Tarantula (Marvel Comics)
Encyclopedia
Tarantula is the alias of a number of fictional character
s appearing in publications from Marvel Comics
.
and has a mysterious Mexican accent. He first appears in Ghost Rider
#2 (April, 1967). He is the leader of the villainous Nightriders in the mini-series Blaze of Glory
. He is killed in the climatic shootout in the final issue.
#134 (July 1974).
As a revolutionary terrorist in the small fictional South American republic of Delvadia, Anton Miguel Rodriguez was expelled from his small organization after murdering a guard without reason during a robbery. Anton then went over to the side of the repressive fascistic-dictatorship government, where they created the identity of the Tarantula for him to serve as a government operative and his country's counterpart to Captain America
. After alienating his masters, the Tarantula embarked on a criminal career in the United States. In his first appearance, he hijacked a Hudson River dayliner to rob the passengers and hold them for ransom; his plan was disrupted by Spider-Man
and the Punisher
. He escaped prison with the help of the Jackal
, who sought revenge on Spider-Man; however, the Tarantula was defeated by Spider-Man. He was then hired by Lightmaster
to assist Kraven the Hunter
in committing various kidnappings and murders, but was again thwarted by Spider-Man. Tarantula then joined forces with Senor Suerte to steal the "Mad-bombs" and use them for extortion, but was this time defeated by Captain America.
Tarantula was hired by the Brand Corporation to silence an informer, but was thwarted by Spider-Man. The Brand Corporation then ordered him to kill Spider-Man. In an attempt to bestow him with spider powers, he was injected with a mutagenic serum and placed in an electrolyte bath. Unfortunately for Rodriguez, Will o' the Wisp
disrupted the mutagenic process, causing Tarantula to start transforming into a gigantic, monstrous spider-like being. Rodriguez remained relatively humanoid at first (at least, he functioned on a bipedal level). However, after several more skirmishes with both the Wisp and Spider-Man, he rapidly continued to mutate into a fully arachnid appearance. He fell into Jamaica Bay, but survived the plunge and continued to mutate, and then battled Spider-Man atop a tall New York City building. Horrified and disgusted with what he had become, he leapt off the building, begging for the police officers gathered below to kill him. In a hail of gunfire, Rodriquez struck the street below and died.
during the EuroHit story, more specifically in Punisher vol. 2, #64-67. The Tarantula battled the Punisher, and Batroc the Leaper
. Eventually he was caught by the Jury
and had his neck broken by Wysper
.
's Agent X series a new Tarantula debuted, claiming to be the daughter of the second incarnation of the character. She only appeared for one issue, and both her and her partner Marie Batroc were shot several times. Her last name and relation to the second Tarantula were confirmed on Crossfire
's entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.
series following the Civil War
storyline. Even Misty Knight
, her team leader knows nothing about her history. Tarantula has a bad attitude and is highly skilled using the blades on her wrists and the toes of her boots. She indicates that she enjoys inflicting pain. If instructed not to kill, she will seriously injure an opponent, to the chagrin of her teammates. She has been observed licking her bloody blade after slicing through an enemy in Heroes For Hire vol. 2, #1. Maria has also been shown to be highly intelligent with knowledge of biology
and engineering
(issue #2 of the same series). In issue #4 she stated that she decided to become a hero to avenge her sister, who had been killed in the Stamford Incident
. This was against the wishes of her father, who would have preferred that she found a safer profession (such as a doctor or lawyer) where she could put her intelligence to good use. Shortly after this revelation, her father was killed by ninjas, though she had been the one marked for death by Ricadonna
(along with the rest of the Heroes For Hire). After they murdered her father, Tarantula killed the entire team of ninjas herself. She shares a passionate kiss with fellow teammate, the aloof Shang-Chi
, but she never manages to find the truest implication of such outburst of passion, as she's offered along with Colleen Wing
to the Brood Queen
by Humbug
. When Shang-Chi and the other heroes come to save them, she has gone unconscious, the utter shock leaving her catatonic and crying. Shang-Chi avenges her, then takes her unconscious body away.
This version of the character stars in the five-issue ensemble miniseries
Six Guns (#1-4 cover-dated Jan.-March 2012), by writer Andy Diggle
and artist Davide Gianfelice, and also starring new contemporary versions of the Marvel Old West heroes Tex Dawson a.k.a. the Western Kid
; the Black Rider
; Matt Slade; and the Two-Gun Kid
.
Writer Brian Michael Bendis
stated in Wizard Magazine that an Ultimate
version of Tarantula was set to appear in the "Clone Saga
" arc of Ultimate Spider-Man
.http://www.ultimatecentral.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6559 Although the story arc introduces several new spider-powered characters, none are called Tarantula within the story. However, Ultimate Secrets identifies a black-costumed, six-armed Spider-Man clone with spider-like eyes and fur as having been Tarantula.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s appearing in publications from 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...
.
Clay Riley
The Tarantula is a Zorro-like western-era villain equipped with a scourgeScourge
A scourge is a whip or lash, especially a multi-thong type used to inflict severe corporal punishment or self-mortification on the back.-Description:...
and has a mysterious Mexican accent. He first appears in Ghost Rider
Phantom Rider
The Phantom Rider is the name of several fictional characters, Old West heroic gunfighters appearing in comic books in the Marvel Comics universe...
#2 (April, 1967). He is the leader of the villainous Nightriders in the mini-series Blaze of Glory
Blaze of Glory (comics)
Blaze of Glory is a four-issue comic book limited series published in 2000 by Marvel Comics. It was written by John Ostrander and drawn by Leonardo Manco....
. He is killed in the climatic shootout in the final issue.
Anton Miguel Rodriguez
Anton Miguel Rodriguez, known as the Tarantula, is a supervillain who wears a red stretch costume with a black tarantula on its chest. He's equipped with poisonous stingers attached to his boots. He was first introduced in The Amazing Spider-ManThe Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
#134 (July 1974).
As a revolutionary terrorist in the small fictional South American republic of Delvadia, Anton Miguel Rodriguez was expelled from his small organization after murdering a guard without reason during a robbery. Anton then went over to the side of the repressive fascistic-dictatorship government, where they created the identity of the Tarantula for him to serve as a government operative and his country's counterpart to Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
. After alienating his masters, the Tarantula embarked on a criminal career in the United States. In his first appearance, he hijacked a Hudson River dayliner to rob the passengers and hold them for ransom; his plan was disrupted by 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...
and the Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
. He escaped prison with the help of the Jackal
Jackal (Marvel Comics)
The Jackal is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 , and was created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Ross Andru. In The Amazing Spider-Man #148 The Jackal is a fictional character that appears in...
, who sought revenge on Spider-Man; however, the Tarantula was defeated by Spider-Man. He was then hired by Lightmaster
Lightmaster
Lightmaster is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Edward Lansky was born in New York City...
to assist Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Spider-Man appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Kraven's name is Sergei Kravinoff. He also appears as Xraven, with white-grey skin and red eyes, possessing the powers of X-Men. He is the half-brother of Dmitri...
in committing various kidnappings and murders, but was again thwarted by Spider-Man. Tarantula then joined forces with Senor Suerte to steal the "Mad-bombs" and use them for extortion, but was this time defeated by Captain America.
Tarantula was hired by the Brand Corporation to silence an informer, but was thwarted by Spider-Man. The Brand Corporation then ordered him to kill Spider-Man. In an attempt to bestow him with spider powers, he was injected with a mutagenic serum and placed in an electrolyte bath. Unfortunately for Rodriguez, Will o' the Wisp
Will o' the Wisp (comics)
Will o' the Wisp is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Universe. He is a physicist who gained control over the electromagnetic attraction between his body's molecules, allowing him to adjust his density...
disrupted the mutagenic process, causing Tarantula to start transforming into a gigantic, monstrous spider-like being. Rodriguez remained relatively humanoid at first (at least, he functioned on a bipedal level). However, after several more skirmishes with both the Wisp and Spider-Man, he rapidly continued to mutate into a fully arachnid appearance. He fell into Jamaica Bay, but survived the plunge and continued to mutate, and then battled Spider-Man atop a tall New York City building. Horrified and disgusted with what he had become, he leapt off the building, begging for the police officers gathered below to kill him. In a hail of gunfire, Rodriquez struck the street below and died.
Powers and abilities
In addition to being a great athlete with incredible agility and leaping skills and being excellent in hand to hand combat, Anton wore gloves with retractable razor-blades and boots with retractable razor-sharp points loaded with drugs that would render his victim unconscious, or other harmful or lethal drugs and poisons. He was educated in military school and was an excellent hand-to-hand combatant, skilled in various martial arts, but particularly in kickboxing. When he was mutated into a giant Tarantula like creature thanks to the Brand Corporation's mutagenic serum, he gained superhuman strength and the ability to adhere to surfaces. Also just before his death he gained the ability to shoot organic webbing from his backside.Luis Alvarez
The next Tarantula (real name Luis Alvarez) wears a costume identical to that of Rodriguez and is also a special government operative, a former captain in the Delvadian militia, but not given to terrorist activities. He acts more as a death squad/government enforcer. He was chosen by Delvadian government officials to be the second Tarantula, and underwent a mutagenic treatment to increase his physical abilities. He was sent to the United States by the Delvadian government to eliminate political refugees from that country, and to kill Spider-Man for what happened to the first Tarantula; however, he was defeated by Spider-Man. Later working as a mercenary, he teamed up with the PunisherPunisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
during the EuroHit story, more specifically in Punisher vol. 2, #64-67. The Tarantula battled the Punisher, and Batroc the Leaper
Batroc the Leaper
Batroc the Leaper is a fictional villain from Marvel Comics. His first appearance was in Tales of Suspense #75, 1966...
. Eventually he was caught by the Jury
The Jury (comics)
The Jury is a fictional group of armored vigilantes in the Marvel Comics universe. The team was first introduced in Venom: Lethal Protector #2.-History:...
and had his neck broken by Wysper
Wysper
Wysper is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared Venom: Lethal Protector #2 and was created by Dan Slott and John Calimee.-Fictional character biography:...
.
Powers and abilities
This Tarantula had his strength, stamina, agility, and reflexes enhanced to peak human levels thanks to Dr. Karl Mendoza's formula. Like the previous Tarantula, he wore retractable blades in his gloves, and retractable spikes in his boots, anointed with harmful or lethal drugs and poisons. Also like his predecessor, he was educated in military school and was an excellent hand-to-hand combatant, skilled in various martial arts, but particularly in kickboxing.Jacinda Rodriguez
In Gail SimoneGail Simone
Gail Simone is an American writer of comic books. Best known for penning DC's Birds of Prey, her other notable works include Secret Six, Welcome to Tranquility, The All-New Atom, and Deadpool. In 2007, she took over Wonder Woman...
's Agent X series a new Tarantula debuted, claiming to be the daughter of the second incarnation of the character. She only appeared for one issue, and both her and her partner Marie Batroc were shot several times. Her last name and relation to the second Tarantula were confirmed on Crossfire
Crossfire (comics)
Crossfire is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by writer Steven Grant and artist Jim Craig in Marvel Two-in-One #52...
's entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.
Powers and abilities
She wore a similar costume to her father, so we assume she had similar abilities.Maria Vasquez
The new Tarantula, Maria Vasquez, debuted in the new Heroes for HireHeroes For Hire
Heroes for Hire is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #54 , and was created by Ed Hannigan and Lee Elias.-Publication history and original concept:...
series following the Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
storyline. Even Misty Knight
Misty Knight
Misty Knight is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. She was first mentioned in Marvel Premiere #20 and appeared in the next issue. She normally appears with Colleen Wing.-Publication history:...
, her team leader knows nothing about her history. Tarantula has a bad attitude and is highly skilled using the blades on her wrists and the toes of her boots. She indicates that she enjoys inflicting pain. If instructed not to kill, she will seriously injure an opponent, to the chagrin of her teammates. She has been observed licking her bloody blade after slicing through an enemy in Heroes For Hire vol. 2, #1. Maria has also been shown to be highly intelligent with knowledge of biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
(issue #2 of the same series). In issue #4 she stated that she decided to become a hero to avenge her sister, who had been killed in the Stamford Incident
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
. This was against the wishes of her father, who would have preferred that she found a safer profession (such as a doctor or lawyer) where she could put her intelligence to good use. Shortly after this revelation, her father was killed by ninjas, though she had been the one marked for death by Ricadonna
Ricadonna
Ricadonna is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe of comics.-Fictional character biography:Ricadonna is one of the main characters in the Daughters of the Dragon comic series. In the series, Ricadonna is a multi-billionaire. She is a mob-queen and enemy of Misty Knight...
(along with the rest of the Heroes For Hire). After they murdered her father, Tarantula killed the entire team of ninjas herself. She shares a passionate kiss with fellow teammate, the aloof Shang-Chi
Shang-Chi
Shang-Chi is a Marvel Comics character, often called the "Master of Kung Fu". He was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin....
, but she never manages to find the truest implication of such outburst of passion, as she's offered along with Colleen Wing
Colleen Wing
Colleen Wing is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Colleen Wing first appeared in Marvel Premiere #19 , and was created by Doug Moench and Larry Hama.-Fictional character biography:...
to the Brood Queen
Brood (comics)
The Brood are a race of insectoid, parasitic, extraterrestrial beings that appear in the comic books published by Marvel Comics, especially Uncanny X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum, they first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #155 .The Brood possess wings, fanged teeth and...
by Humbug
Humbug (comics)
Buck Mitty, known as Humbug, is a fictional character that appeared in the Marvel Comics universe. Humbug was originally a super-villain but later became a super-hero and a member of the Heroes for Hire.-Fictional character biography:...
. When Shang-Chi and the other heroes come to save them, she has gone unconscious, the utter shock leaving her catatonic and crying. Shang-Chi avenges her, then takes her unconscious body away.
This version of the character stars in the five-issue ensemble miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Six Guns (#1-4 cover-dated Jan.-March 2012), by writer Andy Diggle
Andy Diggle
Andy Diggle is a British comic book writer and former editor of 2000 AD. He is best known for his work on The Losers, Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, Adam Strange and Silent Dragon at DC Comics and for his run on Thunderbolts and Daredevil after his move to Marvel.-Career:Diggle took over editing 2000 AD...
and artist Davide Gianfelice, and also starring new contemporary versions of the Marvel Old West heroes Tex Dawson a.k.a. the Western Kid
Western Kid
The Western Kid is a fictional Old West character in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe, and the star of Western feature published by Marvel's 1950s precursor, Atlas Comics.-Publication history:...
; the Black Rider
Black Rider (comics)
The Black Rider is a fictional Western character in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in All-Western Winners #2 , from the company's 1940s forerunner, Timely Comics.-Publication history:...
; Matt Slade; and the Two-Gun Kid
Two-Gun Kid
The Two-Gun Kid is a fictional character, a cowboy gunslinger in the Wild West of Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
.
Ultimate Tarantula
Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis is an American comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim for his self-published, Image Comics and Marvel Comics work, and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics, with his books selling consistently highly for over a...
stated in Wizard Magazine that an Ultimate
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...
version of Tarantula was set to appear in the "Clone Saga
Clone Saga
The Clone Saga or Spider-Clone Saga was a major story arc in Marvel Comics which ran from 1994 to 1996 involving many clones of Spider-Man.The story is considered to be one of the most controversial Spider-Man stories ever told...
" arc of Ultimate 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...
.http://www.ultimatecentral.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6559 Although the story arc introduces several new spider-powered characters, none are called Tarantula within the story. However, Ultimate Secrets identifies a black-costumed, six-armed Spider-Man clone with spider-like eyes and fur as having been Tarantula.
External links
- Tarantula (Rodriguez) RPG statistics
- Tarantula (Rodriguez) Biography
- Tarantula (Alvarez) Biography
- http://marvel.com/universe/Tarantula_%28Antonio_Rodriquez%29
- http://marvel.com/universe/Tarantula_%28Luis_Alvarez%29