Amazing Spider-Man #233 (October 1982)

If you ever watched the trailer to the upcoming film Spider-Man: Brand New Day, you may have noticed a cameo by a red and black-wearing man with what looked like a spike in his boot. That man was an actual character from the comics: the Tarantula.

There have been several Tarantulas over the years. The first was Antonio "Anton" Miguel Rodriguez, who debuted in Amazing Spider-Man #134 (July 1974), created by Gerry Conway and Ross Andru. Conway drew inspiration from the political upheavals in South America going on in the 1970s, with the US supporting the oppressive regimes that rose up in the era, like in Chile. Additional inspiration was drawn from a conversation he had with fellow Marvel writer Don Glut, which postulated that that larger countries in the Marvel Universe would not be the only ones that had superhuman beings and superheroes of their own. Smaller countries would likely have them, too. Which is something that does make sense in the MU when you think about it. 

Conway intended Rodriguez to be a South American version of Captain America, but the character would be rather short-lived. Rodriguez would get killed off later in the 1980s, but he would be revived decades later in the Clone Conspiracy storyline. Other characters would take up the mantle of the Tarantula, including Anton's daughter Jacinda and former Hero for Hire Maria Vasquez, who was unrelated to the other Rodriguez Tarantulas. There had been other characters that have used the Tarantula name, but that's not important here. 

I had actually wanted to look at the issue in which Rodriguez debuted, but I'm afraid I do not have it. However, I did have access to another story in which he plays a significant role...and would lead to his downfall and death later on. This is Amazing Spider-Man #233!

The cover is a John Romita Jr and Al Milgrom piece. I love this cover. It's pretty darn funny. You see Tarantula come down and try to bring down Spider-Man with his trademark boot blades, but thanks to his Spider-Sense and superhuman strength, our man is easily able to avoid it and send the South American assassin to dreamland with a Mighty Punch. It's a good and funny cover, my only complaint is that it seemingly does not fit the tone of the interior story at all. You'll see what I mean.

"Where the @$%# is Nose Norton?"
Writer: Roger Stern
Penciler: John Romita Jr.
Inker: Jim Mooney
Colorist: Glynis Wein
Letterer: Diana Albers
Editor: Tom DeFalco
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with J. Jonah Jameson being as cheerful as he usually is known to be, demanding to know where on Earth a man named "Nose" Norton went off to. You see, "Nose" is an informant, and he has some juicy information the Bugle could use to expose the Brand Corporation. Jameson paid good money for the info, and the old skinflint fears that "Nose" made like Steve Miller and took the money and ran.

Sitting in the office with him is his wife Marla, and his fellow Buglers Robbie Robertson and Ned Leeds. Robbie tries to assure Jameson that Norton will surface, as the cops are looking for him. Ned adds that that there are whispers of some out-of-town muscle that is looking for "Nose" as well. And it does not take a Sherlock Holmes to figure out that said muscle is after Norton because of what he knows.

Jameson, ever the brilliant mind he is, theorizes that Spider-Man is also after Norton as the web-slinger fought the villain known as Cobra (as in the long-running Marvel villain, not the ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world) just as Leeds was about to get the info from Norton in issue #231. Leeds naturally finds it ridiculous. 

Of course, Leeds finds Jameson's theory dumb, because Spider-Man was the one who saved him, Betty Brant, and Norton from the Cobra. Also, Jameson is so obsessed with smearing Spider-Man that if he stubbed his toe on a sidewalk curb, Jameson would scream that Spider-Man deliberately put that curb there.

As such, Leeds refuses to let him use the expose to commit libel. Robbie has Leeds's back, saying that dragging Spider-Man into it will make the paper look bad. I can imagine that under Jameson, the Daily Bugle has had to print many a retraction about the Web-Head over the years.  As this is going down, Peter Parker is swinging his way back to the Bugle's building. It's then the Parker Luck strikes again.

It's not mentioned here, but someone covered the outside handle with gum as well.

Yeah, no going in that way. Peter has to use the elevator shaft to make his way inside. Once he does, he goes to wash his hands, as elevator cables are friggin' filthy.

After he gets that handled, Jameson shows up in the newsroom, and he's making an announcement. 

It was then that the Daily Bugle workers knew he had gone utterly mad.

Yeah. $1,500. In the 80s, that's a nice chunk of change. Considering how much of a skinflint scrooge he is, the rest of the Bugle staff see it as a sign that Jameson is that desperate to find Norton...or he has some serious health issues. Our man Peter sees dollar signs in his eyes. That money would be very helpful to him. Not to mention with his powers, he has the best chance of finding Norton.  

On his way out, he passes by a blonde beauty named Amy. She's looking for Lance Bannon, another Bugle photographer at the time. However, the man is late. Again. Get him a watch! 

She learns about Peter from another staffer...and it inspires her.

"I always wanted to be a femme fatale..."

Yeah, the Parker Luck combined with the Parker Rizz...it's a dangerous combination. But this is a book about Spider-Man, right? What's he up to?

This is why nobody wants to play pool with you, Pete.

Well, looking for the Nose, of course. The sight of the webslinger gets the pool players running.

Our man uses his webs and powers to get some answers. Unfortunately, Peter makes a goofup.

"I also lost a bet thanks to you, you webbed jerk!"

Yeah, he accidentally grabbed an undercover cop and ruined a bust. The Parker Luck strikes again. 

The scene shifts to the blue waters and warm sun of Miami Beach. People come here to surf, tan, and have a good time, and for one man, he just wants to sit at his table and have a smoke. He gets visited by a Senor "Smith". Smith wants to hire this man to kill Norton. You see, this is Anton Rodriguez, laying low under a pseudonym. Smith offers coverage of all expenses and will provide some new equipment...as well as $250,000. In 80s money, that's a very nice chunk of change. Anton is all like "You got yourself a Tarantula". 

So, now we got the players set, both after Norton. Both Anton and Peter are after him for different reasons, the only commonality is the need for that sweet cash. But where has Norton himself been hiding out? Well, he's naturally been laying low in his apartment above a bar in Staten Island called Murray's. But the cabin fever has gotten to him, and the Nose needs to get out. I know the feeling.

"This beer smells so good..."

That may have ended up being the last beer that the Nose would enjoy. One of Smith's men spots him and calls it in.

Elsewhere, Ben Urich also gets a call to head to Murray's. He rushes there, being followed by Spider-Man. 

Peter meets Ben on the Staten Island Ferry, and the two head to Murray's. They find the Nose.

"Hey there, Nose! Did you get that thing we sent you?"

Peter's Spider-Sense goes off, signaling the Tarantula has arrived. 

"BEHOLD MY GLORIOUS FOOT!" 

Anton knocks Ben aside. Peter moves to save the reporter, allowing the assassin to make off with the Nose. He goes to interrogate the terrified informant, but's all an act.

You see, Tarantula knows Ben is watching him, so he's trying to mess with Urich by portraying Nose as a cowardly liar. Spider-Man shows up and engages the Tarantula. 

Peter easily tosses the South American assassin into a garbage scow. Yeah, people tend to forget that Spider-Man is a powerhouse in his own right. Sure, he's no Hulk, Wonder Man, or Thor, but he is hardly the stereotypical 98-pound weakling. Anton tries to stick our man with his poison-tipped boot blades. These new ones are now retractable. Spidey webs his boots to the ground. 

Meanwhile, Ben tries to talk to the Nose. However, Norton is too freaked out, pulling a gun on him. The two then hear what are presumably New York's Finest calling for everyone to freeze. Tarantula reveals another new trick. 

"I am invincible because I have the power of jazz hands!"

Yup, he now also has retractable poison blades in his gloves. It's a respectable upgrade, but Peter Parker still has a couple big advantages: His Spider-Sense and his superpowers. This allows our man to take down the Tarantula easily. He hears gunshots and goes to check it out.

"He also threw shoes at us! Who throws a shoe?! Honestly!"

Ben is alright, as he hit the ground when the shots started flying...although he has got to quit smoking. I'm not making a joke, Ben does say that. The men who shot Nose are private investigators, claiming they shot him in self-defense. They had been after Norton because of his activities as a fence. A fence is someone who buys stolen goods to be resold at a profit. Fences will often use legit businesses like pawn shops as a front, a way of "laundering" the stolen goods.

Spider-Man finds the whole thing a bit convenient. These two guys happened to show up and shoot Norton while Spidey was trying to stop the Tarantula from killing him? Yeah, it does sound a bit convenient. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on who you ask) Nose is still alive. He needs an ambulance. Spidey also wants the cops called to take care of the Tarantula...who also has vanished. Someone evidently has, so it's time for Spider-Man to make an exit...and Peter Paker to make his entrance. Peter's camera has gotten some pictures. Hopefully, they have photos of the supposed PIs shooting Nose first. Our man isn't sure, but he's willing to find out.

I enjoyed this issue. But then again, I am a fan of Roger Stern's Spider-Man run in general. We get a couple bits of humor with Spider-Man accidentally ruining a sting and having to find another way into the Bugle's offices, some set up of a bit of drama with Amy Powell, and plenty of action with Spider-Man fighting the Tarantula. Peter easily beating him does make a bit of sense. Anton at this point is only human. He's a good fighter, but Peter has actual superpowers. He's super-strong, presumably more durable than the average man, and got great reflexes. Not to mention his Spider-Sense. It's a nice solid entertaining little story.

John Romita Jr turns in some fine art on this issue. What is interesting is that we're starting to see his style slightly differ from his legendary father. There is still a slight bit of Senior in the style, mainly in how he renders women and Spider-Man himself in full costume. I do wish he had stuck to this, as it looks really good. 

As I said earlier, this issue would lead to the downfall of Anton Rodriguez. In the next couple issues, agents of the Brand Corporation would subject Anton to an experiment in an attempt to give him powers like Spider-Man's, presumably to make him a better match against the Wall-Crawler. However, a battle between Spider-Man and the Will O' The Wisp would wreck it, causing Anton to get powers...but also to slowly mutate into a giant spider. In his giant spider form, he would leap into the gunfire from some cops. Anton would remain dead for decades until as I said earlier, he would be resurrected (with his humanity restored) in the Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy storyline. 

If you want to read this issue yourself, I got the scans from the 2013 trade paperback Amazing Spider-Man: Mark of the Tarantula. It will also be included in the upcoming (as of the time of this writing) 2026 trade paperback Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection Vol. 13: Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you want to give this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Trailer, My Thoughts

The Mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe marches on! Tom Holland returns to the webbed costume of Marvel's mightiest mascot: Spider-Man in the upcoming film Spider-Man: Brand New Day! Directed by Daniel Destin Cretton (who also had directed Shang-Chi: Legend of the Ten Rings), and written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, this film will the MCU's 38th movie (part of Phase Six), and this'll be the first time a live-action Spider-Man got a fourth film. This film will also see the return of Zendaya as Michelle "MJ" Jones, Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds, and it will also see Jon Bernthal and Mark Ruffalo appear as Frank Castle/Punisher and Bruce Banner/Hulk. Let's look at the trailer! 

Sounds like our Mr. Parker is feeling a bit of regrets about his actions in No Way Home. Yes, he made that sacrifice to save his world, but maybe he felt the price was far too high.

I think Peter needs a hand. And a vacation.

Hey, it's that lady from Daredevil: Born Again! 

I think she was working for Fisk. My guess is at the point of this film, he may still be the mayor of NYC.

Frank running into Peter made me chuckle. I like to think that's happened quite a few times between them.

Frank: Aw God, not you again! How does this keep happening?!
Peter: ...we live in the same city, you gun-crazed goof!

RIDER KICK THROUGH THE WINDOW!

Woof, Peter at the party...and MJ got a new beau. 

I hope to God, it's Paul Rabin. Because the meltdowns from Spider-Man fans will be hilarious.

But seriously, Pete shouldn't worry. There's plenty of fish in the sea. I mean, Peter has hooked up with other women in the comics. I wonder if he'll meet Gwen or Felicia in this movie...

Pete! Go to bed!

Yeah, I think they're drawing from The Other for this film. Peter's powers are going bonkers here like that story. I wonder if they'll also draw from the Six Arms Saga. 

It's Keith David! That voice is very distinct. Based on his dialogue here, I think he's playing Ezekiel Sims.

The Scorpion! 

That girl on the bus kind of resembles Rogue. I think it's a red herring. Something slipped in to get people talking. 

Amazing Fantasy #15 cover reference!

The Tarantula! Also, that moment was a reference to the cover of Amazing Spider-Man #134 (July 1974), drawn by the late Ross Andru. That comic introduced the first Tarantula: Antonio Rodriguez. I think he's the Tarantula Peter is fighting here.

Spider-Man vs. the Hand. Hey, why not? In the comics, he's fought lots of villains outside his own rogues gallery.

Casual reminder that Spider-Man goes hard, as they say. Remember, he's a lot more powerful than he seems. He just holds back a lot to avoid hurting others.

Yeah, I think that last shot was altered to hide something important, like No Way Home's trailer was altered to hide the Garfield and Maguire Spider-Men. 

I just had a crazy thought. Daniel Deston Cretton directed Shang-Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings. He's directing this film. And Peter seems to be battling the Hand here. Maybe this'll set up Shang-Chi and Peter meeting down the line? 🤔

I'm personally hyped! I can't wait to see this movie! I know it'll be a blast! I've been enjoying the MCU Spider-Man films, and I think this'll be another hit for them! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!

Spider-Noir Trailer, My Thoughts

In Spider-Man: Noir #1 (February 2009), a new version of Marvel's mascot superhero was introduced as part of an alternate universe set of comics called Marvel Noir. Marvel Noir reinterpreted Marvel's classic heroes and villains in a film noir style set in the 1930s. This version of Peter Parker didn't wear a colorful costume, and was more brutal in his dealing with criminals, even willing to kill, something his mainstream counterpart would never do.

This version of Spider-Man would become quite popular, thanks to appearing in the Spider-Verse event comics, the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series, and the animated film Into the Spider-Verse, where he was voiced by Nicholas Cage, modeling his voice work on 1930s-era actors James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. Now, Cage is set to play the role in live action in the upcoming series Spider-Noir. In this series, this noir-based Spider-Man is private investigator Ben Reilly. Let's look at the trailer!

"Yeah, but I love it when you tell that story."

These scenes seem to imply that Ben got his powers from some kind of experiment. Maybe during World War I? This version of Ben is likely old enough to have served in that war.

There was that one time Ben lost control. It involved the horses, six gallons of ice cream, a stick of deodorant, and the fedora shipment. People don't like talking about it, and Ben is not allowed to ever step foot in Osaka ever again.

To be fair, those guys were asking for it. They made fun of his mom.

Ben is a lightweight. One sip, and he's a human tornado of punches.

Oh boy, a wannabe Jim Hammond.

WEEEEEEEEEEE!

I love that there's the option to watch in black-and-white and color, but I think the black-and-white will be the better experience. Would fit the era rather well.

Well, this looks rather enjoyable. I liked Cage in the first Spider-Verse animated film, and I am curious as to how he'll tackle the character in live-action, even if they're not quite the same. I think this is a great example of how superheroes can blend into other genres. I think I'll have a good time watching this. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!

Spectacular Spider-Man #107 (October 1985)

While not Peter David's first professional comic book story (this actually was his second story), this story allowed David to break into writing as a full-time career, a career that would cement him as a living legend in the industry until his passing in May 2025.

This story came about because of Jim Owsley, whom you may know better as Christopher Priest. He was editor of the book at this time. In fact, he was the first African-American editor of mainstream comics. Priest was not a fan of the book's more whimsical tone at this time under scripter-artist Al Milgrom. As such, he replaced Milgrom with David and artist Rich Buckler. The three took the book in a darker, more serious direction. This storyline was meant to cement that.

Priest wanted to shake things up in the book, so he decided to kill off Jean DeWolff. Yeah, killing her off was not David's idea. It was Priest's. David actually did have plans for her as a living character. Priest and David worked the story out, with David contributing ideas of his own, mainly the idea of Spider-Man being pushed over the edge by a villain that was much more heinous than the costumed villains he faced at the time. He also wanted to underscore differences between Spider-Man and Daredevil, which is why he appears in this story. 

So, who was Jean DeWolff? First appearing in Marvel Team-Up #48 (August 1976), created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema, DeWolff was a tough-as-nails, acerbic cop with a love of 1930s fashion who would become a prominent ally to Spider-Man. She would also encounter other superheroes in her lifetime, most notably Iron Man and Doctor Strange. She was one of the few cops that seemed rather appreciative of the superhero set, 

The story begins with a look back on the life of Jean DeWolff. The daughter of a police inspector, he was never happy with the idea of being a dad to a daughter. He had wanted another son like her brother Brian, the future Wraith. He blamed her mother for it, leading them to split for good when she was six months old. In the divorce proceedings, Brian ended up with him, she ended up with her mother. 

Her mom remarried, her new husband being a patrolman named Carl Weatherby. I'm guessing her mother had a thing for boys in blue.

Unlike her biological father, Weatherby adored Jean. They grew close, him inspiring her to want to be a cop just like her dear old stepdad. When she graduated from the police academy, Weatherby did not smile, but it didn't matter to her. She knew he was incredibly proud of her. She rose through the ranks, collecting commendations like they were Pokémon cards, yet he stayed a sergeant. He wasn't bitter about it. In fact, the opposite. He wanted her to not only surpass him but also become a commissioner. The first woman to be one. Sadly, that doesn't look like it will be in the cards for Captain DeWolff. 

Page 7, Panel 5

So, where is Peter Parker in all of this? Well, he's taking some photos around New York City, hoping to make a bit of cash off of them. He then runs into a Mr. Ernie Popchik, who was rooming in May Parker's boarding home at the time. He's gone to cash his Social Security check so he can do some shopping. Unfortunately, he gets ambushed by some pickpockets.

Page 9, Panels 4-6

An infuriated Peter Parker sees this and goes to check on the man. He ten tells someone to call an ambulance while he goes to get help. Remember, this is the 1980s. Cell phones are not as ubiquitous then as they are now. Peter switches into his Spider-Man togs and pursues the pickpockets.

Page 11, Panel 3

Yeah, this version of the Black Costume is not the symbiote that would eventually become Venom. This was a regular cloth version given to him as a gift by Black Cat, I believe. Spider-Man easily takes care of the pickpockets. The police come by to pick them up and tell him that the man (Mr. Popchik) they mugged is on the way to the hospital to get checked out. It's then they also inform him about Jean deWolff being murdered. Spider-Man is naturally shocked, as he just saw her the other day. 

Over at a church, a man goes to a confessional booth. He has some sins to confess. 

We next go to the Daily Bugle, where Robbie Robertson and J. Jonah Jameson discuss DeWolff's death. Jameson laments that he'll never get used to a headline like this one. He calls her a fine officer, which amuses Robertson as he believed that Jameson didn't like DeWolff that much. Jameson didn't, but that doesn't mean he can't be genuinely sad for her death. You can tell that DeWolff's death has shaken him as he states that as much as he hates Spider-Man, he doesn't consider him as bad as the person that killed DeWolff.

It's then that a man arrives at the Daily Bugle, a man of the cloth: Reverend Jackson Tolliver. He was hoping that his new ministry in New York would get some notice by the Bugle. Jameson remarks that he was mentioned in the "Atlanta child slayings" some years earlier. Yeah, this is a topical reference, one to the murders of Atlanta children from 1979 to 1981. It was believed that the majority of the murders were committed by alleged serial killer Wayne Williams. Williams was convicted for the murders of two adult men and was never tried for the child murders, even though police did attribute many of the child murders to him. To this day, Williams has claimed he is innocent of the child murders. It's some dark stuff, so be careful before clicking the Wikipedia links. 

That evening, Spider-Man visits the police station, wanting to speak to whoever is investigating the killing of DeWolff. He learns it's a Sergeant Stan Carter. The two meet and discuss the case. Carter doesn't mind superheroes very much, as he sees them as nuts. Well, they're nuts, but they're obvious about it. It's the quiet, hidden nutjobs that worry him. Stan reveals that Jean was actually quite well-liked by the force, and she was fond of them too. She was also rather fond of Spider-Man, which is why Carter is willing to talk to the Web-Slinger in the first place. Peter admits he liked her, too.

With a new dawn comes a new day. And with the dawn comes the Man Without Fear, Daredevil, swinging through the rooftops. Matt Murdock not here to fight a supervillain, though. He's working pro bono, playing public defender to the punks that attacked Mr. Popchik. In that role, he gets the punks released on their own recognizance. Popchik is understandably outraged, despite May assuring him this is arraignment (formal reading of the charges a defendant is accused of), not an actual trial. Peter confronts Murdock, and this allows Murdock's super-senses to discover that he's Spider-Man.

Matt confers with the judge, a Horace Rosenthal. He points out that he was taught that everyone had to be treated equally under the law. And yet, he now feels terrible about his letting the punks go. Horace waves it off, telling Matt that he dislikes getting his hands dirty. Maybe working a few years as a public defender would help with that. He heads out to use the little judge's room. That is rather convenient for Matt.

Why? Because his radar sense picked up someone in the judge's study. He goes to investigate and finds a man there. His pulse and perspiration indicate he may be on something. The man points a shotgun at him, and introduces himself as the Sin-Eater.

Page 24, Panel 8

The sin-eater takes his name from a British isles ritual in which someone eats a ritual meal to take on the sins of a deceased person, absolving their souls. 

The Sin-Eater shoots at Matt, but he's able to get behind a desk. Unfortunately for Matt, Judge Rosenthal peeks in.

Page 26, Panel 2

Matt is paralyzed. He could leap up and stop the Sin-Eater, but it would jeopardize his secret identity. Rosenthal pleads for his life...and the story ends with the Sin-Eater giving the judge some hot buckshot.

It feels a bit tamer compared to many comics today, but I can imagine that in the mid-80s, this was quite a shocking way to start a run. 

Jean DeWolff's death would have some major impact on the Spider-Man mythos. The Sin-Eater would return in a later storyline (also written by David), and most notably, the investigation into the identity of the villain would lead to Eddie Brock becoming Venom. Her friend, fellow officer Yuri Watanabe, would become the latest Wraith (the first being DeWolff's brother Brian) In the Dead no More: The Clone Conspiracy event, Jean DeWolff would be brought back to life as a clone of the original, one of the many deceased friends and allies of Spider-Man by the Ben Reilly Jackal to win over Spider-Man's allyship. This Jean would give her life aiding Spider-Man in stopping him. 

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2013 trade paperback Spider-Man: The Death of Jean DeWolff. Thanks for reading this blog entry!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Trailer, My Thoughts

The Mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe marches on! Well, sort of. Created by head writer Jeff Tramell, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was originally meant to be set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, telling the tales of the MCU's Peter Parker early on his career before the events of Captain America: Civil War, with the series being originally titled Spider-Man: Freshman Year. 

During production, it was decided to go in a different direction, setting it in an alternate timeline. I personally felt it was a smart move. They can do their own thing, and with the Multiverse in play, it's still indirectly connected to the MCU. Let's look at the trailer!

Love the little bit of the 1960s Spider-Man theme. It's an iconic tune for a reason.

Ooooooh, that'll hurt! 😬

Ron Howard: He actually suffered six broken ribs.

Heh heh, Peter is a dork. 

Yeah. Sorry, Pete. Your costume...could use some work. I do know a good tailor who could help you...

Oooooh! Yeah, that dude has a concussion. Good thing this is a cartoon! 

Heh heh, I can see a modern teenage Peter being a bit of a troll in costume.

Web-swinging is also a great way to beat the traffic.

Wait, was that Scorcher?! I know the costume isn't quite right, but this could be a prototype. And as a fan of Untold Tales of Spider-Man, I'm all for Scorcher appearing in other media.

I have to admit, I love the animation style here. It gives the vibe of an old comic book. Fits for a young super-hero on the rise. 

I like the idea of Norman Osborn being Peter's mentor here. It's a unique twist on their relationship. And if Osborn does fall to evil, it will add a bit of tragedy. 

THE FUTURE FOUNDATION SUIT! THE FUTURE FOUNDATION SUIT! 

I have to admit, I am excited for this. Peter attending school with other superheroes (Nico Minoru and Pearl "Wave" Pangan are among the cast) kind of reminds me of the Ultimate Spider-Man series, making me wonder if we'll see this Peter form a group like he led in that series. I can't wait to see what adventures this new version of Peter undergoes. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!

Marvel Team-Up #21 (May 1974)

Back in October 2017, I took a look at the main story of Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2 (December 1965). It depicted the first battle between the tag team of Doctor Strange and Spider-Man battling the rogue sorcerer Xandu. In that blog entry, I pointed out that this story would be followed up on over the years, the stories creating a decades long-spanning saga that turned Xandu from a one-off cosmos conqueror into a more tragic villain. 

I thought it would be fun to take a look at one of the follow-ups to the Annual. As such, the comic we're looking at here is the first of the follow-up stories. This is Marvel Team-Up #21!

The cover is a Gil Kane, Frank Giacoia, Mike Espocito, and Danny Crespi piece. I love this cover. This is what the Amazing Spider-Man Annual I looked at in 2017 should have been more like! You have Xandu looming over a starscape, puppeteering Spider-Man and Doctor Strange into fighting each other. It's an exciting-looking cover.

"The Spider and the Sorcerer!"
Writer: Len Wein
Penciler: Sal Buscema
Inkers: Frank Giacoia, Dave Hunt
Colorist: Glynis Wein
Letterer: Dave Hunt
Editor: Roy Thomas
Editor-in-Chief: Roy Thomas 

The story begins in New York City, the city so nice they named it twice.

Peter Parker, the Original Spider-Man, is swinging on patrol when he sees a group of men about to accost and rob a man in a suit. He manages to send the robbers running. The would-be thieves make a run for it.

The mysterious suit-wearing man is very grateful to our hero. In fact, he wants to do the Wall-Crawler a favor. All Petey has to do is look into his eyes...

“He also owes me twenty bucks!”

Yup, it's Xandu, having somehow regained his memories after Strange erased them. Now that he has the Webhead under his hypnotic power, he gives the Wisecraking Wall-Crawler a mission: Retrieve the Crystal of Kadavus, a jewel that looks like a skull. Doctor Strange has the Crystal in his possession in his Sanctum Sanctorum. Huh. So, the Crystal of Kadavus is a jewel that looks like a skull. Maybe they should go bother Indiana Jones. He has experience with crystal skulls.

He hypnotically convinces Spider-Man that Strange is one of his most vicious enemies and then sends him off to Strange's home. Speaking of Strange, what's he doing right now? Well, he's enjoying a good book.

“Ahhh, I do enjoy a good Clive Cussler yarn…”

He then decides to meditate on what he has read. After all, he needs to put plenty of thought into his review of the book on his blog. I'm joking. The book was written by the Ancient One, Strange's old mentor, and he needs to meditate on what he has learned from it. As he does so, the hypnotized Spider-Man arrives. He carefully sneaks his way through the Sanctum Santorum. However, even though Spider-Man's powerset would make him an excellent ninja, he is not a ninja. As shown when he accidentally knocks over an urn. 

This gets Strange's attention, and he goes to check it out.

He is happy when he sees it is just Spidey. After all, he considers our man a friend. This is clearly just a nice social visit to hang out and talk shop, right?

Exactly. Strange is unaware Spider-Man is under Xandu's power. The two end up fighting in the Sanctorum. Unlike Strange, who is only trying to subdue the Wall-Crawler so he can figure out what is going on, Spider-Man is fighting harder. He managed to KO the Sorcerer Supreme with the move known as Stone Statue to the Head.

With that, Spider-Man is able to retrieve the Crystal of Kadavus and get it to Xandu. So, why did he need the Crystal? Well, it allowed him to restore the Wand of Watoomb.

“Magic. Better than Gorilla Glue!”

So, the Crystal of Kadavus is something for fixing mystical items? Does that mean Kadavus was some kind of mystical repairman?

Anyway, there still is one question: How did Xandu get his memories back after the events of Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2? Well, luckily in the tradition of villains talking a lot, Xandu is happy to explain how.

It turns out just before Strange cast his memory-erasing spell on Xandu in the Annual, Xandu sent his memories into the ether, causing them to erase the spell. And since he still ended up as an amnesiac anyway, Strange thought his spell worked. 

Xandu wandered around as a catatonic homeless man, until his floating memories returned to him. He then reveals to Spider-Man that he isn't just after the Wand to conquer the world: He wants to save a life.

Yeah, there is someone he wants to save.

Using magic to make boobs bigger was not the best idea.

Her name was Melinda Morrison. Xandu met her when he was a younger man, new to the mystic arts. He adored Melinda very much, and presumably she felt the same way towards him. One day, the two attempted a magical ritual. Said ritual went awry, causing a bolt of mystical energy to hit Melinda. She ended up in a trance resembling death. Try as he might, Xandu could not wake her. He put her in a special chamber to protect her body while he searched for a cure. For years he looked, desperately trying to find anything, but he had no such luck.

He then learned of the Wand of Watoomb. He thought the artifact could wake Melinda up. And now he plans to kill Spider-Man. The Webhead helped foil him in the past, and Xandu will not let that happen again. Thankfully for Marvel's mascot, Doctor Strange arrives. Xandu, realizing that Strange has the "home field advantage" in this dimension (being the Sorcerer Supreme of it and all), transports them to another dimension. 

Here, Xandu is almighty. He's also gotten much bigger and has a black beard. Strange and Spidey try to take on the mad magician, but Xandu shows himself capable of shrugging off Stephen's magics and Peter's webs. To show off his power, Xandu makes them into literal puppets.

“Dance, puppets! Dance for the crowd!”

Strange has one last trump card. He casts a spell that he may not be able to reverse, but it's the only shot he's got. While plays around with the two heroes, Xandu causes Spider-Man's arms to be pointed at his face. Seeing an opportunity, Peter takes it.

Peter Parker found himself wondering what was in those brownies he ate…

Somebody gave Peter a magic stat. Yup, Strange caused himself and Peter to switch powers. Spider-Man is now a magician! Strange gives Xandu a blast of webbing to the face...which really makes no sense. At this time, Peter's webs were artificial, fired from mechanical web-shooters. He did briefly get organic webshooters for a while, but that would be in the future. I guess you could say the same for Peter being able to use Strange's magics, but I think in the Marvel Universe, anyone can use magic with time and training. Peter winds up a ball of mystical force...and the pitch...

“UP YOURS, NOLAN RYAN!”

AND IT'S GOOD! XANDU GETS A MAGIC BALL TO THE FACE!

This causes Xandu to drop the Wand of Watoomb, and he shrinks down to his normal size. Not so big now, ain't you buddy? Strange then gives him a spider-powered Mighty Punch, and then tosses the Wand deep into the dimension, where not even Xandu could find it. The three return to their home dimension (and Strange undoes the power-swap). Xandu laments that now that the Wand is lost, he can't wake Melinda. Strange offers to take a look at Melinda and see if he can help. Xandu takes the two heroes to Melinda's chamber. Strange looks Melinda's body over...and he has some bad news.

Melinda is dead. She's not in a trance, she is just...dead. Yeah. Melinda Morrison is no more. She has ceased to be. She has joined the choir invisible. She is an ex-Melinda. Strange can do many things, but even he can't bring the dead back to life. Xandu...takes it well.

“Man, Xandu sounds weird when he cries…”

The story ends with Strange and Spidey leaving Xandu at Melinda's chamber, the crying sorcerer babbling that what Strange said can't be true. Melinda can't be dead. There has to be a way to wake her...

I admit, I enjoyed this little comic. It was a fun little team-up adventure. I did think the power-swap was a bit goofy, mainly because of Strange suddenly being able to use Spidey's webbing. I would have thought it neat for Strange to demonstrate his other powers, like his Spider-Sense. And I admit, Spidey being able to use magic was kind of cool.    

The only real criticism I have of Sal Buscema's art here is that his take on Xandu's dimension didn't have that psychedelic feel that Steve Ditko would have provided.   

If you want to read this story for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2017 trade paperback Spider-Man/Doctor Strange: The Way to Dusty Death. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!