Help
Add this page to your book
Show book (0 pages)
Suggest pagesBlack Spider
 |
This section may be confusing or unclear. Please help clarify the article . Suggestions may be on the talk page. (November 2011) |
| Black Spider | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | (Needham) Detective Comics #463 (September 1976) (LaMonica) Batman #518 (May 1995) (Coe) Birds of Prey #87 (December 2005) |
| Created by | (Needham) Gerry Conway Ernie Chua (LaMonica) Doug Moench Kelley Jones (Coe) Gail Simone Joe Bennett |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Eric Needham Johnny LaMonica Derrick Coe |
| Team affiliations | (Coe) Injustice League The Society |
Black Spider is the name of several fictional characters who are DC Comics villains. The first two were both primarily the enemies of Batman.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Fictional character biographies
[edit] Eric Needham
The original Black Spider first appeared in Detective Comics #463 (September 1976) and was created by Gerry Conway. Eric Needham is a small time crook who is addicted to heroin. Desperate for money to buy more drugs, he robs a liquor store. He kills the owner, who turns out to be his father. After being arrested, he kicks the habit out of remorse and begins a war on the drug trade.
Donning a costume, he becomes a self-styled vigilante and begins killing those suspected of dealing drugs. This brings him into conflict with Batman. Needham believes that the two should be allies, as he sees common purpose in their war against criminals. His murderous methods, however, continually puts him at odds with the Dark Knight.
Needham's paraphernalia and missions as the Black Spider were bankrolled by a man who is actually secretly involved with narcotics and wants to take out the competition.
Despite his professed desire to fight criminals, the Black Spider occasionally allies himself with costumed villains (most notably in the gathering of super-villains in Detective Comics #526 and Batman #400). Ostensibly, Black Spider's goal in this is to seek revenge against Batman, or at least, this is how he attempted to justify his actions in his own mind. Needham also faced King Faraday and Nightshade in a brief flashback in Secret Origins #28.
During his war, Needham's wife and son are killed by a drug lord who discovers the Black Spider's identity. In a rage, the Spider prepares for one final assault. After being shot multiple times, Needham invades the drug lord's headquarters and detonates explosives strapped to his back, killing the drug dealers in the process.[1]
Eric Needham later turns up in Neil Gaiman's critically acclaimed fantasy comic, The Sandman, dating supporting character, Lyta Hall. No explanation was given for his resurrection. However, earlier issues of the series depicted the souls of sinners escaping Hell when its ruler, Lucifer, abdicated the throne. Presumably, Needham was among these.
Whatever the case, Needham's survival has since been confirmed and the character has made subsequent appearances as the Black Spider, such as in the miniseries Underworld Unleashed. He was seen in Identity Crisis as an ally of Deadshot, Monocle, and Merlyn. He is later a member of The Society.
He is one of the villains sent to retrieve the Get Out of Hell free card from the Secret Six. He was also seen in Battle for the Cowl: The Network, fighting and losing to Huntress.
Black Spider has since appeared as a member of the Suicide Squad.
Needham's costume and name are similar to the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man, while his backstory is a twist on the hero's as Spider-man took up crime-fighting after he failed to stop a robber who would later kill the uncle who had raised him.
[edit] Johnny LaMonica
The second Black Spider first appeared in Batman #518 (May 1995). Professional hitman Johnny LaMonica takes the name "Black Spider" when he is sent to kill the crime lord Black Mask. He is thwarted by Batman and sent to prison.[1] He sustains injuries during this incident that leaves his face a disfigured web of scars, giving his choice of codename an ironic touch.
He is later killed by Detective Crispus Allen during a gang shooting. Black Spider had opened fire on Detective Renee Montoya, preparing to kill her, when Allen unloaded his clip on the villain.[2]
[edit] Derrick Coe
A third Black Spider appears shortly after as a member of the Society. He first appeared in Birds of Prey #87 (December 2005). Other Society members reported that he was presumed dead. Real name Derrick Coe, he apparently bought his "villain franchise" from the Calculator, who assigns him to help torture Savant into revealing the identity of Oracle. When Oracle sends in her task force, the Birds of Prey, to rescue Savant, Savant throws Coe out a window, nearly killing him — Black Canary speculates that he may be a metahuman, allowing him to survive the experience.
Coe later resurfaces as a member of the new Injustice League and one of the exiled supervillains in Salvation Run. He is seen as one of the villains sent to retrieve the Get Out of Hell free card from the Secret Six.
[edit] In other media
[edit] Television
- Black Spider appears in the Young Justice episode "Infiltrator". Black Spider is a member of the League of Shadows. He alongside Cheshire and Hook are sent to defeat the Young Justice team and kill Dr. Serling Roquette. However, he is defeated by Kid Flash.
[edit] Film
- Black Spider appears in the animated movie Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. He is one of the many supervillains trying to collect the bounty on Superman.
[edit] Miscellaneous
- Black Spider appears as a member of the Black Mask's gang in Batman Adventures #5-8.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Wallace, Dan (2008). "Black Spider I and II". In Dougall, Alastair. The DC Comics Encyclopedia. London: Dorling Kindersley. p. 53. ISBN 0-7566-4119-5.
- ^ Gotham Central #23 (November 2004)
[edit] External links
- Black Spider (Eric Needham) at the Comic Book DB
- Black Spider (Johnny LaMonica) at the Comic Book DB
- Black Spider (Derrick Coe) at the Comic Book DB
