Lizard

Origin

Curtis Connors was born in Coral Gables, Florida. He was a gifted surgeon who was enlisted in the U.S. Army and was sent off to war. He would perform emergency battlefield surgery for the injured G.I.’s, until an unexpected blast hit his arm and it had to be amputated. Connors went back to a civilians life and became a research scientist. Due to his missing limb and the ability of lizards to regrow lost appendages, Connors became obsessed in reptilian limb regrowth and studied reptilian biology extensively. After years of working from home with the aid of war buddy Ted Sallis, Connors ultimately developed a growth serum taken from reptilian DNA. Despite his wife’s warnings, he tried it on a rabbit and saw that it was a success. He then tried it on himself. After he ingested the formula, his arm indeed grew back, but there was an unexpected side effect. The serum turned him into a vicious, reptilian humanoid monster. Soon after this Peter Parker and J. Jonah Jameson where in Florida following stories about a giant man-lizard attacking people in the Everglades. When Spider-Man discovered the truth behind the situation, he was able to use Conners’ notes to help find an antidote to cure him and restore him back to human form.

Another later attempt to develop the Lizard 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, Beast and Angel tracking the Lizard down in the swamps so that Iceman could send him into hibernation long enough to develop a cure.

Creation

The Lizard was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #6 (Nov. 1963) in the story “Face-To-Face With The Lizard”.

Character Evolution

The success of Connors’ apparent cure from the Lizard persona was short-lived. A pattern occurred, with extreme stress turning Connors into the Lizard, Spider-Man fighting him, and then forming some kind of temporary cure to reverse the transformation until the next time. A second personality soon formed with the Lizard, one who retained intelligence but was no longer Connors. He envisioned a world where all humans were transformed into super-reptiles like himself and he was their supreme leader and creator. Despite the Lizard’s overall hatred of humans, he was often shown to be unwilling to harm his wife Martha or their young son Billy, through this as well started to wane over time as he would first attempt to turn them into lizards, before trying to actually kill them over time, as Connors lost more and more of himself.

Soon after his first encounter with Spider-Man, Curt Connors and his family relocated to New York City and Connors eagerly assisted Spider-Man on several occasions. He helped saved May Parker, Peter Parker’s beloved aunt, when she developed complications from a blood transfusion that Peter had given her by developing a formula that saved her. Connors became a close friend to Peter Parker who for a time worked as his teaching assistant. Connors was unaware that Peter was also Spider-Man.

Major Story Arcs

Helping Spider-Man

Spider-Man approached Connors for aid against the Rhino and the scientist developed a formula that dissolved Rhino’s armored costume. However 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.

During another encounter with Spider-Man after Peter’s attempts to remove his powers resulted in him growing four extra arms, a bite from Morbius endowed the Lizard with Connors’ personality via the infection of a strange enzyme. Connors then synthesized an antidote for himself and Spider-Man using the Morbius enzyme. Curt Connors later aided Spider-Man, Ka-Zar and the Black Panther against Stegron. After the apparent death of the Jackal, Dr. Connors determined that Spider-Man was not a clone. Later, the Lizard battled with Stegron and Spider-Man after Stegron kidnapped Billy Connors. For a time, Peter Parker worked as a teaching assistant to Dr. Connors at Empire State University, although Connors had no idea that Peter was actually Spider-Man.

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 this would almost lead to his 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 while keeping the secret that he had full control over wraps. 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 helped 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.

Gauntlet

Curt’s 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 and having human emotions. The Lizard takes off into the sewers 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.

No Turning Back

When Spider-man that Morbius developed a cure for the Lizard, Spider-Man confronts the monster in the sewers and fights him for a very long time, finely Morbius and Spidey stab the Lizard with enough hypodermic harpoons for Max Modell to cure Connors. Connors is seemed to be cured but in reality the Lizard is still in control, even in Connor’s body.

Morbius and Spider-Man take the Lizard (believing that Curt is in control) to Horizon Labs. Planning to be back in his lizard from again, Lizard pretends to grieve to loss of Billy telling everybody he needs time alone. To save himself more time Lizard puts some blood samples into the the air ducts bringing the scent all around the lab. This makes Morbius bite Sajani, thus leading to Spider-Man chasing Morbius into the city. Lizard tells Max Modell they can cure Morbius and Max joins Lizard in the lab to help him. He was able to restores Connor’s lost arm and then he begins with attacking Max. He uses Modell as a test subject for his experiments on becoming the Lizard inside and out again. Connors infects everyone with his lizard formula and with much difficulty, he finally creates the formula which turned him into his final Lizard form. He and Spider-Man engaged in battle, during which Spider-Man stabs Connors with a harpoon dosed with the cure, but unfortunately it does not work. Lizard is taken to a prison where it is revealed that Lizard’s conscience died, and Connors was trapped in the Lizard’s body, he was punishing him self for the terrible things he has done.

Clone Conspiracy

While Curt was locked up taking responsibility for his actions as The Lizard, he was approached by Ben Reilly (as the new Jackal) into joining New U Technologies, the front for Ben’s cloning manufacturing and blackmail scheme. Curt refused until Ben presented clones of his wife and son, changing his mind. He was broken out by Rhino with Electro, and when he wasn’t working on Ben’s science projects, he was using his abilities as the Lizard to protect him, like when Spider-Man and Spider-Gwen were caught snooping around.

Eventually, Spidey and his allies successfully shut down Ben’s operation, which unfortunately included a broadcast frequency that caused the Carrion virus to accelerate. Watching Martha and Billy starting to decay, Curt grabbed them and escaped Ben’s facility. He brought them into the sewers and used the Lizard serum to stop the decay, turning them into half-lizard humanoids.

Free of Ben’s grasp, he implanted himself with a microchip that would help regulate his rage in Lizard form and allow him to take a job at ESU. He even put in a good word for Peter after he was blacklisted for plagiarizing Dr. Octavius (which was actually done back when Otto was in Peter’s body).

Hunted

The Lizard is considered by Kraven to be a high value target. He wants him for the big trophy hunt he is setting up for rich game hunters. It involves all of the animal-themed villains operating in New York City for disrespecting the animals they pose as. The Lizard evades capture of Kraven’s hired help, Taskmaster and Black Ant, but his son is not so lucky. With his son trapped in the hunting grounds, the Lizard goes on his own hunt.

He tracks Taskmaster to the Bar with No Name and forces Tasky to give him up to Kraven, so Lizard can get on the inside. Once inside, he crosses paths with Spider-Man and Black Cat, already inside trying to free Kraven’s prisoners, especially Billy who is in Black Cat’s protection. With Billy protected, Curt pulls his inhibitor chip out so that he can lash out completely on Kraven. Unfortunately, Kraven planned for all of this.

Afterward, The Lizard retreated into solitary. He transformed back into his human form and feared ever returning to the Lizard. Thanks to a Spider-Man pep talk, Curt injected another inhibitor chip and returned to his family and job.

Sinister War

Working in his lab in human form, Curt was attacked by Doc Ock and his new unfinished Sinister Six. Otto wanted The Lizard as his fifth member, but Curt obviously refused. However, Otto had no need for Curt. Using the Isotope Genome Accelerator, Otto was able to split Curt’s human and Lizard forms, abandoning Curt and taking a now ferocious Lizard.

He accompanied the rest of the team to recruit their sixth member, Mysterio, only to be confronted by The Savage Six at the premiere of Mysterio’s movie. Their fight spilled over to a graveyard with more supervillains all fighting for the chance to kill Spider-Man. Eventually, Doc Ock uses a piece of Black Ant’s helmet to knock everyone, including Lizard, out through the ear centipedes Kindred was using to control them.

Beyond

The Lizard was taken into custody by the Beyond Corporation. They wanted his genetic material for their superhuman experiments. By combining the Lizard’s DNA with DNA from Morbius, they created Creature Z. After Morbius teams up with the Daughters of the Dragon to take Creature Z, he is inspired by its potential. He broke Lizard out of Beyond custody so that they could work together.

Powers and Abilities

Doctor Curtis Connors gave himself superhuman powers as a result of exposure to mutagenic chemicals, allowing him to transform into the Lizard. In human form, he has none of his superhuman powers, but he is highly intelligent and a well known scientist in fields of genetics, physics, biochemistry, and herpetology.

When Connors is transformed into the Lizard, his strength is increased to superhuman levels. Likewise, his speed, stamina, agility, and reflexes are also raised to a level equivalent to that of Spider-Man. He can also scale walls using a combination of his sharp claws and micro-scales on his hands and feet that create molecular friction like those of a gecko lizard. He is highly resistant to injury due to his thick, scaly hide, allowing him to resist punctures and lacerations from ordinary weapons and small caliber firearms. In addition, the Lizard has highly enhanced healing abilities which allow him to quickly recover from grievous wounds, including regenerating lost limbs. He also has a powerful tail which he can whip at high speeds. The Lizard has razor-sharp teeth set in muscular jaws that can deal a lethal bite. Like a reptile, he has cold-blooded characteristics and is therefore sensitive to drops in temperature; a sufficiently cold environment will cause his metabolism to slow drastically and become dormant if he is exposed to cold temperatures for too long.

The Lizard can mentally communicate and command all reptiles within a mile of himself via limited telepathy. He has also on at least one occasion secreted powerful pheromones which caused nearby humans to behave violently. Post-Brand New Day, a further enhancement of his telepathy granted him the power of telepathically compelling humans to act out their primal urges, by suppressing emotional control in their amygdala (“the lizard brain”).

Based on various physiological and environmental factors, the Lizard’s intelligence can range from bestial and animalistic to normal human intelligence. The Lizard personality has most often manifested with human intelligence, capable of speech and higher reasoning, although some versions have been more feral than others. During the Secret Wars in particular, he appeared less ruthless than his normal portrayal, showing concern for Volcana and the Wasp after they showed him kindness despite his usual disdain for humans. However, even when operating at the level of a human, the Lizard is rarely as intelligent as Dr. Connors, showing on many occasions an inability to understand his human-self’s work and use it to further his own ends despite his best efforts.

The Lizard has apparently “destroyed” the Curt Connors persona, but has subsequently begun to display some of Connors’s human emotions. In contrast to his previously feral nature, he has also shown sufficient intellectual capabilities to understand Connors’ work and use it for himself, although he is still hampered by his inability to fully comprehend human emotions.

During Dan Slott’s No Turning Back, Curt Connors (with the Lizard’s brain) injected himself with a serum that transformed and evolved him into his final form, the Lizard appeared to become stronger and faster. Spider-Man had trouble tagging and overpowering the Lizard, if not for the cure, Spider-Man may not have won the fight.

Weaknesses

When exposed to cold temperatures for a few minutes, the Lizard’s agility and strength diminish. As Curt, high levels of stress can cause him to change, which is why he has a specific antidote.

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

In the Ultimate universe, Dr. Curt Conners (last name is spelled differently) transforms into the Lizard after his research project, multiple years into development, is dropped suddenly due to a lack of results, and, in his drunken state, injects himself with his formula, mutating him into the Lizard. It is less intelligent than the 616 version, and has many of the same powers. While prominent in the 616 universe, the Ultimate version is only seen in flashbacks, being seen killing a criminal hiding in the sewer and fights Spider-Man for a bit before being interrupted by Swamp Thing and him being mutated back to his human form. Conners, however, is too scared to return to his family should he mutate again, and goes on a self imposed exile in the sewers, partly out of safety and out of his own guilt as well. He would later resurface as a ally of Peter after figuring out the latter’s identity from reports of his fight with Eddie Brock with a biological invention created by his father (as Eddie and Peter were the only two people reported to be in contact with the suit itself) but still reliant on alcohol to keep him stable as his murderous past and separation from his family took a emotional toll on him. That guilt would motivate him to help Peter whenever he could with his medical knowledge.

Also, as Dr. Conners, he created the villain Carnage of the Ultimate universe using his and Spider-Man’s DNA, after treating him after a particularly brutal bout with the Ultimate version of Gladiator, a delusional 6’8 giant of a man that believed he was from ancient times. Amazed by the genetic potential of his blood, his genetic experiments with the sample attracted investors, allowing him to create a unstable clone of Peter that would later mutate and turn into a murderous creature. He was arrested after he brought himself in out of guilt for his crimes, and lost funding from Stark Industries. A second sample would later be used by his assistant, Ben Reilly, to create multiple Spider-Man clones under the watch of the CIA. Conners (after being pardoned by S.H.I.E.L.D. and employed by them) would go on to research one of these particular clones, a fully developed and functional clone of Gwen Stacy with the Carnage symbote within her, along with Tony Stark.

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 ridding 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 antidote.

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.

Manga

In the 1970’s Spider-Man manga, the Lizard is a Japanese scientist named Professor Inumaru. While on an expedition in the South Pacific, Inumari and a fellow researcher discover a powerful herbal medicine that is used by the natives to slow the aging process. Realizing the scientific advances that could be made from this discovery, the other scientist pushes Inumaru off a cliff, hoping to take all the credit for himself. However, Inumaru survives, and begin to morph into a monstrous lizard.

Returning to Japan, Inumaru transforms into the Lizard and kills his wife, before attacking Koda Pharmaceuticals, the company trying to reproduce the medicine. He also kidnaps Araki, the son of the man who betrayed him, intending to kill the boy in front of his father. However, Spider-Man arrives in time and battles the Lizard. In the ensuing fight, the Lizard falls into an alligator enclosure, and is presumably devoured.

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

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

Marvel Noir (Earth-90214)

In Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without a Face, part of Marvel Noir, the Lizard is only seen as Dr. Connors. When Peter Parker investigates Dr. Octavius’ lab, where he performs unorthodox experiments on living creatures, Connors greets him and brings him to Octavius. It would seem as if Connors had only been an assistant doctor to the Octopus. Connors’ right arm had also been missing, just as it is in the normal universe before he attempts to regrow it.

Old Man Logan-verse Appearance

Unlike numerous other super villains who are used as an illusion against Wolverine to kill his compatriots, Lizard is not one of them, however, within Southern Florida is a small territory marked Lizard King. Numerous comics have shown The Lizard taking over the otherwise rational mind of Dr. Curt Connors and having him behave like a villain, it would be entirely possible that he established himself a territory which would also be highly populated with reptilian creatures; alligators, snakes, etc.

Other Media

Television

Spider-Man (1967)

Lizard appears in the first ever Spider-Man cartoon, voiced by Gillie Fenwick. Curiously, he is renamed Curt Conner. He makes his debut in “Where Crawls the Lizard,” where he is transformed while trying to develop a cure for “swamp fever.” He returns in “Swamp of Terror” and “Conner’s Reptiles,” the latter of which features Conner being abducted by an intelligent, experimental alligator he created.

Spider-Man (1981)

The Lizard appears in the episode “Lizards, Lizards, Everywhere,” voiced by Corey Burton. Notably, his Curt Connors alter ego is never seen or mentioned. In the episode, he attempts to turn New York into a giant swamp.

Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994)

Lizard appears in the 90’s cartoon, voiced by Joseph Campanella. He is the first villain Spider-Man faces in the series, showing up in the series premier, “Night of the Lizard.” In the show, Dr. Connors is transformed into the Lizard after using himself as a test subject for an experiment involving lizard DNA, which he had hoped would regenerate his amputated right arm.

He returns several more times throughout the series, and is notably featured in the “Secret Wars” arc, where he is able to regain his human intellect thanks to Mr. Fantastic.

Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003)

The Lizard appears in the episode “Law of the Jungle,” voiced by musician and director Rob Zombie. This version of Curt Connors is much colder and more bitter than other incarnations, and blames Oscorp for the accident that cost him his right arm, and injects himself with his formula. After transforming into the Lizard, he attempts to kill Norman Osborn’s son, Harry, in order to have his revenge on him. During his battle with Spider-Man, the Lizard falls from a great height, and is fatally wounded upon impact. A single tear falls from his eye as he dies.

Spectacular Spider-Man (2008)

Lizard appears in the series, voiced by Dee Bradley Baker. Like his comic counterpart, this version of Curt Connors lost his right arm while serving in the military, but in a departure from the source material, possesses a functioning prosthetic arm. In the episode “Natural Selection,” Connors is transformed into the Lizard after injecting himself with an experimental serum. Curt and Martha later move to Florida after being blackmailed by Miles Warren, who threatens to expose Curt’s secret.

Ultimate Spider-Man (2012)

Lizard appears as a recurring character, voiced by Tom Kenny in the first season, but with Dee Bradley Baker reprising his role for all subsequent seasons. In the show, Curt Connors is introduced as a S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist. He has both arms at the start of the series, but has his right one amputated during the Season 1 finale.

Connors becomes the Lizard for the first time in the Season 2 episode “The Lizard,” where he is mutated after injecting himself with an animal serum that had been developed by Doc Ock. Spider-Man manages to cure Connors, but Connors is kidnapped and transformed back into the Lizard in the episode “The Sinister Six” in order to serve as part of the titular villain team. Lizard returns in “Stan By Me,” where he manages to completely repress his human side. He is featured again in the two-part season finale, where he is cured once more.

He only plays a minor role in the third season, but is featured more prominently in the fourth season. In the episode “Lizards,” Doc Ock manages to change him back into the Lizard again. This time, his bite causes the infection to spread, turning his victims into lizard creatures like him. He is cured by Spider-Man, this time, permanently. In the series finale, Doc Ock transforms Crossbones into the new Lizard to replace him.

Marvel’s Spider-Man

The Lizard appears in Marvel’s Spider-Man, voiced by Yuri Lowenthal. He is depicted as an Oscorp scientist with a missing arm. In “The Rise of Doc Ock: Part 2,” he injects himself with an experimental formula in hopes of regrowing his missing arm, which transforms him into the Lizard. In Season 3, he is hired as one of the new teachers at Horizon High, but is revealed to be undermining the school (including framing Grady Scraps for the Technovore’s rampage and revealing Max Modell’s experiments with the Venom symbiote to the school board) at the behest of his mysterious employer.

Film

Spider-Man Trilogy (2002-2007)

Curt Connors appears in Spider-Man 2, and Spider-Man 3, portrayed in each movie by Dylan Baker. He does not appear in the first film, Spider-Man, but is mentioned by name.

He appears as Peter Parker’s physics professor at Columbia University in New York, and is good friends with Otto Octavius. In the third film, he analyses the alien symbiote that Peter finds, and warns him not to let it touch him.

Though both Baker and director Sam Raimi expressed interest in having Connors become the Lizard in a future instalment, a fourth instalment in the series was never made due to disputes with Raimi over pay and the plot of the movie.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

The Lizard appears as the main antagonist in the reboot, portrayed by Welsh actor Rhys Ifans. This version of the character is an Oscorp researcher and a former colleague of Richard Parker, Peter’s father. He strikes up a friendship with Peter, and using the later Richard’s notes, the two are able to make a breakthrough on a regenerative formula Connors had been working on. However, Connors is fired after he refuses to rush into human trials for the serum. Injecting himself with the formula, Connors mutates into the Lizard, and begins causing havoc throughout New York.

Connors flees to the sewers and begins to lose his sanity, becoming obsessed with his new powers. After a battle with Spider-Man, the Lizard uncovers his true identity and attacks him at school, but is fought off. Later, the Lizard attempts to create a chemical cloud that will turn all of New York into lizard-like creatures, and kills George Stacy in the process. However, Peter and George’s daughter, Gwen, are able to make an antidote cloud, which they disperse throughout the city to thwart the Lizard’s plot. The Lizard himself is subjected to the antidote, and returns to his human form. With his sanity restored, Connors willingly surrenders to the police, and is taken away. In the end credits, Connors is seen in a psychiatric hospital, where he is visited by Gustav Fiers. Fiers asks if Connors told Peter the truth about his father, and Connors tells him he didn’t. Connors is mentioned in the sequel but isn’t seen.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

After his identity is revealed, the MCU Peter Parker (as played by Tom Holland) asks Doctor Strange to cast a spell that would cause everyone to forget his identity. While trying to include exceptions for his friends and family that he wants to know, he caused Strange to lose concentration thus allowing the spell to backfire. Instead, people who knew Spider-Man was Peter Parker were drawn into the MCU, including The Lizard as voiced by Rhys Ifans.

This Lizard first shows up already captured by Doctor Strange, caged in the basement of the Sanctum Sanctorum. Holland’s Peter promises to cure Lizard and the other villains so that when they were returned to their home universe, they wouldn’t need to fight Spider-Man and ultimately die (as was their fate). Lizard was reluctant about losing his power and escaped before Peter could even try to find a cure.

Holland’s Peter needed to team up with other Peter Parker’s (as played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield) to finally cure and send the villains home.

Video Game

• Lizard appears in the Questprobe Spider-Man (1984) game.
• Lizard appears in The Amazing Spider-Man (1990) for the Nintendo Game Boy.
• Lizard appears in The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin (1990).
• Lizard appears in Sega’s Spider-Man (1991) arcade game.
• Lizard appears as a boss in the video game adaptation of Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1995).
• Lizard appears in the Spider-Man (2000) game as an NPC cameo. Spider-Man finds him trapped in the sewers, where he reveals that Venom captured him and took over his pack of lizard men. He was voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.
• Lizard returns in Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro (2001) as a boss character.
• Dr. Curt Connors appears in the adaptation of the Spider-Man 2 live-action movie (2005), voiced by Joe Alaskey. Lizard appears as a boss in the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS versions of the game.
• Lizard appears as a sub-boss in Marvel Ultimate Alliance (2006), voiced by James Arnold Taylor.
• Lizard appears in the video game adaptation of Spider-Man 3 (2007), voiced by Nathan Carlson. Connors transforms into the Lizard after injecting himself with the serum in order to try and regrow his missing arm, but is not related to the movie version.
• A more heroic version of Lizard appears in Spider-Man: Friend or Foe (2007), voiced by Roger L. Jackson.
• Lizard appears as a boss character in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 (2009), voiced by Marc Samuel. He is featured in the Wii, NDS, PSP and PS2 version.
• Lizard appears in Marvel Super Hero Squad Online (2011).
• Lizard appears as an antagonist in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), voiced by Steven Blum.
• Lizard is a boss in Marvel Avengers Alliance (2012) and Marvel Avengers Alliance 2 (2015).
• Lizard is a playable character in Lego Marvel Super Heroes (2013).
• Lizard appears in Marvel Heroes (2013).

Merchandise

• Mego produced a figure of the Lizard.
• Lizard was featured in ToyBiz’s toyline for Spider-Man: The Animated Series.
• ToyBiz produced figures of the Lizard for the Spider-Man Classics line. Another figure of Lizard, this time in his Ultimate incarnation, was later released for the same line.
• Lizard was also featured in ToyBiz’s Spider-Man and Friends line.
• ToyBiz produced a Marvel Legends Lizard figure as part of the “Spider-Man’s Fearsome Foes” box set. To date this has been the Lizard’s only appearance in the long-spanning line.
• Lizard was featured in ToyBiz’s toyline for Spider-Man: The New Animated Series.
• Lizard was featured in various lines from Hasbro, including the Spider-Man Origins and Spider-Man Classics lines.
• Lizard was featured in the toyline for Spectacular Spider-Man from Hasbro.
• Lizard was featured in Hasbro’s toyline for The Amazing Spider-Man.
• Lizard was was the subject of a Marvel Legends Build-a-Figure wave from Hasbro.
• Diamond Collectibles released a Marvel Select figure of the movie version of the Lizard.
• Lizard has been featured in statues and busts from companies like XM Studios, Art Asylum and Bowen Designs.