This weekend’s superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at the Black Spider, a neglected Ace Periodicals character from the 40s. FOR MANY MORE ACE CHARACTERS CLICK HERE.
THE BLACK SPIDER
Secret Identity: Ralph Nelson
First Appearance: Super Mystery Comics Vol 1 #3 (Oct 1940)
Origin: District Attorney Ralph Nelson grew disgusted with seeing criminals escape justice through loopholes, so he donned a costume, called himself the Black Spider and set out to take down those malefactors who seemed untouchable by the law.
Powers: The Black Spider was in peak physical condition and exceled at unarmed combat. He was also a skilled investigator and handy with a gun. Luckily, Ralph’s lifelong hobby was the study of spiders, so he used trained tarantulas and black widows from a package on his belt against his foes.
Comment: Nelson’s secretary Peggy Dodge was aware of his dual identity and often aided him on his adventures while wearing a mask herself. I feel she should have gotten her own alias, like Arachne or something. “The Black Spider and Arachne” has a Green Hornet and Kato feel to it.
SUPER MYSTERY COMICS Vol 1 #3 (Oct 1940)
Title: The Black Spider
Villains: Gangster Sol Risko and his men
Synopsis: We learn that the Black Spider has been active for some time already and is hated by the city’s organized crime chiefs. Peggy Dodge, the D.A.’s secretary, has a crush on him, not yet realizing he is her boss Ralph Nelson.
Peggy is disgusted at Ralph’s seeming lack of gumption when Sol Risko’s men manage a spectacular theft of evidence in the court case against him, jeopardizing any conviction. She dons a mask and trails Harrigan, a politician in Risko’s pocket.
Meanwhile, D.A. Nelson goes to his secret lair – a cave in the woods called the Web, where he keeps his spiders and other items. He becomes the Black Spider and trails Harrigan like Peggy is doing. Our hero arrives in time to save her from Harrigan and a Risko gunman, but she tears off his mask and learns the Black Spider is really Ralph.
She vows to keep his secret and slips away. The Black Spider takes Harrigan to the Web and gets information out of him by threatening to have his spiders bite him. Then, he recovers the stolen evidence from thugs at the Green Moon Cafe and Risko is found guilty. Continue reading
THE UNCLE GODDAMN MOVIES – Over the years, several people have asked me if there are any weird films that I won’t review. Believe it or not, there are. First would be the decades-old version of A Christmas Carol performed by a class of mentally challenged students. 
Over time, that film became one of the products sold by the now-defunct mail order site called Blackest Heart Video. So far, it has been the only version of A Christmas Carol that I’ve neither bought nor reviewed. 
THE SON OF THE SHEIK (1926) – Having had more flops than hits in recent years, Valentino jumped at the chance to try reviving his box office mojo by playing both father and son in this sequel to his mammoth hit The Sheik. 
NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) 
NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) DIVISION ONE
SCARTICIA – From 1971 to 1975 Annette Stutzman starred as the witch Scarticia, hostess of Horrible Movie late Saturday nights on WAPT-TV in Jackson, MS. Stutzman also worked as the personal secretary of the station manager. 
Soon, Jackson, MS teens and 20-somethings began holding Horrible Movie viewing parties on Saturday nights. Inevitably, hundreds of fan letters began pouring in every week. 
OHARA (1987-1988) – In this 1-hour detective show’s case “Ohara” is NOT O’Hara and is instead a Japanese-American cop played by the venerable Pat Morita, who also co-created the program. During its run Ohara went through THREE changes of format, starting out with a very innovative approach before poor ratings prompted desperate network scrambling for tired old approaches. 
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