Some of this will be familiar but I didn’t really do a proper job it last time. So here are all the best giant spider comics from the Golden Age of Comics. In a previous post I wrote about Fritz Leiber’s “Spider Mansion” that appeared in Weird Tales (September 1942). This was by no means the first giant spider story in the Pulps. But it was one that cemented the Horror genre to the idea. After I wrote the piece I came across “Spiderman and His Web of Doom” in Charlton’s The Thing #7 (March 1953). Here was Leiber’s story combining the villain with the monster. (This story was written nine years before Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created Spider-Man so I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do with him.)
As with so many older comics, the authors are not unknown. I have indicated them where I could. Many of these comics can be found for free at DCM.
“Brad Hardy” (More Fun Comics #11, July 1936) was written by A. Leslie Ross. Brad, Lorraine and Prince Kardios are attacked by a giant spider. Kardios bravely jumps into fight the beast. Brad kills it with a block of stone, saving his friend.
“Shock Gibson” (Speed Comics #10, July 1940) was written by Maurice Rosenfield and Bill Scott as Maurice Scott. Comrade Ratski and Professor Capcheck steal an enlarging serum and use it to attack America. Charles “Shock” Gibson faces giant bugs and best of all, a giant spider.
“The Spider People” (Nickel Comics #5, July 12, 1940) has Captain Venture and his beautiful sidekick, Princess Zyra, discover an unknown planet near Saturn. They encounter a space dragon then the spider people. Venture and Zyra escape, burn up up all the spidery villains.
“Fantomah” (Jungle Comics #15, March 1941) was written by Fletcher Hanks. Org teh witch doctor discovers a race of giant spiders that he unleashes on the people of the jungle. Fantomah gets all skull-faced and takes him out.
“The Giant Spider” (Whiz Comics #15, March 1941) was written by Bill Parker. When a spider eats Ibis’s magical Ibistick it turns into a giant. The creature devours Ibis’s nemesis then declares, “Human blood is good!” Ibis has to resort to old-fashioned spears to get the stick back. For more on Ibis, go here.
“Invasion From Mars” (64 Pages of New Captain Marvel Adventures #2, Summer 1941) has spiders from Mars invade. (No sign of Ziggy Stardust though.) The weird arachnid aliens don’t even have eight arms. The Big Red Cheese takes them out.
“Web of the Monster” (Startling Comics #12, January 1942) Biff is off to Africa to beat Horner of the Mammoth Menagerie Co. from capturing a giant spider first. Only one can claim the prize.
“Monsters of the Inner-World” (Planet Comics #19, July 1942) has Reef Ryan and Vara having adventures in the oceans of Neptune. Giant fish lead to an island inhabited by the Tarspid, a giant spider. Reef punches the monster to death when Vara ends up in a web.
“The Spider of Doom” (National Comics #25, October 1942) was written by Fred Guardineer. Professor Mordecai Twitch creates a giant spider but a Japanese agent kills him and takes it. Merlin has to save a woman from the creature then takes it out with a giant wasp. (We’ll see that one again, later.) Definitely a wartime comic.
“Shanghaied into Space Part 7” (All Star Comics #13, October-November 1942) was written by Gardner F. Fox. Johnny Thunder lands on a strange planet and has to deal with a giant spider and Thunderbolt.
“Tarantula Men” (Jo-Jo Comics #23, July 1949) has Jo-Jo and Tan-ee go to a village being attacked by giant spiders. Worse, an earthquake opens the ground and allows the Tarantula Men free. Jo-Jo takes care of them with fire and knocking boulders over the entranc to their underground caves.
“The Spider-God of Akka” (Strange Worlds #1, November 1950) was written by Gardner F. Fox. Giant spiders are big in heroic fantasy but there is only one in the Golden Age. That would be “The Spider God of Akka”, Crom the Barbarian’s first appearance. You will find them all the later ones here.
“The Spider!” (Marvel Tales #101, June 1951) written by Hank Chapman. Willy is a mentally unstable dude. He doesn’t even care when his parents die. All he cares about is Taranta, his giant pet spider. By the end, Willy will join Taranta in the web-slinging business.
wow… Fantomah on seeing her elephants attacked by giant spiders is ‘Wonderful’ ha ha ha