Princess Python
Princess Python
Princess Python is a Marvel Comics villain whose real name is Zelda DuBois. A snake charmer from Darlington, South Carolina, she uses a trained giant python to help commit crimes. She first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #22 (1965), created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
Publication history and role
- Zelda DuBois starts as a snake charmer who becomes Princess Python and joins the Circus of Crime. She later allies with groups like the Masters of Menace, the Serpent Squad, and the Serpent Society (which later becomes Serpent Solutions). Her career as a criminal is often tied to her snakes and to parasitic schemes against heroes.
Fictional character biography (highlights)
- Princess Python and the Circus of Crime foil various plans, battling Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the Wasp. She once hypnotizes people with her snake and attempts to steal art with the group.
- She has a tumultuous history with heroes and villains, including battles with Thor, Iron Man (in Stark Industries), Daredevil, and Luke Cage. Her stories sometimes involve romantic entanglements or complicated loyalties among villainous groups.
- Zelda is shown repeatedly returning to the Circus of Crime or forming new Serpent-affiliated teams. She has been captured, tortured, or defeated at times, and she’s connected to several major antagonists across the Serpent societies.
Powers and abilities
- Princess Python has no superhuman powers. She is a trained athlete and an expert snake charmer/handler who usually carries a handheld electric cattle prod (capable of delivering high voltage).
- Her signature weapon is a trained 25-foot python, which she has used as a menacing sidekick in numerous schemes.
Other versions
- Ruins: A harsher carnival-version of Princess Python with a darker act involving her python.
- Ultimate Marvel: An alternate universe version of Princess Python with super-strength in a Serpent Squad.
- Marvel Super Hero Adventures: A child-focused take where she appears as part of the Serpent Society.
In other media
- Princess Python appears in the Avengers Assemble TV series in the episode “Crime and Ciruses,” voiced by Hynden Walch. In this version, she is a former member of the Circus of Crime.
Summary
Princess Python is a long-running Marvel villain known for her snake-handling skills and her association with circus-themed criminal groups. She returns in various storylines and alternate versions, remains a notable foe of Spider-Man and the Avengers, and even appears in other media.
This page was last edited on 28 January 2026, at 17:01 (CET).