Chameleon (Marvel Comics)

**Dmitri Anatoly Nikolayevich Smerdyakov**, also known as **Chameleon**, is the half-brother of Sergei Kravinoff who was hated by his parents because they considered him to be humiliating. In an attempt to impress his family, Dmitri entertained them by using his impersonation skills. His ability to impersonate eventually brought him to the attention of Communist countries who wanted to train him as a spy. The Chameleon relied on his skills and a mixture of costumes and make-up to conceal his identity.

## Powers

**Shapeshifting:**Originally, the Chameleon had no superhuman powers. Later, however, the Chameleons powers were made innate: his epidermis and skin pigmentation have been surgically and mutagenically altered by a serum so that he can take on the appearance of any person at will.

**Artificial Augmentations (*possibly*):**When his past friendship with Sergei Kravinoff was revealed, it was also revealed that the Chameleon had taken some of the same serums that Kravinoff had taken over the years. This would suggest that the two individuals were of a similar age over 70 years old. It would also suggest that the Chameleon's physical strength and endurance could be somewhat augmented, but as the Chameleon's strength is much lower than that of Kravinoff, his augmentations may not reach a superhuman level.

## Abilities

**Disguise and Acting:**Aside from his physical advantages, the Chameleon is a master of disguise and a brilliant method actor and impressionist. He is also a master of creating life-like masks and make-up. He is a quick-change artist who can assume a new disguise in less than a minute, although he no longer needs to use such skills.

**Technology:**Although he is not a scientific genius, during his increased lifespan he has been exposed to a wide array of sophisticated experimental technology, much of which he can apply effectively in his nefarious schemes.

**Multilingualism:**The Chameleon also speaks several languages fluently.

## Equipment

**Memory Material:** The Chameleon wears fabric made of memory material that responds to nerve impulses and can appear to be whatever costume he wishes it to be.

**Computer Belt:** The Chameleon has a computer belt that serves three functions. The belt has a video scanner that records a person's overall appearance and feeds that information into a visual synthesizer that interpolates the rest of the person's appearance. Its memory banks can store hundreds of images. When an image is called up via a code tapped on the belt's keypad, subtle electrical signals trigger changes in the Chameleon's body and pigmentation. A secondary signal alters the appearance of his clothing.

**Knockout Darts:** The Chameleon carries a small air pistol that fires darts. These darts contain a potent anesthetic that knocks the victim unconscious for several hours.

**Knockout Gas:** He has a small aerosol that can emit a cloud of potent anesthetic that knocks its victim unconscious for several hours. This cloud is effective up to ten feet away, and victims fall asleep for 1-10 hours.

**Smoke Bomb:** He utilizes smoke bombs that fill a 40' radius with opaque mist.

**Masks:** The Chameleon originally used masks that could be transformed into life-like copies of a chosen person's face. When Chameleon sprayed it with a special gas, it dissolved and reverted to another shape, such as a different likeness or his normal white mask.

**Colorshift Clothing:** His original clothing was made of a special fabric that changed to another color when sprayed with a special gas.