History: (Star Spangled Comics I #1) - Intrigued by the costumed crimefighters appearing on the scene since the late 1930s, best-selling mystery writer Jonathan Law began doing research for a book about such mystery-men. After an interview with Dian Belmont about her associate Sandman he decided to become a crimefighter himself. Inspired by his pet tarantula, he took the name Tarantula and developed a web-gun. The only person he entrusted with the knowledge of his alter ego was his loyal housekeeper Olga. In his first public case he defeated a gang of thieves led by Ace-Deuce who robbed a Broadway theatre. Ace-Deuce soon boke out of prison, and Tarantula used his acting talents to disguise himself as criminal "Pugs O'Bannon" to get in on Ace's next job. Ace and his gang tried to rob a war relief party, but Tarantula foiled them, and when Ace tied to flee Tarantula he fell to his death from a rooftop.

(Star Spangled Comics I #2) - Tarantula was on the trail of Crime Candle, who was on a crime spree. He heard a police report of Candle robbing a jewelry store, so he stole a police car to arrive on the scene first. They battled, and Candle tried to flee, but Tarantula pursued him. Candle knocked out the hero and brought him to his secret hideout across the Hudson river. Crime Candle tied him up and showed him how he killed people, lighting his chemically treated candles that released poisonous gas. Tarantula escaped his bounds, and wrapped up the Candle in silk, leaving him for the police.

(Star Spangled Comics I #3) - When a number of luxury liners disappeared without a trace, John Law investigated, taking a trip on the liner the Silver Crown. He saw a man getting fresh with the only female passenger, June Hayworth, so he scooped him up, and threatened to throw him into the ship's smokestack. June was impressed with how gallant he was, and he was impressed that she wasn't afraid to be on a liner that might ell disappear. Pirates boarded the ship, wrecked the radio room, and hook the ship to a sub that towed it to a remote island. Law changed into Tarantula, and tied June to the mast, telling her thee was too much danger on the ship for her to be running about. Tarantula confronted the pirates responsible for stealing luxury liners, and further impressed June.

(Star Spangled Comics I #4) - Johnny Law attended a reception for the visiting president of Torono, Gomez, and his daughter Paula. Criminal mastermind the Blade appeared and abducted Gomez to hold him ffor ransom. Law changed into Tarantula and pursued Blade and his gang. He leapt into their getaway vehicle, and in a daring fight with Blade he tossed the villain into the river. Blade recovered, speedily made his way to Gomez' hotel, and kidnapped his daughter, demanding a ransom. Tarantula assured Gomez he was the man to save his daughter. He broke one of Blade's men out of jail, claiming to be on the side of crime, and shadowed him until he learned of the Blade's location. He defeated the Blade, rescued Paula, and returned her to her grateful father.

(Star Spangled Comics I #5) - John Law put the finishing touches on his latest manuscript, and Olga said he should stick to writing instead of crimefighting because it was safer, but John responded that that would make his life boring. He went to drop off his manuscript when he witnessed an armored car robbery and a shootout that left a handful of cops dead. A beam came from the sky, and both the crooks and the armored car vanished. One crook was caught, and John went to the police station as Tarantula to learn what gave. Ganesha, a criminal dressed like his Indian god namesake, rappelled down police headquarters, and shot the crook before he could talk. After a number of daring robberies with the same MO the police arranged to have a decoy car filled with sandbags and g-men that they hoped would lure in the crooks. When the skybeam sucked up the car Tarantula followed and found himself on an anti-gravity craft. The craft landed at Ganesha's hq, where a giant mechanical hammer was waiting to bust open the car. The FBI made their move, and captured Ganesha's men, while Tarantula went after their boss. After some fisticuffs the hammer caught Ganesha, crushing his body. With his dying breathe he revealed himself as former crimeboss Mike Delany, and warned Tarantula that all his scientific gadgets had been designed warlord of Crime Siva, who'd taken over Mike's rackets and forced him to do his bidding. Tarantula knew he'd be marked for death for interfering in Siva's plans.

(Star Spangled Comics I #6) - John Law attended Bardon’s Great Wild West show and talked to the owner. Police arrived to arrest Bardon, who was wanted for murder and rustling out west, but he gave them the slip. Law changed into Tarantula and pursued him, but Bardon got the best of him and escaped, going on an Old West style crime spree. Sherriff Merritt arrived in New York, and he’d tangled with Bardon before, so the villain tossed him out a window. Tarantula saved his life, and with the police’s cooperation ran a phony news story claiming Merritt was gravely injured and recuperating in a hospital. This lured Bardon in, and when he went to Merritt’s room he discovered Tarantula waiting for him. After a furious fight Tarantula aided the police in arresting Bardon.

During WWII he joined the All-Star Squadron. Tarantula went into semi-retirement in 1950, and soon after Jonathan Law was called upon by the House of Un-American Activities to expose any suspected communists in the NY writing community. He refused, and found himself blacklisted. He kept writing under pseudonyms, but his book on mystery-men, Altered Egos, was finally published in the 1970s.

Comments: Created by Hal Sharp & Mort Weisinger

In the pre-Crisis DC Universe Tarantula lived on Earth-2.

Tarantula received a profile in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #23. He received a profile in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #1 under the All-Star Squadron entry.