Eel (comics)

Eel
Cover art for Captain America (vol. 5) #28. Eel is in the bottom left. Art by Steve Epting.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Power Man and Iron Fist #92 (Apr 1983)
Created by	Kurt Busiek Denys Cowan
In-story information
Alter ego	Edward Lavell
Team affiliations	Serpent Squad Maggia Thunderbolts Masters of Evil Enforcers New Enforcers Serpent Society
Partnerships	Nightshade
Abilities	Wears electrified lubricated costume

The Eel is an alias used by two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first character to take up the identity was Leopold Stryke who first appeared in Strange Tales #112 created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, while his successor, Edward Lavell, first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #92 (Apr 1983). Both Eels were at one point a member of the Serpent Squad even though the character they portray was not actually based on a snake. Neither Eel has ever been featured as a regular character in any of Marvel's ongoing or limited series.

The original Eel character, Leopold Stryke, wore a suit that could generate an electrical charge like an Electric eel and was coated with a slippery substance. He was often depicted as a henchman, normally teaming up with other criminals such as Plantman, Scarecrow, Unicorn and Porcupine. He later became a founding member of the Serpent Squad along with his brother Jordan, the original Viper. He even worked for Madame Hydra, unaware that she killed his brother. Stryke was killed by the Gladiator during a heist.

The second Eel, Edward Lavell, started out as a foe of Power Man and Iron Fist, but later became a general henchman like the original Eel working for Justine Hammer's Masters of Evil and the Maggia. At one point Lavall appeared to have been killed, but later appeared as part of the latest incarnation of the Serpent Squad led by Sin, the daughter of the Red Skull. Subsequently, the Eel became part of "Serpent Solutions", the evolution of the Serpent Society.