DC005

2017

DC

Black Spider is a name used by multiple characters in DC Comics, primarily serving as antagonists to Batman and other heroes.

The original Black Spider, Johnny LaMonica, debuted in 1976. He was a vigilante who targeted criminals with lethal force, putting him at odds with Batman's moral code. LaMonica saw himself as an exterminator, believing that criminals should be eliminated rather than simply apprehended. He frequently employed grappling lines and web-shooters in his methods.

Later iterations of Black Spider have appeared, often as hired assassins or mercenaries. One notable version appeared in the New 52, reimagined as Eric Needham, a drug addict forced to work for the Suicide Squad. Needham's Black Spider was often portrayed as more sympathetic, a victim of circumstance struggling for redemption.

Regardless of the individual occupying the mantle, Black Spider is usually depicted as a skilled combatant with a ruthlessly pragmatic approach to crimefighting, setting him apart from the more principled heroes of the DC Universe.