The Amazing Spider-Man Rhys Ifans Cast as The Lizard

[The Lizard]

. I cannot wait to see how they pull off the fight scenes.

Me too. I'm hoping that the Lizard is still portrayed as being super-fast and agile like Spidey, despite how big he might be in the movie. That's what made Lizard so great back in the early days of Spidey comics. He was the first enemy of Spidey's who could match Spidey's speed, strength and agility.

We've already seen a big green, musclebound monster tear things up in the Hulk movies. Lizard needs to be more than just that. I want to see fight scenes where Spidey and Lizard are leaping and twisting all over the rooftops of New York as they fight.

 

[Superwoman Prime]

You know, it would be fun if they would do something like this. Especially now that this new Peter uses a skateboard.

http://youtu.be/id9LwQuODRg?t=2m34s

He might need an ibuprofen after getting slapped with that tail.

 

[DACrowe]

You know, it's kind of funny we've both been here about as long Lizzy and we've never actually talked about our love for this character. Which are your favorite Lizard stories? There are quite a few good ones.

 

[Nathan]

What has Lizard actually done in the comics so far? I mean, did he kill a lot? Is there a lot of messed up stuff?

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

Then give him the coat and some pants--or at least a coat. I always hated Lizard designs without clothes. Like The Wolf Man, there is something preferable about him having those traces of humanity on him.

I second this.

 

[Michael Frost]

What has Lizard actually done in the comics so far? I mean, did he kill a lot? Is there a lot of messed up stuff?

He ate his own son.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

^^ This is true.

 

[Nathan]

What? o_o

 

[socool]

He ate his own son.

Yup...it was quite dark, too. I'm surprised they decided to do that.

BUT I LOVED IT!

 

[socool]

What? o_o

During Shed/The Gauntlet, Billy confront Connors in full transformation and despite attempts from Connors, Billy is devoured.

 

[Nathan]

Did he decide to commit suicide after that or is the Doc still around?

 

[socool]

Did he decide to commit suicide after that or is the Doc still around?

I didn't read the rest of Shed but I believe he is still alive...

 

[DACrowe]

What has Lizard actually done in the comics so far? I mean, did he kill a lot? Is there a lot of messed up stuff?

In the comics he's just been a great character visually who has a tragic backstory that makes him almost a Greek monster. He lost his arm in a war (originally Korea, but that changes vaguely now). He has a wife and son who he feels incomplete and impotent around. So, he genetically splices Lizard DNA into his own blood and turns into a Lizard. Though Spidey cures him when the situation arrives, he can revert at any time. He has the pathos of Lon Chaney's Wolf Man. Story wise?

At first he was in line with the campier inclinations of 1960s villains and wanted to have reptiles kill all humans (gators, snakes, etc.) and in later appearances, when he moved to NYC, he tried to turn all humans into him. However, he got revamped in the '80s and '90s into a more monstrous entity who stalks people from the sewers devouring them. What makes it worse is he knows who he is and wants to attack his family. Peter doesn't want to hurt him because Connors is his friend. Memorably, it got so bad that his problems became public and his family went into witness protection. His own son tried to murder him while he tried to cure himself. There was also a great story where he contaminated the water supply of Miami and was slowly turning the people into monsters (if not lizard-people), including Spidey himself, because like Jekyll/Hyde he could revert back and forth.

But he has never killed any of Peter's loved ones, if you're asking.

He ate his own son.

WHAT?!?! When was this? I quit reading Spidey comics regularly six years ago or so and stopped all together after OMD four years ago. Did they really do that? Looks like Peter isn't the only character Marvel has ruined as of late.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

In the comics he's just been a great character visually who has a tragic backstory that makes him almost a Greek monster. He lost his arm in a war (originally Korea, but that changes vaguely now). He has a wife and son who he feels incomplete and impotent around. So, he genetically splices Lizard DNA into his own blood and turns into a Lizard. Though Spidey cures him when the situation arrives, he can revert at any time. He has the pathos of Lon Chaney's Wolf Man. Story wise?

At first he was in line with the campier inclinations of 1960s villains and wanted to have reptiles kill all humans (gators, snakes, etc.) and in later appearances, when he moved to NYC, he tried to turn all humans into him. However, he got revamped in the '80s and '90s into a more monstrous entity who stalks people from the sewers devouring them. What makes it worse is he knows who he is and wants to attack his family. Peter doesn't want to hurt him because Connors is his friend. Memorably, it got so bad that his problems became public and his family went into witness protection. His own son tried to murder him while he tried to cure himself. There was also a great story where he contaminated the water supply of Miami and was slowly turning the people into monsters (if not lizard-people), including Spidey himself, because like Jekyll/Hyde he could revert back and forth.

But he has never killed any of Peter's loved ones, if you're asking.

Well said, man. One of the things I've laways loved about Curt OCnnors (other than the Lizard) is how he was always a source of help when Spider-Man was in great need of it. Spidey grows 4 extra arms i nthe comics, so He whent to Dr. Connors for help. Of course, Connors turns into the Lizard and fights Morbius while Morbius tries to get at SPider-Man.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

WHAT?!?! When was this? I quit reading Spidey comics regularly six years ago or so and stopped all together after OMD four years ago. Did they really do that? Looks like Peter isn't the only character Marvel has ruined as of late.

During the SHED storyline.

 

[The Lizard]

You know, it's kind of funny we've both been here about as long Lizzy and we've never actually talked about our love for this character. Which are your favorite Lizard stories? There are quite a few good ones.

Indeed!

Probably my favorite of the classic stories is ASM # 44-45. It was only the Lizard's second appearance, but it has so much memorable stuff in it. Lizard letting himself be seen from a distance in the dark climbing a wall to fake a break-in and frame Spidey. Lizard knocks Spidey off a wall and Spidey sprains his arm badly, requiring a trip to the doctor and a sling. Lizard controls reptiles from a zoo train car to attack Spidey. And of course, Spidey's clever use of a refrigerated train car to slow Lizzy down and render him helpless. Not to mention all the great Pete/Gwen/MJ interaction that happens in those issues, and the great Romita art too.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

Indeed!

Probably my favorite of the classic stories is ASM # 44-45. It was only the Lizard's second appearance, but it has so much memorable stuff in it. Lizard letting himself be seen from a distance in the dark climbing a wall to fake a break-in and frame Spidey. Lizard knocks Spidey off a wall and Spidey sprains his arm badly, requiring a trip to the doctor and a sling. Lizard controls reptiles from a zoo train car to attack Spidey. And of course, Spidey's clever use of a refrigerated train car to slow Lizzy down and render him helpless. Not to mention all the great Pete/Gwen/MJ interaction that happens in those issues, and the great Romita art too.

These are 2 of my favorites as well! At the beginning of issue 44, Connors is waiting for Martha and Billy at the tain station, and suddenly, he's basically feeling the Lizard starting to take over. Definitely one of the best Lizard stories out there, IMO.

 

[DACrowe]

What has Lizard actually done in the comics so far? I mean, did he kill a lot? Is there a lot of messed up stuff?

Indeed!

Probably my favorite of the classic stories is ASM # 44-45. It was only the Lizard's second appearance, but it has so much memorable stuff in it. Lizard letting himself be seen from a distance in the dark climbing a wall to fake a break-in and frame Spidey. Lizard knocks Spidey off a wall and Spidey sprains his arm badly, requiring a trip to the doctor and a sling. Lizard controls reptiles from a zoo train car to attack Spidey. And of course, Spidey's clever use of a refrigerated train car to slow Lizzy down and render him helpless. Not to mention all the great Pete/Gwen/MJ interaction that happens in those issues, and the great Romita art too.

Aye, that too is my favorite Spidey just because of how badly Spidey gets hurt. With a sprained arm he cannot go out in public as Peter Parker and has to outwit this giant monster chasing him down a train because he's handicapped. Plus it had a great transformation at the subway. And, as you mentioned, it was the first time MJ and Gwen met (as well as Flash and Harry meeting MJ) which created an opportunity for Lee to showcase his humor and Romita his art.

Anyway, here the ones that I really remember as being great:

It seems if all they can do by bringing him back now is ruin Connors's character more (I recall Jenkins killing off Martha from cancer and making Dr. Connors evil in the last story I read with him and now apparently Billy Connors is Lizzy chow), it should have stopped with the last one I posted.

 

[The Lizard]

WHAT?!?! When was this? I quit reading Spidey comics regularly six years ago or so and stopped all together after OMD four years ago. Did they really do that? Looks like Peter isn't the only character Marvel has ruined as of late.

Yes, there was a lot of questionable stuff that went down in that "Shed" storyline last year. Yet another example of a writer wanting to leave his permanent mark on a classic character, IMO.
Connors is experiencing Lizard-urges like wanting to protect his territory and wanting to mate with his cute lab assistant. When a corporate *****ebag swoops in and threatens to shut down Connors project while also banging Connors' assistant, Curt goes all scaly and wrecks havoc.
One of the first controversies in the story is the implication that the Lizard wanted to mate with the female assistant, and after the Lizard has killed the executive suit guy, there is a vague suggestion that the girl was raped by the Lizard, although it wasn't clearly stated.
Then, the Lizard is manipulated into a fury by Kraven's daughter (or some young member of the Kraven family), who has kidnapped Billy and then places Billy right in the Lizard's path, so Lizard kills Billy (and apparently partially eats him, although that wasn't made totally clear either).

So now the much more spiky-headed, iguana-looking Lizard lives in the sewers and has a following of mind-controlled humans who respond to Lizard's control of the primitive parts of their brains.
Lizzy was captured by the Dark Beast and tangled with the X-Men and Spidey again recently as a follow-up to "Shed" in the X-Men comic, but as of lately, he's still loose in the sewers with next to none of the Connors personality or intellect left.

Not the best thing to happen to the character as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Nathan]

Well, that all sounded pretty sucky. =/

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

Aye, that too is my favorite Spidey just because of how badly Spidey gets hurt. With a sprained arm he cannot go out in public as Peter Parker and has to outwit this giant monster chasing him down a train because he's handicapped. Plus it had a great transformation at the subway. And, as you mentioned, it was the first time MJ and Gwen met (as well as Flash and Harry meeting MJ) which created an opportunity for Lee to showcase his humor and Romita his art.

Anyway, here the ones that I really remember as being great:

It seems if all they can do by bringing him back now is ruin Connors's character more (I recall Jenkins killing off Martha from cancer and making Dr. Connors evil in the last story I read with him and now apparently Billy Connors is Lizzy chow), it should have stopped with the last one I posted.

I LOVE those issues! Speaking of issue 6, I was at a yard sale in July of 2010. And some...somewhat elderly man was selling a TON of comics. So, I whent back to my house, picked up some cash, and came back with it. Turns out, he sold ASM issue 6 for $5.00. I've been meaning to add that to my comics collection for eyars. I've got hundreds and hnundreds of issues, and I've yet to get this one. I still regret leaving that day even though I picked up a few Spider-Man 2099 books that I hadn't had in my collection.

 

[the amazing fro]

What I'm wondering about is how intelligent the Lizard will seem. Will he be able to hold a conversation and will he have a "plan" so to speak. Or will he be just a mindless drone? IMO I think a happy medium between them both is needed. A talking Lizard that wants to take over the world is extremely hokey but you don't want him turning into just another monster.

 

[Nathan]

I think the more Lizard he becomes, the less he will be able to speak. Maybe he'll occasionally blurt out a line like Hulk does in the Movies. I would be fine with that.

 

[The Lizard]

Well, that all sounded pretty sucky. =/

Seriously.

It was bad enough when Martha Connors randomly died of cancer in a crappy computer-graphics Spidey limited comic series titled "Quality of Life" back in 2002. The character had been around since 1963, and then she just dies in an obscure experimental Spidey comic that not many people even heard of, much less read.

Then suddenly Curt Connors apparently knows Peter's secret identity for no reason during the Jenkins run on Spectacular Spider-Man in 2003. That apparently got reversed by the "Brand New Day" ridiculousness, but whatever.

Then the Lizard gets his ass handed to him in a battle with the Black Cat, of all people, in a storyline by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (who admits to Black Cat being his favorite Spidey character) in Sensational SM from 2006-07. Billy also gets injected with the Lizard formula here, although we never hear anything more about that after this storyline ends.

Then this "Shed" storyline takes the last meaningful thing in Curt Connors life, Billy, away from him and makes the Lizard just another ruthless, killing monster.

The 21st century has not been very kind to the comic version Lizard overall. Maybe the movie will change that.

 

[Nathan]

So basically they didn't know where to go with the character anymore. What a shame.