Black Widow

" Darlings we are about to play a dear little game: Spider and the Fly."

-Black Widow

Black Widow was a villainess and enemy of Batman in the Batman 1960s series. She was portrayed by Tallulah Bankhead.

History
Not much is known about her except she was married to Max Black who passed away and he always told her "Money can't buy happiness."

She made her debut at one of the Gotham City Banks under the alias of Mrs Max Black where she short circuits the brain of one of the Bank Presidents Irving Cash with her Cerebrium Short circuiter into giving her $30,000 from the vault. Unable to stop hmself, he willing hands it over and Black Widow makes her escape.

Mr Cash reports the incident to Comissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara at Police Headquarters who in turn contact Batman and Robin.

The Dynamic Duo arrive at Police Headquarters where the Commissioner gives them a full description of Black Widow. Batman then shows them his Brain wave Bat analyser that looks like an ordinary hairdryer that registers the brain wave's patterns in the various control areas of the human brain. They suspect that Black Widow used her device to short circuit a portion of Mr Cas's brain to render him incapable of making judgements.

After analysing Mr Cash's brain, they find out that Black widow removed his celebrium and that she does it in every banks she goes to. The Caped Crusaders set off to find her.

At her hideout called "The Web" in an underground grotto in Gotham City at 411 Lava Drive, Black Widow and her henchmen are counting their money. She tells them that there are more banks to rob before they split it.

She goes to another bank where she uses her device on another bank President called Irving Bracken to give $40,000 from the vault.

Commissioner Gordon calls Batman telling him that Black Widow has robbed four more banks. Batman asks for the names of all the banks that she robbed and finds out that they were all in alphabetical order.

After finding out the next bank which Black Widow will rob, the Dynamic Duo decide to arrange a trap for her.

At Gotham's Bank and Trust Batman and Robin hide in the shadows while Black Widow arrves and attempts to short circuit the brain of the bank manager Irving Leghorn.

The Caped Crusaders leap out and attempt to arrest her. She tries to use her device on them but Batman reveals that they are wearing Anti-Short-Circuiting Batelectrodes.

The craft villainess escapes however using Instant Nerve Paralyzer of Spider Venom on Batman rendering him unable to move.

Black Widow returns to her hideout but Batman and Robin follow her. She spots them with her periscope and activates two electronic dummies that look like an old couple to fool them.

They return to the Batcave to analyse the words that the dummies spoke to find that out they were amplified and return to the place where they located her prescence before.

After finding Black Widow's hideout near the house where the dummies are, they start going down to find her.

But Black Widow sees them arriving again and tells her henchmen that they are going to set a trap for the Dynamic Duo.

When Batman and Robin arrive, she calls on her henchmen to fight them. The goons are easly defeated but Black Widow appears who tells them to let her go. They refuse so she lowers down a giant spider web which makes them stick just like a fly in a real spider's web.

Her henchmen release highly poisoness Black Widow spiders on them she goes on to say that her and her lieutenants will tunnel under her vault and count their loot before leaving the Dynamic Duo to die.

However the Caped Crusaders escape her trap and ponder over the last words that Black Widow said and locate where she is hiding. They burst in while she is dividing the money from their latest robbery with her henchmen.

As she gets out her short circuit device, Batman says that it won't work on them. She tells them that she has reversed the polarity and turns Batman's electrodes against him resulting in his brain being short circuited.

It has no effect on Robin who lost one of his electrodes so he is tied up while Black Widow precedes to use Batman for her own evil purposes.

She asks Batman to find her another bank for her to rob by using his Remote-Control Batcomputer Oscillator to ask the computer in the Batcave. While the Caped Crader uses it he finds out that there is the Heritage First National Bank that has just opened but also that his life is in danger.

The devious criminal decides to use one of her electronic dummies to dress in Batman's spare Batsuit and look exactly like him and to make herself look exactly like Robin so that they can go in the Batmobile and rob the bank.

She tells Batman to phone the manager of the bank Irving Irving who then tells Commissioner Gordon that he wants $40,000 in a brown paper bag left at the front of the bank at 11.43 and that he's arranged for the Batmobile to be there, Black Widow will meet him and they will split the money.

Commissioner Gordon thinks that this is a trap for Black Widow and urges Mr Irving to do it.

The now disguised Black Widow and the robot set off for the bank, thinking that everything is under control.

Commissoner Gordon is very suprised at Police Headquarters to be phoned and told that the Dynamic Duo have just robbed the bank and arrange for their arrest.

As the police spot the Batmobile and attempt to make the arrest, suddenly one of the policemen notice Robin's voice is differant, but Black Widow escapes. The Policeman shoots and believes he has killed Batman.

Back at The Web, Batman plays Solitaire with Black Widow's henchmen, he then urges them to go outside and wait for her.

Robin removes his restraints and gets out Black Widow's short circuit device. He reverses the polarity and turns Batman back to his old self.

Together they decide to set one last trap for the crafty criminal, Batman reties Robin's restraints and pretends that his brain is still short circuited.

Commissioner Gordon hears the news of the supposed Batman's death and calls the Batcave to locate Robin. Alfred answers and explains that he was there when Batman asked the Batcoputer by remote control and gives him the address of where it came from.

When Black Widow returns the Dynamic Duo fight her henchmen and use her device on her endering her helpless. She is told to return all the money she stole back to the banks, then she is arrested and taken to prison where Batman uses his Brain-Wave Batanalyser to decriminalise her along with her henchmen. The spidery crooks have no idea of the process and think that they are doing their hair.

Weapons and Equipment
Black Widow used a few deadly weapons in her crimes:

Cerebrium Short Circuiter: Her commonly used weapon that removes the celebrium from the human brain that renders the victim incapable of independent thought.

Motorcycle: Her way of transportation and way of escape. Tarantula drives the motorcycle while she sits in the sidecar

Instant Nerve Paralyzer: Spider Venom gas that renders the victim from mobility.

Spider's Web: A giant web that makes the victims stick just like flies on a real spider web.

Black Widow Spider: Deadly insects that are extremely poisonous.

Known Associates
Though Black Widow carries out most of her schemes herself, she has henchmen to help her in other things:

Taratula: Black Widow's Chief henchman, often gives her rides in her motorcycle towards and away from places she robs.

Daddy Long Legs: Second henchman

Trap Door: Third henchman that oddly stays in the trap door of Black Widow's hideout.

Appearances
Season 2


 * The Black Widow Strikes Again/Caught In The Spider's Den

Trivia

 * This was Tallulah Bankhead's final performance.