Spider-Slayer
Encyclopedia
The Spider-Slayers are a series of fictional robot
s in the Marvel Comics
universe
that were specifically designed to hunt down, capture, and/or kill Spider-Man
.
The first series of robots were originally designed and built by Dr. Spencer Smythe
with the financial backing of J. Jonah Jameson
who piloted them for the pleasure of personally hunting the superhero
he hated for capture. However, Spider-Man always managed to defeat each robot in turn. Smythe's continual efforts to perfect his machines backfired on him, leading to himself being fatally contaminated by radiation poisoning
from the building materials of his creations. Blaming both Jameson and Spider-Man for this, he attempted, as a final act, to murder them both, but died just before Spider-Man thwarted the attempt.
Later, Jameson commissioned another scientist, Dr. Marla Madison, to create a new and improved Spider-Slayer. While that attempt failed, he eventually fell in love with her and married her (Amazing Spider-Man #167-168).
In Amazing Spider-Man Annual #19 (1985), Smythe's son, Alistair
, emerged as the new builder of Spider-Slayers. He swore revenge on Spider-Man, repeatedly attacking the superhero with his own series of Slayers. Smythe later mutated into a humanoid Spider-Slayer, but remains a minor foe.
The original Spider-Slayer was seen among the robots and machines in the Reanimator's
collection. Wolverine
later destroyed the Spider-Slayer when the Reanimator attempted to use it against him. It was later used by J. Jonah Jameson to attack the She-Hulk
after she had married his son John, but it was destroyed.
In Amazing Spider-Man #603, Jameson (now Mayor of New York) has some old Spider-Slayers sent to him from storage, to better equip his "Anti-Spider Squad" to take down Spider-Man. The Spider-Slayer technology is combined with that of the Mandroid
suits. However, the "Spider-Slayer Squad" wearing the suits quit their jobs after Spider-Man saves them and New York from a dirty bomb.
universe, Spider-Slayers were built by the Tinkerer
under the order of General Nick Fury, to be used in case Spider-Man
ever went rogue. When clones of Spider-Man begin running rampant Nick Fury and a battalion of Spider-Slayers travel to the Parker residence to arrest Peter, only to encounter the Fantastic Four
and Carnage
, the latter which the Slayers take down (reverting it to Gwen Stacy
). The Slayers later kill a disfigured clone of Spider-Man
. and imprisoned another unstable clone of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in SHIELD
.
In Ultimate Marvel
continuity, the Spider-Slayers are tall (about eight feet) robots that balance on a large sphere, wield two arm-cannons, and have a sphere for their heads. They turned out in fact not to be manned but controlled remotely by the Tinkerer.
, a revenge-obsessed J. Jonah Jameson
hired a Sapien scientist Dr. Allistaire Smythe
to build a Spider Slayer to take out Spider-Man's family, the Parkers (Gwen
, Ben, and George
), but was defeated by using web-shooters on the robot. It had six hands and had a little monitor with Jameson's face on it.
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
that were specifically designed to hunt down, capture, and/or kill Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
.
Fictional character biography
See List of Spider-Slayers for a full breakdown of all versions of the Spider-Slayer.The first series of robots were originally designed and built by Dr. Spencer Smythe
Spencer Smythe
Spencer Smythe is a fictional character, a comic book villain in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #25 . He is the father of Alistair Smythe.-Fictional character biography:...
with the financial backing of J. Jonah Jameson
J. Jonah Jameson
John Jonah Jameson Junior is a supporting character of Spider-Man in the .Jameson is usually the publisher or editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, a fictional New York newspaper and now serves as the mayor of New York City...
who piloted them for the pleasure of personally hunting the superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
he hated for capture. However, Spider-Man always managed to defeat each robot in turn. Smythe's continual efforts to perfect his machines backfired on him, leading to himself being fatally contaminated by radiation poisoning
Radiation poisoning
Acute radiation syndrome also known as radiation poisoning, radiation sickness or radiation toxicity, is a constellation of health effects which occur within several months of exposure to high amounts of ionizing radiation...
from the building materials of his creations. Blaming both Jameson and Spider-Man for this, he attempted, as a final act, to murder them both, but died just before Spider-Man thwarted the attempt.
Later, Jameson commissioned another scientist, Dr. Marla Madison, to create a new and improved Spider-Slayer. While that attempt failed, he eventually fell in love with her and married her (Amazing Spider-Man #167-168).
In Amazing Spider-Man Annual #19 (1985), Smythe's son, Alistair
Alistair Smythe
Alistair Smythe is a comic book supervillain, owned by Marvel Comics and existing in that company's Marvel Universe. He was one of the main foes of Spider-Man...
, emerged as the new builder of Spider-Slayers. He swore revenge on Spider-Man, repeatedly attacking the superhero with his own series of Slayers. Smythe later mutated into a humanoid Spider-Slayer, but remains a minor foe.
The original Spider-Slayer was seen among the robots and machines in the Reanimator's
Reanimator (comics)
The Reanimator is a fictional mutant supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:While at his base, Reanimator watched as Wolverine and Nightcrawler arrived searching for Magneto. He then unleashed several robots, including a double of Magneto, on the two X-Men...
collection. Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
later destroyed the Spider-Slayer when the Reanimator attempted to use it against him. It was later used by J. Jonah Jameson to attack the She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
after she had married his son John, but it was destroyed.
In Amazing Spider-Man #603, Jameson (now Mayor of New York) has some old Spider-Slayers sent to him from storage, to better equip his "Anti-Spider Squad" to take down Spider-Man. The Spider-Slayer technology is combined with that of the Mandroid
Mandroid
A Mandroid is a fictional suit of power armor which appears in the Marvel Comics universe. It first appeared in Avengers #94 , created by Roy Thomas and Neal Adams.-Fictional history:...
suits. However, the "Spider-Slayer Squad" wearing the suits quit their jobs after Spider-Man saves them and New York from a dirty bomb.
Ultimate Spider-Slayers
In the Ultimate MarvelUltimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
universe, Spider-Slayers were built by the Tinkerer
Tinkerer
The Tinkerer is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics Universe...
under the order of General Nick Fury, to be used in case Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Man was a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
ever went rogue. When clones of Spider-Man begin running rampant Nick Fury and a battalion of Spider-Slayers travel to the Parker residence to arrest Peter, only to encounter the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
and Carnage
Carnage (comics)
Carnage is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #344 , and was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Mark Bagley. The character is frequently depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man...
, the latter which the Slayers take down (reverting it to Gwen Stacy
Gwen Stacy
Gwendolyn "Gwen" Stacy appears as a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #31 ....
). The Slayers later kill a disfigured clone of Spider-Man
Kaine
Kaine is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain and antihero who serves as both an ally and an enemy of Spider-Man. He first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #119, and is the Jackal's first failed attempt at cloning Peter Parker...
. and imprisoned another unstable clone of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in SHIELD
Shield
A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....
.
In Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
continuity, the Spider-Slayers are tall (about eight feet) robots that balance on a large sphere, wield two arm-cannons, and have a sphere for their heads. They turned out in fact not to be manned but controlled remotely by the Tinkerer.
House of M
In the Spider-Man: House of MSpider-Man: House of M
Spider-Man: House of M is a five-issue comic book limited series that ran concurrently with Marvel Comics' House of M crossover event in 2005. In the House of M universe, mutants rule the world and humans are an oppressed minority...
, a revenge-obsessed J. Jonah Jameson
J. Jonah Jameson
John Jonah Jameson Junior is a supporting character of Spider-Man in the .Jameson is usually the publisher or editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, a fictional New York newspaper and now serves as the mayor of New York City...
hired a Sapien scientist Dr. Allistaire Smythe
Alistair Smythe
Alistair Smythe is a comic book supervillain, owned by Marvel Comics and existing in that company's Marvel Universe. He was one of the main foes of Spider-Man...
to build a Spider Slayer to take out Spider-Man's family, the Parkers (Gwen
Gwen Stacy
Gwendolyn "Gwen" Stacy appears as a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #31 ....
, Ben, and George
George Stacy
George Stacy is a supporting character in Marvel Comics's Spider-Man series. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #56 , and was created by Stan Lee, John Romita, Sr., and Don Heck. He is Gwen Stacy's father and he strongly approves of his daughter's relationship with Peter Parker...
), but was defeated by using web-shooters on the robot. It had six hands and had a little monitor with Jameson's face on it.
Television
- The first Spider-Slayer appeared in the Spider-ManSpider-Man (1967 TV series)Spider-Man is an animated television series that ran from September 9, 1967 to June 14, 1970. It was jointly produced in Canada and the United States and was the first animated adaptation of the Spider-Man comic book series, created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko...
episode "Captured by J. Jonah Jameson." This one only has two metallic tentacles and possesses a periscope.
- The Spider-Slayers appear in the 1994 Spider-ManSpider-Man (1994 TV series)Spider-Man, also known as Spider-Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated series starring the Marvel Comics superhero, Spider-Man. The show ran on Fox Kids from November 19, 1994, to January 31, 1998. The producer/story editor was John Semper, Jr. and production company was Marvel Films...
TV series. In "The Spider Slayer," the Spider-Slayers being commissioned by Norman OsbornGreen GoblinThe Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
for hunting Spider-Man with Spencer Smythe at the controls. Unfortunately, the "Black Widow" Spider-Slayer was destroyed and the factory exploded with Spencer Smythe still in it. This culminated in Alistair SmytheAlistair SmytheAlistair Smythe is a comic book supervillain, owned by Marvel Comics and existing in that company's Marvel Universe. He was one of the main foes of Spider-Man...
working for the Kingpin when his father was presumed dead. In "Return of the Spider-Slayers," Alistair would go on to not only recreate the "Black Widow" Spider-Slayer, but also at the same time to unleash the "Tarantula" and "Scorpion" Spider-Slayers. In this depiction, the three Spider-Slayers could join together as a massive engine of destruction. In "Tablet of Time," Alistair would build another Slayer called the "Mega Slayer", a heavily-armed humanoid robot operated by remote. As punishment for repeated failures and being partially-responsible for Richard FiskRichard FiskRichard Fisk is a fictional character, a criminal in the , featured in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the son of the Kingpin and his wife Vanessa Fisk...
's arrest, the Kingpin's new chief scientist Herbert Landon genetically mutated Alistair into the "Ultimate Spider-Slayer" as seen in "The Ultimate Slayer." In this form, Alistair was capable of walking again and was incredibly strong and resilient. He also had twin horns growing from his shoulders, both of which were organic laser guns. Though Alistair broke free from Kingpin's controls when Spider-Man revealed what really happened to Spencer Smythe. In "The Wedding," Kingpin used Smythe's duplicate of the "Mega Slayer" to stop Goblin Glider-riding Robots sent by Smythe and Harry OsbornHarry OsbornHarry Osborn is a fictional character, a supporting character of Spider-Man in the . In addition to being Peter Parker's best friend, Harry was the second Green Goblin and is the son of Norman Osborn...
to crash Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson's wedding. It was destroyed while helping Spider-Man and Black Cat.
Video games
- The Spider-Slayers appeared in both the SNESSuper Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
and Sega Genesis games based on the animated series. The Alien Spider-Slayer appears as a mini-boss in the construction site level, while the Tri Spider-Slayer was the boss of that same level. - The Spider-slayers appeared in the Game BoyGame BoyThe , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
game Spider-Man 3: Invasion of the Spider-SlayersThe Amazing Spider-Man 3: Invasion of the Spider-SlayersSpider-Man 3: Invasion of the Spider-Slayers is the third and final video game released by LJN for the original Game Boy based on the popular comic book hero of the same name...
. - The Slayers appeared in the video game adaptation of Spider-ManSpider-Man (film)Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film, the first in the Spider-Man film series based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp...
where they had been created by Oscorp to hunt down Spider-Man but they wound up hunting the Scorpion instead. They resembled mechanical spiders. - Humanoid Slayers armed with flame throwers appear as enemies in the final Ultimate segment in Spider-Man: Shattered DimensionsSpider-Man: Shattered DimensionsSpider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is a video game featuring Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions blends together four universes from the Marvel Comics multiverse, allowing the player to play as four different Spider-Men...
. In-game, it is stated that these Slayers were built with the intention of handling Venom and Carnage. When Carnage escapes and begins wreaking havoc throughout the Triskelion, S.H.I.E.L.D.S.H.I.E.L.D.S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
releases them to handle the situation, but they also end up attacking Spider-Man as well due to his black suit. During the final battle, a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative named Welling reprograms a group of Slayers to recognize Spider-Man as an ally and help him defeat Carnage.
External links
- The Spider-Slayers at Marvel Appendix