This is perhaps my favorite character created by Hero Games. Although I was disappointed in his last incarnation, have “gladiator games” with heroes. I felt that this reduced him to a joke and not a threat. Something I always saw him as, so I made the following changes:

While he does have the “gladiator games”, this is only done to further the concept that he has lost his marbles. Reducing the hero population is only a bonus.

The truth is far different. King Cobra has full control of his faculties. He is working on several plans of either conquest or change more individuals into snake-men. He has changed his organization greatly. He has dubbed himself Apep after the Egyptian Snake-God. He has a small group of snake-men working for him now lead by his son Cobra, taking this name when dad became Apep.

This group, calling itself the Serpent’s Council, is answerable only to Apep. They work independent so as not to be link to Apep. Deciding what action to take , they choose their own missions and their own goals. They operate as their own group, but they are loyal to Apep and all gains is Apep’s.

Apep has mutated several people into new snake men. He has found that using the blood of different snakes result in different mutations. While some are in the council, he has kept several to work for him. The most powerful serve as his bodyguard and personal henchman. So far the perfect serum has eluded Apep. While he can make snake-men in with various abilities, they are not perfect.

He has found that the change is quite strange when a mutant takes his serum. While they do not loose their mutant abilities they gain little from their serum. Their appearance becomes that of snake-men, but that seems to be the only thing they gain. They also gain the disadvantages of snake-men as well. This flaw in the serum is something that Apep has yet to prefect. He continues to work on making the perfect serum.

Apep and Viper

The greatest secret that Apep has kept from everyone, including the council is he is the Supreme Serpent of Viper. He runs Viper from behind the scenes through Viper’s Serpentine Network. He took over the organization in the 80’s, after several raids by Until and some heroes greatly weakened his research ability.

It seemed the closer he got to making the perfect serum; the more he was harassed by the forces of good. He had to find away to rid himself of the interference without focusing all his resources to fending off attacks.

While recovering from a Until raid, he saw on the new about a Viper Raid. He started thinking, if Until concentrated on Viper then they would leave him alone. So with the help of Black Mamba they captured several agents of Viper. Through time the were able to locate a Viper base. Apep tipped Until of the bases and it’s where abouts.

While Until was raiding the base, Apep used the battle to help him infiltrate the base. He was able to go through the computer system of the base and learn al lot about the workings of Viper before erasing the computer's disks. After several raids around the country by Until, Apep tipped them of course, Viper was greatly weakened and was ripe for his take over. Black Mamba kidnapped a women who was a computer genius and built Apep the Serpentine Computer. She also fell in love with Apep and the had a son, Cobra. The stress of his birth was too much for her and she later died due to complications.

Using the computer she built him, Apep was able to don a costume and contact high ranking members of various Viper bases. It was these members that went on to form the Viper Council, with Apep as it’s leader. He leaves the running of Viper to the council, only interjecting his wishes when necessary to keep up the ruse. He has found that while heroes and agencies are busy with Viper they leave him alone. The money Viper makes him is a bonus; they also keep him supplied with test subjects.

His most useful ally in keeping tabs and controlling Viper is Black Mamba. While everyone believes them to be enemies, they are not. Black Mamba truly wanted to become a snake-man. His known history is a fabrication. His wife and son are members of the Serpents Council. Black Mamba also has a seat on the council, though he of course doesn’t use it directly. Also being a member of Viper’s Serpent Syndicate helps him to know exactly what is going on in Viper.

Apep decided to setup defection the other member of the Serpent Syndicate. He knew that Viper would welcome them into their fold. He realized that this would further his goals as well. Viper would never suspect anything and it would further the appearance of Apep’s further slide into his mental instability. It would also give Viper a good fighting force.

The one thing Apep didn’t count on is the true hatred that the Serpent Syndicate and the Serpent Council would have for one another. These two groups go out of their way to attack the other. At first he was going to stop the fighting, but found that their fighting was useful. The more they fought, the further clouded Apep existence became.

He has also found the stronger Viper becomes the stronger he becomes. While the world believe Apep a fool, the more time he has to his research. Apep does nothing to stop clashes with Viper. He must keep his secret safe. Black Mamba, while still working for Apep, doesn’t know that Apep is the Supreme Serpent. He simple knows that Apep wants tabs kept on Viper.

The Serpent’s Council isn’t aware of this either. They believe that he hates Viper as much as they do. The clash with Viper and the other mission the Council takes help to bring Apep goals closer to being realized.

It is important that no one learns his secret until his serum is perfected. Then is will no longer matter what anyone knows. Then he will be unstoppable.

Plot Hooks

Plot 1

1)Apep has developed a serum that when added to a water supply will mutate anyone drinking into a snake-man. A Until spy working inside Apep's organization has found this out. He told his superiors before he was discovered. The heroes must stop this from happening. If successful this would give Apep a large number of snake-men to use to further his plans. The good news is if they fail the serum won’t work. Apep miscalculated about the diluting effect a large water supply would have on the serum.