Curtis Connors

### Occupation

College professor, herpetologist, lead researcher in bio-geneticsPrior: US army surgeon

## Personality

Curt Connors presents himself as an amicable and respectful doctor and physician. For the most part, this remains true for who he is as a person. A caring and compassionate man, Curt works endlessly toward the betterment of mankind yet always ensures to give himself ample time to being a loving husband and father to his family. He prefers a quiet live and a warm environment, which is rather contrasting from living in a northern area of excitement and activity in New York City. He is a believer in the positive work of science although at times he possesses a slightly radical streak in how determined he is for goals though he jokes this is the result of being a child of the 60s and 70s.

However, Curt Connors is not without his inner scars. Connors has dealt with anxiety since he was an adolescent along with some bouts of depression. While he managed to maintain to control it well into his adulthood, they became more prominent aspects of his life after losing his arm during his time as an army surgeon. He also shows signs associated with PTSD though he still manages to put forward a positive front. Those close to him suspect that he has become more jaded with people, or at least certian institutions. At the same time, this has enabled him to go into teaching, which he enjoys doing son. Overall, Connors is a well-mannered man who is plagued with nightmares of the past and a growing sense of dread.

### The "Lizard"

The "Lizard" persona is an ecletic combination of reptilian-based instincts mixed in with Connors' intelligence albeit without his inhibitions. The "Lizard" persona, like various species of reptiles, become aggressive whenever threatened. It's believed this is why truama or severe stress triggers the transformation and emergance of the persona. Furthermore, the "Lizard" persona appears to be rooted heavily on Connors' repressed PTSD, anxiety and depression, compounding his aggression because of the stress that triggers the transformation. While acting mostly feral and defensive, the Lizard persona displays periods of lucidity, acting more humanline. In these instances, the "Lizard" persona acts domineering, imposing and misanthropic, likely the result of Connors' id manifesting combined with the feral influence and truama. Despite this, the "Lizard" persona maintains a protective streak regarding Martha and Billy Connors.

## Powers & Abilities

***-Scientific Genius*:** Doctor Curt Connors is a respected herpetologist, surgeon and biochemist, with his results leading in the creation of the so-called "Lizard" serum. Beyond thus, he is considered an authority in genetic modifications as a resukt of his work.

***-Repile-Based Superhuman Physiology (Transformation; Unwilling/Instinct):*** While transformed into The Lizard, Connors possesses a variety of superhuman attributes based on lizard physiology, augmented by the genetic modifcations and radiations for the serum:

* ***Superhuman Strength*:** Connors himself has the normal physical strength of a human male of his age, height, and build that engages in little regular exercise. While transformed, he possesses sufficient superhuman strength to lift about 12 tons. His physical strength has extended into the muscles of his legs allowing him to leap about 18 feet into the air.

* ***Superhuman Speed:*** While transformed, Connors can move at superhuman speeds, exceeding 30 miles an hour.

* ***Superhuman Stamina:*** While transformed, Connors' advanced musculature produces considerably less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of an ordinary human. He can physically exert himself at peak capacity for about 24 hours before fatigue begins to impair him.

* ***Superhuman Durability:*** While transformed, Connors' scaly skin and superhumanly enhanced bodily tissues provide him much greater resistance to physical injury than an ordinary human. He can withstand greater impact forces, up to being able to tolerate basic firearm fire.

* ***Superhuman Agility:*** The Lizard's agility has been augmented and granting movement matching both augmented humanity and reptiles.

* ***Superhuman Reflexes:*** The Lizard's reflexes are similarly enhanced while transformed.

* ***Regenerative Healing Factor:*** Despite The Lizard's physical durability, he can sustain physical injury. However, if injured, his body is able to rapidly regenerate damaged or destroyed tissue with much greater speed and efficiency than an ordinary human. While transformed, Connors' healing powers are developed to the point where he can fully regenerate missing limbs, just like many known reptile species.

* ***Reptilian Features:*** The Lizard has a long, reptilian-like tail that he can use to help balance himself or as an offensive weapon. He is capable of whipping his tail at speeds of at least 70 miles per hour. Considering his strength and physical toughness, he can generate enough force to shatter concrete. Like some geckos, The Lizard can detach his tail and grow a new one. Furthermore, Connors' fingers and toes are each tipped with razor sharp claws that, combined with his natural strength, are able to cut most conventional materials including flesh, bone, wood, stone, and some types of metals. His mouth is also filled with rows of razor sharp teeth that he can use as offensive weapons in close combat situations.

* ***Wall Crawling:*** As the Lizard, Connors has the same adhesive properties that a gecko has, which allows him to scale walls. This was demonstrated in his first appearance when fighting Spider-Man.

## Tools & Equipment

**- *LIZARD Regeneration Serum:*** Doctor Connors' formerly prized creation, it's considered a revolutionary step in genetics. Inspired by the research done in the supersoldier project, Doctor Connors' serum was the result of cutting-edge reserch in genetic engineering along with the utilization of vita radiation to try and stablize the serum, allowing for the body to accept the modifed DNA. However, being such a prototype, it led to the rise of the transformation and Lizard persona. It's believed the serum can be modifed for military purposes.

## History

### Childhood and Medical Man

Curtis Connors was born and raised over in Coral Gables, Florida in 1960. Curtis Connors' early years are relatively mundane, although Curtis Connors has always been interested in medicine. He attributes this to his father, who worked in a medical corps during the Vietnam War. As such, Connors grew up with the desire to try and help people with their problems. Showing himself to be a bright young man, he excelled in his studies and rose through school to be put on the fast track to become a medical professional. He would do quite well over in medical school and graduate near the top of his class over in the University of Miami. Beyond earning his twin doctorates in biology and biochemistry, Dr. Connors would end up marrying his college sweetheart Martha. While Connors' early years would be defined by his medical research along with his proficiency as a surgeon, he would end up taking a detour in his life when his father would end up passing away after an accident.

Recalling what his father went through in the Vietnam War and admiring him for his bravery, Curtis Connors made the bold choice to undergo military training along with joining the USUHS to become certified as an army surgeon. Connors became more professional in being able to deal with the pressure and also formed some connections in the military as some believed his genius could be used for future purposes. Despite his training, he was unsure if he would ever see any action after the failure of Vietnam. He would start a family in the mid 1980s and it would seemed that he may not needed to worry about being sent to the battlefield. However, the call to arms was raised over during the Gulf War. While he fulfilled his duties adequately and became respected among the military for his dedication to working on the men, his time there changed him. The sight of countless death and conflict exacerbated the depression and anxiety that had been present since he was a child that he had overcome. However, the most impactful was the loss of his right arm during a surprise attack, which also left him with PTSD.

### Growth and Rebirth

During his time in the hospital, he was approached by an old friend who was both in the medical field and in the military, Dr. Ted Sallis. A biochemistry professor who worked at Empire State University, he was recruited by the US military to help deal with biochemical warfare and was present at the Gulf War. The two began discussing nano-scaffolding and Ted’s attempts to create “Captain America 2.0”, a project that aimed at re-creating the lost Super Soldier Serum that had created Captain America. Dr. Sallis offered to help Connors any way he could on his civilian life. It was there Dr. Connors embarked on his bold quest: to regrow his arm through genetic manipulation. Taking on the partnershup with Dr. Sallis, Connors threw himself into the world of reptiles and after moving to New York City to enroll in Empire State University, would manage to earn himself a doctorate in herpetology.

His bold proclimations for restoring the lost limbs earned him grants and prestige from the medical field and the military alike, both who had vested interests in seeing his work bloom. Even after he lost contact with Dr. Sallis due to being assigned to a secret government project, he did not give up on his quest to try and regrow his limbs. However, beyond his research, he did take on a teaching job after some time in Empire State University. He found the pay to be adequate, but also grew to enjoy teaching. However, one of his favorite pupils would be one who had not yet graduate when he met him: that being Peter Parker.

## Trivia

* Connors notes that he had a fascination for reptiles even before his quest to regrow his arm due to the swamps of Florida being a fascinating place for him to observe and explore back in his youth.

* Connors is somewhat aware of his anxiety and depression and he attributes this to possibly inheriting it from his father, who showed similar signs of the behavior even before he went over to Vietnam.

* Beyond his research into limb regeneration, he is also applying the information over into cancer research. He notes that cancer runs in his wife's family and is trying his best to do the research in the event that the worst ends up happening.

* Despite the Lizard persona exploiting his anxiety and depression via flight/fight instinct, he is able to resist and maintain control of himself thanks to discipline he gained during his time in the military though anything that triggers the PTSD ends up breaking his concentration.

* During his communication with Dr. Sallis and even the exchange of notes before his disappearance, he discovered the properties of vita radiation and applied it to the serum though he notes the radiation is not his strong suit.

* Whenever Connors transforms back into his human form, the regenerated arm ends up dissolving into pieces and leaving him with his stump. Examination of the remnants indicate that during the reversal process, the arm ends up suffering from cell degeneration.

* Connors' transformation left some mild permanent residue on his DNA, leaving it slightly unstable. He attributes this unstability to the reason why he cannot simply try and regrow the arm and attach back to him, at least with his current research and technology. The few attempts at clone said arm led it to become a very reptilian based limb or undergo cell degeneration within a few hours.

* When asked about the possibility of an advanced mechanical prosthesis, he admits to being open to the idea though he notes he prefers being able to work as a surgeon once more and is concerned about the costs. He also privately notes worries on whether the leftover traces of the Lizard would impact him.

* One of Connors' surgical heroes was none other than Doctor Stephen Strange. A prodigy of surgery from the 60s, he ended up vanishing some time after a tragic accident. Connors apparently heard of him from his father, who was a colleague.

* Connors' research into his "radical genetic therapy" as he called it was not a singular endeavor. He did have a partner in the form of Miles Warren, a professor who was said to be a pupil of famed yet reclusive biologist Dr. Herbert Wyndham, living near Wundagore Mountain found within the region of Carpathian Ruthenia. Warren notes that Connors' genetic research is revolutionary despite being less experienced than Wyndham.