1 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:06,399 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 2: Hi, my name is Robert Lamb and this is the 3 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 2: Monster Fact, a short form series from Stuff to Blow 4 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 2: Your Mind, focusing in on mythical creatures, ideas and monsters 5 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:26,240 Speaker 2: in time. I recently picked up a kind of ragged 6 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:30,480 Speaker 2: copy of the official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master 7 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:34,519 Speaker 2: Edition from I believe nineteen ninety, though this also might 8 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:38,240 Speaker 2: have been a reprint from years later. I'm not entirely certain, 9 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 2: but it's filled with various Marvel characters, from the famous 10 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:46,200 Speaker 2: to the obscure, each with profile data and standardized character 11 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 2: illustrations in this kind of glorious retro style. Amid all 12 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:52,880 Speaker 2: the capes and tights, and there are a lot of tights, 13 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 2: there are some gloriously weird entries in the book. There's 14 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 2: the spiky faced skeleton man terror Ink, with his ability 15 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 2: to steal limbs and attach them to his own body. 16 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 2: I was also fascinated by Quasu Modo or Quasi Motivational 17 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 2: destruct Organism. He is a superpowered cyborg hunchback and presumably 18 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:17,400 Speaker 2: he's quite motivational. But in this episode, I want to 19 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 2: focus in on the villain Puff Adder real name Gordo 20 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 2: Freeley and apparently a native of Atlanta. Physically, he appears 21 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 2: to be a very large, muscular man in a snake costume. 22 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 2: He is a mutant in the Marvel comics, with the 23 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 2: ability to engorge his entire epidermis with blood, thus making 24 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 2: himself appear more powerful and menacing. Now he's already a 25 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 2: very capable fighter with enhanced strength, but it's curious that 26 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 2: his mutant ability doesn't seem to actually boost his fighting 27 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 2: power in the way that many other mutant powers do. Instead, 28 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 2: it just allows him to better bluff and better intimidate. 29 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 2: Oh and he also has another weapon, a noxious gas 30 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 2: can in the mouth like cowl of his snake mask. 31 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 2: His namesake is, of course, the puff Adder snake, consisting 32 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 2: of several species native to Africa in parts of the 33 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 2: Saudi Arabian Peninsula. The snake in question is able to 34 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 2: puff itself up to look larger as a predator deterrent, 35 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 2: and it does this by inflating its body with air 36 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 2: and then hissing loudly. And like the Marvel character, the 37 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 2: snake can also back up that threat. It packs a 38 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 2: powerful venomous bite and the force of its strikes alone 39 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 2: is enough to kill small prey. Various natural world creatures 40 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:40,519 Speaker 2: make themselves look bigger as a defensive or mating display. 41 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 2: Some the imposturing or the manipulation of fur or feathers, 42 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 2: while others actually inflate tissues with air, water, or blood. 43 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 2: These actions also frequently enhance the colors or patterns of 44 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:55,920 Speaker 2: such a display as well. While Gordo's mutant ability may 45 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 2: appear at first to buck the general theme we see 46 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 2: in comic book Superpowers, it's certainly in keeping with actual, 47 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 2: real world involved adaptations. There is a survival advantage in 48 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 2: not actually having to fight a predator or competitor, and 49 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,079 Speaker 2: the same holds true with not having to fight every 50 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 2: X Man or Avenger you encounter on the pages of 51 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 2: Marvel Comics. Tune in for additional episodes of the Monster Fact, 52 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 2: The Artifact, or Animalia Stupendium every week as always. You 53 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 2: can email us at contact at Stuff to Blow your 54 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 2: Mind dot com. 55 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 1: Stuff to Blow Your Mind is production of iHeartRadio. For 56 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: more podcasts from My Heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 57 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.