| “ | Samuel: Best guess, it came from an Arachne. Sam: You ever seen one? Samuel: No one has. Not outside of Crete and not for 2000 years. |
” |
Arachne are supernatural creatures who possess abilities similar to those of spiders.
Characteristics[]
A female Arachne.
An arachne is a creature that can create strong webs, just like real spiders can do, so they can trap their victims with ease. They are also capable of changing humans into arachne by biting them, in order to propagate their species. Arachne can even kill humans with poisoning through their bites. It is implied that they feed upon human flesh. Due to their multiple eyes, their field of vision is split into several images.
Physical Appearance[]
They bear some physical resemblance to spiders, such as their white eyes with large sky-blue irises and black pupils, and their crusty skin. However, they can appear like normal humans as seen in Unforgiven. In the case of Roy Dobbs, his eyes apparently had more than one pupil in his eyes.
Powers and Abilities[]
Arachne possess various traits and abilities akin to that of a spider.
A human transforming inside the Arachne's web.
- Super Strength - Arachne possess incredible physical strength; they are stronger than humans, and are able to easily overpower, lift and throw full grown men through the air. An Arachne can also send humans flying across a room with their strikes.
- Super Agility - Arachne are more agile than humans; they are able to easily run, jump and sprint, and can move with incredible flexibility. Arachne can also deftly land from great heights, and can sneak up on their victims without making a sound.
- Super Speed - Arachne are able to move faster than any human; they can quickly sneak up on and subdue their prey, and suddenly appear and disappear from sight (even when fleeing from a large open area).
- Webbing Generation - Akin to real spiders, Arachne can spin strong webbing, which they use to restrain their victims. Arachne will also use their webbing to subdue their intended mates.
- Super Senses - Akin to actual spiders, Arachne possess multiple pupils within each eye; enhancing their vision.
- Invulnerability - Arachne are invulnerable to most conventional causes of harm and fatality; enabling them to easily shrug off trauma such as point-blank gunfire (even to the head), and survive immolation. Despite their impressive resilience, decapitation is fatal to the Arachne.
- Venom Secretion - Arachne are able to produce a potent and lethal venom. Arachne can also produce another type of venom that can change humans into Arachne. Like spiders, they can pass their venom through their bite.
- Stinger Protrusion - The Arachne possess poisonous stingers that extend from their wrists.
- Limb Regrowth - Much like actual spiders, Arachne possess an impressive ability to regrow detached limbs.
Weaknesses[]
- Decapitation - Arachne can only be killed by separation of the head from the body.
History[]
Arachne were last seen in Crete, two thousand years ago, before one turned up in Bristol Rhode Island. There it began attacking thirty-year old men; Sam and Samuel, hunted it, along with the help of local sheriff Roy Dobbs, however, following Sam's plan, he was captured, but the two managed to track it back to its lair, where after a fight, Sam managed to kill it.
However, it had already infected its victims; thinking they were dying, Sam shot them all seeing it as an act of mercy, in his soulless state, and then burned the bodies, but by this point they were no longer human, so they survived, and once Sam was gone, they ran.
However, Roy returned, hell-bent on revenge; he started taking out and turning girls Sam had something with, and sent him the coordinates, to lure him to him, but as Sam had lost his memory when he regained his soul, he didn't understand until it was too late.
Roy captured both Sam and Dean, at his old house; there he pondered whether to kill or convert Sam, however, Dean managed to break free, and in the struggle, Roy's wife freed Sam, who managed to kill Roy. The only surviving Arachne remaining are the victims the female Arachne turned as well as the women whom Roy turned.
Known Arachne[]
- Alpha Arachne (unknown)
- Female Arachne (deceased)
- Various men turned by the Female Arachne
- Roy Dobbs (deceased)
- James Edward Drake
- Various women turned by Roy Dobbs
Appearances[]
- Season 6
- Unforgiven
- Mommy Dearest (referenced only)
- Season 13
- Breakdown (cameo only)
Trivia[]
- In the book "Supernatural The Official Companion Season 6" Andrew Dabb explains "There's a Greek mythological story about a woman who is an excellent weaver, but she weaves so well that the gods are jealous and as punishment for showing up the gods, the goddess Athena [a.k.a Minerva in Roman mythology] reaches down and turns the woman into a spider. That explains why the spider can weave webs so well. We used that story as our jumping off point for human spider monsters, and that's where we got the name."