King Snake
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King Snake (Sir Edmund Dorrance) is a character appearing in media published by DC Comics, usually as an adversary of Robin (Tim Drake) and Batman. Created by writer Chuck Dixon and artist Tom Lyle, King Snake first appeared in Robin #2 (1991).<ref name="Guide">Template:Cite book</ref> He is a master martial artist and the father of the villain Bane.
Fictional character biography
Edmund Dorrance is a member of the Royal Artillery who works as a mercenary, assisting anti-communism operations. While in Santa Prisca, Dorrance is attacked and blinded by gunfire. He flees the country, leaving behind a fellow rebel with whom he had had a one-night stand and subsequently impregnated. The woman and her son are imprisoned for Edmund's crimes, with the child growing up in prison to become Bane.
After escaping from Santa Prisca, Dorrance moves to Hong Kong and establishes himself as a drug dealer known as King Snake, masquerading as a legitimate businessman. Lady Shiva pursues King Snake, wishing to face him in battle due to his martial arts prowess. Shiva and Robin attack King Snake, who breaks his back after falling off a building.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Robin #5 (May 1991)</ref>
King Snake later recovers and has his spine reinforced with steel. He joins the terrorist cult Kobra and attempts to become its leader, known as Lord Naja-Naja. King Snake has his eyes healed using a Lazarus Pit, but is blinded again by Robin.
After learning that King Snake is his father, Bane tracks him down and battles him. Bane attempts to kill King Snake several times, but refrains from doing so. In the resulting struggle, King Snake falls down a deep crevice towards his death.<ref>Batman: Gotham Knights #49 (March 2004)</ref>
During the 2009 storyline "Blackest Night", King Snake is temporarily resurrected by a black power ring and becomes a Black Lantern.<ref name="bn12">Blackest Night: Batman #1 (October 2009)</ref> He is permanently resurrected following The New 52 and DC Rebirth relaunches, which rebooted the continuity of the DC universe.<ref>Batman (vol. 3) #14 (March 2017)</ref>
Powers and abilities
King Snake has no superhuman powers. However, he is a master of several of the world's most deadly martial arts. After being blinded during an operation in Santa Prisca, he hones his other senses to compensate.
In other media
- King Snake appears in Batman: Soul of the Dragon, voiced by Patrick Seitz.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="btva">Template:Cite web A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref>
- King Snake appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>