CACrown ArchivesThe cinema collection
Menu
Research dossier · General Reference

Eel (Marvel Comics)

multiple fictional characters in Marvel Comics

Cross-disciplinary reference desk with index cards, atlas, dictionary and catalogue
General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionJul 16, 2026
Entity authorityQ2365285
Source-derived summary

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 (October 1963) created by Stan Lee and Dick Ayers, while his successor, Edward Lavell, first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #92 (April 1983). Both Eels were at one point members of the Serpent Squad even though the character they portray was not actually based on a snake, but on a fish that resembled a snake. Neither Eel has ever been featured as a regular character in any of Marvel's ongoing or limited series.

The original Eel, 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, Porcupine, Scarecrow and Unicorn. 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 had 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.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Eel (Marvel Comics)” as multiple fictional characters in Marvel Comics. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA concise reference frame for defining the subject, testing terminology and identifying the institution closest to the evidence. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1963, 1983—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. The account is most persuasive where Marvel, Comics and multiple can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as multiple fictional characters in Marvel Comics. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2365285. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1963 and 1983.

Critical limits

The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
Verify next

The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Eel (Marvel Comics)”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Eel (Marvel Comics) primary sources, Eel (Marvel Comics) archive and Marvel research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Eel (Marvel Comics)”?
  2. What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
  3. Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Subject index

Search terms from this dossier

Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Eel (Marvel Comics)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.