Origin
Years ago, Siamese twin brothers were born to the Burrs, American’s vacationing in New Delhi, India. After a lengthy operation, the brothers were separated, and the family were informed that one of the twins had died in the maternity ward. Unknown to the family, the boy they thought dead had actually been kidnapped by a cult of fanatical Cobra worshipers, who believed the child to be their chosen leader.
Creation
The Jeffery Burr version of Kobra was created by Martin Pasko, Steve Sherman, Jack Kirby, and Pablo Marcos. The later version with Jason Burr as Kobra was created by Ivan Brandon and Julian Lopez.
Character Evolution
Raising the child to assume the role of leader of the Kobra cult, the cultists trained him in almost every martial art. To both the child’s and his brother’s chagrin, however, they discovered that they were biologically and psychically linked. When one brother felt pain, so did the other. It was not until after the kidnapped youth had grown to maturity and was calling himself Kobra, that the other twin, Jason Burr, discovered his twin still lived.
Jason was enlisted by the authorities in a vain attempt to stop Kobra and was ultimately murdered by his brother with the aid of a “neural neutralizer,” which temporarily severed the psychic link between them.
Without his brother to hold him in check, Kobra became a notorious megalomaniac hoping to conquer the world.
Batman once said that Kobra was the ‘second most dangerous man’ he’d ever met (after Ra’s al Ghul).
Jeffrey kidnaps the hero Air Wave in order to seize control over the world’s communication systems and destroy several major cities. He causes a plane to crash, killing 217 people, including the mother of Atom Smasher (although time-travel saved her later). After he is captured he is put on trial for his crimes. He and his followers manage to hold the courthouse hostage and the JSA allows him to go free. Disgusted by this Black Adam and Atom Smasher track him down and Black Adam rips his heart out.
Years later Jeffrey’s brother Jason is brought back to life by the Kobra cult to serve as their new leader. Despite his past resistance to the cult in the past, Jason gives in to his role, killing many Checkmate agents and deciding to kill off all the remaining Kobra member in order to restructure the organization. He then wages war against the Justice Society of America.
DC Rebirth: Suicide Squad
A new Kobra is leading the Kobra Cult. It is unknown who this new individual is or if it is one of the twin brothers.
Major Story Arcs
Faces Of Evil
For more information see: Faces of Evil
When Jason Burr wakes up he is under water and swims to the surface, there he realizes he is in the middle of a ritual to bring him back to life, preformed by Kobra. Then as he gains his strength he argues with a servant that he isn’t the Kobra they are looking for but she convinces him otherwise. He then orders his soldiers to fight to the death and only the last one remaining will survive.
Jason and his surviving soldier fly to a Checkmate hidden base killing every soldier they come in contact with. He takes commander Gold captive and then makes a public announcement to the world. Korbra is no longer the organization it was. It is now a one man commanding thousands of sleeper cells all over the world. He ends his transmission destroying the Checkmate base.
Batman Beyond: The Rise and Fall of Kobra
In the future, Dr. Abel Cuvier was the chief geneticist of the terrorist organization, Kobra. He genetically designed a test tube baby named Zander to be the future leader of Kobra. Dr. Cuvier’s mission was to initiate Kobra’s master plan which is dominating the entire world. However, Cuvier took Kobra’s plan in a different direction by manipulating the future generations of the world with his splicing technology. Splicing started as a fad but now it has evolved into a lifestyle.
However, Bruce has discovered peculiar irregularities in the splicing process. For instance, an individual eventually loses their ability to speak coherently and their human characteristics succumb to animal instincts. After a while, the splicing process destroys the individual’s moral sense of humanity and obliterates their control over their animalistic impulses. D.A. Sam Young begins his campaign to pass anti-splicing ordinances against the splicing movement. Young also enlists the help of gene therapist Dr. Maria Liam. Liam’s work could be used to improve or adapt the splicing serum or it can be used in gene extraction.
Powers & Abilities
Kobra is an excellent hand-to-hand combatant with Genius Intellect. He has also possesses longevity from using Lazarus Pit.
Other Media
Young Justice
Kobra appears (heading the Cult of the Kobra) in the episode “Drop Zone”, where they had taken over Santa Prisca and was using it to manufacture a serum that was a cross between the Venom serum and the Blockbuster formula. Kobra reappears in issue #16 of the tie-in comic, where he has his followers steal the materials needed to perform a ritual that would transform him into a god. Lord Kobra is revealed to be Jeffrey Burr, who intends to use the blood of his fraternal twin brother Jason, who he had kidnapped, in the ritual. Jason is the Lead Astronomer at the Gotham City Observatory.
Beware the Batman
Jason Burr appears as a scientist who has created an invention that will solve the world’s energy problems. He is targeted by ninjas who turn out to be from the League of Shadows. No mention is made of his family.