The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Electro
(Jamie Foxx) - "At
the beginning of Electro's criminal career, J.Jonah Jameson began a smear
campaign in the Daily Bugle proclaiming Electro to actually be an alter-ego for
Spider-man. Intent on proving the publisher wrong, Spider-man faced Electro and
was nearly killed by merely touching him. Using a fire hose, however, the
web-slinger was able to defeat Electro. Sometime later in another attempt to
deface Spider-man's reputation, Jameson secured Electro's supercharged services
to battle the web-slinger on national television. Before an audience of
millions, Spider-Man stood triumphant once more. Dillon was humiliated.
After
a string of embarrassing defeats, decided to test his strength in numbers as a
member of the Sinister Six, alongside Doctor Octopus, Kraven the Hunter,
Sandman, Mysterio and the Vulture. Drawing numbers, the plan was for each
villain to face Spider-man in a different location that drew upon their
respective talents one by one until one of them was victorious. However, they
were eventually defeated and imprisoned.
In
an attempt to win himself the glory and respect that had alluded him so
frequently, Dillon tried to devise a master plan to control New York City's
power supply. However, he was once again defeated by Spider-man and convinced
to quit his criminal career...if only temporarily. He resurfaced as a member of
the next incarnation of the Sinister Six, with Hobgoblin replacing the deceased
Kraven the Hunter. Doctor Octopus betrayed the group and they were subsequently
disbanded.
Electro
was also a member of Mysterio's Sinister Seven, created to combat Spider-Man's
insane, homicidal clone, Kaine. However, Kaine disappeared and with no further
need to keep the group together, it was disbanded and Dillon returned to his
self imposed exile
He
was once again brought out of retirement by the Rose, who offered Dillon the chance
at an experimental procedure to greatly enhance his abilities in exchange for
his services as an underworld enforcer. Dillon and agreed, sensing the
opportunity to rise above his past failures. After undergoing the procedure and
dispatching several members of the True Believers, an offshoot of the Hand at
the request of the Rose, Dillon returned to his original plan of taking over
the New York City power supply. Once again defeated by Spider-Man, who had
donned an insulated suit, a frustrated Dillon threw himself into the Hudson
River, apparently killing himself.
However,
Dillon survived as he reappeared as part of the next series of subsequent
incarnations of the Sinister Six, each of which were either defeated or
disbanded due to internal conflicts. The most recent incarnation, the Sinister
Twelve, gathered by the Green Goblin as part of a larger plan to enable his
escape from prison and destroy Spider-Man. They were defeated with the help of
the combined efforts of Captain America, Iron Man, Daredevil, Yellowjacket and
the Fantastic Four.
Electro
was hired by Brainchild to free Karl Lykos from the Raft, a maximum-security
prison designed to hold supervillians. Electro initiated a prison break the
likes of which had never been seen, releasing scores of criminals. However, his
actions also brought together a number of the world's most powerful heroes to
contain the disaster including: Captain America, Iron Man, Luke Cage,
Spider-Woman, Matt Murdock, Sentry and Spider-Man, many of whom were trapped in
the Raft when the power was shut off. With the exception of Daredevil (and
Sentry at first), this impromptu gathering of heroes reunited shortly after the
prison break to form a new Avengers team. Dillon tried to escape with his
girlfriend, a waitress in Boston, but was captured by the new Avengers, the
very team he inadvertently helped create."
Aleksei
Sytsevich/The Rhino (Paul Giamatti) - "Aleksei Sytsevich was just another thug
in the Russian Mafia, grasping at dreams of easy money, and headed for a short
brutal life. Seduced by promises of wealth and power, Aleksei underwent a
life-threatening series of chemical and radiation treatments to transform him
after several months into the superhumanly strong agent for a collective of
professional spies - in part, to support his family. Aleksei's powerful armor
permanently bonded to his form, was modeled after the hide of a rhinoceros. Two
scientists named Igor and Georgi chose this form, both for its visual impact
and in recognition of the fact that the rhino is the result of countless
generations of evolution towards the ultimate form for armored assault. They
selected Aleksei for his muscular physique and low intelligence, which they
believed would insure his loyalty.
Given
the code-name Rhino, his first mission was to kidnap astronaut John Jameson,
son of Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson, and sell him to the highest
bidder. He received intensive sub-hypnotic training in American English and
false citizenship papers bearing the name Alex O'Hirn. Feeling cocky, he turned
on his benefactors, destroying their headquarters, and attempted to abduct
Jameson under his own initiative. As the Rhino made his way towards New York
City, Spider-Man began to formulate how to defeat this apparently unstoppable
foe. His discovered two key factors: once charging, the Rhino cannot change directions
or easily halt his advance. Second, Aleksei is rather dumb. Spider-Man deduced
that if he could avoid a direct hit from the Rhino's horn, his superior
tactical skills and agility would always leave him the final victor in any fair
fight.
Spider-Man
defeated the Rhino sending the villain to a special state correctional hospital
where he was kept under heavy sedation. After a few weeks, the Rhino broke out
of the hospital and escaped, seeking revenge of Spider-Man. This time,
Spider-Man defeated him using a specially-formulated version of his web fluid,
devised with the aid of Dr. Curt Connors, that contained encapsulated acid
pellets whose containers dissolved upon contact with air. The special webbing
rendered the Rhino's costume weak and brittle, which deprived him of needed
impact resistance. The Rhino was recaptured, tried, and convicted.
The
Rhino served a commuted sentence and was discharged. When he was released, the
spies who had transformed him, apparently showing no sign of malice towards his
betrayal, approached him with the offer to strengthen him using a gamma-ray
process. They had also devised an improved, acid-resistant material rhinoceros
suit. Having no other prospects of gainful employment, the Rhino accepted the
offer. The new series of radiation treatments were
successful and doubled the
Rhino's previous strength level. The augmented Rhino's first mission was to
abduct Dr. Bruce Banner, an authority on biochemical gamma-ray experimentation,
also known as the Hulk. The spies planned to coerce Banner into developing an
army of gamma-ray treated superhuman assassins. When the Rhino tried to abduct
Banner, Banner transformed into the Hulk and overpowered the Rhino. Again,
Rhino was sent to a state facility under heavy sedation and high security.
The
Rhino's battle with the Hulk came to the attention of the Leader, one of the
Hulk's foremost enemies, who decided that further gamma-ray treatments would
give the Rhino enough power to overcome the Hulk. The Leader freed the Rhino
from the state facility, and further increased his strength by gamma-ray
bombardments. The Leader then dispatched the Rhino to crash the wedding of
Bruce Banner and Betty Ross. Succeeding in interrupting the wedding, the Rhino
engaged in battle with the Hulk when the Leader accidentally shot him with a
radiation blast intended for the Hulk. The Rhino turned on the Leader and
caused the Leader's escape module to explode. (Banner's wedding to Ross was
subsequently delayed for several years.) The Rhino was left comatose but
otherwise unharmed and taken to a state hospital. The Leader used his mental
energies to revive him, and reoutfitted him to battle the Hulk once again -
this time with the Leader's mind controlling his every move. When the Leader
released the Rhino, Aleksei was aboard a space shuttle battling the Hulk. The
fight continued until the shuttle crash landed on the High Evolutionary's
artificial planet on the opposite side of the sun called Counter-Earth. While
the ship automatically repaired its damage, the Leader telemetrically signaled
for it to return. The Hulk fought his way back on, the Rhino in tow. When the
ship crash landed back on Earth, the Rhino lay buried in the wreckage for some
time until he revived.
The
Rhino was then recruited by Egghead, as part of the criminal scientist's
Emissaries of Evil. The Rhino was paired off with Solarr and sent to Dr.
Strange's sanctum to fetch the Star of Capistan, a jewel of power that Egghead
mistakenly thought Strange had. The mission brought the Rhino in conflict with
his old nemesis, the Hulk, as well as the Defenders. The Rhino was ultimately
defeated by the Red Rajah, a being in possession of Dr. Strange. He later
battled and was defeated by Doc Samson, and subsequently taken for study to
Project: PEGASUS, an enormous energy research facility in upstate, New York.
After months of observations, the Rhino joined in a mass escape attempt along
with fellow prisoners Moonstone, Blackout, and Electro. The escape was thwarted
by the Avengers. While being transferred to another facility, the Rhino was
freed by the Miracle Man who wanted the Rhino to help him regain his mystical
powers. The Rhino did not wish to be freed, however, preferring to seek medical
treatment to remove his costume which had affixed itself to his skin following
he fiery shuttle crash. With the aid of the Thing, the Rhino opposed the
Miracle Man, and accompanied the Thing back to PEGASUS where they again
attempted to transfer him to the medical facility as arranged.
The
Rhino was hired by the Green Goblin (Harry Osborn) hoping to earn cash to
return to his homeland and convince his family to return back to America with
him. Hired to scare Peter Parker, the Rhino was severely beaten by a furious
Spider-Man. The Rhino's family was disgusted to learn the means Aleksei was
using to gather funds.
When
the treatments failed to restore him to normal, the Rhino escaped and joined
the Beetle's Sinister Syndicate to earn money to finance further operations.
With teammates Speed Demon, Hydro-Man, and Boomerang, the Syndicate nearly
overpowered Spider-Man until the timely rescue of the then-reformed Sandman
working for Silver Sable.
The
Syndicate reunited again, though soon fell apart due to the machinations of
Leila Davis seeking revenge against the Beetle, whom she held partly
responsible for the death of her husband, the Ringer. Rhino hoped again to use
earnings in the Syndicate to remove his suit. The team fell apart and the
Rhino, working for the Kingpin, was double-crossed. Rhino,
overhearing the
scientists who were instructed not to take remove the suit, kidnapped one of
the scientist's children, and had his suit finally removed. The Kingpin, not
one to be outdone, sent a fake-explosive package to the now more vulnerable
Aleksei, letting him know he could always kill him if need be. Rhino, missing
the excitement in life, requested Justin Hammer to make him a new removable
suit.
Rhino
later found himself broke and alone during the holiday season. He stole a Santa
Claus costume and made people "give" him money. He agreed to be a
mall Santa, but became volatile when the kids did not get along with him. The
Hulk was there, and a fight ensued in which the Rhino gored the Hulk. However,
with a little girl crying, the Rhino spent the next few hours at the mall as
Santa on much better behavior.
The
Rhino even joined a minor league baseball team, wearing a suit of
"Mecha-Rhino" armor, resulting in two clashes with the Hulk.
In
the Great Game, a gambling operation run by a group of wealthy individuals who
wager on the outcome of battles between their sponsored super-powered
contestants, sponsor James Johnsmeyer sent the Rhino to pressure the deformed
Spider-Man clone, Kaine, into becoming a contestant. Joystick and Polestar
joined the fight while the sponsors wagered on who would draw first blood.
Double points were offered for Spider-Man as a wildcard while he tried to
defend Kaine. Uninterested in joining the Game, Kaine seriously battered the
Rhino while Spider-Man tackled Polestar and Joystick.
In
another scientific experiment, the Rhino attempted to enhance his limited
intelligence. The experiment was too successful, rendering him too smart for
his own good. His new intellect ruined a romance, and he became suicidal.
However, instead of giving up on life, he reversed the procedure and returned
back to his former IQ.
The
Rhino battled Hammerhead's gang but was taken down again by Spider-Man. In
Canada, the Rhino became subject to experimentation whereupon he was mutated
into a half-man / half-rhino creature temporarily. The Juggernaut, attempting
to reform his life, stopped the bestial Rhino, rejecting an opportunity to
escape his own sentencing. The Rhino was reverted back to his previous
superpowered self, whereupon he abducting and proposed to a French female
singer/songwriter. Subsequently, after Spider-Man apprehended him, he was
jailed in a special section of Ryker's Island prison for superpowered criminals
at the same time as the Green Goblin (Norman Osborn). The Rhino was seen free
from jail, whereupon Colleen Wing knocked down and apprehended him after she
crashed Misty Knight's Jaguar XK8 straight into him. After Spider-Man publicly
revealed his secret identity, the Rhino was enlisted in the Chameleon's
Exterminators team, and defeated Spider-Man. However, after the Chameleon's
arrest, the Rhino was left unpaid, and went on a drunken rampage. However, the
Black Cat convinced the Rhino to end his tirade while Spider-Man recovered."
Adrian
Toomes/Vulture (Colm Feore) - "Adrian Toomes is a former electronics engineer
who employs a special harness of his own design that allows him to fly and
endows him with enhanced strength. Toomes is quite old, though spry, and is a
virtually remorseless killer. On one occasion, he restored his youth through
biochemical means, though this wore off after exposure to the corpse of an
elemental superhuman. At one point he had used a device to steal Spider-Man's
youth, leaving Vulture young and Spider-Man elderly, but this effect wore off
within hours.
On
more than one occasion Toomes has been in league with several other Spider-Man
villains in order to destroy the wall crawler. The Vulture has been in every incarnation
of the Sinister Six.
The
Vulture once stumbled across a plot by the Chameleon and the Green Goblin to
drive Spider-Man insane by having shapeshifting androids impersonate his late
mother and father; the sham was revealed when the Vulture sought out the
Chameleon to find a way to maintain his artificial youth and the androids were
ultimately destroyed, leading the wall-crawler to a brief nervous breakdown.
The Vulture absorbed the artificial life force from the Mary Parker android,
and the effect on the Vulture was two-fold; not only did he become a young man
again, but he was instantly cured of the cancer that had been slowly killing him
for some time. (The Vulture has since reverted to an old man once again,
however.)
Toomes'
identity as the Vulture has been claimed by impostors on several occasions. The
first, "Blackie" Drago, was a prison cellmate of Toomes. While he was
in prison, Toomes was in an accident and, worried that his revenge against
Spider-man would never be fulfilled, told all his secrets to Drago, who stole
the Vulture harness and costume, and was subsequently defeated by Toomes. The
second, Professor Clifton Shallot, was a vengeful university professor who
mutated himself into a Vulture lookalike; his powers were lost in his first and
only battle with Spider-Man. The Vulture technology was later copied by a group
of thugs called "The Vulturions"; Toomes defeated these usurpers as
well. Another technology thief, Bluebird was defeated by Spider-Man before Toomes
learned of her existence.
Recently,
It was revealed that Toomes, with the help of Sandman, manipulated several
villains Bullseye, Deadpool, Juggernaut, and Sabretooth into laying siege to
terrorist group A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) headquarters in order to
retrieve a disc containing the identities of undercover S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives
(including his daughter's).
Under
the tutelage of Al Kraven, Kraven the Hunter's son, Toomes briefly attempted a
stint at heroism, but before long he returned to the other side of the law.
However, the Vulture was hired by the government to track down Spider-Man after
he rebelled against the Superhuman Registration Act. Toomes was hospitalized,
suffering a mild stroke during his battle, and felt suicidal until Spider-Man
made Toomes recognize his will to live."
0 Comments:
Post a Comment