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Back Issues [Venom Day]: Venom: Lethal Protector #1-6

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To celebrate the release of Venom: Let There Be Carnage (Serkis, 2021), Sony Pictures declared September 27 “Venom Day”, a fitting tribute to one of my favourite anti-heroes and one of Marvel’s most iconic characters.

Writer: David Michelinie – Artists: Mark Bagley and Ron Lim

Story Title: “Dark Soul Drifting”
Published: 19 December 1992 (cover-date: February 1993)

Story Title: “War and Pieces!”
Published: 26 January 1993 (cover-date: March 1993)

Story Title: “A Verdict of Violence”
Published: 23 February 1993 (cover-date: April 1993)

Story Title: “Deadly Birth!”
Published: 30 March 1993 (cover-date: May 1993)

Story Title: “Symbiocide”
Published: 27 April 1993 (cover-date: June 1993)

Story Title: “Frisco Kill!”
Published: 25 May 1993 (cover-date: July 1993)

Quick Facts:
Writer Tom DeFalco and artist Ron Frenz evolved Randy Schueller’s illustration of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in a slick black outfit into a sentient symbiote that bonded with disgruntled reporter Eddie Brock to become Spider-Man’s dark doppelgänger, Venom. Venom’s popularity saw them transition into an anti-hero role and spin-off into this largely praised 1993 solo series, which influenced Venom’s early videogame appearances and their surprisingly successful live-action solo films.

The Review:
Venom’s first solo series is set in San Franscisco and finds the bloodthirsty symbiote bringing their own brand of justice to the streets. After choking a would-be mugger to death with tendrils of their symbiote, oblivious to how badly they’ve terrified the attacker’s victim, Venom recaps their origin and establishes that they settled their vendetta against Spider-Man and assumes a more human guise to check-in to a dingy hotel. Unfortunately, the local police recognise Eddie Brock, forcing Venom to fend them off and flee, though not before having their picture taken by a passing tourist. This comes to Peter’s attention over in New York City and, worried about Brock’s psychopathic tendencies, he drops everything to investigate. While lamenting that his hometown is unsafe, Brock worries that he’ll end up destitute and homeless since his life lacks direction and he has no family to turn to but sets aside his woes to help some vagrants being harassed by thugs. Unfortunately, the gunshots attract Spider-Man, who quickly attacks Venom for “[going] back to [their] old ways”. Venom easily takes Spidey’s punches, though, and chastises him for breaking their arrangement before refocusing on protecting the innocent, slipping away while a confused Spider-Man deals with the gunmen. Unaware that their appearance has attracted venge-seeking General Orwell Taylor, Venom follows the vagrants to their underground refuge, learning that they’ve been targeted by industrialist Roland Treece for months. Treece’s minions then attack in mech suits, with Venom ripping them apart before being bombarded by a sonic beam. Weakened and in agony, Venom is helpless to stop the second digger from crashing them through the floor and apparently sending them through a time warp!

Hounded on all sides while defending the homeless, Venom investigates the Life Foundation.

This momentary confusion passes when it becomes obvious that they’ve landed in the underground city Treeve covets and in which the homeless take shelter. Using the distraction to regain their strength, Venom shreds the digger, slaughtering the operators when they gun down one of the locals in cold blood. Despite saving them, many of the undergrounders are suspicious of Venom given their reputation but Elizabeth vouches for them and offers them sanctuary, revealing that the city is the remains of the famous 1906 earthquake. Unfortunately, despite many of the undergrounders defending them, their ruling council votes to expel Venom to avoid the hassle, but they decide to try and win them over by going after Roland Treece. Venom easily bypasses Treece International’s high-tech security and just as easily dispatches the guards when they’re spotted, but they’re caught off-guard by General Taylor and his armoured Jury enforcers while puzzling out what Treece intends for the underground city. Thanks to the Jury’s sound blasts, Venom’s helpless against General Taylor, who’s out for revenge after they murdered his son while escaping from the Raft some time ago. Luckily, General Taylor’s rambling allows Venom to recuperate and flee, only for the Jury to pursue them to the Golden Gate Bridge, unleashing all their firepower without a care for who gets caught in the crossfire. Luckily, Venom uses their camouflage ability to give the Jury the slip, only for a friend of General Taylor’s son to launch a surprise attack with a sonic grenade! Luckily, Venom’s plea for the lives of the undergrounders causes his attacker to hesitate and, when the Jury join the fight, Venom’s unexpectedly saved by Treece, who offers them the chance to become head of security at Treece International.

Drake forcibly removes Venom’s spawn, producing five dangerous (if one-note) new symbiotes.

Believing it’ll help them get the inside track on Treece’s plans for the underground city, Venom accepts and is taken to a bunker in the Mojave Desert, only to walk straight into a trap as they’ve subdued by fire and confronted by Carlton Drake of the Life Foundation. Imprisoning Venom within a sonic cage, Drake forcibly extracts a “seed” from the symbiote to add to his others, planning to bond them with volunteers to create super soldiers. Although the cage causes his “other” great pain, Brock uses his “Olympic level strength” to grab one of Drake’s underlings and briefly break free before again being stunned by a sonic blast, leaving Drake to consider executing him since they’ve already bonded his spawn and set them loose in the city as a training exercise. Thus, Spider-Man (who’d been busy learning of Eddie’s troubled relationship with his father, Carl), is amazed to find Donna Diego/Scream tearing up a local mall. Although Scream is as fast and powerful as Venom, she resorts to threatening innocents when Spidey knocks her off-balance and flees in a hovercraft with Spider-Man in hot pursuit. This leads Spidey to the Life Foundation, where he dispatches the armoured guards but arrives too late to stop Drake forcibly removing the symbiote from Eddie (luckily, Eddie barely survives the procedure). Spidey’s then attacked by Scream and Venom’s four other “children” – Carl Mach/Phage, Leslie Gesneria/Agony, Ramón Hernández/Lasher, and Trevor Cole/Riot – while Treece plots to blow up the park over the underground city and Eddie tricks the Life Foundation scientists by playing dead. Although he fights valiantly, Spider-Man is no match for the five symbiotes, who form deadly weapons from their alien costumes, fling acid, and easily overwhelm him despite his experience with symbiotes and they even reject Eddie when he tries to “save” them with an emotional plea.

Spidey reluctantly helps Venom stop Treece and the homeless accept their unlikely saviour.

Eddie and Spidey hold the symbiotes off with some sonic blasters, allowing Eddie to rebond with his symbiote and fight his “children” on more equal ground. When Phage attacks, Spider-Man accidentally discovers that the sonic cage machine artificially ages the symbiotes to the point of decay. Venom suggests using it to kill the symbiotes and, when Spidey refuses to widen the beam, worried that they’ll kill the hosts, Venom chokes Peter into unconsciousness and activates the machine, apparently killing their “children”, much to Spidey’s disgust. Angered by the setback, Drake sets the facility to self-destruct and, though Spidey escapes, Venom gives him the slip to learn that Treece is after a shipment of gold bullion hidden within the underground city. Unaware of this, Spider-Man fights Venom at the park to keep them from murdering Treece, only for Venom to ensnare him with their symbiote and ask for his help in protecting the undergrounders. Amazed by the plea and seeing they’re sincere, Spidey agrees, and they battle Treece’s digger mechs, easily trashing the machines and reducing Treece to a desperate mania as he prepares to blow up the site. With flames blocking their path and Spider-Man busy with a digger mech, Venom’s forced to endure the agony of the fire to wrench Treece from the control room, leaving Spider-Man stunned by Venom’s selfless act. Still, Spidey prepares to bring Venom in, only for the crazed, injured anti-hero to disappear into the crowd. Peter reluctantly decides that, as demented s Venom is, they seem determined to protect lives rather than threatening them. With Treece’s threat ended, the gold is retrieved by officials, and the underground city remains undiscovered. Against the objections of God-fearing Reverend Rakestraw, the undergrounders decide to let Venom stay and a grateful Eddie accepts the offer, vowing to protect them.

Final Thoughts: 
This was a surprisingly disappointing and cluttered mess for Venom’s first solo series. Although things start visually strong thanks to the immensely talented Mark Bagley, who always draws the best symbiotes, Ron Lim takes over about halfway through. While he tries to emulate Bagley’s style, the visuals takes a noticeable hit, appearing rushed and disproportionate compared to Bagley’s slick, impressive art. While Eddie Brock was always an unhinged, intense character, he was admittedly quite one-note and shallow, appearing to be a crazy psychopath with a twisted code of honour. The Lethal Protector arc seeks to flesh him out by returning him to his roots in San Francisco and having Spider-Man uncover insight into Eddie’s past. While struggling to navigate San Francisco and eager to proactively stop Venom before they go on a rampage, Spidey visits Eddie’s estranged father, Carl, only to be angrily rebuked by the well-to-do elder Brock. Luckily, Carl’s housekeeper, Sharon Dempsy, reveals that Eddie’s mother, Jamie, died in childbirth. Resenting Eddie, Carl constantly ignored him, dismissing any academic or athletic accomplishment and never showing Eddie any affection or encouragement. Thus, the root of Eddie’s insecurities and fractured state of mind can be traced back to a neglectful father, adding further context to his warped desire to protect “innocents” from evil and corruption. Yet, while this is interesting, it doesn’t equate to much of a character arc for Eddie as he never confronts his father and even Spidey admits that understanding Eddie doesn’t really help him find, fight, or understand him. Instead, Spider-Man is reluctantly convinced that Venom’s not looking to murder Treece in cold blood because they actually ask for help in obstructing Treece’s plans for the underground city.

Everyone’s out to get Venom here, whether it makes sense or not, making for a cluttered story.

There’s a lot happening in these six issues and yet at least two still waste time recapping Venom’s origin, with both Peter and Eddie pondering their past and how they ended up in San Francisco. It makes sense that a mindless, crazed lunatic like Venom would attract many enemies and that his senseless killing would come back to haunt him, but it’s kind of ridiculous how many people are gunning for him. The least developed is General Taylor, who justifiably wants to avenge his son’s death and yet simply exists to hound Venom when they take a breath, with him and his Jury promptly disappearing once Venom arrives at the Life Foundation. This malicious organisation is run by Carlton Drake, a man with even less motivation than General Taylor who simply wants to extract offspring from the symbiotes, forcibly mature them, and create an army. I’m not entirely sure why, possibly to sell as super soldiers, but I feel it would’ve been far easier to merge Carlton Drake, General Taylor, and Roland Treece into one person employing the Jury to hunt Venom to experiment on them and avenge his son’s death while also seeking to excavate the underground city. Instead, all these forces hunt Venom in the first few issues simply to justify a six-issue miniseries, something only exacerbated by Spider-Man’s presence. Considering they came to an agreement not to interfere with each other and Peter has no reason to think Venom’s descended into anarchy, Spidey’s presence eats up pages and panels that could’ve easily been given to Eddie as he reluctantly reconnects with his father, only for Carl to sell him out to Drake or something. Peter could’ve seen Venom on the news in maybe issue four and then gone to San Francisco to investigate based on more substantial evidence. As is, Spidey’s presence is clearly just there to entice readers into buying the miniseries.

Venom’s given more depth here but the story wastes its potential on lame villains.

Luckily, I’m a big fan of Venom so I generally enjoy most things they’re in (hence the three stars) and I do like the idea of Eddie being hounded at every turn, driven to fall in with the homeless and desperate to win their approval by defending them. Despite their incredible strength and the versatility of the symbiote, Venom takes a hell of a pounding, often weakened by sonic blasts, encaged in pure sonic energy, and almost dying when Drake forcibly removes the symbiote. It’s no wonder that Venom asks for Spider-Man’s help considering how often they’re ripped to shreds and battered, even though Venom easily handled the digger mechs before and probably didn’t need the assist in the finale. As much as I enjoy the symbiotes, though, Lethal Protector was the beginning of a downward slide into diminishing returns as five new ones are spawned here, none of which are given names much less distinguishable identities (the damn Jury had more personality!) They barely speak and we get very little insight into their abilities beyond some all-too-brief fight scenes before they’re offed with ridiculous ease. The symbiotes were far more visually interesting and dangerous than Drake or the diggers and should’ve been a far greater threat for Spider-Man and Venom, but they’re a mere obstacle here. Considering the chaotic careers these symbiotes later had, it again would’ve been much easier to merge these into a single symbiote, preferably Scream, and have it be Drake’s underling. Or even gender swap Drake and have her become Scream for a more interesting final fight. Instead, the five symbiotes are largely forgettable inclusions (I hesitate to call them “characters”) and are disappointing as this entire miniseries, which awkwardly tries to walk back Venom’s characterisation to make them less fearsome and ironically strips them of a lot of their intrigue and personality as a consequence.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Did you enjoy Venom’s first miniseries? Do you agree that the story was a bit overstuffed or did you like seeing Venom be hounded on all sides? Did you like the additional backstory given to Eddie here? Were you also disappointed that the new symbiotes were so underutilised? What are some of your favourite Venom stories and how are you celebrating Venom’s debut this month? Whatever your thoughts on Venom, share them below, support me on Ko-Fi, and check out my other Venom content.

Back Issues [A-Day]: Civil War #1-7

Dr. K2 Comments

In September 1963 the legendary Stan Lee and Jack Kirby assembled Earth’s mightiest heroes, the Avengers, who formed the backbone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and become an unbelievably popular franchise.

Story Title: “Civil War” (Part 1 to 7)
Published: 3 May 2006 (cover-dated: July 2006) to 21 February 2007 (cover dated: January 2007)

Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Steve McNiven

Quick Facts:
Although formed as an answer to the Justice League of America and depicted as Earth’s mightiest heroes, the Avengers faced their greatest test in 2004/2005 when the team infamously disassembled following some devastating losses. This laid the foundation for the “Civil War” event, a sprawling, widely criticised story that pit heroes against each other over disagreements about governmental registration. The event had long-lasting consequences and directly inspired cartoons, films, and videogames despite being a contentious story.

The Review:
One of Marvel’s most controversial events begins in Stamford, Connecticut where celebrity superheroes the New Warriors (Dwayne Taylor/Night Thrasher, Namorita Prentiss, Robbie Baldwin/Speedball, and Zachary Smith, Jr./ Microbe) prepare to storm a house where supervillains Joss Shappe/Speedfreek, Kateri Deseronto/Coldheart, Ralph Roberts/Cobalt Man, and Robert Hunter/Nitro have taken shelter after escaping from Ryker’s Island Penitentiary. Although Microbo is unsure of their chances, Speedball confidently rallies the team to boost their ratings and reputation. Any plans go awry when the New Warriors are spotted, forcing them to charge in blindly, surprisingly holding their own against most of the villains despite the youngsters being seen as second-rate. However, when Namorita tackles Nitro, he maliciously detonates, apparently killing the New Warriors, a bus load of children, and an estimated 800 or 900 others in the immediate area (which is also decimated) live on camera. Captain Steve Rogers/Captain America, Anthony “Tony” Stark/Iron Man, and the X-Men (begrudgingly supervised by the gigantic Sentinels) arrive to help with the rescue effort, with Iron Man chastising the New Warriors for being so reckless and Doctor William “Bill” Foster/Goliath morbidly predicting that the event will be the final straw that turns the public against superhumans. While the subject is debated on television, Stark is personally blamed by a grieving mother as he bankrolls the Avengers and thus puts kids in danger by encouraging them to act outside the law. Very quickly, the media debates whether superhumans should be registered to hold them accountable for their actions, and resentment grows for even celebrated superheroes like Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, who’s brutally attacked outside a nightclub.

Following a tragedy, Marvel’s heroes disagree about the issue of superhuman registration.

The Avengers, New Avengers, X-Men, and the Fantastic Four gather at the Baxter Building to discuss the issue, which basically amounts to forcing super-powered individuals to register their identity and powers with the government or be arrested. While Luke Cage/Power Man sees it as an attempt to shut them down and Eli Bradley/Patriot suggests they go on strike, Iron Man is all for them being better trained and equipped and held accountable for their actions. Sam Wilson/The Falcon is aghast at the idea of giving up their costumes to become “super-cops”, while Doctor Hank Pym/Yellowjacket agrees with the proposal, reasoning that their masks have caused the public to lose faith in them. While James “Logan” Howlett/Wolverine detests the idea and Peter Parker/Spider-Man suggests some would rather quit than give up their anonymity, Susan Storm/The Invisible Woman counters that being public superheroes isn’t that bad, and Danny Rand/Daredevil believes that, either way, things are changing for them. Aboard a Helicarrier, acting head of the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate (S.H.I.E.L.D.) Maria Hill asks Cap for his opinion and he begrudgingly states he thinks it’ll divide the superhero community, especially the street-level heroes, and lead to civil war. When Maria demands that Cap set an example and arrest his fellow heroes if they step out of line, he vehemently refuses, believing superheroes should be above regular politics. Tired of masked vigilantes running amok, Maria orders her specially trained anti-superhuman response unit to subdue Cap, who easily fights them off and escapes, becoming a fugitive in the process. Doctor Stephen Strange’s concerns are only aggravated when Uatu the Watcher silently appears and Iron Man, Doctor Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, and Yellowjacket side with the government and push for the Superhuman Registration Act (SRA). Despite being on the run, Cap continues to round up supervillains and recruits others to his cause, while Iron Man and his cohorts officially defend against supervillain attacks, rebuilding public confidence and vowing to bring Cap in (ostensibly to talk him around), and Mr. Fantastic shuns his wife’s concerns to eagerly construct an elaborate prison for any who refuse the SRA, regardless of who they are.

Both sides build teams for their causes, leading to some dramatic moments and fights between them.

When the SRA becomes law, unregistered heroes like Patriot and the other Young Avengers are aggressively hounded by S.H.I.E.L.D., who ironically cause a great deal of property damage non-lethally apprehending them. Undercover as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Cap rescues the Young Avengers and brings them to Resistance headquarters, where they plan to hide while Nick Fury sets up new secret identities for them. They’re as stunned as thousands of others when Stark has Spider-Man publicly reveal his identity in support of the SRA, though this isn’t enough to convince T’Challa/The Black Panther to buy into Reed’s pitch for a fifty state super police force. Dr. Strange similarly refuses to be a part of it by proxy and Emma Frost/The White Queen firmly declines to have the X-Men get involved as Mutants have faced persecution their whole lives and been shunned when they face similar issues. Hidden behind their bizarre new identities, Cap and his “Secret Avengers” lament all the good they’re now denied from doing (like answering “Make a Wish” requests) because of the SRA yet assist with a petrochemical fire, only for it to be an elaborate trap. Iron Man and his supporters subdue Billy Kaplan/Wiccan and Tyrone Johnson/Cloak to keep Cap from escaping and offer Cap amnesty again. Although Spidey insists that registration is the best way to fight the real bad guys, Cap dismisses him for endangering his loved ones and tricks Iron Man into thinking he’s willing to hear him out, short-circuiting his armour and starting a scuffle. Spidey’s fancy Iron Spider suit buys Stark enough time to reboot and out-fight Cap by analysing his attack patterns. When Hercules Panhellenios rushes in to help, the fight’s interrupted by what appears to be Thor Odinson, returned from the dead, who physically decimates the Secret Avengers just as Iron Man blasts them with a debilitating audio burst.

Goliath’s death sees Spidey rebel against Stark, who’s actively hunting his allies.

Hercules disables the device, allowing the Falcon to fly the beaten, bloody Cap to safety, though everyone’s aghast when Thor suddenly kills Goliath with a lightning blast! Protected by the Invisible Woman, the survivors flee via Cloak’s teleporting cape and Iron Man’s supporters are left horrified that his Thor clone would be so reckless, with Spider-Man and Yellowjacket questioning their decisions while the injured Cap refuses to abandon his principles even as some of his supporters leave in the fallout. Though remorseful, Stark and Reed also stick to their guns, even after Sue leaves her husband to join the Secret Avengers with Johnny. As more of their people are defecting or disappearing by the day, Stark and Reed coerce supervillain team the Thunderbolts (including Lester/Bullseye, MacDonald “Mac” Gargan/Venom, and Tony Masters/Taskmaster) into temporarily bolstering their forces. S.H.I.E.L.D.’s increased street presence curtails crime rates, but they struggle to apprehend the wayward heroes, even with guys like Kyle Richmond/Nighthawk joining the cause (and receiving full pardons and a wage). However, when he learns of Stark’s high-tech prison in the Negative Zone, Spidey finally snaps and turns on Iron Man, disagreeing with his morals, lashing out when Stark chastises him, and forcing Maria (against Stark’s orders) to send the Thunderbolts after him. Attacked by Jody Putt/Jester and Steven Levins/Jack O’Lantern in the sewers, the battered Spidey is saved by Frank Castle/The Punisher, who executes his attackers and brings the grievously wounded Peter to the Secret Avengers. Despite all the good the SRA is doing, even Reed questions the process, especially after Daredevil is arrested, though Stark remains adamant that they’re doing the right thing and even offers Daredevil a team of his own if he registers, which does little to improve the vigilante’s opinion of him. While Pym and Maria train pro-SRA agents in Arizona, vetoing potential team members for each state and assigning codenames to others, Reed reprograms “Thor” and Iron Man celebrates the positive impact the SRA has had on crime, all unaware that the Punisher is covertly infiltrating the Baxter Building.

Cap reluctantly surrenders, outlawing many heroes and changing Marvel for many years.

Inside, the Punisher relays details of the Negative Zone prison to Cap. With Spider-Man recovered and back on side, Cap uses the Punisher’s intel to discuss plans to storm the Negative Zone prison. However, Cap brutally beats the Punisher when he guns down David Kivlin/The Plunderer and Matthew Gilden/Goldbug, villains who sought refuge with the Secret Avengers, expelling him from the team in disgust. After Stark pacifies the public by memorialising the Stanford victims, the Secret Avengers (aided by the Black Panther) break into the Negative Zone prison, where they’re immediately confronted by Iron Man and his supporters thanks to a tipoff from Grer Nelson/Tigra. However, Cap anticipated this and had shapeshifter Teddy Altman/Hulkling impersonate Yellowjacket, allowing them to free the prisoners and igniting a brawl. Despite the Black Panther’s best efforts, Maria has S.H.I.E.L.D. shut down the Negative Zone portals, forcing Cloak to teleport everyone to the skies above New York City. Iron Man immediately orders an evacuation but continues the fight, which sees Spidey take it to Mr. Fantastic, the Thunderbolts gang up on Cap, and Namor bring the Atlanteans to tip the balance for the Secret Avengers. Iron Man calls in “Thor” and their new recruits to even the odds, but Hercules avenges his friend by destroying the Thor cyborg and Taskmaster gets crushed when he guns down Reed in front of Sue. His armour compromised by the Vision, Iron Man is easily overpowered by Cap, who’s jumped by civilians and emergency workers. Realising the damage they’ve caused with their petty squabble, a repentant Cap dramatically stands down, orders his troops to stop fighting, and surrenders to the authorities. In the aftermath, the 50 State Initiative places government-controlled superhero teams in every state (to unanimous public approval). Stark is promoted to S.H.I.E.L.D. Director and Sue reluctantly returns to a remorseful Reed, while Cap is locked up and the Secret Avengers go deeper underground, with the Punisher retrieving his mask and Spider-Man returning to his black costume…

Final Thoughts: 
This was my first time reading Civil War, an event I followed through websites and such at the time but had little interest in even after the blockbuster quasi-adaptation came out as I disliked the entire concept. Not the idea of superheroes fighting against each other; I don’t mind that. I disliked seeing the Marvel heroes so easily and aggressively divided by the core issue and how out of character everyone acted throughout it. It doesn’t help that the art isn’t that great either, with Spider-Man looking especially odd, or that these seven issues were accompanied by numerous tie-ins that filled in some gaps. For example, Spidey’s change of heart is largely glossed over here and is presumably fleshed out in a tie-in comic. Similarly, the Thunderbolts don’t get much to do and the New Warriors are all presumed dead here, and you’d never know that blind Matt Murdock wasn’t Daredevil or exactly what happens in the Negative Zone or with the X-Men if you just stick to the main story. Yet, paradoxically, that’s exactly what I’d suggest you do as Civil War isn’t exactly Marvel’s finest hour and I can’t imagine any of the supplementary materials helps with that. The whole event is based on shock value, from the New Warriors’ recklessness killing nearly 1000 people to Peter dramatically unmasking to seeing superheroes hunted and arrested, to seeing the Avengers turn on each other. It’s all framed as being a shocking event but so much of it just falls flat because of the aforementioned poor characterisations of many of the key players.

The poor characterisations really ruin this already questionable event for me.

Spider-Man is a great example. Initially, as expected, he’s against the SRA because exposing his identity would compromise his loved ones. The very idea of outing himself flies in the face of his “power/responsibility” manta, and yet Stark convinces Peter to do it! I believe it’s explained in a tie-in issue that Peter was convinced by assurances that his family would be protected, he would be looked after, and by the conviction of his mentor, but none of that makes it any better. Spidey should’ve been a non-factor in the story, taking neither side like the X-Men and doing his own thing, but that doesn’t shock as much as seeing him unmask on live television, does it? This is the story that introduced me to Maria Hill and I’ve hated her ever since. She’s a condescending, arrogant bitch who clearly hates superheroes and vigilantes and resents playing second fiddle to them. While she and S.H.I.E.L.D. justify their actions as being the best, most sensible option, they completely disregard all the good these heroes have done and dispassionately lock them up, only to happily work with murderers and psychopaths like the Thunderbolts! Iron Man is the absolute worst example of character assassination here, being a despicable, unlikable, selfish asshole that soured his character for years. I do understand his motivations and, in his own way, he is right: superheroes should be held accountable for their actions. But the way he goes about it is all wrong. He turns against his friends and peers, happily hunting them down and locking them up, talking down to them with his pleas for amnesty and holier-than-thou attitude. Him and Reed are at their most self-absorbed and egotistical here, shunning family and friends just to appease the public and completely destroying their legacies.

Civil War ends up being a messy, unappealing drama full of stubborn fools and bad decisions.

To be fair, while I’m Team Cap all the way, it’s not like Cap is much better. Like Stark, he’s a stubborn, prideful man who quickly loses sight of the big issue and focuses more on building his numbers and besting Team Stark over anything else. It’s funny because I always imagined Steve would be pro-registration and Stark would be against it, but it’s more impactful seeing Cap reject boneheaded governmental mandates. Cap is right that superpowered individuals shouldn’t be forced to reveal their identities and he immediately looks better because he’s not locking people up, working with supervillains, or acting like a complete dickhead like Stark, but he lets his principles blind him. If Cap had parlayed with Iron Man, attempted a compromise, things might’ve deescalated faster. Instead, his first reaction is to lash out and form an army to fight against the SRA rather than attempting to appeal to reason, escalating the conflict into a massive brawl that causes further damage. Civil War seems to be another attempt by Marvel to deconstruct their heroes and the status quo, which is always divisive as it goes against everything you expect from these characters. The fallout, especially, had huge ramifications for the likes of Cap and Spidey, so say nothing of the 50 State Initiative and the eventually evolution of the Thunderbolts. I appreciate the effort to try something different, but everything feels very rushed and poorly executed. I kept wondering if certain characters (Stark, especially) had been replaced by Skrulls or something but, while this was true for some, it wasn’t for others, meaning Marvel had to scramble to find ways to walk back all the stupid decisions made here. I’d say Civil War is a pivotal story in Marvel’s long history, but I’m glad that it’s long been resolved and much of its events were undone as I’ve ever enjoyed it.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Did you enjoy Civil War? Were you on Team Cap or Team Stark? Were you shocked when Peter unmasked and Goliath was killed? Did you ever read all the tie-in comics? Who do you think acted the most out of character here? What are some of your favourite Avengers stories or moments and how are you celebrating their debut? Let me know your thoughts on Civil War and the Avengers below, and support me on Ko-Fi for more Avengers content.

Back Issues: The Amazing Spider-Man #13

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Story Title: “The Menace of… Mysterio!”
Published: 10 March 1964 (cover-dated: June 1964)

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko

Quick Facts:
Though he technically first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #2, disgruntled special effects wizard Quentin Beck/Mysterio made his first traditional appearance in this story before cementing himself as one of Spidey’s most dangerous foes when he joined the Sinister Six. Surprisingly formidable and ruthless despite his outrageous design, Mysterio often appears as a boss or enemy in Spidey’s cartoons and videogames and Jake Gyllenhaal received much praise for this portrayal of the character in Spider-Man: Far From Home (Watts, 2019).

The Review:
Our story begins with a shocking sight: Spider-Man robbing a bank and fleeing the scene before a gaggle of stunned onlookers, easily clambering up a neighbouring wall, tangling up some guards, swinging from the skyscrapers, and then drifting to safety on a makeshift web parachute with his haul. Naturally, the tabloids have a field day with this and the notoriously fickle and easily misled New Yorkers immediately condemn the wall-crawler. Bad-tempered publisher J. Jonah Jameson orders all his anti-Spider-Man editorials to be reprinted and Peter’s friends and colleagues are left stunned, though noted Spidey fan Eugene “Flash” Thompson remains hopeful that the whole thing is a misunderstanding. Even Peter is shellshocked by the report, believing so completely that nobody could copy his powers and costume that he briefly worries that he’s developed a malicious split personality. Peter’s so rattled by anxiety that he breaks some crockery in his absent-mindedness and worries his doting Aunt May, who inadvertently adds to Peter’s woes by reminding him of their dire financial situation. Afraid to sleep lest he commit another crime in his sleep, Peter eventually drifts off, only to awaken to find his worst fears have come true. Terrified of what he might do next, Spider-Man swings over to a psychiatrist, only to chicken out at the last second over fears that he may give away his secret identity. Peter’s troubles weigh so heavily on him that he snaps at Betty Brant when she shows concern and even gives Jameson some lip with the editor refuses to supplement his income with a small loan, forcing Peter to don his costume to get some extra cash for his pictures of Spider-Man, only to be immediately set upon by the public and chased away.

Peter’s fears about an imposter are doubled when Mysterio matches and rivals his powers!

While Peter wrestles with his issues, a mysterious, cloaked figure appears in Jameson’s office and offers to end Spider-Man’s threat. Though mocked for his corny get-up and bizarre fishbowl helmet, “Mysterio” states that he hides his identity to protect his family and promises to make good on his threat. Before disappearing in a puff of smoke, Mysterio instructs Jameson to print a message luring the web-slinger to the Brooklyn Bridge, which Spidey immediately answers since he’s at his wit’s end. Realising it’s a trap, Spidey dives, swings, and pounces at his peculiar new foe, only for Mysterio to deftly somersault behind him, eerily dodge his blows by sticking to the bridge, and nimbly hop to safety. Spidey’s doubly shocked when Mysterio stops his webs with a gesture and dissolves them in mid-air before engulfing himself in a smokescreen. Though confident that his uncanny spider-sense gives him the edge, Spidey’s shocked when his senses are somehow dulled by the smoke, leaving him helpless as the unseen Mysterio repeatedly pummels him. Spider-Man’s thus forced to take a literal dive off the bridge before he’s beaten to death, leaving Mysterio victorious and forcing the bruised teen to swim to safety. Mysterio’s victory is celebrated across the grateful city, and he agrees to offer Jameson the exclusive on his true identity once Spider-Man is finished (alongside a payoff, of course). While meeting Mysterio and promising to capture his final victory on film, Peter slips a spider-themed tracking device onto the strange magician’s cape and quickly rushes out to track down his new foe, surprising Mysterio outside a television studio building. Once again, Mysterio surrounds himself with his choking smoke and puts a beating on Spider-Man but halts his attack to brag about how he managed to fool everyone into thinking Spider-Man had gone crooked.

Spidey uses his head to defeat Mysterio and clear his name.

Mysterio reveals that he was once a movie stunt man with a talent for special and practical effects. One day, he decided to imitate Spider-Man and artificially recreated his powers, using special suction cups to cling to walls and a nylon cord fired from a gun to recreate Spidey’s webs, all to frame Spidey for crimes. He then invented Mysterio to take down the “evil” Spider-Man and be hailed as a hero, using a two-way helmet, acidic spray, smoke ejectors, and magnetic spring plates in his boots to appear superhuman. Mysterio also reveals that he uses a sonar device to see through his fog and jam Spider-Man’s senses but gets so caught up in his boasting that he misses that Spidey was recording him. Angered, Mysterio resorts to his smoke once again, but this time Spidey stays outside the fog and swings into it, eventually sending Mysterio flying onto a sci-fi movie set. Spider-Man presses his attack, distracting Mysterio with a web net so he can leap in for another punch and force Mysterio to spring to the overhead props. Panicked and raving, Mysterio relies on his training as a stunt man to take Spidey’s punches and fling the wall-crawler off-balance, only for Spidey-Man to easily recover and use his fantastic agility to tackle Mysterio. When Mysterio uses his smoke again, the aggravated web-slinger smashes the sonar device on his chest and finally knocks out the devious stunt man. Retrieving his automatic camera, and his unconscious foe, Spider-Man drops Mysterio off at the police station alongside his taped confession. Jameson is livid when he finds out the truth but quickly tries to recoup his losses with Peter’s photos of the fight between Spider-Man and Mysterio. Jameson’s mood immediately sours again, though, when Spidey drops by to berate him for jumping to conclusions and humiliate him, before heading back into the city, where the public have forgiven him…for now.

Final Thoughts: 
This one was pretty fun, despite the fact that I typically don’t like stories where the hero is impersonated by another. I give this one a pass because, as goofy as Mysterio is, I quite like his aesthetic and his backstory. This story really highlights just how fickle and easily led the Marvel public are as they immediately peg Spider-Man as a thief and condemn his actions, despite all the good he’s done. To be fair, the evidence is pretty damning and it’s important to remember that this story was published when Spider-Man was truly unique and few could emulate his powers. Plus, newspapers and circumstantial evidence had worked against Spider-Man for a time, so I don’t begrudge the public for turning on the web-spinner after witnesses saw him fleeing with the loot. However, I do question Peter immediately thinking he’s gone crackers and is out committing crimes in his sleep, all because he doesn’t remember doing what he’s accused of. Again, it kinda makes sense as he can’t imagine anyone having his powers, but he descends into anxiety-ridden paranoia pretty quickly rather than trying to investigate what really happened. Paradoxically, however, I quite like this story beat. Peter’s a kid who has the weight of the world on his shoulders and is constantly worrying about his aunt, his studies, money, his relationships, and whatever villains are causing trouble. He takes everything to heart and puts himself under a lot of pressure, so it makes senses that he’d be worried he’d snapped or gone bananas from stress. Once Mysterio shows up, though, this plot thread is dropped and Peter gets his shit together to track Mysterio down, only to constantly underestimate his foe and be forced to think with his head rather than his fists.

The drama and Mysterio’s origin are a bit undercooked but the visuals and fights are a lot of fun.

Although we never learn Mysterio’s true name, he’s instantly memorable in his bizarre green armour, flowing purple cape, and ridiculous fishbowl helmet. His whole getup and the way he presents himself screams “supervillain” but he sells himself as a powerful hero, easily duping the bigoted Jameson with promises of Spider-Man’s defeat and being heralded a hero after besting the wall-crawler. I really liked that Mysterio was depicted as such a threat, from disappearing into smoke, nimbly avoiding Spider-Man’s famous agility, and even dulling his spider-sense to beat him half to death with relative ease. Though he boasts no true superpowers, Mysterio’s stunt training means he can take a punch and knows how to fall to lessen the damage he takes, and his gadgets make him more than a match for Spider-Man. Unfortunately, Mysterio’s motivation is quite weak. It seems he just decided to frame Spider-Man and pose as a hero to take him down on a whim and for the personal glory and the cash, which is quite bland when you think about it. Mysterio isn’t looking to get revenge against the movie industry, hasn’t been slighted by Spider-Man in the past, and doesn’t appear to have been shunned or ridiculed by his peers. He’s just doing it for a lark, it seems, and to prove his superiority over others. Indeed, when Spider-Man starts fighting smarter rather than harder, disabling Mysterio’s tech and strategically working around his near-literal smoke and mirrors, Mysterio’s enraged at being outsmarted. This only aids the furious web-spinner as Mysterio makes mistakes in his panic and rage, leaving him a beaten and humiliated wreck when he’s delivered to the cops. There were a lot of fun visuals and unique aspects to this story, especially in Mysterio’s abilities and his fights with Spider-Man. The drama didn’t land with me much and Mysterio’s motivations were quite weak but, overall, this was a strong debut for perhaps Spider-Man’s most bizarre enemy that painted him as a scheming and capable threat right from the start.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Did you enjoy Mysterio’s debut story? Are you a fan of the villain and, if so, what are some of your favourite Mysterio moments and stories? Would you have also liked to see Peter’s anxiety about his “crimes” explored in more detail? What did you think to Mysterio’s motivations and the way he copied Spidey’s powers? Where does Mysterio rank in your tier list of Spidey villains? Share your opinions on Mysterio in the comments, support me on Ko-Fi, and go check out my other Spider-Man content.

Back Issues [Spider-Man Day]: The Amazing Spider-Man #2

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Easily Marvel Comics’ most recognisable superhero, unsuspecting teenager Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider in August 1962. To coincide with his day of celebration, I’m dedicating some time to everyone’s favourite web-head!

Story Titles: “Duel to the Death with the Vulture!”
“The Uncanny Threat of the Terrible Tinkerer!”

Published: 12 February 1963 (cover-dated: May 1963)
Writer: Stan Lee – Artist: Steve Ditko

Quick Facts:
Disregarding the 1963 villain of the same name, Adrian Toomes/The Vulture joined Spider-Man’s colourful rogues’ gallery in this issue. Redesigned by Steve Ditko, the Vulture’s been a persistent threat despite being one of Spidey’s less intimidating foes. Phineas Mason/The Tinkerer also debuted in this issue as an aged super genius who was later suspected to be an alien! Both characters appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming (Watts, 2017), with Michael Keaton making as lasting impression as a far more intimidating and sympathetic incarnation of the Vulture.

The Review:
When “Duel to the Death with the Vulture!” begins, the titular avian crook has been terrorising New York City for days, swooping on unsuspecting yuppies and swiping their valuables, amazing onlookers as he appears to be a gigantic bird rather than a man. Cantankerous editor J. Jonah Jameson hears about the Vulture and sees dollar signs, demanding the next issue of Now Magazine be devoted to the bizarre thief and be accompanied be a decent picture. Hearing of this, Peter first hits upon the idea of taking pictures of supervillains (and his wall-crawling alter ego) to earn some extra cash and is delighted when his doting Aunt May gifts him his Uncle Ben’s old miniature camera. Spider-Man doesn’t have to wait long to get his first chance at snapping pictures of the Vulture as Toomes hears of a consignment of diamonds being moved across town, meaning he soon flies past the young adventurer. Deciding to toy with the public and the police, the Vulture delivers cryptic messages to the media and the cops to have them puzzle out how his wings work and how he plans to pull off the heist and even reacts in a microsecond when Spidey positions himself for a shot. Taken by surprise, Spidey’s easily knocked out with a single kick and dumped into a water tower, where the panicked youth leaps to safety when his web shooters inconveniently run dry. Learning from this, Peter cobbles together an all-purpose belt to carry extra web cartridges and house his camera while his pictures develop, which impress Jonah and sees him promise to pay Peter for photos of Spider-Man (though Peter refuses credi for his shots).

Though initially bested by the Vulture, Spidey sciences his way past the devious old coot.

While everyone gathers to watch the diamonds be moved, and wonders how the Vulture plans to steal them, Peter quietly switches to Spider-Man while the Vulture acts on his threats by attacking not from above…but below! Toomes pops from a manhole, steals the diamonds, and escapes to the skies via the subway, with Spider-Man in hot pursuit. Despite his superhuman speed and uncanny spider-sense, the Vulture easily loops around Spidey and knocks him from a rooftop, only to have his ankle snapped by the wall-crawler’s web. Spidey then activates a miniature “anti-magnetic inverter” device he whipped up after noticing how quiet the Vulture’s flight was and surmising that he flies via magnetic power. This disrupts the Vulture’s wings and causing them to plummet from the sky, allowing Spidey to swing to safety and Toomes to slowly crash to a nearby rooftop for the cops to pick up. Spider-Man snaps some pictures and again amazes the cigar-chomping Jameson, making both characters happy as Jameson gets his exclusive and Peter gets a wad of cash to help pay the bills and treat his Aunt May. As for the Vulture? Well, he’s left to stew in a prison cell, swearing to develop a better means of flight to get revenge on Spider-Man. “The Uncanny Threat of the Terrible Tinkerer!” sees Peter in his element, the science laboratory at Midtown High, much to the amusement of his disinterested and mean-spirited classmates, Elizabeth “Liz” Allen and Eugene “Flash” Thompson. Flash mocks Peter when he’s offered the chance to work with the famed Professor Cobbwell over the weekend, gladly heading to the Tinkerer Repair Shop to pick up some extra equipment for the famous electronics expert. Although unnerved by the miserly old Tinkerer and the strange feeling that something’s not right there, Peter chalks it up to paranoia, completely unaware that the aged Tinkerer is working with a bizarre, bug-like alien in his basement! Unbeknownst to Dr. Cobbwell, the alien makes some “special” modifications to his radio for the low cost of a dime, amazing Peter so much that he’s still thinking about it while working in Dr. Cobbwell’s lab.

Spider-Man’s amazed to find the Tinkerer aiding with an alien invasion!

Realising that the professor’s radio is emitting the same odd electrical impulses he sensed at the Tinkerer’s, Peter investigates swings back to investigate. Inside, he follows his spider-sense to the basement and discovers that the seemingly innocent old man working alongside aliens, using similar radio transmitters to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of the planet before launching a full-scale attack! When he’s discovered, Spider-Man amazes the aliens with his amazing wall-crawling, agility, and super strength, easily throwing off multiple attackers, though he’s downed by a shot from the Tinkerer’s laser blaster. Trapped inside an unbreakable “restisto-glass” enclosure, Spider-Man faces a quick (and possibly painful) death by poisonous gas. Thanks to his ridiculously diverse web-shooters, Spider-Man fires a super-thin strand of webbing through a tiny air hole in the enclosure, snagging the control panel and setting himself free. A single punch from Spider-Man sends the aliens crashing against said console, causing it to overload and burst into flames and making them scatter without the Tinkerer. Spider-Man tackles the traitorous old man and tries to haul him from the burning building, only for the aged conspirator to squirm free from the web-slinger’s grasp and forcing Spider-Man to flee before he’s choked or burned to death. When spotted fleeing the burning building, Spider-Man’s naturally blamed for the blaze, though the entire experience is enough for the aliens to remotely destroy their surveillance equipment and flee the Earth, vowing never to return. Peter returns to Dr. Cobbwell’s lab, satisfied that the radio is harmless, and listens attentively as the excited professor shares that he spotted a spaceship flying into the atmosphere, before convincing himself that he imagined the whole thing. While he struggles with what he saw, Peter ponders the lifelike mask he pulled from the Tinkerer’s face, equally baffled by the entire adventure (and rightfully so!)

Final Thoughts: 
I’ve never been a big fan of the Vulture, and his first appearance did little to change that opinion. Unlike some of Spider-Man’s other colourful villains, who at least get a little backstory in their debut stories if not a half-assed origin, we never even learn the Vulture’s identity, much less how he invented his bird-themed suit or magnetically powered wings. Ironically, the Vulture flies around with his face completely exposed yet nobody recognises him (though, to be fair, he’s said to be moving very swiftly and no one’s gotten a clear shot at him). Still, there’s very little going for the Vulture beyond his ability to fly as deftly as his namesake. The Vulture is just a colourful, outlandish crook who steals from the rich for his own benefit. We don’t know what he’s doing with the money except hording it and learn only that the Vulture feels so empowered by his flight suit that he decides to taunt the cops like he’s Edward Nygma/The Riddler! The Vulture does this simply for the thrill and to outsmart everyone around him, delighting in outmanoeuvring Spider-Man and even besting the web-slinger with ludicrous ease! Of course, the Vulture’s arrogance proves his undoing as science whiz Peter correctly guesses that Toomes is using magnetic power to fly and easily disrupts his wings, making the Vulture’s first appearance wholly unsatisfying as even his crazy gimmick isn’t all that impressive.

Despite some impressive or fantastical gimmicks, neither elderly villain makes a great first impression.

Still, the Vulture’s story is almost ground-breaking compared to the Tinkerer’s weird-ass debut! I can’t be sure but I’m almost certain this is the first time Spider-Man has ever encountered or dealt with aliens and it’s as jarring as you might think! I have no idea who or what these aliens are, where they come from, or what their capabilities are beyond being advanced enough to mess about with radios to gather intel ahead of their invasion. It’s heavily implied that the Tinkerer is one of their kind in disguise, though this is largely left ambiguous. Still, he’s certainly in league with them, providing them more radios to set up as surveillance devices. The alien plot is so out of left field it’s almost comical and the way the story just casually breezes past it is laughable, with both Peter and Dr. Cobbwell wondering if they imagined the whole thing. This is certainly a case where these pages would’ve been better served extending the Vulture’s tale. The Tinkerer could’ve easily been looped into the story, working alongside Toomes as an armourer and engineer who designed and maintained his flight suit. This would’ve been far more enjoyable than randomly sticking aliens in there and asking us to accept it and would’ve better positioned as a lackey rather than some alien mastermind. I did like seeing Peter first getting the idea to take pictures for J. Jonah Jameson to profit from his alter ego, and him fashioning his utility belt and using science to defeat the Vulture, but these stories were pretty dire, even for such low-tier Spider-Man villains.  

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Did you enjoy the debut of the Vulture and the Tinkerer? Are you a fan of either villain and, if so, what are some of your favourite moments and stories of theirs? Do you think the aliens were an odd choice for Spider-Man or did you like how crazy they were? Were you surprised to see the Vulture get the drop on Spidey so easily? How are you celebrating the web-slinger today? Drop your thoughts on the Vulture and the Tinkerer in the comments, support me on Ko-Fi, and go check out my other Spider-Man content.

Back Issues [Venom Day]: The Amazing Spider-Man #361-363

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To celebrate the release of Venom: Let There Be Carnage (Serkis, 2021), Sony Pictures declared September 27 “Venom Day”, a fitting date to shine the spotlight on one of my favourite anti-heroes, who made their first full debut in May 1988 and have gone on to become one of Marvel’s most iconic characters.

Writer: David Michelinie – Artist: Mark Bagley

Story Title: “Carnage – Part One: Savage Genesis”
Published: 13 February 1993 (cover-date: April 1992)

Story Title: “Carnage – Part Two: Savage Alliance”
Published: 10 March 1993 (cover-date: May 1992)

Story Title: “Carnage – Part Three: Savage Grace!”
Published: 14 April 1993 (cover-date: June 1992)

The Background:
In 1982, Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter purchased an illustration of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in a slick black outfit from Randy Schueller for an outrageous $200, a concept that writer Tom DeFalco and artist Ron Frenz interpreted as an alien organism following Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8. After revelling in the costume’s unique ability to form both clothing and organic webbing, Spidey was aghast when Doctor Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic revealed it was a sentient symbiote and quickly rid himself of the parasite using a cacophony of church bells. Throughout 1988, Peter was stalked and attacked by a mysterious assailant who turned out to be disgruntled reporter Eddie Brock, now bonded to the symbiote to form Venom, Spider-Man’s dark doppelgänger. An immediate favourite of mine, Venom has had many hosts over the years and undergone many changes, but took their first step towards becoming a more virtuous (if violent) “lethal protector” when they set aside their vendetta against Spider-Man to battle their more dangerous offspring, Cletus Kasady/Carnage. First teased in The Amazing Spider-Man #345 and allegedly dubbed “Chaos” and “Ravage” before assistant editor Eric Fein suggested “Carnage”, writer David Michelinie and artist Mark Bagley specifically designed Carnage to be a more sadistic counterpart to Venom, one whose symbiosis was so complete that Kasady and the symbiote were in total unity. Heavily influenced by the Joker, Carnage has long been a fan favourite and has repeatedly returned (even from death) to perpetrated some truly deplorable acts, from slaughtering thousands during the sprawling “Maximum Carnage” event (DeFalco, et al, 1993) to becoming a near-literal God! Despite Carnage’s violent nature, the character frequently appears in Spidey/Marvel videogames and, most surprisingly, cartoons, and was played with scenery-chewing relish by Woody Harrelson in Sony’s Spidey-less Venom films (Various, 2018 to 2024).

The Review:
After appearing as Eddie Brock’s psychotic cell mate, Cletus Kasady took a page out of his “old man’s” book by popping up in “asides” in The Amazing Spider-Man #359 and #360. While Spider-Man was busy dealing with Doctor Elias Wirtham/Cardiac, Cletus communed with his “other” to slaughter a guard and escape Ryker’s Island. He then looked up the stupidest name he could find and brutally suffocating Gunther “Gunny” Stein, before finally getting his first full-page reveal murdering a lab technician simply to prove that “law and order” is an illusion. Peter gets a call about this while helping his doting Aunt May, ruminating on how the killing is the latest in a spree of violent murders perpetrated by a psychopath who signs his name (“Carnage”) in blood at each crime scene. While overhearing an eyewitness, Spider-Man is horrified at the implication that Venom is back to their old, murderous ways, despite Eddie living in peace in the mistaken belief that Peter is dead. When he shares these concerns with his highly strung actress wife, Mary Jane Watson-Parker/M.J., she begrudgingly supports him when he voices his responsibility towards subduing the symbiote he enraged. While running some background checks on Eddie, Peter becomes aware of Cletus and is disturbed by his rap sheet: eleven murders, suspected of a dozen more, and potentially burned down the orphanage he was raised in and bashed in an employee’s head in the process. Though alarmed, Peter questions punks, hookers, landladies, and more about Cletus to confirm he’s a twisted sadist who charms with a silver tongue and kills without a thought.

When a violent new symbiote comes to town, Spidey’s forced to team up with Venom!

Theorising that Cletus feels a kinship to the orphanage, Spidey finds Cletus there, naked before a small fire and talking to a stuffed teddy bear! Spider-Man’s unease turns to terror when Cletus transforms into a blood red-and-black symbiotic lifeform and attacks with unexpected speed and strength. Like Venom, Carnage doesn’t set off Spidey’s “spider-sense” but can Carnage uniquely extend and solidify his alien appendages. Overwhelmed by Carnage’s power and confused as to how the symbiote bonded with Cletus, Spidey is stunned when Carnage tosses temporary axe-like projectiles! When two cops investigate, Spider-Man gains a temporary reprieve, only to be incensed when Carnage callously tosses dart-like pieces of himself at a patrolmen, leaving him clinging to life. This distraction allows Carnage to flee, leaving a parting message in his own blood that unnerves the web-slinger. Obsessed with tracking Carnage, Peter decides that the only way to defeat Carnage is to team up with Venom! After catching a lift from Johnny Storm/The Human Torch and retrieving Mr. Fantastic’s sonic gun, Spidey heads to the remote island where he left Eddie, surprising and enraging Venom. Despite the pain caused by the sonic gun and the Human Torch’s flames, Venom almost drowns Johnny before he desperately activates his “nova flame”. Spidey and Venom repeat their earlier fight at the abandoned mining village, with Venom getting the drop on him with their invisibility, before the Human Torch blasts them with the sonic gun. Despite the agony, and his hatred of Spider-Man, Eddie is furious to learn that Carnage is killing innocents. He also reveals that the symbiotes produce asexually and that they have no interest in traditional concepts of “family”, explaining why his “other” didn’t mention that it had reproduced.

Carnage’s disregard for life sees him target random innocents and those who champion order.

Venom also theorises that Carnage’s lineage and Earth’s environment has altered his symbiote, and that Kasady’s warped personality makes him extremely dangerous. Venom also demands their freedom in return for their help and Spider-Man’s forced to agree. Although Johnny’s unnerved, he flies them back to New York City, where Venom follows their unique connection. Meanwhile, Carnage attacks wealthy Robert Sutcliff, brutalising his guards and tossing his helicopter off the roof (with Sutcliff in it!), simply for jokes. Asserting full control over the union, Cletus eschews logic to return to Sutcliff’s domicile, where he’s confronted by Spidey and Venom. Despite Carnage’s offer to team up and fillet Spider-Man, Venom attacks but, even with Spidey’s added strength, is no match for Carnage. The scuffle sees Carnage endanger a baby and escape while Spidey and Venom rescue the bawling tyke. Though Carnage blocks Venom’s senses, the duo quickly figure out that the killer’s next target is the cantankerous J. Jonah Jameson and, sure enough, Carnage surprises the Daily Bugle’s editor’s latest tirade. Despite him claiming to be “to important to die”, Carnage sees Jonah as the self-appointed bastion of “law an’ order”, the very things he strives to destroy. Thus, it only makes sense in his twisted mind that Jonah should be killed to set an example and show that the only truth is chaos carnage! Despite lashing out when Jonah reaches for a panic button, Carnage decides he’d much rather prove his point before an audience.

Spidey’s forced to make some tough decisions to end Carnage’s threat, which costs many lives.

Venom shares that Cletus was a natural loner who preferred to listen to heavy metal music than exercise (relatable!) and theorises (correctly) that Carnage has inherited both Peter and Venom’s powers. Though concerned about Venom’s own crazed morality and alarmed by Carnage’s body count, Spidey realises that Kasady plans to murder Jonah at a heavy metal concert at Madison Square Garden. When Carnage rushes the stage and kills a security guard, the braying crowd cheers him, assuming it’s part of the show, and quickly whips them into a violent mob with anti-authority rhetoric. When Spider-Man intervenes, Jonah selfishly tries to turn the situation to his advantage when Venom attacks Carnage. The fight drops into Penn Station, where Carnage slaughters innocent bystanders, keeps Spidey at bay with his darts, disrupts Venom with his stronger, “nastier” symbiote. Sensing the agony may kill Venom, Spider-Man knocks Carnage onto the live rail, but Kasady quickly recovers and targets Jonah again. While Venom tangles with their offspring, Spider-Man commandeers the venue’s sound system, setting the blasting both symbiotes with unbearable levels of sound. Despite the agony, Eddie demands Spidey keep going, correctly surmising that he’s strong enough to resist the pain. However, after Kasady collapses, his symbiote apparently evaporated, Eddie attacks Spider-Man, despite his weakened state, still convinced that Peter is evil. Luckily, Mr. Fantastic and the Human Torch arrive and subdue Venom, proving that Spidey never planned to honour their bargain. Not only does this convince Venom that Spidey’s no hero, Jonah’s also, incredibly, critical of Spider-Man for breaking his word, leading Spidey to lash out at the publisher and leave conflicted.

The Summary:
There’s no doubt that, by this time, Mark Bagley was the quintessential symbiote Spider-Man artist. Few are as synonymous with the flowing, monstrous creatures that Bagley, who gives a fluidity and life to the creatures that makes them both captivating and terrifying. Venom’s abilities were already near limitless, allowing them to reproduce Spider-Man’s webbing and wall climbing, simulate clothing, turn invisible, and circumnavigate Peter’s spider-sense. “Carnage” expands the symbiote lore, revealing they’re largely solitary creatures who don’t care for, nurture, or even consider their offspring. In fact, Venom seems enraged at having a spawn and driven to destroy it out of an inherent sense of superiority. Not only does Carnage have all of Venom and Spider-Man’s abilities, but he’s stronger and faster than both combined and can solidify his “other” in dangerous new ways, launching darts, axes, and forming bladed appendages. He also happily chokes his victims and even endangers babies, all for a sick thrill and to prey upon his enemy’s morals. Venom theorises that Kasady’s warped mindset has infected the symbiote as much as the “alien” environment, and it was interesting to see Kasady admonishing his “other” when it tried to “lecture” him. Most obviously, Carnage refers to himself as “I” and makes all the decisions, driven by a psychotic need to destroy social order, kill at random, and show that all life (and death) is random and chaotic. In this regard, Carnage is far worse than Venom, who has a twisted sense of morality and truly believes they’re saving innocents from evildoers like Spider-Man. While Venom kills to protect others and is clearly nuts, they still strive to save lives, whereas Carnage relishes taking life and happily pushes randomers in front of traffic or thrusts them through walls simply for fun.

Carnage’s threat is so great that even Spider-Man and Venom combined have trouble defeating him.

This is apparent from Carnage’s appearance, with him seemingly formed from Kasady’s own blood, and Kasady’s decision to write warnings and messages in his blood. Portrayed as a psychotic, crazed serial killer, Kasady is also described as a polite and quiet man who pays his bills and doesn’t cause trouble. This is all a façade, however, as Kasady is deeply disturbed and clearly burned his childhood orphanage down, killing at least one person, and regresses to an unnerving, childish voice when in solitude. Kasady is almost comically without sympathy, painted as a cruel and sadistic killer who delights in causing random mayhem. Carnage is seemingly emblematic of the youth at the time, enjoying horror and heavy metal music and ranting against “the man”, to the point where a bunch of rockers are ready to kill purely on his word! Spider-Man is horrified by Kasady’s crimes, callous disregard for life, and incredible strength, which drives him to disregard M.J. and the Human Torch’s concerns and turn to Venom for help. This partnership is the highlight of the story as Venom continuously unnerves Spidey and makes him question his decision, singing “Strangers in the Night” and seemingly ready to snap at any moment. Spider-Man takes a huge risk partnering with Venom and undoing the ruse he tricked him with, but it turns out to be beneficial as Venom’s more concerned with eliminating his offspring than destroying his hated enemy. Venom proves invaluable, providing additional insight into the symbiotes, sensing Carnage’s presence, and holding the killer off so Spider-Man can think up a more permanent solution. “Carnage” doesn’t outstay its welcome (these days, it would probably be an eight-part story) but could probably have done with an extra issue to further explore Kasady’s backstory, though this would’ve unnecessarily humanised him. It’s not as deep or as impressive as other Venom or Carnage stories, but it’s a notable story for introducing one of Spidey’s most violent foes (and for its beautiful artwork!)

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

What did you think of Carnage’s violent debut? Were you a fan of Cletus Kasady or did you find him too random and crazy? Did you enjoy the team up between Spidey and Venom? Were you impressed by how different and psychotic Carnage was? What are some of your favourite Venom and Carnage stories and how are you celebrating Venom’s debut this month? Whatever your thoughts on Venom and Carnage, share them below, support me on Ko-Fi, and check out my other Venom and Spider-Man content.

Movie Night [Spidey Month]: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Dr. K7 Comments

Easily Marvel Comics’ most recognisable superhero, unsuspecting teenage nerd Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and learned the meaning of power and responsibility in August 1962. Since then, the Amazing Spider-Man has featured in cartoons, movies, videogames, and countless comic books. To coincide with his day of celebration, I’m dedicating every Monday of August to everyone’s favourite web-head!

Released: 2 May 2014
Director: Marc Webb
Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing
Budget: $200 to 293 million
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, and Sally Field

The Plot:
Already struggling to keep his love Gwen Stacy (Stone) safe from his double life, Peter Parker/Spider-Man’s (Garfield) troubles are compounded when downtrodden electrical engineer Maxwell “Max” Dillon (Foxx) is transformed into pure electricity!

The Background:
Following his debut issue becoming a best selling title for Marvel Comics, Spider-Man became their flagship character and appeared in numerous videogames, cartoons, and even a live-action series. Despite script and legal issues infamously delaying Spidey’s big-screen debut, Sam Raimi’s one-two punch of Spider-Man (Raimi, 2002) and Spider-Man 2 (ibid, 2004) gave us not only critical and commercial hits but also one of the greatest superhero movies ever made, and even the divisive Spider-Man 3 (ibid, 2007) was a huge commercial success. Although Raimi’s plans for a sequel were scrapped in favour of a reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man (Webb, 2012) somewhat reinvented Spider-Man to tell an exciting, if familiar, new story. Its $758.7 million worldwide gross also meant it did well enough for Marc Webb to return for a sequel. The cast also returned, Spidey got a revamped costume, and Sony Pictures Imageworks outdid themselves with an impressive and complex action sequence in Times Square. Yet, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was plagued by a troubled production that saw an entire character excised and a bloated script. As part of their ongoing plan for multiple Spider-Man spin-offs, Sony insisted on shoe-horning in as many Easter Eggs and as much sequel bait as possible, ignoring Marvel Cinematic Universe head honcho Kevin Feige’s notes and alienating many fans. The film grossed the least of any Spider-Man movie to date and has been ridiculed by critics for years. They tore apart the questionable reimagining of classic Spidey villain Electro, decried the nonsensical side plots, and lamented the overstuffed narrative. Still, Garfield continued to be praised in the lead role, the tragic ending was seen as a highlight, and both Garfield and co-star Jamie Foxx reprised and redeemed their roles about ten years later for the multiversal adventure Spider-Man: No Way Home (Watts, 2021).

The Review:
In a first for Spider-Man’s big-screen outings, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 skips the usual title sequence and jumps straight into expanding upon the fate of Peter’s parents, Doctor Richard Parker (Campbell Scott) and his wife, Mary (Embeth Davidtz). It’s revealed that Richard packed himself and his wife up and dropped young Peter (Max Charles) with his doting aunt, May Parker (Field), after being threatened by his former financial backer and partner, Norman Osborn (Chris Cooper). Although Doctor Curtis “Curt” Connors (Rhys Ifans) is briefly mentioned a few times, he’s missing from these extended flashbacks, which instead focus on Richard and Norman splicing human DNA with spiders so their incredible ability to “self-heal” will not only cure Norman of his terminal, genetic illness (“Retroviral Hyperplasia”), but also help those suffering from life-threatening diseases. Unfortunately, the illness not only deformed and agonised Norman, it also drove him to desperation, leading to him making shady deals with military backers. When Richard discovered how corrupt Norman and Oscorp had become, he sought to expose his wrongdoings and went on the run for Peter’s safety. It’s not clear why Oscorp wouldn’t (and apparently never thought to) target Peter at May’s and the film spends more time focusing on a tense and horrific mid-air confrontation between Richard and an Oscorp assassin (Demián Bichir) that leaves both Parkers dead. Still, Richard and Mary’s shady past and their connection to Oscorp is fed to us (and Peter) through breadcrumbs, revealing that Richard deeply regretted his work being perverted and secretly sought to keep Norman from using his research by infusing the genetically engineered spiders with his DNA, somewhat attributing Peter’s spider powers to his father. The loss of his parents still weighs heavily on Peter, who laments their absence at his graduation as much as his beloved Uncle Ben’s (Martin Sheen) and who confesses to old friend Harry Osborn (DeHaan) that he actively avoids thinking about his parents. When his curiosity leads him to investigate his father’s satchel, Peter seeks to discover more about his late father, leading to a sweet moment between him and May where she chastises his father and vehemently asserts her place as Peter’s mother. Indeed, Peter and May’s relationship continues to be a highlight, with her despairing of her nephew’s strange behaviour and absences but still showing him nothing but love and affection.

Peter’s haunted by the previous film and forced to keep Gwen at arm’s length to protect her.

Unfortunately, despite still revelling in his abilities as Spider-Man and enjoying his spark-filled relationship with the gorgeous Gwen Stacy, Peter is haunted by Gwen’s father, Captain George Stacy (Denis Leary), whose grim visage serves as a reminder of his promise to keep Gwen safe. Though he loves Gwen dearly and the two still have amazing screen chemistry, Peter’s burdened by guilt, agonised at the thought that he could endanger her. Although Gwen loves Peter and is willing to take the risk, she ultimately ends their relationship when she becomes sick of his flip-flopping. Heartbroken, Peter throws himself into his antics as Spider-Man, dividing public opinion as the Daily Bugle’s smear campaign paints Spider-Man as a menace despite many praising him. Still, try as he might, Peter can’t keep himself away from Gwen and watches over her in a way that could be creepy but comes across as sad and sweet. While Spider-Man saves lives, Gwen faces a dilemma when she’s offered a prestigious scholarship in London, one she’s excited to take despite her unresolved feelings for Peter. Peter’s stunned and equally torn between his love for her and wanting the best for her, meaning he doesn’t react well upon learning of her news and embarrasses Gwen prior to her interview for the scholarship. Ultimately, Gwen chooses to go, believing that’s better for them both, compelling Peter to finally confess (in elaborate fashion) his true feelings, and even his willingness to go to London with her. As much as I love Andrew and Emma’s onscreen banter and chemistry (their escape from Oscorp was a particular highlight), I do think the film suffers a bit from Peter immediately reneging on his promise at the end of the last film. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 may have benefitted from Peter and Gwen’s relationship being frosty and unresolved from the start to focus more on how Peter has to choose a difficult path since he doesn’t want to risk endangering or losing someone he loves, though this would make the first half of the film too similar to Spider-Man 2.

When Peter and Spidey refuse to help him, a desperate Harry turns to Electro.

Following Norman Osborn’s death, Peter’s compelled to reconnect with Harry Osborn, a hitherto-unknown childhood friend who was sent to boarding school at eleven and spent most of the intervening years travelling the world and resenting his father for sending him away. Thus, Harry is spiteful and dismissive of his father, and rightfully so as Norman spends his final hours spitting insults at his son and effectively cursing him with the same degenerative illness. In the aftermath, Harry (…somehow…) assumes control of Oscorp, riling up Vice President Donald Menken (Colm Feore) and revelling in flaunting his newfound power, appointing Norman’s secretary, Felicia Hardy (Felicity Jones), as his second-in-command. Though delighted to reunite with Peter, Harry’s clearly maladjusted and his erratic behaviour only spirals as his disease takes greater hold, giving him the shakes and strange lesions (despite Norman living many years with the illness). Desperate for a cure, Harry accesses Oscorp’s secure files and believes the answer lies in Spider-Man’s blood, begging and even offering to pay the web-slinger for a sample, only to be incensed when Spidey refuses out of fear for Harry’s safety. This, and Menken’s machinations, sends Harry over the edge and leads to him making a deal with Electro to access Oscorp’s secret basement of origins special projects laboratory, where he finds the means to first cure himself and then avenge himself against those who’ve wronged him. Overall, I liked DeHann’s depiction of Harry. He was a bit sullener and more vindictive and flaunted his authority compared to James Franco, and he presented an interesting dilemma for Peter, who wanted to help his friend but was worried about killing him or turning him into a monster like the Lizard. Harry’s vendetta against Spider-Man is a touch rushed and I think it would’ve been better for him to put two and two together when he first approached Peter for help, just to put a further spin on their relationship. It also would’ve benefited to save Harry’s descent into manic Green Goblin mode for a third film.

Spidey super fan Max is driven to rage and insanity upon becoming powerful enough to be noticed.

Rather than being a simple electrical engineer who turns to a crime after being zapped by lightning, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 recasts Electro as a hopeless outcast who’s socially awkward and bumbling. Pushed around and ignored by everyone, from pedestrians to his boss, Alistair Smythe (B. J. Novak), Max is a sad, worthless nobody who becomes enamoured by Spider-Man after Spidey saves his life and offers him encouragement. This leads to Max imagining  conversations between the two and describing the webslinger as his best friend since he was the first person to “see” and “need” him. This later extends to Gwen, who also shows kindness to Max where everyone else treats him like shit, with Smythe forcing him to fix a maintenance issue (on his birthday, no less!) and leading to Max falling into a vat of genetically engineered eels. These not only fix Max’s crooked teeth but also transform him into Electro, a man of first partial and then almost pure electricity, allowing him to see, sense, and control electrical currents. The experience leaves him disoriented, confused, and enraged, leading to him first accidentally and then purposely endangering others when cops fire at him, Spidey hesitates to remember him, and the newfound voices in his head compel him to lash out. Although subdued, Electro is tortured by the sadistic and overly theatrical Doctor Ashley Kafka (Marton Csokas), though Max invites the experience to test his power and is fuelled by the pain to accept Harry’s offer for a partnership and avenge himself on his captors. Once freed, Electro assumes a more menacing form and demeanour, having now mastered his powers to ensnare and kill with a flick of his hands and desperate not only to destroy Spider-Man after he “betrayed” him, but also to plunge the city into darkness so they can feel his pain. Although somewhat similar to the sympathetic angle applied to some of his predecessors in Raimi’s films (and a far more well-rounded character than the comic Electro, who was just a crook with powers who rarely reached his full potential), I do have an issue with depicted Max as the stereotypical outcast “geek”. It rarely works well and seems a waste of Jamie Foxx’s acting prowess, though I did like Electro’s obsession with being “seen” and his turn towards a crueller and more malicious demeanour after aligning with Harry.

The Nitty-Gritty:
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 benefits from a much more distinctive score, which is less a rehash of Danny Elfman’s work and more a stirring overture for the titular hero. Electro’s theme was particularly memorable; I loved how it incorporated the voices in Max’s head fuelling his rage. However, while the film treads less of the same ground as Raimi’s films compared to its predecessor, it does rehash some of the same beats concerning Richard and Mary from The Amazing Spider-Man. Sure, we learn a bit more about Richard’s relationship with Norman and that he had a weird subway lab that somehow still works after nearly fifteen years, but it still feels like the filmmakers are unsure of the endgame to this sub-plot (though, thankfully, they excised the nonsensical reveal that Richard was still alive, which would’ve tipped this already bloated plot into overdrive). The Amazing Spider-Man 2 touches upon themes of choices, not letting the past define you, and living each day rather than taking things for granted. Although Peter struggles with all of this, Gwen is all for it; her valedictorian speech is all about it and she urges Peter to stop letting her father’s death hold him back. Gwen’s adamant that they should embrace what they have, regardless of her father or the risk, and insists that she makes her own choices, even if it means she’s in danger. While there is a lot happening in the Amazing Spider-Man 2, I don’t think it’s not as badly paced as some would say. As much as I hate to say it, they made the right choice to cut Shailene Woodley as I’m not sure how she would’ve factored into the plot, though it was weird to include Felicia when she was just a secretary rather than a cat burglar. I also think it might’ve been better to end the story on a cliffhanger concerning Harry, not just because the finale with his Green Goblin is a bit rushed but also because we’d seen the Green Goblin done to death and I could’ve done without retreading that narrative (even if it was a little different here).

Despite some great effects and sequences, the film is bloated with characters and sub-plots.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s costume is, for my money, the best and most comic accurate depiction we’ve ever seen (though I miss the distinctiveness of the one from the last film). Harry’s final Green Goblin form is also more monstrous and closer to the comics, though still a bit lacking (and rushed) and we were denied a truly gruesome transformation sequence. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 ups the focus on action thanks to not having to waste an hour of its runtime redoing Spidey’s origin, giving us a handful of montages and fun action sequences that continue to showcase why Andrew Garfield is the best Spider-Man. There’s more emphasis on slow-mo sequences to show how Spider-Man reacts to danger and thinks about saving people. It’s used to great effect in the Times Square sequence, giving us a fantastic depiction of Spidey’s speed and strength alongside his compassionate nature as he first tries to appeal to Max’s reason. Electro is depicted as an unpredictable threat, especially when he first emerges since his powers are unstable. While it’s disappointing that he doesn’t resemble his mainstream comic counterpart, and that Max didn’t take on aspects of this design after being freed by Harry, Electro is very to his Ultimate comics counterpart and is depicted as both incredibly powerful and emotionally unstable. Electro can fly, dissolve bullets, and absorb and emit electricity, so Peter has to science up solutions to counteract and ultimately overload Electro’s powers. Although the first-person sequences are gone, Spider-Man’s web-slinging and Electro’s bolts all popped off the screen when viewed in 3D and I enjoyed the opening sequence where Spidey toys with the crazed Aleksei Sytsevich (Paul Giamatti). While Spidey maybe mocks the brutish mafia thug a bit too much and endangers a few lives, this was a great showcase of how Peter’s embraced his role as Spider-Man, something reinforced in the finale when Aleksei returns in a mechanised rhino suit…only for the film to end right before we get to see the fight! I really wish we’d gotten at least an animated rendition of Spidey’s battle with the Rhino in the credits as I loved the lumbering mech and its many weapons, and Giamatti’s scenery-chewing performance as Aleksei, though his return probably should’ve been left for a third film.

Harry’s revenge leaves Peter heartbroken, though sadly immune from future threats…

Desperate to avoid his father’s fate, Harry begs first Peter and then Spider-Man for help and is enraged when he’s denied, believing Spidey is a fraud despite him reasonably worrying about the effect his blood would have on the emotional Osborn. After being double-crossed by Menken, Harry begs Max to help him access Oscorp’s hidden bunker, where he forces Menken to inject him with a serum derived from Richard’s spiders, believing it to be a “cure”, only to be horrifically mutated as it both accelerates his condition and further alters him. Luckily, a convenient “healing” battlesuit keeps Harry from dying but the whole ordeal drives him as batty as Max, whose reward for helping is the freedom to absorb power from the electrical grid he created and was denied credit for to plunge the city into darkness and strike back at everyone who ignored him and idolised Spider-Man. Peter and Gwen’s reconciliation is interrupted by Electro’s revenge and Gwen insists on helping Spider-Man, putting herself in danger despite his protests. Spidey holds off Electro, done trying to reason with him, and risks his life grounding the misguided villain so Gwen can overload and seemingly destroy Electro. Their victory is short-lived, however, as the now demonic Harry swoops in on an Oscorp glider looking for revenge, figures out that Peter is Spider-Man, and spitefully threatens Gwen. This leads to a short and sadly rushed (but also brutal fight) between Spider-Man and the cackling Green Goblin that ultimately ends with Harry being knocked out and Gwen plummeting down a bell tower. Despite Peter’s best efforts and a heart wrenching image of him (and his webbing) reaching for her in freefall, Gwen suffers a similar (but far more horrific) fatal fall and Peter is left devastated. So much so that he spends five months so stricken by grief than he constantly visits Gwen’s graves and denounces Spide-Man. However, Peter suits up once more after a pep talk from Aunt May, reviewing Gwen’s speech about embracing life, and to confront the Rhino. Oh, and that mysterious gentleman (Michael Massee) also colludes with the incarcerated Harry to recruit a few individuals to use Oscorp’s secret projects to destroy Spider-Man.

The Summary:
I’ve always quite liked The Amazing Spider-Man 2. I remember liking it more than the first film when I first saw it and was glad to see it mostly leaning into new territory, though I could’ve done without the retread of the Osborn/Green Goblin plot. Still, the suit was fantastic and Andrew Garfield cemented his status as the best live-action Spider-Man in this film, still showcasing the wit, brains, and charisma I associate with the character. His chemistry with Emma Stone remains a highlight, though it does feel like the filmmakers walked back the ending of the last film after rushing to the rekindling of their romance. While I’m not a fan of the changes made to Electro’s personality, he grew on me as the film progressed, and I liked how he was desperate to be acknowledged and became obsessed with proving his worth and power. Dane DeHaan was a great Harry Osborn, though it’s weird that his illness is so advanced when it took decades for Norman to die, and his characterisation is a bit all over the place at times. While it’s utterly heartbreaking to witness Gwen’s death and Andrew sells it so well, I do think the Green Goblin, Rhino, and Gwen’s death should’ve been saved for a third film to devote the proper amount of screentime to those plots rather than rushing through them right at the end. There’s a lot happening in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 thanks to Sony’s obsession with bringing the Sinister Six to life and it definitely would’ve benefitted from a few more sub-plots being trimmed, but I still think it’s better than most people think. The exploration of guilt and grief is great, the effects and action are exhilarating, and it delivers a hell of a gut punch at the end, ultimately resulting in a film that’s still pretty decent despite some flaws.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Do you agree that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 isn’t as bad as its reputation? What did you think to Electro’s depiction and were you disappointed he didn’t resemble his classic look? Were you happy to see Peter don a more familiar suit? What did you think to the drama between him and Gwen and Harry’s depiction? Do you agree that there’s too much happening in the film? Would you have liked to see a third entry for these characters? How are you celebrating the wall-crawler this month? Whatever you think about The Amazing Spider-Man 2, leave a comment below, support me on Ko-Fi, and go check out my other Spider-Man reviews.

Back Issues [Spidey Month]: The Amazing Spider-Man #121/122

Dr. K2 Comments

Easily Marvel Comic’s most recognisable superhero, unsuspecting teenage nerd Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and learned the meaning of power and responsibility in August 1962. Since then, the Amazing Spider-Man has featured in cartoons, movies, videogames, and countless comic books. To coincide with his day of celebration, I’m dedicating every Monday of August to everyone’s favourite web-head!

Writer: Gerry Conway – Artist: Gill Kane

Story Title: “The Night Gwen Stacy Died”
Published: 13 March 1973 (cover-dated: June 1973)

Story Title: “The Goblin’s Last Stand!”
Published: 10 April 1973 (cover-dated: July 1973)

The Background:
In 1962, Marvel Comics editor and head writer Stan Lee followed up his success with the Fantastic Four with Spider-Man. The wall-crawler’s debut in Amazing Fantasy #15 proved one of Marvel’s best selling titles and Spider-Man’s popularity led to him getting his own solo title within a year. Very quickly, Spider-Man amassed one of the most colourful and memorable rogues galleries, though Norman Osborn/Green Goblin proved to be one of his most dangerous foes. A central figure in many prominent Spider-Man stories, the Green Goblin cemented his status as Spidey’s archenemy with these two issues, where Osborn contributed to the death of Peter’s long-time love interest, Gwendolyne “Gwen” Stacy. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and debuting in The Amazing Spider-Man #31, Gwen was the daughter of police captain George Stacy and first met Peter when they were students at Empire State University. Designed to be Peter’s one true love, Gwen and Peter had a rocky relationship, especially after she blamed Spider-Man for her father’s death and Lee was said to be adamantly against killing her off. Writer Gerry Conway and editor Roy Thomas disagreed, however, and wished to do away with the beautiful blonde in favour of the more rambunctious Mary Jane Watson/M.J. Said to have marked the end of the more innocent “Silver Age” of comics, Gwen’s death haunted Spider-Man for decades both literally (thanks to her clones and some abysmal retcons) and figuratively, as seen in his subsequent relationship with M.J. and his guilt over sharing the blame for Gwen’s death. This dramatic moment also came to be adapted into live-action, being echoed in the 1990’s cartoon and Spider-Man (Raimi, 2002), with M.J. (Saratoga Ballantine/Kirsten Dunst) as a substitute, and served as a heart-wrenching finale to The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Webb, 2014) that Peter (Andrew Garfield) atoned for some ten years later. While alternative versions of Gwen have since gained popularity, “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” remains one of the most pivotal and iconic stories in Spider-Man’s long history.

The Review:
This classic two-part tale begins with Peter’s best friend, Norman’s son, Harry Osborn, suffering from an LSD-infused fever. By Norman’s request, Harry is cared for by his family doctor in his own home, with his friends Gwen and M.J. by his side, though the doctor grimly states that Harry’s repeated drug abuse has caused the onset of schizophrenia! Peering from the window, Spider-Man laments not being there for his friend and changes to Peter, slipping in through the rooftop to pay a visit. However, Peter’s intercepted by Norman, who angrily demands that he leave, blaming him for Harry’s condition and barking in his face. This exchange sees Peter reflect on Norman’s former dual life as the Green Goblin and their shared knowledge of each other’s identity, knowledge that Norman has forgotten thanks to a bout of amnesia but which apparently still lingers and informs his hatred of Peter. Norman then extends this to Gwen and M.J. and tosses the three out, leaving them dejected and concerned for Harry’s welfare. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Peter finds himself suffering from the flu; since he can barely bring his latest photos of Spider-Man to the Daily Bugle, the worse for wear hero heads home to rest. Things continue to get worse for Norman, who receives a phone call informing him that his company stock is continuing to plummet and, when Harry collapses in his arms, finds his thoughts descending into angry paranoia at his son’s “friends” and his perceived enemies. The stress culminates in Norman being attacked by a vision of Spider-Man and bombarded by memories, compelling him to race to an abandoned brownstone that contains his long-forgotten equipment and, with manic glee, the Green Goblin lives once more! Immediately recalling his hatred of Peter Parker and Spider-Man, the Green Goblin hops on his goblin glider and races to Peter’s apartment, where Gwen is waiting for Peter to discuss their friend and what they can do to help him.

When the Green Goblin resurfaces and kills Gwen, Spider-Man flies into a rage.

Spider-Man’s journey home is delayed by his illness, meaning he arrives too late to help and finds only Gwen’s handbag and one of the Green Goblin’s pumpkin bombs. Intuiting that Osborn’s returned to his violent alter ego and concerned for Gwen’s safety, Spider-Man follows his spider-sense to the George Washington Bridge. There, he finds the Green Goblin perched an archway with Gwen’s presumably unconscious body at his feet. The Green Goblin threatens to kill Gwen unless Spider-Man indulges in a final confrontation, to the death (naturally), and, angered at his girlfriend being targeted, Spidey readily agrees. Thrown by his flu, Spidey barely dodges a pumpkin bomb and is bashed by the raving Green Goblin’s glider. Luckily, Spider-Man snags his foe with his webbing and lands a huge left hook that sends the Green Goblin plummeting. Confident that his enemy is subdued for the time being, Spidey races to his unconscious lover, assuming she’s in shock, and is horrified when the Green Goblin makes a sudden recovery and spitefully knocks Gwen from the bridge! Desperate to save her, Spider-Man shoots a web line and is so elated when it snags on Gwen’s ankle that he misses the small Snap! at her neck… Congratulating himself, Spidey pulls Gwen up and embraces her, still clinging to denial, only to find Gwen doesn’t respond and is, in fact, dead despite his best efforts. Spotting the Green Goblin hovering nearby, Spidey sets Gwen safely on the ground and vows to make Osborn pay with his life for crossing the line. Attacking with a self-righteous fury, Spider-Man violently beats his foe, doubling down when the Green Goblin seemingly begs for mercy.

Despite his rage, Spidey’s left hollow by Norman’s death and to grieve with his friends.

Unfortunately, Spider-Man’s anger gets the better of him and sees him knocked from the glider, allowing the Green Goblin to escape. When the police come to check on Gwen, Spidey leaps to her defence, unconcerned about his reputation. Thankfully, one cop sees the anguish in Spider-Man, who’s tormented by memories of happier times with Gwen, the guilt of letting down her father, and the inescapable knowledge that Spider-Man not only drove a wedge between them but also caused her death. When the ambulance arrives, Spider-Man mournfully hands over Gwen’s body and takes responsibility for her death, lashing out when the cops try to arrest him and fleeing. Swinging to the Osborn house, Spidey switches back to Peter to talk to the paranoid and feverish Harry. However, seeing his delusional friend’s no state help, Peter decides settling the score with the Green Goblin trumps caring for his friend. Seeking a lead on the Green Goblin, Spidey heads to the Daily Bugle to talk to editor Joseph “Robbie” Robertson, who’s also reeling from Gwen’s death and points him to one of Osborn’s warehouses. Norman gleefully leaps to engage with Spider-Man, keeping the vengeful wall-crawler at bay with his finger blasts. The Green Goblin further enrages Spidey by insulting Gwen, causing Spidey to brutally pummel his crazed foe. However, Spider-Man comes to his senses at the last minute, disgusted by how close he came to being just like Osborn. Of course, the Green Goblin refuses to go quietly and activates his glider, intending to skewer his foe through the back. However, Spidey’s spider-sense sees him deftly duck, causing Norman to be impaled by his own glider! Finding no comfort in his hated enemy’s end, just further emptiness and misery, Spider-Man stalks off, unaware that someone’s watching him from the shadows. When he gets home, Peter finds M.J. waiting for him and lashes out at her, chastising her for being a selfish, party-loving airhead who couldn’t understand his pain. Despite being hurt by Peter’s words, M.J. sees his heartache and chooses to stay and comfort her friend in his grief.

The Summary:
There’s a lot happening in these two issues, as is common for Spider-Man stories. The toxic influence of Norman Osborn stretches far, infecting not just Peter’s life but the mindset of his best friend, Harry. After years of feeling insignificant next to his powerhouse businessman father, Harry turned to LSD for some relief and, despite his best efforts, has relapsed into drug use once more. Since he has no memory of his past as the Green Goblin and refuses to take responsibility for his actions, Norman turns his anger at the situation to Harry’s friends, particularly Peter, and insists that Harry be treated at home in a desperate attempt to show he’s a caring father. Every time we see Norman, he’s as drenched with sweat as his son, though Norman’s stress is caused not just by his son’s state and his work issues, but also the resurfacing of his Green Goblin persona. When his memories return, Norman immediately  regresses to a raving lunatic, one whose soul purpose is to protect Norman and make his enemies pay. Despite Norman’s outburst, Peter, Gwen, and M.J. truly care for Harry but find themselves powerless to help him. They each carry guilt for missing the signs of Harry’s degeneration sooner and not intervening before he returned to drugs, and each feels powerless to help him. When he returns to Harry to get a lead on Norman, Peter uncharacteristically rejects his friend, deciding to focus on his enemy rather than his suffering friend and causing Harry to further question his sanity. However, there’s a reason these two stories (generally collectively referred to as “The Night Gwen Stacy Died”) are so iconic and pivotal. They changed not only Spider-Man’s status quo but dramatically changed the landscape of all comicdom. Suddenly, significant supporting characters could die and that death would not only change the title character, but be a permanent fixture.

Gwen’s tragic death is left ambiguous, burdening Spider-Man with guilt for years to come.

I’ve always been more a fan of Mary Jane since she was Peter’s love interest when I started reading comics and therefore have always found Gwen to be a very shallow and one-note character. She was pretty and nice enough, sure, but there wasn’t much to her, even after her father died and we got that dramatic dichotomy where she hated Spider-Man but loved Peter. While I would’ve preferred to see Aunt May die and for her death to be permanent, killing Gwen is totally out of left field and has so much more weight to it. Readers have seen Peter struggle with his dual identity, which drove a wedge between him and his many girlfriends, so it was very cathartic for him to finally find happiness with Gwen, a girl who accepted Peter for who he was and asked for nothing but his loyalty. When Peter realises that his actions as Spider-Man have led his most dangerous foe to target his girlfriend, Spider-Man wastes no time tracking down his foe and flies into a frenzy to make Osborn pay, incensed that the Green Goblin would make their rivalry even more personal. It’s so interesting reading their battle knowing how it’s going to end because it really makes you question whether Gwen was already dead to begin with. The Green Goblin claims that the “shock” of the fall would’ve instantly killed Gwen before she hit the ground, that little Snap! sound effect implies the sudden stop from Spidey’s web broke Gwen’s neck, and the fact she’s unconscious the entire time suggests Osborn might’ve killed her between panels. It’s fantastically ambiguous but, in the end, it’s inconsequential. The Green Goblin spitefully boasts of causing her death, which is true, and Spider-Man sees himself as responsible since Gwen was only put in danger because of him, which is also true. It’s heart-wrenching seeing Spidey clouded by denial, patting himself on the back for his innovation and heroics and desperately trying to wake Gwen up despite her clearly being dead. Spider-Man is then bombarded by memories and guilt and desperate to keep strangers from messing with her body but eventually comes to accept that his love is not only dead, but that he is to blame for it. This consumes him with a grief so powerful that he lashes out at cops and bystanders alike, no longer caring to try and defend his reputation.

Peter’s vendetta sees him shun his friends and come close to crossing the line into murder.

Peter’s grief causes him to fly into an uncharacteristic rage. It’s widely said that Spider-Man means business when he drops the inane quips and, indeed, Peter adopts a more violent approach when tracking down and confronting the maniacal Green Goblin. He shuns his best friend, shuts down the petulant J. Jonah Jameson’s, and races to the Green Goblin’s location with murder on his mind. The resulting rematch is an aggressive affair where Spidey eschews all sympathy for his crazed foe and berates his spiteful, vindictive nature. When Spider-Man damages the glider, the Green Goblin enrages the wall-crawler by showing more concern for his toys than a human life and, true to his word, Spider-Man seems ready to beat the Green Goblin to death. However, logic and reason hit Spider-Man like a brick wall and, disgusted by his actions, he pulls back at the last second. This hesitation is seen by the Green Goblin as a weakness but it’s the fundamental difference between the two rivals: one is a murderous lunatic who gleefully tortures and kills and the other is a righteous hero, who sacrifices his own personal needs to protect others. The Green Goblin’s stubborn and wicked nature ultimately prove his undoing as he’s impaled by his glider in a surprisingly harrowing death scene, especially for the time. The moment is framed as sudden and hollow, with Spider-Man getting no pleasure or closure in the deed and only being further convinced that “an eye for an eye” is the furthest thing from justice. For me, this was the perfect way to kill off Norman Osborn and I’ve been salty for decades that he inexplicably survived. It was thematically fitting for Harry to take up the Green Goblin mantle and be similarly undone, and we had plenty of look-a-likes and Hobgoblins running around so I could’ve done with leaving the Osborns in the grave. However, that doesn’t diminish the impact of his death as presented here, or of these two issues. Gwen’s death rocked Spider-Man and haunted him for years; it raised the stakes faced by all comic book characters and changed the industry forever. The ambiguity of the event and the way it weighs on Spider-Man’s conscience are disturbing and I do think the right decision as made since Gwen couldn’t compete with M.J. Subsequent stories have also constantly reinforced that Gwen was his first true love, ensuring a legacy that’s far more potent than if she’d been left alive.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

Where were you on the night Gwen Stacy died? Did you enjoy the story or were you annoyed that Gwen was killed off? What do you think killed Gwen, or do you believe she was dead to begin with? What did you think to Spider-Man assuming the blame and looking to kill the Green Goblin? Do you agree that Norman Osborn should’ve stayed dead or were you glad when he came back? What are some of your favourite Gwen Stacy stories? Whatever you thought to this classic Spider-Man story, share your thoughts below, support me on Ko-Fi, and be sure to check out my other Spider-Man content.

Back Issues [Spidey Month]: The Amazing Spider-Man #9

Dr. K1 Comment

Easily Marvel Comics’ most recognisable superhero, unsuspecting teenage nerd Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and learned the meaning of power and responsibility in August 1962. Since then, the Amazing Spider-Man has featured in cartoons, movies, videogames, and countless comic books. To coincide with his day of celebration, I’m dedicating every Monday of August to everyone’s favourite web-head!

Story Title: “The Man Called Electro!”
Published: 12 November 1963 (cover-dated: February 1964)
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko

The Background:
After his success with the Fantastic Four, Stan Lee (Marvel’s editor and head writer at the time) continued his winning streak with teenage superhero Peter Parker/Spider-Man, whose debut in Amazing Fantasy #5 was a best seller. To capitalise on his subsequent popularity, Marvel had Spider-Man headline other comics and match wits against some of comics’ most colourful and memorable villains. Former electrician turned supervillain crook Maxwell “Max” Dillon was transformed into Electro in this, the ninth issue of The Amazing Spider-Man, thanks to Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Unlike most of Spider-Man’s villains, Electro was a simple man who turned to crime after his accident, relishing the incredible power bestowed upon him. While initially a small time nuisance, Electro became a founding member of the Sinister Six, received more than one power boost over the years, and even destroyed the Daily Bugle office building! Electro received a dramatic redesign in Marvel’s Ultimate comics, one that influenced his much-decried live-action debut in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Webb, 2014), and featured prominently as a low-level threat in various Spidey videogames and cartoons. Electro also got a notable redesign when he returned to live-action in 2021, got a significantly reworked backstory for his appearance in the 1990’s Spider-Man cartoon, and has secured his place as one of Spidey’s most recognisable villains.

The Review:
The first electrifying (heh) tale of Electro starts with a typical day in New York City for Spider-Man. To the amazement of the startled bystanders, the web-slinger is seen leaping from rooftop to rooftop presumably on a matter of life and death. As a bunch of crooks shoot it out with New York’s finest, the tense stalemate seems to end when Spidey swings overhead. However, both parties are stunned when the young superhero simply passes by without intervening. Arriving in Queens, Spider-Man races through the streets, changing to his civilian identity as he goes, and arrives at his childhood home, where his sickly Aunt May lies in bed. Peter dotes on his grateful old aunt, delivering her the medicine she so badly needs but, as she sleeps, worries over her frail condition and the severity off her illness. While the troubled youngster begins his nightly vigil, the man once known as Max Dillon garbs himself in a garish green and yellow costume and charges his incredible electrical powers in anticipation of his debut as Electro. Seeking to challenge himself, Electro targets an armoured car carrying a gold shipment. When the armed guards mock him, Electro proves his power by zapping their wrists with “electric shocks” and surrounding them with a ring of electricity, terrifying them into giving in to his demands for the gold. The next morning, Peter’s alarmed when the doctor tells him that Aunt May is worsening and must be admitted to hospital (though, naturally, the old dear is more concerned with Peter’s health). Peter’s so distracted by his aunt’s deteriorating condition that he appears aloof at school, ignoring his classmate’s taunting and giving Eugene “Flash” Thompson the cold shoulder when the arrogant knob tries to reach out to the troubled teenager. Peter’s mood lifts later that day when Aunt May’s condition improves, and when he finds Betty Brant sitting with his old aunt. Betty notes that Peter seems to be bottling up his emotions and putting on a calm façade and, when he swings around the city as Spider-Man, his inner monologue reveals a boy desperate to raise the cash needed for his aunt’s operation.   

Distracted by Aunt May’s health and Jonah’s headlines, Spidey is caught off-guard by Electro.

Peter’s issues only worsen as a rainstorm sweeps the city, ruining any chance of taking decent photos of Spider-Man and getting cash from his tight-fisted employer, J. Jonah Jameson. Speaking of the grouch, we jump to the next day to find Jonah getting some figures from the Forest Hills Bank, meaning he’s at ground zero when Electro attacks! Toying with the accountant and Jonah with his electrical bursts, Electro brazenly rips open the vault with his powers, grabs a bag of cash, and scales a building across the street thanks to magnetising his hands and feet! Naturally, Jonah sees this (and Electro’s familiarity with him and having spotted Spidey swinging past moments later) as proof that Electro is Spider-Man in disguise and immediately prints a scathing headline, and loudly shouts his accusations at anyone who’ll listen. Predictably, many New Yorkers believe Jonah’s claims despite the lack of proof, which only exacerbates the stress Peter feels about his aunt’s operation. After Jonah refuses Peter’s request for a loan, Peter realises he can cash in if he captures Electro and immediately swings out as Spider-Man in search of the crook. After a couple of false alarms, Spidey’s spider-sense alerts him to Electro’s presence and he finds him searching for a hidden safe using his bizarre powers. After snapping some pictures, Spidey leaps into action, barely dodging Electro’s bolts and temporarily blinding him with his webs. However, Spidey receives the shock of his life (literally) when he grabs Electro and is zapped by a burst of electricity so powerful that it knocks the youngster unconscious. When he recovers, Peter successfully dupes Jonah with doctored photographs, getting the money he needs but finding himself wracked by guilt and shame for stooping to such measures. Elated to have the “proof” he so desperately wanted, Jonah prints a story confirming that Spidey is Electro, shocking the civilians and taking the heat off the real Electro.

Unburdened by Aunt May’s condition, Spidey uses innovative methods to subdue the powerful Electro.

While gloating in his secret lair, Electro ruminates on his origin. Some time ago, Max Dillon, ordinary electric lineman, was a selfish ass who refused to help an endangered co-worker unless he was paid for his time. After rescuing his co-worker from a high-tension pole, fate saw Max struck by lightning; incredibly, rather than being killed, Max found himself transformed by the electricity. Realising he could generate and control the element, Max experimented with his powers, constructing a harness to perpetuate his electrical charge and learning to toss lightning bolts. Back in the present, Electro breaks some prisoners out of jail to recruit some muscle for his operation and, though he’s compelled to intervene when he learns of the jailbreak, Peter’s forced to stay at the hospital while Aunt May goes into the operating theatre. Though the prisoners refuse to listen to Electro’s warnings and clash with the guards and cops, Spider-Man’s absence only strengthens belief that he and Electro are the same man. Thankfully, Aunt May’s operation is a success, much to Peter’s relief. However, when he insists on taking pictures of the riot, Peter’s shocked when Betty accuses him of thrill seeking. Still, free from the worry about his aunt, Peter leaps into action as Spider-Man, much to Jonah’s chagrin, and slips on rubber gloves and shoes to negate Electro’s powers. After easily manhandling the violent inmates, Spidey tackles Electro, using his scientific know-how to redirect Electro’s lightning bolts with a steel chair and landing a solid left hook. After receiving a quick power boost, Electro grabs a discarded gun and demonstrates his awesome power by turning a flurry of sand Spidey kicks at him into glass! Even with his rubbers, Spidey finds Electro’s attacks too aggressive, forcing him to think on his feet and use a nearby water hose to short circuit Electro. Afterwards, Peter smugly downplays Jonah’s threats to fire and sue him for selling him fraudulent pictures by selling him pictures of the fight between Spidey and Electro. Additionally, not only is Aunt May still doing well but Peter and Betty resolve to work through their misunderstanding and explore their feelings for each other by the story’s end.

The Summary:
For a story titled “The Man Called Electro!”, Electro is more of a secondary concern here. Instead, the primary focus is on Aunt May’s mysterious and worrisome illness. It’s possible that a previous issue detailed exactly what was wrong with her, judging by Peter’s internal monologue, but she’s definitely in a bad state here. Aunt May’s so ill that Peter’s forced to ignore both regular street crime and a prison riot to bring her medicine and be by her side. However, he’s more disturbed by the depths he sinks to pay for her operation. After being surprised by Electro’s incredible power, Peter’s left without any photographs of the super-powered crook and forced to super-imposed himself over the pictures he does have, providing Jonah with “proof” that Spidey is Electro and leaving Peter filled with shame at being so deceitful. Sadly, this aspect isn’t explored beyond a few panels. On the one hand, I’m glad as I could easily see it leading to an unnecessary recap of Uncle Ben’s death. On the other hand, seeing Peter shun his responsibilities and forced down such a dark path could’ve made for good drama. It’s still here, obviously, as both Betty and even Flash note Peter’s changed demeanour, but I’ve seen Peter in similar situations before where he worried himself into a fever and was driven into a panic attack or blind rage from his various dramas. Jonah is on top form here, forcing misshapen jigsaw pieces to fit his narrative of Spider-Man turning to crime as Electro and publishing his wild claims without any proof. Not that half of New York requires proof, though, as the disturbingly fickle and easily swayed civilians find themselves doubting the web-slinger simply based on a sensationalist headline. This issue really hammers home how devoted Peter is to Aunt May and how much she cares for her nephew. While she mollycoddles him a little too much for his age and disregards her own health in favour of his, Peter ignores everything (from his studies to his responsibilities as Spider-Man, to his peers and even Betty) to care for her and to get her the help she needs, even if it is unclear what’s wrong with her and what operation she underwent (I assume it was something to do with her heart).

Though Electro uses his powers for petty crime, Peter’s forced to use dubious methods to raise funds.

These factors aid in Electro slipping under Spider-Man’s radar for a while. It’s only when the Daily Bugle prints scandalous headlines that Peter gets investing in tracking down the super-powered crook, and he ensures his aunt’s welfare before tackling Electro again. Electro has incredible power: he can super-charge his body to electrocute on contact, toss lightning bolts, magnetise his hands and feet to climb walls, and basically manipulate anything with an electrical current. Garbed in an elaborate costume that’s both ridiculous and iconic, Electro’s nearly inexhaustible powers means that, on paper, he should be a formidable foe. Indeed, Spider-Man’s reflexes barely avoid Electro’s attacks, which strike with (presumably) lightning-fast speed, and Spidey dons rubbers to protect against Electro’s current…and even then, he struggles to ward off Electro’s whip-like lightning in the finale. However, rather than being  a significant threat, Electro sticks to his working-class roots and resorts to petty crimes. Limiting himself to knocking off armoured vans and banks, Electro’s all about the cash, which he spends kitting out a vast lab to super-charge his body. It isn’t until he starts making headlines that Electro assembles a crew and, though he demonstrates his powers in the prison break, he doesn’t have a commanding enough presence to sway the inmates (at least, not until they turn to him for protection from Spider-Man). Most tellingly, after being defeated by a simple water hose, Electro is unmasked by the wall-crawler…who naturally has no idea who he is, setting up the long-running thread of Electro being a nobody with extraordinary powers that he doesn’t use to their full potential. However, he makes for a visually interesting villain, and I enjoyed the well-balanced focus on drama and action in this story, especially regarding Aunt May and Jonah. Though I would’ve liked to see Peter’s shame explored further, it was amusing seeing Jonah publicly humiliated and then readily accepted Peter’s next set of photos as real after being duped the first time. I also liked the suggestion that there’s more to Betty than we (and Peter) realises and that Spidey was forced to think on his feet to find was to counter and subdue Electro’s otherwise awesome powers.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

Did you enjoy Electro’s debut story? Are you a fan of the villain and, if so, what are some of your favourite Electro moments and stories? Would you have also liked to see Peter’s shame explored in more detail? What did you think to Electro’s origins and the way he utilised his powers? Would you be so easily swayed by one of Jonah’s headlines? Where does Electro rank in your tier list of Spidey villains? Share your opinions on Electro in the comments, support me on Ko-Fi, and go check out my other Spider-Man content.

Movie Night [Spidey Month]: The Amazing Spider-Man

Dr. K7 Comments

Easily Marvel Comics’ most recognisable superhero, unsuspecting teenage nerd Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and learned the meaning of power and responsibility in August 1962. Since then, the Amazing Spider-Man has featured in cartoons, movies, videogames, and countless comic books. To coincide with his day of celebration, I’m dedicating every Monday of August to everyone’s favourite web-head!

Released: 3 July 2012
Director: Marc Webb
Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing
Budget: $200 to 230 million
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Sally Field, and Martin Sheen

The Plot:
Bitten by a genetically enhanced spider, Peter Parker (Garfield) tries to atone for the death of his beloved Uncle Ben (Sheen) as Spider-Man while romancing science-whiz Gwen Stacy (Stone) and opposing Doctor Curtis “Curt” Connors’ (Ifans) mad plot to turn New York City into lizard people like him!

The Background:
After his debut issue became one of Marvel’s best selling titles, Spider-Man’s popularity cemented him as their flagship character, though his cinematic debut was infamously delayed by rewrites and legal issues. Eventually, Sam Raimi and Sony Pictures Entertainment produced a critical and commercial success with Spider-Man (Raimi, 2002), and one of the greatest superhero movies ever made with Spider-Man 2 (ibid, 2004), before closing the trilogy with the profitable but divisive Spider-Man 3 (ibid, 2007). Initially, Sam Raimi and star Tobey Maguire were set to return for a fourth movie and Raimi even got as far as casting and storyboarding the film before creative and deadline issues saw the sequel scrapped and Mark Webb hired to helm a reboot. Determined to reinvent Spider-Man, Webb insisted upon including Spidey’s web shooters and worked with costume designer Kym Barrett to create a darker, sleeker costume. Andrew Garfield, a fan of Tobey’s portrayal, took over the title role and went to a lot of effort to research how to move in the suit, as well as legitimately falling for co-star Emma Stone during filming. Though striving for a grounded approach to the action, 3ality Technica presented the new Spidey’s swinging and like never before with their 3D conversion process, and Sony Pictures Imageworks brought classic, tragic Spidey villain the Lizard to life using a mixture of stand-ins, motion capture, and star Rhys Ifans’ performance. The result was a film that earned a little under Spider-Man 2’s final gross and somewhat divided critics. While most of the cast, particularly Garfield, were as praised for their performances as the impressive Spidey effects, the Lizard’s CGI was slated and many labelled the film as an unnecessary rehash of Raimi’s previous efforts. Still, The Amazing Spider-Man did well enough to get a notoriously lambasted sequel two years later, and both Garfield and Ifans reprised their roles about ten years later for the multiversal epic Spider-Man: No Way Home (Watts, 2021).

The Review:
Personally, I’ve always felt it was a bit odd to do a full-on Spider-Man reboot just five years after the end of Sam Raimi’s trilogy. Considering how much The Amazing Spider-Man borrows and rehashes form Raimi’s films, I’ve often wondered if it might’ve been better to simply recast and continue in the world he established, like with the James Bond films or Joel Schumacher’s Batman movies. Even The Amazing Spider-Man’s title sequence is a truncated version of Raimi’s, and James Horner’s score is stylistically similar to Danny Elfman’s. Still, The Amazing Spider-Man tries to separate itself in the early going by showing a glimpse into Peter’s past, where young Peter (Max Charles), is spirited away in the middle of the night by his parents, his heartbroken mother, Mary (Embeth Davidtz) and his secretive scientist father, Richard (Campbell Scott), after his father’s office and work was ransacked during the night. Of course, the confused and scared Peter is left with his doting Aunt May (Field) and Uncle Ben Parker, who raise him after his parents die, offscreen, in a plane crash. The loss of Peter’s parents weighs heavily on him, despite his close relationship with Ben and May, and he’s left with many questions regarding their disappearance and feeling an outcast at home and at school, since he inherited his father’s aptitude for science. However, while Tobey Maguire was a moronic geek who clammed up at the first sign of confrontation, Andrew Garfield is a snarky, skateboarding kid who stands up to the bullish antics of Eugene “Flash” Thompson (Chris Zylka) despite being physically outmatched and who’s more quirky and reclusive than a stereotypical bookworm. When he’s not skateboarding or studying, Peter’s taking photographs for the school bulletin board and helping his uncle with odd jobs, which is how he discovers his father’s battered old briefcase and discovers a bunch of scientific documents and a photograph of his father with a mysterious, one-armed scientist. This piques Peter’s curiosity and leads Ben, remorseful at rarely speaking about Richard, to identify the scientist as Dr. Curt Connors.

Greif-stricken outcast Peter embarks on a vigilante quest for revenge after his beloved uncle is killed.

This leads Peter to amusingly tag along with an intern group at the towering, high-tech Oscorp skyscraper, where the beautiful Gwen Stacy works alongside Dr. Connors as his head intern. There, Peter impresses Dr. Connors (while shocking Gwen with hiss appearance) with his knowledge of cross-species genetics, the very subject Dr. Connors and Richard Parker worked on in the hopes of curing diseases and ailments by infusing the DNA of other species into sick or maimed people. Despite Gwen warning Peter to behave, his curiosity gets the better of him and he wanders into a restricted laboratory, where he discovers a batch of genetically modified spiders created by his father and, while being chastised by Gwen, receives a painful bite. As in Raimi’s first film, Peter experiences bouts of nausea and passes out, only this time he blacks out on the subway and discovers his powers purely on instinct when he’s accosted by other passengers, suddenly springing and clinging to the ceiling and demonstrating superhuman strength and reflexes. This Peter is far more unnerved by his powers, which initially make him anxious and eccentric as he reacts to his enhanced senses, leading to an insatiable hunger, him snatching a fly in mind-air, and some pratfalls as he adapts to his incredible strength. This also gives him the edge to humiliate Flash, much to his uncle’s chagrin, and the additional confidence to up his adorable flirting with Gwen. However, while the film wastes a good hour with all this setup and exploring Peter’s abilities with a skateboarding montage, the euphoria again leads him to forget his responsibilities, leading to a chewing out by his uncle that sees Peter storm out. This time, Peter runs afoul of a convenience store clerk (Michael Barra) and is therefore dismissive when a thuggish gunman (Leif Gantvoort) robs the place. Unfortunately, Uncle Ben gets shot when confronting the robber, leaving Peter grief-stricken and embarking on late-night searches for the killer, accosting any street thugs he encounters and continuously coming up short, eventually crafting a disguise after punks see his face and being inspired by luchador masks.

While Dr. Connors get some spotlight, it’s the chemistry between Peter and Gwen that really impresses.

However, this Spider-Man far less virtuous. Although Peter later gets into a heated debate with Police Captain George Stacy (Leary) he’s about “protecting people” and “stopping bad guys”, Spider-Man is obsessed with finding his uncle’s killer, neglecting his aunt, constantly bruised and morose, and only saves innocents by proxy. It isn’t until Dr. Connors’ first rampage as the monstrous Lizard that Peter realises Spider-Man is capable of more, saving saves young Jack (Jake Ryan Keiffer) from a fall and earning his father’s (C. Thomas Howell) eternal gratitude. This Spider-Man is also far more scientifically gifted, cobbling together his trademark webshooters, piecing together the solution to the “decay-rate algorithm” that’s been dogging Dr. Connors’ work, and helping to synthesise a cure for the Lizard alongside Gwen. Gwen is far more capable than her predecessor as well. Not only does she have fantastic sexual chemistry with Peter, but she’s just as much of a science nerd as he is and aids him in created the cure in the finale. Though attracted to Peter, Gwen’s interest skyrockets when he impulsively reveals his identity, and she remains infatuated despite her apprehension due to her father’s dangerous profession. Similarly, I adored Sally Field as Aunt May. She’s a lot younger than Rosemary Harris and much more of a working-class Aunt May than a doting old woman, but her grief at losing her husband and her anguish at Peter’s constant injuries is palpable. Yet, her love for him remains strong and she desperately tries to reach him even when he’s consumed by anger and guilt, something reflected in the change in Peter’s relationship with Flash. While he starts out as a jock asshole, Flash awkwardly tries to connect with Peter after Ben’s death, leading to them forming a more stable friendship by the film’s end.

While the Lizard suffers from questionable CGI, Stacy embodies the spirit of J. Jonah Jameson.

Although Peter investigates Oscorp and Dr. Connors works there, and the criminally underutilised Doctor Rajit Ratha (Irrfan Khan) exudes the same shady menace as the laughably faceless Norman Osborn, the company merely facilitates the film’s drama and action. Dr. Connors has dreamed of improving himself (and curing others) with his research, only to be labelled a mad scientist and be frustrated by roadblocks, both scientifically and politically. When Peter offers a solution, Dr. Connors’ hope and excitement is reignited, especially after they successfully implant lizard DNA into a rat and regrow its limb. However, when Ratha steals his research and fires him for his hesitance to start human testing, a desperate Dr. Connors injects himself with the serum and is elated when his arm grows back. This quickly turns to horror, however, as he undergoes a startling and monstrous transformation, losing his rational mind to animalistic rage. Stunned by the Lizard, Peter investigates and stupidly leads the crazed scientist to him by leaving his name on one of his cameras! Thirsty for revenge, the Lizard attacks Midtown Science High School and, when Spider-Man pursues him to his makeshift sewer lab, Peter discovers his identity and his plot. Dr. Connors, driven mad, plots to use a mutagenic solution to twist his dream of making everyone “equal” and healthy by transforming them into lizards! As much as I enjoyed finally seeing the Lizard get his time to shine, I have to admit I’ve always been disappointed by his appearance. He looks very off and far too dinosaur-like, sadly shedding his signature tattered lab coat. The film also wastes so much time retreading Spidey’s origin that Dr. Connors’ family is omitted, meaning he lacks a lot of the sympathy often associated with the character. Though Peter tries to warn Captain Stacy of the threat, he’s dismissed, largely because Stacy was unimpressed by Peter’s defence of what he sees as a dangerous and unpredictable vigilante. Indeed, while J. Jonah Jameson is absent, his spirit lives on in Captain Stacy, who publicly denounces Spider-Man, orders his arrest, and hounds him on sight. Still, Stacy’s sharp enough to investigate Dr. Connors and later sees the true threat first-hand, leading to an unlikely team up between the webslinger and the police captain in the finale.

The Nitty-Gritty:
The Amazing Spider-Man initially advertised itself as the “untold story” of Spider-Man and, if you squint, some of that remains amidst all the rehashing of Raimi’s films. The sub-sub-plot about Richard and Mary Parker is intriguing, but sadly little more than a tease as we learn nothing about what happened to them beyond a brief flash of a headline and it’s left somewhat vague about what they were working on and why that was a threat. While threatening Dr. Connors, Ratha suggests the Parkers’ deaths were due to Oscorp but it all feels very tenuous and isn’t as big a deal as I would’ve liked. Instead, The Amazing Spider-Man wastes a lot of time retreading familiar ground, dwelling on Peter’s pre-Spidey life, showing him exploring his powers and making his suit, and detailing how he abandons his selfish crusade for a higher purpose. As much as I loved all the actors and performances, I really think this is a detriment to the film and things could’ve been sped up. It means Dr. Connors doesn’t get much screen time and it makes it harder for Andrew to stand out from Tobey, despite being a far better fit for the role with his uncanny physical performance and much more natural smart mouth. I absolutely think rewriting the film to be a continuation of Raimi’s movies would’ve been far better. We could’ve reduced the origin to a montage and jumped into the action, with Gwen still being the love interest and exploring Peter’s relationship with Dr. Connors in more detail. To its credit, The Amazing Spider-Man does a lot better than Raimi: the webslinging is much more exciting, Peter’s characterisation is a vast improvement, and even the webshooters are a fun addition (as much as I like and prefer organic webbing). It just really hurts the pacing to waste a whole hour redoing the origin rather than getting to the action, especially when the chemistry between Peter and Gwen is so captivating…and hot! Seriously, these two are horny for each other and I am all for it!

While Spidey has never looked or been embodied better, the Lizard’s CGI is questionable, at best.

Still, The Amazing Spider-Man separates itself from Raimi’s films in a few ways, most obviously the redesigned Spidey suit. While I recall many hating the redesign, I’ve always been a fan of it and I was actually a bit disappointed that they switched to a more traditional costume for the sequel. Just as Andrew’s performance and poses are more animalistic and bug-like, so too is his suit more menacing and insectile, sporting a slick, almost wet-looking texture that makes it seem otherworldly. Another way the film stands out is by his dark it is! So much of The Amazing Spider-Man takes place at night, obscuring a lot of the action and CGI (a conscious decision, I’m sure) and also giving an additional menace to Spider-Man, especially when he’s unloading on thugs and evading the cops. Ironically, this Spider-Man is the wittiest and most amusing yet; I especially loved when he feigned horror when a carjacker (Keith Campbell) pulled a small knife on him! This Spidey is faster and leans into his bug-like nature more than ever, cocooning the Lizard in webbing, making a spread of webs to detect the Lizard in the sewers, and being hyperaware of his surroundings in a way not seen before. I was strangely okay with the first-person shots and odd camera choices, and even the obvious moments shot for 3D viewings, especially as I first saw this in 3D and it absolutely worked like a charm. It’s unfortunate, then, that the Lizard looks so awful. I’ve always been forgiving and understanding of this since it’s a difficult, CGI-heavy character and the film had a reduced budget compared to the last film, but the rest of the movie looks so slick and gorgeous (when you can make out the actions) that the Lizard can’t help but be a letdown. Perhaps if the filmmakers had gone for a gradual transformation, using prosthetics with CGI enhancements and saving the final, complete transformation until the end (or using the heavy shadows), it might’ve been executed better. It’s a shame as the Lizard is pretty impressive, slashing and smashing everything in sight and giving Spider-Man not only a far greater physical challenge but also a mental one, as he (and Gwen) must science-up a way to reverse the mad scientist’s formula.

While Spidey foils the Lizard’s plot, the cost is high and a mysterious threat lingers in the background…

This culminates in an action-packed and emotionally charged finale. After clashing with Captain Stacy over branzino and their different opinions on Spider-Man, Stacy goes all-out to try and apprehend Spider-Man even after confirmation of the Lizard’s threat. After realising Dr. Connor’s plot, Spidey races to stop him and is accosted by the cops, eventually shot mid-swing with a taser bolt and left unmasked before the police captain. Stunned, realising he’s been mistaken and yet conflicted between his duty and his morals, Stacy reluctantly allows Peter to leave but Spidey takes a bullet in the process. Luckily, Jack’s father organises some crane operators to clear a path to Oscorp Tower, though the injured Spidey is physically outmatched by the monstrous scientist. Luckily, Stacy (…somehow…) arrives in time to help with a shotgun and the anti-lizard cure, courtesy of the resourceful Gwen. Unfortunately, though Stacy slows the Lizard with repeated shots and some well-placed liquid nitrogen, he gets skewered through the gut, though Spidey just manages to insert the cure before the device activates. The results are near-instantaneous, painfully reverting the Lizard and restoring his sanity in time to not only save Peter and lament the loss of his arm but to realise the gravity of his murderous actions. Though Peter tries to save him, the mortally wounded Stacy begs him off and reconciles with the young hero, begging Peter, with his dying breath, to leave Gwen out of his double life for her safety. Though grief stricken, Peter honours Stacy’s wishes, ending the relationship, only for Gwen to realise it’s because of her father and for Peter to almost immediately walk back his promise, which I think was supposed to be a subversion of Spider-Man’s ending but came across as a bit awkward and spiteful on Peter’s part. Though Peter heads out into the night for a celebratory swing, now fully embracing his newfound purpose as Spider-Man, he’s unaware that a mysterious individual (Michael Massee) visits the remorseful, incarcerated Dr. Connors regarding the Parkers, hinting at some deeper plot concerning Peter’s parents…

The Summary:
Despite the circumstances surrounding its creation, I think time has been quite kind to The Amazing Spider-Man and, on the whole, removed from the confusion and disappointment of the time period, it holds up pretty well. Andrew Garfield remains my favourite Peter Parker/Spider-Man, embodying the character like never before at the time with his physicality, his wit a d his quirky performance. His absolutely raw emotional range and chemistry with Emma Stone oozes off the screen and I loved how capable and smart and sassy Gwen was, a far cry from the source material and her wooden predecessor. The cast, all around, is superb here, with Rhys Ifans giving a sombre and magnetic performance that turns into the right level of over-the-top camp once he transforms and Denis Leary grumbling his way through every line. I just wish we’d gotten more time with some of the actors. Spidey’s suit, movements, and action sequences were top-notch as well, far beyond anything Raimi’s films did, and I loved the subtle edge given to him, where he’s initially driven more by anger and revenge. Unfortunately, The Amazing Spider-Man stumbles due to a hesitancy to go all-in with the reboot idea. Visually and thematically, it’s very similar to Raimi’s films and it retreads far too much of Spidey’s origin to truly stand alone, again making me wish it had simply been a soft reboot set in the same world. Any intrigue surrounding Peter’s parents is swept under the rug and it’s simply there as sequel bait and to make you think this is something new and the reliance on Oscorp was disappointing after three movies of Osborn shenanigans. As much as I enjoyed Ifans as Dr. Connors, the Lizard is painful to watch at times, barely resembling the source material and losing many of the qualities that made him such a strong and sympathetic villain, meaning the film falls back on the tired “crazy scientist” trope that Raimi drove into the ground. It’s a thrilling and exciting adventure at times with some incredible visuals and moments, but a lot of it is lost in all the darkness and poor lighting, meaning Spider-Man doesn’t pop with colour like he should. It’s a shame as there’s a lot to like here, but The Amazing Spider-Man stumbles more than it strides and it’s difficult to look past some of its failings, despite the appeal of its charismatic cast.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Were you a fan of the Amazing Spider-Man or were you surprised to see a reboot so soon after Raimi’s films? What did you think to Andrew Garfield’s performance and his suit? Were you also disappointed by how much of the origin was rehashed and how dark the film was? What did you think to the chemistry between Peter and Gwen? Which Spider-Man film is your favourite and how are you celebrating the wall-crawler this month? Let me know what you think about The Amazing Spider-Man in the comments, support me on Ko-Fi, and check out my other Spider-Man content.

Back Issues [Spidey Month]: The Amazing Spider-Man #6

Dr. K1 Comment

Easily Marvel Comics’ most recognisable superhero, unsuspecting teenage nerd Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and learned the meaning of power and responsibility in August 1962. Since then, the Amazing Spider-Man has featured in cartoons, movies, videogames, and countless comic books. To coincide with his day of celebration, I’m dedicating every Monday of August to everyone’s favourite web-head!

Story Title: “Face-to-Face with… the Lizard!”
Published: 8 August 1963 (cover-dated: November 1963)
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko

The Background:
After finding success with the Fantastic Four, Marvel editor and head writer Stan Lee dreamed up teenage superhero Peter Parker/Spider-Man, whose Amazing Fantasy debut became a best seller for Marvel Comics. Spider-Man’s subsequent popularity saw him headline numerous comics, including partnering with other, less mainstream superheroes in Marvel Team-Up, and amass perhaps the most colourful and memorable rogues gallery in all of comics. Doctor Curtis “Curt” Connors/The Lizard first appeared in the sixth issue of Spidey’s long-running Amazing Spider-Man book, courtesy of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Like many of Spider-Man’s villains, the Lizard was a tragic victim of science gone wrong and very much in the same vein as Doctor Henry Jekyll and Mister Edward Hyde: a seemingly normal man who underwent a horrific mental and physical transformation due to science. Spidey’s relationship with Dr. Connors became a complicated one, with the two often working together to try and cure the scientist or figure out solutions to Spidey’s latest drama, and them desperately trying to keep the doctor’s condition a secret from his family. Though he’s threatened to turn all of New York City’s inhabitants into lizards and even regressed into a monstrous form, the Lizard has turned towards the light before, though he’s primarily used as a low-tier supervillain in Spidey videogames. The Lizard has also featured in Spider-Man’s animated ventures. Most notably, he featured in the first episode of the 1990’s Spider-Man cartoon (Richardson, 1994) and later helped Spider-Man in the cartoon’s Secret Wars (Shooter et al, 1984 to 1985) adaptation. While we never got to see Dr. Connors (Dylan Baker) become the Lizard in Sam Raimi’s films, the Lizard was the main villain in The Amazing Spider-Man (Webb, 2012). While his design was heavily criticised, Rhys Ifans returned to voice the character nearly ten years later, and the Lizard is generally seen as one of Spidey’s more under-rated villains.

The Review:
Our story opens in “the murky swamps of Florida’s everglades”, where a group of…well, I assume they’re tourists but one of them has a gun so maybe they’re poachers? Or perhaps they just have a well-prepared tour guide? It’s hard to tell and ultimately inconsequential. Anyway, a group of men are suddenly attacked by a giant, man-sized lizard in purple trousers and a lab coat. As if the sight of a six-foot lizard wasn’t shocking enough, the creature speaks (and quite eloquently, too), voicing rage and displeasure at the men for venturing into his swamp. After proving bulletproof, the Lizard causes the trespassers to flee by uprooting a massive tree and waving it about in a threatening manner. Further reports of additional encounters and attacks soon spread, leading the locals to avoid the swamplands and live in fear of the man-lizard in the region. The news is so astonishing that it even reaches the streets of New York, courtesy of the Daily Bugle, whose editor, the miserly J. Jonah Jameson, wastes no time using his publication to challenge Spider-Man to defeat the Lizard. Though he scoffs at the headline, Spider-Man reasons that he might be able to convince Jonah to send him to Florida to snap some pictures of the Lizard. However, Jonah shoots him down, primarily because he believes the whole thing’s a hoax anyway (making me question why he’d risk the Daily Bugle’s reputation printing the headline). Though dejected, Peter heads to the Natural History Museum to brush up on his lizard knowledge. During a lecture on dinosaur anatomy, Peter’s spider-sense alerts him to two thieves, who he quickly subdues, and he’s so bolstered by his actions that he decides to approach Jonah in his masked identity. Spider-Man humiliates Jonah in his office and accepts his challenge, but on the caveat that Jonah sends a photographer to capture the fight, however Peter’s plan backfires somewhat when Jonah insists on tagging along! After saying his farewells to his doting Aunt May, Peter takes his mind off the uncomfortable plane ride by researching Dr. Connors, a lizard expert in the Everglades who he tags as a possible source.

After hearing of Dr. Connors’ tragic fate, Spidey works to find a cure and stop his monstrous rampage.

After ditching Jonah, Peter checks out the swamp-like Everglades and is ambushed by the Lizard! Dragged underwater and nearly drowned, the web-slinger’s reflexes are all that save him from a swipe from the monster’s tail, though the Lizard proves to be as strong as he is fast as he sends the youngster flying with a flick of the appendage! Convinced that he needs more intel, Spidey drops by Dr. Connors’ house and finds his wife, Martha, in tears. She not only reveals that her husband is the Lizard but also fills Spidey in on the whole backstory. A former surgeon, Dr. Connors was forced to retire after losing an arm “during the War” and became obsessed with the unique regenerative properties of lizards. Hoping to not only regrow his arm but also help countless others, Dr. Connors worked tireless in his experiments, fully supported by his loving wife and awestruck son, Billy. After many months, Dr. Connors synthesised a serum from lizard DNA and successfully tested it on a rabbit. Emboldened by this, Dr. Connors wasted no time and downed the solution and, after a brief spot of agony, was delighted when his arm grew back! Unfortunately, his elation quickly turned to horror as he transformed into a hideous, half-human lizard. Although the monstrous Dr. Connors returned to try and reverse the process, his mind quickly degenerated and, with the last vestiges of his humanity, he begged Martha to get herself and Billy to safety. However, some trace of Dr. Connors obviously still remains in the Lizard as Martha’s story is interrupted by Billy being accosted by the creature outside. After getting Billy to safety, Spider-Man fights the Lizard again, this time noting the creature’s tough, dinosaur-like armour plating and ability to snap his webs! When Martha rushes to Billy, the Lizard flees in horror and Spidey spends the next few hours going through the doctor’s notes to try and create a cure.

Spidey endures the Lizard’s assault and cures Dr. Connors, but gets screwed by Jonah.

Thanks to his scientific acumen, Spider-Man is successful and, right on cue, the Lizard attacks the lab. Overwhelmed by the creature’s speed, ferocity, and incredible strength, Spider-Man is beaten unconscious, allowing the Lizard to retrieve his serum to empower the local lizards in a mad plot to conquer the Earth. With no time to call for help and no choice but to pursue, Spidey whips up a pair of “web swamp-shoes” and goes paddling through the stream into the Lizard’s territory, pondering how he’s going to subdue the Lizard without harming Dr. Connors. Reaching an abandoned fort, Spider-Man spots the Lizard monologing to a congregation of alligators, who listen intently and obey his every command, attacking Spider-Man when instructed and forcing the hero to scale the fort’s tower to escape. Determined to keep the Lizard distracted, Spider-Man throws webs and his quick wit at the creature and stays on the move, eventually trapping them both within the fort. When the Lizard pursues him up the walls, Spidey makes a desperate gamble and plunges to the ground, tackling the Lizard in mid-air and forcing the antidote down his throat. Spidey is stunned by the Lizard’s powerful tail and left powerless but, just as the Lizard moves to strike, the antidote takes effect. In a few panels, the Lizard’s transformation regresses and Dr. Connors returns, human and sane again (though still missing an arm) to reunite with his family. After Dr. Connors vows to destroy his research, Spidey takes pity on him and promises to keep his secret, much to their relief. In the aftermath, Jameson destroys the photos Peter brings him, convinced the Lizard was all made up and the trip was a waste. He therefore refuses to pay Peter, adds the cost of the trip to his bill and, to make matters worse, Peter’s shot down by Elizabeth “Liz” Allen since she’s got the hots for Spider-Man!

The Summary:
It’s always funny to me to look back at these old stories and see these now-iconic and nuanced villains treated as simple, run-of-the-mill, monthly issues for our favourite web-spinner. “Face-to-Face with… the Lizard!” has a bit more meat on its bones than some stories from back then thanks to Dr. Connors’ tragic origin story, but it’s still full of a few blunders. I’m not the biggest fan of these single issues wasting time on Peter’s supporting cast and this issue definitely does that with Peter’s visit to the museum. It makes sense for him to brush up on his lizard knowledge, but he visits the dinosaur exhibit, which isn’t really the same thing, and later gets exposition from Martha so this feels like a waste. Sure, we get to see Spidey in action but I feel those panels could’ve been used to add to his later fights with the Lizard. And, yes, we see Eugene “Flash” Thompson and Liz Allen there and that ties into Peter’s ongoing social angst, but he also flirts with Jonah’s secretary, Betty Brant, so I do feel some reshuffling could’ve been done. The worst example, though, is the whole side plot with Jonah tagging along. He doesn’t factor into the story at all except as a bookend so it seems like a waste of time to have him go to Florida. It’s not like we cut away from the main story to see him searching for Peter, arguing with hotel staff, or trying to prove the Lizard is a hoax. He just belittles Peter, laughs at the idea of a man-lizard despite printing headlines about it, then disregards the photographic evidence and vows to make Peter reimburse him. I definitely think Jonah should’ve been taken out or reduced or had some significance to the plot if he was gonna be there. Perhaps he could’ve gotten involved in the Spidey/Lizard fight and the story would end with another outrageous headline claiming Spider-Man is in cahoots with the Lizard. As it is, it feels like unnecessary padding to add to the page count.

Despite some colourful battles, the story and its plot felt very rushed and didn’t live up to its potential.

This is a shame at the best of times but particularly disappointing considering the unique tragic backstory of the Lizard. While we get a decent insight into this thanks to Martha, freeing up panels and page space could’ve gone into more detail about his accident, his drive to help similarly disabled people, and his loving relationship with his family. It also could’ve added to the Lizard’s fights with Spider-Man, which felt very rushed. I was hoping we’d see Spidey out of his element in the swamp and therefore at a disadvantage because of the trees, murky water, and aggressive wildlife and, while these elements are briefly touched upon, it’s nowhere near as in-depth as I’d expect. The fights aren’t given much time to breathe; the Lizard boasts of his superior strength and speed and demonstrates it, but it doesn’t have the impact I’d expect. It’s as though everything’s rushing along rather than having a more natural pace. I liked that Peter scientific acumen was put to the test but find it awfully convenient that he whipped up an antidote in a few hours. The reveal that the Lizard can command alligators was fun but underutilised; again, we could’ve had a few more panels of Spidey tangling with the ‘gators to add to the tension. The serum the Lizard steals disappears, never to be seen again; the Lizard’s said to be a ruthless and animalistic creature but he’s incredible articulate and calculating; and, while the idea that Spidey had to be careful not to harm Dr. Connors had legs, I never felt like there was a danger of that since Spidey couldn’t penetrate the Lizard’s hide and had a magic antidote to cure him. Everything’s very colourful, at least, and I liked seeing Spider-Man in a new environment. I also dug the tragedy of the Lizard and that Spidey took pity on him rather than bringing him to the authorities, especially as Dr. Connors didn’t really hurt anyone. However, I don’t think this is all it could’ve been and it felt very rushed and nonsensical at times. That might not be surprising given the rate Marvel were pumping out stories back then, but it is disappointing and hurt my enjoyment of this issue.

My Rating:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Could Be Better

What are your thoughts on the Lizard’s debut? Are you a fan of the character and, if so, what are some of your favourite Lizard stories? Did you also think the whole Jonah side plot was a waste of time? What did you think to the Lizard’s tragic backstory and his plot to conquer the world with lizards? Were you also disappointed with the pacing of the story? Which of the Lizard’s appearances outside of the comics is your favourite? Feel free to leave your thoughts on the Lizard below, support me on Ko-Fi, and be sure to check out my other Spider-Man content.