Tarantula

Early life
Ritchard Samuel Andrews is the son of Warner & Nuela Andrews, who both died in a car accident when he was only 8 years old. He spent the rest of his youth in an orphanage, where he was constantly teased by the other kids. His only friend was a pet tarantula named Nancy. Because of the abuse he suffered, Ritchard became obsessed with fear and thoughts of revenge, but was too overwhelmed by his own perpetual state of fear to ever take action. His only pass time was martial arts, where he excelled in every class.

When he was eighteen, he developed a crush on a high school classmate named Catherine Cox. Unfortunately for Ritchard, Catherine was going out with another boy called George Blake, who embodied many of the traits shared by the bullies that used to torment Ritchard as a child. In late October of that year, Ritchard was a victim of a harsh prank pulled by Blake, and he sought revenge. So Ritchard fashioned a black balaclava with a white pattern stitched to the front shaped like a spider (the same mask that would later consume his identity), he broke into a costume party and before frightening him, he stabbed George Blake in the chest 9 times. Ritchard managed to escape the scene of his first crime without his face being seen, so no one knew that he was the one who killed Blake. After committing his first murder, the night after, Ritchard buried the mask in Crystal City Cemetary before anybody could find it and blame him for the murder. Despite this however, Ritchard developed a savage delight in frightening people literally to death.

Later Ritchard enrolled at Crystal City University where he became a prized student of psychology, although he was bothered that no one else understood the importance of the psychology of fear as he did. Ritchard also excelled in chemistry, where he developed a powerful hallucinogen that caused people to psychologically experience their greatest fear. However also later on in the course, Ritchard was involved in a terrible incident and was sent to a hospital. However to the doctors' surprise, the wounds he suffered healed themselves, as if Ritchard was unharmed. Astonished by this new power, Ritchard tried his best to hide this power from the world and continue on in his studies.

Later on in his life, Ritchard became a professor of psychology with an emphasis on the study of fear. During his career, Ritchard bumped into Catherine Cox, who Ritchard had not seen since George Blake's death. Pretty soon the two became romantically involved and Catherine conceded a child of whom they named Connor. However Catherine died just after she had given birth, and seeing the child as a constant reminder of his only love, Ritchard left baby Connor in the same orphanage that he grew up in, leaving behind for him a photo of Connor's parents happily together. Ritchard Andrews was eventually dismissed for using his toxin on some of his students. After which, Ritchard dug back up his old mask in the cemetary and wore it again before killing the people responsible for his dismissal. Soon afterwards, Ritchard became a career criminal, taking up the moniker Tarantula as part of his revenge.

For years, Tarantula has established himself as a criminal mastermind, organizing several crimes across the city and shipping in illegal substances to improve his toxin, and establishing himself as perhaps the most feared man in the entire city due to his vast knowledge of fear and chemistry, his incredible martial art skills and pure intimidation to his victims.

Tarantula
After years running as the most fearful criminal in the entire city, the Tarantula would finally meet his match upon learning that a team of superheroes, known as the Crystal League, has put his right-hand man, Bruce Fury, in prison during one of his shipments. Tarantula secretly observed and recorded the team bust each of his recent operations one by one, studying their moves, while being driven to desperate measures to continue the development of his hallucinogenic toxin. In an attempt to slow down the Crystal League's progress, Tarantula hired a crooked spy to distract the team long enough so he can add the finishing touches to his toxin. This plan is successful, and as the Tarantula announces the completion of his toxin to his thugs during a criminal gathering, he notices the spy that he hired, immediately realizing that it was actually Frostbite in disguise. Frostbite manages to escape, but on that same night, the Tarantula manages to kidnap Tele-Kid and use his toxin on Whiz Kid. The Tarantula continues to torment his son, without revealing his true identity to him, as he prepares to sell his toxin to the black market. However this plan is foiled when the Crystal League, reunited with their fully recovered leader, storms his hideout and defeats the Tarantula before he could harm his prisoner. The Tarantula was later unmasked, unknown to the Crystal League, and locked away.

Several months later the Tarantula busted out of prison, with help from his goons, putting his mask back on, to reclaim his throne as the feared criminal mastermind of Crystal City. But first, he once again ambushed and kidnapped Tele-Kid, imprisoning him in his new hideout. However this time, he reveals his true identity to Tele-Kid, revealing himself to be Tele-Kid's father, which caused him to have a breakdown right there and then. Later the Tarantula announced that he wanted to make a wager with the Crystal League personally. He offered that they could have Tele-Kid back unharmed only if they retire from crime fighting, but if they refused, then he'd show the recorded tapes of the team in action to the public, busting their cover and forcing them to retire. As they refused, the Tarantula made his escape via a stolen helicopter. Eventually the Tarantula took over the Crystal City TV Station as hostage, demanding the Crystal League to accept his offer before he rolls the tapes live on television. However at this time, the Cystal League were already busy rescuing Tele-Kid from his goons. The Crystal League would then confront the Tarantula in the TV Station and defeat him, but not before the tapes were played live on television. The Tarantula was once again unmasked and sent to prison, but thanks to his footage of the team being broadcasted on television, the public rioted, forcing the Crystal League to retire. And also with the disappearance of Tele-Kid, the Tarantula truly left his mark on the superhero team, despite being behind bars for a second time.

Unfortunately the Tarantula's plan to retire the Crystal League failed, as the team returned to action by popular demand. He promised to himself that the city will pay for their actions. After some time in prison, the Tarantula was once again busted out of prison, however this time by Stoneheart, who had taken over the Tarantula's gang and has organized a new plot to take down the superhero team. Stoneheart revealed that her goons have stolen a Collapso-Ray, a device capable of shrinking targets to unimaginable sizes. The Tarantula agrees to help her out, and organized a bank robbery that would lure the Crystal League to Stoneheart's hideout. However the deadly duo's plan backfires as the Collapso-Ray instead targetted Stoneheart, rapidly shrinking her until she vanished. Despite the foiled plan, the Tarantula managed to escape the clutches of the Crystal League and find refuge in an abandoned warehouse. There, the Tarantula worked long and hard to create more of his deadly hallucinogen, this time with a plot to make the city turn on the team of superheroes.

On the first of November of that same year, the Tarantula returned to the streets, this time however calling out and challenging the Crystal League to fight him. They accept the challenge, but as they fought off the Tarantula's goons, Avalanche was poisoned by the fear-inducing toxin. The effects of the toxin were stronger than ever, turning Avalanche into a hideous and monstrous beast on a rampage. As the Crystal League sought to return Avalanche to her normal state before she can harm the city, the Tarantula goes on a crime spree across the city, regaining his throne as the most feared criminal in the city. Eventually the Tarantula realized that if he could gain control of the monstrous Avalanche, he would be able to tighten his stranglehold on the city, inducing the entire city into fear without the need of a hallucinogen. However his plan to capture the beast horribly failed as Avalanche managed to regain control of her powers and fears, defeating the Tarantula all by herself. The beaten and battered Tarantula returned to prison, ever vengeful for his constant failures.

However just three months later, the Tarantula was busted out of prison once again, however this time by his own son, Tele-Kid, who turned to a life of evil after his last encounter with him. As a showing of gratitude to his son, he accepted Tele-Kid's offer to join him in the formation of a team of villains to battle the Crystal League. This team was later known as the Platinum League and was later joined by the likes of Heart Breaker and Red Ghost. The Tarantula was chosen to join Tele-Kid in his battle against Crystal League members Whiz Kid and Avalanche. However during battle, the Tarantula retreated as the rest of the Crystal League joined, leaving his own son behind to be defeated by the superhero team. The Tarantula defected from the Platinum League, believing that his son was not as powerful as he thought, and returned to his old ways of formulating plots revolving around his fear-inducing toxin.

Since the defeat of the Platinum League, the Tarantula continued to wreak havoc, organizing criminal operations across the city. Eventually the Tarantula threatened the entire city that he'd contaminate the city's water supply with his toxin, flooding the city with its deepest, darkest nightmares unless they hand over the mayor to him, alive or dead. This announcement caused mass mayhem across the city with riots and assassination attempts by the civilians, however the Tarantula quickly grew impatient and ordered his henchmen to kidnap the mayor. In the mercy of the criminal mastermind, the mayor was induced into fear by the deadly toxin, driving into insanity. Because of the city's inability to make a decision however, the Tarantula announced that he was going ahead with his plan, that is until the Crystal League turned up just before he could contaminate the water with the toxin. In battle, the Tarantula was decapitated by a large falling piece of steel, thus killing him. His body was cremated and his ashes were kept in an urn that has remained in the Crystal Fortress ever since as a tribute to one of the Crystal League's greatest enemies of all time.

Powers and abilities
Tarantula possesses an accelerated healing process that regenerates damaged or destroyed areas of his body far beyond the capabilities of an ordinary human. The only way to stop him would be to decapitate him and remove his head from the vicinity of his body. Although his body heals, the healing factor doesn't suppress the pain he endures while injured.

Despite his healing capabilities, Tarantula also uses a variety of toxins that cause his victims to hallucinate that their phobias have come to life. He wears his trademark mask to enhance the effect of the hallucinogen (instilling fear in all who see him) as well as to avoid being poisoned by his own toxin.

He is also a master of multiple forms of hand-to-hand combatant, and is considerably agile and strong.

Virtual Venom
A more monstrous version of Tarantula appeared in the Virtual Venom story arc of the Crystal League. In this version, he is built as a huge superhuman with unlimited strength and stamina. His mask has a hole where the mouth should be, but his mouth resembles that of a monster with fangs. He projects a hallucinogenic toxin through his breath that induces his victims with their deepest, darkest fears and nightmares. However in this version, Tarantula is not the criminal mastermind that he is known for. Instead he is a ruthless killer monster with no further train of thought other than to torment his prey before feasting on them.

Spiritual Rebirth
Tarantula was one of few villains to be cloned and morphed into a minion of Trastámara Aragon to battle the Crystal League. However this version possessed several superhuman physical attributes including strength and agility.

Trivia

 * Since his death, Tarantula has been ranked #1 in "Crystal City's Top 10 Deadliest Criminals of All Time".
 * Tarantula is a very popular Halloween costume in Crystal City.