Peter Parker wore this gold and red suit as Spider-Man's official costume until writer J. Michael Straczynski chose to revert to the older costume. It was used symbolically to show the character's divided loyalties during the 2006–2007 "Civil War" storyline.
After being revived from a battle with Morlun, Tony Stark created the Iron Spider Armor as a gift to Peter Parker, in order to get the young hero's support for the Superhero Registration Act. But during several fights, Parker slowly became disturbed over the battles with several unregistered heroes, and discovered that Stark was using the suit to monitor him, along with several devices in play to incapacitate him if necessary. But during a trip to 42, a prison that illegally held super-powered individuals within the Negative Zone without trial or counsel, Parker became completely disgusted with Stark's actions, and turned his back from the Registation's side of the war, and forgone the costume after "reformed" criminals Jester and Jack O' Lantern attacked his aunt and wife in an attempt to capture him, and after a serious confrontation with Stark, leading the tech genius to repossess it.
Scarlet Spiders
The Iron Spider armor costume has been duplicated and used by MVP's three genetic clones in the Initiative who identify themselves as Red Team and also labeled the Scarlet Spiders. It is unknown as to what new powers the team possesses, but they have been shown to use some of the built-in powers such as the cloaking device, communications, and waldoes which the original costume possessed.[3] One change is that there are now four waldoes, as opposed to three. These suits have the original's morphing ability,[4] as well as web-shooters, and wall-crawling capability.[5]
Mary Jane Watson later donned the Iron Spider armor in order to help Spider-Man and Iron Man fight Regent. She uses her experience in Iron Man's suit and her brief spider powers that she had back in the Spider-Island storyline to operate the armor.[6]
Supported by a system similar to that of Tony Stark's classic Iron Man design, The Iron Spider armor features many gadgets, including three mechanical spider-arms, or "waldoes", that can be used to see around corners (via cameras in the tips) and to manipulate objects indirectly. Stark describes them as too delicate to use in combat, yet Spider-Man shortly afterward uses them to smash through the sensors in Titanium Man's helmet. Later on during the "Civil War" arc, he uses them (reluctantly) during his fight with Captain America.
Other features include short-distance gliding capability, limited bulletproofing, built-in fire/police/emergency scanner, audio/visual amplification (including infrared and ultraviolet), cloaking device, carbon filters to keep out airborne toxins, and a short-range GPS microwave communication system. It grants the ability to breathe under water, and can morph into different shapes due to its "'smart' liquid metal" form. It can also "more or less disappear" when not needed due to reactions to neurological impulses as Tony Stark revealed. The new costume is able to look like other styles of costumes Spider-Man has worn over the years or turn into his street clothes. Part of the costume can detach itself from Spider-Man to cover an object too dangerous to touch, such as a radioactive asteroid. All these features are controlled by a computer system in the chest piece. The suit responds to mental control.[8]
The Iron Spider armor also has a secret override that can be activated by Iron Man in case of emergencies or if Spider-Man ever switches sides. However, unknown to Stark, Peter was already aware of the safety measure and had bypassed it with his own override, Passcode Surprise. Perhaps most sinister, Stark discovered a way to give his own Iron Man armor a "spider-sense" based on Peter's, and the ability to give Spider-Man's sense red herrings.[9]
Other versions
An alternate universe variant of Iron Spider, Natasha Romanov, appears in Contest of Champions. In an unidentified universe where Iron Man used the Reality Gem to help him win the Civil War and eventually become president, she inherited the Iron Spider mantle after Peter Parker defected to Captain America's group. Following this, she later joined the Civil Warriors.[10]
