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Asp

Asp

54 appearances Β· Bronze Age Β· 1985–2025 Β· 5 key issues
Who is Asp?

Cleopatra 'Cleo' Nefertiti is a mutant who can generate and project bioelectric 'venom bolts' from her hands, capable of paralyzing or killing targets. She became one of the founding members of the Serpent Society, a professional mercenary guild of snake-themed villains.

Few characters can claim a Bronze Age debut with staying power that stretches across four full decades, but Asp has done exactly that β€” arriving in 1985 courtesy of a creative team that included Kurt Busiek and Jim Shooter, and never really leaving. This Marvel villain has carved out a genuinely distinctive niche, racking up 54 catalog appearances and five key-issue moments worth hunting down, with her most prominent stomping grounds being the pages of Captain America, Cable / Deadpool, and Alpha Flight. She keeps remarkably compelling company β€” sharing adventures with Captain America, Diamondback, Black Mamba, and Tanya Sealy among others β€” which speaks to how naturally she fits into Marvel's action-packed ensemble storytelling. For collectors who love a character with real longevity and a Bronze Age pedigree, Asp is absolutely worth a deeper look.

Identity

Real name. Cleopatra "Cleo" Nefertiti

Powers. Generates and projects "venom bolts" of bioelectric energy from her hands that can paralyze or kill living beings.

Teams & affiliations
Serpent SocietyAlpha FlightGamma FlightA.I.M.Avengers
β˜… First appearance
Captain America #310
Oct 1985

Trivia

  • Mark Gruenwald has written more of Asp's comics than any other writer in our catalog β€” 26 issues.

Top series

Covers through the years β€” 1985–2025

Captain America #310 β˜… 1985
Captain America #310
X-Men Annual #13 β˜… 1989
X-Men Annual #13
Captain America #385 β˜… 1991
Captain America #385
Cable / Deadpool #20 2005
Cable / Deadpool #20
Avengers: The Initiative #30 2010
Avengers: The Initiative #30
Uncanny Avengers #5 2016
Uncanny Avengers #5
Captain America Epic Collection #15 2018
Captain America Epic Collection #15
Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange #10 2021
Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange #10
Avengers Assemble #3 2025
Avengers Assemble #3

Appearances

Marvel Age Annual (1985)
#1
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (1985)
#1
X-Men Annual (1970)
#13
Alpha Flight (1983)
Marvel Illustrated: Swimsuit Issue (1991)
#1
Captain America Annual (1971)
#11
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Master Edition (1990)
#27
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Teams 2005 (2005)
Cable / Deadpool (2004)
All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z (2006)
#1
Avengers: The Initiative (2007)
Siege: Avengers - The Initiative (2010)
Uncanny Avengers (2015)
#5
Captain America Epic Collection (2014)
#15
Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange (2003)
#10
Avengers (2018)
Avengers by Jason Aaron (2018)
#10
Avengers Assemble (2024)
#3