Spider (DC Comics)
Alias the Spider | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | - Tom Ludlow Hallaway - Lucas Ludlow-Dalt - Thomas Ludlow Dalt |
Team affiliations | (Tom, Thomas) Seven Soldiers of Victory (Tom) All-Star Squadron |
Notable aliases | Thomas I, Spyder |
"Alias the Spider" is a superhero feature from the Golden Age of Comic Books that appeared in Quality Comics' Crack Comics for nearly three years, starting with issue #1 in 1940. He was created by writer-artist Paul Gustavson.[1]
The original Golden Age version of the character is in the public domain, but the rights to all subsequent versions are currently owned by DC Comics.[2]
Publication history
Only one adventure of the Spider has ever been reprinted by DC Comics, which acquired the Quality Comics stable of characters when that company went out of business in 1956: the story from Crack Comics #25, in Detective Comics #441.[3]
The Spider later made sporadic cameo appearances in
Fictional character biography
Tom Hallaway
Quality Comics version
The Spider is playboy Tom Hallaway, who had tired of seeing criminals have their own way harassing and murdering honest citizens, so he adopts the guise of the Spider to settle the score. The Spider fights crime in a yellow shirt and blue shorts. He is armed with a bow and arrows, a special car known as the Black Widow, and the assistance of his valet Chuck (who helps Hallaway in both of his identities without anyone making any sort of connection). Hallaway uses a special arrow called the "Spider's Seal", which has a flat disc on the end; he shoots it at thugs' hands to disarm them.
According to Jess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes, the Spider "fights enemies like the Crow, the pirate Falcon, Iggie the Yogi, and the Yellow Peril Yellow Scorpion".[4]
DC Comics version
In the continuity that followed
Instead of working with the Freedom Fighters, this revised Spider is a member of the
With the only people who knew him to be a criminal dead, the Spider continues his heroic facade. He becomes the hero-in-residence of
In 2016, DC Comics implemented another relaunch of its books called "DC Rebirth" which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "The New 52". Spider was fought by Fire and Ice.[5]
Lucas Ludlow-Dalt
The Spider's son, Lucas Ludlow-Dalt, takes up the bow and arrow (and his original yellow and blue costume) in the pages of
Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #9 also depicted the beginning of vengeful activity for another Spider, though this may be the same Spider that was depicted in Starman.
The Spider takes up his bow again in the pages of the most recent Hawkman series, facing off against Hawkman, Hawkgirl and Green Arrow. The Green Arrow shoots the Spider in his aiming eye with an arrow, hoping to end the criminal's career by maiming him. The Spider manages to re-learn archery from a new perspective (and far quicker than is usual for any normal human).
I, Spyder
Seven Soldiers #0 featured the advent of yet another Spider, although he spelled the name "I, Spyder". This character, named Thomas Ludlow Dalt, was one of the five heroes brought together by the Vigilante to form a new incarnation of the Seven Soldiers of Victory. Prior to this, he was abducted by the Seven Unknown Men of Slaughter Swamp after accepting a contract to kill them at their home base in the aforementioned bog. It was revealed that the Seven had hired him in order to lure him into their headquarters so they could hopefully prepare him to defeat the Sheeda (though one character criticised recruiting 'another schmuck with a bow and arrows'). Thomas was given several augmentations in terms of his abilities and gear which included new clothes, a jet-black helicopter with a black widow hourglass symbol on its base as well as 'cold blood and perfect aim'. This Spyder is also the son of Thomas Hallaway, and the brother of Lucas, who usurps the identity by killing his brother. His glory is short lived however, as he is killed by the evil Sheeda and resurrected as their agent.
This Spyder was not actually villainous like his father. After a failed assassination attempt on
Other characters named Spider
There have been other characters who have called themselves Spider:
- Spider was a female proprietor of Durand's Nite Club who cross-dressed as a male criminal and fought Speed Saunders.[6]
- Spider was a spy and saboteur who fought Mister America.[7]
- Spider was a criminal mastermind who runs a murder racket and fought Green Lantern. He was served by Parrot Malone, Harry the Hood, and Snitch Carter.[8]
- Spider was a criminal who fought Robotman.[9]
- Spider was a racketeer who fought the Blue Boys.[10]
- Lily Vorna was a secretary who operated as a terrorist named Spider and fought the Blackhawks.[11]
- Frank Stacy was a scientist who committed crimes as Spider where he dressed as a spider and fought Plastic Man.[12]
- Spider was a criminal who fought Wonder Woman.[13]
- Spider is a member of the organization S.P.I.D.E.R. (short for Society for Political Instability and Diverted Economic Resources) who fought Catwoman.[14]
- In the pages of "Arkham Manor", Spider is a former construction worker and inmate of Arkham Asylum who fought Batman after giving up on helping to remake Wayne Manor into a rebuilt version of Arkham Asylum.[15]
In other media
- A character loosely based off the Frank Stacy version of Spider appears in The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show episode "The Spider Takes a Bride".
References
- ISBN 978-0-7566-4119-1
- ISBN 978-1605490373.
- ^ Markstein, Don. "Alias the Spider". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
- ISBN 978-1-61318-023-5.
- ^ DC's Harley Quin Romances #1. DC Comics.
- ^ Detective Comics #36 (February 1940). DC Comics.
- ^ Action Comics #35 (April 1941). DC Comics.
- ^ All-American Comics #28 (July 1941). DC Comics.
- ^ Star-Spangled Comics #40 (January 1945). DC Comics.
- ^ Sensational Comics #38 (February 1945). DC Comics.
- ^ Blackhawk #58 (November 1952). DC Comics.
- ^ Plastic Man #46 (May 1954). Quality Comics.
- ^ Wonder Woman #79 (January 1956). DC Comics.
- ^ Catwoman Vol. 2 #48 (August 1997). DC Comics.
- ^ Arkham Manor #2 (January 2015). DC Comics.
External links
- Spider I Profile
- DCU Guide: Spider
- DCU Guide: Spider
- DCU Guide: I, Spyder
- "Alias the Spider" at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012.