Electro (Marvel)

"Jewels! Money! No matter how much I take, I want more--much more! and with my great power, nothing can stop me from getting it!"

- Electro

The high-voltage supervillain known as Electro started out as Max Dillon, an average but greedy electrical worker, who, in a freak accident with a power line, was transformed into a human generator, able to produce as much as 10,000 volts a minute. Calling himself Electro, Dillon used his powers for criminal activities, and was often confronted by Spider-Man, making them enemies.

Electro's powers include being able to project blasts of lightning from his body, as well as create force-fields and manipulate electrical devices. He can charge himself to nearly unlimited power levels, making him one of the most powerful human villains in the Marvel universe. He is egotistical, hot-tempered, and a bit crazy. He can also be shorted-out with large amounts of water, and can be easily taken out with a punch (if you can get close enough).

Electro joined several other supervillains, led by Doctor Octopus, in a group known as the Sinister Six to attack Spider-Man, as well as several versions of the group afterward. He has also been a member of the Emissaries of Evil and the Frightful Four.

Recently, Electro was hired by an unknown villain to cause a mass breakout in all of the supervillain prisons in order to free the X-Men foe, Sauron.

In one comic line, Electro had a daughter, Aftershock, who was born with electric powers like his, but they were on different wavelengths, and would both be induced to intense pain if they came near each other. Eventually, with help from Spider-Man and Spider-Girl, they overcame this difficulty to be together.

Other Appearances
Electro has appeared in several Spider-Man TV shows and video games. He was the main boss in the video game Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro, where he sought to wield god-like powers by becoming Hyper-Electro.

The Spectacular Spider-Man
Max Dillion was an electrical lineman who was hired by Dr. Curt Connors. When he was repairing one of the machines, he was electrocuted. Because of this Max's entire body began to generate massive amounts of bio-electricity and he had to wear a special suit to contain it. He went mad and demanded Connors to make a cure. While he was fighting Spider-Man, Electro electrocuted Connors' Regeneration formula (Which caused Connors to become the Lizard). Electro was defeated by Spider-Man by throwing him into a pool of water.

Electro returned to break out some other supervillains from prison and joined the Sinister Six. He was also a member of the second incarnation of the Six, and worked as Dr. Octopus's henchman during the Master Planner arc.

Spider-Man Web of Shadows
When the Symbiote invasion was happening, Electro was one of the characters that was infected with a Symbiote. Spider-Man encounters Max, scared. He tries to ask Max what was wrong with him, but Electro electrocuted Spidey and ran away. Spider-Man then chases and fights a scared Electro to get some answers. After he was defeated, a young girl that appeared to be Electro's sister came up to him and infected Max with the symbiote.

Spider-Man encounters Electro again, but this time, he wears a symbiote suit. He used his electric powers to increase the power of the Symbiotes and take over New York. After Spider-Man defeated Electro, You are given the choice to A). Convince Electro to fight Symbiote, or B). Convince Electro to keep the symbiote on him. After that He becomes an ally to the Black Suit Spider-Man.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
Electro is one of the bosses in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. He appears in the Ultimate Universe and is one of the enemies that acquired a shard of the Tablet of Order and Chaos.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Main Article: Electro (The Amazing Spider-Man) 

Electro appears as one of the two main antagonist in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. He was promoted as the main antagonist of the film, but this position is later shared with the Green Goblin.

Powers and Abilities
Electro can employ his electrostatic energy in a number of ways:
 * Electrostatic Energy Generation: Electro possesses the ability to bodily generate electrostatic energy which he can release or harness for a number of effects. He is powered by the micro-fine rhythmic muscle contractions that normally regulate body temperature. His body can generate electricity at a rate of about 10,000 volts per minute, up to his maximum storage capacity of 10,000,000 volts. At that point, his body automatically stops producing electricity. As he expends his electrostatic energy, his body automatically begins to recharge the stores. Electro can mentally control the amount of electricity he discharges, anywhere from a single volt to his full 10,000,000 volt charge at once. At ten to thirty feet, his maximum charge is more than enough to kill a man. Electro can also use his body as a transformer, touching an outside power source (such as a generator) and channeling it through his body for use. The amount of electricity he can transform above his body's maximum storage capacity is unknown.
 * Lighting Bolt Projection: The simplest manifestation is the emission of a lightning-like electric arc from his fingertips, which can propagate through air or other conducting mediums. This discharge, whose total voltage can be regulated within certain limits, travels at the speed of lightning, about 150,000 feet per second. The course of the electrostatic bolt, like lightning, does not always follow a straight line since it may be influenced by conducting substances like metal or other electrical fields. If his target is not grounded, his electrostatic bolt will have little effect. The maximum effective range of his bolts is about 100 feet.
 * Electromagnetic Propulsion via Electrical Lines and Bridges: Electro can propel himself along the accompanying magnetic lines of force in objects that have great electrical potential, such as high-tension electrical lines. He generates light, eddying electrical fields around his legs, which develops an intense, opposing magnetic field that can support him above the electric cable's magnetic field. By creating imbalances in his field, he can ride along on magnetic ripples at speeds of up to 140 miles per hour, the maximum speed at which he can still breathe unaided. He can sometimes create electrostatic bridges to traverse upon, although the expenditure of energy is enormous.
 * Electrical Detection: Electro's electrical powers also grant him certain sensory and manipulative abilities. By "feeling" the course of electricity through the circuitry of any electrically-powered device, Electro can override the system and make the device obey his mental commands. Electro can disconnect alarm systems, control computers in a limited way, or overload any electrically controlled system that is insufficiently shielded.
 * Electrocution: The electric flux of Electro's skin is such that when his electric charge is at a maximum, a person touching him is in danger of being electrocuted.
 * Recharging: By using an external electrical power source to recharge his body's energy reserves, he could expend electrical energy indefinitely without diminishing his personal reserves.
 * Electrical Conversion into Enhanced Physical Attributions: The electricity coursing through his altered body augments his strength, speed, and recuperative powers. When fully charged, Electro is able to lift (press) about 500 pounds.
 * Metal Ionization: Electro was taught by Doctor Octopus during a stint in prison that he could ionize metals.
 * Disruption of Wall-Crawling Abilities: Electro's powers also can disrupt Spider-Man's electrostatic ability to cling to walls.
 * Localized Electromagnetic Storms: Electro once defeated the Invisible Woman when he created a localized Electromagnetic Storm. This allowed him to carbonize the air around her and it imprisoned her in a sheath of rock hard electro carbon atoms. Effectively making a statue out of her.
 * Electromagnetic Manipulation: An experimental procedure temporarily heightened his powers, allowing Electro to store and absorb a seemingly limitless amount of electricity. He could fly by generating a massive field of electricity which could propel him through the air. He also seemed to gain the power of magnetokinesis to a certain degree, allowing him to manipulate magnetic fields and move objects in a manner similar to that of Magneto, and could overcome his old weakness to water by using the electromagnetic fields around him to vaporize water before it could touch him. He was able to defeat Nate Grey by manipulating the bio-electric currents in the human brain to turn Nate's own psionic powers against him, and do the same to make Spider-Man beg. Presumably, had he further explored the implications of this power, he would have been able to control people's entire bodies this way as well, and might have been able to control machines in a similar way. He was also able to painfully paralyze anyone by overcharging their synapses' bio-electrical transmissions. However, Electro somehow seems to have lost these new abilities after he threw himself into the Hudson River, resulting in an explosion.
 * Immunity to Electricity: Electro's body is immune to the effects of its electricity and that of other sources as well. Hence, Electro cannot be electrocuted no matter how great the voltage.
 * Charging: Electro can charge himself up to reach high maximum voltage. Here he can grow in height to an enormous humanoid looking creature made up of nothing but electricity.

Trivia

 * Electro's color pattern is almost similar to Loki, another Marvel villain.
 * His other Incarnations bear similarity to his Ultimate Incarnation rather than his classic appearance.
 * Though different, both the comics version and the Jamie Foxx version of Electro share the notion of wanting to become god-like.