Strike Force Kobra
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Strike Force Kobra is a fictional group of comic book supervillains from the DC Comics universe. They were created by Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo, and first appeared in (Outsiders) vol. 1 #21 (1987).
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[edit] History
Fascinated by the extraordinary number of bizarre experiments resulting in super-powered beings in Gotham City in the past years, the would be conqueror called Kobra attempted to recreate some of these to form a team of super-powered mercenaries.
[edit] Team One
The first team was comprised of result was comprised of Clayface IV, Elemental Woman, Planet Master II, Spectrumonster, and Zebra Man II.[1]
Kobra created this first Strike Force to carry out a theft at Stagg Enterprises. He placed two operatives undercover inside Simon Stagg's operations and another infiltrated the Outsiders. Stagg's assistant, Java (motivated by his desire for Stagg's daughter, Sapphire) incapacitated Metamorpho, while another employee named Parker, gained access to Stagg's technology.
Clayface IV infiltrated the Outsiders by impersonating Looker. The remaining three Strike Force members were Elemental Woman, Planet Master and Zebra-Man. In the end, Java who was Kobra's mole at Stagg Enterprises betrayed him and reasserted his loyalty to Stagg by freeing Metamorpho. This tipped the scales for the Outsiders just in time to fight Parker, who had been transformed into the Spectrumonster. Parker went berserk but was dispersed by a black light ray, apparently permanently. Afterwards, Rex and Sapphire adopted Parker's orphaned daughter Karen. Clayface IV escaped to menace Batman again, but the others have never re-appeared.[2]
[edit] Team Two
Kobra later formed a new team led by Eve, his right hand woman. Her team included former Outsiders foes Syonide II, Fauna, Windfall and Dervish. Kobra had also stolen Halo's dead body and revived it with the same powers as her once living form. This undead entity was called Spectra. This team was defeated by the Eradicator's new band of Ousiders and Syonide was accidentally killed. When Eve called Kobra for help, he requested that they turn themselves in rather than commit suicide. Kobra was busy at the time fighting the Flash. Dervish and Eve were imprisoned. Windfall, who had been duped by Spectra, joined the Outsiders. Spectra herself escaped. Fauna was spirited away and punished by her father, Felix Faust. (Outsiders v.2 #16)
Presumably, this incident drove a rift between Eve and Kobra, as they have become bitter enemies when next seen in the Power Company: Sapphire one-shot, Eve has apparently formed her own splinter of Kobra. Dervish resurfaced briefly in Joker: Last Laugh #3 when the Joker wrought havoc in the Slab.[3]
[edit] Membership
The members of the original Strikeforce Kobra were based on obscure Batman villains from the 1960s.
[edit] Team One
- Clayface IV - Sondra Fuller, an agent of Kobra who was transformed into a shape-changer by her employer's technologies. She sometimes went by the name "Lady Clay".
- Elemental Woman - a lab assistant transformed by a freak accident, now has transformational powers similar to Metamorpho.
- Planet Master II - Edward Burke, former assistant of the original Planet Master. Burke's powers allowd him to simulate the conditions typical to any of the nine planets in our solar system. For example, he could emit the "cold of Pluto".
- Spectrumonster - was based on the Rainbow Creature from Batman #134.
- Zebra-Man II - a villain whose powers were "magnetic", he could not only attract or repel metal, but he could do the same to wood, stone, or human flesh with the same ease. He had black and white striped skin and a mohawk.
[edit] Team Two
- Eve - Kobra's lover and second in command. She formed a splinter faction of Kobra after he betrayed her.
- Fauna - Fauna Faust, animal control powers. Daughter of Felix Faust and Syonide's lover. Died fighting the Eradicator's Outsiders.
- Dervish - middle eastern woman named Nema, expert martial artist. former member of the the third version of the Jihad (now called the Onslaught). She joins the Strike Force after Wylde a member of the New Outsiders kills Manticore III.
- Spectra - Halo's re-animated corpse, possessed her original powers.
- Syonide II - Wielded a telescoping cybernetic poison whip. Former agent of the 100 who sometimes working together with Merlyn the Archer. Fauna's lover. Died fighting the Eradicator's Outsiders.
- Windfall - Former member of the Masters of Disaster.
[edit] Other DCU Criminal Organizations
- See also: List of criminal organizations in comics