Spider (pulp fiction)

The Spider
Cover of the first issue (October 1933), featuring the story "The Spider Strikes"
Publisher	Popular Publications
First appearance	The Spider, vol. 1, #1 ("The Spider Strikes") (October 1933)
Created by	Harry Steeger
In story information
Real name	Richard Wentworth
Supporting characters	Nita Van Sloan Ram Singh Ronald Jackson Stanley Kirkpatrick
Spider (pulp fiction)
Publisher	Popular Publications
Schedule	Monthly (until March 1943) Bi-monthly (until final issue)
Genre	Hero pulp
Publication date	October 1933 – December 1943
Number of issues	118
Creative team
Writer(s)	Norvell W. Page Reginald Thomas Maitland Scott "Grant Stockbridge"
Editor(s)	Rogers Terrill (1933–1942) Robert Turner & Ryerson Johnson (1943)
Films or serials
The Spider’s Web	Columbia Pictures 1938 Portrayed by: Warren Hull
The Spider Returns	Columbia Pictures 1941 Portrayed by: Warren Hull
Comics and graphic novels
The Spider	Eclipse Comics 1991
The Spider: Judgement Knight	Moonstone Books 2009

The Spider is an American pulp-magazine hero of the 1930s and 1940s.

The Spider was created in 1933 by Harry Steeger at Popular Publications as direct competition to Street and Smith Publications' vigilante hero, the Shadow. Though similar, The Spider was millionaire playboy Richard Wentworth, who had served as a Major in World War I, and was living in New York City unaffected by the financial deprivations of the Great Depression. The ninth pulp has him as the last surviving member of a rich family.

Wentworth was easily identified as The Spider by his enemies in a number of earlier novels and was arrested by the police but quickly escaped, adopting a disguise and associated alias Tito Caliepi, donning make-up, a wig of lank hair, a black cape, and slouch hat. Later in the pulp series, vampire-like makeup appeared and then a face mask with grizzled hair; a hunchback was then added to terrorize the criminal underworld with The Spider's brand of violent vigilante justice. (Actor and comedian Harold Lloyd previously had used a similar mask, lank hair wig, and hunchback in the comedy film Dr. Jack (1922)). Caliepi sometimes begged, utilizing Wentworth's talent with a violin.

At times, Wentworth also ventured into the underworld disguised as small-time hood Blinky McQuade in order to gain needed information. To Scotland Yard, Wentworth was known as Rupert Barton and held a badge of Inspector for services rendered; by the fifth novel he also held the rank of Lieutenant in the FBI.

Wentworth himself, according to the fifth story, was 5'11" tall, and had grey eyes and an old battle scar on his head that would flare up at times of great stress. He was an accomplished pianist and violinist, and he drove a Lancia. He could speak fluent Hindustani and so talk with Ram Singh in the latter's own language, with little fear anyone else would understand. Page's Wentworth was psychologically vulnerable and suffered "frequent bouts of fear,self-doubt, despair and paranoia."