Tarantula (DC Comics)
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Two characters have been named Tarantula in the DC Comics universe.
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[edit] John Law
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The original Tarantula was a character prominent in the 1940s named John Law. He first appeared in Star-Spangled Comics #1 (October 1940).He was inspired to be a mystery man 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 its victims. He was a member of the All-Star Squadron before retiring, and became a writer. He had a best selling novel, Altered Egos: The Mystery Men of World War II, published sometime in the 1970's. He went on to write many other novels, but none as successful as Altered Egos.
In his later years, Law lived in the same building as vigilante hero Nightwing's secret identity Richard Grayson in the city of Blüdhaven, but the flat was burned down by the villain Blockbuster in an attempt to ruin Nightwing's life. His successor, who tried to save him, arrived too late and John Law died in the blast, along with 21 other residents. However, his body was never recovered.
[edit] Catalina Flores
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The new Tarantula is Catalina Flores, who first appeared in Nightwing #71, while waiting until Nightwing #75 to appear as Tarantula.
[edit] Fictional character history
Initially Catalina Flores, a former FBI agent as well as sister of Blüdhaven'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 could not approve of the more extreme measures she took. When investigating the murder of Delmore Redhorn, the corrupt Chief of Police in Blüdhaven, he found out that 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 get her arrested for the crime, 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 Blockbusters 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 (in the words of the script) rape him. During the following period of time she ran off with him and attempted to establish a relationship with him. After a while, he came to his senses and turned himself in for the murder of Blockbuster. He was acquitted however and worked to bring in Tarantula herself, who was sent to jail.
[edit] Controversy
At the end of Nightwing #93 (2003), after Tarantula killed Blockbuster, she and Nightwing had sex on a rooftop. At the time Nightwing was in shock and undergoing deep emotional trauma; there has thus been debate amongst fan as to his consent, and if Nightwing was in fact raped by Tarantula. [1] [2] [3] Devin Grayson herself has stated that although it was nonconsensual, it was not rape, a seeming paradox. This is further confused by the script for Nightwing #93 specifically mentioning (in parentheses) that this scene was a rape.[4]
