SPIDER-SLAYERS

Membership: Spider-Slayers Mark 1-Mark 20 (The Spider-Slayers were robots not affiliated with each other and thus were not by definition had no real membership because they were not a group.) (Each Spider-Slayer has its own sub-profile at the bottom of this page.)
Links to each sub-profile can be found in the history.

Purpose: To capture and/or destroy Spider-Man

Affiliations: Alistaire Smythe (second creator), J. Jonah Jameson (former user), Marla Madison (former creator), Max Young (former creator), Reanimator (possessor of Mark 1 only), Spencer Smythe (initial creator);
Mark 20 only: Boomerang, Constrictor, Crimson Dynamo (unidentified), Crossfire, Eel (Edward Lavell), Grim Reaper, Goldbug, Hobgoblin (unidentified), King Cobra, Lady Octopus, Mentallo, Mister Fear, Scorcher, Scorpion (Mac Gargan), Shocker, Trapster
possibly Lucia von Bardas, Tinkerer (possible creator of Mark 20)

Enemies: Black Cat, Loved ones of Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson-Parker, Spider-Man, Wolverine (Mark 1 only)
Mark 20 only: Captain America (Rogers), Daredevil (Murdock), Fantastic Four, Nick Fury LMD, Spider-Man (Parker), Lucia Von Bardas

Base of Operations: Wherever Spider-Man happens to be

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man I#25 (June, 1965)

History: (Amazing Spider-Man I#25) - Spencer Smythe showed arrived at J. Jonah Jameson's office and offered the services of his new robot, which was specially created to capture Spider-Man. ( This robot was not yet called a "Spider-Slayer" but it is the precursor of the Spider-Slayer robots and is generally referred to as the first Spider-Slayer.) Jameson initially dismissed Smythe as a "crackpot," but Spider-Man, as Peter Parker, convinced him to give it a try since he thought it would be fun to tackle the robot. Later on, the robot was using its sensors to home in on Spider-Man, and Peter Parker, to protect his secret identity, changed into Spider-Man to fight it. It proved immune to his webbing, and put Spider-Man on the defensive. It eventually caught Spider-Man with its many tentacles, and put him in a grip he couldn't escape. Spider-Man pulled a control panel off of the robot and shut it down manually. He then left his empty costume for Jameson and Smythe to find, while he himself was nowhere to be found.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#28) - Peter Parker found Smythe with the intentions of getting his costume back after he left it behind. When he entered Smythe's house, the Spider-Slayer Mark 1 automatically sprung out its tentacles and entrapped him. Peter pulled out a jar of Spiders he had brought just in case that happened. Later on, while Smythe was knocked out by the newly created Molten Man, the robot entrapped Peter again, but he managed to shut off the power with his webbing before Smythe woke up.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#58) - Spencer Smythe contacted Jameson again, offering the services of his new, more advanced robot, which he called a Spider-Slayer. (We will call this Mark 2 because it was the second of Smythe's robots.) This robot was a humanoid form and had incredible strength as well as the same sensors for spiders as the first as well as a myriad of other abilities. You could also see Jameson's face through the screen like the first one. They set the robot loose on Spider-Man, and the two began to fight. Smythe, who was obsessed with revenge and out for blood, seized the remote controls for Mark 2 from Jameson. Spider-Man found himself running from Mark 2 and looked up Smythe's address in a phone book when he had the space he needed from Mark 2. Spider-Man led the Mark II Spider-Slayer into a room full of spiders, which overloaded the robots sensors and rendered it inert.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#105) - Despite the bad note on which the two left each other, Jameson paid Smythe to make another robot, the Spider-Slayer Mark 3. This robot was not humanoid, but rather in the shape of a spider, albeit a large one. This robot had all the abilities of Spider-Man, but to an advanced level. Yet again, this one also had Jameson's image in both its eyes and was controlled via remote control. In the ensuing fight between Spider-Man and Mark 3, Spider-Man found the robot was quite powerful, but in time, Spider-Man clogged its web-shooter with his own, and rode it like a bull. That is until Smythe took the controls and knocked out Spider-Man. Smythe then had Mark 3 steal a powerful computer element, which allowed him access to every video scanner in the city, and thus allowed him to behold Spider-Man taking off his mask.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#106) - Spider-Man, through a careful ploy, led Smythe to believe that what he had seen was not actually his face, but a second mask. Enraged, Smythe entered the Mark 4 Spider-Slayer, which was basically the same as Mark 3 accept twice as big and powerful, and piloted from inside. Soon, Spider-Man found himself in a web spun by Mark 4, and was quickly and decisively captured by Smythe.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#107) - Smythe's Mark 4 Spider-Slayer carried the incapacitated Spider-Man to his lair, where he tied up Spider-Man upside down. Smythe then turned his back on Spider-Man and to his video monitors so he could use his video scanners around the city to direct his men around the cops. Spider-Man broke free (of course) and went on auto-pilot and attacked Spider-Man. Smythe was forced to go on guiding his men, and trust the robot, without his instruction, to catch Spider-Man on its own. Spider-Man clogged the sensors with web fluid and used the phone inside the robot to alert the police of the video cameras Smythe had all over town. Then, Spider-Man went to tackle Smythe's goons and before he was finished, was confronted by Mark 4 again, this time with Smythe inside. However, the robot started to short-circuit and then broke all together. Spider-Man revealed that he had switched the controls around when he dove in the cockpit earlier. He then tied up Smythe, and the Mark 4 Spider-Slayer, and left them both for the police.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#150) - Smythe rebuilt Spider-Slayer Mark 4, and used a different approach on his next attack. First he sent robotic replicas of the Vulture, the Kingpin, and the Sandman against Spider-Man. Each time that Spider-Man beat one of these robotic replicas, it would explode. When Spider-Man saw a Spider-Slayer coming, he assumed it was another fake and would explode as well. However, this Spider-Slayer was very real and easily ensnared an already tired Spider-Man, who was not on his guard at all. When Spider-Man realized the danger he was in, he managed to smash open the cockpit and knock out Smythe.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#167-168) - Jameson, having lost faith in Smythe, had his soon-to-be wife Dr. Marla Madison construct for him a new Spider-Slayer, the Mark 5 Spider-Slayer. This one was huge and had super strength as well as a force beam. This one was controlled by Jameson's own mind. While fighting the Mark 5, Spider-Man was simultaneously fighting Will O' The Wisp. The fight eventually led them to an ice rink. In the battle, the Mark 5 Spider-Slayer was thrown into a massive statue of Prometheus which towered over the ice rink, and then fell on the robot, thereby wrecking the Spider-Slayer Mark 5.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#190) - Jameson, who thought that Spider-Man killed his son, came to Smythe for another Spider-Slayer. Smythe incapacitated Jameson and explained that he was dying and was going to kill Jameson and Spider-Man first. He releases his Spider-Slayer, the Mark 6 Spider-Slayer, which he had already created to capture Spider-Man. Mark 6 looked like a giant spider and also had the powers of one. This one was powered by mental command from Smythe. The Mark 6 Spider-Slayer found an enraged Spider-Man, who was looking for Jameson. It attacked and a fight began. The fight ended when the Mark 6 Spider-Slayer, with Spider-Man wrapped in its arms, fell off of a building. The Spider-Slayer was damaged beyond repair, and Spider-Man was knocked out.

(Amazing Spider-Man Annual#19) - Alistaire Smythe, the son of Spencer Smythe, became obsessed with avenging his father's death, which he blamed on Spider-Man. He quit his job as an inventor for the Kingpin, and went on to create a Spider-Slayer that resembled a flying saucer. This Spider-Slayer, Mark 7, was controlled from the inside by Alistaire Smythe. Smythe erroneously though that Mary Jane's aunt Anna for Spider-Man's aunt May, and kidnaps her and Mary Jane. Along the way, Smythe gets convinced that Mary Jane is Spider-Man (WHAT?!). Spider-Man showed up just before Mark 7 could kill Mary Jane, and after getting Mary Jane to safety, begins to battle the robot. After figuring out that Mark 7 was completely computerized, Spider-Man tricks it into crashing into a water tower, but to no effect. Spider-Man then managed to get the Mark 7 Spider-Slayer tangled up in electric lines, which short-circuited it and shut it down.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#291) - The now-crippled Smythe designed a new Spider-Slayer, Mark 8, and broke into Mary Jane's apartment, hoping to find clues on Spider-Man's whereabouts, but was forced to depart when her neighbors investigated.

Later, telescopic eyes deployed by Alistair caught sight of Spider-Man web-slinging through the city, and he again donned the Spider-Slayer and sought combat with Spider-Man. He sprayed Spider-Man with the same ethyl chloride gas his father had used, but before he could finish him, a construction worker smashed one of the Spider-Slayer's arms with his bulldozer. Alistair fled to repair the Spider-Slayer, but the gas he sprayed Spider-Man with marked him, allowing him to track him again at any time.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#292) - Alistaire Smythe then disassembled Spider-Slayer Mark 8 and transported it to Pittsburgh. Smythe reassembled his robot, took the controls, and started to home in on Spider-Man's location. Once it found him, Spider-Slayer Mark 8 and Spider-Man began to fight. This Spider-Slayer put up a better showing than any of the others had in the past, and it nearly drowned Spider-Man, and also nearly beat him to death. In desperation, Mary Jane hit the robot's leg with a bat. It turned around, picked up Mary Jane and prepared terminate her. Spider-Man saw Mary Jane in danger, and freaked out with a huge adrenaline rush. He pounced on the Spider-Slayer and pounded it until it ceased to function. He then broke open the hatch to the cockpit and pulled Smythe out.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#371 (fb) - BTS) - Alistaire Smythe escaped from prison with many others including Max Young, and constructed several Spider-Slayers to send after Spider-Man. Smythe himself began his transformation into the Ultimate Spider-Slayer around this time.

Several Mark 9 ("Mini-Slayers") were placed all over New York. Their were dozens of them, all looking for Spider-Man. Whenever he was spotted, they would send a signal to Smythe, who would release a Spider-Slayer.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#368) - Spider-Man was minding his own business, when suddenly he was attacked by a semi-humanoid robot, the first of which was sent after him by Smythe. The robot and Spidey fought back and forth, until a construction worker put a jackhammer to the back of the robot's head, and Spider-Man beheaded it.

Later on, a robotic bird attacked downtown, and Spider-Man engaged it. It ran amok, until Spider-Man finished it with one hard punch to the head when it threatened civilians.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#369) - Smythe sent a third robot after Spider-Man in the midst of an encounter between Spider-Man and Electro. This robot was strong and in a humanoid form, and was countering every one of Spider-Man's attacks. Spider-Man led it into a building, which was set to be destroyed with TNT. Spider-Man left the building, which exploded with the robot still inside.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#370) - Yet another robot was sent against Spider-Man, this time in the middle of a fight with the Scorpion. This robot was a copy of a robot sent by Mendell Stromm years earlier, the amoeboid robot. The battle ended when Black Cat tricked Scorpion into plunging his tail-spike into the robot. He then tried to fry it, but the feedback disabled them both.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#371) - When Spider-Man and the Black Cat came to the prison to ask Max Young, Mendell Stromm's former assistant, questions, they learned that he had escaped with Smythe, and had designed the Amoeboid robot that had attacked them. They were then confronted by a huge humanoid robot with three faces, each representing a personality of Max Young. The robot put up a good fight, but Spider-Man taunted one of the personalities about how it needed the others and was nothing on its own. The three personalities of the robot started arguing, concluding with the robot blowing off its own head.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#372) - Black Cat and Spider-Man were attacked by a giant mechanical black widow spider robot, but Black Cat immediately cut its web line causing it to fall several stories. However, the two were then confronted by giant scorpion and tarantula robots. Spider-Man tricked the tarantula robot into jumping for him, then Spider-Man moved out of the way, letting the tarantula robot fall from a high height. Meanwhile, the scorpion robot was getting the better of Black Cat, when Spider-Man threw it down with the other two. Two their terror, the heroes discovered that the three downed arachnid robots had combined into one giant robot. It was defeated when Black Cat slashed open the hide of the robot, and Spider-Man put an electric wire to its circuitry, causing it to short-circuit, set on fire, and fall to its doom. Spider-Man then went on to find, confront, and defeat Smythe.

(Untold Tales of Spider-Man: My Enemy, My Savior) - Smythe kidnapped Jameson. Allying himself with the Scorpion, Smythe activated various Spider-Slayers (including some otherwise unidentified early version and a slayer that resembled a "Corvette with eight tentacles attached). Both the Scorpion and Smythe saw defeat, with Parker thinking to himself that he would have Code: Blue place them in custody.

(Wolverine II#149 (fb) - BTS) - At some point after it was last seen, the original Mark 1 Spider-Slayer was found by the Reanimator, who stored it along with other robots that he salvaged.

(Wolverine II#149) - When Wolverine tracked down Reanimator, the mutant activated several robots in his possession to battle the hero. One of the first to attack Wolverine was the Mark 1 Spider-Slayer, which he quickly destroyed with his claws.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#20) - Alistaire Smythe, who had been plotting his revenge for some time, laid a trap for Spider-Man at the Daily Bugle. Spider-Man was lured to the Bugle with his suit which had been stolen a few issues earlier. Once there, Spider-Man was faced with Smythe, and a replica of every single Spider-Slayer he had ever faced in the past as well as a few new Spider-Slayers (A LOT OF ROBOTS!). The ensuing fight took Spider-Man and the many robots across town. For some reason, Spider-Man was taking out many Spider-Slayers quite easily, but was eventually taken down.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#21) - Spider-Man learned from Smythe that the villain's plan was to kill not only Spider-Man, but also his loved ones. A mini-slayer had taken the information of Spider-Man's loved ones from Spider-Man's mind. Spidey grabbed the hostage J. Jonah Jameson and rushed off to secure his loved ones. For a long time, Spider-Man was being perused by a new, powerful 6-armed Spider-Slayer, and saved all of his friends and loved ones along his way. Eventually, when he got to his Aunt May's house, the new Spider-Slayer caught up to him. He fought with the Spider-Slayer with Spider-Man eventually emerging the victor.

(She-Hulk I#4) - Alistair Smythe sent a group of Mini-Slayers to accompany the Scorpion in an effort to slay both Spider-Man and Jonah Jameson. They were destroyed by the combined efforts of Spider-Man and the She-Hulk.

(Secret War#3) - A Spider-Slayer was among a group of super-villains--including Boomerang, Constrictor, Crimson Dynamo, Crossfire, Eel, Goldbug, Grim Reaper, Hobgoblin, King Cobra, Lady Octopus, Mentallo, Mister Fear, Scorcher, Scorpion, Trapster, Wizard--who ambushed Nick Fury, Captain America, Daredevil, and Spider-Man--all of whom had been involved in Nick Fury's secret war on Latveria.

(Secret War#4) - The above battle continued, even after the Fantastic Four arrived to assist the heroes. Eventually some armored chick (von Bardas) showed up and caused all of the villains' armors' energies to join together in a chain reaction that would've caused a massive explosion.

(Secret War#5) - The chain reaction was broken up by S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Daisy Johnson when she killed Lucia von Bardas by blowing her up from the inside. All villains survived and seemingly the Spider-Slayer wasn't destroyed either.

(She-Hulk II#9/2) - Already furious over Spider-Man's revelation of being Peter Parker, Jonah Jameson was pushed over the edge when his son, John, married the She-Hulk. He briefly re-activated the Mark I slayer as the "She-Hulk Slayer" and attacked her during dinner. She-Hulk overpowered the robot, then earned Jonah's good graces by telling Jonah she could help him sue Parker for misrepresenation.

COMMENTS: Spider-Slayer concept created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko

In Amazing Spider-Man I#107, when Smythe had Spider-Man captured, he simply tied him up upside down and turned his back. This is one of the countless times a villain has had a perfect opportunity to kill Spider-Man but didn't. I also love it how each time Jameson was sure that this Spider-Slayer would work, it didn't. And then the next time, he was just as confident.

It seems to me that in Amazing Spider-Man II#20-21, it would have made more sense for Smythe to use the information of Spider-Man's loved ones to find out who Spider-Man was, and then strike at him at his own leisure.

In Spider-Girl#10 & 11 (July & August 1999), Spider-Girl encountered a Mark 1 during a trip to the past, and defeated it in a similar way, and left her costume in a similar manner.

Amazing Spider-Man II#20 was a 100-Page monster. It had the story, and also reprints of issues #25, 58, and 192.

Thanks to Eric Gillette (Amazing Spider-Man Gallery) for letting me use two of his images for this profile. Thanks to Danny Wall (Unofficial Handbook of the Marvel Universe) for letting me use a picture on the profile. Thanks to John Couper the Editor from Spider-Fan for help with the mini-slayers. And last but certainly not least, thanks a lot to Prime Eternal for the Summary of Amazing Spider-Man I#291.

A robot resembling Spider-Slayer Mark 5 was seen in Reanimator's collection in Wolverine II#149.
---Prime Eternal

A Mark 1 Spider-Slayer was among the many foes Spider-Man fought as he traveled through his past during Amazing Spider-Man II#500.

Per Degaton provided the info for the Untold Tales of Spider-Man novel.