SIDEWINDER

 

SIDEWINDER

Real Name: Seth Voelker

First Appearance: Marvel Two-In-One (Vol. 1) #64, June 1980

Powers: Seth Voelker was a financial analyst for the Roxxon Oil Company who volunteered for training and mutagenic alteration at the Mutagenic Laboratory of Roxxon's subsidiary company, the Brand Corporation. A small device was surgically implanted in Voelker's body which would permit him to mentally activate the dimensional aperture opening circuitry incorporated in a specially-designed cloak. Given the name "Sidewinder" because of his ability to travel "sideways" through inter-dimensional space, Voelker became the leader of the new Serpent Squad.

His cloak contains highly sophisticated electronic equipment that, in some manner, creates a dimensional discontinuity between this reality and a certain other reality. This inter-dimensional aperture is formed within his cloak. The particular dimension into which he creates a portal has a slightly differing space/time congruence so that one foot traversed there equals five feet traversed in this reality. By moving into and out of this reality and that one, it is possible to cover great distances in this reality with relatively little effort. The cloak's equipment is cybernetically controlled: By thinking specific sequences of thoughts, he is able to control the parameters of the dimensional aperture within certain limits. Sidewinder experiences severe disorientation upon re-emergence into this reality after covering about 20 feet within the other dimension. Thus, he seldom travels farther than that extra-dimensionally.

Sidewinder's cloak allows him to move partially into the other dimension. He can extend a small part of this body back into his home dimension. He can extend a small part of his body back into his home dimension; for example, his eyes, so that he might take his bearings. He can send other objects or humans to the other dimension by draping his cloak over them. He cannot transport anything larger than what he can completely drape his cloak over. If he leaves anything in that other dimension, he must note landmarks in this reality corresponding to a position in that reality in order to retrieve the object from where he has placed it.

The circuitry of Sidewinder's cloak is a solid-state version of the more advanced Nth Projector equipment developed by Roxxon's subsidiary "Nth Command". It differs from that much larger device in having a smaller capacity of mass transfer, not having on-board computers, and lacking location-sensing and inter-dimensional communication devices. Sidewinder's cloak is a refinement on the principles behind the construction of the Nth Projector and is very power-efficient, requiring only watts of power to transfer Sidewinder out of and back into this dimension.

Seth Voelker has a master's degree in economics and is a skilled financial expert, business planner, and strategist of above-normal intelligence.