During his superhero career, Spider-Man has seen many dangerous and deadly opponents. Some of them were crazy scientists with a high-tech arsenal of weapons, others were genetically modified people with improved strength, agility and stamina. Against the background of this circus of freaks, Chameleon is especially distinguished - the master of reincarnation, whose main weapon is his amazing acting talent. It is about this underestimated villain that will be discussed in this article.
Who is a chameleon?
The Chameleon is the fictional villain of the Marvel universe and the very first enemy in Spider-Man comics. Throughout its long history, this antagonist managed to achieve considerable success in the criminal world: he managed to visit both the Soviet spy, and the mercenary, and even a member of the Sinister Six team, which includes other Marvel supervillains.
The character was coined by screenwriter Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and his villainous debut took place in the very first issue of the 1962 The Amazing Spider-Man # 1 solo comic book series.
Childhood and youth
Like all the famous villains of the Marvel world, the Chameleon stood on a slippery path far from an easy life. From birth, this character was doomed to excruciating suffering and difficult trials. His real name is Dmitry Smerdyakov. He was born Sonya Smerdyakova - the Russian servant of the wealthy Kravinov, from whom she became pregnant.
Young years Dmitry spent in an atmosphere of hatred and disrespect. His father despised him for his ugly appearance, and his mother humiliated him in every way and did not show warm feelings. Even ordinary people scoffed at him, because the child was born illegally. The only person who treated Smerdyakov more gently and loyally was his half-brother Sergei Kravinov. Subsequently, he will become Craven the hunter, another supervillain of the Marvel company (comic book).
Chameleon as a child tried his best to impress his brother, so he began to copy the behavior and habits of his neighbors. His psyche was so damaged that the boy even began to believe in the friendship between him and Craven. Children's injuries and complexes eventually resulted in serious mental disorders, because of which Dmitry became the supervillain Marvel.
A chameleon without a mask is a rather rare phenomenon, because due to bullying of his father in the past, he tries not to show his true appearance.
The beginning of criminal activity
The acting abilities of Smerdyakov could not go unnoticed for a long time. Seeing the great potential in Chameleon, the Soviet government recruited him and trained him in espionage. With the help of special cosmetics, costumes and, most importantly, theatrical talent, Dmitry could become anyone. The quality of his transformations was so high that even close people could not notice the substitution.
Smerdyakov’s first serious mission was to steal the blueprints of the American missile defense system. It was during this mission that he first met Spider-Man. If it weren’t for the actions of the brave hero of the Marvel universe, the Chameleon would probably have realized his cunning plan. Since then, their enmity began, which continues to this day. He and other Marvel supervillains repeatedly united to once and for all destroy everyone’s beloved stenolaz.
Forces and abilities
Initially, Dmitry Smerdyakov did not have any superpowers. At the beginning of his criminal activity, he used only high-quality makeup and costumes, but this was enough to transform into any character in the world of Marvel. A chameleon could copy a person’s appearance, voice and habits in a matter of seconds without causing suspicion to others.
After some time, the mad scientist Spencer Smythe gave Dmitry a unique holographic belt, thanks to which he could copy and take the appearance of absolutely any person. A special suit came with him, capable of copying the appearance of other people's clothes through the electrical impulses of the belt.
Later, experiments were conducted on the Chameleon that genetically changed his body. From that moment on, his skin gained the ability to imitate the appearance of other people without any third-party devices. His suit could also take on the appearance of any garment with the power of thought alone.
All of the above skills are not the only advantages of the Chameleon. In addition to them, the master of reincarnation boasts good knowledge of espionage, the ability to create explosives and a high level of possession of firearms. Even without his acting skills and outside help from the Marvel villains, Chameleon remains a dangerous adversary.