The Spider (British comics) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Spider
The Spider, art by Reg Bunn
Publication information
Publisher	IPC Magazines
First appearance	Lion 26 June 1965
Created by	Ted Cowan (writer) Reg Bunn (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Unknown
Team affiliations	"Professor" Pelham; Roy Ordini; Society of Heroes
Notable aliases	"Alfred Chinard" (in Jack Staff and Albion); Spiderman, Blackman (last two in France)
Abilities	Exoskeleton, web gun, gas gun, jet pack

The Spider is a British comic book character. He started out as a supervillain (a bad guy) but later became a superhero (a good guy). He first appeared in a comic called Lion in 1965. He was created by writer Ted Cowan and artist Reg Bunn. Later, Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel wrote many of his adventures.

The Spider's Story

The Spider has a unique look. He has pointed ears and teeth, and his eyebrows go upwards. The artist, Reg Bunn, liked to draw characters with sharp, angular styles. He even joked that the famous character Spock from Star Trek might have "borrowed" his ears!

From Villain to Hero

In the 1960s, The Spider arrived in the United States. His goal was to become the "King of Crooks." He set up his secret base in a Scottish castle that he moved to the U.S. He gathered other criminals to form his own "army of crime."

The Spider often fought against the police. He also battled other powerful criminal masterminds. Some of his famous rivals included:

• Mirror Man, who used amazing illusions.
• Doctor Mysterioso, a very smart scientist.
• The Android Emperor, who could create many different robots.

He also faced off against dangerous criminal gangs. One group, called Crime Incorporated, even hired a skilled assassin named The Exterminator to stop him. The Spider seemed defeated at first. But he then teamed up with The Exterminator to take down Crime Incorporated. After their mission, The Spider tricked The Exterminator.

Fighting criminals was exciting for The Spider. He decided to use his skills to protect people from then on. For a short time, he joined a group called the "Society of Heroes." This team included heroes like Captain Whiz and Rex Robot. Sadly, all the other heroes died fighting a group called the Sinister Seven.

The Spider faced many other villains as a hero. These included The Crime Genie, The Snake, The Death-Master, and The Molecule Man.

Later Adventures

An older version of The Spider has appeared in other comics. In Jack Staff, he is shown as a retired thief. In this story, he was an undefeated criminal in the UK from the 1960s to the 1980s.

The character also played a big part in Albion. In this series, he was hired by the government to find other British superheroes. He was promised a pardon (forgiveness for his past crimes). However, he was tricked and locked up with the heroes he captured. He later escaped with them, even taking a giant robot ape named Mytek the Mighty with him!

Powers and Gear

It's not fully clear if The Spider has any special powers himself. He is very fit and strong, but probably not more than a regular human. He is extremely confident and believes in himself a lot. He is also very clever and intelligent. He is a master hypnotist and has trained himself to be immune to his own knockout gas.

The Spider wears a black, tight-fitting suit. He also has a strange backpack or harness. This harness is very useful! It works as a jet pack to help him fly. It also shoots webs, and is the source for his web gun and gas gun. He has many other cool gadgets that he invented himself.

The Spider has two reluctant allies: 'Prof' Pelham and Roy Ordini. Prof Pelham is a genius, and Roy Ordini is a skilled safecracker. They were the only members of his "army of crime" who stayed with him after he stopped being a villain. The Spider often treated them badly. Because of this, they sometimes tried to harm or even kill him! But they always failed, and The Spider would give them humiliating punishments.

In his appearances in Jack Staff, The Spider says his suit is an "exoskeleton." This means it's like an outer shell that makes him stronger and more agile.

Other Appearances

The Spider has appeared in other British comics. Sometimes he is himself, and sometimes other characters are created as a tribute to him.

• In Captain Britain, a hero called The Arachnid was killed. This character was a nod to The Spider.
• In the Nikolai Dante series, a character called "Abel Ganz. The Tarantula" appeared. He was an anarchist and master criminal, similar to The Spider.
• In Jack Staff, The Spider is an older character. He is an old enemy of the main hero. He calls himself "Alfred Chinard." This name is an anagram (letters rearranged) for "Arachnid."
• In Albion, The Spider returns as himself. He is again called "Alfred Chinard" as a tribute to Jack Staff. He also uses the name "Arthur O'Pod," which sounds like "Arthropod" (a group of animals that includes spiders!).
• In a Spanish novel called Sherlock Holmes y los zombis de Camford, The Spider appears as "Seth Pride." This is another anagram for "The Spider." In this story, his adventures happen much earlier, in the early 1900s.