Spider Hater

“Rescue seems increasingly unrealistic. Supplies diminishing. Lots of spiders in this place. I do not like spiders.”

―Dr. Roberts, the Spider Hater ~ Penumbra: Overture

Dr. Roberts
Aliases:	Spider Hater
Died:	Presumably 2001
Sex:	Male
Nationality:	Unknown
Status:	Deceased
Appears:	Penumbra: Overture (albeit unseen)

Dr. Roberts, better known as the Spider Hater, is a minor, unseen character in Penumbra: Overture and a mentioned character in Penumbra: Black Plague. He was an Archaic scientist, either Temporary or of the Lower Caste, who was stationed at Shelter Research Station Greenland.

Events of Penumbra: Overture

Philip can find notes of him in the old mines. He tried to escape after it was abandoned, but got injured (presumably by the dogs) and holed himself up in a storage room. From that point, he promised himself not go out again unless help has arrived - however the latter became more improbable day after day.

He then explored the spider tunnels beneath the storage room, and one day he accidentally swallowed a spider. When his food supplies ran out, spiders became his main source of nourishment. After a while he discovers a toxic substance forming on his tongue, seemingly due to the spiders containing a certain amount of chemicals in their bodies. Having no other choice at that point, he amputates his own tongue. In addition to that, he wrote how he noticed the spiders growing bigger and becoming more aggressively. For his own safety, he locked himself in his workshop room, with no other option except to await his eventual fate.

As Philip fully explored the spider tunnels, making his way back to the storage, he overhears Roberts being attacked by an unknown creature - he soon discovered the room, where the spider hater locked himself in, being open with trails of blood.

Furthermore, Philip expresses his "disappointment", stating that Dr. Roberts so far was his best chance to receive answers.

Events of Penumbra: Black Plague

In Penumbra: Black Plague, Philip finds a note left by Eloff Carpenter in the Kennels, stating that he woke up to a body next to him with its tongue missing. This would hint that it was in fact Overseer Frisk, not the spiders, that killed Spider Hater — and that Frisk has been perhaps stalking throughout the mines during the entirety of the game before Philip becomes aware of his existence. This also reveals the Spider Hater's real name to be Dr. Roberts.

Notes

• Scientific findings 1
• Scientific findings 2
• Spider Hater's Note

Trivia

• If Philip approaches the locked door where Dr. Roberts is, it's possible to hear him whisper "Who is there?", "Someone?", and other frantic noises. These were provided by Frictional Games co-founder Thomas Grip, as revealed on the Frictional Games Forum.
• The tongue of Spider Hater that Phillip finds in the backroom of the section he was held up in is far larger than any tongue of any human being. It is roughly the length of a forearm in-game. The most likely reason for this is the toxin inside the spiders he ate, which made his tongue swell up.

Gallery

Dr. Roberts' tongue surgically removed, due to a toxin found in spiders irrevocably damaging it.