After the long wait, here it is. It may need some edits, but I could be in the cut editing forever, so I’mma just put it up.All right, let’s take it from the top, one more time…
What’s your name?
Zheng Alexander or 'Xander'
Lang Zhu | The Tarantula
'Alexander The Great'
How old are you?
21
What do you look like?5'10"
Muscular Mesomorphic Build
Mid-length Tapered Brown Hair
Vitiligo
Scarred Torso; Tattooed on his Back.
What's your story? What was it like before and after becoming a Spider-Totem?
I was told that I was born of a one-night stand when my mother was a teenager and that she died giving birth to me. I have never found out who my father was and at this point, I don’t care to look. I apparently had no other family…So, for my early years, I lived between different foster families…They said behind closed doors that I was too destructive…There seemed like there was no where I fit in. That is, until Frank found me.
Frank Zheng knew my mother when she was a pupil of his and when he learned who I was, he adopted me. He ran a martial arts school and I started training there under him when I was nine. Initially, he didn’t want to train me, but even as young as I was, he said I was determined. The teddy bear from my last foster family had seen better days.
Frank—my dad, had helped refine a lot of my rougher edges. I was doing better in school and, since I had a way to focus my aggression, I got into less fights; I even made a few good friends. We had one of the top martial arts schools in chinatown.
Things seemed to be really turning around for my life. Then, I was hit with yet another change.
Five years ago, I was finishing up packing equipment away in the basement, and a strange looking spider fell from the ceiling and bit my neck. I managed to swat it away and although it hurt at the moment, I didn’t think much of it initially.
The next morning, though, I felt like I was on fire. A lot of hair had fallen out on my pillows. Panicking, I tried to get up out of bed to rush to the bathroom, my blanket was stuck. Trying to pull it off, shooting pain went through my wrist and hands as spikes ripped through my skin and tore through the blanket when I tried ripping it off. All the commotion made my dad come and check things out…
Instead of freaking out and rushing me to the hospital, he just cleaned me up. When we learned that I could sort of control the spikes that came out of me, Dad got in contact with some elderly looking man in a wheelchair. The old man, named Xaiver, explained that I wasn’t the only teen that went through changes like this. At his school, they taught those changing teens how to control those powers that they had. So, even though it sucked to transfer schools, Dad and I agreed that it would be safer.
I eventually even learned that two of my friends also had the same thing happen to them. That they were those new Spider-Twin superheroes. They even inspired me to take on the idea of using my powers and skill to become a superhero too, “The Tarantula”, Protector of Chinatown.
Though…those better times didn’t last.
One night several months later, I was training late in our dojo, since we had a huge martial arts tournament coming up. Apparently, an uncle was even coming all the way from China to watch. As I was leaving, some men were talking to my dad. It seemed odd that they were there so late. Even stranger was an outfit one of the men was wearing, a stupidly expensive white and black suit. Too expensive for a casual visit. Dad explained that “M” was just an old friend who was partially in charge of organizing the tournament. He told me not to wait up for him and that he’d be home soon.
I should have noticed the bags under his eyes that day were different. I should have stayed with him. I should have asked why those men were there so late I should have asked him to just drive me home. I should have…
Anyway, I had made it down the block when I realized I forgot my school ID. By the time I made it back, the man with the white suit was gone and my dad was laying on the mats, fatally wounded. I…The last thing that he told me was…That things were going to be alright. That even without him there, not to become a slave to my nature.
I swore I would find out who did this to him…and I would find justice for him.
At some point after the police arrived, I passed out.
When I woke up, I was back home. Having no idea what was going on, I rushed out to the living room and met my uncle, Shang Chi. He explained that he wished to be here sooner, but regardless, now he’d be here to look after and to protect me. I learned a lot of things that day.
What I learned was that my dad had his own rougher edges. A really bad gambling addiction that led him to owing money to the Inner Demons. A criminal organization that was run by the man I saw that night, “M” or “Mister Negative”. That our life was only peaceful until he was no longer able to pay his debts. Now that I had seen Mister Negative in the flesh, I was no longer safe alone. Father knew this, so he asked Uncle to look after me.
However, Uncle Shang couldn’t interfere directly, the family comprised the organization known as the Five Weapons Society. Despite being a direct descendent, my father dissociated himself from them. An attack now from Shang as Supreme Commander against Mr. Negative and the Inner Demons could start a war.
In my anger, I was determined that I would find this Mr. Negative on my own and deal with him. Uncle Shang told me that I wasn’t ready to face a threat like that. That fighting him wasn’t fighting one man, but fighting an army. An army that could go after anyone or anything I knew and cared about. That if I ran with my heart instead of waiting with my mind, I’d lose everything.
In my pain I lashed out at him and, to much of my ignorance, he taught me why he is known as The Master of Kung Fu. He said that the training I received was impressive, but unfinished. My powers made me strong, but unrefined. Still, he said he understood that trying to stop me would be pointless, but he made a counteroffer. Instead of me running into trouble, he would train me to prepare for the challenges that laid ahead. Cleverly worded, I agreed.
In the year that followed, between training, work, and the superhero business, my social life seemed to vanish. I’d been breaking down Mister Negative’s campaign slowly. Even with my spider-friends, I had grown somewhat distant. I had gotten a job at a restaurant close to the apartment where I lived named the Lucky Star. That was also around the time I met a girl named Valerie, and she was a regular there.
It was random but we formed a sort of connection. Her tips turned into Banter. Banter became conversations. Before I knew it, by the time I had graduated high school, we were dating. She was my light in the dark. We went places, did…things… It was the happiest I had been since I had lost my father.
Which was why that couldn’t last either…
…
What happened was enough that I had put down the mask for over a year now.
I still work at the Lucky Star. I still live in the apartment that I grew up in, although the price of rent has gone up since then. My quest of vengeance against Mr. Negative continues, I am getting closer. Uncle Shang told me that he has no more to teach me in terms of combat, though he doesn’t think I am ready to confront him yet.
I still have to conquer the darkness in me first, being careful not to become ‘a slave to my nature’…
Powers
Enhanced Strength
Enhanced Senses
Enhanced Agility/Speed
Spider-Sense
Wall-Crawling
Regenerative Healing/Durability
The Spines: I have also developed a mutation that allows me to grow spines and spikes from my body. The spines grow from my hair, and I can throw them at targets. They can contain a chemical that can disrupt movement and cause disorienting numbness when hit with enough of them. They’re capable of penetrating most forms of clothing, even some types of armor, depending on how hard I throw. The spikes on the other hand, grow from my bones, and are as strong as I am. Their sharpness depends on if I remember to do so beforehand. If they break, I have to start all over.
The problem with both of these things is that overusing them can lower my calcium levels, which I have to maintain through milk and pills. My healing keeps me from getting cramps so easily, as well as from bleeding out, but shooting the spines too much will also drain my stamina. It was also noted during my time in Xaiver’s school, my powers can be somewhat unstable. They are tied to my emotions, so I can grow spikes or shoot spines involuntarily if I am not careful.
Besides…I don’t need to add dry patches to my already patchy skin tone…
Skills
Expert Martial Artist - Being trained by both my father, then later by the legendary Shang-Chi, Martial Arts has become my top skillset. Although I have black-belts a couple forms of wushu, muay thai and boran, Uncle Shang has taught me something different. He has helped me to develop my own martial art, which we have called “蜘蛛之路” or the “Way of the Spider”. It is a form that mixes different martial arts techniques designed to compliment my spider abilities. I am always learning, so it is constantly evolving.
Parkour - Unlike the other spiders, and ironically leaning more into my ‘Tarantula’ name, I don’t actually swing in webs. Instead, I use my agility and speed to traverse through the city. Having lived here all my life, it became easy to pick up how to time jumps, what routes to take, and how to maneuver through obstacles while moving at high speeds.
Do you believe in aliens?
In the world we live in…anything seems possible to exist in some form.
What are your goals for the future?
After my business with Mr. Negative is handled…? I’m not so sure…I do wish to reopen our dojo one day…So that kids like me have a place to take out their frustrations productively, and at the same time, learn to be better people. Otherwise…perhaps I could go back to school to finish getting my history degree.
You lived in New York for a while now, right? What do you think of the city?
I have lived in Chinatown my entire life and I generally like most parts of the city, but some areas I tend to avoid.
How much technology do you use on a daily basis?
My phone, laptop, most of the daily things. I prefer to do most things with my hands.
What do you like?
Martial Arts
History; Specifically the battles and old timey warfare.)
Honorable Combat
Cats; I have one, his name on paper is Máoqiú, but it just means “Fluffball.”
Music (Particularly the tones of guitar)
What do you dislike?
Injustice, whatever form it takes.
Gangs, Guns, Drugs, Politics…
Jello (Is it a liquid? A Solid? I can’t eat whatever this weird middle thing is.)
Neat-freaks. (It doesn’t have to be perfect, leave it where it is.)
Among other things…
Do you think true evil exists?
Yeah, yang to balance yin. For all the good in the world, there is always evil to match.
What’s your favorite color?
“Red.”
Favorite song?
Anything else to add?
I was a big fan of various mythologies as a kid, mostly Chinese, Greek, Thai, Egyptian, and Japanese. I’m also bilingual, namely Chinese and English. I can also understand some other languages, although I cannot speak them; Spanish for example.
What are your thoughts on these people?
Shang-Chi - My legal uncle and mentor. Although there have been times where we have clashed, he has never mistreated me nor looked down on me because of our circumstances. Despite not being blood, he is one of the few that has treated me like family, and honestly, I owe him my life.
Caty Davis - Cat is likely the closest thing I have to a best friend. She trained in my father’s Dojo as well, and we've been sparring partners multiple times throughout highschool. We've had similar triumphs and sorrows, which brought us closer I suppose. She is stronger than she gives herself credit, she's earned my trust and respect.
Danny Davis - Caty’s twin. Initially, it was simple, if Cat was my friend, and she loved Danny, I would care for him too. When we were teens, there were a couple of times I got into fights with his bullies. Which, I’m sure some ‘assumptions’ were made about our friendship, but it’s whatever. I learned after hanging with him a bit, he’s got a good heart and a big one, which a lot of people don’t have. Honestly, Dan being able to keep that stupid smile on his face when things went wrong was what inspired me to be a hero. When he went rogue, though, things changed. I don’t hate him after learning what was going on, but that doesn’t change what he’s done.
The Other Spiders - Can’t say that I’ve met them. New York is a lot bigger than it looks on a map. I guess if they’re just trying to be heroes like Spider-Man and Spider-Woman, they probably aren’t so bad.
Welcome to the Spider-Family because Tarantula is approved! And just in time, because they're going to need him.