The Eel is an alias used by two fictional characters 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 first character to take up the identity was Leopold Stryke who first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #112 (October 1963) created by

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...

and

Dick Ayers Richard Bache Ayers (; April 28, 1924 – May 4, 2014) was an American comic book artist and cartoonist best known for his work as one of Jack Kirby's inkers during the late-1950s and 1960s period known as the Silver Age of Comics, including on s ...

, while his successor, Edward Lavell, first appeared in '' Power Man and Iron Fist'' #92 (April 1983). Both Eels were at one point members of the Serpent Squad even though the character they portray was not actually based on a snake, but on a fish that resembled a snake. Neither Eel has ever been featured as a regular character in any of Marvel's ongoing or limited series. The original Eel, Leopold Stryke, wore a suit that could generate an electrical charge like an

electric eel The electric eels are a genus, ''Electrophorus'', of neotropical freshwater fish from South America in the family Gymnotidae, of which they are the only members of the subfamily Electrophorinae. They are known for their electric fish, ability ...

and was coated with a slippery substance. He was often depicted as a henchman, normally teaming up with other criminals such as Plantman,

Porcupine Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp Spine (zoology), spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two Family (biology), families of animals: the Old World porcupines of the family Hystricidae, and the New ...

, Scarecrow and

Unicorn The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since Classical antiquity, antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn (anatomy), horn projecting from its forehead. In European literature and art, the unico ...

. He later became a founding member of the Serpent Squad along with his brother Jordan, the original

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 ...

. He even worked for

Madame Hydra Madame Hydra is the name of several different fictional supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is a name given to a top female operative of Hydra (comics), Hydra. Fictional character biography Ophelia Sark ...

, unaware that she had killed his brother. Stryke was killed by the

Gladiator A gladiator ( , ) was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their ...

during a heist. The second Eel, Edward Lavell, started out as a foe of

Power Man Power Man may refer to: * Luke Cage, a Marvel Comics superhero, originally called Power Man * Erik Josten, a Marvel supervillain later known as Smuggler, Goliath and Atlas * Victor Alvarez, the current Power Man introduced in the mini-series ''Sh ...

and Iron Fist, but later became a general henchman like the original Eel working for Justine Hammer's

Masters of Evil The Masters of Evil is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in '' The Avengers'' #6 (July 1964), with the lineup continually changing over the years. Publication ...

and the Maggia. At one point Lavall appeared to have been killed, but later appeared as part of the latest incarnation of the Serpent Squad led by

Sin In religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered ...

, the daughter of the

Red Skull The Red Skull is the alias of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by France Herron, Jack Kirby, and Joe Simon, the character first appeared in ''Captain America Comics'' #1 (March 1941), in ...

. Subsequently, the Eel became part of "Serpent Solutions", the next incarnation of the

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. ...

Publication history

The original Eel first appeared in ''

Strange Tales ''Strange Tales'' is a Marvel Comics comics anthology, anthology series. The title was revived in different forms on multiple occasions. Doctor Strange and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (feature), Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. made their d ...

'' #112 (September 1963), and was created by

and

Steve Ditko Stephen John Ditko. Page contains two reproductions from school yearbooks. A 1943 Garfield Junior High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen Ditko". A 1945 Johnstown High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen J. Ditko" under extracurricular ac ...

. The character subsequently appears in ''Strange Tales'' #117 (February 1964), ''Daredevil'' #6 (February 1965), ''Fantastic Four Annual'' #3 (1965), ''X-Men'' #22-23 (July–August 1966), ''Captain America'' #158-159 (February–March 1973), #163 (July 1973), #180-181 (December 1974-January 1975), ''Defenders'' #36-38 (June–August 1976), and ''Ghost Rider'' #21-22 (December 1976-January 1977), in which he died. The character appeared posthumously in ''Alpha Flight Special Edition'' #1 (June 1992), ''Untold Tales of Spider-Man'' #11 (July 1996), and ''Marvel: Heroes and Legends'' #1 (October 1996). The original Eel received an entry in the '' Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition'' #17, and in the ''Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition'' #2. The second Eel first appeared in ''Power Man and Iron Fist'' #92 (April 1983) and was created by

Kurt Busiek Kurt Busiek ( ; born September 16, 1960) is an American comic book writer. His work includes the '' Marvels'' limited series, his own series titled '' Astro City'', a four-year run on '' The Avengers, Thunderbolts,'' and ''Superman.'' Early lif ...

and

Denys Cowan Denys Cowan (; born January 30, 1961) is an American comics artist, television producer, media executive and one of the co-founders of Milestone Media. Early life Denys Cowan was first inspired by superheroes as a child from reruns of the 1950s T ...

Fictional character biography

Leopold Stryke

Leopold Stryke was the first criminal known as the Eel. In Stryke's first appearances, he battled the

Human Torch The Human Torch (Jonathan Lowell Spencer "Johnny" Storm) is a fictional superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and ar ...

when he stole a nuclear device. Stryke was also a teammate of Plantman, the original

, the Scarecrow and the original

when they worked as henchmen for Count Nefaria. He was dispatched to battle the original team of

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 ...

. He then served as a henchman of the original Mister Fear, along with the Ox, as part of the Fellowship of Fear. Leopold and his brother Jordan, who was the original

, were later members of the original Serpent Squad. This first lineup battled

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 ...

. Leopold also aided the Serpent Squad in a plot to raise the continent of

Lemuria Lemuria (), or Limuria, was a continent proposed in 1864 by zoologist Philip Sclater, theorized to have sunk beneath the Indian Ocean, later appropriated by occultists in supposed accounts of human origins. The theory was discredited with the dis ...

. They battled the original

Nomad Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the population of nomadic pa ...

and

Namor Namor McKenzie (), also known as the Sub-Mariner, is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Bill Everett for comic book packager Funnies Inc., the character first appeared in '' Moti ...

the Sub-Mariner. When

reorganized the second Serpent Squad, Leopold remained unaware that she had murdered his brother and taken his alias. Leopold Stryke is fatally mutilated in Las Vegas by the

, who was sent to acquire a disintegrator ray that the Eel had in his possession.

Edward Lavell

Edward Lavell is first seen attempting to break Hammerhead out of prison. He battles

and Iron Fist. Later working with

Nightshade Solanaceae (), commonly known as the nightshades, is a family of flowering plants in the order Solanales. It contains approximately 2,700 species, several of which are used as agricultural crops, medicinal plants, and ornamental plants. Many me ...

, the Eel is defeated again by Iron Fist and reformed criminals Discus and

Stiletto A stiletto (plural stilettos) is a specialized dagger with a long slender blade and needle-like point, primarily intended as a thrusting and stabbing weapon.Limburg, Peter R., ''What's In The Names Of Antique Weapons'', Coward, McCann & Geoghega ...

. The Eel is seen working with the criminals Blitz and the Vanisher. The trio is defeated by Spider-Man. Lavell also aids a group of villains attacking the Fantastic Four. In hopes of gaining revenge against the criminal Mister Hyde, the Eel arranged a murder of a woman he had befriended, framing Hyde. Lavell also secretly impersonated "Snake" Marston, joining his team, the Enforcers, and led them in throwing off Daredevil’s attempts to find the true killer. Ultimately, the Eel sucker-punched Daredevil and gloated of his plans, but the Enforcers overheard and turned on him. The Eel was taken into court to clear Hyde’s name and was remanded to custody. Lavell was a member of Crimson Cowl's

, and is defeated by the Thunderbolts. After the Masters of Evil are apprehended, he was seen among the Maggia leaders assembled by the

Grim Reaper The Grim Reaper is a popular personification of death in Western culture in the form of a hooded skeletal figure wearing a black robe and carrying a scythe.Count Nefaria. He was captured when the Avengers invaded the meeting place. The Eel once worked against Hammerhead, transporting the Lifeline Tablet on behalf of Caesar Cicero, although Hammerhead soon recovered the Tablet for his own purposes. Lavell was next seen participating in the Bloodsport tournament at Madripoor. There, he put on a poor showing. He is defeated by the Toad, who seemingly crushes Lavell using his extremely long and powerful tongue. Lavell apparently survives the fight and is briefly seen as a client for the law firm Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway. He is discussing action to be taken against Power Man and refers to an 'Eel-Mobile'. Lavell plays a small role in the " Secret War" crossover event. 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 Eel is apprehended by the Thunderbolts to serve in the so-called Thunderbolt Army. Following the disbanding of the Thunderbolt Army, the Eel was among the villains at

Stilt-Man S'Byll S'Byll (sometimes spelled S'byll) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. S'Byll is a Skrull that was raised on the planet Satriani. She was responsible for curing Super-Skrull of his disease. Si ...

's funeral at the ''Bar with No Name'' at which Punisher poisoned the drinks and then blew up the bar. Lavell turned up as a member of a new Serpent Squad led by

, the daughter of the

. He participates in several murderous missions, including one intended to damage the Asian stock markets. He breaks Crossbones out of jail and later attacked the White House, but he was stopped by the new Captain America. During the ''

Original Sin Original sin () in Christian theology refers to the condition of sinfulness that all humans share, which is inherited from Adam and Eve due to the Fall of man, Fall, involving the loss of original righteousness and the distortion of the Image ...

'' storyline, the Eel is relaxing in his lounge alongside his goons when he receives an unexpected visit from the

Black Cat A black cat is a Cat, domestic cat with black fur. They may be a specific Purebred, breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular or mixed breed. Most black cats have golden iris (anatomy), irises due to their high melanin pigment content. Bl ...

. The Eel taunts her with the fallout from her capture by the Superior Spider-Man ( Doctor Octopus' mind in Spider-Man's body) and then attacks her. The Black Cat retaliates revealing her companion, Electro, who attacks the Eel's goons while the Black Cat taunts the Eel saying that she will take everything from him.

Mister Negative Mister Negative is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man, the Punisher, Shang-Chi, and Cloak and Dagger. The character was created by Dan Slott and ...

and

Phil Urich Philip Benjamin "Phil" Urich () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Web of Spider-Man'' #125 (June 1995). He was a superhero as the Green Goblin, and a supervillain as the ...

(who is now leading the remnants of the Goblin Underground as the self-proclaimed Goblin King) are waiting for the Eel in order to divide the criminal underground after Norman Osborn's downfall, but they are stunned by seeing the Eel crashing into the place when the Black Cat comes into view. 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 ...

'' event, the Eel appears as a member of the Viper's

under its new name of Serpent Solutions.''Captain America: Sam Wilson'' #4

Powers and abilities

Leopold Stryke designed the original Eel costume, which consisted of electrically superconducting fabric sandwiched in between body insulation and a layer of near-frictionless synthetic fabric. The Eel costume featured small devices capable of generating large and small bursts of electricity. It could fire electrical bolts (initially only through his suit's chest protector) and give off bright glows, as well as set up an electric current in the costume that would shock anyone touching it. The costume was coated with a greasy silicon substance (which was sometimes asbestos grease) that made it slippery. The costume could operate underwater. The battle suit also projects an electrical field which allows him to sense his surroundings, even in total darkness. The Eel used various weapons, including a specially designed helicopter, an Aqua-Attractor gun, and an Eel-Cannon.

Publication history

Fictional character biography

Leopold Stryke

Edward Lavell

Powers and abilities

References

External links