Constrictor (comics)

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Publication information
Constrictor
The Constrictor. Art by Andrea Di Vito.
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Incredible Hulk #212 (June 1977)
Created by	Len Wein Sal Buscema Ernie Chan
In story information
Alter ego	Frank Payne
Team affiliations	The Initiative Shadow Initiative S.H.I.E.L.D. Corporation Masters of Evil Frightful Four Six-Pack Sinister Syndicate
Notable aliases	Frank Schlicting
Abilities	Bionic arms, with fingers that extend into electrified, prehensile whips

Constrictor (Frank Payne) is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a mercenary who has occasionally acted as an anti-hero. He first appeared in Incredible Hulk #212 (1977).

1 Fictional character biography
- 1.1 The Initiative
2 Powers and abilities
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Fictional character biography

Frank Payne was an agent of the international espionage organization S.H.I.E.L.D., and the father of an adult daughter, Mia.^[1] When S.H.I.E.L.D. needed a costumed "supervillain" to go undercover in the criminal organization called the Corporation, Frank was given a snake-themed costume and a pair of wrist-mounted electrified metal coils. Using the false identity of Frank Schlicting from Racine, Wisconsin, and the codename of "Constrictor", he infiltrated the group, only to suffer a nervous breakdown and become a career criminal in earnest. As a result of his defection, S.H.I.E.L.D. allowed his daughter to believe that he had died. As the Constrictor, "Schlicting" debuted in combat against the Hulk, while attempting to assassinate the Hulk's friend Jim Wilson on behalf of the Corporation.^[2] The Corporation next sent him to assassinate Captain America; the Constrictor was trapped in a cave-in of S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, and was freed by Captain America.^[3]

The Constrictor would remain an independent mercenary, criminal, and assassin after the dissolution of the Corporation. He next battled Iron Man as a member of Justin Hammer's criminal army.^[4] He next teamed with Sabretooth to safeguard a stolen jade tiger statuette, and battled Power Man and the Daughters of the Dragon.^[5] He teamed with Sabretooth again to help Sabretooth get revenge on Misty Knight. They fought Iron Fist, Power Man, El Aguila, and Misty Knight.^[6]

Working for the Viper, he battled Captain America and Nomad. He wound up turning against the Viper.^[7] He next joined with other criminal in an attempt to assassinate the hospitalized Thing.^[8]

Constrictor was also invited to join the Serpent Society, which he turned down and walked out after the first meeting. He subsequently tried to turn them over to the Avengers, and Anaconda later exacted revenge on him. While in the hospital recuperating from the beating, he was nearly killed by the Scourge of the Underworld disguised as a nurse, but was saved by Captain America.^[9]

He later had a showdown with his common law stepfather McAvey, who had murdered his mother.^[10]

Constrictor has battled numerous heroes over the years, including repeated encounters with Captain America, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Spider-Man, the Thing and even the short lived character NFL Superpro. Although Luke Cage and Nick Fury eventually uncovered Payne's former identity, he chose to retain the Schlicting alias and to allow his daughter to believe that her father was dead.

Constrictor appeared as a supporting character in Deadpool wherein he and Titania moved in with him as his roommates. During their uncomfortable living situation, Constrictor was convinced that Titania was actually a man. It would turn out that he was right that she wasn't what she seemed; but not about her gender as Titania was revealed to actually be the mutant shapeshifter and Deadpool's former lover, Copycat. He was later found to be under the employment of Justin Hammer. When cutbacks forced his supervisor to lay him off, he responded by brutally attacking him. During the Acts of Vengeance, Constrictor was one of the many villains that attacked the Fantastic Four.

He did join the seventh incarnation of the Masters of Evil. During the Deadpool story arc, it was also revealed that Constrictor had been part of a very short-lived rendition of the Wizard's Frightful Four.

At one point he was one of the many mercenaries hired to kill Alex Hayden, who was at this time thought to be Wade Wilson (Deadpool). In the story it was stated that Wilson was a hard-ass so Hayden couldn't be Deadpool. Hayden then broke Constrictor's nose. The Constrictor was later seen in the same issue being used, or rather his vibrainiam coils were used, to drag the Rhino into a river. Somehow both escaped.

After a severe beating from Hercules, the Constrictor was awarded several million dollars in a lawsuit. Nighthawk, rich himself, convinces the Constrictor that with all his money there was no need to be a criminal anymore, and he has apparently turned over a new leaf and decided to be a hero. He is currently under the employment of S.H.I.E.L.D. as a member of the new Six-Pack. He was most recently seen at an all-superhuman charity poker tournament hosted by the Thing (who also had a hand in the Constrictor's apparent reformation), where Hercules regains at least a large portion of the money he lost to the Constrictor in a non-tournament side game.

[edit] The Initiative

The Constrictor was identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes who have registered as part of the 50-State Initiative^[11]^[12]. The Constrictor was later revealed to be part of the Shadow Initiative, a black ops version of the Initiative under the command of Henry Gyrich^[13].

Constrictor saved Gyrich from the clone of MVP known as "KIA", however KIA severed Constrictor's forearms in retaliation. Constrictor was quickly ferried away to safety by fellow team member Bengal. ^[14] He was given bionic hands which function like his coils, and was also presented with a Purple Heart for his valiant efforts.^[15]

[edit] Powers and abilities

The Constrictor's primary weapon is a pair of cybernetically-controlled, electrified, prehensile, wrist-mounted metal coils provided by Justin Hammer. The coils eject and retract from special appliances running from shoulder to wrist. These cables are able to extend to a maximum length of 30 feet and can be used as whips, capable of rending steed or lesser metals; or as bonds, capable of entwining an object or human being and constricting.

The current set of coils are made of vibranium, and the previous pair were made of an adamantium alloy. The adamantium coils were stolen from him by Gambit and were subsequently used by Mister Sinister to reinforce Sabretooth's skeleton. The strength of the coils varies based on their construction, but the adamantium coils were powerful enough to lift and even temporarily restrain the Hulk. The vibranium coils have a contact-based aura that suppresses sound: while the coils are wrapped around a target's throat, the victim's voice cannot be heard.

The Constrictor's costume is lightly armored with partial bulletproofing around the chest and head area, and the entire costume is electrically-insulated, and covers his entire body except for his lower face and chin.

Although the Constrictor is a skilled unarmed combatant and street fighter, he usually relies exclusively on his coils in a fight.

After his encounter with KIA, Constrictor is implanted with cybernetic arms, the fingers of which duplicate the abilities of his old coils.