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Tarantula (DC Comics)
Encyclopedia
The Tarantula is the name of two fictional comic book
characters owned by DC Comics
that exist in that company's DC Universe
.
#1 (October 1941).
by the Crimson Avenger
in the days when America
entered World War II
. The Tarantula possessed no super-abilities, but relied on several gimmicks and his quick wits. He was trained in hand-to-hand combat, as well as some acrobatics, and had a passing interest in stage make-up and stage magic. He used suction cups attached to the soles on his boots to allow him to walk up walls and hang from ceilings. He also used a "web-gun" which fired a string of fast-hardening nylon that could be used to swing from one anchored point to another and ensnare his victims. He was even called a "spider man," all this decades before the "other" Spider-Man
made his debut.
He was a member of the All-Star Squadron
before retiring to become a writer. He had a best selling novel, Altered Egos: The Mystery Men of World War II, published sometime in the 1970s. He went on to write many other novels, but none as successful as Altered Egos.
In his later years, Law lived in the city of Blüdhaven
, in the same building as Dick Grayson
, known to some as the vigilante hero Nightwing
. Two elderly Nazis, wanting revenge on Law, tracked him down, but were defeated by Nightwing. Law tried to spin this out as a plot for a new story, with him as the major protagonist.
Later, the building was burned down by the villain Blockbuster in an attempt to ruin Nightwing's life. John Law's successor, the new Tarantula, tried to save him, but arrived too late. John Law died, along with 21 other residents. However, his body was never recovered.
The second Tarantula is Catalina Flores, who first appeared in Nightwing
#71, while waiting until issue #75 to appear as Tarantula.
's assistant district attorney, dressed as the Tarantula, based on her hero, the original Tarantula, in order to battle the corrupt police officers and gangland criminals of the city.
It was inevitable for her to encounter Blüdhaven's own protector Nightwing, but he did not approve of the more extreme measures she took. When investigating the murder of Delmore Redhorn, the corrupt Chief of Police in Blüdhaven, Nightwing discovered the murderer was in fact Tarantula, and that she was working for his nemesis Blockbuster. She had also manipulated an encounter with Nightwing in such a manner that Barbara Gordon
broke up with him.
Working with Tad Ryerstad, (Nite-Wing
), Nightwing was able to have Tarantula arrested for the murder of Redhorn, although in the process the wanted vigilante Tad was arrested as well. Tarantula was out on the streets soon enough, and when the battle between Nightwing and Blockbuster heated up, Tarantula involved herself and shot Blockbuster. Nightwing could have prevented the murder, but, driven to the edge of sanity by Blockbuster's calculated assaults on everyone whom Nightwing held dear (Blockbuster knew his secret identity and exploited this), in a moment of absolute misery Nightwing stood aside and let Tarantula kill him. Allowing Tarantula to kill Blockbuster caused Nightwing to go through what appears to have been essentially a nervous breakdown, and Tarantula took advantage of his near catatonic state to have sex with him. During the following period of time, she ran off with him and attempted to establish a relationship. After a while, Nightwing came to his senses and turned himself in for the murder of Blockbuster. He was acquitted, however, and worked to bring in Tarantula, who was sent to jail.
She appeared in Secret Six
, in possession of a "Get Out of Hell Free" card, forged by Neron
. The card is coveted by Junior, Ragdoll's insane sister, who sends an army of supervillains after her. She eventually sacrifices herself by pulling Junior and herself in front of a combined attack from the assembled villains, killing them both.
Recently, she made an appearance in Justice Society of America
as part of the resistance in an alternative future dominated by Nazis, implying that she may make a possible return.
on a rooftop. At the time, Nightwing was in shock and undergoing deep emotional trauma; thus there has been debate amongst fans as to his consent, and if Nightwing was in fact rape
d by Tarantula. Writer Devin Grayson herself has given the contradictory statement, "For the record, I’ve never used the word 'rape', I just said it was non-consensual." This is further confused by the script for the issue specifically mentioning (in parentheses) that this scene was a sex scene and not a rape.
episode Powerless!, Aquaman
is seen portraying the John Law Tarantula (brown and black costume).
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
characters owned by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
that exist in that company's DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
.
John Law
The original Tarantula was a character prominent in the 1940s named John Law. He first appeared in Star-Spangled ComicsStar-Spangled Comics
Star Spangled Comics was the title of a comic book series published by DC Comics which ran for 130 issues from 1941 through 1952. At that point it was retitled Star Spangled War Stories and lasted another 200+ issues until 1977.-Publication history:...
#1 (October 1941).
Fictional character biography
Tarantula was inspired to be a mystery manSuperhero
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 —...
by the Crimson Avenger
Crimson Avenger
The Crimson Avenger is the name of three separate fictional characters, superheroes who exist in the DC Comics universe.-Lee Walter Travis:The original Crimson Avenger made his first published appearance in Detective Comics #20...
in the days when America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entered World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The Tarantula possessed no super-abilities, but relied on several gimmicks and his quick wits. He was trained in hand-to-hand combat, as well as some acrobatics, and had a passing interest in stage make-up and stage magic. He used suction cups attached to the soles on his boots to allow him to walk up walls and hang from ceilings. He also used a "web-gun" which fired a string of fast-hardening nylon that could be used to swing from one anchored point to another and ensnare his victims. He was even called a "spider man," all this decades before the "other" 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...
made his debut.
He was a member of the All-Star Squadron
All-Star Squadron
The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in a special insert in Justice League of America #193 . Created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway.-The concept:...
before retiring to become a writer. He had a best selling novel, Altered Egos: The Mystery Men of World War II, published sometime in the 1970s. He went on to write many other novels, but none as successful as Altered Egos.
In his later years, Law lived in the city of Blüdhaven
Blüdhaven
Blüdhaven is a fictional city in the . Created by Chuck Dixon and Scott McDaniel in 1996, it was originally intended to serve as a backdrop for the Nightwing comics series.-Fictional geography:...
, in the same building as Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
, known to some as the vigilante hero Nightwing
Nightwing
Nightwing is a name that has been used by several fictional characters in the DC Comics Universe. It was conceived as a Kryptonian analogue to the character of Batman, with Nightwing's frequent partner Flamebird based on Robin...
. Two elderly Nazis, wanting revenge on Law, tracked him down, but were defeated by Nightwing. Law tried to spin this out as a plot for a new story, with him as the major protagonist.
Later, the building was burned down by the villain Blockbuster in an attempt to ruin Nightwing's life. John Law's successor, the new Tarantula, tried to save him, but arrived too late. John Law died, along with 21 other residents. However, his body was never recovered.
Catalina Flores
Nightwing
Nightwing is a name that has been used by several fictional characters in the DC Comics Universe. It was conceived as a Kryptonian analogue to the character of Batman, with Nightwing's frequent partner Flamebird based on Robin...
#71, while waiting until issue #75 to appear as Tarantula.
Fictional character biography
Initially Catalina Flores, a former FBI agent as well as sister of BlüdhavenBlüdhaven
Blüdhaven is a fictional city in the . Created by Chuck Dixon and Scott McDaniel in 1996, it was originally intended to serve as a backdrop for the Nightwing comics series.-Fictional geography:...
's assistant district attorney, dressed as the Tarantula, based on her hero, the original Tarantula, in order to battle the corrupt police officers and gangland criminals of the city.
It was inevitable for her to encounter Blüdhaven's own protector Nightwing, but he did not approve of the more extreme measures she took. When investigating the murder of Delmore Redhorn, the corrupt Chief of Police in Blüdhaven, Nightwing discovered the murderer was in fact Tarantula, and that she was working for his nemesis Blockbuster. She had also manipulated an encounter with Nightwing in such a manner that Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino...
broke up with him.
Working with Tad Ryerstad, (Nite-Wing
Nite-Wing
Nite-Wing is a fictional character appearing in the DC Comics series Nightwing.-Fictional character biography:Tad Ryerstad is a sociopath and possesses a great deal of rage while being prone to loud outbursts, as well as frequently referring to himself in the third person...
), Nightwing was able to have Tarantula arrested for the murder of Redhorn, although in the process the wanted vigilante Tad was arrested as well. Tarantula was out on the streets soon enough, and when the battle between Nightwing and Blockbuster heated up, Tarantula involved herself and shot Blockbuster. Nightwing could have prevented the murder, but, driven to the edge of sanity by Blockbuster's calculated assaults on everyone whom Nightwing held dear (Blockbuster knew his secret identity and exploited this), in a moment of absolute misery Nightwing stood aside and let Tarantula kill him. Allowing Tarantula to kill Blockbuster caused Nightwing to go through what appears to have been essentially a nervous breakdown, and Tarantula took advantage of his near catatonic state to have sex with him. During the following period of time, she ran off with him and attempted to establish a relationship. After a while, Nightwing came to his senses and turned himself in for the murder of Blockbuster. He was acquitted, however, and worked to bring in Tarantula, who was sent to jail.
She appeared in Secret Six
Secret Six (comics)
The Secret Six is the name of three different fictional comic book teams in the , plus an alternate universe's fourth team. Each team has had six members, led by a mysterious figure named Mockingbird, whom the characters assume to be one of the other five members.-Original Secret Six:The Secret Six...
, in possession of a "Get Out of Hell Free" card, forged by Neron
Neron
Neron is a fictional demon, a comic book character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in the DC Comics cross-over event Underworld Unleashed #1, , and was created by Mark Waid and Howard Porter.- Publication history :...
. The card is coveted by Junior, Ragdoll's insane sister, who sends an army of supervillains after her. She eventually sacrifices herself by pulling Junior and herself in front of a combined attack from the assembled villains, killing them both.
Recently, she made an appearance in Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
as part of the resistance in an alternative future dominated by Nazis, implying that she may make a possible return.
Controversy
At the end of Nightwing #93 (July 2004), after Tarantula killed Blockbuster, she and Nightwing had sexSexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
on a rooftop. At the time, Nightwing was in shock and undergoing deep emotional trauma; thus there has been debate amongst fans as to his consent, and if Nightwing was in fact rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d by Tarantula. Writer Devin Grayson herself has given the contradictory statement, "For the record, I’ve never used the word 'rape', I just said it was non-consensual." This is further confused by the script for the issue specifically mentioning (in parentheses) that this scene was a sex scene and not a rape.
In Other Media
In the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode Powerless!, Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
is seen portraying the John Law Tarantula (brown and black costume).