Spider-Slayer

Spider-Slayer

Spencer Smythe along with several Spider-Slayers
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Amazing Spider-Man #25 (June 1965)
Created by Stan Lee (script)
Steve Ditko (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego Not applicable
Abilities Varies according to model

The Spider-Slayers are a series of fictional robots in the Marvel Comics universe that were specifically designed to hunt down, capture, or kill Spider-Man.

Fictional character biography

See List of Spider-Slayers for a full breakdown of all versions of the Spider-Slayer.

The first series of robots were originally designed and built by Dr. Spencer Smythe with the financial backing of J. Jonah Jameson who piloted them for the pleasure of personally hunting the superhero he hated for capture. However, Spider-Man always managed to defeat each robot in turn. Smythe's continual efforts to perfect his machines backfired on him, leading to himself being fatally contaminated by radiation poisoning from the building materials of his creations. Blaming both Jameson and Spider-Man for this, he attempted, as a final act, to murder them both, but died just before Spider-Man thwarted the attempt.

Later, Jameson commissioned another scientist, Dr. Marla Madison, to create a new and improved Spider-Slayer. While that attempt failed, he eventually fell in love with her and married her.[1]

In Amazing Spider-Man Annual #19 (1985), Smythe's son, Alistair, emerged as the new builder of Spider-Slayers. He swore revenge on Spider-Man, repeatedly attacking the superhero with his own series of Slayers. Smythe later mutated into a humanoid Spider-Slayer, but remains a minor foe.

The original Spider-Slayer was seen among the robots and machines in the Reanimator's collection. Wolverine later destroyed the Spider-Slayer when the Reanimator attempted to use it against him. It was later used by J. Jonah Jameson to attack the She-Hulk after she had married his son John, but it was destroyed.

In Amazing Spider-Man #603, Jameson (now Mayor of New York) has some old Spider-Slayers sent to him from storage, to better equip his "Anti-Spider Squad" to take down Spider-Man. The Spider-Slayer technology is combined with that of the Mandroid suits. However, the "Spider-Slayer Squad" wearing the suits quit their jobs after Spider-Man saves them and New York from a dirty bomb.

Despite not being technically related to the Smythe's and Madison's creations, when Spider-Man refits all the Octobots confiscated from Doctor Octopus and kept in the New York Police Precinct to carry an antidote able to reverse the mutations turning all the New York population into Man-Spiders, he humorously renames them his own Spider-Slayers.[2]

When the Goblin King and his Goblin Underground group cause havoc in Manhattan, Mayor J. Johan Jameson unveils the Goblin-Slayers which he plans to use against the Goblin-related threats. Mary Jane Watson voices her concern that the Goblin-Slayers used to be former Spider-Slayers.[3] Mayor J. Jonah Jameson orders Chief Pratchett to send one of the Goblin Slayers to the robbery location and then head to chase the Superior Spider-Man (Doctor Octopus' mind in Peter Parker's body). After Don Lamaze sacrifices his life to get out of the Goblin King's trap, the Superior Spider-Man confronted by a legion of Spider-Slayers with Mayor J. Jonah Jameson's face projected on the front faceplate. Mayor J. Jonah Jameson replies that he's done with being blackmailed by him and he doesn't care if he loses everything as long as he can finally bring down Spider-Man. The Superior Spider-Man tries to fight the Spider-Slayers, but discovers that they're far stronger than all the previous ones. Suddenly, the Spider-Slayers are deactivated remotely by Spider-Man 2099, who confronts the Superior Spider-Man about who he really is and the reasons behind his actions of late. Suddenly, the Spider-Slayers are reactivated to Spider-Man 2099's shock. The Goblin King's voice rings out declaring that he has taken control of the Spider-Slayers as well which grab both Spider-Men by their heads as the Goblin King comments that Norman Osborn now runs this city.[4]

In a Spider-Man 2099 storyline following Smythe's death, dealers illegally sell Spider-Slayers to foreign nations in the Marvel Universe.[5]

List of Spider-Slayers

Other versions

Ultimate Marvel

In the Ultimate Marvel universe, Spider-Slayers were built by the Tinkerer under the order of General Nick Fury, to be used in case Spider-Man ever went rogue. When clones of Spider-Man begin running rampant Nick Fury and a battalion of Spider-Slayers travel to the Parker residence to arrest Peter, only to encounter the Fantastic Four and Carnage, the latter which the Slayers take down (reverting it to Gwen Stacy). The Slayers later kill a disfigured clone of Spider-Man. and imprisoned another unstable clone of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in SHIELD.[6][7][8][9][10][11]

In Ultimate Marvel continuity, the Spider-Slayers are tall (about eight feet) robots that balance on a large sphere, wield two arm-cannons, and have a sphere for their heads. They turned out in fact not to be manned but controlled remotely by the Tinkerer.

MC2

While trying to apprehend a dimension-hopping supervillain, Spider-Girl is accidentally sent into Earth-616's past, where she encounters the first Spider-Slayer. Mistaking her for its quarry, the Slayer attacks Spider-Girl, who manages to evade the machine due to Jameson and Smythe being distracted by how different "Spider-Man" looks. Spider-Girl later returns to her own universe and time, while Spider-Man defeats the Slayer in the same way he did in the original story.[12]

House of M

In the House of M, J. Jonah Jameson (fearing Peter Parker would take revenge on him due to outing him as Spider-Man) has Alistair Smythe construct a Spider-Slayer to protect him. When Peter's family breaks into Jonah's home looking for Peter's journal (given to him by the Green Goblin) Jonah, using the Slayer, attacks. Hitting Peter's wife Gwen Stacy just as Peter arrives, Jonah's slayer is ripped to shreds by the hero.[13][14]

The House of M Slayer resembled a humanoid robot with claws and a glowing core in the chest similar to Iron Man's armor. Like early models in the mainstream universe it had a view screen depicting the controller in place of a face.

What If

After Aunt May and John Jameson are killed in a space shuttle crash caused by the Chameleon, J. Jonah Jameson adopts Peter Parker, and blames the deaths of their loved ones on Spider-Man. Obsessed with taking Spider-Man down, Jameson commissions the creation of the Spider-Slayer and the Scorpion formula, the latter of which is ingested by Flash Thompson. The serum warps Flash's mind and causes him to go on a rampage, which ends when he is subdued by Spider-Man (who reveals he is Peter Parker to Jameson) and the Spider-Slayer, controlled by Jameson. Jameson realizes how irrational his hatred of Spider-Man is, and decides to help his adopted son fight crime using the Spider-Slayer.[15]

In other media

Television

The Spider Slayers combined in the 1994 Spider-Man episode "Return of the Spider Slayers."

Film

Video games

References

  1. Amazing Spider-Man #167-168
  2. The Amazing Spider-Man #672
  3. The Superior Spider-Man #28
  4. The Superior Spider-Man #29
  5. http://www.newsarama.com/20689-spider-man-2099-swings-again-in-new-ongoing-series-with-peter-david.html
  6. Ultimate Spider-Man #99
  7. Ultimate Spider-Man #100
  8. Ultimate Spider-Man #101
  9. Ultimate Spider-Man #102
  10. Ultimate Spider-Man #103
  11. Ultimate Spider-Man #104
  12. Tom DeFalco (w), Pat Olliffe (p), Al Williamson (i). "Father's Day/Slayers, Spiders, and Torches, Oh My" Spider-Girl #10-11 (July 1999 - August 1999), United States: Marvel Comics
  13. House of M: Spider-Man #3
  14. House of M: Spider-Man #4
  15. W.M. Messner-Loebs (w), Anthony Williams (p), Andy Lanning (i). "The Man in the Million-Dollar Mask: What if J. Jonah Jameson adopted Spider-Man?" What If v2, #82 (February 1996), United States: Marvel Comics
  16. ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2′ Viral Marketing Teases More Villains
  17. "Spider Slayers and Black Cat set for future Spider-Man films". Den of Geek. April 16, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2014.

External links