Black Spider
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2008-06-21T12:24:57Z
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{{cleanup-tense|November 2007}}
{{in-universe|date=April 2008}}
{{refimprove|date=April 2008}}
{{Superherobox <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
| image =
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| character_name =Black Spider
| publisher =[[DC Comics]]
| debut ='''(Needham)'''<br> ''[[Detective Comics]]'' #463<br>'''(LaMonica)'''<br> ''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' #518<br>'''(Coe)'''<br> ''[[Birds of Prey (comics)|Birds of Prey]]'' #87
| creators ='''(Needham)'''<br> [[Gerry Conway]]<br>[[Ernie Chua]]<br>'''(LaMonica)'''<br> [[Doug Moench]]<br>[[Kelley Jones]]<br>'''(Coe)'''<br> [[Gail Simone]]<br>[[Joe Bennett]]
| alter_ego =- Eric Needham<br> - Johnny LaMonica<br> - Derrick Coe
| full_name =
| species =
| homeworld =
| alliances ='''(Coe)'''<br>[[Injustice League]]<br/>[[Secret Society of Super-Villains|The Society]]
| aliases =
| supports=
| powers =
}}
'''Black Spider''' is the name of several [[fictional characters]] who are [[DC Comics]] villains. The first two were both primarily the enemies of [[Batman]].
Also was a cogname from [[Lev Yashin]] , a Russian [[USSR national football team|Soviet]] [[goalkeeper (football)|football goalkeeper]] from the 1950s and 60's.
==Eric Needham==
[[Image:Detective Comics 463-1stCalc-BlkSpdr.jpg|thumb|left|Cover of [[Detective Comics]] #463, the first appearance of the Black Spider]]
The original Black Spider first appeared in ''[[Detective Comics]]'' #463 (September 1976) and was created by [[Gerry Conway]]. '''Eric Needham''' was a small time crook who was addicted to [[heroin]]. Desperate for money to buy more drugs, he robbed a liquor store and killed the owner, who turned out to be his father. After being arrested, he kicked the habit out of remorse and began a war on the drug trade.
Donning a costume, he became a self-styled vigilante and began killing those suspected of dealing drugs. This soon brought him into conflict with Batman. Needham believed that the two should be allies, as he saw common purpose in their war against criminals. His murderous methods however continually put him at odds with the Dark Knight.
It was revealed that Needham's paraphernalia and missions as the Black Spider were bankrolled by a man who, it turned out, was actually secretly involved with narcotics and wanted to take out the competition. This plot point, similar to ''[[The Saint in New York]]'', was later copied by ''[[Death Wish 4: The Crackdown]]''.
Despite his professed desire to fight criminals, the Black Spider occasionally allied himself with costumed villains (most notably in the gathering of super-villains in ''Detective Comics'' #526 and ''Batman'' #400). Ostensibly, Black Spider's goal in this was to seek revenge against Batman, or at least, this is how he attempted to justify his actions in his own mind. Needham also faced [[King Faraday]] and [[Nightshade (comics)|Nightshade]] in a brief flashback in ''[[Secret Origins]]''#28.
During his war, Needham's wife and son were killed by a drug lord who had discovered the Black Spider's identity. In rage, the Spider prepared for one final assault. After being shot multiple times, Needham invaded the drug lord's headquarters and detonated explosives strapped to his back, killing the drug dealers in the process.
Eric Needham later turned up in [[Neil Gaiman]]'s critically acclaimed fantasy comic, ''[[Sandman (Vertigo)|The Sandman]]'', dating supporting character, [[Fury (DC Comics)|Lyta Hall]]. No explanation was given for his resurrection. However, earlier issues of the series depicted the souls of sinners escaping [[Hell]] when its ruler, [[Lucifer (DC Comics)|Lucifer]] abdicated the throne. Presumably, Needham was among these.
Whatever the case, Needham's survival has since been confirmed and the character has made subsequent appearances as the Black Spider, such as in the miniseries ''[[Underworld Unleashed]]''. He was last seen in ''[[Identity Crisis (comics)|Identity Crisis]]'' as an ally of [[Deadshot]], [[Monocle (comics)|Monocle]], and [[Merlyn (DC Comics)|Merlyn]]. He was later seen as member of [[Secret Society of Super-Villains|The Society]].(maybe this was a Coe in other costiume)
==Johnny LaMonica==
[[Image:batman519.jpg|180px|Johnny LaMonica appears as Black Spider.|thumb]]
The second Black Spider first appeared in ''Batman'' #518 ([[May 1995]]). Professional hitman '''Johnny LaMonica''' took the name Black Spider when he was sent to kill the crime lord [[Black Mask (comics)|Black Mask]], but was thwarted by Batman and sent to prison. He sustained injuries during this incident which left his face a disfigured web of scars, giving his choice of codename an ironic touch.
He was later killed by Detective [[Crispus Allen]] during a gang shooting. Black Spider had opened fire on Detective [[Renee Montoya]], preparing to kill her, when Allen unloaded his clip on the villain (''[[Gotham Central]]'' #23, November 2004).
==Derrick Coe==
A third Black Spider appeared shortly after as a member of [[Secret Society of Super Villains|The Society]]. He first appeared in ''[[Birds of Prey (comic)|Birds of Prey]]'' #87. Other Society members reported that he was presumed dead. Real name '''Derrick Coe''', he apparently bought his "villain franchise" from the [[Calculator (comics)|Calculator]], who assigned him to help torture [[Savant (comics)|Savant]] into revealing the identity of [[Barbara Gordon|Oracle]]. When Oracle sent in her task force, the [[Birds of Prey (comic)|Birds of Prey]], to rescue Savant, Savant threw Coe out a window, nearly killing him — [[Black Canary]] speculated that he may be a [[metahuman]], allowing him to survive the experience.
Coe has later resurfaced as member a new [[Injustice League]] and one of the exiled supervillains in [[Salvation Run]].
==Other version==
Black Spider appears as a member of The [[Black Mask (comics)|Black Mask's]] gang in [[The Batman Adventures|Batman Adventures]] #5-8.
http://fanzing.com/mag/fanzing32/feature2.shtml
explains more of the character's origin.
[[Category:Black supervillains]]
[[Category:DC Comics supervillains]]
[[de:Black Spider]]