This Classic '80s Spider-Man Story Redefined Kraven the Hunter, Establishing A New Era

Following Spider-Man and MJ's honeymoon, the couple experienced a shocking trauma, while Kraven enjoyed his ultimate victory. I look back at a true classic this week at CBR.

What Nearly Ruined Spider-Man and Mary Jane's Wedding Day?

 

Today at CBR I look back at the classic Spider-Man event Marvel really, really wants you to forget about. 

I Thee Web: Spider-Man's Chaotic Engagement to Mary Jane

Spider-Man's engagement to MJ created turmoil in the comic book series...and behind-the-scenes. I begin a new series devoted to the early "marriage years" this week at  CBR. Spread the word!

15 Ways The 1980s Were The Greatest Spider-Man Decade

You know those internet lists that provide 10-15 justifications for a lofty premise?  I wrote one of those.

This Post Will Not Be Followed With a New #1

It wouldn’t be accurate to say that the post-clone titles bombed.  I think “languished” would be a better term.  Most of the books were decent sellers, but Spider-Man still wasn’t competing with the X-titles, and there didn’t seem to be much enthusiasm from the fans.  What worked and what didn’t?

The Art

All of the artists assigned to the books in late 1996 would seem to be commercial draws.  Steve Skroce and Luke Ross were coming from the X-titles (okay, they did X-Man, but that’s still an X-title), Mike Wieringo had done some fill-ins for the X-titles and had built a name for himself at DC, and John Romita, Jr. was a Marvel legend with lengthy stints on Amazing Spider-Man, Uncanny X-Men, Iron Man, and Daredevil in the past.  Cracks develop early on however, with Skroce dropping out of Amazing a few issues in and Ross’ cartoony style not meshing with DeMatteis’ psychologically dark stories in Spectacular.  In addition, Wieringo seems to struggle to find a style that fits Spidey for a while there, and Romita’ title is given some extremely disappointing fill-in artists.  On any given month, the average quality of art in the Spider-Man books could only charitably be called “inconsistent.”  It’s a shame that the most consistent writer wasn’t paired with the most consistent artist -- why didn’t Ralph Macchio pair DeMatteis/Romita together on Amazing Spider-Man?

The Villains

The Clone Saga concluded with the “shocking” reveal that the original Green Goblin, Norman Osborn, had been behind the entire fiasco.  And even though Norman apparently died yet again in the closing chapter, there was no doubt that he would be returning soon.  Marvel actually showed some restraint and waited a year before giving Norman his big comeback in Spectacular Spider-Man #250.  There is a sense that the creators were often spinning their wheels while waiting for Norman’s return.  Dr. Octopus was revived, Electro got a power-up, and the Chameleon fought off insanity long enough to learn Spider-Man’s secret ID, but none of those storylines were sold as Big Important Events.  It’s obvious that Marvel considered the original Green Goblin to be the villain with the most marketing potential, and to be fair, his return issue in Spectacular is executed very well.  

Within a few months, however, it’s clear that the creators have no real interest in doing Norman Osborn stories, or at the very least, can’t think of anything worthwhile for him to do.  He buys the Daily Bugle, threatens some cast members, and tries to sell “m’boy” as a catchphrase, but he doesn’t seem to do an awful lot.  The creators even seem reluctant to have him don the Goblin disguise again, leading to an utterly pointless mystery surrounding the new Green Goblin.  (I thought we were supposed to be psyched to see the original Green Goblin!)  The books have an awful lot invested in Norman’s return, and when that eventually flops, the dearth of credible villains becomes even more obvious.  Even when one of Spider-Man’s foes actually accomplishes something, like in the Chameleon story mentioned above, the story just exists in the vacuum of one title.  Spider-Man never seems particularly concerned in his other titles about this villainous loon learning his secret identity, and within a few issues, it’s even forgotten in Spectacular Spider-Man itself.

The Supporting Cast  

Everyone knows Spider-Man has the greatest supporting cast in comics, right?  So why is it that this two-year period brings us only one memorable storyline featuring a supporting cast member?  Inserting Flash Thompson into an alcoholism storyline probably isn’t the greatest use of Flash, but J. M. DeMatteis does generate a lot of credible character work out of the idea.  Yet, if you followed any of the other titles, you wouldn’t even see an acknowledgement of the ongoing storyline starring Peter’s oldest friend/rival.  Instead, each book seems to claim a supporting cast member or two and keep exclusive focus on those individual stories.  

Allowing every creator to follow the character of his choosing might seem like a nice way for each writer to put his unique mark on each title, but in practice, it’s a mess.  Peter Parker’s interest in the lives of Robbie Robertson, Flash Thompson, and Billy Walters seems sporadic at best.  And most of these character subplots are absolute duds.  Robbie’s conflict boils down to his wife nagging him into retirement…a misguided concept that drags on for months.  And the rich, new supporting cast members that the Empire State University setting was supposed to bring us -- do the names Shantal Wilsk and Marina Caches ring a bell?  No, of course they don’t, because they’re ciphers that no one ever developed into believable personalities.  

Speaking of ciphers, the issue of the Stacy family has to be addressed.  Added to the titles at the urging of editor-in-chief Bob Harras, but with apparently no guidance on what to actually do with the characters, the Stacys languished in the background for a few months and predictably contributed nothing.  Eventually, it’s simply declared that Jill Stacy is MJ’s best friend, although no creator seems willing to explain how exactly one explores a friendship with a piece of cardboard.  Paul Stacy is allegedly Peter’s academic rival, a role that serves no real point since none of the writers are invested at all in Peter’s college life.  And Arthur Stacy makes a few empty threats to investigate Spider-Man, a plot that’s referenced in a surprisingly great issue of Unlimited, and then pretty much disappears.  Marvel promised a revived focus on the supporting cast upon Peter Parker’s return, and this is what it delivered.

The Marriage

I’m not interested in debating whether or not Peter and MJ should be married.  Everyone has his or her opinion on this and it’s hard to see anyone budging by now. However, Peter and MJ are married at this point in the titles, and since Marvel has no nerve to separate or divorce the couple, then the stories should contain a genuine focus on the dynamics of their relationship.  And almost none of them do.  J. M. DeMatteis steps up once again and puts in a real effort, while Todd Dezago’s stories in Sensational occasionally hint at the fun, sexy side of their marriage.  To the other creators, the marriage seems to be a subject to be avoided at all costs, or an excuse for Spider-Man to endure another lecture from his unsympathetic wife.  More annoyingly, MJ’s personality shift seems to happen overnight with no real justification within the stories.  

The Status Quo

This era of Spider-Man begins with Peter and MJ returning to New York.  The baby, as far as they know, was stillborn.  Aunt May is dead.  They can’t afford a place in Manhattan so they live in Aunt May’s old home with MJ’s Aunt Anna.  Peter returns to work at the Daily Bugle.  Both Peter and MJ enroll at ESU and try to start their life as a couple over again.  There’s clearly an effort to go back to a situation that the readers are familiar with, while not outright pressing the reset button.  The lost baby is always a thorny issue, but there is the occasional scene that manages to broach the subject in a tasteful and poignant way.  Aunt Anna initially comes across like a replacement Aunt May in this situation, and never seems to outgrow the role.  (Anna’s considered such a nuisance by the writers that she goes several months at a time without even making an appearance.)  

Having Peter and MJ move back into Aunt May’s old place is an idea I’ve always liked, and it’s a shame that more isn’t done with the Forest Hills neighborhood.  The new neighbors introduced in Sensational seemed to have some potential as recurring characters, although we’ll never know what might’ve been.  The return to ESU always comes across as something Bob Harras thought was a great idea, but none of the people working day-to-day on the books had the slightest interest in.  There is the occasional “Chaos on Campus!” plot, but for the most part, the college is a background element that adds nothing to the stories.  The idea that MJ is suddenly desperate to study psychology also comes across as arbitrary.  The Daily Bugle makes a welcome return, although it’s hard to think of any particularly great stories that use the setting.  Jonah Jameson has his moments in Spectacular Spider-Man, but the grand mystery involving him and Mad Jack fizzles out in a, well, spectacular fashion.  

In retrospect, this setup should’ve produced several memorable stories.  The only elements that don’t fit into the “classic Spidey” mold are holdovers from the clone days that would’ve eventually faded away.  At some point, the status of Peter and MJ’s baby would have to receive a definitive answer, and someone needs to find a unique role for Aunt Anna; outside of those issues, there’s no obvious reason why this status quo shouldn’t work…unless you’re absolutely adamant that a) Aunt May shouldn’t be dead and b) Peter shouldn’t be married.

The End of Spider-Man (?)

From 1996 to 1998, the post-clone era usually remained under the radar.  As I mentioned earlier, not bad sellers, but certainly not great ones, either.  Perhaps the die was cast when Wizard (still rather powerful within the industry in the mid-90s) printed an article in late 1997 detailing the ennui that surrounded the Spider-Man titles.  In another piece from this era, Wizard stated its belief that Aunt May shouldn’t have been the one to die in Amazing #400…it should’ve been MJ!  Yes, that pesky marriage is the problem, along with a series of issues the magazine claimed were holding the titles back.  Wizard’s solution seemed to boil down to “go back to the Roger Stern days.”  Marvel was thinking retro, but not in the way Wizard probably expected.  (You can read the article on the "What Would Spidey Do?" blog. It's typical of Wizard’s writing of this era -- arrogant and ignorant simultaneously. I have a hard time making it through the piece, even though I agree with many of their points.)

Marvel tried to revive interest in the titles with two connected crossovers, “Spiderhunt” and “Identity Crisis,” but before the second crossover was even finished, the big announcement had been made.  The Spider-Man line was getting relaunched with a series of new #1s.  John Byrne was coming over from DC to reboot Spider-Man’s first year with Twice Told Tales (later renamed Chapter One), and Howard Mackie would be the sole present-day continuity Spider-Man writer.  The reboot/relaunch turned out to be a critical flop, and after an initial sales bump, the Spider-Man titles were no better off than before.  

The Chapter One/Next Chapter era was so hated for so long that memories of the preceding era seemed to fade away.  In most fans’ minds, Spider-Man goes from Clone Saga to reboot to J. Michael Straczynski, with no gap in-between.  There is an era nestled in there, though.  I wouldn’t argue that it’s best forgotten -- there are numerous stories in there that are true to the character and worth any fan’s time -- but perhaps it is easily overlooked.  Let’s face it, the titles rarely interacted with one another, there seemed to be no overall direction for the line, and no title seemed to generate a momentum that could last for more than a few issues.  It’s hard to name one element that defines this era, and even though individual story arcs can be singled out for praise, overall the Spider-line was so unfocused and aimless that it feels as if there’s nothing to hold on to.  It’s a quirky, brief blip in the character’s overall history, doomed to obscurity.

Does the Post-Clone Era Even Have a Name?

I’m not quite sure what Marvel expected to happen when Peter Parker returned to the Spider-Man books in the fall of 1996.  Yes, it’s easy to make the case that the majority of fans wanted the Clone Saga over and Peter reinstated as Spider-Man (even though Ben Reilly turned out to have a more dedicated fanbase than anyone could’ve predicted), but Marvel’s approach to the return seemed strangely low-key.  There wasn’t a new title with a fresh #1 issue.  No multi-title crossover to herald his first month back.  No cover gimmicks.  No variant covers that I’m aware of.  Heck, the creative teams even stayed basically the same.  The only new addition was J. M. DeMatteis on Spectacular Spider-Man, and by “new” I mean “back after a year away.”  Marvel’s assumption seemed to be that by simply giving the fans what they claimed to want, all eyes would return to Spider-Man and things would work out okay.  

Looking back, I wonder now if Marvel was reluctant to give the Spider-Man titles a large marketing push so soon after the launch of the “Heroes Reborn” books.   Perhaps someone thought that pushing a new Spidey #1 just a month or so after Avengers, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and Captain America received new #1s would’ve been too much for the market to bear.  That doesn’t really sound like Marvel, though, does it?  Also, “Heroes Reborn” was famously hated within the halls of Marvel’s offices (due to the titles being farmed out to Image creators), so it’s hard to imagine Marvel making a conscious effort to downplay one of their brightest properties in order to appease creators that were still viewed as the competition.  Honestly, I think it’s entirely possible that Marvel believed that a quick sweep under the rug of any clone silliness was all the books really need at the time.

So, by late 1996, the Spider-Man line consisted of Amazing Spider-Man, Spectacular Spider-Man, Peter Parker: Spider-Man, Sensational Spider-Man, Spider-Man Unlimited, Spider-Man Team-Up, and one title set in the past, Untold Tales of Spider-Man.  In addition to this rather lengthy list, Marvel also published a monthly series of Venom miniseries, and numerous one-shots featuring Spider-Man.  The only real marketing push I can remember for the post-clone titles were a few blurbs in the Bullpen Bulletins, boasting that the titles would have more of a “classic” feel, with Peter and MJ returning to college and new supporting cast members like the Stacy family possibly creating some fresh conflicts.

Did it work?  I’ll continue the retrospective in my next post, concluding my Spider-Man review series (which stretches all the way back to, geez, 1985!)

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #441 - November 1998

And Who Shall Claim A Kingly Crown? - The Final Chapter Part 1

Credits:  John Byrne (writer), Rafael Kayanan (penciler), Bud LaRosa (inks), Mike Rockwitz & Matt Hicks (colors), Comicraft’s Liz Agraphiotis (letters)

The Plot:  Robbie Robertson and Alison Mongrain finally reach the Parkers’ home.  Molten Man locates them again, but is briefly able to fight off the device that’s been implanted in his brain.  Robbie realizes that the locket Alison wears is secretly a homing beacon.  Once it’s destroyed, Molten Man becomes peaceful again.  MJ meets Robbie and Alison in the street, and a feeble Alison informs her that May is alive shortly before she collapses.  Later, Spider-Man returns home and learns the news.  He leaves for Osborn’s hunting lodge, where May is supposedly being held, even though MJ thinks it’s a trick.  Elsewhere, the Gathering of Five ceremony begins.  When the ceremony is finished, Osborn is convinced that he has now been granted the gift of power.

The Subplots:  None.

Web of Continuity:  

• Peter and MJ are assuming that the “May” Alison spoke of is their daughter, of course.
• We’re led to believe this issue that the Gathering of Five ceremony has ended with Madame Web receiving death, Overpower receiving immortality, Mattie Franklin receiving knowledge, Maxwell (the antiques dealer) receiving madness, and Osborn being granted power.  Subsequent issues will reveal that, naturally, nothing is as it seems.
• Mattie Franklin makes her full debut this issue.  She’s taken her father’s place after “his courage failed him.”
• A flashback shows Osborn implanting a device in Mark Raxton’s brain and transforming him back into Molten Man.  Except…Raxton can’t turn his molten form on and off.  He is Molten Man at all times, and I don’t recall any story that’s ever deviated from this.

Forever Young:  Teenager Mattie Franklin is a huge Spider-Man fan, telling Norman Osborn that adults like him “are too old to get what Spider-Man is all about!”  This doesn’t come across as forced or awkward at all, does it?

Miscellaneous Note:  The Statement of Ownership lists average sales at 119,547 copies, and the most recent issue selling 115,530 copies.

Review:  Believe it or not, this is the final issue of Amazing Spider-Man.  Of course, Marvel acknowledges in this very issue that a new Amazing Spider-Man #1 is only a few weeks away, but this remains the final issue of the first volume of the book.  (And Marvel will never pull this renumbering stunt again, will they?)  What a way to go out…the opening chapter of a crossover, a fill-in writer and artist, a massive continuity blunder involving the story’s villain, and absolutely nothing for Spider-Man to do throughout the entire issue.  Marvel’s approach to this pre-relaunch material is mystifying.  It’s obvious that these final two crossovers are paving the way for the new direction, yet the overall execution reads as if no one’s really paying attention to what’s being published.  If you are curious about the relaunch and pick the crossovers up, the inconsistent material probably isn’t going to entice you into coming back.  And if you think it’s safe to ignore these final issues, you’re out of luck, since the stories provide origins for many of the new characters appearing in the relaunch, plus minor details like the resurrection of Aunt May are occurring.  Ideally, the final issues of the titles would’ve provided a smooth transition between eras, and the new #1 titles coming later could start off with new stories that aren’t closely tied to the previous era.  What we’re getting is the worst of both options.

Judging the issue on its own merits, the outlook isn’t much better.  The entire story is structured so that Spider-Man barely appears, which would seem to be a fundamental problem.  I can understand why Byrne would want MJ to be the one to deliver the news regarding May to Peter, but couldn’t Spider-Man be occupied by something else until we reach the climax of the issue?  Why are so many pages wasted on the Gathering ceremony?  It consists largely of characters that no one cares anything about, doing something with no visual appeal whatsoever (placing artifacts on a table.)  And the elaborate sequence designed to show which character received which gift is undermined by a previous issue telling us that the gifts aren’t what they appear to be anyway.  We’ve already been told a fake-out is coming, so devoting so much time selling results that we all know aren’t real seems like a waste.  There are also just basic storytelling issues that drag the issue down.  The scenes with Robbie and Alison aren’t so bad, admittedly, but it’s hard to ignore that both Molten Man and Alison Mongrain literally disappear over the course of the story.  I mean, one panel they’re there, the next they’re not kind of disappearing.  Alison might even be dead for all we know; the story’s annoyingly vague.  Perhaps Rafael Kayanan shares in the blame.  He draws some shockingly inconsistent faces from panel to panel this issue, so it wouldn’t stun me to learn that he was on a tight deadline and perhaps some story details were left out of the art.  Unfortunately, Kayanan is ending his fill-in stint with his weakest work so far in the book.  (Although that final shot of Spidey swinging away from the Parkers’ home is pretty impressive.)

By the way, what’s the deal with Alison Mongrain’s characterization?  She’s gone from being a coldhearted Osborn flunky to this brave, selfless woman determined to let the Parkers know the truth about May.  I can understand her turning on Osborn after he tried to kill her, but why is she suddenly so virtuous?  Couldn’t she go into hiding and just write the Parkers a letter?  

Finally, there’s the issue of Aunt May’s return.  I think people have forgotten exactly how much fans hated this idea, largely because it’s just been accepted by now that Aunt May will always be a part of the Spider-Man mythos.  I won’t get into the merits of reviving the character right now, but I will say that only using the name “May” as a red herring is a clever move on Byrne’s part.  Perhaps unnecessarily cruel, but it’s a great tease for the rest of the storyline.  I’d much rather read about Spider-Man’s search for his daughter (even if it is a red herring) than anything relating to this arcane ceremony that’s been dragging the titles down for far too many issues.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #440 - October 1998

The Gathering of Five - Part Two: A Hot Time in the Old Town

Credits:  John Byrne (writer), Rafael Kayanan (penciler), LaRosa/Ramos/Palmiotti/Kayanan (inks), Mike Rockwitz & Mark Bernardo (colors), Comicraft’s Liz Agraphiotis (letters)

The Plot:  Spider-Man chases a seemingly brainwashed Molten Man across Manhattan.  Eventually, he realizes that Molten Man is on a mission to kill Alison Mongrain, who’s recently gotten off a tramp steamer with Robbie Robertson.  Spider-Man distracts Molten Man while Robertson and Mongrain escape.  Molten Man’s powers cause the docks beneath them to catch fire, and soon Spider-Man and Molten Man are both in the water, in the path of a giant boat.  Spider-Man escapes, but Molten Man disappears.  Meanwhile, Norman Osborn gathers one more piece needed for the ceremony from an antiques dealer named Maxwell.

The Subplots:  Alison Mongrain is adamant that she see Peter Parker immediately.  Meanwhile, Maxwell warns Osborn that the ceremony could impart one of five gifts: power, knowledge, immortality, death, or madness.  He also claims that the gifts “are never quite what they seem to be.”

Miscellaneous Note:  The recap page summarizes the previous ASM issue, which was essentially filler, as opposed to the first chapter of this storyline.

Review:  This issue was billed as an “early start” for John Byrne, who was allegedly so excited to be a part of the relaunch, he just couldn’t wait for the new Amazing Spider-Man #1.  Reader response at the time seemed to be mostly negative, and not only because Byrne would be simultaneously rewriting Spider-Man’s first year in the Chapter One miniseries.  As many fans pointed out, doing a soft reboot of the continuity and relaunching the titles with new #1s is utterly pointless if the storylines are just continuations of plots that begin before the relaunch.  That’s a valid point, but I now wonder how people would’ve responded if there were no transition issues and Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #1 simply dropped readers right in the middle of the new status quo.  The response probably would’ve been even more hostile.  

The early chapters of this crossover have actually done a decent job of hiding the fact that this storyline is about Norman Osborn gathering plot devices needed for a magical ceremony.  (Because Norman Osborn is always hatching those mystical schemes, right?)  I have to admit that John Byrne’s produced a script that’s far more readable than the bulk of the Tom DeFalco run.  The jokes are still largely terrible (While chasing Molten Man, Spidey remarks that the sewers stink “worse than J. Jonah Jameson’s gym socks!”), but Byrne seems to have a handle on Spider-Man’s character, emphasizing how much he wants to believe Molten Man hasn’t gone bad and allowing him to use his smarts during the action scenes.  Casting Molten Man as the villain is a decent choice, given that he’s been working for the Osborns for years now, so it’s inevitable he’s going to end up as a puppet in some plot Norman Osborn’s developed.  Byrne emphasizes the “molten” aspect of Molten Man’s name, establishing that he’s melting everything in his path, in addition to generating scalding steam that’s endangering anyone nearby.  He actually comes across as a credible threat for Spider-Man this issue.  I’ll also give Byrne credit for making it clear that something’s forcing Molten Man into doing this, so his reformation during the Gerry Conway years isn’t just tossed out the window.  The Molten Man of the past ten years isn’t ignored for the sake of a one-issue fight scene, and there’s no screwy continuity going on in order to justify a return to villainy.  That’s more consideration than Byrne will show Sandman in just a few months…

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #439 - Late September 1998

There once was a Spider…!

Credits:  Tom DeFalco (writer), Rafael Kayanan (penciler), Bud LaRosa (inks), Bob Sharen (colors), Comicraft’s Liz Agraphiotis (letters)

The Plot:  A thousand years in the future, researchers Zack and Lana discover the remains of a web-shooter in the ruins of Old Manhattan.  Their tests confirm it belonged to Spider-Man, one of the leading figures of the Heroic Age.  They speculate on what Spider-Man’s life was like, and the circumstances that led to him losing the web-shooter.  In the present, Spider-Man searches for a lost girl in the sewers.  He clings to an unstable structure, which falls on his arm, breaking the web-shooter.  Spider-Man convinces the girl to be brave and manages to rescue her in spite of his injured arm.

The Subplots:  MJ encourages Peter to stay home for the day, but changes her mind after seeing news footage of the missing girl.  MJ spends the rest of the day alone.

Review:  I don’t pretend to know what was going on behind the scenes at this time, but Tom DeFalco’s final two ASM issues shipped bi-weekly, leading the way for John Byrne to debut early with the “Gathering of Five” crossover.  Like the previous two issues, this is pure filler, but it is has more heart and humor than the two duds that preceded it.  Zack and Lana’s attempts to piece together what Spider-Man’s life must have been like play against the reality that Spider-Man experiences as New York’s least appreciated hero, and there are numerous in-jokes for comic fans to enjoy.  Lana, for example, is a fan of Spider-Man’s “Maximum Carnage” era, a fact Zack just can’t believe.  DeFalco has also remembered to throw in a token Peter/MJ scene; one that once again mischaracterizes MJ as a domineering nag, but she’s thankfully less annoying than she was earlier in DeFalco's run.  It seems we were supposed to be sympathizing for MJ during her previous bouts of obnoxiousness, an idea that was poorly conveyed to say the least.  This issue has a brief scene emphasizing just how lonely she is when Peter is off playing hero, which is a fair enough avenue to explore.  The human moments could’ve been sold better by Rafael Kayanan, who still struggles with basic acting, but I have to say that I’m still enjoying his interpretation of Spider-Man and I think his backgrounds look solid.  Overall, the story is a decent goodbye for DeFalco, who was never able to hit his stride during his second Amazing stint.  I’m glad that he was able to go out with one of his stronger issues.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #438 - September 1998

Seeing is Disbelieving!

Credits:  Tom DeFalco (writer), Scott Kolins (penciler), Gary Martin (inks), Bob Sharen (colors), Comicraft (letters)

The Plot:  Spider-Man responds to a bank’s security alarm and is shocked to discover dinosaurs inside the building.  The dinosaurs abruptly disappear shortly before the police arrive, and Peter Parker later discovers his camera didn’t capture any images of the dinosaurs.  Meanwhile, Matt Murdock is hired by Gilsoft Games to write work-for-hire contracts for the company’s employees.  While at the software studio, Murdock notices employee Angela Bradford seems oddly unfazed by the announcement.  Angela exits and changes into Synario.  Using her Mobile VR Inducer, she constructs a false reality that will create a distraction while she attempts another robbery.  Spider-Man arrives just as Murdock changes into Daredevil.  After an initial misunderstanding, they unite and defeat Synario.  When the owner of Gilsoft Games and Synario argue over who has the rights to the VR Inducer, Spider-Man simply destroys it.

The Subplots:  None.

Web of Continuity:  The name Synario doesn't actually appear in the issue.

I Love the ‘90s:  Spider-Man wonders if the dinosaurs at the bank are related to “Godzilla's big screen return.”

Review:  The second one-shot story in a row with a gratuitous guest star and no character subplots.  Fantastic.  Blatant filler is annoying enough when it shows up in Unlimited or another peripheral spinoff, but how did the flagship title end up in such a sorry state?  And didn’t Daredevil just guest star in this book?  Admittedly, DeFalco has devised a better reason for him to appear in this particular story (DD’s blindness makes him immune from Synario’s virtual reality device), but his presence still adds very little to the issue.  There’s really nothing in the story to make it stand out above any other generic fill-in; even the self-aware references to work-for-hire deals don’t lead anywhere.  Synario’s already a disgruntled employee before she finds out the company plans on “stealing” her work.  She hates her boss for ignoring her in favor of his boy’s club, so the ethics regarding corporate vs. creator-owned work aren’t relevant to her specifically.  Synario’s already robbing banks before Matt Murdock even appears, funding her own game company with the help of her VR device.  And it’s clearly the most advanced virtual reality technology in the world, since it’s the size of a Roomba but is powerful enough to convince a bank that it’s been invaded by dinosaurs.  She should already be rich.  Why is she robbing banks?  And didn’t DeFalco already create a VR-themed villainess called Stunner during the clone days?  

With a story this hopeless, the issue would have to possess an incredible artist to save it.  And to be fair, even though the plot is annoyingly simplistic, it does leave room for an artist to have a blast with the visuals.  Scott Kolins is certainly competent at this stage, but he’s not stylized enough to make the various dinosaurs, robots, and monsters particularly memorable.  This is just a dud all around; best forgotten, which it surely is.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #437 - August 1998

I, Monster!

Credits:  Tom DeFalco (writer), Rafael Kayanan (penciler), Bud LaRosa (inker), Bob Sharen (colors), Comicraft (letters)

The Plot:  Spider-Man passes by Synch, in his civilian identity, in Central Park.  He stops and rescues Synch from a group of muggers.  Elsewhere, Plantman is secretly spying on Synch.  He doses Synch with his mutagenic pollen, which causes Synch to mutate into a monster.  Synch attacks Spider-Man, but Plantman isn’t pleased by the progress of the fight.  He beckons Synch to his underground hideout, and Spider-Man follows.  Soon, Spider-Man is also exposed to the mutagenic pollen, which transforms him into a human-spider creature.  Eventually, Synch and Spider-Man are able to overwhelm Plantman and throw him into a batch of his mutator plants.  Plantman agrees to provide an antidote if the heroes allow him to become human again.

The Subplots:  MJ and Aunt Anna discuss Peter’s upcoming exam, which is crucial for his GPA.

Web of Continuity:  Plantman’s stated motivation this issue is to gain revenge on Synch and Generation X, following his defeat in Generation X #25.  Except…Plantman wasn’t in Generation X #25, or any other issue of Generation X.  DeFalco has him confused with the living-tree interpretation of Black Tom, who was the villain in Generation X #25.

“Huh?” Moments:  

• Spider-Man tells Synch to be careful in the park at night, even though the bright blue sky and corresponding colors clearly indicate it’s daytime.  Actually, there are numerous references to this story occurring at night, a detail apparently never told to Bob Sharen.
• Spider-Man previously met Synch with the rest of Generation X in 1997’s Marvel Team-Up #1.  He doesn’t recognize Synch in the park, even though Synch’s costume doesn’t have a mask.
• If Synch’s powers are only supposed to work on mutants (as stated early on in the issue), he shouldn’t be able to “synch” non-mutant Spider-Man’s powers by the issue’s end, mutagenic pollen or no mutagenic pollen.

How Did This Get Published?:  “Losing to those annoying kids the first time we fought was bad enough - but their lack of respect was even more irritating!  They mocked both my costume and my powers!  I mean,really, they cower at the mere mention of Magneto --the Master of Magnetism!  And what has that cretin accomplished with his mutant supremacy silliness?  Perhaps plants just aren’t considered ‘cool enough’ -- in the colloquial parlance.   You and your sisters, my love, will soon teach them the error of their ways!  Magnetism -- mutants -- bah!  The deciduous…the coniferous.  There is where true power lies!”  Plantman’s villainous monologue on page six.

Review:  Wow…is there any wonder why Marvel was ready to reboot these titles by now?  I’m not defending the reboot (which ultimately failed to bring in new readers, annoyed existing fans, and created unnecessary continuity problems), but obviously something had to be done if the spider-office thought that an issue like this was printable in the first place, let alone a story worthy of their flagship title.  Virtually every aspect of this issue is a screw-up.  DeFalco’s just invented a Generation X back issue that never existed, the dialogue is painfully corny, Synch’s powers are inconsistently portrayed, Plantman’s wearing his laughable Silver Age outfit again for some reason, Synch switches into his superhero outfit while mutating into a monster for another unknown reason, and no one’s even told the colorist what time of day the story’s taking place.  And the human drama that’s supposed to be the hallmark of a Spider-Man story consists of one page of Peter studying for a test.  A test that’s going towards this degree he only seems sporadically interested in pursuing.

To call this work subpar wouldn’t do it justice.  The only redeeming attribute would be the debut of penciler Rafael Kayanan, who’s filling in for a few issues.  Kayanan isn’t great, in fact I remember some fans openly loathed his work, but I do think he draws a respectable interpretation of Spider-Man.  He’s got the poses down, I like the way he handles the costume’s web-pattern, and he’s usually able to draw Spider-Man’s eyes consistently, with the right balance between the white interior and black outline.  His human figures and faces need work, but I do consider him an improvement over Joe Bennett’s art from this era.