Catalina Flores was an FBI agent who left the bureau and returned to her native Bludhaven to work with the poor. But she found a city wading in corruption, that not even her brother Mateo, the new DA, could help quell. She met John Law, now long retired and too old to fight, but once known as the vigilante Tarantula during the forties. Catalina saw in him an inspiration, and so she decided to use her training to become a new Tarantula, to help fight corruption in the ‘Haven.

On one of her first outings she encountered the ‘Haven’s resident vigilante, Nightwing. Nightwing was uncomfortable with the fact that Tarantula was a little more cavalier with the lives of the criminals she chased then he was. Nightwing refused to take her as a partner, or to train her, and Tarantula stormed off, angry.

Nightwing discovered that Tarantula had murdered Bludhaven’s corrupt police chief, Delmore Redhorn, and made it his crusade to bring her in. He was able to collect the evidence, but Tarantula was helped to freedom by her brother. After leaving jail, she was taken under the employ of Blockbuster, Bludhaven’s crime lord, to spy on Nightwing, who he knows is Dick Grayson.

Tarantula attacked Dick in his civilian identity during a quiet date with Barbara Gordon, and added to the stress in their relationship. When Blockbuster stepped up his assault on Dick’s life, he decided to blow up the apartment building Dick lived in. The bomb also killed John Law, who Tarantula was unable to save, and this turned her against Blockbuster, and a spent Nightwing accepted her help in bringing down Blockbuster.

Nightwing finds a way to get Blockbuster to confess, and Tarantula brings the tape to her brother, who burns it. To keep her out of jail, he had to make a deal with Blockbuster. Enraged, she sets out to find Blockbuster again. She arrives at the site of a battle between Nightwing and Blockbuster with a gun, and Nightwing stands by while she pulls the trigger, shooting Blockbuster in the head fatally. Nightwing is crushed by allowing her to become a killer again, but Tarantula.

Tarantula dragged the near catatonic Nightwing out of the city, trying to get him to smile and relax. While traveling they ran afoul of the costumed assassin Copperhead, who nearly killed Tarantula before Nightwing stepped in and saved her.

Then, swearing that the two needed time to get to know each other out of costume, they arrived in Atlantic City, and Catalina pressured Dick into applying for a marriage license. Before he could fill it out, Batman contacted him and called him back to Gotham. Although told to stay away, Tarantula followed Nightwing to Gotham.

Nightwing's inaction has became a source of tremendous guilt for the young hero. Nightwing and Tarantula took to the road as Nightwing was still in a state of utter shock. Catalina, meanwhile, had absolutely no concept of remorse or morality. Despite her utter lack of moral understanding, Tarantula assisted Batman during the "War Games" disaster, as he remained ignorant of her involvement in Blockbuster's death. Eventually, Nightwing emerged from his depression and took matters into his own hands. He gave Tarantula one chance to turn herself in. Feeling shocked, betrayed and confused, Tarantula attempted to flee. But Nightwing apprehended the vigilante and turned her into the Bludhaven Police.

Tarantula came into the possession of a "Get Out of Hell Free" card, forged by Neron. The card is coveted by Junior, Ragdoll's insane sister, who sends an army of supervillains after her. She eventually sacrifices herself by pulling Junior and herself in front of combined attack from the assembled villains, killing them both.