Curtis Connors (Earth-616)

Early Life[]

Dr. Curtis " Curt" Connors was born and raised in Coral Gables, Florida. He attended Medical school graduating with twin doctorates in biology and biochemistry. It was in college he met Martha and together they had a son Billy.^[6]

Experiments[]

He became a gifted surgeon who enlisted in the U.S. Army. He performed emergency battlefield surgery on wounded soldiers. However, his right arm was terribly injured in a wartime blast, resulting in its amputation. After returning to civilian life, Doc Connors devoted his life to creating a serum to regenerate lost limbs. Using DNA from reptiles, who naturally regrew lost limbs, Connors created a serum he was sure would work.^[1]

The Lizard[]

Using himself as the first test subject, Connors injected himself with a dose of his formula and was ecstatic when his arm began to regenerate. However, the reptilian DNA his serum was based on mixed with, and altered, his own DNA, and turned him into a vicious creature known as The Lizard. While Connors was eventually "cured" by Spider-Man and returned to his human appearance.^[1]

Another attempt to develop this serum for safe use again resulted in Connors transforming into the Lizard, but on this occasion, he was saved thanks to his former colleague Professor Charles Xavier and his first team of X-Men.^[5]

Batwing[]

Spider-Man later asked Doc Connors to use his expertise to help cure Batwing. When an accident caused Curt to become the Lizard again, Batwing helped Spider-Man track him down and cure Curt. Curt and Jimmy left New York for someplace quiet where Jimmy could be cured.^[7][8]

May Parker[]

When Spider-Man's Aunt May became sick due to radiation from a blood transfusion from him, he went to Doc Connors for help. He stole a vial of her blood and brought it to him. He told him that ISO-36 was a way to cure her. As they prepare for its arrival, Dr. Connors was told that it was stolen and Spider-Man went track it down.^[9] Spidey recovered it and took it to Doc Connors for testing it successfully on his own blood, he reasons it may be a cure for Aunt May. Connors phoned the hospital to approve the serum Spider-Man was delivering.^[10]

The Rhino[]

In Spider-Man's first encounter with the villain, Rhino, Spider-Man brought a piece of the Rhino's hide to Doctor Connors for analysis. Together they create a reformulated webbing which burned through the Rhino's hide, allowing Spider-Man the capture the villain.^[11]

Return of the Lizard[]

Connors, however, reacted to the chemicals used on the Rhino and turned into The Lizard again. The Lizard then framed Spider-Man for a jewelry robbery, but finds him in front of the public, showing the Lizard can climb too clearing his name but spraining his arm in the process.^[12] The Lizard went to Dr. Connors' lab to find a formula to transform reptiles into his personal army. Since his reptilian brain cannot understand Doc Connors notes, he wrecks the lab waking Mrs. Connors and Billy up and goes to find Dr. Connor himself, not knowing they are one and the same. Spidey found him on a train to Philadelphia with a large reptile collection onboard. The Lizard commanded a train car filled with reptiles to attack. Spidey forced him into a freezer car, where he was weakened by the cold. Spidey then wrapped him in a web cocoon to prevent his death and works in Doc Connors' lab to create an antidote before the Lizard thaws.^[13]

Silvermane[]

Later, Billy was kidnapped by the Maggia, along with his mother, to compel Doc Connors to decipher the Lifeline Tablet's secret code.^[14] After being moved into the Galby Building, they both were rescued by Spider-Man.^[15] Billy and his mother were brought to a safe place by Spider-Man, who vowed to find Lizard and change him back to human form.^[16]

Six-Armed Spider-Man[]

When Spider-Man grew four extra arms, Connors allowed him to stay at his Southampton home where he had a spare lab. He agreed to meet him there. When he arrived however, he found Spidey unconscious by the stairs and Morbius was about to feast on him. Doc Connors dodged Morbius' attack but is panicked and transformed into the Lizard.^[17] However, during the fight the Lizard was knocked into an electrical panel, and Morbius manages to bite him, but Spidey fought him off before he can get away. To Spidey's surprise, something in Morbius's bite has caused the Lizard to partially revert back to Doc Connors. The effect was temporary, however, as Connors maintains his mind but struggled to keep the Lizard from taking control. The two decided to work together to try to find a cure for themselves and deduce that something in Morbius's blood could possibly cure them. During the fight, Connors manages to extract some of Morbius's blood and injects himself with it. Surprisingly, it causes him to change back to his human form. Spider-Man was able to recover the blood and cure his Six Arm affliction.^[18]

Spidey's Identity[]

When Spider-Man was caught on camera by Spencer Smythe he went to Doc Connors lab to create a synthetic mask based on his own face to try and reverse any potential compromise the camera has caused his secret identity.^[19]

Stegron[]

Doc Connors asked Spider-Man to travel to the Savage Land to track down Dr. Vincent Stegron, who has gone there to reproduce Connor's experiments on dinosaurs. Stegron succeeded in duplicating the Connors Formula in dinosaurs and has transformed him into a humanoid Dinosaur.^[20] He returned to New York. Doc Connors and Spidey worked together to find a way to reverse Stegron's mutation, Stegron and his army of Dinosaurs attack the city.^[21]

Man-Thing[]

While investigating the Man-Thing for the Daily Bugle in Florida, Peter Parker contacted Doc Connors for help. He, however, became the Lizard again. Working with the Man-Thing, he was able to return his friend to normal.^[22]

The Original Clone Saga[]

When Peter Parker was not sure if he was the original Peter Parker or just the clone with the memories of the original, he went to Doc Connors to perform a test. However, when the results arrived, he tore them up not wanting to know the results.^[23]

Vita-Drain Device[]

When Spider-Man was drained of energy by the Kingpin's Vita-Drain Device he went to Doc Connors uses his Enervator device to restore him. The recharge also caused a small explosion which catches Connors, however, he appeared all right. However, the measure was temporary, and so Connors equips Spider-Man with a device that would reverse the effects of the Vita-Drain.^[24] Spidey thanked the Doc for his help, but when he left the Doc felt woozy.^[25]

Stegron's Return[]

Curt told Martha that he is feeling the after-effects of the explosion of a generator which saved Spider-Man's life. Stegron returned and kidnapped Billy and then leaves instructions for Curt to follow else he will kill Billy. While at the Connors home, Curt talked his wife out of calling the police but realized that he was turning into the Lizard once more and tried to fight off the change. However, his will was not strong enough, and he became the Lizard again.^[26] Spider-Man arrived to ask Doctor Connors for help with Stegron only to find he has become the Lizard once more. The Lizard escaped and hunted down Stegron who had reanimated a group of dinosaurs. The two battled while Spidey incapacitated the Lizard with a chemically treated webbing which restored the Lizard back to his human form. Now cured, Doctor Connors reversed the effects of the device, returning the dinosaurs to bone.^[27]

The Bomb[]

When Spider-Man was attached to a bomb with J. Jonah Jameson they went to Doc Connors for help, however, the police spot Spider-Man and Jameson entering through a window and burst into Connor's lab to investigate just as Connors was examining the device.^[28]

Iguana[]

Doc Connor tried to use the Enervator to help remove the Lizard condition that was in his system and tested it on an Iguana. Unfortunately, the Iguana became mutated and turned into a creature with the memories of the Lizard.^[29] The Iguana then fought Spider-Man and the Lizard until both he and the Lizard fought Spider-Man together. He was defeated when Spider-Man used a portable Enervator to increase his power while decreasing the Lizards. With his power over increased it seemed as if the Iguana exploded, but in reality, he was transformed back into his original form.^[30]

Spider-Lizard[]

In one of his classes, Doc Connors noticed Peter Parker acting strange even snapping at him. Soon after Peter turns into Spider-Lizard, but Connors creates an antidote and saves him.^[31]

Man-Wolf[]

Connors helped Spider-Man cure John Jameson of the Moonstone's poisonous effects that turned him into Man-Wolf.^[32]

Moonstone[]

Moonstone broke into Curt Connors lab to steal the Enervator, but it was returned by Spider-Man.^[33]

Spider-Man took some shrapnel to Doc Connors' lab at E.S.U. to analyze it. Morris Sloan then walked into the lab while Curt and Spider-Man were there with the recently-marked first-year final papers and Spidey managed to see that he got an A on the test.^[34]

Secret Wars & the Black Costume[]

The Lizard was abducted from prison by the omnipotent being known as the Beyonder to fight the so-called Secret Wars on Battleworld, after which he returned to Earth.^[35][36] Spider-Man returned with Doc Connors and then dropped him off with his family.^[37][38]

The Owl[]

Curt Connors became the Lizard again to rescue his wife and son from the Owl.^[39]

Harry Osborn[]

Spider-Man came to Doc Connors to help cure Harry Osborn who had been poisoned.^[40]

Inferno[]

At ESU, Inferno's demonic energy turned Doc Connors into the Lizard again. Billy and Martha tried to find him. At ESU, a possessed Officer Murphy led Martha and Billy into a demon trap. Lizard arrived and fought the demons. After stopping the demons, Lizard attacked his family himself, but Spidey arrived and dosed him with an antidote that, due to the demonic nature of this transformation, has no effect. He then shocks him with a power cable that turns him back to Connors. Afraid for their safety, Curt tells Martha and Billy, they must leave him.^[41]

Torment[]

The Lizard was summoned again by a ritual, more ferocious than ever.^[42] It was revealed that Calypso used her voodoo magic to take control of the Lizard for her own purposes.^[43] The creature tried to fight the mind control, but failed.^[44] Calypso sent him after Spider-Man, but he failed to kill him.^[45] The Lizard disappeared before the police arrived.^[46]

Sewer Battle[]

The Lizard traveled to the Connors' apartment during Billy's birthday party. Claiming he can maintain his Curt Connors consciousness with extreme concentration, the Lizard scratched Billy's face with his claw. Spidey attacks, allowing the Lizard persona to take over again, but Billy's presence scares the Lizard off, Spidey tags him with a spider-tracer. As Spidey pursues, Billy follows on his new skateboard, then into the sewer, carrying a knife with which to kill the Lizard. Arriving at Connors' lair, Spidey's spider-sense tells him that Ock's equipment is booby-trapped, even as the Lizard explains he scratched Billy to get a DNA sample. When Spidey tries to warn him of the booby-trap, the Lizard persona takes over. Their battle collapses a ceiling onto Spidey. Spidey frees himself, but the Lizard is already in his machine. Spidey uses a spider-tracer to jam the frequency, which restores Connors, apparently cured of his Lizard condition. Seeing his dad, Billy drops the knife and tells him he loves him.^[47]

Trial of Curt Connors[]

"Cowboy" Dave Hopkins acted as prosecution in the trial of Curt Connors. Several witnesses come forward in defense of Connors, including his own son, Spider-Man, and his alter-ego Peter Parker. At the end of the trial, however, Connors surrendered himself to the court by waiving his right to trial by jury. He suggested that he be locked up, but that he be given a laboratory in prison from which to work. He suggested that he could better pay back his debt to society by using his scientific genius to positively contribute rather than surrender to banal incarceration. The court agreed, Connors sid goodbye to his wife and son, and he was taken away by the guards.^[48]

Calypso's Return[]

Calypso returned to take control of the Lizard but was killed, and the Lizard escaped from prison. After this escape, the Lizard fell into a quicksand pit during a battle with Spider-Man and the bounty hunter Warrant and was believed to have died.^[49]

A New Lizard[]

A short time later, a new Lizard creature fought against Spider-Man and Peter Parker on the rooftop of the New York University Medical Center.^[50] The creature then tracked back Doc Connors to Florida, attacking him in his West Palm Beach home.^[6] Connors eventually transformed into Lizard and, helped by Spider-Man, managed to defeat the reptilian creature.^[51]

Martha's Death[]

Sometimes, however, when under stress Connors reverted back into the Lizard.^[52][53][54] When it was discovered Martha and Billy were dying of radiation poisoning, Billy was sent to live with Curt's sister and Martha died.^[55]

Her death caused Curt to revert into the Lizard and Spider-Man was forced to track down his friend once again.^[56]

Sinister Twelve[]

The Lizard went peacefully to jail after killing a scientist who won what could have been his research grant but was freed by Norman Osborn to join the Sinister Twelve, but was defeated by combined forces of Daredevil, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers. After the disbanding of the twelve, the Lizard disappeared from the public.^[57]

Civil War[]

A new version of the Sinister Six, including the Lizard, appeared during Civil War, but were stopped by Captain America and his Secret Avengers. Since the Lizard was never a member of the original Sinister Six, the circumstances of his involvement with this recent group of villains has yet to be revealed.^[58]

Feral[]

Curt Connors took a look at "The Rock of Life" which caused a mysterious disease and caused many people to become furious, including Man-Wolf, Vermin, himself, Black Cat, Puma, and others. The Black Cat had the hardest time controlling her anger, almost killing the Lizard in a fury. It was soon discovered that the rock was brought to New York by Stegron to regress all of humanity. Spider-Man, who had been able to show the most resistance to the rock, stopped him. During this time Billy was transformed into a mini-Lizard.^[59]

Komodo[]

A young student named Melati Kusuma lost both her legs in a car accident.^[60] She secured an internship under Doc Connors' supervision the day she applied. Connors knew that she was interested in the Connors Formula, and promised her they would work to make it safe, forcing her to swear she would not do anything reckless.^[60] Eager to regain her legs, she worked efficiently to earn Connors' trust, and eventually gained access to the Formula,^[61] stole it,^[62][60] and modified it so that it would work on her to merely grant her the regenerative properties Dr. Connors desired, or at least allow her to keep her mind.^[63] As she knew perfecting the formula would take too long, she decided to make it good enough, and if the mutation was unexpected, she was fine with it. After she joined the Initiative as "Komodo".^[63]

Shed[]

After Lizard's last appearance, he was able to kill Connors' son Billy. That killed Curt's consciousness and made a new creature of Lizard, the Shed. It possesses Connors' intellect and new powers. Spider-Man tried to defeat him but he failed.^[64]

After using Connors' serum, which made him immune to Shed's new psychic powers, Spider-Man showed Shed pictures of Billy and "put pictures in his head". Shed started to feel ashamed, and he understood that there was much more to learn and understand for him. He ran off to an unknown place where he continues to capture some humans to call them his "pets."^[65]

Origin of Species[]

After most of the Spider-Man villains were hired to capture Lily Hollister's and Norman Osborn's newborn son, the Lizard was the second (after Chameleon) to get the child. Connors took the newborn to his "nest" where he did tests on it to see if the infant was a special new species. Soon after, Spider-Man showed up to the nest along with Doctor Octopus whom the Lizard took control of to fight Spider-Man.

Doc Ock was subdued, and Spidey went to get the child from the Lizard who informed Peter that the boy was a useless new species and was not actually Norman Osborn's son. Doctor Octopus arrived again and battled the Lizard for taking control of his mind. Spider-Man left the scene with the infant at hand.^[66]

No Turning Back[]

After Morbius worked with Horizon Labs in a cure for the spider-virus during the massive infection in New York, he started searching for a cure for himself and his friend, Curt Connors. He finally developed a successful cure which Spider-Man injected in the Lizard, turning him back to human form, but keeping his reptilian-mind, although he pretended, he was totally cured to start creating a serum to turn back to the Lizard physically.^[67]

After testing the serum in many Horizon employees, Curt injected himself with it, soon before being discovered by Carlie Cooper, Curt escaped until Spider-Man managed to take him out of Horizon, when his transformation was fully completed, into a new and stronger form of the Lizard.^[68] Using a cure developed by Morbius, Spider-Man managed to defeat the Lizard, but not to revert him to his human state. The Lizard was finally captured and put into custody in the Raft, where he realized his human consciousness took over his reptilian body, stating that was the punishment he deserved.^[69]

While in his own cell, Connors told Doctor Octopus, who was dying, that the cure worked and that he was trapped in the Lizard's body, unaware it was Spider-Man inside Doctor Octopus's body. When "Octavius" asked Connors to join him in a breakout made by Hydro-Man, Scorpion, and the Trapster, he declined with a snort, which prompted the Trapster to call him a "mindless beast."^[70] When Morbius managed to escape his cell, the Lizard pointed out that he still had nowhere to go.^[71]

Curt escaped his cell after the security systems of the Raft were shot down by Spider-Slayer during a breakout.^[72] While Spider-Man went after Spider-Slayer, J. Jonah Jameson was confronted by Scorpion, but was stopped by Connors. He revealed to Jameson that he had retained his human intelligence while they escaped, which Jameson acknowledged.^[73]

Dead No More[]

While imprisoned at the Andru Correctional Facility, Connors was visited by the Jackal. He wanted Connors to join him, but he declined. To convince him to change his mind, he called the people who were accompanying him, and, to Connors' surprise, they were his wife and son, alive and well. Connors then accepted to do his bidding.^[74] Jackal later had Rhino free Connors and a depowered Electro from the Andru Correctional Facility.^[75] Lizard began to work with Jackal on a procedure that would repower Electro.^[76]

While escaping from New U Technologies, Spider-Man and Spider-Woman of Earth-65 quickly incapacitated Lizard. When Doctor Octopus pulled a switch which activated the Carrion Virus in all of the clones and caused them to start rapidly decaying, Lizard saw that Martha and Billy were affected. During the ensuing battle, Lizard escaped with Martha and Billy as he vowed to find a way to keep them from dying.^[77] In the sewers of San Francisco, Lizard saved Martha and Billy from the Carrion Virus by injecting them with the Lizard Formula, turning his wife and son into Lizards like him.^[78]

As part of an effort to return to his old life, the Lizard approached the Empire State University and signed over a dozen of his patents as an incentive so that they would let him become a member of the faculty staff again. After being given this second chance, Connors and E.S.U. developed a surgically embedded, Adamantium-encased inhibitor chip which enabled him to return to his human form and control his transformations into the Lizard. The chip would additionally paralyze him if he became aggressive while in his reptilian form. After Peter Parker's academic credentials were revoked for plagiarism, since he had completed his studies while Doctor Octopus was in possession of his body and had used his own work as a basis for Parker's thesis, Connors vouched for Peter, and convinced the faculty to give him another chance and join his class. During this time, Connors began experimenting with a device called the Isotope Genome Accelerator, hoping to learn from its ability to transmute characteristics between organisms a way to achieve the opposite effect, and eventually separate his reptilian alter-ego from himself.^[79]

Kraven's Great Hunt[]

After Billy was kidnapped by Kraven the Hunter as part of his Great Hunt, during which he rounded up and hunted mostly animal-themed villains, Connors sought to save him, but was also captured and caged along with Spider-Man. While in the cage, they observed through a monitor the Black Cat protecting Billy as they were hunted. Curtis revealed to Spider-Man that he had earlier brought his son to Doctor Strange who told him that Billy was indeed his original son reborn in the clone body. Then, out of desperation, he asked Spider-Man to remove the inhibitor chip so he could save his son despite the risk, not knowing that Kraven had planned all of this. Against the odds, Connors successfully saved his son and escaped without killing anyone.^[80]

After reverting to his human form, Curt was unwilling to go back due to his fear of losing control. He built self-replicating robots which would attack him if he escaped and locked himself deep in the sewers. Spider-Man tried to find Curt, but was attacked by the robots. He fought them until Connors asked him to stop, and pleaded to let him alone. Spider-Man refused and while battling the robots convinced Curt that he to keep fighting to be a better person and make amends for his actions. Curt got rid of the robots, implanted a new inhibitor chip, and returned to his family and to teaching.^[81] Shortly afterward, and soon after making a breakthrough on his research with the Isotope Genome Accelerator, Connors was targeted by Doctor Octopus for his reptilian alter-ego. The tentacled villain had been enlisted by the demonic entity known as Kindred to form a new Sinister Six, and he used the Accelerator to split apart Curt's mutated self from his human side, isolating the Lizard into his own separate entity to round up the new Sinister Six.^[82]

Curt would later being working for Oscorp under the employment of a reformed Norman Osborn. Hired as a subcontractor, Connors was tasked with monitoring the Ultra Living Brain.^[3]

None. Connors no longer has powers after being separated from his Lizard persona.^[82]

• Genius Intelligence: Connors has a genius-level intellect and is a world renowned herpetologist.^[84]

• Inhibitor Chip: An Adamantium-encased inhibitor chip surgically grafted into Connors' neck. It allowed him to control his transformation into the Lizard. The chip also acted as a fail-safe which paralyzed Connors if he became aggressive while in his reptilian form and until he reverted to his human form.^[79] The chip was removed by Spider-Man so Connors could rescue his son from the Last Son of Kraven.^[85] Later Curt implanted a new one.^[81]

• The Lizard was one of the characters featured in Series A of the Marvel Value Stamps issued in the 1970's.