Johnny "Matinee"[1] LaMonica was the second person to take on the Black Spider mantle.
History
LaMonica was a good-looking petty crook who committed three robberies with a childhood friend named Frankie Setzer, and was consequently arrested. He became an enforcer of drug lord Manny Terraro's gang before the latter was killed by a predator. After that, he began working for another underworld figure known as the Turk, who ordered him to infiltrate the False Face Society and kill its boss, Black Mask, so that the Turk could replace him as a gang leader. To this end, LaMonica adopted the mantle of the presumed dead Eric Needham, the first Black Spider. As a means to show Sionis his loyalty, LaMonica accepted to crash a masquerade ball at Wayne Manor on his orders, but was confronted by Batman and forced to retreat. Later, LaMonica stormed Black Mask's hideout and attempted to shoot him, but was again thwarted by the caped crusader. Left with a "web of scars" after crashing his face into a mirror during the confrontation, he was imprisoned at Blackgate Penitentiary.[2] [1] [3]

LaMonica without his mask.
LaMonica, his face completely restored, was one of the many inmates who broke out of their cells when Blackgate was struck by Gotham's earthquake and flooded by a tidal wave. However, he was recaptured, since he was later still imprisoned with a web-shaped tattoo on his right arm. Eventually, LaMonica left Blackgate and the Penguin arranged for him to do some work on behalf of Gotham's Five Families. When his activities were interrupted by members of the Burnley Town Massive, a shootout ensued and GCPD detectives Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen stumbled upon the scene. LaMonica was shot down by Allen as he was on his way to liquidate Montoya with a pair of submachine guns. One of the bullets that killed LaMonica was sold by crime scene technician Jim Corrigan to an elderly supervillain aficionado named Jennifer Gordon-Hewitt, but was later recovered by detective Montoya and IA inspector Manny Esperanza as a means to prove that Allen acted in self-defense.[4] [5] [6] [7]
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Firearms: He was shown to employ a gun and a pair of Ingram MAC-11s.
- Knife
Related
- 8 Appearances of Johnny LaMonica (New Earth)
- 6 Images featuring Johnny LaMonica (New Earth)
- Quotations by or about Johnny LaMonica (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Johnny LaMonica (New Earth)
Footnotes
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