King Cobra

**Klaus Voorhees**, also known as ***King Cobra***, is a human mutate.

## Biography

Klaus Voorhees was an ex-convict working with the humanitarian medical researchers Professor Ezekiel Shecktor in India on a universal anti-toxin for snake venom. Jealous of Shecktor's success, Voorhees plotted to kill him and make the murder look like an accident. Hence, Voorhees induced one of the cobras kept in the laboratory to bite both Shecktor and himself. Voorhees planned to use the universal anti-toxin to save himself from death. Unknown to Voorhees, the cobra had been irradiated, and the combination of the radioactive venom in his bloodstream and the experimental anti-toxin which he used created a mutagenic catalyst which gave Voorhees certain cobra-like powers.

## Affiliation

* Partner of Mister Hyde (*formerly*)
* Cobra's Serpent Squad (*formerly*)
* Madame Hydra's Serpent Squad (*formerly*)
* Serpent Society (*formerly*)
* Thunderbolts (*formerly*)

## Powers and Abilities

### Powers

**Elasticity:**King Cobra possesses unusual physical powers derived from his mutagenically altered physiology which, among other things, help him simulate the movement of a snake. All of the bones in his body, including his skull, are malleable and his muscle tissues are exceedingly resilient, making his body very flexible and pliant. It is nearly impossible for him to break a bone or tear a muscle. Hence, King Cobra can survive impacts that would kill or inflict major injury upon a normal human being with little or no injury to himself.

* ***Superhuman Flexibility:***King Cobra's flexibility enables him to slither into and out of very tight and small spaces. By compressing his body, he can fit into any hole or slot down to four inches in diameter.
* ***Constriction:***By using his flexibility to wrap himself about a victim's body and then exerting his full strength, King Cobra traps his victim in his "Cobra Grip". No normal human being can break free of his grip unless they are extraordinarily well-trained in fighting, and even many superhumanly strong beings have difficulty freeing themselves.
* ***Muscle Manipulation:***King Cobra has a great degree of independent control over every muscle in his body, enabling him to slither across the ground without using his arms and legs simply through muscle contraction. He is extremely quick, capable of moving up to 50 miles per hour for several seconds through this method. His agility and speed make him very difficult to catch and hold on to.

## Equipment

**King Cobra Costume:** His costume is especially treated with a silicon and graphite dust compound, making it extremely slippery. He has also designed special chemical suction devices for his fingers and feet, enabling him to stick to walls and ceilings.

* ***Cobra Bite:*** In the compartment behind his articulated chest armor is a 50 foot long coil of steel cable that can be shot by means of a powerful spring. From his spring-loaded device, King Cobra can shoot a number of deadly projectiles. His "cobra bite" missiles contain cobra venom. The venom from a single missile can kill an average-sized, normal human being in six minutes. It takes more than one venom-filled missile to have the same effect on a superhumanly strong human. He has also used projectiles carrying smoke, nerve gas, and a special substance that induces temporary blindness.

## Notes

* King Cobra is 5'10" and weighs 160 pounds. He has blue eyes and is bald.