This article pertains to Dr. Curtis Connors aka The Lizard as portrayed in the Spider-Man animated series that began airing in the year 1994. The episodes of that series where not published in chronological order.
Dr. Curtis Connors is a supporting characters in Spider-Man: The Animated Series. He is a geneticist who teaches at the Empire State University.
Biography[]
Background[]
Curtis Connors received in education in the field of genetics and served within in the arms forces. While deployed in an active combat zone Connors lost his arm. Upon his return from the service he entered into the field of teaching at Empire State University. He married Martha and sired a son, William "Billy" Connors.
The Scorpion[]
Curtis Connors worked with Professor Forman Steelwell, the inventor of NeoGenics, at Empire State University. While fascinated with Professor Steelwell's NeoGenticRecombinator he had advised Steelwell that the machine did not seem ready for Human testing. Steelwell did not heed this advice and thus The Scorpion became more and more arachnid until pacified.
The Lizard[]
With Parker as an assistant Dr. Connors tested a refined version of the NeoGenicRecombinator on a lab rodent lacking an arm. The result of the modified device seemed to be just what Connors had hoped for, The rodent's limb regrew though even then Connors felt it wasn't ready for Human testing but the result was promising.
Some time after the experiment Connors changed his mind but failing to secure permission for Human testing, due to the weariness The Scorpion incident had brought upon those who could grant such, Connors tested it on himself. His arm regrew and he hurried home to tell his wife and son. However celebration of the success was short lived as like the Scorpion before him Connors began to change. Unlike the Scorpion Connors became more reptilian, a lizardman.
Connors choose to enter the sewers to fabricate a new lab, not wishing to go to the University while looking the way he did. While in the sewers he overheard workers down there talk about TV repair and needing a technician abducted one of them. There, in the sewers he started to experience difficulty with memory, he knew he was building the NeoGenicsRecombinator but- his arm. Eventually he took to the surface to steal the device from the university's science center. While preparing it for travel he heard a student (Liz) ask if everything was OK, he told her to stay away but she didn't and upon seeing his face screamed. Parker then rushed in and Connors fled.
After dropping the device off at the sewer lab and having the sewer worker work on the machinery Connors returned to his home. He looked inside, wondering if he should or even could go back while the Lizard. He heard his son ask when daddy would be home and his heart sank. Then there was a scream, Martha's scream- words telling someone to stay back. Connors rushed around the house to find a man in leather, Brock- thinking Brock was trying to hurt his family Connors attacked in an animalistic furry only for Spider-Man to intervene. Billy called to his father and not wishing to face him while still the Lizard Connors left.
Away, he wondered how he could have his life back, and his arm- and then- it clicked. If, everyone was a lizard- there would be no difference to fear. He'd make everyone a lizard like himself. He abducted Martha, Martha would be the first- together they would be the first of a new race. His madness grew and if it where not for Spider-Man the entire city of New York would have become as Lizard as he. Martha managed to get through to Connors a little, it's not known if he would have stopped or not, but what was obvious to Spider-Man from Connors reply was that the doctor's memory was getting worse as Connors had forgot in his madness that he had a son. Thanks to Spider-Man Connors' genetic code was reverted though such lead to the lose of his arm again. Spider-Man decided to keep quite about what Connors had almost done and Connors returned to his work at the university in Spider-Man's debt.
The Sinister Six (Part 1)[]
Seeking to continue work on the NeoGenicRecombinator Dr. Connors retained use of the device (in part from what he almost did not being known by those with the power to provide such use) and held a contest. The winner would be the student who submitted what Connors felt to be the most unique NeoGentics experiment. Spider-Man arrived to see him the morning after the contest was announced. Spider-Man was loosing his powers. Connors asked if Spider-Man was born with his powers and got a snarky answer that could be simplified as 'no'. Connors after conducting a few tests informed Spider-Man that he may loose his powers permanently, but more tests had to be done to know for sure. Spider-Man left and upon returning to Connors was informed that his DNA was still changing, and one thing was certain, the result wouldn't be Human.
The Alien Suit (Part 2)[]
It was some time latter that Spider-Man came for aid again, now in a black suit. Spider-Man needed Connors to analyze a sample of the suit. In doing so Connors discovered it to be a symbiote that was actively re-writing Spider-Man's DNA to match it's own. Connors informed Spider-Man that in time it'd fully replace him and they needed to separate it from him immediately. Spider-Man however had other priories and left to fulfill those, eventually separating himself from the symbiote without Connors aid.