King Cobra

Slithering out of the Copper Age in Captain America #367 (1990), King Cobra is a Marvel villain with serious staying power — a serpentine schemer who has spent 35 years coiling through some of the House of Ideas' most action-packed corners. Brought to life by the legendary Mark Gruenwald and artist Kieron Dwyer, this character carries the prestige of Serpent Society membership and, remarkably, an Avengers affiliation on their résumé, making them one of the more fascinatingly versatile figures in Marvel's rogues gallery. King Cobra shares the page with heavy hitters like Captain America, Steve Rogers, and fellow reptilian menaces Klaus Voorhees and Bushmaster — elite company that speaks to a career spent at the center of the action. With 27 catalog appearances, a home across Captain America, Avengers: The Initiative, and Captain America Annual, and three key-issue credits to their name, this is exactly the kind of deep-cut Marvel character that rewards the curious collector.