Spider-Slayer Mark I

Amazing Spider-Man #26

by Steve Ditko, 1965

Professor Smythe's original robot was not called a spider-slayer, but it is simply referred to as "the robot". After reading Jonah's anti-Spider-Man articles, Professor Smythe comes into the Daily Bugle offices with an invention "guaranteed" to defeat Spider-Man. Initially, Jonah wants nothing to do with "any more nutty mad scientists". Peter Parker sees another opportunity to embarass Jonah in public, and he convinces Jonah to hear Smythe's demonstration.

Smythe's robot can sense a spider's presence anywhere. It has about a dozen flexible steel coils designed to envelop and restrain Spider-Man. Additionally, it travels on rolling wheels, but has extendable limbs allowing it to climb buildings and cross rooftops. Its body is oily and frictionless which prevents Spider-Man from webbing it up. And as a final touch, it has a viewscreen for a face and displays Jonah's smirking image when Jonah is watching the robot's progress through the remote mechanism.

Jonah agrees to rent Smythe's robot. After Smythe puts on a few finishing touches, Jonah release the robot onto the streets of New York. The robot picks up Peter's presence around Midtown High School and soon the chase is on. It uses its limbs to climb up to the rooftop where Jonah spots Spider-Man getting into costume. The robot is tireless as it chases Spider-Man around the city. Spider-Man is unable to web up the robot from a distance, and the flailing coils prevent Spider-Man from getting close enough to physically damage the robot. Finally, Spider-Man is exhausted from being pursued, and when he tries once more to confront the robot, he is caught in the robot's coil and entangled.

Jonah and Smythe see this in the robot's viewer and they immediate head off to track the robot and unmask Spider-Man. While they are en route, Spider-Man manages to access the robot's control panel, deactivate the robot, and escape from its coils. As a final measure, Spider-Man leaves his costume entangled in the robot's coils thus taunting Jonah one final time when he arrives and sees "Spider-Man" tied up with the robot. Smythe was sure that his robot was undefeatable and leaves with the comment "back to the drawing board".