A brilliant chemist, Peter Petruski aimed to eclipse Michael Jackson as the most famous resident of Gary, Indiana. When he invented a new multi-polymer adhesive liquid, his ticket to the big-time was punched. However, as the insane tend to do, he chose to try to forge a criminal career with his new invention rather than make a fortune patenting and licensing it. Thus was born Paste Pot Pete.
Donning a green smock, a jaunty purple beret and an oversized ribbon tie, Pete made plans for his first criminal caper: he was going to steal a new experimental missile from the U.S. military and presumably sell it to the reds.
That's when Pete learned a terrible truth:
Glue doesn't help you steal things. "Sticky fingers" is just a saying he had taken too literally. He had to beat a hasty retreat via motorcycle. It would be the first of many professional embarrassments.
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| Good thing you remembered your paste bucket! |
Paste Pot Pete's professional embarrassments have only been matched by his fashion embarrassments. After realizing his original outfit made him look more like a colorblind industrial pastry chef––or an angry French toddler––than a terrifying super criminal, he designed a more utilitarian costume.
Unfortunately, no one told him that cuffed yellow thigh-highs have an extremely low intimidation factor. Yet somehow his slightly improved appearance earned him a spot in the Frightful Four, a super villain team clearly in desperate need of a fourth member.
Over the years, Paste Pot Pete has enjoyed one of the lowest batting averages of any super criminal, being beaten by everyone from Spider-Man to Daredevil to even the Prowler.
In a desperate bid to get his groove back, Pete changed his name to the Trapster and altered his costume to try to look more like a ninja.
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| Didn't work. |
