Kobra (comics)
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Kobra is a DC Comics supervillain. Created by Jack Kirby, he first appeared in his own title, Kobra #1 (March 1976). He is noteworthy as one of the few comic book villains to star in his own series.
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[edit] History
Kobra is an international terrorist and mad scientist who has crossed paths with the majority of Earth's costumed heroes during his attempts to usher in the Kali Yuga (an age of chaos). His real name is Jeffrey Franklin Burr, and he was born part of a set of siamese twins, but was stolen at birth by the Cult of the Kobra god, since a prophecy claimed he would lead them to rule the world. Under their teaching, he became a dangerous warrior and a sadistic criminal mastermind. He led the cult into using advanced technology to menace the world.
However, unknown to the cult, he had a psychic link to his twin brother, Jason, who knew nothing of Kobra. As a result, one felt what the other felt, including pain. Because of this, his brother was recruited by an international agency to help them combat Kobra. At first, Kobra was unable to even hurt or kill his brother; eventually, however, he used a device that "shut off" the psychic link, and gave him the chance to kill Jason. However, Kobra was subsequently haunted by visions of his brother. Whether it really was his ghost or just Kobra's imagination was never revealed.
In subsequent years, Kobra would clash with assorted superheroes, including Batman whom he first met over a Lazarus Pit, Kobra had learned to build modified Lazarus Pits which allowed him to control the minds of those he killed and resurrected. Kobra is the only person in the DC universe to ever decipher the formula for the Lazarus Pits. Later his various Strike Force Kobra teams would fight two different incarnations of Batman's Outsiders. Kobra also fought the third Flash, the Suicide Squad led by Amanda Waller, the original incarnation of Checkmate, Captain Atom, and others.
The only organization ever to rival Kobra in the old DC Universe was SKULL, there were frequent recorded clashes between the two groups. Skull was the DC Universe's version of A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics), it was an organization that specialized in recruiting criminal super scientists. The original Atomic Skull started out as a member but eventually rose to lead the cabal.
After the betrayal of his lover Eve during the Strike Force Kobra fiasco, she split Kobra in two and established her own splinter group. In the Power Company: Sapphire #1 the Justice League rushes to San Diego to prevent disaster as two rival factions of the Kobra Cult prepared to go to war. One faction was led by Eve the other was led by Kobra himself.
He recently kidnapped the former hero Air Wave and used him to seize control of the world's media and satellite resources, intending to destroy a number of major world cities. However, in a demonstration of his power, he incidentally killed Terri Rothstein, Atom Smasher's mother, ensuring the Justice Society of America's involvement.
He guest-starred in JSA #49, which featured his trial. He shrugged off claims of terrorism, claiming to be an enlightened soul (a bodhisattva) trying to free souls from their karmic debt by random acts of violence. Following this, his followers threatened to kill the media outside the courthouse with bioengineered suicide bomb implants. He escaped immediately prior to the Princes of Darkness storyline, causing Atom Smasher to leave the team. Soon afterwards, Atom Smasher and Black Adam tracked him down to his headquarters in the Himalaya Mountains, killed his honor guard, and ripped his heart out.
[edit] Legacy
- However, the organization Kobra survived this, and has been gaining converts. In Identity Crisis, it was revealed that DCU prisoners (such as Slipknot) sometimes give their lives over to Kobra, to the general disgust of the DC's superheroes.
- Like Ra's Al Ghul, Kobra owned a hidden network of very specialized Lazarus Pits.
- Kobra apparently entertains many specialized sub-sections. One such section was the Blackadders, a group of ninja-like fanatics. In the past Kobra operated an aggressive metahuman research and recruitment program, this program that gave birth to both known versions of Strike Force Kobra.
- Kobra is currently active in the DCU as a terrorist organization with a religious bent. Upon the death of Burr, it underwent a power-struggle, but this has apparently settled: a new leader has emerged (possibly Eve who had split off with half of the old school Kobra). Under her, the organization now seeks to fulfill 'the prophecies of Kali Yuga'. It is actively being fought by the super-spy agency known as Checkmate.
- The new Kobra seems to be ranked by serpent type, low level members are Lanceheads, and high level members are called Nagas. (Checkmate #4)
[edit] Other media
A future version of Kobra (or, at least, his organization) appeared in four episodes of Batman Beyond as well as an episode of Static Shock that was a crossover with that series.
In Justice League Unlimited, Kobra appears as a member of Gorilla Grodd's Legion of Doom.
[edit] Other DCU Criminal Organizations
- See also: List of criminal organizations in comics
