Black Spider (Johnny LaMonica)

Johnny LaMonica is the name of a handsome hitman who took on the codename of Black Spider. He should not be confused with the unrelated Eric Needham,the first and original villain named Black Spider,though both are primarily the enemies of Batman. He is later killed by Police detective Crispus Allen during a gang shooting.

History
Johnny LaMonica first appeared in Batman #518 (May 1995). Professional hitman Johnny LaMonica was hireed to kill the crime lord Black Mask, and donned an appropriately strange costume in order to join his gang, calling himself Black Spider (Coincidentally the name of another villain,Eric Needham,the original Black Spider). He was intercepted twice by Batman, once when he attempted to kill a guest at a costumed ball at Wayne Manor, and once when he tried to kill Black Mask. He sustained injuries during this incident which left his face in a disfigured web of ugly scars, giving his choice of codename an ironic touch,and he was incarcerated.

In the midst of the recent gang war in Gotham City, LaMonica was killed in self-defence by Detective Crispus Allen during a gang shooting in the midst of a massive Gotham gang war when he ambushed Allen and Detective Renee Montoya. Black Spider had opened fire on Montoya,and was preparing to kill her, when Allen unloaded his clip on the villain, a case that almost led to the detective's suspension from the police force.

A corrupt crime scene investigator named Jim Corrigan stole and sold the bullet that killed Johnny LaMonica on the Internet. To prove that Allen killed in self-defense, the GCPD needed to recover the bullet. In her pursuit of the bullet, Montoya clashed with Corrigan, eventually beating the name of the buyer out of him,and Allen was cleared.