Chameleon (comics)
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The Chameleon is a fictional supervillain in Marvel Comics' universe, in which he is an enemy of Spider-Man. He first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (volume 1) #1. He is a mimic and master of disguise.
The Chameleon was born a Russian citizen named Dmitri Smerdyakov. In his youth, he was a servant of the wealthy family of Kraven the Hunter. Although Dmitri and Kraven were friends, Kraven was often abusive to him, leading to a combination of admiration and resentment towards Kraven from Smerdyakov. Eventually, Smerdyakov emigrated to the United States of America, adopting the identity of the Chameleon. During his first known criminal outing, he impersonated Spider-Man, though he was exposed and arrested. Shortly afterward, Kraven himself came to America, and the Chameleon set his old friend's sights on Spider-Man. After Kraven's suicide, the Chameleon became mentally unbalanced; he was last seen in a mental institution.
Originally, the Chameleon simply used makeup and elaborate costuming to impersonate his targets. In order to do this, he implemented a device in a belt buckle that emitted a gas that helped him mold his features. This method of disguising was perhaps a forerunner to to that of The Question, who was later created by Steve Ditko after his run on The Amazing Spider-Man. Later, he obtained holographic technology that allowed him to change his appearance at the push of a button. Currently, the Chameleon's powers are innate: his epidermis and pigmentation have been surgically and mutagenically altered so that he can take on the appearance of any person at will.
Quotes
- "I was your very first."