{{for|the animal|Kingsnake}} {{Infobox comics character| <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics--> image=King Snake (Sir Edmund Dorrance).png |caption=King Snake as depicted in ''Batman'' #469 (September 1991). Art by Tom Lyle. |character_name=King Snake |real_name=Sir Edmund Dorrance |publisher=DC Comics |debut=''Robin'' #2 (February 1991) |creators=Chuck Dixon (writer)<br>Tom Lyle (artist) |species=Human |alliances=Royal Artillery<br/>The Ghost Dragons<br/>Kobra<br/>Black Lantern Corps |powers=Master martial artist<br>Steel-reinforced spine }}
'''King Snake''' ('''Sir Edmund Dorrance''') is a character appearing in media published by DC Comics, usually as an adversary of Robin (Tim Drake) and Batman. Created by writer Chuck Dixon and artist Tom Lyle, King Snake first appeared in ''Robin #2'' (1991).<ref name="Guide">{{cite book |last1=Cowsill |first1=Alan |title=The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe |last2=Irvine |first2=Alex |last3=Korte |first3=Steve |last4=Manning |first4=Matt |last5=Wiacek |first5=Win |last6=Wilson |first6=Sven |date=2016 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-5357-0 |page=169}}</ref> He is a master martial artist and the father of the villain Bane.
==Fictional character biography== Edmund Dorrance is a member of the Royal Artillery who works as a mercenary, assisting anti-communism operations. While in Santa Prisca, Dorrance is attacked and blinded by gunfire. He flees the country, leaving behind a fellow rebel with whom he had had a one-night stand and subsequently impregnated. The woman and her son are imprisoned for Edmund's crimes, with the child growing up in prison to become Bane.
After escaping from Santa Prisca, Dorrance moves to Hong Kong and establishes himself as a drug dealer known as King Snake, masquerading as a legitimate businessman. Lady Shiva pursues King Snake, wishing to face him in battle due to his martial arts prowess. Shiva and Robin attack King Snake, who breaks his back after falling off a building.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Greenberger |first1=Robert |author-link=Robert Greenberger |title=The Essential Batman Encyclopedia |date=2008 |publisher=Del Rey |isbn=9780345501066 |pages=215–216}}</ref><ref>''Robin'' #5 (May 1991)</ref>
King Snake later recovers and has his spine reinforced with steel. He joins the terrorist cult Kobra and attempts to become its leader, known as Lord Naja-Naja. King Snake has his eyes healed using a Lazarus Pit, but is blinded again by Robin.
After learning that King Snake is his father, Bane tracks him down and battles him. Bane attempts to kill King Snake several times, but refrains from doing so. In the resulting struggle, King Snake falls down a deep crevice towards his death.<ref>''Batman: Gotham Knights'' #49 (March 2004)</ref>
During the 2009 storyline "Blackest Night", King Snake is temporarily resurrected by a black power ring and becomes a Black Lantern.<ref name="bn12">''Blackest Night: Batman'' #1 (October 2009)</ref> He is permanently resurrected following The New 52 and DC Rebirth relaunches, which rebooted the continuity of the DC universe.<ref>''Batman'' (vol. 3) #14 (March 2017)</ref>
==Powers and abilities== King Snake has no superhuman powers. However, he is a master of several of the world's most deadly martial arts. After being blinded during an operation in Santa Prisca, he hones his other senses to compensate.
==In other media==
* King Snake appears in ''Batman: Soul of the Dragon'', voiced by Patrick Seitz.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dar |first=Taimur |date=December 11, 2020 |title=Check out new images from BATMAN: SOUL OF THE DRAGON animated feature |url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/batman-soul-of-the-dragon-animated-new-images/ |access-date=August 3, 2024 |website=The Beat |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="btva">{{cite web |title=King Snake Voice - ''Batman: Soul of the Dragon'' (Movie) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/movies/Batman-Soul-of-the-Dragon/King-Snake/ |access-date=August 3, 2024 |publisher=Behind The Voice Actors}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref> * King Snake appears as a character summon in ''Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eisen |first=Andrew |date=October 2, 2013 |title=DC Characters and Objects - ''Scribblenauts Unmasked'' Guide |url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/scribblenauts-unmasked/DC_Characters_and_Objects |access-date=August 3, 2024 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref>
==See also== * List of Batman family enemies
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Batman characters}} {{Robin}}
Category:Characters created by Chuck Dixon Category:Comics characters introduced in 1991 Category:DC Comics male supervillains Category:DC Comics martial artists Category:Fictional blind characters Category:Fictional drug dealers Category:Fictional English people Category:Fictional mercenaries in comics