The Web (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Web is a fictional character
, a superhero created by MLJ Comics' John Cassone as artist and an unknown writer in 1942.
, and mystery writer. Raymond's interest in studying the motives and behavior of criminals harked back to his youth, and the criminal leanings of his brother Tom. The Web debuted in issue #27 of Zip Comics
in July 1942, having originally been intended for Top-Notch Comics
, the change occurring due to a decision to emphasize the humour of Top-Notch. In that first issue, he rescues a woman named Rose Wayne from a Japanese terrorist named The Black Dragon of Death. Rose discovers his secret identity, and learns his motivation; the characters were later married, and The Web shortly retired from crimefighting and settled down into a domestic life. His last appearance in Zip was in issue #38, in July 1943, having appeared on several covers.
#36, written by Jerry Siegel
and drawn by Paul Reinman
to combat the antics of an imposter. Soon - in Mighty Crusaders
#4 (April 1966) - joining with The Fox
and Captain Flag
to form The Ultra-Men. In Mighty Comics
#40 (Nov. 1966), he is chastised by his wife, who no longer wanted him to be a superhero.
Despite this criticism, Raymond continues his crimefighting, while becoming increasingly hen-pecked domestically. His wife ultimately trains and dons her own costume: as "Pow-Girl" (appearing in Mighty Comics #43) she fights crime alongside her husband, who is unaware of her real identity. The Web had several more issues' worth of appearances, before disappearing again.
This first reappearance of the Web is often thought to be that of the original Web's son.
superhero revival of the 1980s, The Web made more appearances alongside the company's heroes. This Web is usually described as John Raymond Jr., the son of the original web.
In 2006, he appeared in a small cameo appearance
in Archie and Friends #101, in the Katy Keene
story. In 2007, he appeared again in the Katy Keene story in Archie and Friends #107.
It was then announced that DC Comics
' upcoming 2009 revival of the Red Circle characters will include The Web.
and the Final Crisis
, despite the return of the Multiverse, several super-hero characters published by MLJ and Milestone Media
were licensed by DC Comics and folded into the new standard continuity of New Earth. The Red Circle Comics characters, aptly named The Red Circle were rebooted as well.
The new incarnation of John Raymond is a spoiled womanizer, fancying himself a socialite
. No longer a brilliant criminologist and brother to a criminal, he is now depicted as a slacker. Leading a cushioned life of privileges, and barely passing through college between parties and booze. All the while his brother David distanced himself from his family, choosing to help the poorer as a social worker. Despite their differences, John always admired David. John was made the heir of the family fortune by his father, who reasoned that John's cold, privileged mindset would make him a better businessman. John, who believed his brother to be the better man and rightful heir, decided to balance business needs with humanitarian goals. To those ends, John maintained his profile as a spoiled socialite while using part of his five-billion dollar fortune to set up a superpowered persona as The Web, a common people superhero who derived his name from the World Wide Web
. John developed an advanced supercomputer to select the most urgent or worthy of numerous requests for help submitted his website summontheweb.com.
John later discovers that David has fallen in debt to loansharks, who later murder David, who explains with his last breath that he didn't want to ask John for help because he was too proud. David's death causes John to reevaluate his activities as The Web, and decides that he will no longer aid those who have the resources to help themselves, or who have friends and family they can turn to. Instead, the Web will assist only those who have no one else to turn to. The first beneficiary of his new deal is Lieutenant Joseph Higgins, stationed in Afghanistan and looking for his missing father. However, waiting for The Web reply, Higgins is grievously wounded while in a mission, and saved by an experimental warsuit: by the time The Web reviews email, and gives him a positive reply, Higgins has become The Shield, superhero on his own and a potential ally in John's quest.
John eventually discovers that the man responsible for David's murder is a renowned scientist named Dr. Archer, who is using his knowledge of chemistry to create addictive recreational drugs which he then distributes through violent street gangs. Unable to hold off Archer and fight him actively alone the Web resorts, like the previous Impact Comics
character, to turn the Web identity into an organization of equally empowered crime fighters, a small army of Web Hosts, receiving functional copies of his suit in exchange for enacting justice in his name. After a brief period of unrests and anarchy, Oracle
and Batgirl offer an upgrade to the Web Hosts, in exchange for them pledging alliance to the Justice League of America rather than acting independently and thinning their number to expel the more rambunctious and rebellious members. The Web Hosts now receive their powers from a cloud computing
server in the Web Lair, making The Web able to shut their suits down remotely. Furthermore, every suit is fitted with an access to Twitterati (the DCU equivalent of Twitter
featured into the Final Crisis: Dance miniseries), granting the Host a private social network
to use for personal interactions and crimefighting as well, and John Raymond himself, as the current administrator, a permanent link to his Hosts and simple supporters (and a spyware
implanted program to gain Oracle absolute control over the aptly named Interweb).
With the help of his new hosts and his supporters The Web finally tracks down Dr. Archer, finally handing him down to the police with enough proof to get him put on trial. However Alice, girlfriend of the late David, warns John of another hidden instigator behind Archer's actions, the mysterious Deuces Wilde.
When a technological-savvy villain, Doctor Zadar, manages to mainline the remote link, effectively capturing and controlling the entire Web Hosts population, Raymond meets Kim Brand, the current incarnation of the Fly Girl, in this continuity no longer a magic user but a former Web Host wearing an enhanced, illegally modified and souped-up Web Host suit with greater proficiency. Raymond enlists her for the rescue mission, offering her the enhanced suit in exchange, this time as her personal property.
Raymond handles the crisis selflessly, deliberately risking his life to keep Fly Girl out of harm, but highlighting his lack of teamplay abilities: however, he manages to impress the U.S. Army to warrant for Kim and himself an induction into the newly formed Mighty Crusaders, along with The Comet, Inferno
, The Shield and War Eagle.
Unable to be effective alone, John Raymond has fully functional copies of his suit, with every single power of his original one, sent to willing followers of summontheweb.com, along with an instruction manual and 120 days of tech support, creating a super-hero franchise
named the Web Hosts (obvious pun over the webhost concept, consistent with the image of The Web as an accessibile, Internet
-savvy hero). When Oracle and Batgirl confront him about his lack of control over the Hosts, John Raymond accepts to force upon them a stricter charter in exchange for upgrades provided by Oracle herself.
The current Web Hosts are now permanently connected to the Interwebs, a Twitter
ati-derived social network
, fully accessible from the suits, that constantly feeds in John Raymond's administrator account and suit every shred of information the Hosts are willing to share about crime fighting, or simple socialization. As a programmed side-effect, however, everything The Web does is out on the display on the Interwebs, for everyone to view or comment upon. As a security measure, the Web Lair is upgraded with a cloud computing
system linked to the Hosts, making Raymond (and Oracle) able to remotely disable the Hosts Suits.
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...
, a superhero created by MLJ Comics' John Cassone as artist and an unknown writer in 1942.
Fictional character biography
The Web's secret identity was that of John Raymond, a college professor of criminologyCriminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
, and mystery writer. Raymond's interest in studying the motives and behavior of criminals harked back to his youth, and the criminal leanings of his brother Tom. The Web debuted in issue #27 of Zip Comics
Zip Comics
Zip Comics was the name of an American anthology comic book series published by MLJ Magazines Inc., more commonly known as MLJ Comics, for 47 issues between June 1940 and Summer 1944...
in July 1942, having originally been intended for Top-Notch Comics
Top-Notch Comics
- Top-Notch Laugh Comics/Laugh Comix :In a change of editorial direction, from issue #28 the story emphasis changed to humor strips and the title became Top-Notch Laugh Comics to reflect this. All the long-running adventure series from Top-Notch Comics ended between issue #24 - Top-Notch Laugh...
, the change occurring due to a decision to emphasize the humour of Top-Notch. In that first issue, he rescues a woman named Rose Wayne from a Japanese terrorist named The Black Dragon of Death. Rose discovers his secret identity, and learns his motivation; the characters were later married, and The Web shortly retired from crimefighting and settled down into a domestic life. His last appearance in Zip was in issue #38, in July 1943, having appeared on several covers.
Revival
The Web came out of retirement in March 1966 in Fly-ManThe Fly (Archie Comics)
The Fly is a fictional comic book superhero published by Red Circle Comics. He was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby as part of Archie's "Archie Adventure Series" and later camped up as part of the company's Mighty Comics line...
#36, written by Jerry Siegel
Jerry Siegel
Jerome "Jerry" Siegel , who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S...
and drawn by Paul Reinman
Paul Reinman
Paul J. Reinman was an American comic book artist best known as one of industry legend's Jack Kirby's frequent inkers during what comics fans and historians call the Silver Age of comic books...
to combat the antics of an imposter. Soon - in Mighty Crusaders
Mighty Crusaders
The Mighty Crusaders is a fictional superhero team published by Archie Comics. The team originally appeared in Fly-Man #31, #32 and #33 before being launched in its own title, Mighty Crusaders. Written by Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel, the series lasted seven issues before being cancelled. The...
#4 (April 1966) - joining with The Fox
The Fox (comics)
The Fox is the name of two fictional superheroes that appear in periodicals published by MLJ Comics, and a supervillain that appeared in the mid-2000s Top Cow comic-book series Wanted.- Publication history :...
and Captain Flag
Captain Flag
Captain Flag is a fictional superhero created by MLJ Comics' writer Joe Blair and artist Lin Streeter. He first appeared in September 1941, in issue #16 of Blue Ribbon Comics. He shared the cover with Mr. Justice until #19 when Captain Flag was the only one to appear on the cover...
to form The Ultra-Men. In Mighty Comics
Mighty Comics
Mighty Comics Group, sometimes referred to as Archie Adventure Series and Radio Comics, refer to the attempt by Archie Comics to revamp and publish superhero comics in the mid-1960s...
#40 (Nov. 1966), he is chastised by his wife, who no longer wanted him to be a superhero.
Despite this criticism, Raymond continues his crimefighting, while becoming increasingly hen-pecked domestically. His wife ultimately trains and dons her own costume: as "Pow-Girl" (appearing in Mighty Comics #43) she fights crime alongside her husband, who is unaware of her real identity. The Web had several more issues' worth of appearances, before disappearing again.
This first reappearance of the Web is often thought to be that of the original Web's son.
Later appearances
In Archie's Red Circle ComicsRed Circle Comics
Red Circle Comics was an imprint used by Archie Comics Publications, Inc. to publish non-Archie characters, especially their superheroes, in the 1970s and '80s.-Phase 1: 1970s:...
superhero revival of the 1980s, The Web made more appearances alongside the company's heroes. This Web is usually described as John Raymond Jr., the son of the original web.
In 2006, he appeared in a small cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in Archie and Friends #101, in the Katy Keene
Katy Keene
Katy Keene, a character created by Bill Woggon, has appeared in several comic book series published by Archie Comics since 1945. She is a model/actress/singer known as America's Queen of Pin-Ups and Fashions....
story. In 2007, he appeared again in the Katy Keene story in Archie and Friends #107.
It was then announced that 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...
' upcoming 2009 revival of the Red Circle characters will include The Web.
2009 Revival
After the Infinite CrisisInfinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
and the Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
, despite the return of the Multiverse, several super-hero characters published by MLJ and Milestone Media
Milestone Media
Milestone Media is a company best known for creating Milestone Comics and securing an unheard of publishing and distribution deal with DC Comics and the Static Shock cartoon series. It was founded in 1993 by a coalition of African-American artists and writers Milestone Media is a company best known...
were licensed by DC Comics and folded into the new standard continuity of New Earth. The Red Circle Comics characters, aptly named The Red Circle were rebooted as well.
The new incarnation of John Raymond is a spoiled womanizer, fancying himself a socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
. No longer a brilliant criminologist and brother to a criminal, he is now depicted as a slacker. Leading a cushioned life of privileges, and barely passing through college between parties and booze. All the while his brother David distanced himself from his family, choosing to help the poorer as a social worker. Despite their differences, John always admired David. John was made the heir of the family fortune by his father, who reasoned that John's cold, privileged mindset would make him a better businessman. John, who believed his brother to be the better man and rightful heir, decided to balance business needs with humanitarian goals. To those ends, John maintained his profile as a spoiled socialite while using part of his five-billion dollar fortune to set up a superpowered persona as The Web, a common people superhero who derived his name from the World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
. John developed an advanced supercomputer to select the most urgent or worthy of numerous requests for help submitted his website summontheweb.com.
John later discovers that David has fallen in debt to loansharks, who later murder David, who explains with his last breath that he didn't want to ask John for help because he was too proud. David's death causes John to reevaluate his activities as The Web, and decides that he will no longer aid those who have the resources to help themselves, or who have friends and family they can turn to. Instead, the Web will assist only those who have no one else to turn to. The first beneficiary of his new deal is Lieutenant Joseph Higgins, stationed in Afghanistan and looking for his missing father. However, waiting for The Web reply, Higgins is grievously wounded while in a mission, and saved by an experimental warsuit: by the time The Web reviews email, and gives him a positive reply, Higgins has become The Shield, superhero on his own and a potential ally in John's quest.
John eventually discovers that the man responsible for David's murder is a renowned scientist named Dr. Archer, who is using his knowledge of chemistry to create addictive recreational drugs which he then distributes through violent street gangs. Unable to hold off Archer and fight him actively alone the Web resorts, like the previous Impact Comics
Impact Comics
Impact Comics was an imprint of DC Comics that was aimed at younger audiences. It was begun in 1991 and ended by 1993....
character, to turn the Web identity into an organization of equally empowered crime fighters, a small army of Web Hosts, receiving functional copies of his suit in exchange for enacting justice in his name. After a brief period of unrests and anarchy, Oracle
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...
and Batgirl offer an upgrade to the Web Hosts, in exchange for them pledging alliance to the Justice League of America rather than acting independently and thinning their number to expel the more rambunctious and rebellious members. The Web Hosts now receive their powers from a cloud computing
Cloud computing
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
server in the Web Lair, making The Web able to shut their suits down remotely. Furthermore, every suit is fitted with an access to Twitterati (the DCU equivalent of Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
featured into the Final Crisis: Dance miniseries), granting the Host a private social network
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
to use for personal interactions and crimefighting as well, and John Raymond himself, as the current administrator, a permanent link to his Hosts and simple supporters (and a spyware
Spyware
Spyware is a type of malware that can be installed on computers, and which collects small pieces of information about users without their knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user, and can be difficult to detect. Typically, spyware is secretly installed on the user's...
implanted program to gain Oracle absolute control over the aptly named Interweb).
With the help of his new hosts and his supporters The Web finally tracks down Dr. Archer, finally handing him down to the police with enough proof to get him put on trial. However Alice, girlfriend of the late David, warns John of another hidden instigator behind Archer's actions, the mysterious Deuces Wilde.
When a technological-savvy villain, Doctor Zadar, manages to mainline the remote link, effectively capturing and controlling the entire Web Hosts population, Raymond meets Kim Brand, the current incarnation of the Fly Girl, in this continuity no longer a magic user but a former Web Host wearing an enhanced, illegally modified and souped-up Web Host suit with greater proficiency. Raymond enlists her for the rescue mission, offering her the enhanced suit in exchange, this time as her personal property.
Raymond handles the crisis selflessly, deliberately risking his life to keep Fly Girl out of harm, but highlighting his lack of teamplay abilities: however, he manages to impress the U.S. Army to warrant for Kim and himself an induction into the newly formed Mighty Crusaders, along with The Comet, Inferno
Inferno (comics)
Inferno, in comics, may refer to:*Inferno , a character from the DC Comics series Legion of Super-Heroes*Inferno, the name of an alternate version of Legion of Super-Heroes member Sun Boy...
, The Shield and War Eagle.
Powers
The DC Comics incarnation of The Web has no inherent superpowers, having in his John Raymond persona the strength of a man in his prime engaging in moderate physical exercises. Instead, he relies on an overtly technological suit, granting him several abilities, including but not limited to flight, bullet-proof armor, HUD interface connected to a GPS tracker and enhanced strength. However, his most prized asset is his Lair, similar to the Batcave in containing his weaponry and a supercomputer, always connected to the website summontheweb.com and feeding him the data of people desperate enough to get help from outside sources.Unable to be effective alone, John Raymond has fully functional copies of his suit, with every single power of his original one, sent to willing followers of summontheweb.com, along with an instruction manual and 120 days of tech support, creating a super-hero franchise
Media franchise
A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...
named the Web Hosts (obvious pun over the webhost concept, consistent with the image of The Web as an accessibile, Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
-savvy hero). When Oracle and Batgirl confront him about his lack of control over the Hosts, John Raymond accepts to force upon them a stricter charter in exchange for upgrades provided by Oracle herself.
The current Web Hosts are now permanently connected to the Interwebs, a Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
ati-derived social network
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
, fully accessible from the suits, that constantly feeds in John Raymond's administrator account and suit every shred of information the Hosts are willing to share about crime fighting, or simple socialization. As a programmed side-effect, however, everything The Web does is out on the display on the Interwebs, for everyone to view or comment upon. As a security measure, the Web Lair is upgraded with a cloud computing
Cloud computing
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
system linked to the Hosts, making Raymond (and Oracle) able to remotely disable the Hosts Suits.