 |
| Scorpion | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Amazing Fantasy (vol. 2) #7 (June 2005) |
| Created by | |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Carmilla Black (born Thasanee Rappaccini) |
| Species | Human mutate |
| Team affiliations | |
| Abilities |
|
Scorpion (Carmilla Black, born Thasanee Rappaccini) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appears in Amazing Fantasy (vol. 2) #7 and was created by Fred Van Lente and Leonard Kirk.
The Scorpion was originally intended to be the daughter of the Silver Samurai and the Viper, thus explaining Carmilla's hair color. [1]
The name Rappaccini is an allusion "Rappaccini's Daughter", an 1844 short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. [2] The title character of the story is a beautiful young woman whose breath and touch have been rendered poisonous by the experiments of her father.
After the vicious murder of her adoptive parents, Carmilla discovers that her biological mother, Monica Rappaccini, is Scientist Supreme of the worldwide terrorist network A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics). Carmilla tries to find her real mother under the auspices of S.H.I.E.L.D., who attempt to use her to infiltrate A.I.M. She appears in The Incredible Hulk #87, a one-shot story that takes place immediately after "House of M". Hulk writer Peter David suggested that Bruce Banner may be Carmilla's biological father. [3]
Carmilla and her S.H.I.E.L.D. handler, agent Derek Khanata, are sent to New York under orders to track down and capture the Uni-Power before it can fall into the hands of A.I.M. Watching over the spot where a Captain Universe–empowered Daredevil battled four A.I.M. commandos, Scorpion and Khanata wait to see if A.I.M. finds anything. A group of kids interrupt the A.I.M. Agents' work and are nearly killed until X-23 steps in. The A.I.M. commandos who battled Daredevil before attack X-23 when she becomes Captain Universe. Scorpion enters the fray, helping X-23/Captain Universe defeat the Commandos. Soon afterwards, X-23 begins to search for a hidden base. Scorpion joins her to capture Captain Universe and get the information on it from A.I.M. However, X-23 convinces Scorpion to let Captain Universe go. X-23 takes Captain Universe to a safe hiding place while Scorpion brings an A.I.M. scientist back to S.H.I.E.L.D. for interrogation. [4]
Carmilla has been identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear on the cover of the comic book Avengers: The Initiative #1. [5]
In Spider-Man Family #3 (set before Civil War: Choosing Sides #1), she appears in a short story again written by Fred Van Lente and drawn by Leonard Kirk. Here, she infiltrates the unregistered superhero underground for S.H.I.E.L.D. and is sent on missions to establish a presence as a superhero. When Mac Gargan, the then-current Venom and former Scorpion, learns about Carmilla, he challenges her to a fight, since he is negotiating for a film based on his life and does not want her diluting his trademark. Carmilla defeats Gargan by absorbing some of his webbing, creating a "neo-symbiote" which disintegrates after she has defeated him. [6]
Carmilla is seen trying to aid S.H.I.E.L.D. upon the Hulk's return. She fills his body with a S.H.I.E.L.D.-devised poison concoction specially designed to kill him, but it only creates boils on his skin, which heal after several minutes. [7] Amadeus Cho reveals to her that Bruce Banner (the Hulk's alter ego) and Monica Rappaccini had an affair while in college, potentially making Banner her biological father. Carmilla attacks a S.H.I.E.L.D. truck transporting Banner to an underground prison, only to discover that he is one of three decoys. [8]
It is revealed that Carmilla is now Hardball's lover and is the co-leader of a Hydra training facility in Madripoor. [9] Carmilla and Hardball confront the Shadow Initiative, along with an army of Hydra agents, shortly after learning they were searching for Hardball. [10] It is later revealed that Carmilla was actually working undercover for an unknown source, implied to be Nick Fury. She convinces Hardball to turn himself in and secretly steals his S.P.I.N. Tech dart. [11]
Carmilla appears in a new costume during The Gauntlet and Grim Hunt storyline. She reveals that after quitting S.H.I.E.L.D., she began taking independent contracts. She is hired by Kraven the Hunter's family to steal Mac Gargan's original costume from the Hood, who is planning to give it to any low-level crook that impresses him. The Scorpion stings Spider-Man and he temporarily loses his powers. She then proceeds to fight the Hood and his allies and is quickly overwhelmed. However, Spider-Man regains his powers and saves her. Carmilla delivers the suit to Sasha Kravinoff and Ana Kravinoff. [12]
Scorpion was genetically designed by her "mother" as part of a group of similar children called the Wakers to be immune against environmental toxins. Her unique body chemistry makes her immune to most types of poisons, gases, radiation, and diseases and enables her to release filtered toxins at will. [6] She also gained nearly indestructible mind-controlled gauntlets packed full of S.H.I.E.L.D. technology and a body suit that manages to stop most, if not all, weapons and has other built-in gadgets.
Since Madripoor, she has added a tail (similar to that of Mac Gargan, the original Scorpion) to her costume with a stinger that injects S.P.I.N. tech nanites after ingesting the contents of the dart that she stole from Hardball. The effects only last half an hour. Since she has said that the source of the nanites is her own body, it is hinted that, unlike the original Scorpion, her tail may be semi-organic (Gargan's is mechanical). [12]
In the House of M reality, the Scorpion was raised by her mother, and has a good relationship with her (as she was never adopted, she also goes by her birth name of Thasanee Rappaccini, although she retains the Scorpion codename). She is thus an agent of the semi-heroic A.I.M. and helped recruit the Hulk, her mother's former lover, to overthrow Exodus' totalitarian Australian government. [13]
| Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scorpion: Poison Tomorrow | Amazing Fantasy (vol. 2) #7–12 | November 2005 | 978-0785117124 |
Spider-Man characters | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spider-Man family |
| ||||||||||||
| Supporting characters |
| ||||||||||||
| Antagonists |
| ||||||||||||
| Alternative versions |
| ||||||||||||
| In other media |
| ||||||||||||
| Other topics | |||||||||||||
| Hulk family | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supporting characters | |||||||||
| Superhero allies | |||||||||
| Enemies |
| ||||||||
| Television |
| ||||||||
| Films |
| ||||||||
| Video games | |||||||||
| Titles | |||||||||
| Storylines | |||||||||
| Alternative versions | |||||||||
| Related articles | |||||||||
