THE ARACHNOID
(of Earth-8107)

Real Name: Zoltan Amadeus

Identity/Class: Alternate reality (Earth-8107) human mutate

Occupation: Scientist

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Monica Toynbee

Enemies: Spider-Friends (Firestar/Angelica Jones, Iceman/Bobby Drake, Spider-Man/Peter Parker)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: "Arachnerd," "Web-Head;" impersonated Spider-Man

Base of Operations: His personal lab in New York City, New York, USA

First Appearance: Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends cartoon episode, "Attack of the Arachnoid" (October 8, 1983)

Powers/Abilities: Zoltan Amadeus did not normally possess any superhuman powers but he was a brilliant scientist. After being mutated into the Arachnoid, Amadeus resembled a humanoid spider. He was capable of clinging to solid surfaces, allowing him to scale walls with ease, and he possessed superhuman strength.  He also designed a set of web shooters and had a "Spider-Sense" to warm him of danger. 

Height: (as Amadeus) 5'8" (approximately); (as Arachnoid) 6'0" (approximately)
Weight: (as Amadeus) 150 lbs. (approximately); (as Arachnoid) 250 lbs. (approximately)
Eyes: (as Amadeus) brown; (as Arachnoid) gold
Hair: (in both forms) black

History: (Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends cartoon episode - "Attack of the Arachnoid" (fb) - BTS) - Scientist Zoltan Amadeus decided the best way to get funding for his research was to commit crimes and, to that extent, he decided to replicate the heroic Spider-Man's abilities to better help him commit these proposed crimes. Zoltan's assistant Monica, under Zoltan's orders, then followed Spider-Man around the city, filming him and giving the footage and pictures to Zoltan to study. At some point, Zoltan either bought or built replicas of Spider-Man's costume and web-shooters.

(Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends cartoon episode - "Attack of the Arachnoid") - Zoltan was arguing with his assistant Monica as they watched recent video footage she had shot of the heroic Spider-Man. Zoltan theorized that Spider-Man must have gained his abilities through a radioactive spider but when Monica protested that he couldn't be sure, Zoltan argued that the radioactive spider was the only way that made sense. 

Zoltan soon held up a formula he had created to bestow Spider-Man's powers on himself, explaining that, with Spider-Man's powers, he'd be able to frame the hero for any crime he himself committed, and with the loot he'd steal, he'd be able to fund all his research. He then injected himself with the formula.

After a few agonizing seconds, Zoltan found himself able to crawl on the ceiling and strong enough to lift a massive computer with ease. Donning a Spider-Man costume, Zoltan left to commit crimes. As Spider-Man, Zoltan easily stole a money bag from an armored car before vowing to commit more crimes that night. He then proceeded to rob a hotel's safe and while swinging away, his Spider-Sense went off for the first time as the heroic Spider-Friends  approached him. He easily sent Firestar crashing to the street when he webbed her arms together and Iceman joined her when Zoltan smashed his ice bridge and swung off.

Returning to his lab, Zoltan was watching his exploits on the news when he was overcome with a sudden headache. Brushing off Monica's concerns, he left for another job, telling her if she wanted to follow him, she'd have to keep up. He subsequently landed on a rooftop, complaining of feeling dizzy, and Monica helped him back down to the street and into her sidecar, figuring that being near the real Spider-Man was causing a sort of feedback of their respective Spider-Senses. She then drove him away and once he was far enough away, the dizziness passed.


Encountering Iceman and Firestar again when the heroes tracked him down, now mistakenly thinking he was the real Spider-Man, Zoltan easily slipped away, unaware that the real Spider-Man had managed to slip a Spider-Tracer on his costume, apparently during Zoltan's earlier encounter with the Spider-Friends. The next day, Zoltan was enraged to learn that the real Spider-Man, downed by the Spider-Sense feedback that had forced Zoltan to flee, had been arrested by the police, preventing Zoltan from further framing the captured hero for his own crimes. His headache soon returned in full but he refused an antidote suggested by Monica to remove his powers and relieve the headaches. Ignoring Monica's further pleas, Zoltan web-swung out of the window and into the city. Ignoring his own theory that he couldn't commit further crimes that the now-arrested Spider-Man could be framed for, Zoltan committed more crimes.

Returning back to his lab, Zoltan was shocked when Iceman and Firestar tracked him down, still unaware of the Spider-Tracer. Declaring himself invincible, Zoltan picked up a table but when Firestar destroyed it, he tried to run, only to fall to the ground and encase himself a cocoon of webbing. Soon breaking out of the cocoon, Zoltan declared himself the Arachnoid and escaped the lab. He then went on a rampage across the city and when the Spider-Friends attacked, the Arachnoid took out Firestar by splashing her with water. He then picked up the defeated heroine but dropped her when Iceman froze his legs. The Arachnoid then fled, spinning a web between the Twin Towers. He managed to capture Spider-Man, who had been freed from jail by Matt Murdock and joined Iceman and Firestar in tracking the Arachnoid down, but was paralyzed when Spider-Man (who had donned a collar to block their Spider-Sense feedback) removed his collar and sent their respective Spider-Senses into overload. The Arachnoid's subsequent thrashing caused his web to tear and sent the two spider-beings falling to the street. Spider-Man managed to hit him with the antidote, reverting him back to his original human form. He was then caught by Spider-Man and presumably arrested.

Comments: Created by Michael Reeves and Marvel Productions, Ltd. (see Appearances list for list of artists involved).

Dan Gilvezan was the credited voice actor for the Arachnoid. Susan Blu was Monica's voice actor.

This Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends episode was reworked from the plot of an earlier episode of Spider-Man but the character of the Arachnoid was called Nephilia and his real name was to Bradley Shaw. Since both Spider-Man and Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends cartoon series take place in the same reality, Earth-8107, one can only assume that Spider-Man fought two different scientists who transformed themselves into humanoid arachnids, both with near-identical backstories and origins. --Proto-Man

Dr. Bradley Shaw and Dr. Zoltan Amadeus were NOT identical in personalities:
Dr. Shaw was "misguided" by Penny, who never loved him, and he became good and took the cure Spider-Man gave him.
Dr. Amadeus was "just plain evil" - with or without - his housekeeper and friend Monica realizing it. She was against his decision to frame a superhero and resort to crime to get money to continue his "research."
--Lisa Koffler

The Worthpoint auction site has some design sketches for the character that include images that might be worth including in the profile
They also provide Monica's surname, Toynbee. I've included the original images I found, as well as clipped and cleaned ones for the entry (resize to your preference).
--Loki

Profile by David Lawrence.














CLARIFICATIONS:
Earth-8107's Arachnoid should be distinguished from:

Monica Toynbee

Monica was Zoltan Amadeus' assistant. She had been following Spider-Man for some time and videotaping his actions so Zoltan could use the footage to replicate Spider-Man's powers, abilities and movement style. She was against Zoltan's research and pointed out the dangers of his work in replicating Spider-Man's powers. She later tried to get him to take the antidote to reverse his spider-like mutation, subsequently giving the antidote to Firestar and begging her to help Zoltan.   
Following the Arachnoid's defeat, Monica was arrested but for the help she gave him against Zoltan, Spider-Man promised to put her in touch with his lawyer, Matt Murdock.
--Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends cartoon episode - "Attack of the Arachnoid"
images: (without ads)
Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends cartoon episode - "Attack of the Arachnoid" (all images in this profile)

Appearances:
Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends cartoon episode, "Attack of the Arachoid" (October 8, 1983) - Michael Reeves (writer), Jan Green, Rick Hoberg, Cullen Houghtaling, Larry Houston, Sherman Labby, Will Meugniot, Dick Sebast, Bob Schaffer, Don Shepard, Hank Tucker, Warren Tufts (storyboards), Bruce Bennett, Norm Cabral, Dan Faucett, Neil Galloway, Greg Garcia, Gary Graham, Rick Graham, Karl Hepworth, Stuart Heimdall, Elian Hultgren, Boyd Kirkland, Debra Pugh, Dave Sharp, Roy Smith, Tom Tholen, Grant Wilson, Roy Wilson, Bob Foster (layouts), Gerry Chiniquy, Steve Clark, John Gribbs, Donald L. Jurwich, Sid Marcus, Bob Richardson, Nelson Shin, Arthur Vitello (animation directors)

First posted: 03/01/2022
Last updated: 03/01/2022

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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