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Attributes

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 220 lbs

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Brown, usually shaved

Features: Stark Raving Mad

Summary

Created By: Stan Lee, Steve Ditko

Real Name: Mac Gargan

Current Aliases: None

Former Aliases: None

Dual Identity: Known to crime authorities

Current Occupation: Unknown, retired criminal

Former Occupation: Criminal

Citizenship: U.S.

Legal Status: Released prisoner

Place of Birth: Unknown

Marital Status: Unknown

Known Relatives: Unknown

Known Confidants: Unknown

Known Allies: TBD

Major Enemies: Spider-Man, Jonah Jameson

Usual Bases: Unknown

Former Bases: Sewers

Current Groups: None

Former Groups: None

Education: Unknown, presumed limited

Powers & Paraphenalia

Strength Level: Greater than Spider-Man

Powers: Enhanced strength, pincer grip

Abilities: Scorpion is able to climb vertical surfaces using the pincer grip powers of his hands. By combining his own strength and the power of his tail, he is able to leap significant distances.

Equipment: Costume, and electro-mechanical tail.

Weapons: His tail can be used as an highly effective weapon. His original tail was equiped with a bio-electric sting. Later enhancements to his tail included an increase in length from 4' to some 20', addition of a lethal spike which can also release tear gas or acid.

Limitations: Mac Gargan was driven totally mad as Scorpion. His instability and his hatred for Spider-Man and Jonah Jameson ruined his life.

Knowledge Quiz

QUIZ: scorpion.html

Background

Realising the danger that he had unleashed on the city, Dr Stillwell created a formula to remove Gargan's powers but Scorpion wanted no part of it. He had to administer the formula soon or else it would be too late for it to take effect. Climbing up the side of a building after Scorpion, Stillwell fell to his death, taking the cure with him. Defeating the Scorpion fell to Spider-Man. He tried and failed again to stop him, but managed to hurt Scoprion's hand badly enough that Gargan went after the much easier target of J. Jonah Jameson, the only man that knew his true identity. He went after JJJ at the Bugle, but Spidey showed up in heroically last moment fashion and webbed Scorpion's feet to the floor. Without being able to move, Scorpion became a human punching bag for Spidey. Even Jameson had to marvel at the fact that he had created the Scorpion to defeat Spider-Man, but Spider-Man had saved him from the Scorpion.

Gargan next appeared after tricking the prison guards into thinking that he had gone crazy (shouldnt have been too much of a stretch for him to act crazy) and only calmed down after they gave him his Scopion costume back. He then simply tore the iron bars out of his prison window and leaped away. He immediately went to the Daily Bugle to finish off Jameson, and was lucky enough to find him unguarded by Spider-Man. Suddenly thinking that he left JJJ alone, Spidey returned just in time to begin a battle royal. The two tore through the Bugle offices, scattering JJJ, Ned Leeds and Betty Brant as they went. The fight went outside and raged on the building tops, scorpion tails and webbing flying furiously. Managing to tangle Scorpion in his web, Spidey tried to swing away with the psychotic criminal, but let him fall into the Hudson River. Scorpion freed himself from the webbing, but also exhausted himself trying to fight in the water. Spider-Man, meanwhile, was able to reload his web shooters and re-tangle Gargan, who was left for the police on the docks.

Gargan was breifly used by the Jackal as a pawn against Spidey during the original Clone Saga. As he was leaving a mobster's home (whose territory he wanted to take over), Scorpion was met by the Jackal. He told Scorpy to go to the hospital that Aunt May was staying at (she had fainted after seeing the Gwen Stacy clone). He was told that Spider-Man would be there. Gargan crashed through the hospital window but found only May and Peter. He stormed the building looking for Spider-Man and found him...very angry. Spidey chased Scoprion all over New York, finally terrifying him by dropping him off the Crystler Building.

Scorpion spent much more time in jail after this bout with Spidey than he did previously. But during that long stretch in prison, his mind continued to disintigrate and his hatred of Spider-Man and Jameson only increased. Gargan found the perfect time to strike, after learning of Jonah's impending marriage to Marla Madson. As luck would have it (or lack of luck), John Jameson was also getting treatment at the same psychiatric facility that was the home of the Scorpion. Tricking a guard into thinking that he could be trusted, Gargan escaped long enough to re-gain his costume and immediately kidnapped the younger Jameson. While the police searched for John and put JJJ under police protection, Scorpion attacked Marla as well. Going on a hunch, Spider-Man went to Marla's apartment and barely managed to escape with Jameson's fiance.

Scorpion went after them, and managed to distract Spider-Man by crushing the side of a building, knowing that the vigilante would stop to protect the innocent bystanders from the falling rubble. Cornering Marla, he was only stopped by Jameson, who told Scorpion that he had been paying for him for years: in terms of guilt and in terms of his doctor and sanitarium bills. He had even set up a trust fund for the Scorpion's victims. Not impressed, Scorpion demanded that the only price he was willing to accept for Jameson turning him into a freak was JJ's death. John, who had escaped from his captivity in the sewer, arrived at the scene and was quickly captured by Gargan. He forced JJ to choose who would die: his son or his fiance. Naturally, thats when Spidey showed up and beat Gargan to a pulp.

Scorpion has decided to use his power as a freelance assassin, working for the highest bidder. He worked with the Chameleon, got a new electronic tail from the Tinkerer and even worked with XP-2000 and Egghead, but never had a decisive victory over Spider-Man. Constant defeat made Mac Gargan look at his life as a criminal, and he turned his back on the Scorpion. Unfortunately, his stint as a law abiding citizen was short lived. Spider-Man, deeply angry over his betrayal by Harry Osborn and by his Aunt May's coma, took ran across a defenseless Gargan. Sure that he was up to no good, Spidey goaded him into a fight, which Mac begged him to avoid. Spider-Man didnt listen. He punch Mac in the face. Again. And again. Spider-Man only came to his senses after beating his old enemies face black and blue.

Most recently, Scorpion was recruited by a jailed Norman Osborn. Gargan was informed of Spider-man's real identity, and ordered to kidnap Peter's Aunt May if anything should happen to Osborn. (Osborn had told Spidey that if he had in fact ordered May's kidnapping-and that wasnt an admission-it would have been done by an old friend of both May and Peter. Apparantly he was alluding to Scorpion attacking May at the hospital. Scorpion finally called Peter via a cell phone from the top of the Crystler Building, another allusion to ASM 146.) In mid-mission, Scorpion was approached by the Venom symbiote.

Risking Osborn's wrath, Gargan chose the Symbiote over Osborn's mission, since the Symbiote's potential for power was far greater than any newly designed Scorpion suit could ever be. He thus became Venom III. Refer to that profile for subsequent appearances.

Thanks To:

The assistance of the Marvel Chronology Project is gratefully acknowledged.

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