Black Spider

Black Spider
Cover to Detective Comics #463 (Sep 1976), the first appearance of the Black Spider. Art by Ernie Chua.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Eric Needham Detective Comics #463 (September 1976) Johnny LaMonica Batman #518 (May 1995) Derrick Coe Birds of Prey #87 (December 2005)
Created by	Needham Gerry Conway Ernie Chua LaMonica Doug Moench Kelley Jones Coe Gail Simone Joe Bennett Eddy Barrows
In-story information
Alter ego	Eric Needham Johnny LaMonica Derrick Coe
Team affiliations	Suicide Squad Secret Society of Super Villains
Notable aliases	The Killers, Darkman, Fulture, The Ninja, Man-Scars, The Crookman

Black Spider is the name of several fictional characters who are DC Comics Supervillains. The first two were both primarily the enemies of Batman.

The original Black Spider first appeared in Detective Comics #463 (September 1976) and was created by Gerry Conway. Eric Needham is a small-time crook who is addicted to heroin. Eric was first sentenced to prison after mugging and nearly killing an elderly woman but, as a minor, he was out in three years. Over the next twenty-four months, Eric married his friend Linda Morrel and they had a son, Michael. Desperate for money to buy more drugs, he robs a liquor store. He kills the owner, who turns out to be his father. After being arrested, he kicks the habit out of remorse and begins a war on the drug trade.

Donning a costume, he becomes a self-styled vigilante and begins killing those suspected of dealing drugs. This brings him into conflict with Batman. Needham believes that the two should be allies, as he sees common purpose in their war against criminals. His murderous methods, however, continually put him at odds with the Dark Knight.

Needham's paraphernalia and missions as the Black Spider were bankrolled by a man who is secretly involved with narcotics and wants to take out the competition.

Despite his professed desire to fight criminals, the Black Spider occasionally allies 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 is 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 in a brief flashback in Secret Origins #28.

During his war, Needham's wife and son are killed by a drug lord who discovers the Black Spider's identity. In a rage, the Spider prepares for one final assault. After being shot multiple times, Needham invades the drug lord's headquarters and detonates explosives strapped to his back, killing the drug dealers in the process.

Eric Needham later turns up in Neil Gaiman's critically acclaimed fantasy comic The Sandman, dating supporting character, Lyta Hall. No explanation was given for his resurrection.