Elsie Venner is born in a small New England town after her mother is bitten by a rattlesnake during pregnancy. Though she grows up beautiful and intelligent, she is strangely distant, occasionally venomous, and prone to moods that unsettle the townspeople. Bernard Langdon, a young medical student forced to teach at a local girls' school for funds, becomes intrigued by her secretive nature when she slips him a wildflower at his desk—one that can only grow in remote mountain caves. Following him to her hiding place, she unexpectedly calms a rattlesnake, deepening his fascination.

As Bernard explores her unusual temperament through studying snakes, toxins, and the concept of the “evil eye”, the town’s physician, Dr. Kittredge, guides him—not only in science, but also subtly encouraging a bond between the two. Elsie attracts the attention of her half‑Spanish cousin Dick, who seeks both her affections and her inheritance. Tensions culminate when Dick provokes Bernard, leading to a public confrontation in which Bernard injures Dick's horse. Dick is scandalized and leaves town in disgrace.

Elsie, whose capacity to love is thwarted by her serpentine legacy, eventually confesses her affection for Bernard. Yet he, both caring and wary, hesitates to reciprocate fully. Heartbroken and debilitated by her internal conflict, Elsie falls gravely ill. During her final days, Elsie becomes more human—softening toward her father and those around her. In a poignant moment of clarity, she questions the nature of love itself: “I cannot love anybody. What is love, Sophy?” Ultimately, she dies—not cursed, but pitifully innocent, as the narrator, an unnamed professor, asks whether a life marred by inherited misfortune can be held morally responsible.

All published appearances of Elsie Venner from before January 1, )-(95)}} are public domain in the US.

Some notable appearances include:

*Elsie Venner: A Romance of Destiny (1861)

*Elsie Venner is probably the oldest fictional mutant character in literature, predating not only Marvel, but also other earlier characters who similarly used or were born with mutations, such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Invisible Man and Hugo Danner.

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsie_Venner Wikipedia]
Category:Literary Characters
Category:Science Fiction Characters
Category:Reptile Themed Characters
Category:Female Characters
Category:Dead Characters
Category:1861 Debuts