Amazing Spider-Man #252 (May 1984)

Sometimes, one event can change your life in many ways, and continue to have an impact on you further down the line as time goes by. For Peter Parker, participating in the 1984 Secret Wars story was one of those moments. During that event, he got a new costume that seemed to almost be magical in nature. It was the ultimate convenience for him. The costume was able to store objects like his wallet and his keys. It created its own webbing, allowing Peter to save on materials needed to create webbing. It even was able to morph itself into civilian clothes, saving the often cash-strapped young man money on clothes.

However, that costume would seem to come at a price. Peter discovered that it was a life form: The Klyntar. Klyntar, or "symbiotes" as they are more popularly known, were liquid-like beings that bonded to host beings. They can bring out the host's darker impulses and give them superhuman powers. Peter would free himself from the Klyntar's attempt to bond with him...and it would play a role in the birth of a character that would become both a nightmare and ally to the original Spider-Man over the years: Venom. Venom would be the most famous and longest-lasting consequence of the Secret Wars. 

But I wanted to take a look back. Back at a time when Peter was still blissfully unaware of the true nature of his miracle outfit. So, right after he returned from the Secret Wars. Let's take a look at Amazing Spider-Man #252!

The cover is a Ron Frenz and Klaus Jansen piece. It's pretty awesome, but then again, it's not hard to see why. It's an homage to the iconic cover of Amazing Fantasy #15 by Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. It shows off Spidey's new costume, which looks rather sleek, if you ask me.

"Homecoming"
Writers: Tom DeFalco, Roger Stern
Penciler: Ron Frenz
Inker: Brett Breeding
Colorist: Glynis Wein
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Editor: Danny Fingeroth
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins at the Daily Bugle, where publisher J. Jonah Jameson and editor-in-chief Robbie Robertson are discussing a headline.

If you've read Secret Wars (or saw my monthly reviews of it), then you'd know many of the heroes (and some villains) are duking it out on Battleworld. Anyway, Jameson is impressed with the reporting, but he wonders why Robertson didn't use any photos from Peter Parker. After all, he seems to specialize in the superhero beat. He's on Battleworld, but neither Jameson nor Robertson know that.

Jameson demands that Spider-Man's involvement be investigated, as he thinks (in typical Jameson paranoia) that the Wall-Crawler is behind it all because reasons. Robertson refuses, saying that if Jameson wants to go blaming Spider-Man for everything, he can do it in editorial columns. In Central Park, the large complex that brought the heroes to Battleworld reappears, and Spider-Man comes home.

With him is Curt Connors, aka the Lizard. Spidey is overjoyed to be back home from Battleworld at last.

Heh. He and Curt swing away, revealing that Reed had suggested the other heroes keep quiet about Battleworld as people would never believe it.

Spider-Man retrieves his wallet and keys and then takes Curt home to his family. He then heads to his own home, and discovers that among the properties of the new costume he got on Battleworld, it can change form to resemble civilian clothes. He makes some calls to Aunt May, and to Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat. He isn't able to reach Felicia. He was hoping to talk to her, as he wants to sort out what kind of relationship the two have. 

Also, he wants to talk to her about some troubles she's been having. You see, in previous issues of this series, she's been trying to find a way to get actual superpowers because she believes that being a regular human makes her incapable of fighting by Spider-Man's side. Peter is naturally worried about that. So much can go wrong in her quest. But right now, he's got a bigger priority right now: Food. Man's hungry! Fighting a Secret War can work up an appetite. As he heads out, Felicia arrives at his apartment.

Felicia's thoughts reveal her quest wasn't fruitless. It was discovered by some science experts she let run some tests on her that she has a latent superpower: appropriately for someone calling herself "Black Cat", she can subconsciously cause people to suffer bouts of bad luck. She then discovered that the scientists that discovered this were in the employ of the Kingpin. She fears that Fisk may want to use her and her powers against his foes, guys like Daredevil and Spider-Man. She leaves as he returns with some pizza. Oh, dear...

After his dinner, Peter goes to his bathroom. Using it as an improvised darkroom, Peter develops the photos he took during his time fighting in the Secret Wars. He then decides selling them as he thinks nobody would believe these photos are real. It leads him to destroy his prints and the negatives.

I hate this. More on that later. Anyway, Peter decides to turn in for the night. He has some trouble sleeping. Welcome to my world, Pete. He needs to unwind a bit. And as if the costume he took off and put aside read his mind, it flows over him.

He goes out for a swing. He breaks up a mugging, but the victim freaks out at the sight of Spidey's new look. He then finds a teenage couple arguing over a date gone bad, so he decides to take them out web-swinging. He takes them to a high building to give them an epic view. One of the teenagers said their neighborhood stunk, but Spidey uses it to show that New York City may have its problems, but it has its good points, too. The girl, Weezie, tells him she had a great time. The story ends with a happy Peter swinging away, feeling happy to be home. After all, he may occasionally end up involved in epic battles, but at heart, he's a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, the hero of the people. 

I enjoyed this issue. I got a good chuckle out of Peter and Felicia end up just missing each other. I also liked that bit with Felicia. It's a nice reminder that just because Peter was away at the Secret Wars, his supporting cast, friends, and allies were still dealing with drama of their own. It was also rather heartwarming to see Curt Connors be reunited with his family. I also really liked the part where Peter took the two kids to show that New York City still is worth saving. 

There was one thing about this issue that bothered me. The scenes that revealed that Reed asked the other heroes to keep the Secret Wars...secret, and the scene where he says he'll destroy the photos he took there because he thinks nobody would believe him. ...what? This is the MARVEL UNIVERSE. At this point, people have been seeing weird, wild, and fantastical stuff for decades. Superheroes and powered beings are common knowledge. You really think the Secret Wars would freak people out that much?! Also, Peter probably would get some good cash for those photos! Am I being naive here?! 

I do enjoy Ron Frenz's art on this comic. I first noticed it in his Thor stuff when he did an amazing job imitating Jack Kirby. It's cool to see him doing a style of his own here, and I think it's very nice to see. I do think there is a Romita Sr. vibe to his portrayal of Peter Parker. I think it's the two curls in his hair. 

Roger Stern's work on Spider-Man is very underrated, in my opinion. It should be talked about more. If you want to read this issue for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2014 trade paperback The Amazing Spider-Man: The Complete Alien Costume Saga Book 1. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get vaccinated! See you next time!