BLACK TARANTULA

Real Name: Carlos LaMuerto

Identity/Class: Human mutate

Occupation: Vigilante;
Former prisoner, gang leader

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Bloodscream, Chesbro, Daredevil (Matt Murdock), Doctor Octopus (Otto Octavius), El Uno, Roland Gunderson, Hammerhead, Curtis Henshaw, Boss Morgan, Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, Dakota North, Owl (Leland Owsley), Punisher (Frank Castle), Ric, Roughhouse, Roxxon, Scorpion (Mac Gargan), True Believers (Dragonfly (Meiko Yin), Madame Qwa, Master Zei), Mary-Jane Watson-Parker;
Formerly Little Loco

Enemies: Bullseye, Delilah, Don Fortunato, Electro (Max Dillon), the Hand, Hydra, J. Jonah Jameson, Little Loco, Marla Madison, Dwight Peterson, Dante Rigoletto, Rose (Jacob Conover), Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Wolverine, Yakuza

Known Relatives: Marina Caches (ex-wife), Fabian (son), father, grandfather and various ancestors (names unrevealed, all Black Tarantulas), Luis (cousin, deceased)

Aliases: "Deathless One"

Base of Operations: New York City, New York;
Formerly Argentina

First Appearance: (In shadow) Amazing Spider-Man I#419 (January, 1997); (fully seen) Amazing Spider-Man I#432 (March, 1998)

Powers/Abilities: Black Tarantula possesses super-strength, concussive blasts from his eyes, enhanced durability, a healing factor, and the ability to heal others from injuries. His powers are connected to the Black Tarantula clan, originated 600 years ago. Black Tarantula's grandfather passed the legacy to his son, who passed it to Black Tarantula. Apparently, a relative of Black Tarantula's can steal his powers if he bleeds Black Tarantula dry and performs an unspecified mystic ritual. Black Tarantula may be nearly immortal.

Height: 7'
Weight: 290 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

History:

(Amazing Spider-Man I#436 (fb) - BTS) - Carlos LaMuerto was born to a powerful criminal family in Argentina. For 700 years, the oldest male in the family had become the powerful Black Tarantula, passing the legacy on to his oldest son in turn. Carlos' grandfather and father had both acted as the Black Tarantula.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#436 (fb)) - LaMuerto came to America as part of the Argentinian diplomatic mission. He met and married graduate student Marina Caches, telling her his family was in service industries. She returned with him to Argentina, where she became pregnant before learning the truth of the family's crimes. Marina bore him a son, Fabian.

(Daredevil: Blood of the Tarantula#1 (fb)) - Marina grew increasingly distressed with LaMuerto's criminal activities and begged him to stop. Refusing to just live off his father's scraps, he angrily asked Marina to be happy for his success. That night, he underwent the mystic ritual that gave him his Black Tarantula powers.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#436 (fb)) - Marina took Fabian and fled to the United States, where she filed for divorce.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#419 (fb) - BTS) - Black Tarantula developed a reputation as an international criminal with a cult that worshipped him. He controlled interests throughout South America and Europe from his base in Argentina.

(Daredevil: Blood of the Tarantula#1 (fb) - BTS) - LaMuerto controlled an Argentian gang, comprised of his family members primarily, who were vastly loyal to him.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#419) - Chesbro updated Black Tarantula on the state of the New York underworld and the efforts of Don Fortunato, the Rose, and Hammerhead to take it over. Black Tarantula wondered if fate was leading him to New York in addition to his desires for wealth and new opportunities. Through his agent El Uno, he offered to sell expensive stolen emeralds to the local criminals for a million dollars, far less than what they were worth. The Rose sent a delegation of men, led by Delilah, and El Uno had his men kill the Rose's men. Spider-Man attacked, poking El Uno in the eyes and webbing his face, but he easily ripped free. The building exploded, due to a bomb Delilah had placed, and El Uno was nearly killed. Chesbro gave the news to Black Tarantula.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#420) - El Uno escaped the hospital, covered in bandages, and planned his revenge on Spider-Man and Delilah. He came across two frightened homeless men and stole their clothes. Black Tarantula, meanwhile, grew frustrated when Chesbro set up a Christmas tree, ordering him to take it down. He wondered where El Uno, a servant of the clan for centuries, had disappeared to, ignoring Chesbro's efforts to give him hope. In New York, El Uno tracked Delilah, savagely attacking her, knocking her through the roof of an apartment. Delilah knocked him into a fuel truck that exploded. The Rose and Delilah mailed El Uno's head back to the Black Tarantula in Argentina.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#421/2) - Black Tarantula sent his agents, the True Believers, led by Madame Qwa and including Dragonfly, to attack the Rose's holdings in New York. Chesbro established a video link between Qwa and Black Tarantula and she reported that they would need to go after Spider-Man, who'd been interfering with them.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#422) - Chesbro established another link to Qwa in New York, and Black Tarantula ordered her to kill reporter Joe Robertson, an old colleague of his, and to frame the Rose for it.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#423 - BTS) - Qwa sent Dragonfly after Robertson, but she was nearly killed by the Rose's agent Electro. Spider-Man and Robertson saved her, so she gave information to the press about Black Tarantula.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#424) - Black Tarantula was tied to the True Believers in the newspapers. Within days, Chesbro delivered news that the Hand and Spider-Man had fought the True Believers. Black Tarantula ordered the True Believers to abandon their mission. He decided to travel to New York himself.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#425 - BTS) - The Rose hired the True Believers to resurrect Doctor Octopus, not knowing that the Black Tarantula was planning to use this villain as a pawn potentially.

(Daredevil Annual II#1 (fb) - BTS) - Black Tarantula organized a criminal empire in the Barrio area of the city. He felt like he controlled the streets completely. His number two man, Ric, bet Black Tarantula that he couldn't turn young Luis Rodriguez into a gang member. Black Tarantula corrupted Luis, turning him into the criminal Little Loco. His criminal activities in the states included drug-running, extortion, and murder.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#428) - Qwa reported to Black Tarantula that her brother, Master Zei, had been killed while resurrecting Octopus. Black Tarantula planned to take care of things himself. He sent Chesbro, with a jetpack, to track his wife and son on the Empire State University campus. Black Tarantula attacked Delilah at the Rose's headquarters, savagely beating her against the wall and breaking her neck, but he healed her before she could die, then knocked her out. He wanted Delilah to deliver a message to the Rose, proclaiming his power.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#432) - Black Tarantula stormed the headquarters of Don Fortunato, throwing bodyguards through the window. He asked for Fortunato's blessing to set up interests in New York, and Fortunato agreed despite the Rose's protestations. Black Tarantula told Fortunato that he would make amends for the property damage, and explained that he wanted new challenges in New York. He agreed to go after Spider-Man to prove his worth. After tracking the hero, Black Tarantula threw a chimney at him on the Daily Bugle roof and fired energy blasts from his eyes repeatedly. He explained that he bore Spider-Man no malice and refused to answer if he had any questions to the original Tarantula. As they bantered about Black Tarantula's intentions, Black Tarantula physically attacked the hero, easily ripping through his webbing. He claimed the Black Tarantula name had existed for 700 years as the fight led to the street below. Black Tarantula finally caught Spider-Man's leg, regretting having to harm a noble foe. He finally defeated Spider-Man, but allowed him to live, advising him to disappear after he finished his mission of finding a missing child. He took Spider-Man's mask with him.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#433 - BTS) - Chesbro continued tracking Marina and Fabian.

(Wolverine II#123 (fb) - BTS) - Black Tarantula hired Bloodscream and Roughhouse, mercenaries he'd used in the past, to help his efforts in New York.

(Wolverine II#123 - BTS) - One of the Black Tarantula's men demanded protection money in a local shop, and was followed by Wolverine to a nearby warehouse. Bloodscream and Roughhouse attacked the mutant, who easily defeated them and the Black Tarantula's men.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#435) - Fortunato was impressed that Black Tarantula had retrieved Spider-Man's mask. After Black Tarantula flattered Fortunato and inquired about the Rose, Fortunato shared a myth he had learned of an ancient traveling companion of Marco Polo who had discovered the secret of immortality in China; Black Tarantula later admitted to Chesbro that this contained only a hint of the truth of the powers of the Black Tarantula. Priding himself on his ability to plan decades in advance, Black Tarantula heard Chesbro's apologies for the failure of Roughhouse and Bloodscream to complete their mission. Chesbro was conveying a new assignment to the duo when Delilah and Ricochet (secretly Spider-Man) attacked, fighting them off. Chesbro tried sending the duo after Marina, but Spider-Man stopped them.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#436 (fb) - BTS) - Spider-Man caught Chesbro watching Marina and Fabian and he ordered him to leave them alone as they were under his protection.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#436) - Black Tarantula, having just fought off a Hydra Killdroid on Staten Island, was attacked by Spider-Man, who refused to leave peacefully. Black Tarantula fought off a second droid with Spider-Man's help. Marina and Fabian went with Dante Rigoletto to Fortunato's place for protection when she heard Black Tarantula was coming after them. With the Rose, Mary-Jane Watson-Parker, and Fortunato standing nearby, Black Tarantula attacked the estate, ripping the steel gate free and shrugging off gunfire. A determined Spider-Man tried to stop Black Tarantula, horrified when the villain killed Fortunato's men by throwing an exploding car at them. Black Tarantula threw Spider-Man into the wall, dislocating his shoulder, before fighting off manned Killdroids, briefly feigning defeat until he could get them into the right position to throw the robot, killing more men. He yelled out for Marina to show herself as Spider-Man attacked again, hitting Black Tarantula with a sedative stinger and avoiding his concussive blasts and powerful blows. Black Tarantula, demanding his son, easily shrugged off Spider-Man's webs and weakening punches, and the battle moved into the main room. Marina begged Carlos to see how he was showing his son violence and fear, as Spider-Man stopped the Rose from shooting Fortunato. Black Tarantula walked away from the fight, leaving Fabian with Marina for his upbringing.

(Spider-Man Unlimited I#22 (fb)) - Black Tarantula allied himself with Roxxon to build a bio-engineering facility on his land in Bolivia. In exchange for funding from Roxxon and some of the super-soldiers produced by the facility, Black Tarantula put his agents at Roxxon's disposal.

(Spider-Man Unlimited I#22) - Black Tarantula's agents and Roxxon operative the Scorpion kidnapped Dr. Marla Madison and her husband, J. Jonah Jameson, from Empire State University and flew them to the bio-engineering facility. There, they met with Black Tarantula, Roxxon research and development operative Curtis Henshaw, and rogue US Defense official Colonel Roland Gunderson. They coerced Madison into working on their bio-engineering project by subjecting Jameson to the Scorpion's toxic sting, but Spider-Man attacked the Scorpion before she could begin. In the confusion, Madison and Jameson escaped and contacted the authorities. Spider-Man defeated Scorpion and the authorities arrested Henshaw and Gunderson, but Black Tarantula escaped.

(Daredevil II#82 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Black Tarantula was arrested and incarcerated at Ryker's Island. He found several followers within the facility, while other criminals, such as Boss Morgan, Kingpin, Owl, and Hammerhead, found their own followers.

(Daredevil II#82) - In Ryker's Island penitentiary, LaMuerto approached the supposedly blind Matt Murdock, who'd been incarcerated for suspicion of being Daredevil, in the infirmary. Murdock identified LaMuerto before he spoke, claiming he knew it was him because it was Tuesday, the same day LaMuerto got his weekly shot that took away his powers. LaMuerto told Murdock that Wilson Fisk, the incarcerated Kingpin, had attacked his men in the showers, killing four based on an assumption, even twisting one's head all the way around. LaMuerto asked Murdock to be on his side as things were about to get ugly, but Murdock continued denying he was Daredevil. LaMuerto reminded Murdock that he had to pick a side, whether it be Boss Morgan, Owl, Hammerhead, or someone else.

(Daredevil II#85) - Hearing that Kingpin had arranged the murder of Murdock's ally Franklin "Foggy" Nelson (who was actually still alive), LaMuerto offered to get Murdock a Shiv, but Murdock turned him down. He reminded Murdock that prison changes a man and that he had a reputation to uphold. He then laughed as the Punisher was escorted into the prison. That night he met with Hammerhead and Morgan, who confirmed that a riot was going to break out the next day that would leave Murdock and Fisk both dead.

(Daredevil II#86) - LaMuerto, Hammerhead, and Morgan stood on an upper deck, watching the violent riot break out between the prisoners and wondering where their artillery was. Bullseye hit Morgan with a card, seemingly killing him, and Hammerhead jumped to safety. LaMuerto attacked Bullseye, who impaled him with a card, leaving him in a pool of blood. Murdock and Punisher later escaped from the prison.

(Daredevil Annual II#1 (fb) - BTS) - A counselor in the joint told LaMuerto that the outside only seemed desirable because it was different and unfamiliar, but it was really the same world with more choices. LaMuerto was released on parole due to overpopulation in the prison system. He was given pills that would suppress his powers, which they would check every two weeks.

(Daredevil Annual II#1) - LaMuerto checked in with his parole officer, Dwight Peterson, as required, but was put off by the man's racist and cynical nature. Peterson told LaMuerto that he would be required to pay him $1000 per month to stay on the streets, and that for another $1000 per month, he could get his powers back. Feeling hopeless, he went to Matt Murdock's law clinic, looking for work. The nervous Franklin "Foggy" Nelson showed him in, and Matt shook his hand, agreeing to set him up with assisting private investigator Dakota North. LaMuerto got a terrible apartment in the Barrio, and he was disgusted with the state of the city. After buying a churro, he ran into Little Loco on the streets, and Loco, with his armed men, was sure to let LaMuerto know that he didn't rule the streets anymore. LaMuerto met with North the next morning, though she was skeptical about his criminal career. She and Murdock asked him to look into the facts of the murder case and he grew frustrated with her sardonic nature and the difficulty of working with a computer. He went out to the streets and roughed up Pedro, trying to get information on the murders that way, but Murdock stopped him. Murdock told LaMuerto to come back when he was ready, then walked off, accosted by muggers. LaMuerto fought them off, then Murdock invited him on a private mission. He dressed as Black Tarantula and joined Daredevil in fighting down a group of Yakuza. LaMuerto was tempted to use the drug money there to do good things in his neighborhood, but Murdock refused to let him. Remembering the words of his shrink, he threw his medication against the wall, refusing to take it anymore so his powers could return. Murdock soon called LaMuerto, telling him that Little Loco had been connected to the murders. Dressed as Black Tarantula, LaMuerto stormed Little Loco's home, realizing he was guilty. His men shot LaMuerto several times, but he healed quickly and easily defeated the group. Little Loco invited LaMuerto to join his criminal enterprise, but LaMuerto killed him with money in his throat instead. Murdock arrived, asking what LaMuerto had done, but he refused to justify himself. When Daredevil threatened to arrest LaMuerto again, he punched the hero back, healing him before he left. He soon left Murdock incriminating evidence on Peterson, then turned over all of Loco's money to the local church.

(Daredevil: Blood of the Tarantula#1 (fb) - BTS) - LaMuerto claimed a section of the city as his own. He sent out word that no drugs would be allowed on his streets.

(Daredevil: Blood of the Tarantula#1) - When he saw a drug deal going down in a playground, LaMuerto, in his Black Tarantula costume, attacked the dealers, healing from their gunfire and taking them down easily. He left them alive to spread the word, then took their money to a local rescue mission, where the father was uncomfortable with the blood-stained costume LaMuerto wore. He destroyed the drugs that night, looking over his city. He walked through his city confidently, knowing that his people appreciated them. As he was paying off the cops, he thought he saw Marina and Fabian walking in the crowd, but was unable to find them. He wondered if they were in danger out in the city. That night, he got a call from Fabian, whose voice was quickly replaced by a kidnapper's. He demanded LaMuerto be on the pier that night or his family would be dead. He went, despite the risks, and he was taken down by tranquilizer darts. He woke up tied to a pole with his cousin Luis in his face, leading men from his own Argentian gang and wanting to kill LaMuerto so that he could obtain the Black Tarantula powers for himself. Luis claimed that he was backed by the family and that they wanted him to start a drug campaign again. LaMuerto managed to break the pole he was on and he went plummeting into the water as he was riddled with bullets. Struggling to heal, he showed up on Murdock's doorstep. Two days later, he awakened and thanked Murdock, asking him for help against Luis despite the illegalities. He soon found the kidnapped woman and child, realizing they were not his family, seeing that the boy did not have the small spider tattoo at the base of his skull like Carlos would have. As LaMuerto tried to free the victims, Luis blew up the building. LaMuerto emerged from the fire, burning alive, and killed Luis with his own blade. LaMuerto planned to blame it all on Luis, but he knew there would be more men after him. He knew he would have to keep a low profile. Two weeks later, he was working as a construction worker, missing his old life.

Comments: Created by Tom Defalco, Steve Skroce, and Bud LaRosa.

Black Tarantula was not fully seen until Amazing Spider-Man I#432. Special thanks to Rob London and Markus Raymond for their help with this profile.

Black Tarantula received an entry in Marvel Legacy: The 1990s Handbook.

Profile by Chadman.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Black Tarantula has no known connections to

• Taran Tula, role of the actress Roxanne @ Nightmare#1
• Tarantula (Clay Riley), Old West villain @ Ghost Rider I#2
• El Tarantula, Delvadian hero @ 1890s, Aguila (Paco Montoya) foe @ Marvel Westerns: Outlaw Files#1
• Tarantula (Antonio Miguel Rodriguez), Delvadian mercenary, Spider-Man foe @ Amazing Spider-Man I#134
• Tarantula (Luis Alvarez), Delvadian patriot, Spider-Man foe, killed by Jury @ Web of Spider-Man#35
• Tarantula, unidentified successor of Alvarez, fought Runaways @ Captain Marvel V#32/2
• Tarantula (Maria Vasquez), Heroes for Hire member @ Heroes for Hire II#1
• or any other "Black" or "Tarantula" characters

images: (without ads)
Marvel Legacy: The 1990s Handbook, p4, Black Tarantula entry (main)
Daredevil: Blood of the Tarantula#1, p8, pan1 (2nd)