Too Violent? Too Sexy? Spider-Man's Conflicted 1980s Era

A newlywed Spider-Man and MJ faced sins of the past...and pushed a few of the era's boundaries. I revisit all this and the return of Sal Buscema and Peter David this week at CBR.

Did Spider-Man Lose His Virginity In Stan Lee's Film Pitch?

 

I'm revisiting Stan Lee's 1990 attempt to pitch a Spider-Man movie at CBR this week, which does indeed feature the deflowering of one Peter Benjamin Parker. And I feel vindicated now, guessing all those years ago, that the Stan Lee/Peter David story in the Ultimate Spider-Man anthology was in fact an adaptation of this treatment.

What Happened to Dreamwave's TMNT Reboot?

 

Transformers publisher Dreamwave hired a fan-favorite writer to reintroduce the Turtles…and there was one odd caveat. I continue my look at these early 2000s revivals of the 1980s this week at CBR.

Micro-Reviews: WOLVERINE EPIC COLLECTION - MADRIPOOR NIGHTS: Part Three

WOLVERINE #11 - Early September 1989
If you thought you weren’t getting enough Wolverine before his solo series, now you’re getting WOLVERINE twice a month! No wonder Claremont left.

Peter David returns, while Buscema is joined by Sienkiewicz, reinventing the book’s visuals. The lushness is gone, replaced by sketchy lines. I’m happy either way, although the darker art doesn’t match the story. David is going for comedy for much of the arc, with Wolverine as the well-intentioned friend who’s thrown into a wild adventure.

Archie Corrigan’s past is fleshed out a bit, as we discover that his brother has mental problems and is soon to lose the family’s wealth. Burt Corrigan routinely convinces himself that he’s movie heroes, and this time it’s Indiana Jones. Who knew that the public would become so sensitive to these issues one day that this story might be deemed offensive? Who knew that a massive media conglomerate would own both Marvel and the Indiana Jones property?


WOLVERINE #12 - Late September 1989
More of Wolverine and friends being chased around San Fran by vampires. Supposedly, there’s a long-unspoken ban on car chases in comics, but this one isn’t so bad.  David’s script is thick with one-liners, although he manages to keep Wolverine’s character pretty consistent throughout.  There’s a flimsy excuse for everyone to return to Madripoor at the end, but I get the sense that David couldn’t care less about the setting.


WOLVERINE #13 - Early October 1989
More Gehenna Stone, more PAD jokes, more Nowlan covers that I didn’t like as a kid…

This issue, Wolverine confronts the leader of the Gehenna cult, while two brothers who’ve acquired a piece of the stone end up in Madripoor, coincidentally. They end up killing each other in the Princess Bar.

All of these chapters on their own have been fine. The art’s great, and the story keeps moving at a decent pace. Overall, though, there’s a sense that any hero could’ve been plugged into this story, which is often a problem with these WOLVERINE fill-ins. There haven’t been enough solo tales to define what a Wolverine story really is, so the title suffers while Marvel decides what to do post-Claremont.

Another note about the issue -- it’s the final one to feature Wolverine out of costume. The experiment lasted just under a year.

WOLVERINE #14 - Late October 1989
As the cover indicates, Wolverine is now dressing like Wolverine.

Story-wise, there’s no justification for this. Logan declares that he wants to change into something “apropos.” This happens while on a plane ride to Madripoor, where he’s explicitly hiding his Wolverine identity -- so, this makes zero sense. Clearly, this had to be editorial fiat. I don’t know if sales were harmed by the initial decision to downplay the superhero element, but I wonder today if perhaps I wasn’t so excited by this book as a kid because it didn’t truly resemble other Marvel books. Were there legions of kids not buying WOLVERINE because they didn’t see that costume on the cover?

The big revelation this issue - Jessica Drew has always known Logan is Patch. Certainly not what Claremont intended, although I’m not sure if it harms the status quo. Jessica can keep a secret, so the X-Men will remain “ghosts.” It’s amusing Marvel launched WOLVERINE during the time Claremont was adamant about keeping them “dead” to the world.

WOLVERINE #15 - Early November 1989
Apparently, this cover gave us the standard WOLVERINE corner box art.

I’ve never understood why this figure was selected. Nowlan’s style doesn’t match any of the regular artists on this title, the pose is awkward, and the recycling just feels cheap. Was Marvel in a hurry to reassure fans that, no, Wolverine really does wear his real outfit in this book?

This issue - Wolverine is mocked thoroughly for his Patch disguise, the Madripoor cast is enchanted by the Gehenna Stone and tries to kill each other, and the Prince joins forces with Ba’al, the ancient evil god who created the stone. No real justification for this story to still be going, but it’s mindlessly entertaining. Peter David has Wolverine utter his first pun, which is also the first time David’s attempt at a jokier Logan falls flat. The rest of this story has actually managed to keep Logan jokey and in-character.


WOLVERINE #16 - Late November 1989
The final issue in the collection, and the storyline. Thankfully, this Epic reprint doesn’t drop off on a cliffhanger, which I wish was a basic rule.

There’s an attempt at making this specifically a Wolverine story, and fan reaction was mixed. David never outright says that Wolverine represents the “Hand of God,” but he steps right up to the edge. Not only does Wolverine feel in touch with a higher power, and is compelled to offer an earnest prayer, when facing Ba’al, but he’s remained immune to the Gehenna Stone throughout the arc. It is a role that you couldn’t place Spider-Man into, and I suppose Wolverine’s healing power leaves the door open to this interpretation. But that’s not really how people want to see Wolverine, is it?

The rest of the trade is a thick collection of promo interviews and art for the series. I love seeing this stuff reprinted. The people working in Marvel’s trade department deserve immense credit for the work that they’re doing. Not only is the fanzine press of the era represented, but even unused covers that appeared in MARVEL AGE are slotted in. As a reprint collection (an affordable one!), this is a fantastic package.

Micro-Reviews: WOLVERINE EPIC COLLECTION - MADRIPOOR NIGHTS: Part Two

MARVEL AGE ANNUAL #4 - 1988
I’ve never seen that Art Adams cover before. Surprised it hasn’t been recycled endlessly like his CLASSIC X-MEN #1 cover.

This was a preview for WOLVERINE #1, that’s actually been placed after issue #3 in this collection. I like the way the editors don’t just toss stories out there; they want to make them fit. I’ll play “umm, actually” and point out that it should be placed sometime after #4, however, because Logan doesn’t know Gen. Coy is in Madripoor at this point.

Calling this a story is generous. Wolverine wanders Madripoor, and all of the X-teams somehow make quick, unexplained, cameo appearances. It’s worth reprinting, though, because it’s by the original creative team, and I love when the Epic collections find these obscure pieces that no one remembers. 


WOLVERINE #4 - February 1989
These opening pages are Orzechowski at the height of his hand-lettering days. There’s just as much character in the lettering as the art, but it isn’t distracting at all. It’s also Orz’s last issue as letterer, which I suppose helped to give WOLVERINE an identity separate from UNCANNY X-MEN, but it feels like a real loss.

This issue, Claremont makes his greatest strides in establishing the world of the series. New villains and supporting cast members, like the pilot Archie Corrigan, are introduced, while Claremont leftovers from SPIDER-WOMAN and NEW MUTANTS also join the cast. I’ve always admired the way Claremont seems to have a plan for any character who had more than a walk-on appearance in one of his books. Allegedly, he has notebooks packed with plot ideas for all of these obscure characters.

I’ve never heard of a clear reason why Bloodsport’s name was changed to Bloodscream. Was it really to avoid a lawsuit from the “Bloodsport” movie producers?

Not that this goes anywhere, but having Jessica Drew play against Logan’s acceptance of Tyger is a smart idea. Wolverine figures she’s the “good” crimelord, because she doesn’t deal in drugs or slaves. Jessica doesn’t want to side with any criminal. 

What Tyger actually DOES do for money isn’t clear, aside from some scenes establishing that she runs joyhouses (Code-approved brothels). We’re told she’s a crimelord, but what that entails is murky.

WOLVERINE #5 - March 1989
The debut of Hardcase & the Harriers, some of them at least, a paramilitary team that didn’t take off. Even though the Harriers all resemble background GI JOE players, Hama had no use for them. Hardcase later appeared in WOLVERINE as a parody of Cable clones, even though Erik Larsen didn’t seem to know that Hardcase predated Cable’s debut.  

Another oddity this issue - Psylocke’s Inferno-era armor debuts…months after it’s already appeared in UNCANNY X-MEN. Jessica and Lindsay discover it in the offices of Landau, Luckman, & Lake, which also debuts here. I’m assuming Claremont had some secret origin in mind for the armor, and LL&L, but I doubt we’ll ever discover it. I’ll repeat again that it’s a shame X-MEN FOREVER didn’t cover this territory. 

While Hardcase offers no real threat, Wolverine spends much of the issue fighting Coy’s hired guards. An extended fight scene featuring an Anglo hero fighting minority foes, and there’s no scene like this to make it okay. 

Oh, how backwards we were in 1989. And 1999. And 2009. Comics had yet to reach peak wokeness.


WOLVERINE #6 - April 1989
Tyger is rescued, while Karma joins Wolverine’s side and Claremont drops very Claremontian hints that never paid off.

Karma’s working with her criminal uncle in order to rescue her missing siblings. No payoff (from Claremont).

The armor that appears to be Psylocke’s was apparently not forged by “mortal hands.” No payoff.

Archie Corrigan is somehow a “disgrace” to his uniform. No payoff.

I’m convinced that Claremont did have resolutions in mind, it’s just clear that they weren’t deemed a priority at the time.

One continuing theme of the series is the thin line between heroes and villains in Madripoor. This issue, Karma is inspired to become a hero again, thanks to Wolverine’s influence. (Wolverine’s arc from rebel to mainstay had already been completed. And it’s a testament to Claremont’s skills that fans still embraced the character.) Meanwhile, their big heroic mission is to save one crimelord from another.

The promise of seeing Wolverine “cut loose” has him slicing Bloodsport’s throat…off-panel. It’s all amazingly tame today, but it was as close to edgy as Marvel was going to get in 1989.


WOLVERINE #7 - May 1989
The status quo continues to evolve - the Prince declares that Coy & Tyger will both serve as crimelords. Since Tyger doesn’t touch drugs or slaves, Coy can handle the nasty stuff. Wolverine gives some rationale on why this is okay. It’s another way duality is introduced into the series. Both Tyger & Coy are morally flawed, but only together can they make life work in Madripoor.

Meanwhile, the Hulk appears, in scenes that were supposed to be colored as night, but weren’t. Ordinarily this wouldn’t be that big a deal, but Hulk only comes out at night in these comics, and that plays to the issue’s cliffhanger.

Another sign this was intended as an “older” Marvel book of the era - two attempted rape scenes in one issue. Not that anything happens, of course. We also learn the Prince is an obsessed fan of Lindsay’s and it’s played as a joke. Jessica questions if this is a man who would ever accept “no,” however.

More odd continuity - Lindsay can remove Psylocke’s (?) armor, but Tyger can’t. Wolverine has the “ultimate key,” because he commissioned it from “a friend.” 

WOLVERINE #8 - June 1989
Hulk, split between Joe Fixit and Banner, is here for a silly guest spot, but Claremont is still mindful of the theme. Just as Madripoor’s Lowtown and Hightown represent the two sides of Wolverine, and Tyger and Jessica Drew represent his dueling animal/hero natures, Hulk is also two people residing in one body.

I always liked this issue as a kid. Wolverine spends much of the story conspiring ways to put the Hulk back into purple pants. And in the closing pages, it’s heavily implied that Hulk has seen through the “Patch” disguise, so he ends up with a small victory over the hero. 


WOLVERINE #9 - July 1989
The first of many, so many, WOLVERINE fill-in issues.

It’s possible this was inventory, maybe a MARVEL FANFARE story, that was slotted in. The final page reveals that the entire story’s been a flashback, and there’s some attempt to have Logan declare that he isn’t the same man we see in the story.

The plot treats Wolverine as the Punisher, methodically tracking down mercenaries and killing them for their actions in Iraq five years ago. Wolverine says he was “Weapon X” then, and then claims the flashback was also years ago, so…how long were we to believe Wolverine’s been an X-Man? He also appears in his yellow outfit, another hint that the story might’ve been lying around for a while. Then again, I don’t think Peter David was writing freelance for Marvel during the yellow costume days, so maybe this was intended for WOLVERINE.

While the story plays out like an EC morality tale, David still makes an effort to maintain Wolverine’s unique moral code. He assures the reader that he takes no joy in killing, and only finds happiness in innocence. The mercenaries have to die because they stole that innocence from someone, and he’s keeping a promise he made years ago. This was all pretty daring stuff for Marvel in the ‘80s…now, it reads as a template WOLVERINE solo tale from the early Quesada years.

WOLVERINE #10 - August 1989
The comic that cemented Sabretooth’s place as Wolverine’s major villain. The seeds were planted during “Mutant Massacre,” but this was the moment that a generation of kids forgot that Sabretooth was a lame henchman character, along the lines of the Constrictor, and embraced him as Wolverine’s evil opposite.

It’s still so early in Sabretooth’s development, his name is spelled “Sabre-Tooth.”

The fight here has been revisited numerous times. And, done properly, it could’ve been an excellent set piece in one of the movies. Instead, it was thoroughly botched in that first WOLVERINE movie.

Another significance of the issue is that it’s one of the extremely rare Wolverine flashback stories from this era. One of the first ever -- I think the KITTY PRYDE & WOLVERINE mini might’ve had a flashback, but other than that, Claremont tended to avoid them.

It’s also the final Claremont issue, although he leaves with no fanfare. His return is over 100 issues away, and perhaps the less said about that the better. The internal politics of Madripoor are still in play, as we learn that Jessica & Lindsay have set up shop in a “bawdy house” under the Prince’s command. None of the post-Claremont writers wanted to touch this stuff. The closest anyone came was the Goodwin run, which used Madripoor effectively as a setting, but I believe avoided the politics.

X-FACTOR #70 - September 1991

Ends and Odds

Credits:  Peter David (writer), Kirk Jarvinen (penciler), Joe Rubinstein (inker), Glynis Oliver and Steve Buccellato (colors), Michael Heisler (letters)

Summary:  Xavier, still recuperating from his battle with the Shadow King, attempts to salvage what is left of Legion’s mind.  Eventually, Marvel Girl convinces him that he’s seeing his own subconscious doubts reflected at him, and that Legion is gone.  As the other members of X-Factor join her in the Astral Plane, Xavier relents and accepts that he must now guide the X-Men once again.  Meanwhile, Wolverine gives Jubilee news she doesn’t want to hear, Mystique and Rogue reunite, and Val Cooper proposes Polaris join the new incarnation of Freedom Force.

Continuity Notes:  

• Mystique reveals that Val Cooper actually shot herself and grazed her temple earlier in Uncanny X-Men #266.  It was Val’s body that was placed in the ambulance during the news report Rogue saw, as Nick Fury had already stepped in and placed Mystique undercover as Val.
• The implication this issue is that Jubilee has been thrown out of the X-Men.  That seemed to be the idea, as she didn’t appear again until X-Men #4 in early 1992, but I don’t know of any story that officially explained her absence during this period.
• A shattered photo of Xavier on page nine places broken glass around his left eye, making him resemble Cable.  I’m guessing this was a red herring thrown out as a joke, since I don’t recall any fan speculation that Cable and Xavier were the same person.

Approved By The Comics Code Authority:  Polaris’ costume is pretty racy by the standards of the day, and there’s an extended sequence dedicated to Guido tricking her into thrusting her hips in front of him.

I Love the '90s:  Mystique jokes that she’s having a “Kodak Moment” with Rogue.

Review:  Peter David makes his debut as writer, bridging the gap between the original X-Factor and the first of many mutations we’ll see over the years.  Kirk Jarvinen is the fill-in artist, and even though he’s given mostly conversation scenes to draw during the issue, he still makes an impressive standing.  (I loved his interpretation of Archangel as a kid.)  Jarvinen’s fairly subdued and not particularly cartoony at this stage, but he is very skilled at drawing facial expressions and laying out “quiet” pages that don’t feature any action.  I’m surprised he didn’t do more work for the X-office during this period; the various books always needed a fill-in, and he’s clearly superior to almost every guest penciler to ever show up in Excalibur. 

The story begins with Xavier searching Legion’s mind, desperate for any clue that his personality remains.  By the second page, Xavier’s already given Legion more thought than he will in a few years after Legion dies in the aftermath of the “Age of Apocalypse.”  The books by that point were too scattered to even acknowledge the loss, but thankfully the franchise isn’t quite off the rails in 1991.  The visual clues that add up during the issue, paid off at the end when Jean Grey explains that Xavier’s only seen his own subconscious reflected back at him, are obvious in retrospect but not so obvious they ruin the reveal.  Xavier’s realization that Legion is gone is emotional without going off into any histrionics, which is a welcome break.  “Quiet resolve” seems to fit Xavier’s character better, anyway.

Quick scenes with the gathered mutants appear throughout the issue.  Most of the cutaways are used for jokes, but David restrains himself and gives Mystique and Rogue a nice moment.  There's an idea repeated throughout the issue of the "center" that cannot hold, i. e. the X-Men without Xavier.  There seems to be an automatic assumption that everyone just wants to reunite and live with daddy Xavier again, but there's not much of an effort to actually dramatize why anyone feels that way. If the post-Claremont issues did a better job of showing what Xavier means to the united X-teams, this could be forgivable, but the stories just expected you to accept that all of these adults were perfectly okay going backwards in their lives.  David does convey that the various characters, even if they are joking around a bit, do care about Xavier.  I just don't see anything that justifies the major shift in status quo the crossover brought us.

As a reader at the time, I did enjoy seeing one era of the books end and another begin, all happening in real time.  This was rare enough during this period to genuinely feel special, as if you were reading the next “Second Genesis.”  The problems I have with the transition to the "merged teams" era were only visible in retrospect.  Reading a superhero comic with genuinely funny dialogue was also kind of a novelty for me at the time.  And Peter David haters should note that there are no Star Trek references or puns in the entire issue.  (Well, I might have to check again for puns, but I’m positive Star Trek isn’t referenced at all.)  

X-FACTOR Annual #6 - August 1991

King of Pain

Credits:  Fabian Nicieza (writer), Terry Shoemaker (penciler), Al Milgrom (inker), Brad Vancata (colors), Joe Rosen (letters)

Summary:  X-Factor investigates the energy release in Edinburgh and is soon attacked by the Proteus/Piecemeal hybrid.  The team is sent to a white void, where they meet the rest of the heroes.  Marvel Girl explains Proteus/Piecemeal’s plan to recreate the world to represent mathematical structure and order, inspired by the peace Proteus found during his “death” as he witnessed the patterns created by his energy signature.  Cyclops declares that since Proteus/Piecemeal cannot be defeated, the best option is to convince him to commit suicide.  Soon, Moira makes this case to Proteus, as Harness continues to verbally abuse Piecemeal.  Repulsed by human emotions, Proteus/Piecemeal commits suicide.  Later, Harness is placed in custody while Gideon and Toad finish their chess match.

Continuity Notes:  

• This story marks the first time X-Factor meets the New Warriors.  Cyclops, oddly enough, seems to already know the new members of X-Force.
• Yes, Toad was the mystery chess player throughout the storyline.  According to Gideon, AIM and Genetech were manipulated into recreating Proteus.  Gideon wanted to weaponize Proteus’ powers, while Toad desired Proteus to join the Brotherhood.
• Cable refers to Jean Grey merely as “Grey,” which actually fits with continuity, since he didn’t figure out his parentage until after the Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix miniseries.  It is worth noting, however, that Marvel Girl, Legion, nor the Shadow King recognize Cable’s limitless telepathic powers this issue…
• Moira identifies Harness as “an AIM assassin,” although I’m not sure how she would know that.  At the story’s end, we do discover from faceless AIM higher-ups that Harness has a second mutant child, a seven-year-old girl that they’ll use as leverage if she speaks out against them.

Review:  So, that’s “Kings of Pain.”  And it turns out they were crazy enough to revive Proteus.  In all honesty, I can’t say this arc has been terrible; Nicieza has some themes of abuse and neglect to explore, and he’s developed a few ways to use Proteus as more than just a magic prop.  And even if there’s no way to really use each member of the massive cast, Nicieza still picks a few characters out and gives them little moments.  Cable is humanized for perhaps the first time, as he sides with Marvel Girl against Cyclops’ “Trick the Kids into Suicide” plan.  Beast points out that this seems out-of-character, leading Cable to snap that Beast has no idea who he truly is.  These brief exchanges are what make Cable tolerable in his early years, and it’s too bad the ongoing X-Force series drops them in favor of shoot-you-in-the-back Cable.  The closing, which shows that Moira pushed Proteus away because she knew that the Shadow King would never allow her to truly love him (and, presumably, to prevent Shadow King from possessing someone as powerful as Proteus), is also a smart use of the current status quo.  Previously, the ongoing Shadow King plot has been a nuisance that Nicieza had to ignore, but he finds a way to use it quite well this issue.  

It’s always grating to read a sequel that doesn’t match up to the original, however, and in comparison to the initial Proteus storyline, this simply lacks the heart, innovation, and sheer creepiness of the original.  The plot’s needlessly complex, there are characters everywhere and almost none of them contribute to the actual story, and Proteus and Piecemeal are never as sympathetic as I think Nicieza wanted them to be.  There’s also the suicide plan, hatched by Cyclops of all people, which could’ve lead to a serious ethical dilemma for the teams, but the debate turns out to be pretty tepid.  Plus, the ending hints that there’s a sequel coming…a sequel to a sequel that didn’t need to be told.  Please, no.

The Killing Stroke Part Three - Sacrificial Lambs

Credits:  Fabian Nicieza (writer), Steven Butler (penciler), Joe Rubenstein (inker), Mike Thomas (colors), Joe Rosen (letters)

Summary:  Pyro and Blob fight back against Desert Sword, while Avalanche rescues Crimson Commando and accompanies him on their helicopter.  When Avalanche discovers Pyro killed Dr. Kurtzmann, he orders the helicopter to leave so that Commando can receive medical attention.  Realizing they have no options, Pyro and Blob surrender to the remaining members of Desert Sword.

Continuity Notes:  

• Desert Sword member Veil is killed by Pyro, and the Arabian Knight is seriously wounded by Blob.
• As far as I know, no story has explained how Pyro and Blob escaped Iraqi custody.  They soon reappear in X-Force #5.
• Crimson Commando was supposed to appear next in Erik Larsen’s Spider-Man #18, but was altered at the last moment into “Cyborg X.”  At one point, Fabian Nicieza and Erik Larsen pitched a run on X-Factor that included a cybernetic Crimson Commando as a member.  Years later, Crimson Commando will reappear as a cyborg, just not Cyborg X, in X-Factor #102.

Review:  The end of Freedom Force, paving the way of course for the X-Factor revamp, and the return of Blob and Pyro to the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.  By the standards of annual back-ups, this is rather intense material, and it might even be the earliest example of a team just getting eviscerated during their final battle.  As I’ve said before, this serial seemed daring in 1991, and while not all of it holds up, there is a sense of unreality to the story that still appeals to me.  Given that most of the Freedom Force cast consisted of horrible people, maybe it’s just fun to see them meet horrible fates.  Characters getting mutilated, killed, left for dead…it’s a cheap way to close out a concept now, but I was absolutely enthralled by it at the time.

Tribute the Third

Credits:  Peter David (writer), Guang Yap (penciler), Joe Rubenstein (inker), Steve Buccellato & Marie Javins (colors), Joe Rosen (letters)

Summary:  As Mystique prepares to spread Destiny’s ashes, she flashes back to their previous cruise on the ship.  Mystique recalls Destiny’s futile desire to hear her laugh.  In the present, Mystique releases the ashes at the precise moment Destiny asked her to, which results in the wind blowing the ashes directly in her face.  Mystique finally laughs, as she sings the lyrics to the Beatles song “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.”

Continuity Notes:  Mystique is actually believed dead at this point in continuity, which means this story must predate her “death” in Uncanny X-Men #266.

Review:  I wonder how Marvel got away with using copyrighted Beatles lyrics.  I know we were a less litigious society twenty-three years ago, but this would seem like something a lawyer would’ve caught even then.  Regardless, this is Mystique’s farewell to Destiny, running in the X-Factor annual because…why not?  The idea is to contrast Mystique’s perpetual anger over mutant oppression with Destiny’s peaceful view on life, a perspective her precognitive powers give her as she sees the world from a much larger perspective.  The major problem with the story is Mystique’s portrayal, since I seem to remember Mystique acting like a fairly well-rounded individual when around Destiny.  Destiny didn’t have to go through some elaborate plot to get Mystique to laugh; that seemed to happen naturally (even if her “laugh” might occasionally be an evil cackle).  This wouldn’t be the first inconsistent Mystique portrayal, however, and David is able to use Destiny’s powers in some creative ways over the course of just a few pages.  As a simple story about two friends (and that's still the official line at this time) saying goodbye, it’s enjoyable.

SPIDER-MAN/ GEN 13 - November 1996

Crossed Generations

Credits:  Peter David (writer), Stuart Immonen (penciler), Cam Smith w/Andrew Pepoy (inks), Joe Rosas (colors), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (letters)

The Plot:  While in California, Spider-Man confronts the mercenary Glider.  She injures him in the fight, leading Gen 13 to take Spider-Man to their compound.  Glider’s employer, Bartlett, has Spider-Man tracked to Gen 13’s home.  Soon, Glider, Bartlett’s son, and a brigade of soldiers face Spider-Man and Gen 13 in La Jolla.  A soldier targets a nearby school in order to force Gen 13 to surrender.  When Glider sees her daughter Alyssa has been taken hostage, she snaps and turns against her employer.  She kills Bartlett’s son, shortly after receiving a critical wound.  

The Subplots:  Peter Parker is in California on a Daily Bugle assignment to photograph the band Black Lung Disease.  Glider, in her civilian identity, is fighting her ex-husband for custody of Alyssa.  Later, while recovering from her wounds, her husband uses the traumatic incident as justification for taking Alyssa out of the country.  

Web of Continuity:  The younger Bartlett was a guard embarrassed by Gen 13 in their original miniseries (which chronicled their escape from I/O).  His father has arranged for this elaborate operation in order to assuage his son’s bruised ego.  Spider-Man was just used by Glider as a means to attract Gen 13’s attention in the story’s opening.

Forever Young:  Grunge tells Spider-Man he’s been tracking his career since he was a kid.  Freefall confirms that Spider-Man is the “grand old man of super-guys.”  Spider-Man remarks that he’s been humiliated as a hero but he’s never felt old before.

I Love the ‘90s:  Spidey makes a reference to Bob Dole’s grouchy demeanor.  Freefall refers to Spider-Man as the “Nine Inch Nails of super-guys.”  Spider-Man states that he’s not used to being looked up to by Gen X’ers.  And, finally, Spider-Man makes a Helen Hunt reference when Rainmaker creates a twister.

Approved By The Comics Code Authority:  Grunge is allowed to say “Bitchin’!” once.

Production Note:  This is a forty-eight page, prestige format one-shot.  The cover price is $4.95.

Review:  Further proof that Gen 13 was everywhere in the ‘90s, this one-shot was pretty much inevitable once Jim Lee and Marvel made nice in the mid-1990s.  I don’t think it’s too controversial to say that J. Scott Campbell was the main draw of Gen 13, and had he drawn this one-shot, it probably would’ve been one of the few memorable intercompany crossover comics of the era.  I’m sure Wizard would’ve hyped J. Scott Campbell drawing Spider-Man and Gen 13 in the same comic for about a year before its actual release.  Instead, we get Stuart Immonen as artist.  Immonen isn’t bad, but he’s still fairly generic at this stage, and I can’t get too excited over his interpretation of Spider-Man.  Today, he would probably draw a Spider-Man/Gen 13 comic that could put J. Scott Campbell to shame, but he’s not on that level yet.

Peter David might appear to be an odd choice as writer since he's never worked on Gen 13 before, but it’s my understanding that he was Wildstorm’s first choice to replace original Gen 13 scribe Brandon Choi after he left the book at around this time.  David's sensibilities would seem to suit the series, which was essentially a superhero comedy with some cheesecake thrown in.  There’s not a lot of cheesecake here, but David tries to keep the tone light for most of the issue (until he abruptly decides not to, but we’ll get to that later).  If Marvel published this today, I’m sure there would be an effort to play up the idea of Spider-Man as a “youthful” hero, so it’s amusing to see that almost twenty years ago Peter Parker was already considered too old to be hanging out with teenagers.  

The humor of the story isn’t that great, but it’s about as funny as I recall the standard Gen 13 comic from the era.   The real problem with the one-shot is the ending, as the last few pages of the story take a sudden swerve into melodrama.  Glider (a new character apparently created for this one-shot) receives an inordinate amount of the spotlight during the issue, and while she serves her role as nuisance fairly well for most of the story, the ending of the comic suddenly makes her the star.  Forget about Spider-Man and Gen 13 getting into trouble or having fun during their first meeting; instead, this is a comic about a divorcee making a horrible decision and losing custody of her daughter as a result.  And while the concept of overprotective parents does show up earlier in the story, so this isn’t totally out of nowhere, it’s an odd choice to make such a serious (and adult) topic the main theme.  Doing a Gen 13 story with a depressing ending just doesn’t feel right, and creating a new character specifically designed to explore an adult, serious issue also feels like a bizarre fit for the book.   

THE ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN Part Six - December 1994

An Evening in the Bronx with Venom

Written by John Gregory Betancourt and Keith R. A. DeCandido

The Plot: Spider-Man encounters Josias, a homeless man from San Francisco who claims that Venom has turned against the underground community that took him in. Although dubious of his story, Spider-Man agrees to help the police protect Josias from Venom. When Venom does appear, the police and Spider-Man attack him while Josias escapes. Spider-Man follows Venom after Josias, and eventually learns from Venom that Josias is the murderer; Venom wants to bring him back to San Francisco to face their community’s Council. Soon after Spider-Man agrees to help Venom, Josias thoughtlessly runs into traffic and is killed by an oncoming car.

Web of Continuity: The underground community that lives beneath San Francisco was introduced in the first Venom miniseries. A few of the police officers in this story will go on to appear in the novel Spider-Man: Venom’s Wrath.

Review: Playing off Venom’s past as a homicidal maniac, this story teases the idea that perhaps Venom hasn’t reformed after all, even while Spider-Man remains skeptical of the homeless man’s claims. Considering that Marvel was serious about keeping Venom as a Punisher-style anti-hero during these days, it’s not a surprise that he isn’t the true villain in this piece, but the story does get a decent amount of material just by toying with the idea. The story’s helped a lot by the writers’ ability to flesh out some of the police characters, such as Frank Esteban, a captain who doesn’t carry the NYPD’s standard bias against Spider-Man, and Vance Hawkins, a sergeant who apparently has a genius IQ and enough integrity to avoid card games with his fellow officers because he knows he can’t resist card counting. I’m not so sure about the bleak ending, or the wild coincidence that allows Spider-Man to run into Josias just as he enters New York, but this is an enjoyable read and one of the better Venom stories from the anti-hero days.

Five Minutes

Written by Peter David

The Plot: On Peter and MJ’s anniversary, she asks him to stay in bed for five more minutes as sirens pass their apartment. He reluctantly complies, but when Spider-Man finally reaches the crime scene, he’s told by an officer that he could’ve rescued a suicide if he’d arrived five minutes earlier. After an argument, Peter avoids MJ at the Daily Bugle. He grudgingly takes her call there and is informed that their neighbor is threatening to kill his wife. Spider-Man stops him and returns home. MJ makes him realize how hard it was to make the call, knowing that any time he goes into action he could die. They forgive one another and spend the rest of their anniversary together.

I Love the ‘90s: I imagine if this story were published today, Peter wouldn’t be relying on the Daily Bugle’s phone to get a message from his wife. Also, the Parkers’ homicidal neighbor is named Ron Swanson (!), which probably isn’t a name Peter David would choose for a non-joke character today.

Review: “Cop wife” MJ stories usually bore me to death, but this is probably the best take on the concept I’ve read. It’s unrealistic to think that MJ is just fine with Peter risking his life as Spider-Man, but making her weepy and emotional about it makes for stale drama. Giving MJ her own life, and the ability to shut out the anxieties and keep up her gregarious persona worked much better in the comics than turning her into a nag ever did. If you are going to focus on MJ’s anxieties, this is the way to go. David is able to give MJ a defensible point of view, while also allowing her to acknowledge the guilt she feels for potentially preventing Peter from saving a life. David’s also introduced another angle I’ve never thought of before -- how would MJ feel if she called Peter in to help a situation and he ended up getting killed?

Contrasting Peter and MJ’s happiness at the opening of the story with the constant fighting of their neighbors adds a layer of dramatic irony to the story, as Peter promises MJ they’ll never reach that point. A few minutes later, they’re having one of the worst fights of their marriage. None of this feels forced, and the story ends by reaffirming their love for one another, so it’s not motivated by any antipathy towards the marriage itself. It’s a character study that exists because it’s a story worth telling, as opposed to all of the marriage stories that existed simply to dismiss the concept.