| Assault Spider | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| General information | |||
| Universe | Earth Defense Force | ||
| Aliases | Spider | ||
| Species type | Jumping Spider | ||
| Homeworld | Earth | ||
| Environment | Deep underground caverns | ||
| Intelligence | Non-Sapient | ||
| Biochemistry | Carbon-based lifeform laced with silicon | ||
| Biological information | |||
| Reproduction | Sexual; lays eggs | ||
| Locomotion | Octapodal | ||
| Feeding behavior | Liquivore | ||
| Prey | Humans | ||
| Predators | None | ||
| Distinctive features | Capable of projectile spraying acidic webbing | ||
| Eye color | Black | ||
| Skin color | Brown | ||
| Lineage information | |||
| Ancestor(s) | Jumping Spider | ||
| Descendant(s) | Dragon | ||
| Cultural information | |||
| Alignment | Chaotic Evil | ||
| Personality | Extremely voracious and violent | ||
| Organization | Swarms | ||
| Affiliation(s) | Ravagers | ||
| Capital city | N/A | ||
| Leaders | King Spider | ||
| Sociocultral characteristics | |||
| Scientific taxonomy | |||
| Planet | Earth | ||
| Domain | Eukaryota | ||
| Kingdom | Animalia | ||
| Subkingdom | Eumetazoa | ||
| Infrakingdom | Bilateria | ||
| Superphylum | Deuterostomia | ||
| Phylum | Arthropoda | ||
| Class | Arachnida | ||
| Order | Araneae | ||
| Suborder | Araneomorphae | ||
| Family | Salticidae (Jumping Spiders) | ||
| Other information | |||
| Status | Least Concern | ||
Assault Spiders are biomechanical weapons created and utilized by the mysterious Ravagers for use against the indigenous inhabitants of the planet Earth. Three types are currently known to exist: typical Assault Spiders, followed by Large Spiders and finally King Spiders, all of which are distinguished between one other simply by their overall size. As with Terror Ants, the spider was apparently chosen in an attempt to instill fear in the local sapient inhabitants.
The Assault Spiders were engineered by the Ravagers upon discovery that the Terror Ants did not impede the Earth Defense Forces as substantially as initially expected. Created by genetically altering abducted spiders, the Assault Spider line are high-flying, silk-spinning death machines. Having been produced from a stock of jumping spiders, they can leap several city blocks in a single jump, while their spinnerets produce a sticky, acidic compound in threads that is capable of not only decimating Earth's ground forces but plucking its jets and helicopters from the sky, as well. When used against ground units, it doubles as a slowing agent upon contact. Like a typical spider's silk, Assault Spider silk is extremely resilient, but this has been enhanced to a frightening capacity. As such, EDF forces must destroy the source of the threads if they are to garner any hope in breaking free from a web's crippling grasp. The best weapons to use upon them are assault rifles and rocket launchers, as they can bring the creatures down before they can even get within webbing range. Despite this, they - like the Terror Ants - attack in swarms, which greatly reduces the effectiveness of killing all spiders before they get within range.
Assault Spiders can eventually evolve through confusing genetic manipulation into large reptilian creatures known as Dragons.