Serpent

To tell you about Serpent I have to first tell you a little about the organization she leads. This may run a little long so bear with me.

The Cult of Predators was a fraternal organization that arose from obscure origins in the 17th century, dedicated to hunting and exploration. By the eighteenth century it had evolved into a gentlemen's club in the West End of London, its members comprised primarily of upper class Englishmen.

While the word cult may have ominous connotations the group was, for the most part, altruistic in it goals. During times of war and strife the group would appoint a “Leopold” or a protector of the people. This individual would undergo rigorous training and usually wore a costume with the symbol of a black lion on the chest and a mask to conceal the wearer’s identity.

During World War II Emmitt Mazzucchelli became the heroic Leopold. The son of both an Italian nobleman and an English aristocrat Emmitt was an unusual choice. More liberal minded that his fellow cult members he chose to train as his successor a girl rather than a boy. She was his “sidekick” during the war and went by the title Scout.

Little is known about Scout’s early life other that she grew up wild on the streets of London. Emmitt could never fully cleanse his pupil of her malicious side. As she grew older they grew distant. Eventually she betrayed him and took control of the Cult of Predators and twisted the organization in to a league of assassins.

At some point she changed her name to Serpent and gained a “mystical” tattoo of a snake on her chest. This mysterious totem slowed her aging process and gave her superhuman endurance and agility as well as the ability to control weak minds with her hypnotic gaze.