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Komodo (comics)
Encyclopedia
Komodo is the name of two fictional characters in the Marvel Comics
Universe.
, creatures evolved by the High Evolutionary
from a lizard. He accompanied the Ani-Men on their clean-up mission at the Jackal's laboratory and fought the Scarlet Spider
. Later, he fought Caiman of the Cult of the Jackal when their members infiltrated the High Evolutionary's citadel, but the High Evolutionary brought the fight to an end.
.
Melati Kusuma is a former graduate student of Dr. Curt Connors
. She stole Connors' regenerative lizard serum, modified it to her own DNA
and administered it to herself.
Connors later registered her for the Initiative and she was sent to Camp Hammond. At the camp she was victim of a training accident; her arm was blown off by Armory
, whose powers were out of control. The arm regenerates in moments. During their "field trip" to Texas
to save the President
from HYDRA
she performed very well, and was activated for field work. She worked with War Machine
in an attempt to use S.P.I.N. tech
to take away Spider-Man
's powers, just as had been done to She-Hulk
. Spider-Man called her a "dollar-store version of the Lizard" and convinced her she would fail even as she had him pinned down, warning her that her powers would be taken away when he defeated her, which he does by firing a blast of webbing into her face. Komodo was seen begging War Machine not to have her powers removed as she considers her former human identity to be a nobody. She revealed that her code-name is taken from an animal
specific to certain islands in Indonesia
and her name is commonly used by Indonesians (Melati means jasmine
, Kusuma means flower
in Javanese language).
During World War Hulk
, when a number of Komodo's teammates broke rank to go and fight the Hulk
, Komodo chose to follow orders and stay put. Komodo struck up a relationship with fellow trainee Hardball
even going as far as to show him her true form, which was missing both legs below the knee. Intentionally this time; he had seen it before when she lost control while asleep. This was against Initiative secret identity rules but Hardball reassured his superior officers that no trouble would result, she was 'just a girl'. In this incident, angles prevented the reader from seeing Komodo's legs.
While fighting KIA, he used his Tactigon to infect her with poison so potent that it would kill her before she could regenerate. Hardball uses his power to sever her poisoned legs, stopping the poison before it can travel to the rest of her body. Although he manages to save her, this solution is especially painful for her as she is a former amputee who lost her legs once before.
When Komodo completed her Initiative training, she was assigned to Arizona
, as a part of the Desert Stars
team. She later appears with the rest of her new team during the Secret Invasion
. When the new 3-D Man and the Skrull Kill Krew
arrive and identify team member the Blacksmith as a Skrull
, Komodo helps them fight and kill the Skrull infiltrator. As the rest of the Desert Stars team was incapacitated during the fight, Komodo leaves with the 3-D Man and the Skull Kill Krew to travel to Nevada to help Hardball's team and find the Skrull infiltrators on the other Initiative teams.
Hardball later becomes the new leader of HYDRA
and leaves the Initiative. It was also revealed that she lost her legs in a car accident, "Just a stupid kid driving too fast." Komodo insists on accompanying the Shadow Initiative to take down Hardball in Madripoor
. When the group arrive, Komodo is depowered when Hardball fires a S.P.I.N. tech
dart at her, and she is abandoned by her retreating teammates. Komodo is held in a HYDRA cell, and later freed by the returning Shadow Initiative.
Komodo joins up with a new version of the Shadow Initiative in order to retake the Negative Zone prison where Hardball was incarceratd, as it had been conquered by aliens. During the battle, Komodo allows herself to be injured. This spurs Dragon Man into the battle, as the primitive entity had developed romantic feelings for Komodo. The Shadow Initiative retakes the prison, albeit with the loss of several new members; the survivors realize that Osborn intended for the team to be expendable.
Komodo later quits the Shadow Initiative when she learns that Hardball has joined the team. The price for leaving (as laid out by Initiative operative Taskmaster
) is to have S.P.I.N. tech take away her powers. She chooses to have her powers removed rather than remain on the same team with Hardball, and is next seen in human form in a wheelchair with no legs. She then joins up with the Avengers Resistance
to help them rescue Night Thrasher.
In the aftermath of Siege
, Komodo confronts Baron Von Blitzschlag
in an effort to prevent him from destroying incriminating evidence against himself and Norman Osborn. Before shooting Von Blitzschlag, Cloud 9 and Hardball appear and inject Komodo, neutralizing the S.P.I.N. tech in her bloodstream and restoring her powers and physical appearance.
where she dances with Reptil
. Komodo was shocked at the fact that Reptil is still in his adult body following the fight against Korvac
and vows to make Tigra pay for this.
Komodo appears at a meeting held by Prodigy
regarding magical hammers that have crashed into the earth.
, he flew an Atomic Steed.
The second Komodo possesses an accelerated healing factor derived from the same serum created by Dr. Curt Connors that turned him into the Lizard
. The serum was created from lizard DNA in an attempt to create a serum capable of granting humans the regenerative properties of lizards. The extent of her healing factor is unknown, but it is shown she is able to regenerate lost limbs in seconds. She also possesses razor-sharp claws on each of her fingers. Unlike Connors she maintains control of her human consciousness when she is in her lizard form, and has the ability to control transformations between human and lizard forms. This is a result of her being able to perfect the formula to her DNA. Komodo also appears to have superhuman strength, reflexes, and agility. Komodo has demonstrated genius in chemistry and genetics.
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
Universe.
New Men
The first Komodo is one of the New MenNew Men (Marvel Comics)
The New Men are a fictional Marvel Comics universe group of hyper-evolved animals created by the High Evolutionary . They are also known as the Knights of Wundagore.-Fictional group history:...
, creatures evolved by the High Evolutionary
High Evolutionary
The High Evolutionary is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The High Evolutionary was first mentioned in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #133 , and first appears in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #134 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
from a lizard. He accompanied the Ani-Men on their clean-up mission at the Jackal's laboratory and fought the Scarlet Spider
Scarlet Spider
Scarlet Spider is a fictional character who appeared in the Marvel Comics series Spider-Man. His costume was designed by Tom Lyle. The identity of the Scarlet Spider has been used by several characters: Ben Reilly, Peter Parker , Joe Wade , a group of three Michael Van Patrick clones working with...
. Later, he fought Caiman of the Cult of the Jackal when their members infiltrated the High Evolutionary's citadel, but the High Evolutionary brought the fight to an end.
Komodo (Melati Kusuma)
The second Komodo is a female trainee for the Fifty State InitiativeFifty State Initiative
The Fifty State Initiative, often referred to as simply The Initiative, is a fictional governmental plan that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those related to The Avengers...
.
Melati Kusuma is a former graduate student of Dr. Curt Connors
Lizard (comics)
The Lizard is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe and enemy of Spider-Man. The Lizard first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #6 , and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko...
. She stole Connors' regenerative lizard serum, modified it to her own DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
and administered it to herself.
Connors later registered her for the Initiative and she was sent to Camp Hammond. At the camp she was victim of a training accident; her arm was blown off by Armory
Armory (comics)
Armory is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. Armory was one of the new Initiative recruits that arrived at Camp Hammond with Cloud 9, Hardball, Komodo, MVP, Trauma and others.-Fictional character biography:...
, whose powers were out of control. The arm regenerates in moments. During their "field trip" to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to save the President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
from HYDRA
HYDRA
HYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
she performed very well, and was activated for field work. She worked with War Machine
War Machine
War Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
in an attempt to use S.P.I.N. tech
S.P.I.N. (Super-Power-Inhibiting Nanobots) Technology
S.P.I.N. Technology or S.P.I.N. Tech is a fictional type of nanotechnology found in Marvel Comics.-History:...
to take away Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
's powers, just as had been done to She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
. Spider-Man called her a "dollar-store version of the Lizard" and convinced her she would fail even as she had him pinned down, warning her that her powers would be taken away when he defeated her, which he does by firing a blast of webbing into her face. Komodo was seen begging War Machine not to have her powers removed as she considers her former human identity to be a nobody. She revealed that her code-name is taken from an animal
Komodo dragon
The Komodo dragon , also known as the Komodo monitor, is a large species of lizard found in the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang and Gili Dasami. A member of the monitor lizard family , it is the largest living species of lizard, growing to a maximum length of in rare cases...
specific to certain islands in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and her name is commonly used by Indonesians (Melati means jasmine
Jasmine
Jasminum , commonly known as jasmines, is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family . It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World...
, Kusuma means flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
in Javanese language).
During World War Hulk
World War Hulk
"World War Hulk" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self titled limited series and various other titles published by Marvel Comics in 2007, featuring the Hulk....
, when a number of Komodo's teammates broke rank to go and fight the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
, Komodo chose to follow orders and stay put. Komodo struck up a relationship with fellow trainee Hardball
Hardball (comics)
Hardball is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by writer Dan Slott and artist Stefano Caselli, and first appeared in Avengers: The Initiative #1 ....
even going as far as to show him her true form, which was missing both legs below the knee. Intentionally this time; he had seen it before when she lost control while asleep. This was against Initiative secret identity rules but Hardball reassured his superior officers that no trouble would result, she was 'just a girl'. In this incident, angles prevented the reader from seeing Komodo's legs.
While fighting KIA, he used his Tactigon to infect her with poison so potent that it would kill her before she could regenerate. Hardball uses his power to sever her poisoned legs, stopping the poison before it can travel to the rest of her body. Although he manages to save her, this solution is especially painful for her as she is a former amputee who lost her legs once before.
When Komodo completed her Initiative training, she was assigned to Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, as a part of the Desert Stars
Desert Stars
Desert Stars is a fictional superhero team in the Marvel Comics universe. The group of heroes are the official Arizona Fifty State Initiative team and were created by Christos Gage and Stefano Caselli.-Fictional history:...
team. She later appears with the rest of her new team during the Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
. When the new 3-D Man and the Skrull Kill Krew
Skrull Kill Krew
The Skrull Kill Krew are a fictional group from Marvel Comics who first appeared in their own limited series published in 1995. They were created by Grant Morrison, Mark Millar and Steve Yeowell.The group are humans modified by eating Skrull-infected beef...
arrive and identify team member the Blacksmith as a Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
, Komodo helps them fight and kill the Skrull infiltrator. As the rest of the Desert Stars team was incapacitated during the fight, Komodo leaves with the 3-D Man and the Skull Kill Krew to travel to Nevada to help Hardball's team and find the Skrull infiltrators on the other Initiative teams.
Hardball later becomes the new leader of HYDRA
HYDRA
HYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
and leaves the Initiative. It was also revealed that she lost her legs in a car accident, "Just a stupid kid driving too fast." Komodo insists on accompanying the Shadow Initiative to take down Hardball in Madripoor
Madripoor
The Principality of Madripoor is a fictional island located in Southeast Asia in the Marvel Comics universe. Based on illustrations, it is in the southern portion of the Strait of Malacca, southwest of Singapore.-Publication history:...
. When the group arrive, Komodo is depowered when Hardball fires a S.P.I.N. tech
S.P.I.N. (Super-Power-Inhibiting Nanobots) Technology
S.P.I.N. Technology or S.P.I.N. Tech is a fictional type of nanotechnology found in Marvel Comics.-History:...
dart at her, and she is abandoned by her retreating teammates. Komodo is held in a HYDRA cell, and later freed by the returning Shadow Initiative.
Komodo joins up with a new version of the Shadow Initiative in order to retake the Negative Zone prison where Hardball was incarceratd, as it had been conquered by aliens. During the battle, Komodo allows herself to be injured. This spurs Dragon Man into the battle, as the primitive entity had developed romantic feelings for Komodo. The Shadow Initiative retakes the prison, albeit with the loss of several new members; the survivors realize that Osborn intended for the team to be expendable.
Komodo later quits the Shadow Initiative when she learns that Hardball has joined the team. The price for leaving (as laid out by Initiative operative Taskmaster
Taskmaster
Taskmaster is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. The character is primarily a supervillain but is often portrayed as an antihero. The Taskmaster first appeared in Avengers vol.1 #195 and was created by David Michelinie and George Pérez...
) is to have S.P.I.N. tech take away her powers. She chooses to have her powers removed rather than remain on the same team with Hardball, and is next seen in human form in a wheelchair with no legs. She then joins up with the Avengers Resistance
Counter Force (Marvel Comics)
This second team of New Warriors is a superhero team in the Marvel Comics continuity composed mostly of former members of the original team of New Warriors.-Fictional history:...
to help them rescue Night Thrasher.
In the aftermath of Siege
Siege (comics)
Siege is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics, who exists in the Marvel Universe.-Creative origins:John Kelly was initially created by Dwayne McDuffie and Gregory Wright as a pseudo-preview of their then-upcoming relaunch of Deathlok as well as to provide existing in-continuity backstory...
, Komodo confronts Baron Von Blitzschlag
Baron Von Blitzschlag
Baron Werner Von Blitzschlag is a comic book character in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. Created by writer Dan Slott and artist Stefano Caselli, the Baron's last name is German for "Lightning-Strike."-Publication history:...
in an effort to prevent him from destroying incriminating evidence against himself and Norman Osborn. Before shooting Von Blitzschlag, Cloud 9 and Hardball appear and inject Komodo, neutralizing the S.P.I.N. tech in her bloodstream and restoring her powers and physical appearance.
Heroic Age
Komodo is later invited to prom night at the Avengers AcademyAvengers Academy
Avengers Academy is a Marvel Comics comic book series that debuted in June 2010 as part of the "Heroic Age". The series is written by Christos Gage, with artwork by Mike McKone and tells the story of a group of young super-powered persons who were selected to join a training academy for the...
where she dances with Reptil
Reptil
Reptil is a character from Marvel Comics. He is best known as a supporting member on The Super Hero Squad Show and a member of Avengers Academy in the comics.-Fictional character biography:...
. Komodo was shocked at the fact that Reptil is still in his adult body following the fight against Korvac
Korvac
Michael Korvac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Giant-Size Defenders #3 Michael Korvac (often called Korvac or The Enemy) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character...
and vows to make Tigra pay for this.
Komodo appears at a meeting held by Prodigy
Prodigy (Ritchie Gilmore)
Prodigy is the name of a superhero in Marvel Comics.-Fictional character biography:Ritchie Gilmore is a typical jock, captain of his college wrestling team, and one of the most popular guys in school. But Ritchie wants more from life; he wants to be stronger and more powerful...
regarding magical hammers that have crashed into the earth.
Powers and abilities
The first Komodo possesses a strong, scaly hide, enhanced strength, the ability to breathe flame, and a powerful tail which he can use in combat. While in WundagoreWundagore
-Fictional history:Wundagore is a mountain in the fictional Eastern European nation of Transia. The history of Chthon and the Darkhold are strongly tied to the mountain of Wundagore. In the Sixth Century, a cult of Darkholders led by the sorceress Morgan le Fey attempted to summon Chthon but found...
, he flew an Atomic Steed.
The second Komodo possesses an accelerated healing factor derived from the same serum created by Dr. Curt Connors that turned him into the Lizard
Lizard (comics)
The Lizard is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe and enemy of Spider-Man. The Lizard first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #6 , and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko...
. The serum was created from lizard DNA in an attempt to create a serum capable of granting humans the regenerative properties of lizards. The extent of her healing factor is unknown, but it is shown she is able to regenerate lost limbs in seconds. She also possesses razor-sharp claws on each of her fingers. Unlike Connors she maintains control of her human consciousness when she is in her lizard form, and has the ability to control transformations between human and lizard forms. This is a result of her being able to perfect the formula to her DNA. Komodo also appears to have superhuman strength, reflexes, and agility. Komodo has demonstrated genius in chemistry and genetics.