, but then left to be reunited with the B.A.D. Girls as freelance mercenaries. They went up against
Cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...
,
Deadpool Deadpool is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (December 1990). In his comic book appearances, Deadpool is ...
,
Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas, and John Romita Sr. in 1972, he was the first Af ...
, and Iron Fist, and eventually teamed up with
The Cat The Cat may refer to: Nickname * Mathilde Carré (1910-2007), French spy, double and possibly triple agent * Peter Bonetti (1941–2020), English footballer * Greg Cattrano (born 1975), American lacrosse player * Ernest Miller (born 1964), Amer ...
to find the "Dominus Objective." However, the B.A.D. Girls eventually discover that Cable was the one who hired them. Asp is one of the few mutants who retained their powers after the events of M-Day. During the ''
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
'' storyline, The Asp and the other B.A.D. Girls were revealed to be members of Captain America's "Secret Avengers", openly opposing the Superhuman Registration Act. She took part in the final battle of the "war", but did not accept the offer of amnesty that came with Captain America's surrender. Later, Asp and the other BAD Girls were captured by
The Mighty Avengers ''The Mighty Avengers'' is a comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are oft ...
in a New York City mall. During the '' Dark Reign'' storyline, Asp is revealed as a member of the
Initiative Popular initiative A popular initiative (also citizens' initiative) is a form of direct democracy by which a petition meeting certain hurdles can force a legal procedure on a proposition. In direct initiative, the proposition is put direct ...
's new team for the state of
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...
, the Women Warriors. During the
Siege A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...
, she joined Norman Osborn in the assault on Asgard alongside the
Dark Avengers ''Dark Avengers'' is a 2009–2013 American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is part of a series of titles that features various iterations of the superhero team the Avengers, with this version of the team – unbeknownst to the ...
and the Initiative members that are on his side. During the ''
Avengers vs. X-Men ''Avengers vs. X-Men'' (''AvX'' or ''AvsX'') is a 2012 crossover event that was featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The event, consisting of an eponymous limited series and numerous tie-in books, involves the return of the Phoe ...
'' storyline, Asp was once again seen as part of the Serpent Society, apparently having abandoned her attempts at reformation. The group was quickly defeated by
Hope Summers Sarah Hope Summers (June 7, 1902 – June 22, 1979) was an American actress known for her work on ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and '' Mayberry R.F.D.'', portraying Clara Edwards. Early life Hope Summers was born in Mattoon, Illinois, the daugh ...
during a botched bank robbery. As part of the ''
All-New, All-Different Marvel All-New, All-Different Marvel (ANADM) is a 2015–2019 branding for Marvel Comics' entire main line of comics. Taking place after the crossover storyline "Secret Wars", it details the new Marvel Universe, with nearly 60–65 titles relaunched wi ...
'', Asp appears as a member of Viper's Serpent Society under its new name Serpent Solutions. Her venom bolt kept
Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...
paralyzed while he was a prisoner of the Serpent Society. Asp later joined several other super-villains as they attended a boxing match in Las Vegas between
America Chavez America Chavez is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Joe Casey and artist Nick Dragotta, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Vengeance'' #1 (September 2011). Chavez is a List ...
and her girlfriend Magdalena. The match was orchestrated by
Arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated video, pinball, electro-mechanical, redemption, etc., game ** Arcade video game, a coin-operated video game ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade video game's hardware ** Arcad ...
, and ended when America's grandmother appeared and defeated the criminals. Alongside other members of the Serpent Society, Asp joined Constrictor when he revealed he had stolen Iron Fist's mystical book and had planned to sell it to Iron Fist's enemy, Choshin. Unbeknownst to Asp and the other serpents, it was actually Constrictor's son who had donned the costume after his father had died. During a battle with Iron Fist, Sabretooth, and Choshin's samurais, Asp was knocked out of the battle.


Powers and abilities

Asp has the ability to generate a unique form of radiant
bioelectricity Developmental bioelectricity is the regulation of cell, tissue, and organ-level patterning and behavior by electrical signals during the development of embryonic animals and plants. The charge carrier in developmental bioelectricity is the io ...
that she can channel as lightning-like blasts. This energy does not affect inanimate matter, but upon striking a living being causes a rapid paralysis of the nervous system similar to the effect of the
neurotoxic Neurotoxicity is a form of toxicity in which a biological, chemical, or physical agent produces an adverse effect on the structure or function of the central and/or peripheral nervous system. It occurs when exposure to a substance – specifical ...
bite of certain
venomous snakes ''Venomous snakes'' are species of the suborder Serpentes that are capable of producing venom, which they use for killing prey, for defense, and to assist with digestion of their prey. The venom is typically delivered by injection using hollow ...
. Her body constantly generates and stores this energy, but it can be temporarily expended after firing several "venom-bolts" in rapid succession, requiring her to recharge. Asp can accelerate the speed at which her body regenerates energy by engaging in physical activity that increases her heart rate and metabolism. Asp's "venom-bolts" have different effects, depending on how far they travel before reaching a target, and on how much power she uses in a single bolt. A full-force blast can instantly kill an adult human. Normally, however, her bolts paralyze her victims for several hours, but cause no lasting damage. She can also release blasts of lower intensity that do not instantly paralyze targets, but instead cause neural delays which result in a loss of muscular control and coordination. Her energy bolts can travel roughly twenty-five feet before dissipating. When fully charged, the Asp's body releases low levels of energy at all times, making prolonged physical contact with her fatal. She can also apparently release a blast of paralytic energy through physical contact without any visible effect. The Asp is also an accomplished dancer with superb muscular control.


Other characters named Asp

A thief named the Asp (real name Rich Harper) appeared with the
N'Kantu, the Living Mummy N'Kantu the Living Mummy is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character's first run was from 1973 to 1975, and was based on the popular undead mummy trope of horror fiction. Publication hist ...
in the ''
Supernatural Thrillers ''Supernatural Thrillers'' was an American horror fiction comic book published by Marvel Comics in the 1970s that adapted classic stories of that genre, including works by Robert Louis Stevenson and H. G. Wells, before becoming a vehicle for a su ...
'' series. He first appeared in ''Supernatural Thrillers'' #9, October 1974.


Other versions


Ultimate Marvel

Asp appeared in the
Ultimate Universe The Ultimate Universe is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics beginning in 2023; the imprint is overseen by writer Jonathan Hickman. It reimagines several classic Marvel characters in a new fictional continuity, after Hickman and ...
as a member of the all-female Serpent Squad. Along with her team, she battled the
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
while searching for the
Serpent Crown The Serpent Crown is a fictional mystical power object appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Marie Severin, and first appeared in '' Sub-Mariner'' #9 (January 1969). Properti ...
.


Marvel Zombies

A zombified version of Asp appeared in the
Marvel Zombies ''Marvel Zombies'' is a five-issue limited series published from December 2005 to April 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam. It was the first series in the ''Ma ...
universe as an inhabitant of the Deadlands. She attempts to eat Ultimate Thor, but is killed by Rune Thor.


In other media

Asp appears in the ''
Marvel Future Avengers is a Japanese superhero anime television series produced by Madhouse and Walt Disney Japan, based on the Marvel Comics universe. The series follows a group of teenagers with special powers, who are trained by the Avengers to become superh ...
'' episode "Mission Black Market Auction", voiced by
Yūko Kaida is a Japanese actress and Voice acting in Japan, voice actress who is affiliated with Ken Production. Her most known roles include Shimei Ryomou in ''Ikki Tousen'', Tsukuyo in Gin Tama, ''Gintama'', Chasca in Genshin Impact, Kyō Takamimori in ...
in Japanese and
Laura Bailey Laura Bailey (born May 28, 1981) is an American voice actress. She made her voice acting debut as Trunks (Dragon Ball), Kid Trunks in the Funimation dub of ''Dragon Ball Z'' and has since voiced List of Gunslinger Girl characters#First Generati ...
in English. This version is a member of B.A.D. Girls, Inc.


References


External links

* * {{Captain America characters Characters created by Mark Gruenwald Characters created by Paul Neary Comics characters introduced in 1985 Egyptian superheroes Fictional dancers Fictional mercenaries in comics Marvel Comics female superheroes Marvel Comics female supervillains Marvel Comics mutants