SPYDER
Real Name: Spyder (presumably)
Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (race unidentified)
Occupation: Slave trader, entrepreneur
Group Membership: The Webb
Affiliations: Admiral Dupen'th, Death's Head (FPA), Intergalactic Red-Tape Brigade, Jailer
Enemies: Absorbing Man (Carl Creel), Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon), Blinky, Lila Cheney, Gosamyr, Lockjaw, Metal Master (Molyb), Monsteroso, New Mutants (Cannonball/Sam Guthrie, Magik/Illyana Rasputin, Mirage/Danielle Moonstar, Sunspot/Roberto Da Costa, Warlock, Wolfsbane/Rahne Sinclair), Raava the Un-Skrulled
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile
First Appearance: New Mutants I#66 (August, 1988)
Powers/Abilities: An intergalactic slave trader of tremendous wealth who loves acquiring assets and exploiting them, Spyder has access to vast technology, including a star-ship capable of intergalactic travel, power-inhibiting shackles, pliable cages, well-armed alien security teams and scientists who work for him. Spyder seemingly possesses no super-powers except for those inherent to his alien race, including four arms, super strength, and an inability to experience emotions except for greed (though anger seems inherent as well). Spyder uses a process of unknown origins to drain emotion from others and place them in small vials, which he can later inhale, giving him a sense of pleasure. While imprisoned by the Jailer, Spyder briefly used a control device that fired small and deadly webs at others, and had access to attacking robots.
Height: 7'1"
Weight: 400 lbs.
Eyes: Red
Hair: Purple
History:
(New Mutants I#68 (fb) - BTS) - Spyder hailed from a race of
intellectual multi-armed aliens who had very little emotional range
outside of greed.
(New Mutants I#67 (fb) - BTS) - Spyder developed an intergalactic slaver business under the guise of an intergalactic textile manufacturing company called the Webb. Under unknown circumstances, the family of Gosamyr became indebted to Spyder when her brother couldn't pay off a debt, and Spyder took all of the family on as slaves, to do with as he saw fit.
(New Mutants I#67 (fb) - BTS) - Seeking to obtain the intergalactic rock star Lila Cheney into his own possession, Spyder privately financed the purchase of her contract with a group of aliens, who Spyder later forced into bankruptcy so that he could own Lila himself.
(New Mutants I#66) - Spyder drew near Earth, seeking to reclaim Lila Cheney. He offered Gosamyr the chance to earn her freedom if she acquired Lila.
(New Mutants I#67) - Reminding her of the negative consequences that could take place if she failed, Spyder sent Gosamyr to Earth to acquire Lila Cheney, giving her Lila's bioharmonic profile to track. Regularly smelling potions to give himself confidence and determination, Spyder saw Gosamyr slip away, and he monitored her travel to Earth, keeping a careful watch on her. Spyder saw the alien accountants reclaim Lila after battling the New Mutants, young mutant heroes full of emotion that Spyder wanted to extract from them for his potions. Realizing that the heroes were likely to damage his ship, Spyder plotted to use Gosamyr to get them aboard his ship willingly.
(New Mutants I#68 (fb) - BTS) - Spyder received Lila, and put her in shackles that blocked her powers.
(New Mutants I#68) - Spyder held Lila up to watch the monitors of Gosamyr and the New Mutants.
(New Mutants I#69) - Back on his home planet, Spyder ordered Admiral Dupen'th to let the mutants land, then he ordered his men to take him back to his palace, while reminding Lila that she was his property now. After landing on Spyder's planet, the New Mutants battled aliens, and soon rushed to rescue Lila, but Spyder trapped them in a cage. He grabbed Gosamyr by the hair, thanking her for bringing the mutants to him.
(New Mutants I#70) - Keeping Lila and Gosamyr captive, Spyder placed the New Mutants in a cage with pliable bars that would keep them contained no matter their efforts to escape. Leaving Gosamyr tied up behind, Spyder showed Lila how he had advanced Gosamyr's family to their monstrous evolved state, when they were in giant silken cocoons made up of millions of expensive threads, though harvesting them might mean the destruction of the planet. The New Mutants and Gosamyr attacked just as her parents hatched from the cocoons, ruining Spyder's chance of stripping the cocoons for their silk. Panicking, Spyder sniffed the essences of calm and command to restore his control, then he sought to escape with Lila aboard a flying craft, but Cannonball saved Lila, who soon teleported Gosamyr's family to the sun, where they seemingly perished. Spyder tried getting his guards to capture the mutants, but they escaped into limbo (Otherplace).
SECRET WARS III HAPPENED
(Black Bolt#2 (fb) - BTS) - Spyder was sentenced to the prison of the Jailer, where he was to be tortured, killed, and resurrected repeatedly for the rest of his life. In time, Spyder agreed to work for the Jailer, still a prisoner but granted certain priveleges as Spyder began watching over the other prisoners, including the Absorbing Man, Blinky, Molyb the Metal Master, Raava, and Black Bolt. He sometimes forced prisoners to battle in an arena before an audience.
(Black Bolt#2) - Spyder found several prisoners talking. When Absorbing Man insulted Spyder, he fired a web over Creel's mouth, suffocating him until Black Bolt forced Spyder to release him. Spyder forced Black Bolt to combat Raava in the arena before an audience, and Black Bolt won but refused to kill Raava, so Spyder killed Black Bolt in retaliation.
(Black Bolt#3) - Spyder accepted the new prisoner Monsteroso from Death's Head before realizing that Black Bolt had escaped from his cell and attacked. Death's Head initially worked to protect Spyder, but then he abruptly departed after his payment posted in his account. Black Bolt incapacitated Spyder and stole the prison control device, restoring the powers to the prisoners.
(Black Bolt#5) - Black Bolt and Absorbing Man attacked Spyder, having gotten their full powers back, and they easily overcame Spyder, forcing him to take them to Blinky and Molyb. After Spyder took them to Raava as well, he unleashed a group of robot drones to fight the escaped prisoners. Spyder then sought to escape, shooting the dog Lockjaw, but Black Bolt defeated Spyder with an energy blast. The Jailer was soon defeated and the prisoners escaped.
Comments: Created by Louise Simonson, Bret Blevins, and Terry Austin.
Spyder received a profile in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89#7 (December, 1989).
This profile was completed 9/30/2020, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Chadman.CLARIFICATIONS:
Spyder has no known connections to:
images: (without ads)
Black Bolt I#2, p9, pan2 (main)
New Mutants I#67, p4, pan5 (face)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89, p19, pan1 (body shot)
Appearances:
New Mutants I#66 (August, 1988) - Louise Simonson (writer), Bret Blevins (penciler), Terry Austin (inker), Ann Nocenti (editor)
New Mutants I#67-68 (September-October, 1988) - Louise Simonson (writer), Bret Blevins (artist), Ann Nocenti (editor)
New
Mutants I#69 (November, 1988) - Louise Simonson (writer), Bret Blevins
(penciler), Al Williamson (inker), Bob Harras (editor)
New Mutants I#70 (December, 1988) - Louise Simonson (writer), Terry
Shoemaker (penciler), Al Milgrom (inker), Bob Harras (editor)
Black Bolt#2-3 (August-September, 2017) - Saladin Ahmed (writer), Christian Ward (artist), Wil Moss (editor)
Black Bolt#5 (November, 2017) - Saladin Ahmed (writer), Christian Ward, Frazer Irving (artists), Wil Moss (editor)
First Posted: 09/30/2020
Last updated: 09/30/2020
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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