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Copperhead is a supervillain in the DC comics and an enemy of Batman.
History
Original Copperhead
The first Copperhead's true identity and origin is never revealed. He arrived in Gotham however with a snake suit that gave him a poisonous bite, and a prehensile serpentine tail. He was also a master contortionist. Copperhead initially was a successful thief until stopped by the team of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Batgirl. He would then become a freelance assassin so he could travel and collect transistor radios, which were his favorite hobby. A frequent weakness of Copperhead was that he was essentially powerless without his costume. He sold his soul to the demon Neron to become a snake hybrid. He would be killed by Manhunter and Kate Spencer.
Nathan Prince
Nathan Prince was a mentally unstable child who tried to drown his brother out of jealousy and even attempted to kill his parents. He eventually ran away and became a male prostitute, killing the people after he performed his services for them. Somehow, and it is unknown how, he came to possess the Copperhead costume and thus acquired Copperhead's powers. He would join the Terror Titans, a supervillain team led by Temple Fugate, a.k.a. Clock King. Copperhead was among the fighters in Clock King's Dark Side Club and was tasked with watching the injured TNTeena. He fell in love with her, and a disgusted Clock King forces him to kill her. The Terror Titans were sent with an army of metahumans from the Dark Side Club to destroy Los Angeles. They were defeated and imprisoned by the Teen Titans, except Copperhead, who would break them out of prison. The Terror Titans then swore revenge on Clock King for leaving them in prison.
New 52
The original unidentified Copperhead later returned in the New 52 reboot looking reminiscent of when he sold his soul to Neron. He later joined the Secret Society of Super Villains. He was subsequently killed by Deathstroke.
DC Rebirth
A woman eventually usurped the original Copperhead's mantle, and like him, her true identity is unknown. She first appeared in Batman All-Stars as one of many criminals out to calm a bounty on Batman's head, and is later seen in Central City as an enemy of the Flash. She was eventually apprehended by Superman after assaulting reporters at the Daily Planet and was sent Iron Heights.
Meanwhile, the original Copperhead resurfaced alive and well in Gotham City.
Powers and Abilities
Copperhead has snake-suit that allow him to bend and flex his body extreme ways.His suit was a weave of metallic and elastic fibers and covered vulnerable points (such as the chest) with Kevlar, making it bulletproof and impenetrable to almost any cutting edged weapon. The costume had been treated with a highly slippery water- and heat-proof silicon gel, allowing Copperhead to slide along any surface and slip out of tight spots. The tail could be stretched several feet and was strong enough to snap bone and shatter stone. The suit's helmet contained two seven-inch-long fangs which were capable of piercing human skin, and were coated in a potent neurotoxin derived from copperhead snakes. The toxin could paralyze a person almost instantly, and death would follow within 30 minutes. Later, Copperhead sold his soul to the demon Neron and was transformed into a human-snake hybrid. His reflexes and agility were greatly increased, and he gained venomous fangs, a forked tongue, claws, and a prehensile tail. After the events of Flashpoint which altered the timestream, Copperhead still retained the abilities he gained from Neron in the previous continuity.
The female version of Copperhead introduced during DC Rebirth is a skilled crime lord and former assassin. She is experienced in business management, interrogation and leadership while also an excellent tracker who uses two sharp metal claws on her fingers to poison her targets. The female Copperhead has vast knowledge of toxins which she can use to intimidate others. According to Batman, she is apparently most toxic individual on the planet.
In other media
DC Animated Universe
Copperhead appeared in the DCAU. He was initially hired as a member of Lex Luthor's Injustice Gang as part of a plan to destroy Superman and the Justice League. Copperhead was actually captured in the teams first battle with the Justice League. When Superman and Flash went to Stryker's to interrogate him about Luthor's whereabouts, Copperhead simply mocked Superman about his boy scout attitude.
He later appeared in the second incarnation of the Injustice Gang led by Aresia. At first, this gang was much more successful, but it was revealed that Aresia's ultimate plan was to wipe out all the men in the world with a special type of germ warfare. She used all the male members of the gang, including Copperhead as test subjects. Copperhead survived, however, and was imprisoned at Stryker's Island. He was with Solomon Grundy during a prison break, but was caught by Hawkgirl and Green Lantern. Copperhead later joined Gorilla Grodd's Legion of Doom.
Batman: the Brave and the Bold
He also appeared in the show Batman the Brave and the Bold in the episode "Legend of the Dark Mite" where he is shown robbing a museum but was thwarted by Green Arrow. He later appeared in the episode "Joker the Vile and the Villainess" stealing jewels but was quickly stopped by Batman.
Batman/Superman Public Enemies
Copperhead later appeared in the animated film Batman/Superman Public Enemies as one of the villains trying to collect the bounty on Superman.
Gotham
A female version of Copperhead called Larissa Diaz appears in the Batman based prequel show Gotham in which she along with other assassins are sent to kill Selina Kyle and Dick Lovecraft. Although she fails to kill Selina, she managed to kill Lovecraft and his death was put down to suicide due to him being suspected of being behind the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne by James Gordon. She was played by Lesley-Ann Brandt.
Batman: Arkham Origins
Copperhead appears as one of the eight assassins hired to terminate the Batman by Black Mask on a Gotham Christmas Eve in Batman: Arkham Origins. However, this incarnation of Copperhead is a woman, though Batman stated there may be a male Copperhead as well.
After trying to poison the Dark Knight, the snake woman was defeated after Batman had his originally demanded cure delivered, as he locked her in a shipping crate and told Alfred to give the police an anonymous tip about her capturing.
Trivia
- The female version of Copperhead in the comics is based off the one seen in the video game Batman: Arkham Origins.
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