Spencer Smythe

Spencer Smythe is an American engineer and entrepreneur specializing in robotics.

Biography

In mid-1965, Spencer Smythe came to J. Jonah Jameson, chief editor of the Daily Bugle, with a business proposal. Jameson had a very public vendetta against Spider-Man, and Smythe had developed a machine that he believed would defeat the hero once and for all. It was a roughly human-sized robot that could detect spiders and lash out at them with powerful metal coils, restraining them in a virtually unbreakable grip. The robot could also be controlled and observed remotely. Jameson was skeptical of Smythe when he came to the Bugle offices to offer his technology, having recently been let down by similar offers. Ironically, Peter Parker—Spider-Man's secret identity—goaded Jameson into taking the deal, believing he would easily defeat the robot and humiliate Jameson. Jameson rented the robot from Smythe, who had it up and running later that day. The robot, equipped with highly adaptable limbs and nimble movement, quickly tracked down Spider-Man and chased him along a series of rooftops. Spider-Man eventually grew tired and was captured by the robot's long, powerful coils. Jameson and Smythe left their remote-control post to retrieve the robot and Spider-Man, but on their way over there the hero used his intellect to find and deactivate the robot's power source and escape. Smythe was disappointed and annoyed that his invention had failed, while Jameson was furious that Spider-Man had outsmarted him once again.