BLACK MAMBA

Consider helping keep the site ad free by using our Affiliate Link!

Real Name: Tanya Sealy
Aliases: None
Identity: Public
Occupation: Professional Criminal, Model
Citizenship: United States Citizen with Criminal Record
Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois
Known Relatives: Unknown
Group Affiliation: Serpent Society, BAD Girls, Inc.
First Appearance: Marvel Two-In-One #64
History: Working as a call girl in Chicago, Tanya Sealy’s life would change when she was discovered by Roxxon Oil and asked to partake in a covert operation to retrieve something known as “The Serpent Crown.”

Through the help of the Roxxon Corporation, Tanya agreed to be experimented upon, in which they surgically implanted a component within her brain that granted her limited forms of telepathy. This also seemingly awakened her ability to manipulate the Darkforce energy. She joined an assembly of other “snake themed” villains such as Sidewinder, Anaconda, and Death Adder and were known at the time as “The Serpent Squad.” During their mission, Sidewinder had recovered the Serpent Crown after battling Thing, Stingray and Triton, but in doing so, he had mistakenly trapped his partners underwater.

After freeing themselves, Black Mamba, Anaconda and Death Adder sought revenge against Sidewinder. However, when they confronted Sidewinder, he explained that he had not intended to trap them and offered them each their earning from the recovery of the Serpent Crown and offered them a new idea – a snake themed team that he would put together with benefits and health and other means – more like an organization, rather than just a team. Black Mamba, Anaconda and Death Adder agreed to these new terms.

Black Mamba had been partnered with recently recruited Rattler, when Sidewinder called them back to help complete their new mission – to hunt down and kill M.O.D.O.K. Captain America had tried to stop them, but Death Adder and Cottonmouth succeeded in killing M.O.D.O.K., with Cobra later retrieving the corpse from the morgue and delivering it to A.I.M. who had hired them, as proof of their victory.

When Death Adder was later murdered by Scourge, who had been escorting Princess Python back to her home, after she left Serpent Society, Black Mamba tracked down Death Adder’s true parents and delivered the news of their son’s death and had asked if they knew if he had any enemies who would have wanted him dead. The hunt for Scourge, despite Sidewinder’s demands and resources, never resulted in discovering who had done it.

When Viper (Madame Hydra) attempted to infiltrate Sidewinder’s Serpent Society, she discovered that Black Mamba and Sidewinder had begun a romantic relationship together, and targeted Black Mamba to use her as a disguise to get close to Sidewinder in an effort to poison him. He was saved by Diamondback, who turned to Captain America for help. Captain America was able to find Bushmaster, Asp and Black Mamba, the only ones who’d remained loyal to Sidewinder and had been poisoned as well, and administered the antidote, saving their lives.

Sidewinder, feeling betrayed by those whom he’d tried to take care of, left the Serpent Society and Cobra took over and adopted the King Cobra moniker after doing so. Over the years, Black Mamba developed a close friendship with Diamondback and Asp. When Serpent Society discovered that Diamondback had been dating Captain America, members of the Serpent Society voted if she should be killed – and Black Mamba was one of the few who said she should be spared. However, it was too late – and the notion to kill Diamondback was put forward. Wanting to save her friend, Black Mamba contacted Sidewinder, who helped save her, but King Cobra learned of this and captured Black Mamba and Asp. They were, however, rescued by Captain America.

Black Mamba, Asp and Diamondback formed an organization known as B.A.D. Girls, Inc. A short while later, Black Mamba took up living in Hollywood and worked as a fashion model. Puff Adder showed up and asked her to return back to Serpent Society, but she declined the offer explaining she enjoyed the peace and money, being a model gave her.

However, some time later, she would be seen with Crimson Cowl’s Masters of Evil and battled the Thunderbolts. She briefly ended up back with Serpent Society, and again, helped reform B.A.D. Girls, Inc. During the events of Civil War, she along with her two friends, Diamondback and Asp, were potential members of the anti-registration group, the Secret Avengers.

Black Mamba’s life took a darker turn, as she became an independent assassin, being hired by the Assassin’s Guild to fight the members of X-Force. She fought both Domino (who shot her) and X-23 (who stabbed her in the chest), and had been fatally wounded, but the mutant known as Elixir, healed her wounds. The Assassin Guild would hire her again, along with a new Death Adder (Roland Burroughs) to hunt down and kill Elektra and others. They were, however, unsuccessful.

She would eventually get dragged into Serpent Society, now branded as “Serpent Solutions” and headed by the new Viper (calling himself, Pit Viper now).

Black Mamba landed as a guard for Cynadine Oil Company, which would bring her into conflict with mutants, yet again, as Nature Girl and Curse, who young mutants from Krakoa, attacked the facility.

Yet again, later, she would be seen with the members of Serpent Society when they’d been corrupted and tricked into worshipping Mephisto as the “Great Red Serpent.” Black Mamba, along with the rest of the Serpent Society were defeated by Nighthawk.

They would appear again, still led by Pit Viper, who had hopes of recovering a relic and completing a ritual to bring forth Mephisto, however, those plans fell apart quickly when they faced off against Night Thrasher, and other members of the AVENGE.R.S. Serpent Society was captured and brought forth to face charges for their crimes.

Height: 5’7?
Weight: 115 lbs
Eyes: Green
Hair: Black

Powers: Through a process completed by Roxxon, Black Mamba gained the ability to manipulate and control the Darkforce energy. Through this control, she is able to project an inky cloud that is semi-solid. She uses this Darkforce ability, she describes as “shedding her skin” to surround, constrict, and suffocate her opponents. She combines this with her limited form of telepathy, in which she can hypnotize anyone who observes her Darkforce energy cloud, often portraying someone that her victim knows and loves, triggering a sense of euphoria as the Darkforce energy constricts her victims.

She was also known to be able to breathe underwater, though it’s not been explained how this was done.