Sylvia Swift - a.k.a : Serpentina

FORMER BIO-RESEARCH ASSISTANT | ANTI-HERO MUTANT | SNAKE ADVOCATE

Basic Information

➡ Age : 26.
➡ Sex : Female.
➡ Interests : Bi-Sexual.
➡ Height : 5'3.
➡ Weight : 122 lbs .
➡ Hair : Platinum Blonde.
➡ Eyes : Emerald/Gold
➡ DOB : Oct. 8th.
➡ Origin : Manhattan, New York.
Residing near Franklin Square Park.
➡ Demographic : French-American.

Background / History

Born in the bustling city of Manhattan, New York - Sylvia Aimee's arrival in Autumn rounded out Annette & Rupert Swift's illustrious year of '97 quite unexpectedly - and on Slyvia's own time. Being an induced birth due to her Mother's declining health during pregnancy, their little preemie princess fought those odds already stacked against her. Needless to say, both Annette and Rupert couldn't be more ( proud ) of their beautiful blonde baby girl. As all picture-perfect stories tend to go, the Swifts were a vibrant bunch. Rupert's time was mostly occupied at the office - being that of a Financial Manager for Bellevue Medical. As for the native french-woman, Annette, the veterinarian spent her hours tending to the Tropical Forest exhibit animals at the Central Park Zoo. Once Sylvia was old enough to take those weekend trips as a toddler, there was one thing the blonde would always go running to see. Hands splayed to the glass, nose scrunching with eyes wide in wonder - it was the reptilians that constantly caught her attention. She wasn't exactly the 'prim and proper' child ; always the first willing to get her hands dirty. Enamored by her mother's work, she tended to tag-along to every reptile feeding she could, taking in those fun-facts that only fueled her child-like obsession. Even as dorky as she was when it came to her diagram picture books of them, she was even more-so fearless when it came to class show-and-tells : bringing her slithery corn-snake companion 'Clementine' to each adolescent affair. Most classmates would merely wince or squeal in their fear to them, though here Slyvia was embracing their uniqueness. As time went on and age would come to show, her teenage years were quite difficult to endure. It wasn't new to Slyvia that she didn't fit in to begin with, knowing her subtle accent along speech impediment hindered her social skills, yet as all adolescent youth tended to be - she was considered that of an outcasted girl. Not that she entirely minded that, considering her introverted demeanor. She'd rather be with her nose stuck in a book, studying the biology of her favorite animal. In the meantime, as her senior year was approaching - Slyvia found her passions to be a gateway to future job opportunities. As Oscorp officials at the career fair would spit off their spectacle of bio-advancement engineering to better the health of others, the opportunity they presented to study animals along the way was a means the blonde simply couldn't refute. Graduating at the top 10 of her class, she sent admissions to join as an intern her freshman year of college. It started out swimmingly, balancing both her love for obtaining a bachelor's in animal science to advancements in the biomedical major - things seemed to be on the up and up for Slyvia. Although reclusive at times, she found her friends made through Oscorp's internship program to be oddly fruitful. Gwen Stacy was the first to break her out of her inverted shell - allowing her an outlet to express her interest, along with her friend Peter Parker. The three of them seemed to be equivalent to 'The Three Musketeers' = as coined by Parker his very self. For once in her life, she felt an acceptance - one that she hadn't felt in some time. And yet, how all good times seem too good to last - Sylvia didn't realize how soon it would be ending. Peter soon withdrew from them both at the news of his Uncle's death, leaving both Gwen and Sylvia at a loss in providing him comfort. Though, May ensured both of them that he was simply trying to move on. Allowing him that meaningful time to mourn, Gwen soon slowly began to withdraw herself as they both began to advance in different departments. It didn't take long for Slyvia to question her own personal standing, more so the mental stare of her own friends in toe. Though, the blonde fell back into an isolated routine, finding that her attempts in keeping contact with them seemed futile - although Peter seemed to be on the outside appearing... 'livelier' than usual. It was peculiar to witness on occasion when she'd visit Aunt May ; her constantly pulling an excuse for his absence. Maybe she hadn't seen his reasons that way, but even Slyvia knew Peter wasn't at Oscorp ( that ) much. Or ( was ) he? Questions piling upon questions, reverting back to Gwen over lunchbreaks - the both of them frustrated by his distance. They didn't know 'why', and perhaps the very question was driving them both to their patient limit. Finding a sense of courage to win their friend's time back, they'd attempt to corner him after a longer shift. Only to find that the illusive "Spider-Man" was standing before them within the research department. Both bewildered and skeptical to the hero's presence instead of Peter's own, they'd come to find a ( massive ) creature barreling out the steel serum chamber. Frantically evading the fight between the Lizard and Spider-Man, Gwen and Sylvia would stumble toward the stairwell - only for the super-human duo among their battle to blast through the center, crumbling the concrete beneath them nearly instantaneously. Finding their hands scrambling for the railing to grip, only Slyvia's hand would make it around the metal - watching hopelessly as Gwen scraped for a surface to hold strong to. Fearfully, Swift would clasp her forearm, finding themselves dangling from the 12th floor platform. Grunting through the immense pain from arms width expanding open - she cried for this "Spider-Man" to save her friend - as Gwen was slowly slipping from her grasps. Inevitably, the clasp would break - watching in terror as her friend went falling down into the chaotic rubble beneath her. Screaming her name, the webbed crusader would catch wind among his quarrel - adverting his attention toward their falling friend. All Slyvia could do was ( watch ) ... Watch it all play out before her own eyes. Seeing the web shoot from his wrist, material clinging onto Gwen's torso - her gaze shifted into 'hope'. Stumbling back to find her footing upon the platform unscathed, she scurries back to the start of the chaos. Adrift in chaotic curiosity, steps linger toward the chamber once sealed now split open. Sliding through the breached opening to the serum containment unit, Slyvia could see ( thousands ) upon ( thousands ) of vials shattered to the floor. Footsteps crunching through the debris, some glowing in color - others seemingly stagnant in shading - hand in the flickering ambiance to security system provided vague lighting among these findings. Labels upon labels to various creatures - all seemingly altered for experimental injection. Skeptically, pieces of a puzzle were forming to solve this illusion of security. Just 'what' was Oscorp doing with these illegal substances, and why were they hiding them away for 'experimental trials'? Hand reaches for a single vial nestled in its proper 'perch' - still somehow ( full ) among the seismic sense of shaking prior. The label to substance smeared, illegible to make out - though her intrigue to discover... she couldn't help but reach for the nearly-shattered tube. Palms curls around the glass, hues shifting to squint to configure the disheveled sense of ink - only to find a voice sparking her attention abruptly from concentration. It was "Spider-Man" - observing her solemnly almost, as if there was something on his mind that he wished to speak. And yet, nothing came from him except two words in total. " I'm sorry. " Curling subconsciously her fists by sides, shaking suddenly as it seemed to voice a tragedy that unfolded. And that it so ( indeed ) did - seeing the bodice of her friend cradled in the extent of suited arms. Wincing immediately, hand shakes upon the vast sting grazing her palm - warmth of crimson trickling down her forearm. Notably, she'd squeezed the vial intact some-what intact till it shattered in hand - watching the translucent substance seeping into the gashes made. Shaking the glass from hand, she clutches with tears swelling her eyes - and Spider-Man simply hanging his head among the dreadful silence so shared. It almost felt like... this 'personally' was something he could share mourning within. Evading the tingling sensation that settled beneath her skin, grief seemed too immediate for any concern for her own very sake. Swinging them from the desecrated facility, she didn't know ( what ) to feel towards this "Spider-Man". Should she be angry with him for not being quick enough? Should she be thankful that he essentially had saved her own very life? What could she make of the whirlwind of emotions unable to differentiate one from the other? Without another word, "Spider-Man" so left them both - swinging as the sound of sirens soon came closing in upon the both of them. All Slyvia could do now was hold her beloved friend - never feeling more alone in the world.As the funeral procession would come to pass, something within Slyvia had felt ( incredibly ) concerning. Lapses of energy, the constant feeling of cold creeping over skin, let alone the sensitivity to lights. The slightest of sour scents set her off entirely, leaving her to lock herself away in the confines of her apartment. Although after 4 days - it was enough to realize that ( something ) was happening to her, and it was only increasingly getting worse to manage. Skeptically, she aimed reaching out to Peter - who seemed more than alert to answer her calls lately since the loss of Gwen. Although grieving, Slyvia needed answers - and perhaps from the smartest person she knew that would assume her to be insane. She had theories, though it was hard to decipher what was real and what was her simply allowing imagination to run wild. Peter had told her to stay put - that they'd figure out whatever was happening. And yet as minutes turned into an hour, and those into more hours - she grew impatient, seeking out the remnants of The Oscorp facility herself for the answers she needed. Perhaps tired of waiting on someone else to solve her problems, or relying on something else to save her in general - she treaded back into the aftermath of that day, coming back to the steel chamber taped away. Though, she could tell, things were ( vastly ) different. Containers were out of place - specimens once there were nowhere to be found... Only concerning the woman spiraling within the steel chamber. And yet... among her frantic seeking - she finds the semi-filled fragments of the vial once clenched, having rolled away in the corner hidden behind the door's range of motion. Slowly, nimble digits take it into hold - finding the feeling to be so ( close ) to it again somehow... "familiar". Hues flicker over the remnants, bringing closer to gaze to make out a singular word - 'taipan'. Frozen upon recognition, the subtle fear of the future burns like a sickness in gullet - hand shaking as the last drop the substance nearly 'beckons' the woman in silence. As if her body has been /craving/ a little more ever since her symptoms had started.Hesitantly, she's at an impasse. Follow logic and evade it entirely ; to follow what she's always followed her entire life - the means of going by the book, to run away when things are questionable. Or ... does she accept this gut feeling? Does she embrace this chance that's seemingly screaming with every atom for the last it needs to feel whole within? Does she stop running from the danger - does she finally make her ( own ) choice?Taking the bandages from around her abrasions - gashing burning to the exposure, something else inside her ( hungers ) for more. Taking the semi-filled vial, tilting at an angle ... she watches as the transparent drop soaks into skin.And the feeling...
/That/ feeling - ?It had changed her life forever.
It had altered her DNA whole-fully.
She was no longer Sylvia Smith then - she'd become something else entirely.She'd had embraced the snake.
She /was/ 'Serpentina'.

Powers / Abilities

[ MINOR SCALE SKILLS ]➡ CAMOUFLAGE : The power to visually blend into immediate environment. Lesser version of and not to be confused with Invisibility.➡ CONSTRICTION : The power to squeeze/constrict target. The user can squeeze/constrict target, either simply holding/immobilizing them, restricting their air or blood flow, or forcing the heart to stop, causing either unconsciousness or death.➡ CRUSHING : The user is able to easily crush and/or deform almost any object around them by making physical contact or through other means. Individuals who are affected by this power are afflicted with severely misshapen bones that appeared as if they had simply grown that way their whole lives.➡ DERMAL ARMOR/SCALE MANIFESTATION : The power to have innate physical armor for protection. The ability to grow strong, thick scales on the body. The users have or can generate an innate armor as a part of their body, which is resistant to attacks, harm or pain, and temperature extremes.➡ ENHANCED AGILITY : The ability to possess agility beyond that of peak human potential. User with this ability can go from one motion to another effortlessly, effectively dodge attacks, swing from things easily, sprint, do back-flips, leap across rooftops, and numerous other gymnastic, athletic and martial implements with little to no effort.➡ ENHANCED DURABILITY : The power to possess durability beyond that of the peak members of their species. Users' physical durability, the ability to withstand damage, is extremely high, allowing them to take numerous blows of internal or external assaults before succumbing to the effects. The user can withstand bullets, grenades and low to medium explosives (equivalent to ten tons of TNT), survive falling from the top of tall buildings and building collapse, withstand beatings from superhumans, take getting beaten with steel rods and bars, and survive massive amounts of blood loss.➡ ENHANCED FLEXIBILITY/ELASTICITY : The power to possess flexibility beyond that of the peak members of their species. Users are able to bend and twist their body beyond the normal limits of physiology, although still only from the joints. Their hypermobile joints, muscles, tendons and physiology in general allow the user perform near-boneless looking contortions without stress or damage and comfortably stay in any position they choose as long they need without effort or strain. Users are or can become extremely malleable and elastic, allowing them to stretch, flatten, deform, expand, and contract parts of their body.
* FLEXIBLE SKELETON/ORGANS ( sub-section information ) The user's bones are flexible, which means unlike normal flexibility with joints, the user can use this power to not only in ways a normal person could not, but squeeze through tight spaces easily. The user's organs are flexible, which means while they are not invulnerable, they can still deform without being crushed or function properly when they are deformed, making it so that the user can do things they otherwise could not do.➡ ENHANCED LUNG CAPACITY : The power to have extraordinary lung capacity. The user has the ability to use the oxygen that resides in their lungs more efficiently than normal, allowing them the ability to hold their breath for extended periods of time (up to 2 or even 3 hours).➡ ENHANCED SENSES : The power to possess extremely accurate senses. The user has extremely accurate senses, allowing them to see, hear, smell, taste and feel better than an average member of their species.
*** INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING ;
Enhanced speed, strength, stealth, taste, and smell.➡ FANG RETRATION : The power to possess/retract razor-sharp fangs. The user has abnormally sharp fangs and can deliver a deadly bite with them.➡ FORKED TONGUE : The user possesses a forked tongue, a tongue split into two distinct tines at the tip; this is a feature common to many species of reptiles. They can use their tongue to smell using its forked tip, which allows them to sense from which direction a smell is coming.➡ HYPER CLIMBING/ CRAWLING : The ability to crawl/slither/wriggle around on the ground with ease. User is able to climb and otherwise move effortlessly and smoothly on angled and/or vertical surfaces, able to take advantage of any handholds they find, no matter how small, on trees, rocks, walls, etc. This is mostly done as a type of vertical ascent. User can crawl along the ground, mostly through normally inefficient ways such as using the belly and slithering. The user can thus crawl around though such means to reach other areas easily, such as through tight spaces.[ MAJOR SCALE SKILLS ]➡ SERPENTINE TAIL : The power to turn their lower half into a snakelike tail. The user possesses or can turn their lower body into a tail that is like that of a snake. They might keep their leg bones when they have a tail. They can use the tail in various ways like whipping someone in the air or capturing them. The power to have a tail that can be used as an extra limb.➡ SEISMIC SENSE : The power to sense and perceive vibrations in the earth. The user is able to pick up even the slightest vibrations through physical contact with the ground, enabling them to perceive their surroundings as precisely as normal sight. Users are able to sense the structure and materials of solid substances, including the presence of caves, material changes, structural weaknesses, etc.➡ SPEED SWIMMING : The power to swim at incredible speeds. The user can swim at incredible speeds, unrestricted by water resistance.➡ SUPER BITE : The power to have an incredibly unnatural bite. Users has a unnaturally strong bite, either because of sharp fangs/teeth, strong jaw-muscles, unusual jaw-structure (mandibles of insects, beak, etc.) as well as possessing resilience in their teeth/bite-surface and shape.➡ ELASTIC JAWS : The ability to open one's mouth inhumanly wide. The user's jaws are incredibly flexible and can be unhinged with ease, enabling them to open their mouths incredibly wide.➡ VENOMOUS FANGS : The power to possess fangs with natural venom on/in them. The user possesses teeth that are coated with or secrete natural venom, which can extend to the victim when said victim is bitten by the fangs. The poison can have a variety of effects, ranging from sedation, paralysis, mutation and instant death.➡ THERMORECEPTION : The power to perceive thermal signatures. The user is able to perceive the far infrared spectrum (i.e. temperature signatures), allowing them to perceive temperature variations in objects and environment. This ability is incredibly useful for observation purposes, as the user is able to perceive the heat presences of any living targets. This power is capability of seeing biological or artificial systems to detect infrared radiation. The terms thermal vision and thermal imaging, are also commonly used in this context since infrared emissions from a body are directly related to their temperature: hotter objects emit more energy in the infrared spectrum than colder ones. Cold temperatures appear as green or blue while warmer ones appear yellow to dark pink or even red-orange-yellow.

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