Die Echse

Die Echse is the German-language edition name for the Lizard, the reptilian alter ego of scientist Curt Connors, who lost his arm and experimented with reptile DNA to regenerate it — transforming instead into a savage, cold-blooded creature that Spider-Man repeatedly battles.

Few characters carry the weight of nearly three decades of German-language Marvel publishing quite like Die Echse, who first slithered into readers' hands in Panini Deutschland's Marvel Exklusiv #9 in 1998 — a Copper/Modern Age debut brought to life by the creative talents of Jim Shooter, Michael Strittmatter, and Mike Zeck. Across 24 catalog appearances spanning all the way to 2026, this figure has kept remarkable company, sharing pages with the likes of Spider-Man, Peter Parker, Curt Connors, Thor Odinsohn, and Iron Man in series such as Spider-Man, Spider-Man Komplett, and Marvel Origins. With at least one collector-recognized key issue to their name, Die Echse represents a fascinating corner of the German Marvel universe — the kind of character that rewards dedicated readers who dig deeper into Panini's rich publishing legacy. If you love the broader tapestry of how Marvel's world was presented to European audiences, this is absolutely a name worth tracking down.