Trapster

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caption =The Trapster.
Art by Michael Turner.
comic_color = background:#ff8080
character_name = The Trapster
real_name = Peter Petruski
publisher = Marvel Comics
debut = "Strange Tales" #104 (January 1963)
as the Trapster: "Fantastic Four" #38
creators = Stan Lee
Jack Kirby
alliance_color = background:#c0c0ff
status =
alliances =
previous_alliances = Frightful Four, Sinister Six
aliases = Paste-Pot Pete
relatives =
powers =
Genius level intellect, especially in chemistry
Suit grants:
*Adhesive or lubricant projection
*Wall crawlingThe Trapster is a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.

Publication history

The Trapster is one of the first supervillains who became active during the "Silver Age" of Marvel Comics.

Fictional character biography

Peter Petruski was born in Gary, Indiana. Originally calling himself Paste-Pot-Pete, the villain clashed with the Human Torch during his efforts to sell secrets to the Soviets.

Following failed solo efforts against the Torch, Pete teamed with the Wizard in efforts to trump his youthful foe. The Wizard and Pete would eventually team with the criminal Sandman and the Inhuman Medusa as the Frightful Four. It was shortly after the formation of the Frightful Four that Pete abandoned his old alias and assumed the more intimidating Trapster (the "Spider-Man/Human Torch" miniseries depicts the catalyst of the name change to be Spider-Man being unable to stop laughing when Paste Pot Pete introduced himself; this can most likely be considered canon, although the series overall was one of humor). The Frightful Four would clash time and again with the Fantastic Four, often enjoying some measure of success in their efforts. Over the years, the membership of the Frightful Four would vary, but Paste-Pot-Pete would serve in virtually every incarnation in which Wizard served as well, loyal to his longtime boss.

He changed his identity to The Trapster in "Fantastic Four" #38, with the second appearance of the Frightful Four, in an attempt to make himself sound more formidable. Over the years, a running gag in Marvel comics involved heroes and villains alike reminding Trapster of his earlier name of "Paste-Pot-Pete" -- which would inevitably send him flying into a rage.

Trapster has often sought independent recognition, battling virtually every "street-level" hero in the Marvel Universe either by design or by opposition to some criminal scheme. Trapster once even defeated Daredevil in single combat. The victory proved short-lived, as Doctor Doom interrupted his fight in a campaign of his own against Daredevil, and shortly thereafter the hero would avenge his defeat. Trapster also attempted to raid the Baxter Building (just before it was destroyed by Doctor Doom II), but embarrassingly fell victim to the security systems and the robot receptionist, thus becoming the first villain to be defeated by an empty building. However, he had a moment appreciated by the heroes when he was convinced to free Captain America, who was snared by Baron Heinrich Zemo's powerful Adhesive X, by inventing the first ever means to neutralize the previously uncounterable chemical.

Saddened by constant defeats, Trapster would seek out the Tinkerer's aid in redesigning his arsenal. Adding wrist-pumps for his glue weaponry and a bandolier of various explosives and gimmicks, Trapster joined forces with the mutant villain Whirlwind in a bid to defeat Captain America. Despite his improved arsenal, both villains were defeated.

The Trapster found his moment of victory over Spider-Man when he teamed up with the Shocker but before the duo could finish Spidey off, their employees said their payment would be doubled if they left Spider-Man alone and they complied. He would later defeat Spider-Man in one-on-one combat after being enlisted to battle the wall-crawler as part of the Acts of Vengeance conspiracy; it was only through merest quirk of fate that Spider-Man even survived the battle. However, when the Trapster learned of Spider-Man's survival and returned to finish the job, he would find the web-slinger now in possession of cosmic powers (eventually revealed to be a manifestation Uni-Power) with which Pete was easily defeated. Later on, during the "" story, the Trapster would be hired by Norman Osborn to kill a man and make it seem like Spider-Man did it, and in order to cover this up Osborn put a price on Trapster's head, attracting assassins like the Hand and his previous ally Shocker. Trapster unknowingly teamed up with Spider-Man, who was using the alias of Dusk, in an attempt to get back at Osborn, and would eventually confess his murder to the police in order to remove Osborn's reason for wanting him dead.

During his tenure with the most recent Frightful Four incarnation (including Hydro-Man and the mysterious Salamandra), the Wizard tired of Trapster's failures and his general snivelling, and callously sealed the villain in a repeating time-loop, a trap from which he can "never escape." However, Petruski did indeed escape.

The Trapster was enlisted by Lucia von Bardas, the former prime minister of Latveria and placed in her secret army of technology-based villains. She sent the army against Wolverine, Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Daredevil, and Captain America, the five heroes Nick Fury had sent to Latveria to stop Lucia’s secret criminal funding. When the battle started to turn in favor of the heroes, Lucia turned all the armor of her technology army into a bomb. Nick’s unknown agent Daisy defeated her and the armor army’s lives were saved. Pete escaped the heroes in the resulting battle between Nick Fury and Wolverine.

He was recently among an army of supervillains organized by Hammerhead that was captured by Iron Man during Marvel's Civil War storyline.

Post Civil War

The Trapster has recently appeared as a member of a new 'Frightful Five' ("Fantastic Four #546)", along with Wizard, Hydro-Man, Titania, and Klaw.

He's recently appeared in "" as one of the villains in the bar, and later fighting Spider-Man in the Bran New Day Extra one-shot.

Powers and abilities

The Trapster does not possess any superhuman powers, but relies on a variety of technological devices. His primary weapon has always been projectile glue, initially delivered by a gun, then wrist cannons, and most recently from the tips of his gloves. He can shoot out a stream of liquid glue that immediately gels into a springy rope, allowing him to duplicate Spider-Man's web-shooters.Pete also has designed boots that allow him to walk up walls by sequentially releasing a powerful glue and then a solvent. Petruski has also created lubricants that can render a surface frictionless, and discovered a way to dissolve the extremely powerful "Adhesive X" created by Baron Heinrich Zemo.

Pete has also created a dust capable of rendering Mister Fantastic's unstable molecules inert.

Other versions

*A variation on the Trapster appears in "" as one of the members of the 1602 Frightful Four: "The Four who are Frightful". He is an expert huntsman, hence his name.
*A different Trapster appeared in "Iron Man Annual" #12. Lawrence "Larry" Curtiss was known as "Trapster". He was a Roxxon employee and stole the costume and weapons of Petruski. He used them to steal the inventions programs from Tony Stark and desired to replace his boss as the head of security at Roxxon. However, he was discovered by his boss and defeated by Iron Man.
*Peter appears as a sheep called Paste Pot Peep in "Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham" #16.

Bibliography

*"Amazing Spider-Man '99"
*"Amazing Spider-Man Annual" #24
*"Amazing Spider-Man" vol. 1 #214, 215
*"Amazing Spider-Man" vol. 2 #4
*"Avengers Unplugged" #4
*"Captain America" vol. 1 #108, 191, 324
*"Daredevil" vol. 1 #35-36
*"Daughters of the Dragon" #3
*"Fantastic Four" vol. 1 #38, 41-43, 45, 94, 129-130, 133, 148, 176-178, 218, 265
*"Fantastic Four" vol. 3 #10, 29, 38-44
*"Fantastic Four: Foes" #1, 5-6
*"Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Comic Magazine" #9-10
*"Ghost Rider" vol. 2 #13
*"Journey into Mystery" vol. 1 #116
*"Marvel Age Annual" #1
*"Marvel Comics Presents" #97
*"Marvel Super-Heroes" vol. 2 #15
*"Marvel Tales" #255
*"Marvel Team-Up" vol. 1 #2, 58
*"Secret War" #3-5
*"Sensational Spider-Man" #12
*"She-Hulk" vol. 2 #6
*"Silver Sable" #26
*"Spectacular Spider-Man" #39-40, 42, 158
*"Spectacular Spider-Man Annual" #10
*"Spider-Man" #71, 86-88, 91-92
*"Spider-Man: Chaos in Calgary" #4
*"Thing" vol. 2 #5-6
*"Underworld" #4-5
*"Web of Spider-Man" #64-65

As Paste Pot Pete

*"Avengers" vol. 1 #6
*"Fantastic Four" vol. 1 #36
*"Spider-Man/Human Torch" #1
*"Strange Tales" vol. 1 #104, 110, 124

Other Media

* The Trapster appeared in the 1978 "Fantastic Four" TV series where he was recruited by the Wizard to join his Frightful Four.

* The Trapster appeared in the 1994 "Fantastic Four" TV series voiced by Beau Weaver. He is seen as a member of the Wizard's Frightful Four.

* The Trapster appears in "" episode "Frightful." He is seen as a member of Wizard's Frightful Four.

External links

* [http://marvel.com/universe/Trapster Trapster on the Marvel Universe Character Bio Wiki]