SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #261 - September 1998

Goblins at the Gate Part 3 - Bad Business

Credits:  Roger Stern (plot), Glenn Greenberg (plot/script), Luke Ross (penciler), Al Milgrom (inks), John Kalisz (colors), Comicraft’s Liz Agraphiotis (letters)

The Plot:  The Green Goblin prevents Hobgoblin from unmasking Spider-Man, demanding he take his brother Daniel and go.  At their secret meeting place, Hobgoblin soon realizes that Norman Osborn already knows Spider-Man’s secret ID.  Osborn then reveals that he knows Hobgoblin was lying about having another copy of his journal.  When Osborn boasts that he’s already gained control of Roderick Kingsley’s corporate empire, Hobgoblin lashes out.  Their fight starts a fire in the warehouse, but Spider-Man is able to escape with Daniel Kingsley.  During the subsequent battle inside the warehouse, Spider-Man catches an obstructed view of the new Green Goblin’s face, Norman Osborn and the new Green Goblin escape, and Hobgoblin slips away while Spider-Man rescues firefighters from a collapsing wall.  Later, Roderick Kingsley relaxes on a Caribbean beach.

The Subplots:  An irritated Betty is unable to find Peter while she investigates the case.  Later, an exhausted Spider-Man is incapable of giving her a comment when he exits the burning warehouse.

“Huh?” Moment:  Hobgoblin doesn’t have time to unmask Spider-Man, but he does have time to grab some of Spidey's excess webbing, wrap it around his body, and pick Spider-Man up and fly away with him to his next destination.

Review:  Unfortunately, the finale turns out to be the weakest chapter of this arc.  I don’t mind the initial cheat that prevents Hobgoblin from unmasking Spider-Man (as the story points out, Osborn already knows his secret ID, plus the scene is a clever hint that the mystery Green Goblin is a friend of Spidey’s).  However, the subsequent cheat mentioned above is just ridiculous.  Hobgoblin has a good five minutes to take off Spider-Man’s mask, but instead he goes through an elaborate procedure to tie Spidey to his glider, just to (hopefully) unmask him later.  Would it really have been so unthinkable to actually reveal Spider-Man’s secret to Roderick Kingsley?  If you’re ending the story with Kingsley, again, retiring from supervillainy, that means the plot development isn’t going to have any immediate ramifications anyway.  It’s just a piece of info that Kingsley could file away for the future, a threat that lingers over Spidey’s head that could be paid off in a later story.  It would also add more significance to this arc, which is largely an exercise in illusion of change as it turns out.  The only real plot advancement is Kingsley’s release from prison, which merely leads to him retiring on the beach again (which I think is exactly where he began in Spider-Man: The Hobgoblin Lives!)

Another annoyance -- the identity of the mystery Green Goblin is almost exposed, but of course no actual revelation is made.  How annoying did this mystery Green Goblin plot turn out to be?  I’m not blaming Stern and Greenberg since I know they inherited this plotline, and it’s also my understanding that they actually wanted to resolve the mystery.  Someone at Marvel should’ve had the good sense to listen to them, because as a mystery, or just a basic story, this all amounts to nothing.  Osborn isn’t the Goblin anymore, a man in the shadows is brainwashed into taking his place, the stories hint that it could be either Flash or Harry Osborn, and then…nothing.  It’s time for a different series of half-baked mysteries that have no real resolution.

Making this worse, Norman Osborn never appears as the Green Goblin during the story arc.  He does get into a physical altercation with Hobgoblin, and appears in one panel wearing the mask and flying away on the new Goblin’s glider, but that’s all we get.  Was it unreasonable for me to assume that the first meeting between the original Green Goblin and the original Hobgoblin would involve a vicious battle between the two of them…as the Green Goblin and the Hobgoblin (no stand-ins allowed)?  Did Marvel have an editorial edict that Norman Osborn couldn’t appear as the Green Goblin at this time?  If not, it’s hard to understand why this arc didn’t deliver on such a basic expectation.

So, yeah, the finale doesn’t live up to the promise of the earlier chapters.  I feel obligated to say that I didn’t hate this chapter, I just think it wimped out.  There are still moments to enjoy, such as Spider-Man’s efforts to save the firefighters even though it means letting Hobgoblin go, and MJ’s little speech to Peter at the end that eases his hurt feelings.  (Why other writers couldn’t realize that MJ works much better in this role than as his shrewish, no-fun wife I’ll never understand.)  Betty and Flash are also used well throughout the arc, even if the storyline ultimately doesn’t have an impact on either character.  The supporting cast is still present in the story, adding some humanity and making their presence felt.  Just like the previous chapters, this really does feel like “Classic Spidey,” regardless of my issues with specific plot points.

SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #260 - August 1998

Goblins at the Gate Part 2 - Spider in the Middle

Credits:  Roger Stern (plot), Glenn Greenberg (plot/script), Luke Ross (penciler), Al Milgrom (inks), John Kalisz (colors), Comicraft’s Liz Agraphiotis (letters)

The Plot:  Osborn spares Hobgoblin’s life after he offers to hand Osborn his business empire, and the remaining Osborn journal.  With Osborn’s help, Hobgoblin locates his brother Daniel, who is in protective custody.  Osborn sends his new Green Goblin to follow Hobgoblin.  Spider-Man also learns of Daniel’s location from Detective Lou Snider and soon confronts Hobgoblin there.  The new Green Goblin interferes during Hobgoblin’s fight with Spider-Man.  Spider-Man is knocked unconscious by one of the Green Goblin’s darts, giving Hobgoblin an opportunity to unmask him.

The Subplots:  Billy Walters walks past a closet that Peter and MJ (who just brought Peter a change of clothes) are exiting.  He gets the wrong idea.  Peter and Flash have a brief disagreement over Osborn’s stewardship of the Daily Bugle, which is ended by Betty.

Web of Continuity:  

• Hobgoblin blames his brother, Daniel Kingsley, for his capture following the events of Spider-Man: The Hobgoblin Lives!  
• Detective Lou Snider is an obscure character going all the way back to Roger Stern’s run on Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man.
• Billy needs to use the dark room, even though (I'll repeat) he’s a reporter, not a photographer.

Review:  This does read like a lost Roger Stern Spider-Man comic, which on a very basic level makes the storyline a success.  When characters like Lou Snider start showing up, you know that you’re getting a story by Spidey fans for Spidey fans.  The brief touches with the supporting cast, such as Peter and Flash’s short argument and the lighthearted romantic scene with Peter and MJ, also create a sense that this is a “real” Spider-Man story.  The other stories from this era rarely feel so well rounded.  The elements of what makes Spider-Man unique occasionally appear, but overall the titles can’t seem to find a balance between the villains, supporting cast, and subplots.  There actually isn’t a real “subplot” as such so far in the arc, but the chapters still take the time to check in on the supporting cast members, relate their pasts logically to what’s happening in the main story, and give Peter and MJ small romantic moments.  You wouldn’t think this would be so hard, but it seems to rarely happen in the post-clone era.  My only real complaint is that Norman Osborn has yet to appear as the Green Goblin during this arc.  The faux-Goblin storyline is automatically irritating because I don’t recall it ever having a real conclusion, but even worse is the fact that Marvel went to such great lengths to resurrect Norman Osborn, only to pass the Goblin mantle on to a mystery character.  So now, Norman Osborn sits behind a desk and plays Kingpin while a shadowy figure does the fighting for him.  That’s not what anyone really wanted to see, is it?  And isn’t part of the appeal of this storyline the basic wish fulfillment of the original Green Goblin and original Hobgoblin in a classic supervillain fight?  The story’s almost over and the audience is still waiting for the true Green Goblin to do something.

SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #259 - July 1998

Goblins at the Gate Part 1 - Survivor of the Big Lie!

Credits:  Roger Stern (plot), Glenn Greenberg (plot/script), Luke Ross (penciler), Al Milgrom (inks), John Kalisz (colors), Comicraft’s Liz Agraphiotis (letters)

The Plot:  Norman Osborn goes on a publicity tour for his book, “Survivor of the Big Lie.”  Roderick Kingsley sees a televised interview and is incensed that Osborn is free while he’s incarcerated.  He informs his lawyer that he has one copy of Osborn’s journal left, which will prove Osborn truly is the Green Goblin.  Kingsley hopes to give the information to the DA in exchange for parole.  Word leaks to Osborn.  Soon, Kingsley is released to a secret location to discuss the plea bargain, but is ambushed by the Green Goblin.  Spider-Man intervenes, but is shocked when Kingsley sides with the Green Goblin and attacks him.  Kingsley escapes with Green Goblin, and is taken to meet Norman Osborn.

The Subplots:  Jonah is still eyeing the handgun he keeps in his desk drawer, cursing Norman Osborn’s name.  Jill Stacy senses something sinister about Osborn when watching his TV interview.  Peter and MJ’s romantic night alone is spoiled when Betty Brant arrives and tells him about Roderick Kingsley’s plan.

Web of Continuity:  

• Apparently, this issue marks the debut of Willis Gottfried, Roderick Kingsley’s lawyer.
• Norman Osborn’s book has somehow dispelled the public’s belief that he was ever the Green Goblin.
• The Green Goblin seen this issue fighting Spider-Man is presumably the same replacement who appeared during “SpiderHunt.”

*See _________ For Details:  Kingsley’s entire collection of Osborn journals was supposedly destroyed in Amazing Spider-Man #251.  The prison guard that Betty Brant used as an informant in Spider-Man: TheHobgoblin Lives! #3 notifies her of Roderick Kingsley’s potential plea bargain deal.  

I Love the ‘90s:  Osborn appears on the “Reggie & Katie May Show,” which is a parody of Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee.  MJ later remarks to Peter that Party of Five is a rerun tonight, so you know what that means…

Miscellaneous Note:  Glenn Greenberg wrote a hypothetical introduction for this arc, discussing its origin and evolution, when it was reprinted in the second edition of Spider-Man: The Hobgoblin Lives!  You can read it on his blog.

Review:  The premise behind this storyline is a sound one -- the original Green Goblin is back, and the original Hobgoblin has been revealed, yet no one has done a story featuring them together so far.  Thankfully, this arc isn’t being handled by some of the, well, less consistent writers assigned to the titles during this era.  Roger Stern himself has agreed to return, co-plotting a story spearheaded by Glenn Greenberg.  That leaves some hope that the arc won’t be as directionless and half-hearted as many of the other stories from this period.  And the Black Tarantula won’t show up.

The first chapter picks up where Hobgoblin Lives! left off, which was itself a sequel to the earliest Hobgoblin material penned by Stern back in the early ‘80s.  The current status quo of the titles is also reiterated, explaining in careful detail to the reader what Norman Osborn has been up to lately.  (Which admittedly, isn’t much.  He wrote a book and faked the kidnapping of his grandson.  Yeah, he annoyed Spider-Man with the $5 million bounty, but Osborn himself hasn’t gotten his own hands dirty in months.)  That leaves the reader with a hefty amount of exposition in the first chapter, which isn’t a huge problem, but it does make for a rather slow opening.  My major reservation going into this arc is if Roderick Kingsley is a strong enough villain to justify the years of build-up and continuity games that went into the Hobgoblin reveal.  I thought Hobgoblin Lives! was a lot of fun, but the weakest element was actually intended as the series’ selling point; Roderick Kingsley as the true Hobgoblin is just a difficult pill to swallow.  Yeah, I know that was the plan all along, but I also think Tom DeFalco had good reasons for ditching it.  I also have to question if Luke Ross is the best artist to be doing this story.  Given his McFarlane influence, he would presumably draw a fearsome Green Goblin, but his Goblin is actually a bit tepid this issue.  Ross, to his credit, is drawing a pretty fantastic rendition of the supporting cast at this point, so I don’t want to single him out for criticism.  I just wish he brought some of the energy he injected into villains like Mad Jack into the Goblin.  

All that said, the first chapter of the arc is a decent opening.  There’s a classic Spidey feel to the issue, with various supporting cast members popping in and out, old plotlines being addressed, and the promise of a Green Goblin/Hobgoblin confrontation.  In comparison to the largely forgettable work being done in most of the other titles, it’s a relief to read a story that actually feels connected to the history of Spider-Man, keeps the supporting cast members in-character, and has more than a little ambition going for it.  

SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #258 - June 1998

Man of the People

Credits:  Glenn Greenberg (writer), Luke Ross (penciler), Al Milgrom (inks), John Kalisz (colors), Comicraft’s Kiff Scholl (letters)

The Plot:  Prodigy uses his spider-sense to see through Mad Jack and Conundrum’s illusions.  After Mad Jack escapes, Prodigy discovers that Conundrum only wanted the Hand of Mumthazi and has no interest in Tabriaz.  Prodigy intimidates Conundrum into revealing Tabriaz’s location.  While there, he’s attacked by Mad Jack.  Norman Osborn arrives with his armed guards.  One of them, Kenneth, shoots and apparently kills Mad Jack.  With the Hand of Mumthazi recovered, Tabriaz rescued, Conundrum in custody, and Mad Jack dead, Osborn is pleased.  His mood is disrupted, however, when Prodigy announces at a news conference that he’s found a Spider-Man suit at Conundrum’s hideout, implicating him as the impostor Spider-Man that beat Norman Osborn.  Later, the Daily Bugle clears Spider-Man.  Peter returns to his original alter ego, while Norman Osborn has a secret meeting with Mad Jack.  

The Subplots:  None.

Web of Continuity:  

• This story has to be set “in-between the pages” of Peter Parker, Spider-Man #92 and Amazing Spider-Man #435-436, since the Trapster has already confessed to Joey Z’s murder by the time Prodigy has his press conference.
• Mad Jack was in on Norman Osborn’s scheme from the beginning.  He accepts Osborn’s payment (previously, he burned the money) and explains that faking his death will help him move in the shadows.  Osborn claims that the recent events will make him more of a public hero and will place Ambassador Chaliz in his debt.
• According to Norman Osborn, Ambassador Chaliz is an old friend, and his family was among the few who knew he was still alive while hiding out in Europe.
• This issue makes it clear that Conundrum’s ransom note to Ambassador Chaliz demanded they meet at Maquire’s bar, which is how Prodigy knew where to find him last issue.  Why both Conundrum and Mad Jack have a connection to the bar isn’t revealed.

Forever Young:  Peter’s response to meeting the beautiful Tabriaz would seem to be an attempt to reinsert a bit of “girl trouble” in the title (although he does at least feel guilty for noticing how pretty she is.)

Review:  Glenn Greenberg is credited as the “incoming writer,” although I think it was already known within Marvel that Spectacular would be cancelled soon.  Greenberg’s previous work in Unlimited and his prose stories lead me to believe that he’s a respectable choice to be taking over this title, even if it is only for a few issues.  Debuting as the guy playing clean-up on a two-parter taking place within a larger event, however, isn’t going to be the best showcase of anyone’s talents.  

Both Greenberg and Ross do a competent job closing the story out, but it’s hard to say that there’s anything particularly exciting going on.  The villains are defeated, the girl is rescued, Spider-Man’s name is cleared, Norman Osborn maintains his public image, and not a single mystery involving Mad Jack and Conundrum is resolved.  (Even with Mad Jack “dead,” there’s no effort to take his mask off and discover his true identity.  Spider-Man doesn’t seem curious about his body at all, actually.)  The status quo simply reverts back to normal, with only a small amount of hand-wringing on Spider-Man’s part for planting evidence at Conundrum’s hideout.  Initially, this seemed like too much of a copout ending, although now that I think about it, I can understand why the creators wanted to end the bounty storyline cleanly.  Spider-Man is guilty of beating Osborn, but it’s inconvenient story-wise for the Daily Bugle to have a bounty on him forever, so there has to be some kind of closure.  So, I accept that Spider-Man has to be cleared in some way for the beating, but I question the execution.  As I mentioned, Spider-Man feels a bit guilty about implicating Conundrum in the attack, but he’s over it by the final page.  Ultimately, that small amount of guilt is the only price he pays for losing his temper and attacking Osborn, which is letting Spidey off too easily.  I also question his willingness to plant evidence implicating anyone, even a villain, for a crime he didn’t commit.  If Spider-Man were to make a dubious moral choice like that, it seems like something he would angst over for at least a few issues.

SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #246 - May 1997

 

The Legion of Losers!

Credits:  J. M. DeMatteis (plot), Glenn Greenberg (script), Luke Ross (penciler), Dan Green & Al Milgrom (inks), John Kalisz (colors), Comicraft (letters)

The Plot:  Spider-Man stumbles across the Grizzly, the Gibbon, the Spot, and the Kangaroo as they exit a bank robbery.  Spider-Man is taken captive by the villains, but the Grizzly and the Gibbon later have second thoughts about harming him.  They team up to defend Spider-Man from the Spot and the Kangaroo, impressing Spider-Man enough to let the duo go.  As Spider-Man takes the Spot and the Kangaroo to prison, Grizzly and the Gibbon plot to become superheroes.

The Subplots:  Spider-Man begins the story by searching upstate New York for the Chameleon.  Dr. Kafka and John Jameson are fired from Ravencroft by Senator Roeberg.  Meanwhile, Flash asks Betty to help him deal with his alcoholism.  At the Daily Bugle, Mad Jack ambushes Jonah Jameson.  His body is later found in an elevator.

*See _________ For Details:  Senator Roeberg claims that she had to call in several favors to reopen Ravencroft, following the events of Carnage: It’s a Wonderful Life.

We Get Letters:  The previous month’s letter column shows up again.

I Love the ‘90s:  The Grizzly sarcastically compares the Kangaroo (who always “bounces back”) to Bill Clinton.

Review:  I’ve mentioned before that I dislike the idea of reviving the Grizzly solely to use as a joke character, especially when his previous appearance in Web of Spider-Man was an outright rebuke of the very concept of joke characters.  I suspect Glenn Greenberg was one of the few people involved with the Spider-titles at the time who was even aware of that story, so maybe he had some influence on Grizzly’s (slightly) improved portrayal this issue.  Grizzly gets over his vendetta against Spider-Man very quickly, and actually turns against his teammates to defend him.  That essentially leaves him where he was at the end of his last appearance in Web of Spider-Man, which I suppose is preferable to allowing him to just stay a revenge-obsessed loser.  Now, he’s merely a loser superhero with the Gibbon as a sidekick, leaving him as a joke character, of course.  Admittedly, some of this “Legion of Losers” stuff is funny, but I just think there’s something wrong with the core of the concept.  The fans do have a certain group of characters they dismiss as losers.  Fine.  But should the stories themselves reflect this?  Shouldn’t a creator’s energy be spent on making the Spot a credible villain, rather than confirming his status as a joke?  Is the Grizzly inherently a worse character than, say, the Rhino?  

I also have to wonder about the tone of the issue.  The occasional comedic story is a welcome change of pace, but continuing serious subplots in the middle of one just makes for a disjointed issue.  Dr. Kafka getting fired (finally), Flash admitting he’s an alcoholic, and Mad Jack possibly killing Jonah are some of the strongest subplots currently featured in any of the titles, yet they’re buried underneath an intentionally silly story.  Just look at that cover; do you really believe for a second that this is the issue that’s going to kill off Jonah Jameson?  The tone doesn’t work, and that hurts the issue’s ability to sell the ongoing storylines that are supposed to bring you back for the next chapter.

SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED #17 - August 1997

I, Robot Master

Credits:  Glenn Greenberg (writer), Howard Mackie (plot assist), Joe Bennett (penciler), Joe Pimentel (inks), Christie Scheele (colors), Jack Morelli (letters)

The Plot:  Betty Brant and Peter Parker investigate mysterious robotic toys left at various children's hospitals.  Peter recognizes one of the toys as a miniature Robot Master, leading him to suspect Mendell Stromm is still alive.  With Arthur Stacy’s help, Peter discerns which hospital will receive the next toy delivery.  As Spider-Man, he meets Stromm the next morning, and is shocked to discover he has amnesia.  Stromm takes Spider-Man to his old lab, explaining that he was wandering aimlessly until he passed the abandoned building and felt drawn to it.  He began to make toys for local children, inspired by vague memories of being a sick child.  When Spider-Man mentions Norman Osborn, Stromm’s demeanor changes.  He dons one of his robotic suits and attacks Spider-Man, assuming he’s associated with Osborn.  The building is destroyed, but Spider-Man saves Stromm with Arthur Stacy’s help.  

The Subplots:  Arthur Stacy visits the Daily Bugle to gain more information on Spider-Man’s connection to the deaths of George and Gwen Stacy.  Jonah Jameson sends him to lunch with a reluctant Peter, who was at the offices to research Mendell Stromm.  Later, Peter discovers MJ is still up at 3 AM studying.  She advises him not to allow his anger over Norman Osborn’s actions cloud his judgment when dealing with Stromm.

Web of Continuity:  

• Mendell Stromm was left for dead by Norman Osborn in Amazing Spider-Man #418 as punishment for failing him.  His amnesia was caused by an electrical blast to the brain.  The reality is that Tom DeFalco meant for this to be an actual death scene, but Glenn Greenberg was interested in bringing Stromm back.
• At the end of the story, Spider-Man takes Mendell Stromm to Dr. Kafka for an evaluation.  She confirms that most of his memories of the past nine years are gone, which means Spider-Man’s secret identity is safe.
• Robbie Robertson and Arthur Stacy meet for the first time this issue.
• Jonah Jameson is hale and hearty this issue, and Ashley Kafka is still employed at Ravencroft, meaning this is another story that has to occur before Spectacular Spider-Man #246.

Forever Young:  Speaking of Ashley Kafka, she mentions that Stromm’s heart attack, which was his first death scene back in Amazing Spider-Man #37, occurred nine years ago.  That means Peter Parker was a college freshman nine years ago, putting him firmly in his late 20s.  Marvel’s unofficial de-aging of the character is only a year away, at which point reboot co-architect John Byrne will declare Peter merely 22.

I Love the ‘90s:  While staking out the hospital early in the morning, Spider-Man wishes he had a portable TV to watch Dionne Warwick and the Psychic Friends Network.

Miscellaneous Note:  The title of this issue is a reference to Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot.

Review:  The best Spider-Man Unlimited issue in ages, no doubt about it.  Not only is this a much stronger Joe Bennett job, whose Amazing Spider-Man work I would say is obviously suffering from deadline problems, but it’s a well-constructed story that uses the current status quo of the titles in a thoughtful way.  I’d put this issue up against any of the contemporary monthly Spider-Man books, assuming we had to compare for some reason.  It just feels more like a Spider-Man story than the vast majority of the material being published at this time.  The characters are likable, past events are influencing current events in logical ways, and the connection between Peter’s life and Spidey’s life feels organic.  When MJ gives Peter a small lecture, (lovingly) telling him not to let his anger over what happened to them earlier cloud his thinking…when Betty realizes that visiting kids in a children’s hospital might be hard for Peter after losing his own daughter…when Arthur Stacy has a chance to unmask Spider-Man but instead saves Stromm’s life…these are simple human moments, sharply written, and it’s hard to think of too many of these scenes occurring in the monthly titles.  

As we discover in the final “Life of Reilly” installment, the inspiration for this issue came from Greenberg’s desire to tie up some loose ends from the Clone Saga, and to actually address a dangling plotline from the current titles.  What exactly was Arthur Stacy supposed to be doing in these books?  The only writer who even seemed interested in covering the Stacy family was Howard Mackie, and his interest was sporadic to say the least.  Why were the Stacys revived if no one was going to do anything with them?  What’s the point of establishing Arthur Stacy as obsessed with learning the truth about Spider-Man and then putting him far into the background?  It’s possible that Mackie did have plans to address this, and I’m sure he did help Greenberg to make this a better story when consulting with him, but it’s slightly ridiculous that it takes an issue of Unlimited to give this story any traction.  It’s a good use of Unlimited, which of course is usually filler, but these are ideas that should’ve been addressed months earlier.  And given Greenberg’s ability to effectively use the supporting cast, make good use of the line’s current status quo, and humanize a throwaway villain like Mendell Stromm, it’s a shame he wasn’t assigned more Spider-Man work during these days.  At the very least, he should’ve been given a chance to make something out of Unlimited on a regular basis.

PETER PARKER, SPIDER-MAN Annual ‘97 - March 1997

Dead Men Walking

Credits:  Glenn Herdling (writer), Glenn Greenberg (story assist), Shawn McManus (artist), John Kalisz (colors), Comicraft (letters)

The Plot:  Spider-Man encounters Ramon, a man drugged to act like a zombie.  The next day at the Daily Bugle, he learns Ramon is Glory Grant’s cousin.  After taking Glory to visit Ramon at Ravencroft, Peter discovers federal agent Shotgun at Glory’s apartment.  Shotgun is investigating Glory, since she was one of the survivors of a cruise ship that recently sank.  Shortly, Spider-Man is caught in a fight between Shotgun and the Zombie, who has arrived from New Orleans.  Glory saves Shotgun’s life, proving her innocence to him.  However, while later investigating the ship’s wreckage with Shotgun, Glory turns on him and leaves him to drown.  Glory, now dressed as Calypso, breaks Ramon out of Ravencroft and summons the Zombie to help her dig up Calypso’s grave.  Spider-Man arrives and allows Calypso to resurrect her body in order to save Glory.  Calypso escapes and Glory returns to normal.  The Zombie leaves after Glory gives him Calypso’s talisman.

The Subplots:  MJ and Peter spend a night watching movies at home.  When MJ falls asleep, he changes into Spider-Man to check on Glory again.  Drugs shipped from Haiti have turned Glory’s cousin into a “zombie.”  Shotgun claims that the latest shipment is on the cruise ship that sank.  While possessed by Calypso, Glory acts on her attraction to Shotgun and seduces him when he spends the night at her apartment.  Later, she’s relieved when Dr. Kafka revives Shotgun after his near-drowning.  Dr. Kafka also administers a cure to Ramon.

*See _________ For Details:  Calypso claims her physical body has been recovering since her death in Web of Spider-Man #109.  Her spirit resided in the Talisman of Damballah, which once controlled the Zombie.  One of Calypso’s agents knew to give the talisman to Glory during her Caribbean vacation because he sensed their mutual hatred of Spider-Man, which is a reference to the conclusion of the Lobos Brothers arc in Web of Spider-Man #55.

I Love the ‘90s:  Peter and MJ check out movies at a video store before their night at home.

Review:  You might recall that “Torment” was based on an idea by Glenn Herdling, who returns this issue to revive Calypso after her utterly pointless death in Terry Kavanagh’s Web of Spider-Man run.  Herdling was also the assistant editor on the titles during the extended Lobos Brothers arc, which ended with Glory Grant perfectly willing to kill Spider-Man for the werewolf mobster she loved.  (Yup.   Check the archives.)  That scene was casually ignored after the story ended, as Glory disappeared into obscurity as soon as Gerry Conway left the books in the early ‘90s.  I have no idea if Conway had any concrete plans on what was next for Glory following her relationship with Eduardo Lobo, but I kind of doubt he intended for her to be possessed by the spirit of Calypso.  

Unfortunately, what we have here is another case of a Daily Bugle cast member defying all odds and somehow getting dragged into a scheme involving one of Spider-Man's established villains.  Never one of Iron Fist's villains, oddly enough.  Glory just so happens to be on a cruise ship that takes in a boat of Haitian refugees, one of which is a servant of Calypso, who is able to discern that Glory has a subconscious hatred of Spider-Man going back to a story that hasn’t been referenced in years.  Simultaneously, the cruise ship is also carrying drugs from Haiti; drugs that will soon turn Glory’s cousin into a zombie back in America.  Those are just too many coincidences to accept in one story, and that’s before we even get to the fact that Ashley Kafka happens to be the doctor treating Ramon.

Now, for some reason, the story goes out of its way to differentiate between the “Zombieastral” (zombies created by chemicals) and “Zombiecadavre” (a resurrected corpse).  Both are used in the story, and neither adds much of anything.  The basic idea of Calypso possessing Glory Grant and using Glory to resurrect her original body has problems, but at least there’s nothing fundamentally convoluted about it.  For some reason, Herdling feels the need to complicate the plot with the old ‘70s Zombie, political strife in Haiti, a new street drug that zombifies people, Glory’s cousin, and, oh yeah, Shotgun.  You might remember Shotgun from practically any Marvel title drawn by John Romita, Jr. in the ‘90s.  (Romita, Jr. was even supposed to do a monthly Shotgun series during the heyday of Big Guns & Attitude, but it never materialized.)  This might just be Shotgun’s first appearance not drawn by Romita.  And the artist turns out to be Shawn McManus of all people, doing a job that’s just as polarizing as his Sensational Spider-Man annual in the previous year.  Initially, I had to wonder why Herdling felt the need to use Shotgun during the story, but eventually decided to shrug my shoulders and go along with it since Shotgun works about as well as any other government agent character.  Then again, Shotgun’s only here due to the inane “zombie drug” plot thread, the one that adds zilch to the plot, so he stands out as another distraction.  

All this said, I have to admit to some affection for this issue.  I love the original Lobos Brothers arc from Web, so any attempt to pick up on a loose thread and follow up on Glory Grant is appreciated.  And as much as “Torment” has become a source of ridicule over the years, it did reestablish Calypso as a real threat, so it’s nice to see the mistake of killing her off rectified.  I’m also impressed that Herdling somehow found a way to drag in two obscure characters from distant corners of the Marvel Universe like Zombie and Shotgun and put them into the same story.  It felt like a story grafted onto another story that didn’t need it at all, but still, that’s a decent quota of forgotten Marvel characters.