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The Lizard
LizardNoWayHome
Name: Dr. Curtis Connors
Alias(es): Lizard
Doc
Affiliation: Oscorp Industries
Rank: Villain
Spouse(s): Martha Connors
Children: Billy Connors
Portrayed by: Rhys Ifans
First appeared: The Amazing Spider-Man
Last appeared: Spider-Man: No Way Home
Appears in: 2 Films
"I spent my life as scientist trying to create a world without weakness, without outcasts. I sought to create a stronger human being but there's no such thing, human beings are weak, pathetic, feeble minded creatures. Why be human at all when we can be so much more? Faster, stronger, smarter, this is my gift to you!"
―Curt Connors[src]

Lizard (Dr. Curt Connors) is the main antagonist of The Amazing Spider-Man and a tertiary antagonist in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Rhys Ifans portrayed the character in both the The Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man: No Way Home. He was a brilliant geneticist who worked for Oscorp, and a mentor to Peter Parker. He intended to use his research to provide means of regeneration for those who lost limbs, but his serum ended transforming him into a monstrous, mutated human-reptile hybrid, that corrupts and manipulates him into doing the same to the rest of New York. He becomes enemies with the local hero Spider-Man, whom he soon learns is the secret identity of Peter. He is eventually defeated and cured by Spider-Man. After being cured, Connors is arrested for his crimes.

11 years later, a past version of Connors during his time stuck as the Lizard, is transported to an alternate universe by a botched spell, where he is persuaded by an alternate universe's Green Goblin to side with him. However, he is eventually cured through his Spider-Man, the Spider-Man of the current universe and Gobin's universe's Spider-Man. After being cured, Connors is sent back to his universe, where he will likely have a second chance in a branched/alternate timeline.

The Amazing Spider-Man[]

Taking place during the year 2013, Dr. Curt Connors is a biologist for Oscorp and the former partner of Richard Parker where they worked together on combining several desirable physical attributes of animals with human beings to improve health, including restoring his own amputated right arm. Years later, Richard's son Peter starts a mentorship with him after he finds some of his father's hidden notes that contain a critical equation necessary to make a crucial breakthrough.

When the representative of Oscorp C.E.O. Norman Osborn, Dr. Rajit Ratha fires Connors after he refuses to rush into human trials unprepared, Connors experiments the chemical on himself and next morning finds that he has regenerated his arm. Learning that Dr. Ratha is on his way to the VA hospital, Connors leaves to intercept him, but it quickly becomes apparent that his "cure" is doing more than was intended as his skin grows scaly and claws sprout from his fingers. By the time he gets to the traffic-jammed Williamsburg Bridge, Connors has transformed into a super humanly strong humanoid lizard creature where he tossed some cars over the side.

Spider-Man shows at the scene and manages to save each fallen car with the bio cable "web" that he fires from devices he built on his wrists. The Lizard escapes into the sewer and transforms back into Connors, but it's clear that the chemicals have deeply corrupted his mind, creating an obsession with his new abilities and making him see it as biological "perfection". He continues further, experimenting on himself in a makeshift lab. Peter, who has come to realize Connors as being the reptilian creature who attacked the bridge, after noticing that Connors' mouse Fred had been turned into reptile due to the Lizard serum that Connors had injected, spies on The Lizard in the sewer, but this leads to him being attacked by the Lizard, with Peter barely escaping with his life. However, Connors learns of Spider-Man's true identity as a result after finding Peter's camera with his name on it.

Ifans Connors

Dr. Curt Connors at Oscorp

A voice in Connors' head (likely the Lizard) further corrupts his mind by stating that Species-wide distribution could enhance humanity in an evolution scale and how much power he (Connors) has, while also how he could save everyone. Giving in to the voice, Connors is manipulated into injecting more serum in himself. The Lizard attacks Peter at his school and tells him not to stop him but he refuses. Unsuccessful, The Lizard then develops a plan to turn all humans lizard-like, starting with the release of a chemical cloud from the Oscorp Tower. The police hunt both Spider-Man and The Lizard simultaneously. Spider-Man eventually disperses an antidote cloud restoring Connors and his reptilian victims back to normal, but not before The Lizard mortally wounds Captain George Stacy. With his sanity restored to him, Connors then proceeds to save Spider-Man from falling off a building using the rest of his quickly dissipating lizard strength. Afterwards, he surrenders himself to the authorities and is arrested for his crimes.

In a scene after the end credits, Connors (who has been placed in Beloit Psychiatric Hospital) appears to speak with a mysterious man who asks if Connors told Peter the truth about his father. Connors replies that he didn't, but also demands that he leaves Peter alone. The man then mysteriously vanishes. It is also hinted that he may still have some form of the lizard serum left in his system.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2[]

Connors was mentioned twice by Harry Osborn. Harry first mentioned him stating "people were pissed off because he tried to turn everyone into giant lizards". The second time was when Harry is trying to convince Peter to ask Spider-Man to give him a blood sample in order to cure his retroviral hyperplasia. When Peter tells him about what happened to Connors, Harry tells him Connors was weak, and that he could handle it.

Spider-Man: No Way Home[]

At some point from before he was cured, possibly around the time he discovered Peter was Spiderman following their fight in the sewer, an alternate version of the Lizard is transported to the year 2024 in alternate universe (MCU universe) after a spell casted by Doctor Strange goes haywire. Connors hides in the sewers until he is confronted by Strange and transported to the Sanctum Sanctorum and locked inside a dungeon. Later on, he would reunite with Max Dillon, as they were both workers in the Oscorp Industries in their universe(Webb universe). When Dillon talks about how Connors turned himself into a Lizard and attempted to turn everyone into lizards, Lizard says it was the next step of evolution. After Dillon realizes how he was about to die before being transported to this universe, Lizard asks him if he dies. Eventually he, Dillon and three other villains from a third alternate universe(Raimi universe) would be released from imprisonment by the Peter Parker from the MCU universe in order to help cure the villains from their destructive powers and to spare them from dying by Spider-Man in their universes before "going home". All the villains except Connors would group in Happy Hogan's apartment while he remained in a F.E.A.S.T truck.

Shortly after Green Goblin (from the Raimi universe) battles Peter, Connors finds an opportunity to escape the truck and join the fight before escaping along with the other villains. He would later join Dillon (as a reformed Electro), and Sandman (From Goblin's universe) in a final battle with three Spider-Men (the MCU Spider-Man, his universes' Spider-Man, and the Raimiverse Spider-Man from Goblin's, Otto Octavius's and Sandman's universe). His universes' Peter Parker developed the cure he made before to cure Connors and with the help of the other Spider-Men, is able to cure him once again. When the Green Goblin collapses the scaffolding that they were fighting on, Connors nearly falls to his death before he is caught by the Raimiverse Spider-Man. After Norman Osborn is cured of the Green Goblin persona, Dr. Strange casts a new spell that made everyone forget his universe's Peter Parker and sends everyone from alternate universes back home, including Connors.

Fate[]

While it is unknown when the alternate version of Connors was pulled, it is possible he was when he was in the sewer after discovering Peter was Spiderman, as Strange had found him in the sewer. If he was pulled from the time he was in the sewer, he would be sent back to that point, but this would be in a branched/alternate timeline in the Webb universe. As this event takes place before he tries to turn everyone into Lizards, a cured alternate Connors does not commit this crime, like his original counterpart in the original timeline. So, this version could avoid going to prison, which would give him a second chance, unlike his original counterpart in the original timeline.

In the video game[]

In the 2012 video game, Dr. Connors is a supporting character, assisting Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy against the machinations of Alistair Smythe and his army of S-Bots in the wake of an outbreak of cross-species hybrid test subjects. Near the end of the game, Connors is forced to reinject himself with his serum and become the Lizard once more in order to fight against Smythe. However, due to the mental regression, the Lizard ends up being the final boss of the game. After his defeat, he reverts back to Connors, and willingly returns to his sentence.

Powers and Abilities[]

Artificially Enhanced Physiology: Connors transformed himself into a giant mutant lizard after experimenting with cross-species genetics; he harnessed the DNA of a lizard and transferred its capabilities to himself, granting him enhanced reptilian physical attributes.

  • Superhuman Strength: Connors has remarkable superhuman strength, able to lift weight that no human ever could. He is able to tear through steel and metals effortlessly, and overpower multiple men with ease.
  • Superhuman Durability: Connors' skin, bone, and muscle tissue are denser and tougher than ordinary humans.
  • Superhuman Speed: Connors has the ability to travel at great speeds.
  • Superhuman Agility: In his Lizard form, Connors possess a level of agility superior to humans.
  • Superhuman Stamina: Connors can do intense physical activity for long periods of time without being fatigued.
  • Superhuman Reflexes: Connors can coordinate his body with unnatural equilibrium, dexterity, and flexibility and his reflexes is capable of reacting much better than ordinary human beings.
  • Enhanced Senses: Connors has superhuman senses. He is able to see farther than ordinary, and can smell humans scent from great distances.
  • Regenerative Healing Factor: Connors can heal much quicker than even Spider-Man. He could heal from multiple gunshot wounds within a few seconds,
  • Wall-Crawling: Connors uses his sharp claws to penetrate walls and crawl on them.
  • Fangs: In his Lizard form, Connors has sharp and dangerous fangs.
  • Claws: Connors's claws are extremely sharp and dangerous. He has the ability to climb up walls with them, and can penetrate dense objects.
  • Tail: As the Lizard, Connors has a prehensile tail which he uses to smack his enemies.

Trivia[]

  • In comics, Connors had a wife and son; his wife Martha died of cancer, and he killed his son, Billy, as the Lizard. Before Billy died, he told his father that he always knew Connors would kill him. This is likely because Connors had transformed into the Lizard before in this comic as well, and had traumatized Billy.
  • The darkened figure Connors saw in his cell late at night was credited as "Man in the shadows" in the film who is later identified as Gustav Fiers in the sequel.
  • The Lizard is one of the very few characters to be portrayed by the same actor in a different franchise. Rhys Ifans reprised the role of Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
  • Connors is one of five people who know Spider-Man's true identity; the others being Alistair Smythe (deceased), Green Goblin, George Stacy (deceased) and his [daughter] Gwen Stacy (deceased). He and Green Goblin are also the only villains that know his identity.
  • This version of Lizard lacks a snout and clothing, although he had a lab coat later on in a brief scene.
    • Interestingly enough, in the first appearance of the Lizard in the comics ( The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #6 ), the character lacked a snout.
  • Connors quoted Michelangelo Buonarroti's poem "The Silk Worm" in the film: "That, changing like the snake, I might be free to cast off flesh wherein I dwell confined."
  • Several scenes featuring Curt Connors/Lizard were cut from the final film. Two notable ones included scenes where Connors talks to his son (who is completely absent from the final film) and Lizard killing Dr. Ratha (who disappears after the bridge scene in the final film).
  • To preserve the secrecy of Spider-Man: No Way Home's production and to prevent his appearance from being leaked, Rhys Ifans walked around the set with a cloak covering himself.

Gallery[]

Promotional Photos, Official Artwork[]

The Amazing Spider-Man[]

Spider-Man: No Way Home[]

Screenshots[]

The Amazing Spider-Man[]

Spider-Man: No Way Home[]


See Also[]


Webb Film Series
Films: The Amazing Spider-Man | The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Characters: Peter Parker/Spider-Man | Gwen Stacy | Harry Osborn | Mary Jane Watson | Uncle Ben | Aunt May | George Stacy | Flash Thompson | Norman Osborn | Ashley Kafka | Rajit Ratha | Donald Menken | Felicia Hardy | Alistair Smythe | Richard Parker | Mary Parker | Kari
Enemies: The Lizard | Electro | The Green Goblin | Rhino | The Black Cat | Ultimate Goblin | Gustav Fiers | Cash Register Thief
Locations: The Daily Bugle | Oscorp Industries | Oscorp Tower | Midtown Science High School | Beloit Psychiatric Hospital | Ravencroft Institute
Video Games: The Amazing Spider-Man | The Amazing Spider-Man 2


Marvel Cinematic Universe
Films: Captain America: Civil War | Spider-Man: Homecoming | Avengers: Infinity War | Avengers: Endgame | Spider-Man: Far From Home | Spider-Man: No Way Home
Characters: Spider-Man | Captain America | Iron Man | Winter Soldier | Falcon | Happy Hogan | Pepper Potts | Aunt May | Ned Leeds | Liz Toomes | Flash Thompson | Aaron Davis | Michelle Jones | Doctor Octopus
Enemies: Vulture | Shocker | Jackson Brice | Tinkerer | Mysterio |Green Goblin | Electro | Lizard | Sandman
Locations: Avengers Facility | Avengers Tower | Midtown School of Science and Technology
Video Games:
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