The Serpent Society is an organization of snake-themed supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The society is a continuation of the original group the Serpent Squad and was later changed into Serpent Solutions. The Serpent Society first appeared in Captain America #310 (October 1985) and was created by writer Mark Gruenwald and artist Paul Neary. Serpent Solutions first appeared in Captain America: Sam Wilson #1 by writer Nick Spencer and artist Daniel Acuña.
The Serpent Society was formed by Sidewinder as he gathered a number of villains with snake-themed powers. The group was organized more like a supervillain labor union, with the members providing protection for each other, sharing profits, etc. The Society took jobs for criminal organizations such as HYDRA, the Maggia, the Kingpin, and A.I.M. Some of these jobs brought the Serpent Society into conflict with Captain America and his partners. At one point, the Viper took control of the Society, plotting to take control of the United States, but was ultimately foiled by Captain America, D-Man, Nomad, the Falcon and former members of the Serpent Society. The Society would briefly reform over the years, but never made much impact.
As part of the All-New Marvel NOW! branding, a resurrected Viper (Jordan Stryke) took control of the Serpent Society. He reorganized it as "Serpent Solutions" and provided their services to various corporations. Serpent Solutions were opposed by the new Captain America, formerly the Falcon.
The Serpent Society has appeared in Marvel's The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes cartoon series as well as the Toei anime series Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers. The Serpent Society was also part of the Captain America: The Winter Soldier video game.
Concept and creation
The Serpent Society first appeared in Captain America #310 (Oct. 1985) and was created by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary. Serpent Solutions first appeared in Captain America: Sam Wilson #1 by writer Nick Spencer and artist Daniel Acuña.
Most of the villains Mark Gruenwald introduced in Captain America were created to symbolize aspects of contemporary American culture and the world political situation. In the case of the Serpent Society, Gruenwald created them to symbolize trade unions.
Fictional team history
Formation
The Serpent Society was founded by Sidewinder, and was a descendant of sorts from the two original Serpent Squads. The first Squad consisted of the original Viper, his brother the original Eel, and the Cobra. The second Squad consisted of the second Viper (who was also formerly Madame Hydra), the Eel, Princess Python, the Cobra, and the Atlantean warlord Krang. Sidewinder led the third incarnation of the Squad that included Anaconda, Black Mamba and Death Adder. They were to retrieve the fabled Serpent Crown from its then-underwater grave. Sidewinder used his cloak and abandoned his comrades during an underwater mishap, and proceeded to collect the reward for the Crown.
Anaconda, Mamba and Adder survived and confronted Sidewinder. During that time, Sidewinder had invested the money and started the groundwork for the Serpent Society. The Society was to provide its members with better access to technology, bigger access to jobs, higher pay, comradeship, safe lodging, and a host of other benefits. Most importantly, with Sidewinder's teleportation cloak, members never had to fear imprisonment again. It was, essentially, a supervillain labor union.
After persuading his former comrades of his true intention to better their lot (and paying their share of the reward plus interest), he had them contact other snake-themed criminals which included the Asp, Diamondback, the Constrictor, the Cobra, Princess Python, the Viper, the Rattler, Cottonmouth, and Bushmaster. The Viper refused to attend the first initial gathering. Constrictor, unimpressed with the proceedings, walked out and tried to turn the group over to the Avengers.
Sidewinder, Anaconda, Black Mamba, Death Adder, Asp, Diamondback, Cottonmouth, the Cobra, Bushmaster, Rattler, and Princess Python became charter members of the Serpent Society. They headquartered at Serpent Citadel, which was an abandoned mental hospital located in upstate New York. Sidewinder sent them out to contact various criminal organizations including HYDRA, the Maggia, the Kingpin, and A.I.M. From A.I.M. they received their first paying assignment: the elimination of their former leader MODOK. The Society's success in killing MODOK quickly cemented their reputation as criminal talents of the first caliber. Captain America intervened many times during their early years, but was never able to put them out of commission.