Character Cage Match: The Lizard vs. Electro
Posted 11.06.12 by Ryan
After deciding to reboot following Sam Raimi's exit from his Spider-Man franchise, Sony/Columbia successfully reignited the series with The Amazing Spider-Man, which arrives on DVD and Blu-Ray today.
Critics cited the reboot's lack of an "untold story" that was promoted to be the movie's significant change from the previous trilogy, but there's one category where the reboot has been able to separate itself from its predecessors: villains. While Raimi's movies hinted at the inevitable arrival of the Lizard, The Amazing Spider-Man delivered, and it would appear that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will also bring a new villain to the big screen: Electro.
Jamie Foxx (Ray) is rumored to be up for the role, with Foxx tweeting a not-so-subtle hint that's he's accepted the part, and director Marc Webb quickly following suit. Even though Amazing Spider-Man 2 is about a year and a half away, we thought the time was right to see which of the two villains is a better foe for your friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield). And there's only one place for the two villains to face off: the Character Cagematch!
The Rules: when it comes to a fight between two villains, there are no rules! Of course, there's cinematic evidence of the Lizard, while Electro has yet to make his big screen debut. Still, both characters have long comic book histories, which makes this a fair fight. Or, considering the principals of the characters involved, a not-so-fair fight.
Electro's Strengths: Electrical engineer and lineman Maxwell Dillon became Electro after a lightning bolt struck him while he was repairing a power line. Electro's powers have evolved over time, but his most primary ability won't be a huge surprise given his villain alter ego: the ability to control and manipulate electricity. This means that, yes, he charge himself up like a battery and can also absorb energy from something like a power plant for example.
Lately, Electro can even travel through electrical wires and manipulate any electrical device to obey his mental commands. How evolved Electro's powers will be in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is unknown, so we mostly expect the whole "lightning from the fingertips" thing that likes to do in the comics.
Electro's Weaknesses: Like any physical embodiment of electrical currents, anything that can cause a short circuit works against Electro. Water, for instance, was one of Spidey's original go-to's in the comic books, though Electro eventually figured out a way around this (lest every comic book appearance of Electro ended the exact same way).
Otherwise, one could probably find some kind of conduit to send a higher voltage to Electro's person, thereby creating an abnormal connection between two different nodes (consult you local electrician for verification). Of course, Electro can store up to a 1,000,000 volts, so proceed with caution on that one.
The Lizard's Strengths: Dr. Curt Connors was your average, mild-mannered (occasionally Welsh) surgeon who lost his arm and became obsessed with using reptilian regeneration to grow his arm back. While he succeeded, what he didn't expect was that his cure would turn him into a bloodthirsty, occasionally-mindless, reptilian creature capable of killing his own son! It could happen to anyone (with those particular set of circumstances)!
In reptilian form, the Lizard has increased strength, speed and reflexes; can communicate with other reptiles; is resistant to injury; and, of course, can regrown limbs if he needs to. The Lizard also has a pretty nasty tail to contend with and a nasty temperament that vacillates between "nasty and vengeful" to "nasty and vengeful and mindless."
The Lizard's Weaknesses: In comic book science, wherever there is a cure, there is an antidote, as Connors has learned time and again. Also, like any reptile, The Lizard is particularly sensitive to cold temperatures, which means the Lizard probably gets seasonal affective disorder worse than anyone and only fights Spider-Man when the New York weather is reptile-friendly.