Sleeper is the name of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first Sleeper is the name of a series of five destructive robots created by the Red Skull. The second Sleeper is a Symbiote.

Publication history

The first Sleeper first appeared in Tales of Suspense #72 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The second Sleeper was created by writer Mike Costa and artist Mark Bagley and first appeared in Venom #165, while making its first named appearance in Venom: First Host #3.

Fictional character biography

Robots

The Sleepers are five robots who were created by the Nazis as agents of destruction. They attack various villages in Europe and attempt to destroy the Earth by targeting its core before destroyed by Captain America. The Machinesmith later restores one of the Sleepers and uses it to attack Avengers Island and free the robots incarcerated there. It is thwarted by Captain America and badly damaged before being repaired.

Symbiote

The Sleeper symbiote is the child of Venom, who initially keeps its existence secret from Eddie Brock. The two entrust Liz Allan with caring for Sleeper before it lobotomizes the Kree soldier Tel-Kar and takes over his body to explore the universe.

Powers and abilities

The Fourth Sleeper's robotic materials, design, and construction provide it with superhuman physical abilities and limited artificial intelligence. It additionally has optic lasers and could formerly become intangible and generate thermal energy. The Sleeper symbiote has all of the powers of the predecessor's first human host Spider-Man. It also possesses limited shapeshifting, camouflage, and a Symbiote's autonomous defense capabilities. In addition, it is undetectable by Spider-Man's spider-sense and possesses chemokinesis.

In other media

Television

Video games

The Sleeper robot appears as the final boss in Captain America: Super Soldier. This version was discovered during the Middle Ages by Heller Zemo, who built Castle Zemo around it. Centuries later, during World War II, Heller's descendant Heinrich Zemo acquires the castle and activates the Sleeper before Captain America destroys it.