Killer Croc
Backstory:
Waylon Jones, a.k.a. Killer Croc was born in a slum in Tampa, Florida. He was born with a skin condition that made him resemble a humanoid crocodile, hence his name which he got in the circus. His mother died in childbirth, and his father abandoned him. Waylon was raised by his aunt, but her persistent drinking prevented him from growing up in an ideal household. As a teenager, Waylon had no friends, and was the object of ridicule of those who knew him. He went to prison for all the crimes he committed against those who couldn't keep their mouths shut and made comments about his condition. By the time he reached adulthood, Waylon found work wrestling alligators. It was at this point that he began referring to himself as Killer Croc. Even then, his strength level was greatly beyond that of a normal human. Croc soon realized that there was more money to be made in crime, so he set out to become Gotham's most powerful underground figure.
Powers and Abilities:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics,
Martial Arts,
Stealth Mastery (Mostly in the sewers),
Natural Weaponry (Sharp teeth and claws),
Enhanced Senses (Was able to detect and pinpoint Bane's location through the many smells in a sewer),
Regeneration (Low-Mid, After biting his own arm off for the sake of nutrition, it began to regrow in the following days);
Limited Resistance to some Poisons (Puke grenades didn't affect him and tear gas only pissed him off),
Sleep Manipulation (Had tranq darts shoved down his throat but they didn't work on him, as he proceeded to go on a rampage.) and Fear/Mind Manipulation (Takes Scarecrow's toxin with some mind control meddling from Mad Hatter plus a drug from Batman and overpowers them all, barely affected if at all.)
All previous abilities enhanced (Bit off his own hands and they regrew in slightly over a week. With only a small trace of someone's scent he was able to find them across Gotham)
Weaknesses: Extremely aggressive and deranged to the point of acting in animalistic ways.
Lizard
Backstory:
Dr. Curtis Connors was a military surgeon turned herpetologist who lost his right arm during the war and sought to restore it by performing genetic research on the regenerative capabilities of reptiles. The serum that should have been the cure has instead turned him into the Lizard, a crazed but cunning monster who plans to return the planet to reptiles, which he believes being their righftul owners. Spider-Man always managed to foil his plans and reverse him back to a human, but every attempt at erasing the Lizard forever proved uneffective, and it remained a looming threat which could manifest anytime.
Powers and Abilities:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics,
Regeneration (Low-Mid. Can regrow his tail, eyes and even entire arms. Healed several gunshots in moments and recovered from impalement in a short time. Quickly restored his broken neck. Survived having his head burned by the Man-Thing. Recovered from being stabbed in the head. Regenerated his spinal cord),
Bodily Weaponry (Claws, teeth and tail),
Stealth Mastery (Ambushed Spider-Man, Beast and Angel from underwater. Used to stalk his preys at night. Set up a diversion to sneak into a truck unnoticed),
Extrasensory Perception (Can telepathically sense the presence and life force of nearby reptiles),
Animal Manipulation (Can communicate with and control all kinds of reptiles and amphibians),
Surface Scaling (Can slither and walk on walls with ever greater ability than Spider-Man and faster than a real lizard),
minor Body Control (His tail is prehensile),
Acrobatics (Can leap across buildings, perform drop kicks, fight in mid-air and break a fall by catching onto a ledge. Reached and swung on an anchor bolt. Chased a car by leaping across the street. Dodged Spider-Man's attack with a backflip while simultaneously slapping him with his tail),
Enhanced Smell (Memorized the Enchantress's scent and tracked her down. Can smell blood and follow its trails. Could smell Martha and Billy's scent through a glass surface. Tracked Taskmaster and Black Ant's scent across the city),
Resistance to Heat (Boiling water didn't affect him. His human half can occasionally help him overcome cold temperatures. The flame of a Bunser burner only startled him. Has no troubles biting flaming things),
Water (Minor; Water only invigorates him),
Diseases (Unlike other humans, he was unaffected by the contagious New-U clones carrying the fifth strain of the Carrion virus. An alternate version of his Lizard serum could produce the same effects on humans),
likely several more (Claims to possess the powers of all three thousand different kinds of lizards on Earth)
Weaknesses: Extreme cold weakens him considerably and can even stop him completely. It also forces him into hibernation, although his human half can occasionally intervene and nullify such weakness. Dehydration weakens him terribly, and dehydrating powder even turns him back to Curtis Connors. Severing a large portion of his tail compromises his balance and apparently even reverts the transformation.
Song: De-evolution Destruction
Deep within the shadowy recesses of Gotham City, the sprawling network of tunnels that made up its labyrinthine sewer system provided an endless maze of twists and turns. Amongst the maze's inhabitants was the infamous Waylon Jones, often known by the alias Killer Croc. The fearsome, reptilian-like criminal shuffled through the sewers, finding reprieve in the solitude they offered, away from the outside world where he was frequently branded as a monster.
Killer Croc suddenly halted, picking up an unfamiliar scent wafting through the sewers. His keenly heightened senses led him to sniff out the source of the scent, a strange sensation exerting pressure upon his reptilian mind. However, Waylon Jones vehemently resisted the intrusion by baring his claws and asserting,
"Whoever you are, you won't manipulate my mind! Show yourself!"
From the murky depths of the sewage, a pair of yellow, serpentine eyes materialized, locking onto Killer Croc. With a powerful lunge, The Lizard burst forth from the sewage, howling as it charged towards the reptilian criminal. Donning a tattered lab coat, a black shirt, and jeans, The Lizard embodied the cursed transformation of the tragic Dr. Curt Conners.
Killer Croc and The Lizard engaged in a furious grappling match, attempting to overcome one another's strength. Despite Killers Croc's towering height and substantial weight advantage, he found himself slowly being overpowered, his claws gouging across the concrete surface of the sewer's interior. Frustrated, Killer Croc unleashed a guttural growl, violently head-butting Dr. Connor and slamming him against the wall. Waylon then charged forward, tackling The Lizard and delivering a powerful backhand that sent his adversary crashing into the murky depths of the sewage.
Rising effortlessly to all fours, The Lizard hissed in fury, his venomous frustration palpable. Killer Croc hurled a heavy cement block at the villainous Dr. Conners, but the agile foe effortlessly smashed the projectile apart with a casual flick of his tail. Killer Croc attempted to close the distance with swift claw strikes and snapping jaws, but The Lizard proved incredibly elusive, even managing to land a resounding blow with his tail against Waylon's chest, causing the criminal to flinch and retreat slightly.
Killer Croc clenched his fist and declared with a fierce determination,
"That's quite a sharp tail you've got there, but I'm even sharper."
With a lunge, Killer Croc aimed a punch at The Lizard, but the agile opponent swiftly countered, punching back and actually breaking Waylon's fingers in the process. Undeterred by the painful injury, Killer Croc hissed through gritted teeth but refused to let broken fingers hinder him. With a powerful dive, he grabbed The Lizard, pulling him under the murky sewage water.
Killer Croc forcefully shoved The Lizard against the bottom of the sewer system they had ended up in, attempting to land a claw strike. However, his assault was interrupted when the villainous doctor executed a quick tail uppercut into Waylon's chin, followed by a powerful kick. Taking advantage of the moment, The Lizard swiftly swam up to the surface, crawling on the walls above the water's murky depths. Before he could fully escape, Killer Croc sprung out from the water, latching onto The Lizard's back and ripping him down from the wall, before slamming him back down onto the flooded floor.
Before The Lizard could make an attempt to rise, he found himself grabbed by the tail and pulled away from the ground with Killer Croc's incredible strength. With a tremendous display of power, Waylon swung Dr. Conners above him like a ragdoll, slamming him forcefully onto the concrete floor with such intensity that it cracked the surface. The violent impact left The Lizard gasping for air, but he didn't have the opportunity to catch his breath before being swung once more and violently smashed onto his back. In a final brutal assault, Killer Croc swung his foe into the wall a third time.
Desperately clinging to the wall, The Lizard fought to free his tail from Killer Croc's tight grasp. Waylon grinned as he watched his adversary struggle, before leaning in and sinking his fanged jaws into the tail, causing it to bleed. The Lizard let out a pained screech, but then hissed defiantly,
"Let… go!"
With a surge of strength, he managed to pull his tail away, ripping off a gruesome third of it in the process. This sudden move caught Killer Croc off guard, as he stumbled slightly from the unexpected change in balance.
Taking full advantage of the opportunity, The Lizard swiftly slunk forward and delivered a well-placed knee to Killer Croc's gut, before leaping over the bulky criminal and landing a forceful kick to his back. Despite the pain, Killer Croc chuckled as he clutched the severed piece of The Lizard's tail in his hand.
"Well, look at you, doc. You've got a feisty mouth on ya, after all. I thought you were just a mindless beast, but I guess I was wrong. Your tail won't be the only thing I'll rip apart, that's for sure."
Waylon joked as he ate the tail chunk with a satisfied slurp. The Lizard let out a sharp hiss, clearly offended at Killer Croc's insult, before boasting defiantly with a hint of scientific pride,
"Not… mindless. Have… a doctorate… you brute."
Killer Croc couldn't help but laugh, genuinely amused by the revelation about The Lizard's academic background. In a mocking tone, he taunted,
"So that lab coat isn't just for show, huh, doc? Could've fooled me. Just watch out, I don't want your big brain to be too tough to chew through when I take a bite out of it through your skull!"
Killer Croc lunged forward, but The Lizard attempted to execute another tail swipe, forgetting that he was missing a third of his limb due to Killer Croc's earlier attack. As a result, the tail fell short, allowing Killer Croc to shoulder charge into him, slamming him hard against the wall and crackling it from the impact. Waylon unleashed a series of brutal blows, striking with a knee to Dr. Conners' gut before pummeling him with fists to the back. Grabbing a hold of the lab coat, Killer Croc picked up the scientist-turned-villain and hurled him across the room at the opposite wall. But the smaller reptile landed against it like a ferocious gecko.
Killer Croc roared in frustration as he lunged towards The Lizard. Dr. Conners, with his agility, managed to spring off the wall, causing Killer Croc to punch straight through the concrete instead. Dislodging his hands from the ruined wall, Killer Croc turned his attention back to his adversary, only to be temporarily blinded as a splash of sewage was hurled into his eyes. Blinking frenziedly to clear his vision, Waylon was caught off guard as The Lizard's tail swept his legs out from under him, causing him to crash to the floor.
Despite his temporary loss of vision, Killer Croc was still able to react quickly by rolling out of the way of The Lizard's counterattack. However, the agile villain evaded the strike and latched onto Killer Croc's neck, forcing him to struggle to prevent the Lizard from biting into him. With a forceful kick, Killer Croc managed to send The Lizard sprawling back, then landing a powerful punch to make him go crashing into the opposite wall with a resounding thud.
Killer Croc hurled three successive attacks at The Lizard, attempting to keep the upper hand in the battle, but the resilient villain skillfully dodged each assault, causing the sewer line to suffer further damage in the process. With its tail fully regenerated, The Lizard countered with a swift and powerful strike to Killer Croc's face with its tail, knocking several of his teeth out onto the ground in an eruption of blood.
The Lizard lunged forward with a powerful flying kick, aiming to strike again at Killer Croc, but the hulking villain caught the leg and forcefully slammed The Lizard into the murky waters of the sewer. As Dr. Conners rolled onto his side within the muddy water, he spotted Killer Croc preparing to pounce on him. In a quick move, The Lizard used his legs to push Killer Croc away and send him crashing onto his back.
Both The Lizard and Killer Croc leapt to their feet, snarling fiercely at one another. The two reptiles collided in a brutal tackle, smashing into each other with force. Killer Croc sunk his teeth into The Lizard's shoulder, causing his foe to cry out in pain. However, The Lizard, despite the agony, managed to hold onto Killer Croc's jaws, slowly prying them open until he succeeded in dislocating the joints of the fearsome mandibles.
Killer Croc let out an agonizing howl as The Lizard successfully dislocated his mandible. He tried to strike his adversary with a powerful punch, but The Lizard swiftly caught the fist and countered with a savage blow to the elbow, shattering the joint. The Lizard then kicked Killer Croc away, rising to his feet with a primal, murderous rage burning in his eyes.
Overwhelmed by the excruciating pain and desperate to allow his healing factor to take effect, Killer Croc attempted to retreat backwards, but The Lizard pounced upon him, disoriented him further with a forceful strike from his regenerated tail. The Lizard, using his sharpened claws and superior strength, mercilessly dug his fingers into Killer Croc's chest, tearing flesh, muscle, and bone apart with brutal force.
The Lizard, with his claws embedded in Killer Croc's chest, tore out the pulsing heart and mercilessly squashed it between his fingers, coating himself in the warm blood of his slain foe. Waylon Jones, without his heart, succumbed to death shortly after. Dr. Curt Conners roared victoriously, then seized Killer Croc's lifeless body, and tossed it into the murky depths of the sewer water, the corpse sinking out of sight below the surface.
Strength: Killer Croc is very strong for a street level mutant, but even with his ability to rip people's heads off like a Mortal Kombat character which would require 100 tons of force to do cleanly, the Lizard forces Spider-Man to not hold his punches, and his strongest feats lets him lift 130 tons. And if a symbiote empowered Spider-Man still cobsiders him a dangerously strong adversary, then he must be stronger than 1.3X so.
Speed: Speed however is something else. While not as fast as a lot of other villains against Batman or his whole family itself, he can still catch them by surprise, indicating at most Mach 16 speeds. But the Lizard can regularly tag Spider-Man even with his spider sense, and he's quick enough to react to lightning, which is around Mach 352. Interestingly, that makes the Lizard 16X faster.
Skill: While both these villains fight like a mindless brawlers, Waylon does have actual wrestling skill, meaning he can reliably undermine the Lizard's brute strength.
Experience: Dr. Conners only became the Lizard when he was already well into his medical degree, and actively tries to prevent his transformation whenever possible. While Waylon Jones has been affected by his mutation all of his life, giving him plenty of experience to really get a grasp of being a crocodile man.
Powers: While these two may seem to be dead, even in basic lizard powers, with even Waylon being able to resist the Lizard's mind control, given his resistance to other mind altering techniques before, if we take what the Lizard said at face value of having every ability of 3000 different living lizard species on earth, that gives him way more of a versatility advantage compared to Waylon simply having crocodile strength and bulletproof durability.
The winner is the Lizard.
Next time:
"My world was stolen, my heart was stolen, my connection to my friends was even broken, but even if that's my fate, the road to walk, the way that will lead me home, I'll always keep facing it.
"Why should we care? What's important isn't whether you can see the future or not. It's the will to make a choice, and the strength to seize your destiny! Our time has come. Our destiny is our own!"