 | |
| Spiders | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Family: | Gonnabiteyoassa |
| Notable appearances: | Spider-Man |
Spiders are ugly critters with eight legs. Many consider them to be bugs since they are small and squishy, but as everyone has learned in third grade science, insects only have six legs. Nobody really likes spiders. This is largely because many of them carry a venomous bite. Some are so dangerous that their venom can prove fatal after only a few seconds. Spiders have the ability to spin webs out of their butts. This is used to ensnare prey, but also to create giant spider-webs, which they hang out on.
The Marvel Comics character, Jonathan Drew, described spiders in detail in his personal journal some thirty-years prior to the modern era: From Spider-Woman: Origin #1:
Arthropds, in forms ranging from insect to arachnid and crustacean, have lived on this earth since before man was biologically possible. And they will remain here long after the memory of our brief reign has faded. Arthropods can be found in all corners of the planet, in all shapes, colors and sizes. They are the most adaptable creatures on Earth. Arachnids account for over thirty-five thousand species of arthropod. These eight-legged creatures can be found in the jungles of Africa, the deserts of Asia and even the icy tundra of Antarctica.
Movies[]
Various breeds of spiders, particularly tarantulas and orb-weaver spiders were featured in the 2002 film Eight Legged Freaks. In the film, a canister of toxic chemicals spills into a lake, affecting the local wildlife. Arachnologist Joshua Taft unwittingly fed these crickets to his spiders at Taft's Exotic Spider Farm in Prosperity, Arizona, and as a result, they grew to prodigious size. As the spiders continued to grow, they terrorized the town, killing dozens of citizens. Sheriff Samantha Parker put out an emergency broadcast alerting everyone in town to take shelter at the Prosperity Mall. The spiders attacked the mall as well, forcing the survivors to make their way underground into a vein that led to the McCormick Mines. Here they found the queen spider, who was three times larger than the others. Owner Chris McCormick got the others to safety then baited the queen into following him, at which point he set off a spark, igniting the methane fumes from the mine. The explosion killed the queen spider, as well as any others that were still inside the mines.
Comics[]
Spiders plays a vital role in the aptly named Spider-Man multimedia franchise. In every interpretation of the character, a radioactive spider (or in some cases, a genetically modified freak of a spider) is responsible for biting teenager Peter Parker, thus imbuing him with the proportionate strength, agility and reflexes of a spider. Unlike a real spider however, Pete cannot shoot webs out of his ass - 'cuz that would look silly.
Characters[]
| Character | Source |
|---|---|
| Long-Legs | Marvel Universe |
Appearances[]
Films[]
- Chopping Mall
- Fly, The - Spider begins chopping on Andre/Fly right before it gets smooshed with a rock.
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - Yet ANOTHER radioactive spider.
Television[]
- Doctor Who: Arachnids in the UK - Giant mutant spiders invade the UK!
- Outer Limits: Tempests - An alien spider bites an astronaut and infects him with a venom that causes hallucinations.
Comics[]
- Amazing Fantasy 15 - The one that started it all.
- Amazing Spider-Man 300 - Dead spider on the floor of Pete and M.J.'s apartment.
- Amazing Spider-Man Vol 3 1 - Radioactive spider bites Cindy Moon.
- Devil Dinosaur 2 - Long-Legs; Giant spider god.
- Jungle Action 1 - Jungle Boy encounters a giant spider in a cavern.