- NOTE: This article is about the incarnation of Lizard from the 2012 film The Amazing Spider-Man. The mainstream version can be found here: Lizard (Marvel).
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| “ | I spent my life as a scientist trying to create a world without weakness, without outcasts. I sought to create a stronger human being, but there's no such thing. Human beings are weak, pathetic, feeble-minded creatures. Why be human at all when we can be so much more faster, stronger and smarter? This is my gift to you. | „ |
| ~ Dr. Curt Connors on a video explaining how he is changing human life. |
| “ | That changing like the snake, I might be free to cast off flesh where I dwell confined. | „ |
| ~ Connors quoting Michelangelo's sonnet "The Snake" before transforming a third time. |
| “ | Trust me, Peter, when you try to fix people, there are always consequences. | „ |
| ~ Lizard to the MCU's Peter Parker. |
Dr. Curtis "Curt" Connors, also known as The Lizard, is the main antagonist of the 2012 superhero film The Amazing Spider-Man, the first installment of Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man film duology, and a supporting antagonist in the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home.
He is a brilliant geneticist who worked for Oscorp and a mentor to Peter Parker. He intended to use his research to provide means of regeneration for those who lost limbs. During the year 2013, he was forced to inject the serum on himself when his superiors tried to test it in military veterans so they could cure Norman Osborn. However, the serum ended transforming Connors into a monstrous, mutated human-reptile hybrid, that corrupts Connors' mind to the point that he becomes deluded into doing the same to the rest of New York, becoming the first arch-nemesis of Spider-Man. Shortly after discovering the latter’s true identity. Eventually, Connors was stopped and cured of his mania and Lizard persona by Spider-Man in a battle at Oscorp Tower, and subsequently incarcerated.
11 years later, a past version of Connors, some time after discovering Peter was Spider-Man and while being stuck as the Lizard, was accidentally transported to Earth-199999 through space and time from a spell performed by Doctor Strange, where he teams up with one supervillain from his world and two supervillains from another alternate universe, to continue his plan to turn everyone in Earth-199999 into Lizard-people like himself. Connors is eventually cured and sent back to the point he was pulled from his universe, which creates a branched/alternate timeline in the Webb universe.
He was portrayed by Rhys Ifans, who also played Eyeball Paul in Kevin & Perry Go Large, Adrian in Little Nicky, Jed Parry in Enduring Love, Vladis Grutas in Hannibal Rising, Uncle Phil in Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, Edward de Vere in Anonymous, Grigori Rasputin in The King's Man and Otto Hightower in House of the Dragon. In the main versions of the video game, he is voiced by Steve Blum, and in the IOS version, he is voiced by Adam Harrington.
Personality[]
| “ | Dr. Curt Connors. He was a scientist at Oscorp when I worked there. A brilliant scientist. Until he turned himself into a lizard. Then he tried to turn the whole city into lizards. It was crazy. | „ |
| ~ Electro explaining about the Lizard. |
One of Oscorp's most brilliant scientists, Curt Connors attempts to start a revolutionary regeneration serum to help re-grow limbs and human tissue. He is a good man who simply "wanted to change the lives of millions, including his", but when pressured to come up with results, he elects to become the first human test subject. While it initially works, it somehow quickly changes as he mutates into a monstrous lizard-like creature.
As the Lizard, Curt seems to display traits similar to a certain type of being known. Although he displays an animalistic cunning and viciousness, he still displays Curt's intelligence, albeit somewhat twisted and very corrupted, to create a new breed of beings to inherit the world. A voice in Connors' head (likely the Lizard) further manipulates him into injecting more serum, as this is how he would save everyone.
In Spider-Man: No Way Home, the alternate version of Lizard is shown to be stoic to those around him sometimes, rarely speaking unless directly spoken to. He was also very cynical and skeptical about MCU Peter Parker's desire to cure the other villains, even refusing to go inside Happy's apartment. Once things went wrong, Lizard wasted no time in mocking MCU Peter and throwing him back into the apartment to fight the Green Goblin.
Lizard is shown to have a kinder side, seen when he complimented Electro's new look and politely warned MCU Peter that his intentions to help him and the other villains would have consequences. He even took the time to greet Webbverse Spider-Man, even though he was fighting him. In addition, Lizard could not believe that MCU Peter had someone like Michelle Jones for a girlfriend.
Appearance[]
Dr. Connors appears to be a fairly-built, if lanky man in his early 40s and has bright blonde hair swept to the right as well as green eyes. He's usually shown wearing a white lab coat, befitting of his role as an Oscorp scientist. His most noticeable physical feature is the lack of a right arm which, in its place, is a stump.
When transformed due to injecting himself with lizard DNA in a desperate effort to regrow his limbs, Dr. Connors takes on the appearance of a hulking, muscular, reptilian humanoid towering at about 7 feet in length. His skin is changed to a dark shade of green with rough scales resembling those of a reptile's as well as a dark beachy underbelly, is bald, and his eyes change to mottled yellow. Additionally, Dr. Connors also possesses a long thick tail as well as sharp teeth and claws. All of these give him a very dinosaur-esque appearance, which explains why a lot of characters tend to confuse The Lizard for being a rampaging dinosaur.
In No Way Home, He is similar to his previous appearance but has a slightly more reptilian appearance and sharp teeth in comparison.
Biography[]
Origins[]
One of the leading scientific minds, Dr. Curtis Connors was a renowned scientist who lost his right arm, leading him to search for a cure, wishing to create a perfect world without people with disabilities by using lizard DNA to regrow missing limbs. Despite his missing arm, Connors was able to build a normal life, marrying Martha Connors and having a son, Billy, together.
Connors worked for Oscorp, a scientific company founded by Norman Osborn. Among his colleagues, Connors worked with Richard Parker on the cross-species genetics theory, but when Richard disappeared, all seemed lost. Connors continued with his research, unaware that Norman Osborn wanted him to succeed so he could be cured from an incurable illness that was consuming his body.
Prior to the events of the film, Connors met Gwen Stacy, one of Oscorp's interns. Impressed by Stacy, Connors soon became Gwen's mentor and even gave her a college recommendation that left Gwen's parents very happy.
The Amazing Spider-Man[]
Meeting Peter Parker and Cross-Species Genetic Formula[]
Taking place during the year 2013, Curtis is first seen meeting Peter Parker, Richard's son, when he and his friends are having a tour in Oscorp Tower, where Peter learned that Connors used to be a friend of his father. Later, Peter visited him again, where Connor thought that he came for an autograph. Instead, Peter introduces himself as Richard Parker's son and gives Connors his father's "decay rate algorithm", the missing piece in Connors' experiments on regenerating limbs, which is especially important to Connors since he is missing his right arm.
Afterwards, with Peter's help, he managed to complete the formula and tries it on the guinea pigs, two white mouses named Fred and Wilma.
Fired and testing the formula on himself[]
The news of his success comes to Ratha's ear, where he then comes and demands him to use the formula on human trials as the dying Norman Osborn requires it for fully healed from his sickness. Connors refuses, as he doubts its success as so far, he only tests it on the lab rats. Infuriated, Ratha coldly fires him.
In response, Connors instead did the test on himself, and as the formula runs through his veins and affect his DNA, he passed out over the excruciating pain during the process. When he awoke hours later, he notice that his missing arm now regenerated, covered by a scaly cocoon-like layer. He then slowly tear the layer, revealing that not just his arms growing back, his fingers also did the same, albeit yet to grow nails.
Though he did regrow his arm, the serum had an unfortunate side-effect which resulted in him slowly becoming turning into a man - lizard hybrid.
The Lizard's Birth[]
Horrified by what happened to him, Connors immediately after Ratha to ask him whether he learned about the formula yet. As he entered a taxi, his newly regenerated arm shifts into reptilian form, with the taxi driver unaware with this. Connors demanded him to drive the taxi just as his face covered by scales. Then he becomes a giant lizard monster, and breaks out of taxi after arriving at the bridge. Connors begins walks to the Williamsburg Bridge and begins throwing cars off the bridge, until Ratha's car and throws it off the bridge, but Ratha, along with the people in the other cars thrown off the bridge, is saved by Peter, calling himself Spider-Man. Returning to his human form in the sewers, Connors, who has been corrupted by the serum, sets up a underground lab for his experiments.
Escape and being suspected as The Lizard by Peter[]
| “ | (In the sewers, The Lizard reads the name tag on a camera. The label reads "Property of Peter Parker". The Lizard realizes that Peter Parker is Spider-Man) Peter Parker. (The Lizard growls and crushes the camera in his fist.) | „ |
| ~ The Lizard discovers Spider-Man's secret identity. |
After his transformation, the next day at Oscorp, Connors finds Peter there, and Peter asks how a predator would catch a reptile. Connors tells him that they can't since most reptiles are predators at the top of their food chain. Connors then dismisses Peter telling him that he is working on a secret project, not knowing that Peter figured out that Connors is the Lizard after he finds that Fred has mutated into reptilian hybrid and has eaten Wilma. He then is pursued by Peter as Spider-Man and fought with him in the sewers. After the fight, Peter escapes injured. The Lizard, however, discovers that Peter is Spider-Man when he finds Peter's camera, that he intended to use to get a picture of him. Later that night, as Connors begins thinking after learning Peter is Spider-Man, a voice in his head (likely the Lizard) manipulates him into injecting more serum under the promise that he can save everyone, and also manipulates him into agreeing that Peter will not stop him.
Confronting Peter in School[]
The next day, The Lizard enters Peter's high school, Midtown Science High School, through the bathrooms. Then he enters the halls of the school, where almost everyone runs out of the building terrified. He then confronts Peter and tries to attack him, then explains how he make sure there are no more outcasts in the world, and there no need to stop him. Peter gets into his Spider-Man costume and tries to convince The Lizard to stop what he is doing, telling The Lizard it isn't him, but he does not listen. The two begin to fight in the school, before the Lizard manages to subdue Spider-Man. However, Gwen Stacy, Peter's girlfriend, helps Spider-Man by hitting the Lizard with a trophy. When The Lizard tries to attack her too, Spider-Man traps him in his webs. After Spider-Man gets Gwen to safety, The Lizard breaks free from the webs and then hears police sirens coming toward the school. After the two continue to fight in the school library, The Lizard overpowers Spider-Man and then escapes back into the sewers. After Peter follows him into the sewers and finds the underground lab, he learns from a video that Connors believes there is no perfect human being and that he plans to infect the city with the serum with the Ganali disbursement device from top of Oscorp Tower, and turn everyone into reptilian hybrids like him.
The Lizard's Attack and Stealing Ganali Device[]
After The Lizard begins to walk towards Oscorp with the serum, he is confronted by members of the NYPD SWAT team who shoot him on sight. But The Lizard quickly heals and defeats the SWAT team members and infects them with the serum. He then begins continues toward to Oscorp, and infecting more people with the serum. Upon arriving at Oscorp, The Lizard begins climbing up the tower, then goes into his lab for the Ganali device, but he finds it missing. The Lizard then finds Gwen, who was making antidote for the serum, hiding with Ganali device. He then takes the device and Gwen uses a blowtorch to burn him but it does not affect him and The Lizard for the top of Oscorp Tower.
Battle on the Oscorp Tower and Defeat[]
On top of Oscorp Tower, the Lizard and Spider-Man get into a fight. Lizard then chokes Spider-Man until Captain George Stacy arrives and shoots the Lizard multiple times, buying Spider-Man time to get free and retrieve the cure to Connors' mutagen from Stacy. The Lizard recovers and fatally wounds Stacy. He then attempts to stop Spider-Man stopping the Ganali device from unleashing his lizard formula but fails as Peter loads the antidote into the machine. Once exposed to the antidote, the Lizard transforms back into Connors, who saves Peter from falling off the building, and everyone who was infected with the serum reverts back to normal. Connors is then arrested.
During the credits of the film, Connors is incarcerated in the Beloit Psychiatric Hospital. He then meets a character credited as "The Man in the Shadows", asking him if Connors told Peter the truth about his father, Dr. Richard Parker. Connors replies "no" while the darkened figure says "Well, that's very good". Before returning to the credits of the film, Connors gives out his last words by stating "You should leave him alone!", prompting the mysterious man to somehow vanish from the cell, leaving Connors alone.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2[]
Connors doesn't appear in the film, but is mentioned a couple of times. Following Norman's death, Norman's son Harry takes over Norman's position as Oscorp's CEO. During a meeting at the Osborn Manor, Harry is informed by Donald Menken how Oscorp's reputation was nearly ruined in the wake of the Lizard's attack, leading the company to shut down every animal hybrid programs Connors was involved with to restore confidence among their investors, much to Harry's chagrin.
Harry later mentions the Lizard while taking a walk with Peter after spending many years away from him, musing how New York City had seen "giant lizards and spider guys" during his absence. Harry mentions Connors yet again when he tells Peter how he plans to request Spider-Man some of his blood so he can avoid his father's fate, leading Peter to warn him about the dangers and using Connors' transformation as an example, leading Harry to dismiss that danger by saying that Connors was weak.
Marvel Cinematic Universe[]
Spider-Man: No Way Home[]
During the year 2024 in the Earth-199999/MCU universe, after that universe's Peter Parker accidentally botches Doctor Strange's spell to make everyone forget his secret identity after being outed and framed by Mysterio, an alternate version of Connors, during his time as the Lizard and some time after discovering Peter was Spider-Man (possibly around the time he discovered his Peter was Spider-Man following their fight in the sewer), was transported to MCU/Earth-199999 by accident and ended up in the sewers under New York City, but he was immediately found by Doctor Strange who contained him in a cell underneath the Sanctum Sanctorum. There, meets up with Electro (whom he used to work with at Oscorp in the universe), as well as Sandman and Doctor Octopus and Norman Osborn (the latter three being from the Raimi/Earth-96283 universe, which is also another alternate universe), all of whom (except likely Sandman) were displaced from other periods of time before meeting with versions of Peter Parker who was native to the universes from which the other villains were displaced in. When Osborn, Octopus and Electro realized that they had originally died fighting the Spider-Man of their universes but had been spared by the spell, this frightened Lizard, who asked Electro if he died as well. Like most of the others, the Lizard had no interest in being cured and instead wished to continue his plan to turn everyone into Lizard-people like himself. He eventually escaped thanks to Osborn's evil alter ego, Green Goblin.
During the final battle at the Statue of Liberty, the Lizard battled Earth-199999's Spider-Man, his universes' Spider-Man and the Raimiverse Spider-Man, alongside Sandman and the alternate Electro. At one point, the Lizard spotted a portal accidentally left open by Earth-199999 Parker's best friend Ned Leeds and chased him and Earth-19999 Parker's girlfriend MJ around through it before Ned blasted him away using water from another portal. MJ tossed Lizard's Peter the cure that had been created for Connors, the same one that he had created for him the first time and Peter shoved it into the Lizard's mouth, causing the bottle to break open when the Lizard bit down. The Lizard was surrounded by green gas and was cured, transforming Dr. Connors back to normal. Peter welcomed him back and when the scaffolding collapsed, the Raimiverse Peter saved Connors from falling to his death. He was subsequently returned to his own universe by Strange with a second chance at life in a branched/alternate timeline of the Webbverse, but at the cost of everyone in MCU forgetting who Peter Parker truly is.
In the video game[]
In the 2012 video game, Dr. Connors is a supporting character, assisting Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy against the machinations of Alistair Smythe and his army of S-Bots in the wake of an outbreak of cross-species hybrid test subjects. Near the end of the game, Connors is forced to reinject himself with his serum and become the Lizard once more in order to fight against Smythe. However, due to the mental regression, the Lizard ends up being the final boss of the game. After his defeat, he reverts back to Connors, and willingly returns to his sentence.
Relationships[]
Allies[]
- Max Dillon/Electro - Former Colleague and Situational Ally
- Peter Parker/Spider-Man - Friend, Protégé, Former Arch-nemesis, Former Attempted Victim, Savior and Curer
- Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus
- Peter Parker/MCU Spider-Man - Temporary Enemy and Curer
- Michelle Jones - Temporary Enemy
- Ned Leeds - Temporary Enemy
- Flint Marko/Sandman - Situational Ally
- Norman Osborn/Green Goblin - Situational Ally
- MCU May Parker †
- Peter Parker/Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man - Temporary Enemy and Savior
Enemies[]
- Gwen Stacy † - Former Protégé
- Dr. Rajit Ratha † - Former Superior and Victim
- Captain George Stacy † - Attempted Killer and Victim
- Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange - Situational Enemy and Capturer
- Damage Control
- J. Jonah Jameson
Quotes[]
The Amazing Spider-Man[]
| “ | Peter Parker... Spider-Man? I'm not the one who needs help! There will be no more loneliness, no more outcasts! Species-wide distribution could enhance humanity on an evolutionary scale. One has to adapt to survive. That, changing like the snake, I might be free. To cast off flesh wherein I dwell confined! Would you give it all up? After all you know you can do? All the power you feel? I can save them! You are not gonna get in the way of my plan, Peter Parker! | „ |
| ~ Connors talking with his second personality, the Lizard about the plan and about revealing that Peter is Spider-Man. |
| “ | You stopped me once. You won't stop me again. I'm getting stronger every day! | „ |
| ~ The Lizard as he wounds Peter. |
| “ | No where to hide Peter. | „ |
| ~ The Lizard fighting Peter at his school. |
| “ | All these souls... lost and alone. I can save them. I can cure them. There's no need to stop me, Peter. | „ |
| ~ The Lizard to Peter Parker during their second fight. |
| “ | Poor Peter Parker. No mother, no father... no uncle. All alone. | „ |
| ~ The Lizard taunting Peter. |
Spider-Man: No Way Home[]
| “ | Electro: He tried to turn the whole city into lizards, it was crazy . Lizard: It wasn't crazy, Max. It was the next step in human evolution. |
„ |
| ~ Electro and the Lizard about what the latter tried to do. |
| “ | Lizard: Speaking of which what happen to you? Last time I recall, you had bad teeth, glasses, and a combover. Did you get a makeover? You know I can give you a real makeover. Electro: Let me guess into a Lizard? Lizard: Exactly. |
„ |
| ~ Lizard and Electro of how the latter had his physical appearance changed. |
| “ | Max, do you know -- do I die? | „ |
| ~ Lizard to Electro after learning the fates of the other villains. |
| “ | MCU Peter Parker: But if you stay here... you’re gonna have to deal with the wizard. Lizard: Ah, so we go along or die. Not much of a choice, is it? |
„ |
| ~ Lizard reluctantly going with MCU Spider-Man's plan to get cured. |
| “ | And so it begins... | „ |
| ~ Lizard sensing that the villains (except Otto Octavius) are about to turn against MCU Spider-Man. |
| “ | I told you there'd be consequences! | „ |
| ~ Lizard briefly attacking the MCU's Peter Parker after having warned him about fixing the villains earlier. |
| “ | Spider-Man: Hey, Doctor Connors! Lizard: Hello, Peter! |
„ |
| ~ Spider-Man and Lizard. |
Powers and Abilities[]
Artificially Enhanced Physiology: Connors transformed himself into a giant mutant lizard after experimenting with cross-species genetics; he harnessed the DNA of a lizard and transferred its capabilities to himself, granting him enhanced reptilian physical attributes.
- Superhuman Strength: Connors has remarkable superhuman strength, able to lift weight that no human ever could. He is able to tear through steel and metals effortlessly, and overpower multiple men with ease.
- Superhuman Durability: Connors' skin, bone, and muscle tissue are denser and tougher than ordinary humans.
- Superhuman Speed: Connors has the ability to travel at great speeds.
- Superhuman Agility: In his Lizard form, Connors possess a level of agility superior to humans.
- Superhuman Stamina: Connors can do intense physical activity for long periods of time without being fatigued.
- Superhuman Reflexes: Connors can coordinate his body with unnatural equilibrium, dexterity, and flexibility and his reflexes is capable of reacting much better than ordinary human beings.
- Enhanced Senses: Connors has superhuman senses. He is able to see farther than ordinary, and can smell humans scent from great distances.
- Regenerative Healing Factor: Connors can heal much quicker than even Spider-Man. He could heal from multiple gunshot wounds within a few seconds,
- Wall-Crawling: Connors uses his sharp claws to penetrate walls and crawl on them.
- Fangs and Claws: In his Lizard form, Connors has razor-sharp and dangerous fangs which he could use to bite and tear and claws which he could use to rend through materials, climb up walls with them and penetrate dense objects with ease.
- Prehensile Tail: As the Lizard, Connors has a prehensile tail which he uses to smack his enemies.
Trivia[]
- The Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man is missing several key features that he usually has in the comics, such as a snout and torn clothes (usually a white lab coat and purple pants). Marc Webb has stated that Lizard lacks a snout because Rhys Ifans is using motion-capture to play the character, and he believes that Ifan's emotions would have been lost if a snout was present. The clothes were also removed to give the character a more realistic look. Though he is seen wearing a lab coat a few of times in the movie. The Lizard's appearance is also based off of the original Lizard design by Steve Ditko, which also lacked a snout.
- The concept of the Lizard in the film is an indirect nod to the character's incarnation in Spider-Man: The New Animated Series that too, lacked of clothing.
- This has also been slightly averted by The Lizard's return in Spider-Man: No Way Home where his facial features are slightly modified to appear more reptilian.
- The concept of the Lizard in the film is an indirect nod to the character's incarnation in Spider-Man: The New Animated Series that too, lacked of clothing.
- The Daily Bugle viral site confirms that Connors was found guilty.
- Actor Rhys Ifans described his character as a flawed character comparable to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Ifans described Connors as a force for good throughout his life: "He's a geneticist who wants to help people, like him, who are limbless. In his eagerness to advance that science, he makes a mistake and that's an occurrence we've seen throughout time, sometimes to our benefit, sometimes to our detriment." "...He is a broken man who wants to fix himself." These statement shows that much like his comic books counterpart, he developed a second, sinister personality that called The Lizard himself. This secondary personality was the one that whispered on Connors in the sewers when he already reverted into human form after discovering Peter's true identity as Spider-Man.
- Several scenes featuring Curt Connors/Lizard were cut from the final film. Two notable ones included scenes where Connors talks to his son (who is completely absent from the final film) and Lizard killing Dr. Ratha (who disappears after the bridge scene in the final film).
- It has not stated when Lizard was pulled from his universe in No Way Home, but due to him being found in the sewer by Doctor Strange, it is possible he was pulled while in the sewer around the time he discovered Peter was Spider-Man following their fight in the sewer.
- However, it could also be possible that he was pulled from his final showdown with Spider-Man which would explain why he has the regrown four fingers.
- The fact that the Lizard was present in the sewers under New York City is a reference to the famous urban legend of the alligators found in sewers under New York City.
External Links[]
- Curt Connors on the Heroes Wiki.
- Lizard on the Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki.
- Lizard on the Spider-Man Films Wiki.
- Lizard on the Marvel Database Wiki.
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 Cinematic Villains
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