THE TARANTULA

Lycosa / Tarantula

F- GD (10) / RM (30)
A- GD (10) / EX (20)
S- TY (6) / RM (30)
E- GD (10) / AM (50)
R- GD (10) / GD (10)
I- GD (10) / EX (20)
P- RM (30) / RM (30)
H- 36 / 130
K- 50 / 60
R- EX
P- 0 / -10

Powers: Web Spinning

In a way that seems more magical than natural, the Tarantula can create or conjure thick, sticky webs from his fingers. He lacks the sort of control Spider-Man has developed over the years, as he can only create them in the traditional web shapes. He usually uses them to close off alleyways and block off avenues of escape. The Tarantula likes to play with his food before dining.

The webs are of EXCELLENT (20) material strength (a strong or determined man can break free given enough time) and can be projected up to one area away. Note that the Tarantula cannot be entangled in his own webs.

Wall Climbing : The Tarantula can cling to walls and ceilings with REMARKABLE (30) strength - even to supposedly "non-stick" surfaces.

Fangs : The Tarantula's REMARKABLE strength fangs inflect GOOD (10) damage and inject a paralyzing poison of AMAZING (50) strength.

Limitations: Count Lycosa is unable to control his transformations. Also, as the Tarantula he has only limited control over his actions. If the Tarantula is free and unbound, one of his first priorities is to claim a victem. For food, the Tarantula prefers...human flesh. If possible, the Tarantula will try to kill and eat a criminal. If not...then Lycosa must make a Psyche FEAT roll against the Tarantulas Psyche. If he fails...he'll be willing to slay an innocent to slake his hunger. The Tarantula once even tried to kill Lycosa's secratary! The only person who the Tarantula has refused to kill (when given the chance) is Crispin, Lycosa's personal servant.

Talents: Business, Detective, Law, Occult Lore.
Contacts: Mister Crispin (his butler), Natalie Walters (his secretary).

History: The Count tells his story like this...

"Never a day passes when I don't think back...back to the days when the Curse of the Tarantula was first bestowed upon the original Count Lycosa."

"How well I remember the story passed down from generation to generation...that the mysterious Spider Princess who led her band of murderous creatures against helpless villagers back in the Middle Ages" (As recounted in The Tarantula #1 - editor.)

"My ancestor risked his life to lead a desperate attack against the monsters in an attempt to wipe them out...little realizing the dire consequences his heroism would wreak upon not only himself, but all his male decendants!"

"No, only when it was too late did he discover what he had done..."

Spider Princess : "A curse on you, Count Lycosa..and on the first born male of all your descendants! Your hands and theirs will be covered with blood from this day forward......and in the wretched end each will die by his own hand....just as I now die by yours!"

"Today, these hundreds of years later..I am curious as to what my ancestor thought as he watched her die......if he considered that there might be validity to her curse! Or if he forgot the curse, merely put it out of his mind for a period of time......Until that fateful day it finally was fulfilled......the day he first found himself transformed into...THE TARANTULA!"

Long story short, every night Eugene Lycoas transforms into the Tarantula. Usually he can take the time to lock himself up before this transformation occurs, but sometimes he escapes or can't get home in time. On a few occasions, he's stayed out specifically to feed the Tarantula, but only if he feels his chances of encountering criminals is good.

It seemed a little strange that an obviously European nobleman should be cursed to become a were-Tarantula...until I remember that a specific species of wolf spider (Lycosa tarantula or the European Wolf Spider) is distantly related to the more well know South American variety. And when you take into consideration that the Tarantula's real name is Eugene Lycosa...well the mystery of his curse is less mysterious. Also, as the Tarantula seems to have been named for the town of Taranto in southern Italy, I'm guessing that the very European "Count Eugene Lycosa" is Italian.

Description: Back in 1975 Lycosa prefered blue slacks and Nehru jackets. These days his tastes may have changed. As the Tarantula his body is hairy and (for some reason) slightly greenish. His eyes and fanged mouth are blood red.

Personality: Count Lycosa tries to be a good, decent man...but as the Tarantula he's a far more unpleasant creature. While not an uncontrollable murderer, he's far less concerned with morals and ethics than Lycosa.