A villain published by Marvel Comics. The Trapster first appeared in Strange Tales #104 in 1963.
Few villains strike less fear into the heroes of the Marvel Universe than Pete Petruski. Introduced
in Strange Tales #104, Petruski was revealed as a brilliant research scientist who developed an incredible
adhesive. Incredibly strong and resistant to heat and flame, Petruski's adhesive had massive commercial
possibilities, leading the research scientist to waste his invention on a scheme to make a
quick buck in a morally questionable venture. Donning a sketchy costume (complete with a beret), a
bucket of his amazing adhesive and a gun from which to shoot the glue, Petruski decided to go
on a crime spree. To cap off this series of really bad ideas, Petruski decided to adopt the name
Paste-Pot Pete, not realizing this codename alone would have allowed him easy access to any bank
vault, being that he could have waltzed in and taken what he wanted while the guards were rolling
on the floor in hysterics.
Petruski's first venture did not go well as he ran afoul with the youngest member of the Fantastic Four,
the Human Torch. The Torch was able to subdue Petruski and take him to jail. Upon his release, Petruski
neglected to take a hint from his first foray into crime, this time teaming up with the Torch's foe
the Wizard. Petruski soon found himself again in jail.
Petruski would have likely stayed there a longer time, but he was able to aid the Avengers by creating a
counteragent to Baron Zemo's Adhesive X and earned himself early release. Petruski returned to crime
this time partnering with not only the Wizard but two other villains (the Sandman and the
amnesia-suffering Medusa of the Inhumans) to form the original version of the Frightful
Four to take on the Fantastic Four. They were soundly defeated as well.
Petruski continued to work with the Frightful Four, eventually updating his costume and weapons and taking the name the Trapster, thinking
this would gain him respect in the superhuman community. He was wrong. The Trapster fought
such heroes as Captain America, Spider-Man, Daredevil, and even the Ghost Rider, all with
little or no success. Petruski in recent years have made some attempts to go straight, but has
eventually returned to a life of crime.