Villain(s)  Lamians (Snake worshipers), high priestess

Actor(s):  Faith Domergue, Kathleen Hughes, Richard Long, Jack Kelly

Brief Description  Released on March 11, 1955, Cult of the Cobra is a Universal-International black-and-white horror film directed by Francis D. Lyon and starring Faith Domergue. It follows six American servicemen who witness a forbidden snake-cult ritual abroad and face a deadly curse upon returning home to the United States.

Plot:
The story begins in Asia at the end of World War II. Six American Air Force officers—including Paul Abel (Richard Long) and Tom Markel (Marshall Thompson)—bribe a local snake charmer to let them infiltrate a secret Lamian temple. The Lamians are a hidden cult of worshippers who believe certain individuals can transform into serpents. Disguised in robes, the men witness a sacred, hypnotic dance where a woman shifts her form into a snake. When an intoxicated soldier takes a flash photograph of the ritual, their cover is blown. The high priest places a curse of death upon them before the soldiers manage to fight their way out and escape.

Upon returning home to New York, a beautiful and mysterious woman named Lisa (Faith Domergue) rents an apartment next to Tom Markel. Unbeknownst to the men, Lisa is the human manifestation of the Cobra Goddess sent by the cult to execute the curse. One by one, the servicemen are targeted: Nick is attacked, crashes his vehicle, and dies in the hospital from a venomous bite. Carl is flung out of a high window after encountering a cobra in his room. Pete is killed shortly after, with witnesses noticing a strange cobra-like shadow before each attack.

The horror is complicated by a tragic romance. As Lisa spends time in New York, she genuinely falls in love with Tom. This affection triggers a deep internal conflict, as her supernatural nature compels her to destroy the remaining men, while her human side wants to escape the curse. Paul Abel grows highly suspicious of Lisa after researching snake folklore and matching her appearances with the deaths. He tries to warn Tom, who refuses to believe his new love interest is a monster. In the final confrontation, Lisa's true nature is exposed when she attacks. During the chaotic struggle, she is thrown out of a window. Upon hitting the pavement below, her human body transforms back into a dead cobra, breaking the curse once and for all.