There have been a few Spider characters over the years. In comics, Gray Morrow sort of revived a version of the pulp/movie serial version in one of those odd back to back comics. The other side was titled Web Man, I think. Can anyone shed a bit more light as I can't find my copy?
The Fly (Archie/Radio Comics) had a recurring villain called The Spider. And in books, Johnston McCulley had a villainous Spider. This is a quote from the pulpnet:-
"The Spider was another villain that McCulley created. He was injured as a youth and confined to a wheelchair, but he uses his intellect to be a criminal mastermind. He, too, had stories reprinted in hardback, which Wildside Press has reprinted."
Ajnaabi, The Spider comic you have is the classic British character. A villain from the start, who later does fight evil. I think I prefer him as a villain. Fleetway did the same with The Steel Claw, originally a villain, he later becomes a good guy and at one point actually has a superhero costume. That part didn't last long and I could be one of the few folk who enjoyed it.
I thoroughly recommend the original pulp Spider and the Johnston McCulley book character, in fact most of McCulley's output, because if you fancy reading thrillers with vigilante style costumed characters/costumed cracksmen, try The Crimson Clown, Thunderbolt and, for a great villain, Black Star.
You could also do worse than track down early Blackshirt books by Bruce Graeme.
