Davis Lawfers (Earth-616)

Early Life[]

Davis Lawfers was born in Rochester, New York. He earned a degree in business administration and pursued a career as a civil servant. Eventually, he was recruited by Viper, who provided him with the identity of Copperhead. His advanced Copperhead Suit, enhancing his abilities, was custom-designed and constructed by Viper's team of skilled technicians.^[2]

Serpent Society[]

He was sent to infiltrate the criminal organization known as the Serpent Society so she could take it over. Along with Black Racer, Puff Adder, and Fer-de-Lance, Copperhead took part in a series of robberies of casinos in Las Vegas. Copperhead was apparently the field leader of this group. Although the group battled and were captured by Captain America (then known as The Captain) and his allies, their mission achieved its objective when they were sprung from jail by the Serpent Society's leader Sidewinder and offered membership.^[3]

When the Viper attacked the Society's Serpent Citadel, Copperhead helped overthrow Sidewinder and establish Viper in command. He gleefully carried out his mistress's orders poisoning Washington D.C.'s water supply with a mutagenic drug that turned people into snake-men.^[4]

After Viper was arrested, Copperhead briefly remained with the group when its leadership was taken over by King Cobra before quietly disappearing from the ranks of the Society. Cobra accepted a commission from Ghaur, the Deviant leader, and Llyra an Atlantean, to retrieve several items of arcane mystical power. He divided the Serpent Society into teams for the task. Diamondback, Fer-de-Lance, and Copperhead were assigned to steal a jeweled Cro-Magnon skull from the mystical scholar Mister Jip. However, they were quickly knocked unconscious by a magical blast.^[5] This was the last mission Copperhead participated in for the Serpent Society for many years.

Secret Invasion[]

Later, Copperhead later participated in a Serpent Society operation to take hostages at a compound in Danzig, Ohio, amid the chaos of the Skrull invasion. The Nova Corps arrived on the scene and swiftly defeated the villains. Copperhead was knocked unconscious by Nova during the confrontation.^[6]

Avenging Spider-Man[]

The Serpent Society purchased chemicals used in Copperhead's snake gas, which drew the attention of the Avengers. The Avengers intercepted the shipment and discovered Copperhead's involvement. During a surprise attack on Captain America and Spider-Man, Copperhead was captured by the Avengers.^[7] In another encounter, Spider-Man punched and webbed Copperhead after he fled from a robbery. Onlookers remarked on Spider-Man's unusual silence, while Copperhead found it strange that the hero was less chatty than usual.^[8]

Serpent Solutions[]

Diamondback lured Captain America (Sam Wilson) into a trap orchestrated by Serpent Solutions, the rebranded Serpent Society. After nearly being run over by a truck, Copperhead, Black Racer and Cottonmouth ambushed them. Cap and Diamondback managed to hold their own until Black Racer appeared to stab Diamondback in the gut. Despite this, Cap defeated the three attackers, but Diamondback betrayed him by stabbing him with a poison-tipped diamond to incapacitate him. Later, Copperhead attended a Serpent Solutions meeting where the paralysed and captive Captain America, temporarily transformed into a werewolf, was brought in by Black Racer, Cottonmouth, and Diamondback.^[9] Copperhead was likely present when Viper delivered a monologue to the bound Captain America, accusing him of undermining America and Serpent Solutions' operations. Viper concluded by shoving the paralysed Cap out of a window. However, Cap was saved by the New Falcon (Joaquin Torres), who then confronted Serpent Solutions excluding Copperhead.^[10]

Mephisto[]

Copperhead and the Serpent Solutions members fell under Mephisto's influence. Enraged, they went on a killing spree, slaughtering everyone floor by floor in their building. With the corpses of their victims stacked high, they prayed to Mephisto to open a portal to Hell. However, Nighthawk (a simulacrum of Kyle Richmond created by Mephisto) single-handedly defeated the entire group.^[11]

Copperhead wears a suit of armor that is equipped with weaponry and affords him some degree of protection from injury thanks to its micro-mesh chainmail. It also is equipped with a fang-like grappling hook, and suction cups that allow him to stick to walls to scale them.

Copperhead's armor is equipped with devices on his wrist that produces paralyzing electrical blasts.

Serpent Saucer

• Not to be confused with the DC Comics villain Copperhead.
• Gamer's Handbook of the Marvel Universe #4 originally stated this Copperhead was the same character as the one who debuted in Human Fly #8. The Human Fly's Copperhead was only called "Reynolds" in those appearances, so Copperhead's real name was given as "Robert Reynolds". Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #6 walked back this revelation, first identifying Copperhead as Davis Lawfers and distinguishing him from the Human Fly character, now called "Arthur Reynolds".

• Lawfers is a worshipper of Mephisto.^[11]