List of Marvel Comics characters: V

Vagabond

Vagabond (Priscilla Lyons) is the former partner and girlfriend of Nomad (Jack Monroe). She prevented Black Racer's assassination attempt on Sidewinder. She thwarted and captured Dr. Karl Malus during his attempt to take over Power Broker, Inc. She was recruited and trained by the Scourge organization; during her training she had a change of heart and decided to help the U.S. Agent shut down the Scourge organization. Later she was being considered as a potential recruit for the Initiative program, according to Civil War: Battle Damage Report.

Other versions of Vagabond

Vagabond (real name Pat Murphy) is a superhero, a police officer who dressed as a homeless man, who appeared in U.S.A. Comics #2–4.

Vakume

Main article: Salem's Seven § Members

Valkin

Main article: List of Eternals

Valkyrie

Brunnhilde

Main article: Valkyrie (Marvel Comics)

Samantha Parrington

Main article: Valkyrie (Samantha Parrington)

Barbara Norris

Main article: Valkyrie (Barbara Norris)

Vamp

Vamp is a Corporation agent in the Marvel Universe. The character, created by Roy Thomas, Don Glut, and John Buscema, first appeared in Captain America #217 in January 1978. Within the context of the stories, Vamp has an evil alter-ego called Animus and infiltrates S.H.I.E.L.D. She is killed by the Scourge of the Underworld.

Years later, Arnim Zola created a Vamp/Animus proto-husk creature, which would encounter Deadpool on two separate occasions.

Rachel Van Helsing

Rachel Van Helsing is a vampire hunter, created by Archie Goodwin and Gene Colan, who first appeared in Tomb of Dracula #3 (July 1972). She is the granddaughter of Abraham Van Helsing, and trained a vampire hunter since childhood by Quincy Harker after Dracula killed her parents. On one of her missions, Rachel was held hostage by two of Dracula's brides who phoned Quincy Harker, who was on the verge of killing Dracula, and told him to leave Dracula alone or Rachel would die. Harker agreed to the brides' demands, much to Rachel's frustration. The brides then let Rachel go. She later fought alongside hunters Quincy, Taj Nital, Frank Drake, and Blade, during which time she developed an uneasy romantic relationship with Drake. Dracula turns her into a vampire. Overcoming his control, she asks Wolverine to kill her, which he does. Frank Drake later avenges her death by aiding Doctor Strange in destroying all vampires on Earth.

Rachel Van Helsing in other media

Rachel Van Helsing appears in Tomb of Dracula, voiced by Mami Koyama in the original Japanese and by Melanie McQueen in the English dub.

Michael Van Patrick

MVP
MVP from Avengers: The Initiative #1 Art by Stefano Caselli.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Avengers: The Initiative #1 (March 2007)
Created by	Dan Slott Stefano Caselli
In-story information
Alter ego	Michael Ian Van Patrick
Team affiliations	(All) The Initiative (Michael, Van & Patrick) Shadow Initiative (Michael & Patrick) Counter Force New Warriors (Patrick) Avengers Resistance
Notable aliases	MVP (sometimes written M.V.P.)
Abilities	Peak physical condition

Michael Ian Van Patrick is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Dan Slott and Stefano Caselli. Although the character died in his debut appearance, he was cloned after his death and his clones continued to play roles within the ongoing Avengers: The Initiative series. Described by Slott as an archetypal "all-American boy", the character is introduced in the pages of Avengers: The Initiative #1 as the great-grandson of Dr. Abraham Erskine, the inventor of the super soldier serum within Marvel Comics' shared universe the Marvel Universe. The first clone was sent back to Van Patrick's parent's home to prevent them from discovering his death. The next three clones, named Michael, Van and Patrick, originally worked as the Scarlet Spiders, as part of the Black Ops group within The Initiative. They were revealed to be clones in Avengers: The Initiative #7. He was cloned once more, in the Killed in Action story arc when some of the vacant positions in the Initiative teams were filled with MVP clones. The original's only appearance outside the pages of Avengers: The Initiative was a brief cameo in an alternate reality What If comic. All that is known about the original character has been revealed in that series, with Van Patrick's (and the first sets of clones) origins being shown in the 2007 Avengers: The Initiative Annual. However, the Scarlet Spiders (Michael and Patrick) became the first clones to appear outside The Initiative when they appeared in New Warriors vol. 4 #14 (Sept. 2008). The first MVP clone appeared in the following issue of the New Warriors series.

Michael Van Patrick's origins trace back to scientist "Dr. Josef Reinstein" later retroactively changed to a code name for the scientist Abraham Erskine, the developer of the Super-Soldier serum that changed the frail Steve Rogers into Timely Comics's (Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor's) Captain America. On his death, Dr. Erskine left papers, which covered years of research and findings that the government had not seen fit to classify to his grandson Brian Van Patrick. Brian studied his grandfather's work, particularly his work on growing, preparing and serving the most wholesome and nutritional foods and a challenging experimental program of isometric exercises. Brian used the research during the early life and development of his son Michael, helping him achieve his potential.

The events of the 2006–2007 Marvel Comics crossover Civil War required all United States superpowered individuals to register with the American government, with at least some of these individuals being sent to The Initiative's training camp Camp Hammond. Given Michael's descent from the creator of the super soldier serum, many people came to suspect his athletic abilities to be superpower-related. He lost his university scholarship when media revealed that his great-grandfather was Dr. Abraham Erskine.

He joined the program under the codename MVP, along with old and new characters to make up the cast of the Avengers: The Initiative. During the first day of training at Camp Hammond, MVP demonstrated extraordinary speed and agility as he broke the camp's obstacle course record for users without superspeed on his first attempt. During a combat simulator exercise, Initiative trainee Armory ended up panicking and fired blindly on the other recruits. MVP saved fellow recruit Cloud 9. While saving Cloud 9, MVP is shot in the head, killing him instantly. Initiative scientist (and former Nazi and supervillain) Dr. Baron Von Blitzschlag performed the autopsy on Michael's body. The autopsy revealed that MVP's extraordinary physical abilities were unconnected to the super-soldier serum and were instead achieved by natural means. Von Blitzschlag advocated cloning MMV to chief administrator Yellowjacket's disapproval. In Avengers: The Initiative #22, the members of New Warriors take possession of Michael's body to return him home.

First clone of MVP

Though Yellowjacket disapproved the idea of cloning MVP, Secretary of the Superhuman Armed Forces Henry Peter Gyrich had ordered that MVP's death remain secret and sanctioned the cloning. As Van Patrick was a non-altered human, Yellowjacket considered the cloning to be comparatively easy. Avengers: The Initiative Annual #1 reveals the clone's creation and development. As the clone was grown to its original's age, all of his original's skills and abilities were programmed into him with the help of a special suit with telemetry circuits, a video of MVP's training session, and the photographic reflexes of Taskmaster. The first clone is sent to his family's organic vegetable farm in Liberty, Kentucky, with a false story that he had failed the Initiative program because of his lack of powers. The clone, who is coming to realize that his memories are not his own and that he will never be the real Michael Van Patrick, elects to stay with "his" family. He is warned however to never tell them that he is not their real son.

However, the clone's first appearance was a couple of months prior in a few panels of Avengers: The Initiative #4, where Justice and Cloud 9, not knowing that clones had replaced Michael, flew to the Van Patrick farm to inform MVP's parents of his death. On arriving, they are greeted at the door by the clone but are called off to deal with the events of World War Hulk before they can inquire further. In a later issue, Justice returns with Cloud 9 to the Van Patrick home, wishing to find out what information Gyrich and Yellowjacket were keeping from him. On arriving, they find the house boarded up and abandoned.

During the Killed In Action storyline, it is revealed that the clone has an imbedded tracking device and that the Van Patrick family had moved to Bulls Gap, Tennessee. In this storyline's conclusion, the clone then helps The Initiative stop KIA and begins to further MVP's romantic interest in Cloud 9. In Avengers: The Initiative #12, the MVP clone, along with the surviving Scarlet Spiders and MVP's father, join with Justice's New Warriors as a Counter Initiative of underground registered heroes. MVP, as a part of Counter Force, would go on to appear in New Warriors vol. 4 #14–15; in the character's first appearance outside of an Avengers: The Initiative title.

Scarlet Spiders

Three more clones, developed the same time as the first but with added genetic material donated from Baron Von Blitzschlage, were programmed via input from Taskmaster with MVP's skills and abilities along with those of Spider-Man. The three clones, Michael, Van and Patrick (sometimes referred to as "Pat"), were suited up in redesigned Iron Spider suits that Spider-Man had worn during the early stages of the superhero Civil War.

During their first appearance, they identify themselves as the "Red Team" and take down supervillains Shocker, Boomerang and Hydro-Man. Though War Machine identifies them by their official name Scarlet Spiders when contacting them, they identify themselves as Red Team One (Michael), Red Team Two (Van), and Red Team Three ("Pat" Patrick) in the field. They are later revealed to be part of the Shadow Initiative black ops group under the command of Gyrich with Constrictor, Mutant Zero, Bengal, and Trauma.

The Scarlet Spiders were forced to expose themselves to the public in Avengers: The Initiative #7 after an attack on Blitzschlage. The subsequent pursuit of three criminals wearing the Vulturions flying exosuits would lead the Spiders into confronting the angry Peter Parker. Their appearance in a battle against and alongside Parker raised public doubts over whether Parker is the original or only Spider-Man, despite his having publicly revealing his dual identity in the early events of the Civil War.

Now public, the Scarlet Spiders join with the other initiative trainees in the next issue. An incident involving Dragon Man leads one of the Spiders to save Cloud 9 in much the same fashion as the original MVP did at the time of his death. In Avengers: The Initiative #10, the Scarlet Spiders unmask themselves in an attempt to calm the enraged clone KIA only to have him behead one of their number. The surviving (and still unmasked) Scarlet Spiders, Michael and Patrick, are later seen by the majority of the trainees, including Cloud 9. In Avengers: The Initiative #11, the remaining Scarlet Spiders make their way to Bulls Gap, Tennessee to aid in the capture of KIA.

In Avengers: The Initiative #12, after the defeat of KIA, the surviving Scarlet Spiders, along with the MVP clone and the real MVP's father, join with Justice's New Warriors as a Counter Initiative/Counter Force of underground registered heroes who go on to appear in New Warriors Secret Invasion tie-in story "Secrets and Skrulls" where Counter Force would team up with the other team of New Warriors. Reappearing within the pages of Avengers: The Initiative #21, with Norman Osborn taking control of the 50-State Initiative, Counter Force were made wanted criminals. The team shows up at Camp Hammond, having retaken the name New Warriors to battle the rampaging Ragnarok. In Avengers: The Initiative #22, Scarlet Spider Michael is killed by Ragnarok. During the next issue, in the battle's aftermath, the last surviving Scarlet Spider Patrick publicly unmasks himself, revealing to the media that the Initiative had secretly cloned MVP. He continues to defy Osborn with the Avengers Resistance, and even participates in the attack on Camp HAMMER during the siege of Asgard. He is seen again with the New Warriors during the Fear Itself crossover.

KIA

The results of the previous clonings impressed Initiative administrators enough to attempt to fill places within the Fifty-State Initiative with further clones. In the Avengers: The Initiative first multi-part story; Killed in Action (starting issue #8), a new clone is fitted with the Tactigon, Armory's former alien weapon and sets forth on a murderous rampage through Camp Hammond in an attempt to seek revenge for MVP's death. In the second part First Casualties, set before the events of the first, the clone, who is distinguished by his whited out eyes, is said to have had Armory's moves programmed into him in preparation to use the Omega-Level weapon that killed the original MVP. The Tactigon interfaces with this clone's mind activating latent memories of the real MVP's death. Hacking into the Initiative's computer, the clone learns of his "death" and gains a list of all those present at the time. The disturbed clone demolishes the cloning lab, attacking Blitzschlag and Yellowjacket while repeating "Killed in Action" over and over again and carving the initials "KIA" into his chest. The clone continues its rampage through Camp Hammond, striking those whose names are on his list and attacking anyone else who gets in the way.

At the end of the third part, the clone attempts to find the comatose Gauntlet, the drill instructor who had sent MVP to the ill-fated combat training session. However, Gauntlet's weapon, which was taken from an alien who faced off against the alien who controlled the Tactigon in Gauntlet and Armory's origin stories, seemingly takes control of Gauntlet's body forcing him to acquire the sword element of the alien's armor that he recovered when he originally bonded with the alien glove device. The two later battle and KIA stabs Gauntlet to bring him out of his coma, in an effort to face the man rather than the gauntlet weapon. In the concluding part of the Worst Case Scenario storyline, KIA battles his way through the Initiative to follow trainees Cloud 9, Komodo and Hardball to MVP's first clone in Bulls Gap, where they are attempting to convince the clone to download its memories into a device (and most likely leave himself brain-dead) which could then upload them into KIA to reset his mind. After arriving at the location, KIA is met by the collective Initiative force of the Mighty Avengers, the remaining Scarlet Spiders, a rogue New Warriors group and the trainees. In the battle's climax, the first clone uses the device to download KIA's memories leaving his body brain-dead. After the battle, it is revealed that the Avengers have stored both the body and the Tactigon away in an undisclosed location, before which Slapstick secretly took the device with KIA's memories from the battlefield for himself, which reads "ready to transmit brain patterns to new host body" leaving KIA's eventual fate open-ended.

Many trainees and staff members were injured during KIA's rampage, but only Dragon Lord, Trauma, Van (one of the Scarlet Spiders) and 8 S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were killed. But in Avengers: The Initiative #12, Trauma came back to life.

KIA later recovered and joined the Assassins Guild. He and the rest of the Assassins Guild were dispatched by their leader Bella Donna to target Deadpool. They were all defeated by Deadpool.

Powers, abilities and equipment of Michael Van Patrick

In Avengers: The Initiative #2, Von Blitzschlag refers to MVP as an "Übermensch", a perfect human specimen, down to the cellular level. This perfection is displayed in his physical abilities. He reaches the highest possible standard for a human being without becoming an enhanced super-soldier. Yellowjacket (actually the Skrull agent Criti Noll), one of the chief administrators at Camp Hammond, ironically referred to MVP as "Captain America, Jr." in the first issue of Avengers: The Initiative. However, unlike Captain America's enhanced condition, MVP's abilities were revealed in the Avengers: The Initiative Annual to have come as a result of the "revolutionary" diet and an "ultimate" isometric exercise regime he completed, rather than Dr. Erskine's super-soldier serum.

The first clone has those same abilities, with the Scarlet Spiders additionally having the skills, reflexes/reactions and moves of Spider-Man programmed into them to the limit of regular human ability.

Michael, Van and Patrick's Scarlet Spider suits, a redesign of Tony Stark's Iron Spider armor (previously used by Spider-Man), are supported by systems similar to that of Stark's classic Iron Man design. In the Scarlet Spider's first appearance, Avengers: The Initiative #3, the suit features several devices, including four mechanical spider-arms or "waldoes" on each suit, one more than on the original, along with cloaking devices and a short-range GPS microwave communication system. In Avengers: The Initiative #7, the suits display mechanical web-shooters while retaining the ability to change appearance to other versions of the Spider-Man costume or street clothes. In New Warriors vol. 4 #15 (Oct. 2008), it was revealed the suits have had their StarkTech removed, which prevented the suits being affected when all StarkTech was made inoperable by Skrull invaders. However, this is seemingly retconned in a line spoken by one of the Spiders: "should be StarkTech like ours, but it's so alien", in Avengers: The Initiative #22, when the Spiders interface with other technology.

Attached to the "KIA" Michael Van Patrick is Armory's former weapon, known as the Tactigon, which was detached when she was expelled from the Initiative program. It is a multi-dimensional alien device that, once attached to a body, is able to shift into an infinite number of weapons and tools with a built-in safety designed to only enable the wearer to wield the specific weapons/tools needed to get the job at hand done.

Reception of Michael Van Patrick

The IGN reviewer considered MVP to be one of the "instantly likable characters" in the first issue, while a Comics Bulletin reviewer expanded on this by saying MVP especially "could help carry this title". However, MVP's death at the end of the issue was met with concern "while shocking, [MVP's death] undermines the advancement of the rest of the issue". Despite concerns that writer Dan Slott had cavalierly killed MVP, IGN reviewer stated that "having seen the emotional fallout of that incident, I can see why it was so important to do that. Clearly the death in the first issue added immeasurable weight to the situation". MVP also received criticism from TheGamer reviewer, Charlie Green, stating that MVP hurt the Marvel comics involving him, "This is essentially what would have happened if nothing particularly exciting happened to [Captain America]".

Vanguard

See also: Red Guardian

Vanguard (Nikolai Krylenko) is a mutant in the Marvel Universe. Created by Bill Mantlo and Carmine Infantino, the character first appeared in Iron Man #109 in April 1978. Within the context of the stories, Vanguard is one of the Soviet Super-Soldiers and the son of Sergei Krylov. He is trained as a soldier and comes into conflict with Iron Man, Jack of Hearts, and other Avengers. After dying and being resurrected by his father during the Dire Wraith invasion of Russia, Vanguard becomes the new Red Guardian and leads the Winter Guard. As the new Red Guardian, he battles Weapon X, King Hyperion, and the Intelligencia. He was later present when the Winter Guard was reunited.

Krylenko is the brother of Laynia Petrovna. He is a mutant, capable of generating a body-wide force field that repels electromagnetic and kinetic energy. He typically focuses this field through a medium, such as the vibranium shield supplied to him by Executive Security Committee or through a sickle and hammer that he usually carries. He also directs this force against the earth itself to obtain flight. Krylenko wears a more advanced suit than previous Red Guardians, which is lined with circuitry that works in conjunction with the compact computer on his shield, not only enabling the guided flight and return of what he's using to focus his mutant energy through their digital connection, but the amplification of the effects of his own energy field.

Vanisher

Main article: Vanisher

Vapor

Main article: U-Foes § Vapor

Vargas

Vargas is a supervillain in the Marvel Universe. The character, created by Chris Claremont and Salvador Larroca, first appeared in X-Treme X-Men #1 in 2001. Within the context of the stories, Vargas comes into conflict with the X-Men while searching for the diaries of Destiny and even managed to kill Psylocke. He's not a mutant, since he lacks the X-Gene in his DNA, but is not fully human either, much like Captain America is a relatively perfect human physical specimen. He is genetically perfect and claims to be "homo superior superior", humanity's "natural response" to the emergence of mutants, and possesses super-strength and speed in addition to highly advanced combat skills and an increased immune system that protected him from any disease or toxin and an elevated healing factor. After obtaining one volume of Destiny's journals he discovered that he would be killed by Rogue. Resolving to deny this destiny, Vargas faced her in Madripoor. Initially Vargas had the upper hand, but Rogue gradually absorbed his abilities each time he struck her until she was his equal, his superior considering her other powers. Poised to slay Vargas, she is seen preparing to stab him with his own sword when the video camera that was the sole witness to the event lost power at the critical moment, so the people that viewed the footage of the live invasion were under the belief that Rogue did in fact, kill him. However some time later its revealed that Rogue realizing that the diaries could trap you into doing what it stated, or into committing great atrocities to avoid the "prophecies", had in fact left Vargas alive to discredit the diaries, but since he had possessed one of Destiny's diaries and therefore had knowledge of future events, he was targeted by the Marauders, under Mr. Sinister's orders, and eliminated after being stabbed by one of Harpoon's eponymous weapons.

Varnae

Main article: Varnae

Varnae is a vampire in the Marvel Universe. The character, created by Steve Perry and Steve Bissette, first appeared in Bizarre Adventures #33 (December 1982). Within the context of the stories, Varnae is the first vampire and is the one who created Dracula. At various times in his life, he is an enemy of King Kull, Frank Drake, and John Blaze. He eventually tired of his eternal life and committed suicide by walking into sunlight and disintegrating into dust, but he was resurrected years later by the voodoo priestess Marie Laveau. He was then confronted by Doctor Strange. The Sorcerer Supreme and the Lord of the Vampires battled, Varnae changing shape and revealing he had formerly sought to be the Sorcerer Supreme before he turned into a vampire. Doctor Strange cast an "incantation of oblivion" on Varnae, making the undead mage relive his oblivion of 500 years. Embracing his existence as a vampire again, Varnae fled, claiming that he finally had a reason to live again: a worthy foe.

Varra

Main article: Varra (comics)

Varra is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by Al Ewing and Gerardo Sandoval, first appeared in New Avengers vol. 4 #4 (December 2015). She is a Skrull/Kree hybrid.

Vector

Main article: U-Foes § Vector

Veil

Veil, also known as Madeline Berry, was created by Christos Gage and Mike McKone. She first appeared in Avengers Academy #1 (August 2010). She has the ability to change into a gaseous form, which enables her to sneak around without being detected and renders her immune to most forms of attack.

Berry learns that her powers are causing her molecules to drift apart, so that she will eventually die or fade from existence, and decides to enjoy the limited time she has left, quitting the academy and joining Jeremy Briggs' corporation. She soon finds a cure, but it renders her powerless. She then returns to regular high school, using her training to defend herself from bullies.

Velocidad

Velocidad (Gabriel Cohuelo) is a mutant in the Marvel Universe. The character, created by Matt Fraction and Kieron Gillen, first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #527 in 2010.

Gabriel is a 16-year-old mutant from Mexico City. He is unable to control his mutant powers until assisted by Hope Summers. Gabriel follows Hope on her mission to find other young mutants, and they ally with Oya and Primal. He and his friends relocate to Utopia, where they are trained by more experienced X-Men. Gabriel and Hope begin a romantic relationship, but it ends when Hope discovers him kissing Pixie. Because Velocidad's powers work by accelerating him through time, the use of his powers causes rapid aging. A four-hour mission can last several days from his perspective, and he is capable of burning through several days of his life in a matter of minutes.

Other versions of Velocidad

Gabriel briefly appears during Age of X.

Vengeance

Main article: Vengeance (comics)

Lt. Michael Badilino

Main article: Vengeance (Michael Badilino)

Deputy Kowalski

Main article: Vengeance (Deputy Kowalski)

Robert "Bobby" M. Blackthorne

Main article: Vengeance (Bobby Blackthorne)

Venom

Main article: Venom (Marvel Comics character)

Eddie Brock

Main article: Eddie Brock

Mac Gargan

Main article: Mac Gargan

Lee Price

Main article: Lee Price (comics)

Venomm

Main article: Venomm

Venus

Main article: Venus (Marvel Comics)

Siren

Main article: Venus (Marvel Comics) § Venus

Aphrodite Pandemos

Main article: Venus (Marvel Comics) § Aphrodite

Vermin

Main article: Vermin (comics)

Octavia Vermis

Octavia Vermis is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Octavia Vermis is the daughter of Otto Vermis.

Otto Vermis

Count Otto Vermis is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. His only appearance (in main Marvel continuity) was in Marvel Spotlight #32 (February 1977), the book that featured the first appearance of Spider-Woman.

Otto Vermis was the leader of HYDRA's European branch and the father of Octavia Vermis. Vermis recruited Jessica Drew (whom by that time went by the name "Arachne") into HYDRA at a time when she was suffering from amnesia and had no clue about her own past. He then manipulated her into falling in love with fellow agent Jared and attempting to kill Nick Fury. Vermis promised to find out the truth about Arachne's past and did a sincere effort in that direction, although the findings were incomplete and misleading. Ultimately, he kept what little he knew hidden from Arachne until soon before his death.

Kristoff Vernard

Main article: Kristoff Vernard

Vertigo

Vertigo is the name of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Salem's Seven

Main article: Salem's Seven § Team members

Savage Land Mutate

Vertigo
Vertigo, art by Marc Silvestri.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Marvel Fanfare #1 (March 1982)
Created by	Chris Claremont (writer) Michael Golden (artist)
In-story information
Species	Savage Land Mutate
Team affiliations	Savage Land Mutates Marauders Femizons
Abilities	Ability to induce extreme disorientation, nausea and unconsciousness

Vertigo is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as a native of the Savage Land who obtained superhuman powers at a young age by genetic engineering. Her powers enable her to render a person severely dizzy and even unconscious. Vertigo first appeared in Marvel Fanfare #1 (March 1982), created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Michael Golden.

In her first appearance, she was depicted as a member of the Savage Land Mutates, empowered by Magneto, with whom she first battled the X-Men and Spider-Man. Later, although not a mutant, she joined the Marauders, a group of mutants working as assassins for the enigmatic geneticist known as Mister Sinister. Sinister wanted his assassins to destroy a large community of mutants, known as the Morlocks, who lived under New York City, as he had deemed them genetically useless. The Marauders did succeed in annihilating a large number of the underground mutants. While the Marauders were accomplishing this, they also clashed with the X-Men, X-Factor, Thor, and Power Pack. With the Marauders, she also attempted to kill Madelyne Pryor.

Sinister later sent Vertigo along with the other Marauders to fight the X-Men in New York City just before the extra-dimensional incursion known as the "Inferno". She was apparently killed in battle with the X-Men. Her alliance with Sinister was short-lived at that time, as she soon rejoined her Savage Land Mutate allies. Said allies join with the more peaceful of the Land's inhabitants to resist a territorial grab by humanoid saurians. Her powers are central in defeating the enemy army. Various X-Men broker a peace agreement leaving the Mutates to their own devices again. Vertigo and Sauron encountered the New Avengers in the Savage Land. Vertigo used her powers to render them all unconscious and they were all taken captive briefly, until S.H.I.E.L.D. comes to the rescue.

Vertigo is a member of Mister Sinister's Marauders as well as living in the Savage Land. As a Marauder, she has been killed and cloned various times. It is unclear whether the Vertigo that appears in the Savage Land is another clone or indeed the original Vertigo, though it appears that the original Vertigo never left the Savage Land and does not have any ties with the Marauders. Vertigo later reappears as a member of the reformed Marauders.

During Messiah Complex, she aids the Marauders in search of the new mutant baby. During the Marauders' and the Acolytes' first battle with the X-Men in Alaska, she and Scrambler are taken out by Storm. After coming into a confrontation with Bishop and finally getting her hands on the baby, she joins the others in the final fight between the X-Men and X-Factor and the Marauders and the Acolytes, only to be killed and eaten by Predator X, who was teleported in by the mutant Pixie. A Vertigo clone appears in X-Force #9.

Vertigo is an artificially enhanced mutate possessing the ability to project waves of psionic energy into her environment which affect the nervous systems of other living beings, distorting their physical perceptions and sense of balance. This power induces effects ranging from mild disorientation and vertigo to unconsciousness. Vertigo can focus her power on one or more individuals, or project it outward from herself in all directions, affecting everyone within her range of influence. Vertigo is not immune to her own powers, as she was thrown off balance when Thor reflected her psychic waves back at her with Mjolnir.

Vertigo in other media

• The Savage Land Mutates incarnation of Vertigo appears in X-Men: The Animated Series, voiced by Megan Smith. This version is a follower of Mister Sinister, who genetically modified her with Magneto's DNA to strengthen her powers in the two-part episode "Reunion". In the four-part episode "Beyond Good and Evil", she joins Sinister's Nasty Boys.
• The Salem's Seven incarnation of Vertigo appears in The Avengers: United They Stand episode "The Sorceress's Apprentice".
• The Savage Land Mutates incarnation of Vertigo appears in Wolverine and the X-Men, voiced by Vanessa Marshall. This version is a member of Mister Sinister's Marauders.
• The Savage Land Mutates incarnation of Vertigo appears as a boss in Deadpool. This version is a member of Mister Sinister's Marauders, who encounter the eponymous character after they unknowingly cost him a bounty. While seeking revenge on them, Deadpool fights and kills Vertigo in addition to several clones of her.

Vessel

Main article: Vessel (comics)

Vibraxas

Main article: Vibraxas

Vibro

Main article: Vibro (comics)

Vibro, also known as Alton Vibereaux, was created by Denny O'Neil and Luke McDonnell and first appeared in Iron Man #186 (September 1984). Working as a seismologist and engineer, he fell into the San Andreas Fault during the testing of an experimental nuclear-powered apparatus, giving him superpowers and leaving him mentally unstable. He battles James Rhodes as Iron Man. He is later sent to the Vault, a prison for superpowered individuals. Alongside the Griffin, he attempts to escape, encountering the Falcon and Nomad.

Victorious

Victorious is the name of different characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Victor Mancha

Main article: Victor Mancha

Zora Vukovic

Zora Vukovic was the daughter of two Symkarian spies who had infiltrated their neighboring country, Latveria. Not knowing her Symkarian origin, Zora grew up as a Latverian with genuine love for the country. She eventually became the leader of a rebel force opposing Latveria's tyrant president for life. She infiltrated Castle Doom to confirm the rumors of Doctor Doom's return and to seek his help. Zora's words swayed Doom from exile, and inspired him to reclaim Latveria's throne. In return for her actions, Doom bestowed Zora with a portion of the Power Cosmic so that she could become Latveria's new champion, a symbol of inspiration named Victorious.

Ever since Doctor Doom had become Sorcerer Supreme at the end of the "Blood Hunt" storyline and used a barrier to seal of Latveria from the rest of the world, Victorious has been trying to get back into Latveria wanting to have words with him as her attacks are affecting the bordering countries. While Captain American and Shang-Chi go after the Serpent Society, the Avengers Emergency Response Squad members Hercules, Living Lightning, Photon, She-Hulk, and Wonder Man deal with Victorious. After Wonder Man broke Victorious' staff, She-Hulk persuades her not become like Doom and starts by removing the mask that Doctor Doom gave her. Then Victorious undoes the damage that she caused and left.

Victorius

Victorius
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Astonishing Tales #18 (June 1973)
Created by	Mike Friedrich and Dan Adkins
In-story information
Alter ego	Victor Conrad
Team affiliations	A.I.M. Cult of Entropy
Notable aliases	Scientist Supreme
Abilities	Peak physical condition, assorted combat training

Victorius (Victor Conrad) is a character appearing in American comic books related to Marvel Comics. The character, created by Mike Friedrich and Dan Atkins, first appeared in Astonishing Tales #18 (June 1973). He succeeded in duplicating the Super-Soldier Serum for himself and was a physically perfect human being. He first takes over as the A.I.M.'s Scientist Supreme, but he's defeated by Ka-Zar and Bobbi Morse. Victorius later makes himself the death-worshiping Cult of Entropy's leader who stole the Cosmic Cube to use to create Jude the Entropic Man as a means of spreading destruction. Victorius was defeated by Captain America and the Thing before he and his rebellious creation were transformed into a radiant crystal by the Man-Thing.

Victorius in other media

Victor Conrad appears in the Avengers Assemble episode "Adapting to Change", voiced by Jim Meskimen. This version is A.I.M.'s Scientist Supreme. Conrad uses the Super-Adaptoids to fight the Avengers before merging with the former to become the Supreme Adaptoid, only to be defeated by the heroes and assimilated by Ultron.

Vidar

Main article: Vidar (Marvel Comics)

Vindicator

Main article: Vindicator (comics)

Viper

Viper is the name of four supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version Jordan Stryke first appeared in Captain America #157 (January 1973), created by Steve Englehart, Steve Gerber, Sal Buscema and John Verpoorten. Ophelia Sarkissian is the second version, and a third version appears in recent years.

Jordan Stryke

Viper
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Captain America vol. 1 #157 (January 1973)
Created by	Steve Englehart Steve Gerber Sal Buscema John Verpoorten
In-story information
Alter ego	Jordan Stryke
Team affiliations	Serpent Squad Secret Empire
Notable aliases	Jordan Dixon
Abilities	Skilled advertiser, chemist and debater Venom-tipped claws and darts

Jordan Stryke (a.k.a. Jordan Dixon) is the first version of Viper. He was the brother of Leopold Stryke, also known as the costumed criminal Eel. They each formed costumed identities without the other realizing this fact. Viper concealed this fact by using the alias of "Dixon" as his everyday last name. Together they joined the Crime Wave of the Cowled Commander, and the Viper battled the Falcon and Captain America. During the course of the fight, Viper managed to poison his opponents with darts and escaped. Later, the Falcon discovered the Viper in his home after tracking his alias (through an offhand comment made by the Viper indicating that he was involved in advertising) and captured him. Escaping in an ensuing battle with Plantman and the rest of the Crime Wave, Viper's identity was discovered by his brother Eel. Soon after, the Crime Wave was defeated by Captain America and the Falcon, and they were sent to prison.

Later escaping prison with his brother and the help of the Cobra, the trio formed the original Serpent Squad and attacked Captain America at his girlfriend's home in Virginia. Despite new weapons added to his arsenal, including the Venom-Firer and prosthetic fangs, the Viper and his partners were returned to jail. While in custody, he was being taken to appear before a grand jury by U.S. Marshals. The van he was transported in was attacked by Madame Hydra, and his guards were killed. Believing himself rescued by his Serpent Squad, Viper rushed out of the van, only to be told by Madame Hydra that she wanted a new name – his name. Despite offering to change his moniker, the Viper was gunned down and killed, and Madame Hydra assumed the name and leadership of the Serpent Squad. Later, his soul fragment was discovered by Hell's Angel and the X-Men in Mephisto’s realm and, with Jordan Stryke's usual luck, even this was destroyed.

As part of the "All-New, All-Different Marvel", Viper somehow turned up alive and has assembled the other snake-themed villains to join the Serpent Society under its new name of Serpent Solutions. Viper appears in the 2017 "Secret Empire" storyline where he and the rest of the Serpent Society are among the villains recruited by Baron Helmut Zemo to join the Army of Evil. During the "Hunted" storyline, Viper and his fellow Serpent Society members were captured by Taskmaster and Black Ant for Kraven the Hunter's "Great Hunt" sponsored by Arcade's company Arcade Industries.

When Black Mamba, Puff Adder, Sidewinder, and the Serpent Society's new member Tiger Snake return with a specific cask to their underground stronghold beneath Pawling, New York, Viper is told by Puff Adder that Tiger Snake took down the guards and doesn't know where Viper found him. Viper tells Puff Adder that he is now going by the name Pit Viper when asked where he found Tiger Snake. As Puff Adder mixes the aged whale oil with the Serpent's Tears, Viper states that it will please their backer. While noting that Set is not the only serpent, he mentions that the red serpent is Mephisto as he is the one who cried the Serpent's Tears.

Ophelia Sarkissian

Main article: Viper (Madame Hydra)

Viper (Serpent Squad)

A third version of Viper appeared along with Sin's new Serpent Squad in the pages of Captain America. His true identity has yet to be revealed. He breaks Crossbones out of jail and later attacked the White House, but he was stopped by Captain America. Following that, he and the rest of the Squad took part in a plot to use madbombs to cause rioting in New York City. After being captured, Viper asked to go into the Witness Protection Program in exchange for information. He had only been in the program for less than a month when he was targeted by the villain killer Scourge and killed after being shot twice in the head.

Hobgoblin's Viper

Roderick Kingsley sold one of Ophelia Sarkissian's Viper outfits to an unnamed criminal to be a version of Viper.

Virgo

Main article: Virgo (comics)

Vishanti

Main article: Vishanti

Visimajoris

Visimajoris is a demon who has clashed with Doctor Strange.

Vision

Vision is the name of three fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Aarkus

Main article: Vision (Timely Comics)

Victor Shade

Main articles: Vision (Marvel Comics) and Vision (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Jonas

Main article: Vision (Jonas)

Viv Vision

Further reading Viv Vision at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original) Viv Vision at the Grand Comics Database

Vivian "Viv" Vision is an android in Marvel Comics. She was created by Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walta and first appeared in Vision (vol. 3) #1 (January 2016).

Viv, along with her brother Vin, was created by Vision, using a combination of his and his wife Virginia's brainwaves, as part of an attempt to create a family. The siblings are sent to Alexander Hamilton High School, but assigned different schedules. Both children are attacked by Eric Williams (Grim Reaper), with Viv more seriously damaged than her brother. Vision repairs her with the help of Tony Stark.

When Viv learns that her mother killed a classmate she befriended, she becomes distraught and begins to resent her mother. When both her brother and mother die, she and Vision try to carry on with their family life.

She joins the teen superhero team the Champions, alongside Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan), Spider-Man (Miles Morales), Nova (Sam Alexander), Hulk (Amadeus Cho), and later Teen Cyclops.

During the story arc Worlds Collide, Viv is captured by the High Evolutionary, who evolves her into a human. She later apparently sacrifices herself to save Earth and counter-Earth, but is actually transported into another dimension. Believing Viv to be dead, Vision constructs a second Viv, dubbed Viv 2.0. The original Viv manages to return to reality, but not before the second Viv is activated. Later, Viv 2.0 attempts to kill the original but is damaged and becomes brain-dead. The original Viv transplants her consciousness to the other Viv's body, effectively restoring the character to her android state.

In time, she develops romantic feelings for her teammate Ironheart, surprising her with a kiss. Riri reacts with revulsion due to internalised homophobia, but after a later incident with Blackheart, who exploited several of the Champions' (including Riri's) own self-doubts and turned them against their teammates, it is Viv's affection (and a returned Viv 2.0, alive inside Viv) which snaps Riri out of his control and finally acknowledge her friend's feelings.

Viv possesses the same powers as her father, including super strength, intangibility and flight. She also possesses a jewel on her forehead that absorbs solar energy. When she was a human she had no special abilities.

Viv Vision in other media

• Viv Vision appears as a playable character in Marvel Avengers Academy.
• Viv Vision appears as a playable character in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2, as part of the Champions DLC.

Amelia Voght

Main article: Amelia Voght

Voice

Main article: Voice (comics)

Philip Nolan Voigt

Main article: DP 7

Volcana

Main article: Volcana (Marvel Comics)

Volla

Main article: Volla (comics)

Volstagg

Main article: Volstagg

Lucia von Bardas

First appearance	Secret War #1 (April 2004)
Created by	Brian Michael Bendis and Gabriele Dell'Otto
Species	Human Cyborg
Further reading Lucia von Bardas at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original) Lucia von Bardas at the Grand Comics Database

Lucia von Bardas is a fictional supervillain who first appeared in the 2004 storyline Secret War. She was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Gabriele Dell'Otto.

The character is a Latverian woman who used to teach at the University of North Carolina in the United States. After Victor von Doom was deposed as the leader of Latveria, the Americans help von Bardas get elected as the country's new prime minister. She then begins publicly mending the ties between the two countries. In truth, she is secretly funding American technology-based supercriminals through the Tinkerer. The United Nations espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. uncovered this, but the President of the United States declines to take action, believing that relationship is relatively good and that they can simply negotiate. S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury subsequently gathered a group of superheroes consisting of the Black Widow, Captain America, Daredevil, Luke Cage, Spider-Man, and Wolverine, as well as superpowered S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Daisy Johnson, for an undercover mission to overthrow the Latverian government and assassinate von Bardas. In Latveria, Johnson used her seismic powers to take down Castle Doom, apparently killing the prime minister.

Von Bardas survives to become a deformed cyborg. A year later she attacks Cage, leaving him in a coma, and is eventually defeated once more by Johnson.

She has recently resurfaced, having regained a far less deformed-looking body, working with the Red Ghost on a plan to use KGB super-spies placed in suspended animation to frame Doctor Doom for starting a nuclear war. She later returns to Latveria to rule it and help rebuild it.

Von Bardas is a cyborg whose abilities include flight and generation of a force field. Prior to this, she was a skilled diplomat. While at first her cybernetic implants were mostly external, currently she sports a more organic look with only a cybernetic eye exposed.

Lucia von Bardas in other media

• Lucia von Bardas appears in Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes, voiced by Venus Terzo.
• Lucia von Bardas appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, voiced by Kristen Potter. In the two-part pilot episode "Breakout", she represents Doctor Doom in a meeting with A.I.M. to purchase stolen Stark Industries technology before Iron Man intervenes and defeats the latter while von Bardas escapes. In "The Private War of Doctor Doom", she is killed by Black Panther.
• Lucia von Bardas appears in the fourth season of Arrested Development as part of a Fantastic Four-inspired play, played in-universe by Lucille Bluth (portrayed by Jessica Walter).
• Lucia von Bardas appears in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, voiced by Lani Minella.

Baron Von Blitzschlag

Main article: Baron Von Blitzschlag

Cynthia Von Doom

Cynthia von Doom
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Astonishing Tales #8 (1972)
Created by	Gerry Conway Gene Colan Tom Palmer
In-story information
Species	Human
Abilities	Magic

Cynthia von Doom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is the mother of Doctor Doom and has magic-based abilities. Her powers and knowledge of spells have allowed her to contact demons and make deals with them for power. Cynthia von Doom first appeared in Astonishing Tales #8 and was created by Gerry Conway, Gene Colan, and Tom Palmer.

Cynthia von Doom in other media

Cynthia von Doom appears in The Super Hero Squad Show, voiced by Charlie Adler. This version wears a feminine version of Doctor Doom's armor, possesses nagging-based powers instead of magic, was imprisoned in Chthon's dimension, is friends with Galactus' mother and Morgan le Fay, and goes on to change her name to Coco von Doom, seeing her original name as "drab". Introduced in the episode "Mother of Doom!", Doom conquers Chthon's dimension to free Coco, who assists him and his Lethal Legion in fighting the Super Hero Squad until she is eventually re-imprisoned in Chthon's dimension. As of "Pedicure and Facial of Doom!", she escaped, brainwashed Chthon, and converted Castle Doom into a beauty salon, though she is defeated by the Super Hero Squad once more and arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D.

Friedrich Von Roehm

Main article: Friedrich Von Roehm

Andrea and Andreas von Strucker

Main article: Fenris (comics)

Werner von Strucker

Main article: Werner von Strucker

Baron Wolfgang von Strucker

Main article: Baron Strucker

Voyager

Main article: Voyager (comics)

Vulcan

Main article: Vulcan (Marvel Comics)

Vulture

Main article: Vulture (Marvel Comics)