Silvermane - Fictional Character Biography

Fictional Character Biography

Silvio Manfredi, nicknamed "Silvermane" for his near-white hair, is a professional criminal originally from Corleone, Sicily who has been a long-time nemesis in the Spider-Man comics. He started his criminal career as a racketeer in an organized crime group called the Maggia, eventually becoming a criminal organizer and mastermind.

In his first appearance, he forced Curt Connors into making a mystical youth potion from an ancient clay tablet. He first crossed paths with the Lizard and Spider-Man during this scheme. Drinking the serum made Silvermane younger, but its effect unintentionally led to him becoming a child and then reached the point before the age of birth and disappearing completely. Silvermane eventually reappeared, revealing that he had mystically aged to his forties. He climbed through the ranks and became head of the crime family; he eventually formed an alliance with HYDRA, a worldwide organization determined to take over the world and became their Supreme Hydra. He was defeated by Daredevil, Nick Fury, and S.H.I.E.L.D. Silvermane reappeared in New York in an attempt to unite all of New York's gangs under his leadership and take over the criminal underworld, but his plans were complicated by the return of the Green Goblin (Bart Hamilton). The Goblin opposed him, and during a confrontation between the Goblin, Silvermane, and Spider-Man, Silvermane fell from a great height but survived.

Silvermane has hired many criminals, such as Hammerhead, and he has also been known to be a rival of the Kingpin. Silvermane once attempted to assassinate an amnesiac Kingpin. His former partner, Dominic Tyrone, assumed the identity of the Rapier and sought vengeance against Silvermane's betrayal by attempting to slay him. A flashback one-shot focused heavily on Silvermane's lifetime of corruption. The framework was the reporter Ben Urich investigating the Mafia. He found Silvermane was a legendary Mafia figure for decades; mothers would even warn their children to behave or 'One-Eye' would get them.

In his old age, his injuries resulted in undoing the effects of the rejuvenation serum. Though bedridden, he continued to run his criminal empire until Dagger nearly killed him. Silvermane attempted to prolong his life by transforming himself into a cyborg. The Kingpin gained control of his cyborg body until Dagger restored his life energy to him. His cyborg body was badly damaged by the first Jack O'Lantern during a gang war between Hammerhead and the Kingpin. Silvermane used a remote-controlled android doppelganger to battle Spider-Man. This was part of an attempt to boost the power of his remaining organic parts by harvesting parts from the superhuman body of his nemesis, Spider-Man. He attempted to drain Spider-Man's radioactive blood to mobilize a new stronger cyborg body. Silvermane confronted Deathlok and the Punisher while setting up a major drug operation outside a grammar school. He is still an active member of the Maggia.

Silvermane attempted to take part in a meetup of various criminal warlords, during a time when Wilson Fisk had fallen from power. The meeting's goal was to divide up Fisk's resources, but it did not go well. Silvermane was caught in the crossfire between Secret Empire forces and the Punisher. This was purely by coincidence as he was simply staying at the same motel as the Punisher was. Silvermane used the resources of his semi and the cyborg bodies stored within to battle his way through the attackers and leave.

It was revealed some time later that Silvermane was killed during a shootout against Owl's gang at a New York City scrap yard. He was picked up by a magnet and dropped into a garbage compactor, crushing him to death and leaving the already troubled Maggia crime syndicate without a leader. Months later, he apparently returns along with various other deceased members during the Maggia's losing battle with the forces of Mister Negative. However this is later revealed to be a ruse by Maggia member Carmine. This Silvermane is actually a robot controlled by a hired Mysterio, in order to secretly give Carmine more influence in the syndicate's decision-making. The tables are turned on Carmine when Mysterio uses the robot to murder him, seemingly as a plot to take over the Maggia syndicate.