The "Serpent Lantern" adventure pack, which was announced earlier this month, will focus on the source of VIPER's power. Anyone who's played Champions Online can tell you how big a pushover those VIPER clowns are, and so Cryptic Studios has some plans to re-vamp the VIPER enemy group in anticipation of Serpent Lantern's upcoming release in May/June.

Champions Online Systems Designer Balseraph details some of these plans below:

Red Guard Knife Fighter
For many years, The Red Guard weren't much more than highly trained, glorified street thugs and prison brawlers. While valued internally as “discipline officers” for their willingness to brutalize their fellow VIPER agents, they never represented a significant threat to the hero community. Two years, ago, however, a new doctrine was brought to their recruitment and training, and the first students of that doctrine are now entering the field, and proving themselves to be immensely deadlier than their predecessors. This new breed now bear diamond hard swords of an alloy that has so far defied analysis, but are capable of devastating critical strikes. In addition, their improved martial skills are supplemented by a net launcher and a laser blaster for use against enemies that attempt to just fly out of their range. The identity of the individual that initiated this new doctrine remains unknown, and its discovery is considered to be of the utmost priority.

Scarlet Serpents
As the weaponry of the standard VIPER soldier improves, the elite of VIPER has been given access to improved armor and an expanded inventory of weapons, including fragmentation grenades and countergrav minimines, all well suited to waging battle on the modern super powered battlefield.

Munitions Experts
These heavy hitters have had their armor and weaponry significantly improved. Their heavy gatling style guns can fire in either of two modes; an armor and shield penetrating burst, or a maintained stream that's nearly impossible to dodge. In addition, their arsenal includes a powerful shotgun and an even more powerful rocket launcher.

VIPER Squad Leaders
Motivated, dedicated, and utterly committed to the ideals of VIPER, the Squad Leaders have had their previous, largely ornamental armor replaced with the highest tech armor, force fields, and equipment in VIPER's arsenal. Squad Leaders can now deploy multiple kinds of robotic drones with both offensive and support properties. In addition, they are able to inspire surges of manic zeal by triggering the latent Draysha implants in other Viper agents.

Many other units will be re-vamped or newly introduced, you can check out the full list here.

[Thanks Christopher8 for the tip!]