Spider-Slayer
The first Spider-Slayer. Art by Steve Ditko
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Amazing Spider-Man #25 (June 1965)[1]
Created by	Stan Lee (script) Steve Ditko (artist)
In-story information
Species	Robot
Abilities	Varies via various models

TheSpider-Slayers are a series of fictionalrobots appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created bySpencer Smythe, they were designed specifically to hunt down, capture, or killSpider-Man. A new generation of Spider-Slayers was later created by Spencer's son,Alistair.

The Spider-Slayers have been featured in a number of Spider-Man adaptations outside of comics, including animated series and video games.

The Spider-Slayers first appeared inThe Amazing Spider-Man #25 (June 1965) and were created byStan Lee andSteve Ditko.^[2]

SeeList of Spider-Slayers for a full breakdown of all versions of the Spider-Slayer.

The first series of robots were originally designed and built bySpencer Smythe with the financial backing ofJ. Jonah Jameson, who intends to capture and unmask Spider-Man. However, Spider-Man always manages to defeat the Slayers. Smythe's continued efforts to perfect his machines lead to him contracting fatalradiation poisoning from the building materials of his creations. Blaming both Jameson and Spider-Man for his condition, Smythe attempts to murder them both, but dies just before Spider-Man thwarts the attempt.^[3]

InThe Amazing Spider-Man Annual #19 (1985), Smythe's son,Alistair Smythe, emerged as the new builder of the Spider-Slayers. He swore revenge on Spider-Man, repeatedly attacking the superhero with his own series of Slayers. Smythe is later transformed into a cyborg dubbed the Ultimate Spider-Slayer.^{[volume & issue needed]}

The original Spider-Slayer is seen among the robots and machines in theReanimator's collection.Wolverine later destroys the Spider-Slayer when the Reanimator attempts to use it against him. J. Jonah Jameson utilizes the Spider-Slayer to attackShe-Hulk, but it is destroyed again.^{[volume & issue needed]}

After becoming the mayor of New York City, Jameson has several old Spider-Slayers sent to him from storage to better equip his "Anti-Spider Squad" to take down Spider-Man. The Spider-Slayer technology is combined with that of theMandroid suits. However, the "Spider-Slayer Squad" wearing the suits quit their jobs after Spider-Man saves them and New York from adirty bomb.^{[volume & issue needed]}

When theGoblin King and his Goblin Underground cause havoc in Manhattan, J. Jonah Jameson unveils the Goblin-Slayers, which he plans to use against the Goblin Underground.^[4] TheSuperior Spider-Man (Doctor Octopus' mind in Peter Parker's body) is confronted by a group of Spider-Slayers and tries to fight them, but discovers that they are stronger than all previous versions. The Spider-Slayers are deactivated remotely bySpider-Man 2099, who confronts the Superior Spider-Man about who he really is and the reasons behind his actions of late. However, the Goblin King reactivates the Spider-Slayers and takes control of them.^[5]

An alternate universe version of the Spider-Slayers appears in theUltimate Marvel imprint. These versions are constructed and remotely operated by theTinkerer, who created them to battleSpider-Man if he ever went rogue. The Spider-Slayers are eight-foot-tall robots that balance on a large sphere and are equipped with two arm cannons.^[6][7]

In the future timeline ofMC2,Spider-Girl encounters the original Spider-Slayer after accidentally being sent back in time.^[8]

An alternate universe version of the Spider-Slayer appears inHouse of M. This version was created by J. Jonah Jameson and Alistair Smythe to attack Peter Parker after his secret identity is exposed and he is publicly revealed to not be amutant. The Spider-Slayer attacks Peter's home, only to be destroyed by him.^[9][10]

An alternate universe version of the Spider-Slayer appears inWhat If #84. AfterMay Parker andJohn Jameson are killed in a space shuttle crash caused by theChameleon, J. Jonah Jameson adopts Peter Parker and blames the two's deaths on Spider-Man. Obsessed with taking Spider-Man down, Jameson commissions the creation of the Spider-Slayer and theScorpion formula, the latter of which is ingested byFlash Thompson. The serum warps Thompson's mind and causes him to go on a rampage, which ends after he is subdued by Spider-Man and the Spider-Slayer, controlled by Jameson. After learning Peter's secret identity, Jameson realizes how irrational his hatred of Spider-Man was and decides to help Peter fight crime using the Spider-Slayer.^[11]

• TheMark I Spider-Slayer appears in theSpider-Man (1967) episode "Captured by J. Jonah Jameson". This version was built by Henry Smythe and is equipped with two metallic tentacle-like arms.
• The Spider-Slayers appear inSpider-Man: The Animated Series, consisting of robotic models the "Black Widow", the "Tarantula", and the "Scorpion"; the "Mega Slayer" android; and genetic mutation Alistair Smythe /Ultimate Spider-Slayer.
• The Spider-Slayers appear inUltimate Spider-Man. These versions were created byHydra andDoctor Octopus, who combined Spider-Man's DNA withArnim Zola's Synthezoids. The group consists ofKaine (voiced byDrake Bell),Scarlet Spider (voiced byScott Porter), and theDelta-Nine Synthezoids:Bone Spider,Goliath Spider (both voiced by Imari Williams), andGhost Spider (voiced byRoger Craig Smith). Kaine is an imperfect Synthezoid who is highly resistant to damage, can reattach lost limbs, and feed off Spider-Man or the other Spider-Slayers' life energy. Scarlet Spider, later namedBen Reilly byMay Parker, is an almost perfect clone of Spider-Man barring a facial scar and powers. Bone Spider has claws and spikes all over his body; Goliath Spider is the strongest Spider-Slayer who can turn his body into metal; and Ghost Spider can teleport, become intangible, and generate bio-electricity. Scarlet Spider infiltrates Spider-Man's Web Warriors to serve as Doctor Octopus' spy before eventually defecting to them while Kaine and the Delta-Nine Synthezoids mount failed attempts at killing the Web Warriors. Though Kaine absorbs the other Synthezoids to become the "Ultimate Spider-Slayer", he is defeated byAgent Venom.^[12][13][14]
• The Spider-Slayers appear inSpider-Man (2017). These versions resemble spiders and come in human-sized, mecha-sized, and miniature variants. The original Spider-Slayers were created by Spencer Smythe beforeOscorp stole his schematics and created their own versions.

• The Spider-Slayers appears inSpider-Man (1995). In theSNES version, the Mark X and XIV Spider-Slayers appear as bosses, the Mark XVI and Mark XVII models appear as regular enemies, and the Mark XV is featured in Spectacular mode. In theSega Genesis version, the Mark XV Spider-Slayer appears in the "Deconstruction Zone" level while the Mark X model serves as the boss of the "Mean Streets of the City" level.
• The Mark X and IX Spider-Slayers appear inThe Amazing Spider-Man: Lethal Foes.
• The Spider-Slayers appear inThe Amazing Spider-Man 3: Invasion of the Spider-Slayers.
• The Spider-Slayers appear inSpider-Man (2002). These versions are human-sized mechanical spiders previously known as "Hunter-Killers" created byOscorp to hunt down the Scorpion initially and later Spider-Man.
• TheUltimate Marvel incarnation of the Spider-Slayers appear inSpider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. These versions are large androids armed withflamethrowers that were created byS.H.I.E.L.D. as a counter-measure tosymbiotes.
• The Spider-Slayers, referred to asS-Bots, appear inThe Amazing Spider-Man (2012). These versions were created by Oscorp under the supervision of Alistair Smythe as a countermeasure for the company's cross-species experiments. They consist of Sentries (which come in Medical, Combat, and Advanced Combat variants), Seekers (used to track down cross-species), and Hunters (arachnid-like flying robots called in by the Seekers to eliminate cross-species once they are found). There are also three special robots created specifically for citywide threats: S-01, a larger version of the Hunter that cannot fly, but can shoot lasers and homing missiles; S-02, a giant tentacled serpentine robot equipped with large drills that allow it to tunnel through buildings and underground; and S-03, a massive, heavily armed scorpion-like machine.
  • The Hunters and Seekers appear inThe Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), in which they are used by the "Enhanced Crime Task Force" to hunt down Spider-Man if his hero reputation is too low.

The Spider-Slayers appear in theSpider-Man: The Animated Series tie-in toy line.^{[citation needed]}

• Spencer Smythe
• Alistair Smythe

• Characters created by Stan Lee
• Characters created by Steve Ditko
• Comics characters introduced in 1965
• Fictional robots
• Marvel Comics robots
• Spider-Man characters code names
• Spider-Man characters

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