Back Issue #145 by TwoMorrows Publishing

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Our BARBARA EDEN interview will keep you forever dreaming of Jeannie! Plus: The Invaders, the BILLIE JEAN KING/BOBBY RIGGS tennis battle of the sexes, HANNABARBERA’s Saturday morning super-heroes of the Sixties, THE MONSTER TIMES fanzine, and more fun, fab features! Featuring ERNEST FARINO, ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW!, and MICHAEL EURY.

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MAD’s maddest artist, SERGIO ARAGONÉS, is profiled! Plus: TV’s Route 66 and an interview with star GEORGE MAHARIS, MOE HOWARD’s final years, singer B. J. THOMAS in one of his final interviews, LONE RANGER cartoons, G.I. JOE, and more! Featuring columns by ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW, and MARK VOGER! Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

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Volume 1, Number 145 August 2023

Comics’ Bronze Age and Beyond!

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Eury PUBLISHER John Morrow DESIGNER Rich Fowlks COVER ARTIST Dusty Abell COVER DESIGNER Michael Kronenberg PROOFREADER David Baldy SPECIAL THANKS Jarrod Buttery ComicOnlineFree.com Billy Connors Gerry Conway Tom DeFalco J. M. DeMatteis Kerry Gammill Rob Harris Heritage Auctions Terry Kavanagh John Kirk James Heath Lantz Ed Lute Ralph Macchio Franck Martini Marvel Comics David Michelinie Allen Milgrom Dan Mishkin Joe Norton Luigi Novi John Schwirian Roy Thomas Steven Thompson

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BACKSEAT DRIVER: Editorial by Michael Eury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 FLASHBACK: Doctor Octopus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 It’s not business, it’s personal between Spidey and his eight-armed arch-foe WHAT THE--?!: Spider-Rogues Only a Mother Could Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Kangaroo, Grizzly, White Rabbit, and other bargain-basement bad guys FLASHBACK: The Lizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Spidey’s scaliest, scariest foe—who’s also his friend and mentor ROUGH STUFF: Pencil Art Showcase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: The Jackal and Carrion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 The convoluted saga of clone-crazy Professor Miles Warren BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: The Tarantula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 This would-be super-soldier gets his kicks from battling Spidey FLASHBACK: The Kingpin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 The complex life of the Spider-Rogue-turned-Daredevil foe FLASHBACK: The Gangs of New York . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Our joke-a-minute hero isn’t the only “wise guy” of the Bronze Age BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: Puma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 The ‘Native-American Tony Stark’ that scratched his way into Spidey-dom BACK TALK: Reader Reactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 BACK ISSUE™ issue 145, August 2023 (ISSN 1932-6904) is published monthly (except Jan., March, May, and Nov.) by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA. Phone: (919) 449-0344. Periodicals postage paid at Raleigh, NC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Back Issue, c/o TwoMorrows, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614. Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: BACK ISSUE, c/o Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief, 112 Fairmount Way, New Bern, NC 28562. Email: euryman@gmail.com. Eight-issue subscriptions: $97 Economy US, $147 International, $39 Digital. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office. Cover artwork by Dusty Abell. Spider-Man and all related characters TM & © Marvel. All Rights Reserved. All editorial matter © 2023 TwoMorrows and Michael Eury. Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING

Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 1

This issue’s theme comes to us by way of its cover artist, Dusty Abell. In November 2021, Dusty shared with me what I call his “SpiderMan and His Amazing Foes” art, which he had produced for Marvel for a Spider-Man 60th Anniversary jigsaw puzzle and a limited edition print, as a possible cover for BACK ISSUE. It’s an amazing illustration featuring a multitude of menaces—and their enemy, the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, front and center. How could I say no? I had previously considered a “Spider-Rogues” issue but never got around to it—and then Dusty’s dynamite illo inspired me to dust off that cobwebbed theme. After a quick confab with our publisher (no, not that Webheadhating blowhard J. Jonah Jameson, but instead our own Jumpin’ John Morrow), we decided to wait until 2023 before repurposing the art as a BACK ISSUE cover, so as not to directly compete with its commercial uses in 2022. That time has come, True Believer! In the pages that follow, the intrepid reporters of our Eisner Award–winning comics history mag present the stories behind some of the supervillains (and a few not-so-super ones as well) that have pestered, prodded, and pummeled our wall-crawling hero. Some major Spider-Rogues that debuted in the Silver Age are included. But as you would expect from our Bronze Age purview, several villains that premiered in the 1970s and 1980s get the spotlight, including the mobster Hammerhead, shown on this page in combat with Spidey in a specialty illustration by artists Mark Bagley and Al Vey. As I often do when discussing BI’s themes, I get a little defensive— maybe it’s my editorial spider-sense. I am sometimes pelted by email queries and online posts about characters or comic series “missing” from an issue’s theme. At times I receive criticisms as rabid as one of ol’ JJJ’s anti-Spidey rants. So please allow me to restate the rationale behind our themes. 2 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

ichael Eury

BACK ISSUE’s themes provide editorial structure and a creative launching point for a single issue. BI is a magazine of 80 pages (several of them ads), not a book with an expanded page count. There simply is not enough space in a single issue to explore the entirety of its selected theme—especially in the case of a broad subject like this issue’s. Just look at how many characters Dusty crammed onto our cover… if each of them had an article in this issue, we’d be stuck with one-paragraph dossiers. Instead, we’re offering a select number of villain histories, with the behind-the-scenes storytelling you’d expect from a BI article. There are other Spider-Rogues waiting in the wings for a BI spotlight. If response to this issue is strong, perhaps we’ll revisit the subject in the future. In the meantime, I’ll direct you to our back issues, where we previously covered the following Spider-Man Rogues’ Gallery members: • • • • • • • • • • •

Black Cat (BI #40) Doctor Octopus’ marriage to Aunt May (BI #123) Green Goblin (BI #18, 126) Hobgoblin (BI #35) Hypno-Hustler (BI #101) J. Jonah Jameson (BI #91) Kraven the Hunter (“Kraven’s Last Hunt”) (BI #35) Man-Wolf (BI #60) Morbius the Living Vampire (BI #36, 116) The Punisher (BI #4, 88) Stegron the Dinosaur Man (BI #140)

Spider-Man vs. Hammerhead by Mark Bagley and Al Vey. Courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Marvel.

by M

The Doctor Will See You Now Pity the poor lab assistant interviewing with this guy! The menacing Dr. Otto Octavius—Doctor Octopus—in an undated painting by Gray Morrow. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com). TM & © Marvel.

by F

ranck Martini Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 3

TM & © Marvel.

Several of the earliest foes of Spider-Man are based on a totem animal, like the Wall-Crawler himself, and can be split into two main categories: the robbers (the Scorpion, Electro, the Vulture) and the scientists gone wrong (the Lizard, the Green Goblin—even if he started more as a crook before his unmasking— and Doctor Octopus). Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee explained this totemic aspect during a convention in 2017: “I’m always looking for some animal or fish or bird that would make a good villain. (…) And Doc Ock, it occurred to me that an octopus with a lot of tentacles, that would be pretty scary. So that was all. It was as simple as that.” Peter Parker is a scientist himself like Curt Connors (the Lizard), Otto Octavius (Doctor Octopus), and Norman Osborn (Green Goblin). His link with this type of villain has always been more direct, with higher stakes, because of those villains’ connections with Peter while they were antagonizing Spider-Man. Fights against the Lizard have always had a special edge because Connors’ family was very often part of the story. As for the Green Goblin, each appearance post– The Amazing Spider-Man #39 (Aug. 1966) has had a dramatic impact for Spider-Man and his loved ones. When it comes to Doctor Octopus and SpiderMan, though, their enmity has almost always been personal because the majority of their Silver and Bronze Age confrontations involved someone close to the Web-Spinner. After the Bronze Age, and especially in recent years, things would become personal at a “superior” level.

Through the history of both characters, it would frequently feel like Parker and Octavius could very well be two sides of a coin, as one-time ASM writer/editor Marv Wolfman explained in Spider-Man Chronicle: Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging: “Doctor Octopus shared many traits with Peter Parker. They were both shy, both interested in science, and both had trouble relating to women. … Otto Octavius even looked like a grownup Peter Parker. Lee and Ditko intended Otto to be the man Peter might have become if he hadn’t been raised with a sense of responsibility.” One could also view that their origin stories are similar: a lab accident gone wrong, with positive consequences on one side and negative ones on the other.

PERSONAL, RIGHT FROM THE START

Doctor Octopus’ first appearance (ASM #3, July 1963; see inset at left) is an origin story concluding with a Spidey victory. The initial defeat Webhead suffers from his first encounter with Ock started the “Is this the end of Spider-Man?” trope. In Doc Ock’s second appearance (ASM #11, Apr. 1964), Doctor Octopus is connected to the murder of Bennett Brant, brother of Betty Brant, the girlfriend of Peter Parker at the time. This would be the first case of Ock’s actions creating a rift between Peter and one of his girlfriends. The pattern would reemerge in the future. The following issue (ASM #12, May 1964) has Doctor Octopus abducting Betty once more—and more importantly, Octopus unmasking Spidey. Peter was weakened by a virus during this fight, so nobody “bought” that this weakling teenager could be Spider-Man—a close call for our hero. Later on, Doc Ock once again kidnaps Betty, along with Peter’s Aunt May, during the first gathering of the Sinister Six (ASM Annual #1, Oct. 1964). This story sets up the first connection between Doctor Octopus and Aunt May, who finds Octopus “charming.” In the classic Master Planner three-parter, Doctor Octopus is the villain to beat to save a dying Aunt May (ASM #31–33, Dec. 1964–Feb. 1966). This storyline is viewed by many as one of the greatest Spidey stories of all times: “The ‘Master Planner’ trilogy hits on every level,” explained Marv Wolfman in Comic Creators on Spider-Man (Titan Books, 2004). “Peter is trying to save Aunt May, and is trapped beneath this mountain of debris. It is an internal story that really

When Otto Met May (top left) The Amazing Spider-Man #54 (Nov. 1967) furthers Aunt May’s attraction to Doc Ock. Cover by John Romita, Sr. (top right) Spidey’s up in arms when his beloved aunt walks down the aisle with his diabolical foe in ASM #131 (Apr. 1974). Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia. (bottom) The Ock/May relationship occasionally made the syndicated Amazing Spider-Man comic strip, like this Lee/Lieber daily from February 14, 1981. Original art courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Marvel.

4 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

makes you care about the characters. Superhero comics are not about sophisticated ideas, they’re about emotional responses.” In Roy Thomas’ 75 Years of Marvel (Taschen, 2015), Robert Greenberger gave it an even broader view as he described the classic “Spidey under tons of debris” opening sequence of ASM #33: “These first five pages are a modern-day equivalent to Shakespeare, as Parker’s soliloquy sets the stage for his next action. And with dramatic pacing and storytelling, Ditko delivers one of the great sequences in all comics.”

A DRAMATIC TURN IN THE SILVER AGE

After Ditko’s departure as the artist of The Amazing Spider-Man, Octopus continues to pop up regularly. He moves into Aunt May’s boarding house during the “Tentacles and the Trap” arc (ASM #53–56, Oct. 1967–Jan. 1968), a story that paves the way for the strange relationship Otto Octavius and May Parker have to this day. Stan Lee wrote those stories with very goofy dialogues, presenting May as either a very gullible or naïve person. But this relationship created a very tense situation in the book with a bigger feeling of danger. The fight taking place in May’s house in ASM #54 is a typical example of Spider-Man having to deal with two situations at once: fighting against the bad guy and protecting his aunt, a second pattern that will be another Spider-Man classic. Doc Ock temporarily wipes Spider-Man’s memory with a device called the Nullifier, and cleverly tricks Spidey into being his partner in crime for a while. Doctor Octopus would not reappear for the next two and half years, but his return in the early Bronze Age, in ASM #88–90 (Sept.–Nov. 1970), is a dramatic one. During a fight, his mechanical arms shatter a chimney, and its debris are about to crush a young child. Captain George Stacy—Gwen Stacy’s father— valiantly saves the child but gets hit by falling debris

and dies shortly after. Doc Ock’s actions wedge a gap between Peter Parker and his girlfriend as Gwen blames Spidey for her father’s death. This story is a major defeat for Spider-Man since he loses the fight— and more importantly a big supporter and father figure in Captain Stacy.

THE OCTOPUS AND HAMMERHEAD SHOW

Things go into an interesting direction when Gerry Conway becomes the new writer of Amazing SpiderMan starting with issue #111 (Aug. 1972). Doctor Octopus is seen for the first time since the death of Captain Stacy in issues #112–115 (Sept.–Dec. 1972), in a titanic clash between Ock and new villain Hammerhead… with Spidey caught in the middle. This fight remains on the personal side, with Aunt May serving as caretaker of Doc Ock’s house and eventually choosing to stay in Otto’s house after his defeat to “keep it in order.” May quietly thinks her nephew Peter no longer needs her, but “Dr. Octavius… does.” She is also part of the fight between the two antagonists and issue #115, shows the first

May Day (left) After Doc Ock makes his first Bronze Age appearance, (right) he further complicates the Wall-Crawler’s life by becoming involved with Aunt May. Covers to Amazing Spider-Man #89 (Oct. 1970) and 115 (Dec. 1972) by John Romita, Sr. TM & © Marvel.

Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 5

Double Trouble As if poor Spidey didn’t have enough to deal with in his Doc Ock struggles, Octavius’ conflicts with Hammerhead drove our hero buggy. Covers to ASM #158 and 159 (July and Aug. 1976) by Ross Andru and Frank Giacoia, with Romita alterations. TM & © Marvel.

hint that Octopus may have feelings for May. Art-wise, John Romita, Sr. and Tony Mortellaro deliver a superbly drawn story, including an incredible splash page of Ock attacking Spidey at the end of issue #112 (Sept. 1972). The level of speed and urgency of the story also comes from the fact that Spidey has two villains to deal with (and his aunt to protect). Gerry Conway loved this type of setup, as he explained to Tom DeFalco in Comic Creators on Spider-Man: “My favorite early storyline was the one involving the Green Goblin and the Crime-Master. I loved the way Spider-Man was caught between these two crime bosses. I also liked the Doctor Octopus ‘Master Planner’ storyline because it developed over several issues, and felt like it was part of a much larger agenda. When I took over the book, my goal was to do stories that were similar to the ones I loved as a kid.” Doctor Octopus is arrested at the end of issue #115, but the story does not quite end here. The Hammerhead/Octopus opposition worked so well that a sequel was obvious. And Gerry Conway had more crazy ideas in mind for this dysfunctional trio: “Doc Ock certainly had the oddest relationship to Peter. Stan set it up, but didn’t really play it out. Octopus liked Aunt May. He had a certain avuncular quality toward Peter, and that’s just weird. It’s weird when your enemy has an emotional attachment to your family. I, of course, brought it to the ultimate absurdity by having Doctor Octopus try to marry Aunt May...” As with all sequels, the idea is to take what works in the first story and raise all the levels. Ock and Hammerhead are fighting to take over the Kingpin’s territory in the first story, and here they are trying to seize a Canadian island hosting a nuclear plant. Aunt May was the caretaker of Ock’s house, and she has now inherited the aforementioned Canadian island. Ock has (manipulatively?) flirted with May, but here he almost marries her (ASM #130–131, Mar.–Apr. 1974) [see BI #123 for the full story—ed.]. And yes, Spidey is here, too. During the final fight on the island, he is more focused on saving his aunt than on fighting the two villains and is not even aware of the explosive ending that leaves Hammerhead and Octopus for dead. One should not look into the coherence of the story, but more on the speed and the thrills it conveys. After all Conway’s goal was to have fun, as he explained in BACK ISSUE #44 (Sept. 2010): “It started with the visual of the two of them standing at the altar, and the title: ‘My Uncle, My Enemy!’ l would come up with that and the ‘With this ring I thee… WEB?!’ cover copy. I was playing with those terrific, overwrought Stan Lee [story] titles of mid-1960s that always struck me as great fun. You know, titles like ‘This Man, This Monster.’ By this point in my run on Amazing Spider-Man, I was feeling very loose with the material and having fun with it; it was really all about having some fun with the readers. I knew the older readers would recognize those outrageous titles, and the younger readers would hopefully enjoy the inherent fun of it all.” Gerry Conway left Amazing Spider-Man with #149 (Oct. 1975), after the conclusion of the original Clone Saga. Following writer Archie Goodwin’s anniversary story in issue #150, Len Wein took over the writing reins with issue #151 (Dec. 1975). A strange character looking like a homeless person who is very likely an alcoholic starts appearing with Wein’s second issue, #152. He will soon be revealed as a very-much-alive Doctor Octopus, who asks for May Parker’s help in issue #156 (May 1976). “I decided pretty quickly that I wanted to bring Doctor Octopus back, even though Gerry had blown him up in a nuclear explosion,” Wein explained to Tom DeFalco in Comic Creators on Spider-Man. “I began that story by planting these visual clues in the stories. [For] about six months I started cutting to this drunk as a subplot. In this one panel, you see the guy in a hat and tattered coat, holding this cup with both hands, as an unseen third hand holds a bottle half out of the frame, pouring wine into a cup. It was a very subtle clue that the drunk was Doctor Octopus, and no one picked up on it.” If Doc Ock survived the explosion on the island, he appears to be haunted by the ghost of Hammerhead. Ock’s plan is to use a particle accelerator to get rid of Hammerhead’s ghostly presence. As he activates the device, the 6 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

opposite happens and Hammerhead is back (ASM memorably, Doc Ock is beaten by the unusual combo #158, July 1976). The final issue of this fun-filled of Dazzler and the Angel in Dazzler #17 (July 1982). 1982–1983 is a pivotal period for Doctor Octopus three-parter sees the kidnapping of Aunt May and the first and unexpected team-up between Spidey as things get very, very personal between him and and Octopus to retrieve and save May Parker. After Spider-Man once again, but in a different way. Ock a successful rescue mission, the hero and the villain was gone from the pages of ASM, as its writer, Roger part ways, and it seems that their relationship is more Stern explained: “Bill Mantlo and I had our preferences. He liked Doctor Octopus, while I made more use of blurred than ever. the Vulture for instance.” In 1981, Mantlo took (Side note: Two early storylines of the over Spidey’s second book, Peter Parker, the Spider-Man newspaper comic strip Spectacular Spider-Man, with issue #62 presented the classic plot of Doctor (Nov. 1981). “Doctor Octopus, I think, is Octopus boarding at Aunt May’s going to come in as a major villain for place. The first one ran from March a change,” Mantlo explained to Comic 2 to May 6, 1977, and the second Scene. “It’s sort of the way Kingpin has from January 12 to March 14, developed in Daredevil. And get away 1981. Both times, Octavius uses from the buffoonery of him being an May as leverage to steal a device alcoholic and marrying Aunt May, and frame Spider-Man. These stories which I hope no one will remember.” were reprinted in IDW’s Amazing [Hey, we look back at that “wedding” Spider-Man Ultimate Newspaper with fondness!—ed.] Mantlo elaboComics Collection #1 and 3.) rated also on how Ock should look Doctor Octopus is, at the time, ross andru like his motivations: “He’s going to Spider-Man’s most dangerous © DC Comics. be the pudgy Doctor Octopus, the opponent, and as such he teams up with Superman’s arch-enemy Lex Luthor with guy who went after people because they mocked an Earth-endangering plan in the first-ever Marvel/ him, not because—I don’t know where he developed DC crossover, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man (Jan. 1976). This groundbreaking story is not set in any of the characters’ continuity, but on a separate “crossover” Earth. It’s an amazing fan experience and proves that among Spidey’s villains, only Octopus compares with the Green Goblin.

Jailhouse Ock DC’s and Marvel’s resident mad scientists team up in Gerry Conway’s landmark Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man. Art by Ross Andru and Dick Giordano (and friends). Doctor Octopus TM & © Marvel. Lex Luthor TM & © DC Comics.

NO MORE MR. NICE GUY

Len Wein may have shaken the hero/villain status quo, but no other writer would pick up this aspect of the relationship between the two enemies for a very long time, and Doctor Octopus would be seen in ASM Annuals. First, he appears in a 1979 crossover between ASM Annual #13 and Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #1. The plot is very much a classic Doc Ock plot: He tries to steal a military submarine, and eventually fails. The Amazing Annual story, written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by John Byrne and Terry Austin, has a strange paranormal twist. But the Spectacular Annual story, written by Bill Mantlo and drawn by Rich Buckler and Jim Mooney, sees a much more violent and vicious Octopus than ever before, something that Mantlo explained in the fanzine Comics Feature: “You had all of the silly joke issues: Aunt May marrying Doctor Octopus, and Doctor Octopus becoming a drunk, and things like that. Things which I always felt were totally opposed to what the character should be or could be.” Next up for Doc Ock is ASM Annual #15 (1981), featuring the incredible creative team of writer Dennis O’Neil (who was the current ASM scribe) with art by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson. The story also involves the Punisher and provides a ruthless Ock willing to poison the Daily Bugle’s newspaper ink to murder millions of New Yorkers. While this story is Doctor Octopus’ last appearance in the ASM book until #296 in 1987, he will still be around for a large part of the ’80s, but in other Marvel and Spidey books. Doctor Octopus appears as the “villain of the month” in Daredevil #165 (July 1980) by Roger McKenzie and Frank Miller, and Captain America #259 (July 1981) by Jim Shooter, David Michelinie, and Mike Zeck), both times with the objective of stealing adamantium or Cap’s shield to make his extra arms stronger. Less Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 7

No Love Lost ASM Annual #13’s Wolfman-scripted Spidey vs. Ock battle featured the art of the fan-favorite duo of penciler John Byrne and inker Terry Austin. Austin-signed original art to the Annual’s splash page, courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Marvel.

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those incredible biceps—but I want to go back to this image of a frumpy little guy in a lab coat… and tear apart the world, and have the power to do it, although he may not look like he can do it.” The PPTSS book took a grittier and darker tone with Mantlo’s early issues involving the Punisher (directly following ASM Annual #15), mobster Silvermane, and the introduction of Cloak and Dagger. Mantlo also took a totally different take on J. Jonah Jameson. After a year on the book, Mantlo was ready to take Doc Ock in a different direction, too. “We’re doing a story called ‘Waiting for Doctor Octopus,’ where we see a kid who admires supervillains,” Mantlo reported to Comic Scene of his long-range plans. “This kid tries to become Doctor Octopus; he has a Doctor Octopus fan club. And that’s going to be the beginning of the revival of Doctor Octopus. [Ock] only appears peripherally in the story… and he never shows up in a continuity sense. But we’re going to start hinting he’s around, what it is he’s doing, and Spider-Man can’t rest knowing he’s out.” “Waiting for Doctor Octopus!” was published in PPTSS #72 (Nov. 1982), with art by Ed Hannigan, Al Milgrom, and Rick Magyar. It kicks off one of the most riveting Doctor Octopus storylines, with lasting consequences for him as well as Spider-Man. It focuses on a young man called Ollie Osnick who dresses up like Doc Ock and who will even be engaged in a fight against Spider-Man. As Ollie becomes a temporary

young Doctor Octopus, the real one escapes from jail. Mantlo’s plans for Ock evolve throughout the next six issues of the book, an uncommonly long storyline for its time. It’s now a classic Spidey tale. Very quickly, Doctor Octopus allies with Daredevil’s nemesis the Owl in order to assemble a neutron bomb. Unbeknownst to Spider-Man, the Black Cat, thought dead since ASM #227 (Apr. 1982), had been rescued and then captured by Doc Ock’s minions. Octopus asked Black Cat to steal the neutron bomb’s activator from the Kingpin. She double-crossed Ock and went back to reignite her romance with Spider-Man. And things come to a head with PPTSS #75 (Feb. 1983) when, during a major and violent brawl in the Owl’s lair, Black Cat is mortally wounded and Spider-Man rips off Octopus’ extra arms. We’ve definitely moved long past the whimsy of the ‘My Uncle, My Enemy’ territory, and things will actually get worse between the hero and the villain. PPTSS #76 (Mar. 1983) sees Doc Ock undergoing a surgery to get his extra arms back, while Black Cat escapes death. Octopus comes back the following issue and quickly dismisses Spidey and almost kills Black Cat again. He then challenges Spider-Man for a rematch (#77, Apr. 1983) that will take place the following day and clearly implies that he plans to murder both the hero and his girlfriend. The following issue (#78, May. 1983) is an emotional one as Peter Parker says goodbye to his loved ones

King-Size Chaos (left) Ock’s “triumphant return” (he had a lot of those…), in ASM Annual #13 (1979). Cover by Keith Pollard and Bob McLeod. (right) Otto wreaked havoc in Spidey’s other King-Size special that summer, PPTSS Annual #1. Cover by Rich Buckler. TM & © Marvel.

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Doc’s Drop-Ins Doctor Octopus’ domain wasn’t limited to the Spider-Man titles in the Bronze Age. Among his guestappearances: (top left) Daredevil #158 (July 1980), cover by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson; and (top right) Fantastic Four #267 (June 1984), cover by John Byrne. TM & © Marvel.

and gets ready to engage himself in a fight for his and Black Cat’s lives, knowing that the psychotic Doctor Octopus is out for blood. The final page is an astonishing Milgrom/Mooney splash showcasing Spider-Man and Doc Ock as the fight is about to begin at the hospital where Black Cat is recovering from her wounds. PPTSS #79 (June 1983) involves Police Lieutenant Jean DeWolff doing her best to protect Black Cat while Spidey and Doc Ock are engaged in one of their most violent and memorable fights, culminating in a building under construction. Feeling he is losing the fight, Octopus is willing to sacrifice his life and avoid another defeat at Spidey’s hands: “I won’t let it end that way. I refuse to be beaten and disgraced by you again! (…) I’d rather die!” But Spidey grabs Ock and webs him, to be collected by the police. As he leaves, Spidey gives a traumatic lecture to Doctor Octopus: “It’s time you faced the truth. I beat you, despite the fact that you are the deadliest, most dangerous foe I’ve ever faced, despite the fact that you are at the height of your power! (…) You’ll never win! Never! (…) Don’t dare challenge me anymore! I won’t warn you again.” After this showdown, Octopus is a broken man. He suffers from severe arachnophobia and fears Spider-Man. He is separated from his extra arms and placed in a psychiatric institution. Yet Doctor Octopus (along with Spider-Man) is a key player in the first Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars 12-issue limited series (May 1984– Apr. 1985). During this showdown between the most popular heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe, Doc Ock does not seem to suffer from any form of phobia. The villains’ abductions to participate in the Secret Wars are never shown, so one can speculate that maybe the Beyonder, the threat behind the Secret Wars, “cured” Octopus to have him at his best, or maybe took him from a different moment in time when he was at the peak of his powers and villainy.

Versus the Pesky Punisher Frank Miller, super-hot (along with inker Klaus Janson) from Daredevil, excited fans by illustrating the Denny O’Neil–scripted ASM Annual #15 (1981). TM & © Marvel.

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A FRAGILE PSYCHE

Fantastic Four #267 (June 1984) is one of the most significant Doctor Octopus appearances of the 1980s. Susan Richards is pregnant with her second child, who was conceived in the Negative Zone. It appears that radiation is poisoning both Sue and her unborn child. Reed Richards has assembled a team of scientists composed of Bruce Banner (the Hulk), Walter Langkowski (Alpha Flight’s Sasquatch), Michael Morbius (the Living Vampire), and himself to try and cure them. Langkowski believes that since Otto Octavius is an expert on radiation, he is the best person to help Sue. Reed then visits Octopus in the psychiatric institution where he’s recovering. Octopus agrees to help Richards, but on the way Ock regains his mechanical arms and both engage in a fight eventually won both psychologically and physically by Richards. Both scientists reach the hospital, only to find out that are too late, and that Sue had a miscarriage shortly before their arrival. Writer/artist John Byrne depicts a different kind of Doctor Octopus in this story, paralleling him more with the likes of Hulk and Morbius, characters who could sometimes be good or bad, who have become villains because of an accident and not by nature. As Byrne summarized on his online forum: “Otto Octavius as created by Lee and Ditko is a brilliant scientist twisted by ‘cruel fate.’” We see the consequences of Octopus’ phobia during his next appearance in Web of Spider-Man (WoSM) #4 and 5 (Aug. and Sept. 1985). In the first part, we see Doc Ock having nightmares of his defeats by Spider-Man. His turmoil wakes up his extra arms, and he is reunited with them. The final page presents Octavius with a choice: be a scientist and help others, or inspire fear. He chooses the latter and thinks that the death of Spider-Man will cure him of his psychiatric situation. WoSM’s creative team of writer Danny Fingeroth and artists Greg LaRocque and Vince Colletta creates an interesting bridge between several key moments in Octopus’ life. In the following issue, Octopus trains against a SpiderMan robot and strategizes his next nefarious plan. Eventually he encounters the real Spider-Man, but once he realizes he is not fighting a Spider-Man robot, he reverts to a catatonic state.

Headline Hog (top) Ock’s telescoping arms often present great offpanel cover poses, like this one on John Byrne’s cover to Web of Spider-Man #4 (July 1985). (bottom) The newly liberated Octavius, in writer Bill Mantlo’s PPTSS #72 (Nov. 1982). Original art by Ed Hannigan, Al Milgrom, and Rick Magyar. Courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Marvel.

DOCTOR OCTOPUS RETURNS

After the media-hyped marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson [see BI #23 and 123—ed.], David Michelinie had a second task to perform as the new writer of Amazing SpiderMan: release Doctor Octopus from his mental breakdown and reinstall him as one of the most dangerous Spider-Man villains. It had been more than two years since Ock’s last appearance, and it was time to move on to a new era with this classic Spider-Rogue. And that is what ASM #296 and 297 (Jan. and Feb. 1988)—with art by Alex Saviuk and Vince Colletta—are all about. Michelinie explains to BACK ISSUE, “The ‘fear’ storyline was generated in Spectacular Spider-Man #79, before I started writing Amazing, so I had nothing to do with generating that conflict. It may have been the editor’s request for me to tie up that storyline, or I may have just thought Doc Ock would make a better long run villain if he didn’t freeze whenever he saw Spider-Man.” The story deals once again with the consequences of PPTSS #79 and how Octopus is having nightmares of his previous fights against Spider-Man. Like in WOS #4, his dreams “wake up” his extra arms, which are kept in a separate location. The arms bill mantlo escape and reunite with Doc Ock. The two © Marvel. opponents meet, and Octopus goes catatonic once more. But this time his arms go on a rampage and attack Spidey, who manages to escape. Octopus then Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 11

Arachnophobia (top left) Doc Ock’s terrified of Spidey on John Byrne’s cover to ASM #296 (Jan. 1988). (top right) He’s afraid no more, as black-suited Spider-Man discovers on the Alex Saviuk/Jack Abel cover to ASM #297. (bottom) Doctor Octopus sticks his neck—and his mechanical arms— into the business of Peter and Mary Jane in Conway and Saviuk’s graphic novel: The Amazing Spider-Man: Parallel Lives. Cover painting by Bob Larkin. TM & © Marvel.

develops his new plan: to get better, he must kill Spider-Man, and to do so without engaging him, he has to destroy New York City! The following issue sees Doctor Octopus stealing a poisonous bacillus he plans to spray all over New York City. Spider-Man discovers Ock’s plan and realizes that he has to fake defeat in order to reinstall assurance in his foe’s mind. Things go according to plan, and Doc Ock triumphs over Spidey for the first time in years, exiting with a newfound confidence— even though readers see that Spider-Man outsmarted him and played with Octopus’ ego to stop his evil plot. A year later, writer Gerry Conway and artist Alex Saviuk teamed up to produce Marvel Graphic Novel: The Amazing Spider-Man: Parallel Lives. This establishes that Mary Jane has long known about Peter’s Spider-Man identity, and adds Doctor Octopus to the story while recapping the most important fights between the two including the famous Master Planner saga. In present time, Doctor Octopus is enraged to see Peter and MJ getting married since—for him at least—Spider-Man and the Parkers to some extent caused his unhappiness. Doc Ock attacks Aunt May, MJ, and Peter to lure Spider-Man into a fight in the Master Planner’s undersea lair. Here, Doc Ock wears body armor. The body armor is something writer/artist John Byrne would later reuse in his 1998–1999 limited series Spider-Man: Chapter One. “When the radiation from his origin fused his chest plate to his body, and gave him direct mental control over his robotic arms, it did not also give him invulnerability or super-strength,” Byrne opined on his online forum. “Yet, time and again we would see Ock standing on his own two legs and, for instance, picking up a car with his robot arms. The damage this would do to his ‘normal’ human muscles and skeleton would be catastrophic.” The story hints that if the accident that took place in ASM #3 had a dramatic effect on Otto Octavius’ psyche, he was already a sad and lonely person. That does not prevent yet another defeat in this tale that has a modernized Silver Age vibe. Toward the end of the 1980s, a new generation of edgier villains appeared in the Marvel Universe—and in the pages of the Spider-books, 12 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

Post–Bronze Age, there would be more connections between characters like the Hobgoblin and Venom added a darker and crazier Otto and May—for instance, in ASM vol. 2 #45 (Nov. 2002; story tone. Doc Ock needed an upgrade. His next appearance would involve the return of a nefarious by J. Michael Straczynski and John Romita, Jr.), at a time in continuity when May was aware of Peter’s secret identity. Spidey, Mary Jane, team from the mid-’60s: the Sinister Six. Gone was Doc Ock’s and May get caught up in a fight between Doctor Octopus arachnophobia. Writer David Michelinie recalls, “I dealt and an Ock wannabe called Luke Carlyle. When Ock sees very little with Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus encounters May at the fight scene, he freezes and eventually helps after ASM #297. I believe I had them confronting Spidey defeat Carlyle. May has a humorous chat with each other next in Amazing #338 and 339. And Peter and MJ, realizing that this “Nice man—Otto they seemed pretty much back to their old Octavius” was her nephew’s archenemy the whole relationship by then.” This straightforward storytime. May and Peter further discuss this topic in line ran in ASM #334–339 (July–Sept. 1990), Peter Parker: Spider-Man vol. 2 #50 (Jan. 2003), by during a period when Marvel Comics published Paul Jenkins and Mark Buckingham. Amazing Spider-Man on a biweekly basis. As Much later on, Aunt May (no longer aware of Michelinie tells BACK ISSUE, this schedule “meant Peter’s secret identity) married J. Jonah Jameson, Sr. six issues in three months. So, it just seemed like a (JJJ’s father) in ASM #600 (Sept. 2009). In this milenatural to have a six-part story with six villains, stone issue, Doc Ock, whose body is degenerating, focusing on the individuals and then bringing reads the announcement of the wedding and as in them all together at the end.” david michelinie Spectacular Spider-Man #173, wonders how things Doctor Octopus tricks Electro and a reformed would have turned out if… Sandman as the first members of his team bound Flash-forward to 2022. During the “Beyond” series in Amazing to destroy Spider-Man. He will later attract the Shocker, the Vulture, Spider-Man, Peter is comatose after a gas poisoning in ASM vol. 5 Mysterio, and the Hobgoblin in his plan. Issue #336 (Aug. 1990) features the death of Aunt May’s friend #80 (Feb. 2022). May and Ock team up to try and find a cure. MarNathan Lubensky during a fight between Spider-Man and the vel advertised the book as “The hottest couple in comics is back.” Vulture, although this time Ock is not directly responsible for the This issue has a lot of sweet moments between the two characters, death of a character close to Peter Parker. Octopus’ plan involves but also a quite sad ending and a falling out between the two. blackmailing the leaders of the free world and threatening to Whatever happens next in the complicated world of comic books, poison the Earth with a deadly substance loaded into a satellite. these two will always have a special bond, one that has been very Lots of double-crossing later, Thor prevents the substance’s spread. nicely and subtly established since 1964. Doc Ock retreats after a standstill fight against Spider-Man. Starting with this storyline, Doctor Octopus adopts an edgier new look with classy suits instead of his traditional green costume. “That could’ve been the editor’s suggestion,” muses David Michelinie, “but I’d guess it was the artist’s [Erik Larsen] idea, wanting to do something different.”

HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME NOT

Doctor Octopus soon returned, in PPTSS #173–175 (Feb.–Apr. 1991), a highly personal clash that begins with Ock and Spidey fighting in front of Aunt May’s house. Mary Jane and Marla Madison are also kidnapped, and a large part of the final fight takes place near the Daily Bugle. Initiated by Gerry Conway and concluded by David Michelinie with art by Sal Buscema, this story brings a touch of sadness to Doc Ock, who envisions reuniting with Aunt May but quickly understands that he does not belong there. This story revisits the topic of the true feelings Otto Octavius has for May Parker. Initially, he saw May as leverage in a plot and as an innocent hostage he could use against Spider-Man, or saw her home simply as a place to hide while preparing his next move. But as we saw during the Conway and Wein days, Ock gets more and more attached to May and even associates himself with Spider-Man to save her from Hammerhead. During most of the ’80s, the connection between the two arch-foes is nowhere to be found as Doctor Octopus became more and more violent and psychotic. May Parker wouldn’t have fit into any of those stories. But the quieter setup of PPTSS #173 and the changes Octopus has gone through make this reunion possible, even if short-lived.

A Spidey Rarity Mega-collectors are forgiven if you’ve never heard of this obscure 1990 one-shot: The Amazing Spider-Man vs. Dr. Octopus!: Chaos at the Construction Site. Written by Dwayne McDuffie, this custom comic was produced in conjunction with the National Action Council for Minorities. Cover by interior artists Alex Saviuk and Chris Ivy. TM & © Marvel.

Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 13

Say ‘Uncle’! (left) The old foes go at it—boy, do they ever!—in ASM #339 (Sept. 1990). Cover pencils by Erik Larsen, inks by Hilary Barta. (top right) A dapper Doc in ASM #398 (Feb. 1995). Cover by Mark Bagley and Larry Mahlstedt. (bottom right) The superior Octavius, in issue #700 (Feb. 2013). Cover by Humberto Ramos. TM & © Marvel.

SCIENTIST OR THUG? HERO OR VILLAIN?

After another gathering of the Sinister Six in the early ’90s (Spider-Man #18–23, Jan.–June 1992), Doctor Octopus would progressively evolve as a character. His plans to conquer the world would more or less remain, as well as his madness, but Octopus would also slowly return to his roots and be more of a man of science. In the ’90s, Doc Ock would adopt a more precise attitude with an old-fashioned way of speaking and frequent use of alliterations (“babbling buffoon”) that have now become his trademark language. The changes started to take place in Spider-Man Unlimited vol. 1 #3 (Nov. 1993). In this story, a Bugle journalist named Dilbert Trilby is assigned to the update of Octopus’ obituary. Writer Tom DeFalco and artists Ron Lim and Jim Sanders III took this opportunity to pick up some of the pieces from previous stories and establish a more in-depth origin for the character: Octavius was bullied as a kid, had abusive parents, and his mother prevented him from getting married to fellow scientist Mary Alice Anders. These traumatic events helped create the sad, lonely person Otto was presented in Parallel Lives and ASM #3. At the beginning of the second Clone Saga (ASM #397–398 and PPTSS #220–221, Jan.–Feb. 1995), Doctor Octopus saves Spider-Man’s life from a viral infection (and discovers his secret identity in the process) since he wants their feud to go on and thinks he should be the one killing Spidey. With these issues, we see a newfound respect between the two adversaries. 14 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

The past two decades have offered their share of Doctor Octopus’ deaths and returns, with Ock sometimes being on the side of the angels and sometimes literally making deals with the devil. But it is Otto Octavius the scientist that takes over the body of Spider-Man in ASM #698 (Jan. 2013) to become the Superior Spider-Man (starting with issue #700, Feb. 2013), pledging to be a better hero than Spidey was through science and technology. This controversial series did a remarkable job at showing the differences between a traditional hero and the reformed villain that Doctor Octopus was. What will happen next to Otto Octavius after 60 years of being a thorn in Spider-Man’s side? Doc Ock is now back as a villain in his classic look, but recent depictions (including the silver screen) have shown that he is not a classic bad guy, but instead a good person that turned bad. Recent portrayals of Norman Osborn have shown an apparently reformed former Green Goblin willing to right the wrongs he did. Maybe that is the path that Otto Octavius will take to continue the amazing evolution he has had as a character. Once FRANCK MARTINI discovered the Spider-Man daily strip, “Nothing would ever be the same again.” When no one is watching, he is also a mildmannered communications manager with a patient family and a cat named Krypto. He sometimes takes part in the Epic Marvel Podcast.

TM & © Marvel.

Doctor Octopus Cover Gallery

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When Spider-Man first hit the comic-book scene in 1962, creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko quickly introduced a murderer’s row of some of the greatest villains to ever grace a comics page. However, even though Spidey has arguably the best Rogues’ Gallery in Marvel Comics, he’s also battled some… let’s say, not-quite A-listers. And to be honest, some of them may have a hard time hitting the B-list. Join BACK ISSUE as we look at the could’a-been-a-contender crowd of Spider-Rogues that only a mother could love.

THE KANGAROO

Spider-Man’s list of animal-themed villains could practically fill a zoo. However, not all these villains were created equal. Take, for instance, the Kangaroo, who first bounced on the scene in The Amazing SpiderMan #81 (Feb. 1970). His only powers (if you can even call them that) were that he could jump (really high) and kick really hard. Can you guess where he got these abilities? Wrong, he wasn’t kicked by a radioactive kangaroo. But Australian Frank Oliver was fascinated by the creatures, so he “lived in kangaroo country— eating what they ate—going where they went—working—training.” He basically got his power from hanging out with the kangaroos and doing what they did. He used his newfound abilities in a short-lived boxing career. It was short-lived because in his first match, Oliver kicked his opponent so hard it almost killed him. Oliver went on the lam and ended up in New York City. Kangaroo held up an armored car, but instead of money, he found a vial of deadly experimental bacteria. Not wanting to leave empty-handed, Oliver took the vial. Spider-Man was able to locate Kangaroo and save the vial before it could be broken. Oliver managed to escape his encounter with Spidey. This wouldn’t be their last meeting, as they fought again in ASM #126 (Nov. 1973), written by Gerry Conway with pencils by Ross Andru. Oliver had enlisted the services of Jonas Harrow to enhance his abilities. In return, Oliver was tasked with stealing a radioactive isotope. Spider-Man attempted to spoil the theft, but was overwhelmed by the now more-powerful Kangaroo. Even though he overpowered Spider-Man, Oliver perished because he didn’t properly protect himself from the radiation. Conway tells BI why he brought the Kangaroo back: “I loved the silliness of that character. Stan had these kind of one-power characters that seemed useless in the larger sense. The Kangaroo’s basic skill set was that he could jump. That to me was pretty funny. I’ve always liked what I consider the groundlevel villains. Characters like the Kangaroo who are menacing, they’re not without danger, but they are definitely a low-key threat to the city at large. Basically, villains that have an impact on the hero that don’t really threaten large-scale problems.” Oliver wasn’t the only person to take on the Kangaroo identity. Brian Hibbs, created by Marc McLaurin and Scott Benefiel, first appeared in Cage #13 (Apr. 1993) before writer J. M. DeMatteis and artist Luke Ross had him take on the mantle of the Kangaroo in Spectacular Spider-Man #242 (Jan. 1997). Hibbs was inspired to become a costumed criminal by Oliver, so it was only natural for him to take on the role of the Kangaroo. However, like Oliver before him, Hibbs was easily defeated by the Webbed Wonder. Why did DeMatteis decide to bring back the Kangaroo? “I chose him because he was so odd. One of Spidey’s silliest antagonists.”

THE GIBBON

Stan Lee and John Romita, Sr. premiered another not-so-spectacular Spider-Rogue in ASM #110 (July 1972). This was the first appearance of Martin Blank/the Gibbon, a mutant who had an ape-like appearance. He joined the circus and took on a furry costume to enhance his already simian features. While in the circus, he honed his acrobatic skills. “The origin of that character was that Stan had been at a zoo in New York, either the Bronx Zoo or the Central Park Zoo, and saw a 16 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

by E d

Lute

He’ll ‘Roo’ the Day (inset) John Romita, Sr.’s cover for Amazing Spider-Man #81 (Feb. 1970), premiering the hopping-mad Kangaroo. (above) Courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com), original art to an alternate version of the cover. Note how Romita changed Spidey’s posture to a front-view, in-action pose in the published version. TM & © Marvel.

gibbon. He thought it would make for an interesting villain. A guy would get the strength and agility of a gibbon,” reveals Conway. Blank originally wanted to join Spider-Man on his superheroic adventures because he felt a kinship with the Wall-Crawler due to their similar acrobatic skills. However, the ever-sensitive superhero laughed at Blank’s suggestion. Of course, this angered him, so instead of working for good, Blank took on the moniker of the Gibbon and became an adversary instead of an ally. Blank eventually teamed up with Kraven the Hunter, who saw Blank as someone that he could manipulate to his own ends. Kraven even provided the Gibbon with an herbal potion that enhanced his strength. He was actually able to defeat Spider-Man, but snapped out of his drug-induced stupor before he killed him. Lee and Romita may have created the Gibbon, but Conway completed the three-part story that introduced him. He states, “I inherited that story and most of it was plotted by John Romita since he had initiated the story with Stan, so I was basically following their lead on that one. The Gibbon didn’t seem to offer many possibilities to me as a writer, but bringing Kraven into it helped to raise the stakes in the story. Kraven is a much more deadly villain.”

THE MINDWORM

Lest readers think that only Stan the Man and Jazzy Johnny were involved with creating Spidey’s B- and C-listers, along came Conway and artist Ross Andru with the Mindworm, who debuted in ASM #138 (Aug. 1974). William Turner was a mutant who needed to feed off of the psionic energies of others. In an orphanage, he was given the name of Mindworm for his enlarged cranium and abilities. Due to his looks, Turner became a loner as an adult. He was a neighbor to Flash Thompson, which brought him into contact with Peter Parker. However, due to his enhanced abilities, Spider-Man was able to fight off the Mindworm’s psionic touch, enabling him to knock out Turner. Conway relates, “The intention was it was a oneissue story with a recluse. He was kind of based a little bit on Boo Radley from To Kill a Mockingbird.” While the Mindworm might not have been one of Spider-Man’s most memorable antagonists, the house

he resided in was. “That was a story that had disastrous consequences for Marvel,” Conway reveals to BACK ISSUE. “Ross Andru drew the house based on an actual house that he had seen in Far Rockaway, [Queens,] New York. The problem was that house was easily identifiable, and people started going up to the house asking if the Mindworm lived there. The owners of the house became so upset that they threatened to sue Marvel. We had to make an announcement in the letters page that there was no resemblance to the house or something like that. At that point Ross got ordered to be very careful in the future not to use specific identifiable locations. He had to change things sufficiently so that they couldn’t be identifiable. “Ross loved to take photographs of places and use them as reference,” Conway continues. “He even did that in Manhattan at my apartment. We went up on the roof of my building and he took photos of different rooftops so that Spidey could have specific places to swing over on his web. He did do that a lot. He was so good at capturing that, but in this case it backfired because it was a private location rather than a public one.” The Mindworm finally saw the error of his ways in Spectacular Spider-Man #35 (Oct. 1979) and renounced using his abilities to harm others. Unfortunately, his struggle with mental illness got the better of him and he allowed himself to be killed by thugs in Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 2 #22 (Feb. 2005).

GRIZZLY

Conway is one of the greatest writers to get his hands on the Wall-Crawler, and Andru was a long-running artist on the book, but that doesn’t mean that everything they touched turned to gold. Enter the Grizzly, who first appeared in ASM #139 (Sept. 1974). Maxwell Markham, a former professional wrestler who lost his license to wrestle after his vicious maneuvers were revealed in a Daily Bugle editorial by J. Jonah Jameson, wanted revenge on Jameson and obtained a grizzlybear suit that also augmented his strength. The suit was designed and built by the Jackal. Spider-Man saved JJJ and defeated Markham. Markham teamed up with the Jackal in the following issue, but was again defeated by Spider-Man and this time sent to prison. Conway discusses the creation of the Grizzly: “I think I was just trying to follow in the footsteps of

Things Get Hairy for Spidey (left) The Gibbon flips over the Wall-Crawler on the Romita/Frank Giacoia cover of ASM #110 (July 1972). (middle) A mind-controlled mob under Mindworm’s thrall attacks Webhead on the Gil Kane/ Romita cover to ASM #138 (Nov. 1974). (right) Penciler Ross Andru based Mindworm’s home on an actual house in Queens, New York. TM & © Marvel.

Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 17

Bear-ly Able (top) The Kane/ Romita cover to ASM #139 Dec. 1974) introduces the Grizzly, one of several SpiderRogues with a mad-on against Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson. (middle) Rocket Racer skateboards into Spider-Man’s Rogues’ Gallery in ASM #172 (Sept. 1977). Cover by Andru and Giacoia. (bottom) Big Wheel rolls into the fray in ASM #183 (Aug. 1973). Cover by Andru and Ernie Chan. (inset) Predating Big Wheel, the Blackhawks occasionally tangled with the War Wheel. Blackhawk #56 (Sept. 1952) cover by the legendary Reed Crandall. Spider-Man and related characters TM & © Marvel. Blackhawk TM & © DC Comics.

18 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

the animal villains. That was something that Stan and Ditko started. Characters such as Vulture, Doc Ock, and the Lizard, which was continued by Romita and Stan. It just seemed like a natural thing to do for Spider-Man. The low-level threat that really menaces Peter Parker/Spider-Man specifically rather than the city at large.” Markham wasn’t seen again for over a decade. Web of Spider-Man #58 (Dec. 1989) found that Markham had been released from prison and wanted a rematch with Spider-Man. He got an upgraded Grizzly suit from the Tinkerer. In the issue, written by Conway with artwork by Alex Saviuk and Keith Williams, Spider-Man overheard that Markham wanted to defeat him because Markham was tired of being ridiculed for being beaten so easily. Spidey, feeling sorry for Markham, took a dive. The end of the issue revealed that Markham knew Spider-Man had thrown the fight, but he was okay with it. Why did it take so long for the Grizzly to return? Conway explains, “He didn’t come back earlier because nobody else thought he was any good [laughs]. Obviously, I didn’t think he was worth bringing back during my own run. The reason I brought him back later was because I felt that writing those two secondary books I didn’t want to (and I really couldn’t) use the main Spider-Man villains. So, I was looking for secondary Spider-Man villains who hadn’t had a lot of exposure.”

ROCKET RACER

Spider-Man first encountered Rocket Racer in ASM #172 (Sept. 1977), by writer Len Wein and penciler Andru. Robert Farrell/Rocket Racer, the oldest of seven children, was a scientifically-gifted teen who had to take care of his brothers and sisters when his mother became ill. Farrell felt that he didn’t have many (if any) options to support his family, so he turned to a life of crime. However, being a scientific genius meant that he didn’t have to be an ordinary criminal. Farrell used his knowledge to design a rocket-powered skateboard and gloves that allowed him to use a rocket-punch and shoot miniature rockets. Of course, being a criminal in the New York City of the Marvel Universe meant that Rocket Racer would most likely meet one of the superheroes that patrolled the city. In Rocket Racer’s case, he came into contact with Spider-Man. Initially Rocket Racer was able to get away from him due to his super-speed, but Spidey webbed the board out from under him, causing the Racer to land on top of a police car. Farrell eventually tired of his criminal lifestyle and being defeated by Spider-Man, so he decided to go straight. He gained his GED and enrolled in Empire State University because riding around on a rocket-powered skateboard committing crime wasn’t the best way to make a living in a town where Spider-Man calls home.

BIG WHEEL

ASM #183 (July 1978), written by Marv Wolfman with art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito, introduced readers to Jackson Weele, an unscrupulous businessman that embezzled money from his company. Weele, fearing he would get caught, hired Rocket Racer to steal documents that would incriminate him. Rocket Racer (being the upstanding criminal he was) decided to turn on Weele and blackmail him. To demean Weele, Rocket Racer kept referring to him as “big Weele.” This, along with the threat of his crimes being uncovered, led Weele to take on the persona of Big Wheel to take out Rocket Racer. The Tinkerer helped Weele develop a big wheel with guns and metal arms so that he could carry out his vendetta. Unfortunately, Spider-Man was also on Rocket Racer’s trail and the three ended up in battle. Weele wasn’t a very good embezzler, but he was an even worse driver because he lost control of the Big Wheel during the battle and ended up in the Hudson River. When he didn’t surface, he was presumed dead. For all intents and purposes, he was because Big Wheel wouldn’t been seen again until Spider-Man Unlimited vol. 3 #12 (Jan. 2006). Big Wheel wasn’t a runaway success as far as villains go, even according to Wolfman. “There really isn’t much to say about Big Wheel,” he tells BI.

THE RAPIER

Writer Ralph Macchio and artist Jim Mooney gave Spider-Man a new adversary in the pages of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #2 (May 1980) with Dominic Tyrone/the Rapier. Initially, it looked as if the sword-wielding character was working on the side of the good guys by helping to fight organized crime, but looks can be deceiving. The Rapier was only trying to get the attention of Silvermane because the two had a history together. Macchio reveals, “I wanted to tell this story about this character Dominic and his relationship to Silvio Manfretti, who later became Silvermane. He became partners with Manfretti and later got betrayed by him. In my understanding, that happens a lot in organized crime. The guy who’s going to take you out is the one coming up to you with a smile. That’s what I wanted to play around with there. “Dominic then has to go on a crusade to get to Manfretti,” Macchio continues. “What he does is he sort of pretends to be a hero. It’s almost like the Thunderbolts before there was a Thunderbolts. He pretends to be a rapier and goes after the organized crime people. That was done not because he wanted to be a good guy, but because he wanted to get Manfretti’s attention. “We even got Spider-Man into the story [laughs],” Macchio jokes. “He was incidental to the plot because this was mostly a Rapier/Silvermane tale. The issue was used to tell the story I wanted to tell.” The Rapier didn’t last long in comics, making only two appearances. Macchio divulges, “I conceived him as a one-off villain. He served his purpose, and his story reached a logical conclusion. He was a character that I didn’t think needed to come back. He did what he was supposed to do. He was never going to be up there with Kraven or Scorpion or Molten Man, even.” Macchio tells BI, “Scourge, created by my good buddy Mark Gruenwald, killed Rapier off [in Captain America #319, Apr. 1986] at the Bar With No Name. Rapier had gone off into the bar with a bunch of other villains to figure out a way to deal with Scourge, and he ends up killing a lot of them. “I used to tell Mark, ‘You may think some of these guys are second- or third-rate villains, so if you don’t like them, don’t use them.’ That’s always been my thinking about them because somebody along the way is going to find there is potential with these characters. I was never one for killing off villains, but I spoke to Mark about killing Rapier, and I was okay with it.” Scourge of the Underworld was a violent vigilante who killed off many B- and C-level villains. Jim Mooney gave the Rapier his look, but not without some assistance, as Macchio reveals. “I gave Jim the visual that I wanted for the character. I did not provide specifics, but I certainly gave him the idea of what he should look like. I gave him the overall idea, but he put the particulars in there. I said, ‘Think of Errol Flynn. Give him that kind of look with the sword.’ I indicated the sword should be a little high-tech with electro-pulse in it. He gave Rapier the flare that he had.” Macchio provides one final thought on working on this Annual and what made it special to him. “Jim Mooney is one of those guys who goes back to the Golden Age. I felt honored that he was drawing a story that I was writing. He told my story perfectly. I didn’t need any changes made. He caught it well. I was a nascent comic-book writer at that time, I hadn’t really done too much so it was great to have him on there.”

WHITE RABBIT

Marvel Team-Up #131 (Apr. 1983) gave us one of Spidey’s more oddball villains with Dr. Lorina Dodson/White Rabbit. The character, created by writer J. M. DeMatteis and artist Kerry Gammill, was obsessed with Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and even dressed like the White Rabbit from the story. Gammill tells BI, “It was a pretty straightforward design. I don’t remember how much of it was described in the script. Probably quite a bit. She was a theme villain based on the White Rabbit from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. So, she had to have an old-fashioned coat and vest, a pocket watch, and an umbrella. And, of course, she had to have rabbit ears. A pretty girl in rabbit ears naturally suggested the image of a Playboy bunny, so I’m sure that influenced the look some. But I thought giving her a bunny tail would be going too far. She looked silly dressed as a rabbit, but with the face makeup I also think it had a sort of insane look akin to the Joker.

Marvel Epee Collection (top) Spidey fences with the Rapier in Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #2 (1980). Cover by Bob Budiansky and Bob McLeod. (bottom) Splash panel to Marvel Team-Up #131 (July 1983), debuting the White Rabbit. Art by Kerry Gammill, with Esposito finishes. (inset) Its cover, by Paul Smith. TM & © Marvel.

Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 19

“I thought she was probably a one-time character,” Gammill admits. “I was shocked when I found out they had made an action figure of her.” Lorina Dodson was the widow of a millionaire who got her kicks from committing robberies dressed as the White Rabbit. MTU #131 found her holding up a Kwekkie Burger, where wannabe superhero Eugene Patillo/Frog-Man was enjoying a meal with his friend. She was able to escape from Frog-Man initially, but he ended up capturing her in a madcap chase with the help of Spider-Man. “The issue of MTU where she first appeared was a very lighthearted story and I was looking for a lighthearted villain,” writer J. M. DeMatteis reveals. Add in my love of Alice in Wonderland and you end up with the White Rabbit.” When asked to describe the striking cover to MTU #131 by artist Paul Smith, DeMatteis replies with an emphatic, “Fantastic!” While the White Rabbit’s first appearance was a laugh-fest, her next appearance in Spectacular Spider-Man #185 (Feb. 1992) was an even more humorous issue. The White Rabbit teamed up with the more outrageous Walrus, who first appeared in the Defenders #131 (May 1984), in an attempt to get revenge on Frog-Man for defeating them both. Regarding this return appearance, DeMatteis states, “Well, once you set your characters spinning, they lead the way—and they led me to an even sillier story. That’s the fun of writing, letting the characters lead you and surprise you.” Like in her MTU appearance, this issue was filled with a plethora of Alice in Wonderland references. According to DeMatteis, “I’ve always loved that story. It’s absurd, surreal, fascinating in so many ways. And it’s the kind of story you can return to again and again throughout your life.” The issue ended with a dedication by DeMatteis to his “favorite comedians Keith [Giffen] and Andy [Helfer].” DeMatteis reveals the genesis of the dedication. “We’d just wrapped our five-year run on the various Justice League titles and the tone of this story was very JLI. So naturally I dedicated it to my co-writer Keith Giffen and our editor, Andy Helfer. (This issue has a few JLI-centric jokes hidden in it.)”

THE SPOT

PPTSS #97 (Dec. 1984), written by Al Milgrom with pencils by Herb Trimpe, introduced readers to scientist Jonathan Ohnn, who was working for Wilson Fisk (the Kingpin) to discover the interdimensional transportation secrets of Cloak (Tyrone Johnson). In the following issue, Ohnn’s experiment opened a dimensional portal. Thinking the portal was the same as those used by Cloak, Ohnn stepped through it. When he stepped back out, he found that he was covered with dimensional portals that looked like black spots. Ohnn could take the spots from his body and throw them, causing dimensional portals to open wherever they landed. With this power, the Spot sounds like a menacing villain, but that wasn’t the case. According to Milgrom, “He’s definitely a humorous villain.” The name Johnathan Ohnn is a strange one, but as Milgrom reveals, it was supposed to be. “I have a sick sense of humor, so I came up with the name Johnathan Ohnn. My thinking was that he would be Johnny Ohnn the Spot (Johnny on the spot). They used the character for one of the Spider-Man cartoons in the ’90s [Spider-Man: The Animated Series] and they pronounced it ‘own,’ so they missed the gag. Maybe I should have spelled it Ahn.” When Spider-Man initially faced off against the Spot in PPTSS #99 (Feb. 1985), Spidey laughed at the villain. The Spot defeated him easily in that first encounter because Spidey underestimated him. However, their next meeting in issue #100 (Mar. 1985) turned out differently, with Spider-Man tricking Ohnn into throwing too many of his spots to try to stop Spider-Man and not keeping enough to defend himself with. Milgrom reveals, “As I recall, the Kingpin wanted to find out how Cloak’s power, that would transport himself and Dagger away whenever he chose, worked. I thought that it would be a cool idea if there were another character that could do that in another way like access that interdimensional-ity. Then I came up with the idea for the Spot. Then I imagined a visual for him. Herb Trimpe drew the issue, but I designed the visual on the character because I drew the cover [to issue #99] first. “As to the cover, I thought that I came up with a cool visual where the Spot is extending his limbs through different dimensional holes,” Milgrom tells BACK ISSUE. “He’s got a fist punching Spider-Man,

The 1970s was for a bonanza for Spider-Man comic-book fans. Not only did Webhead appear in Amazing, Spectacular, Marvel Team-Up, and the reprint title Marvel Tales, but he was also featured in the decidedly out-of-continuity Spidey Super Stories. This comic was based on the live-action Spider-Man segments from The Electric Company television show on PBS stations and aimed at younger readers. (See BACK ISSUE #44 for more on Spidey Super Stories.) This title, which ran for 57 issues between 1974 and 1982, gave readers one of the oddest Spider-Man villains ever with the Wall. Spidey Super Stories #8 (Feb. 1975), written by Jean Thomas with art by Win Mortimer, found construction worker Joshua Wademeyer turning into a walking, talking brick wall as a result of a construction site accident. He eventually made his way to a New York Mets game, where he came in conflict with Spider-Man, who was just trying to enjoy a day at the ballpark. The pair started fighting, but were thrown out of the game by (who else but) the umpire. They eventually talked it out in the parking lot. So not only did younger readers get fun, easier-to-read Spidey stories, but they also learned a thing or two about how to solve problems.

20 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

TM & © Marvel.

THE WALL

he’s got one of his arms grabbing his leg. He’s in the distance watching this stuff happening. I liked the visual and I thought it made for a very cool cover. It was visually striking. I think that the covers I did for Spectacular were probably my best consistent run of covers I did for any title. “One of the things I visualized was the Warner Bros. cartoons with Bugs Bunny. Elmer Fudd would be hunting him, and Bugs would go down the rabbit hole. Bugs would then move the hole like it was an extradimensional thing. That was kind of one of the inspirations for the character. When I was living in Queens with Walt Simonson, our day started and ended with Warner Bros. cartoons. They reran them in the early morning. We worked all night and then we would watch them and then go to bed. When we woke up there was another round of them in the afternoon and so we would watch them again before knuckling down to get the day’s work done. “Years after I created the Spot, I saw a rerun of an old Warner Bros. cartoon with a mad scientist who had the same schtick that he could produce black holes,” Milgrom continues. “He could put them anywhere and jump through them. I don’t remember seeing the cartoon when I created the character, but after watching it years later, I said, ‘Oh, my God, that’s the Spot.’ I may have inadvertently ripped off an old Warner Bros. cartoon. I might have seen it as a kid and had it in the back of my head somewhere.” While this article is about the Spider-Rogues only a mother could love, not everyone views these adversaries as B- and C-listers. Milgrom states, “I like to think of the Spot as an A-level villain. He’s in the Spider-Verse animated movie [Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse], so someone must think he’s a good A-list villain also.”

THE SPIDER-MAN REVENGE SQUAD

This article wouldn’t be complete without a look at the SpiderMan Revenge Squad, a.k.a. the Legion of Losers. This group of costumed villains consisted of many of the Spider-Rogues listed in this article including the Kangaroo (Brian Hibbs), the Grizzly, the Spot, and the Gibbon. The group made their first (and currently only) appearance in PPTSS #246 (May 1997), written by DeMatteis and Glenn Greenberg with artwork by Luke Ross and Al Milgrom, when they teamed up to defeat Spider-Man for besting them in the past. When asked if the name of the group was a callback to the Superboy/Superman Revenge Squad, DeMatteis replies, “Yes.” The Superboy Revenge Squad first appeared in Superboy #97 (Jan. 1962), with the Superman Revenge Squad appearing a few months later in Action Comics #286 (Mar. 1962). Besides the name, where did the idea of bringing these second-tier villains together come from? According to DeMatteis, “It was another chance to break the darker tone my stories often take… and let loose with some absurdity. I don’t remember if I considered anyone else, but I was very fond of Grizzly and Gibbon, which is why I continued to use them in the book.” This group didn’t last long, as the Spot and Kangaroo were taken to jail by Spider-Man for bank robbery. Spider-Man let the others go because they returned the money they stole. While the group only made one appearance, was this only supposed to be a one-off team-up? DeMatteis replies, “You never really know going in to a story. You just trust the characters to lead you on. And, if something clicks, you bring them back for more.” Thanks go out to Gerry Conway, J. M. DeMatteis, Kerry Gammill, Ralph Macchio, Al Milgrom, and Marv Wolfman for their time and assistance with this article.

See Spot Punch (top) Al Milgrom’s ultra-cool Spot cover to PPTSS #99 (Feb. 1985). (bottom) The Spot and other bottom-ofthe-barrel SpiderRogues join forces in issue #246 (May 1997). Cover by Luke Ross and Milgrom. TM & © Marvel.

Educator ED LUTE is a long-time fan of SpiderMan and found that he loved reading tales featuring the A-list villains as well as the villains that never quite reached that level. He’s hoping for more team-ups featuring the Spider-Man Revenge Squad.

Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 21

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Look At Those Choppers! Spidey vs. the lethal Lizard—who is actually his tormented friend and mentor, Dr. Curt Connors— in a bloodcurdling Copper Age encounter in The Amazing Spider-Man #313 (Mar. 1989). Art by Todd McFarlane. TM & © Marvel.

Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 23

They Hatched the Lizard (top) Amazing Spider-Man’s Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. © Marvel.

Quick! Who’s that Marvel Comics scientist with an alliterative name? Oh, you know! Usually wears purple pants and if he gets too angry, he sometimes turns green and develops super-strength. In recent years, he’s been in the movies. Oh… come on… wait. What? Who? Bruce? Bruce who? No, no, no, I’m talking about Dr. Curtis “Curt” Connors—the Lizard! For the longest time, the Lizard was arguably the most sympathetic of Spider-Man’s Rogues’ Gallery. He was a good man looking to make a scientific breakthrough who, instead, accidentally cursed himself. If anything, the concept of Dr. Connors and his monster was more Jekyll and Hyde than that of the Incredible Hulk, although the Hulk, too, is a character often mentioned in the context of Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous story. There is, however, an added level of poignancy to the story of the Lizard.

A ‘DONE-IN-ONE’ DROP-IN?

The Lizard debuted in the Silver Age as an early Spidey antagonist in The Amazing Spider-Man #6 (Nov. 1963). Although the credits for that issue read, “Written by Stan Lee,” what we know now of the types of characters artist Steve Ditko tended to create, and the way those early Marvels tended to be done, it seems likely that the Lizard was a Ditko creation, with Lee providing his dialogue, as was the usual way of what came to be known as the Marvel Method. Spider-Man is challenged by J. Jonah Jameson to capture the mysterious human lizard said to be wandering in the Florida Everglades. Jameson decides to go there himself to watch what he secretly hopes will be his nemesis’ defeat, and he takes photographer Peter Parker along to get pics. Peter has heard of a local doctor named Curt Connors who is an expert on lizards, and after his initial encounter with the scaly green monster in the white lab coat, Spidey decides to pay a call at Doc Connors’ secluded home to possibly get some assistance. It’s there where he learns that Connors is, in fact, the Lizard. He had lost his right arm in “the War.” It’s not specified, but we’re led to believe by his apparent age, and when the comic came out, that he was in Korea. He’s a decent man, a renowned research scientist, a husband to Martha and a father to Billy. So how did this saint of a man become the raging, scaly, green Lizard… and with two arms? You see, in the real world, certain species of lizards and salamanders can regenerate lesser versions of their tails should they lose them, and some lizard

See! The Amazing Half-Man Half-Reptile! (middle left) In his inaugural outing in ASM #6 (Nov. 1963), the Lizard, as drawn by Steve Ditko, more resembles a Florida sideshow attraction than the monster he would become in return appearances. (middle right) Different Ditko art from the issue was used on the cover of this 12-page reprint, issued in 2006 via the Los Angeles Times. (bottom) An early example of Spidey calling on his scientific wiz pal Dr. Curt Connors. From ASM #43 (Dec. 1966). Art by John Romita, Sr. TM & © Marvel.

24 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

tails are actually designed to be expendable, shed in an effort to confound predators while the lizard makes its escape. An online article by Rob Harris explains the phenomenon better than any other source I’ve seen. Harris writes, “Although scientists don’t completely understand how lizards regenerate their tails, they know lizards are capable of dedifferentiating cells. This means existing cells at the base of the tail, or the base of the break along the tail, revert back to a more primitive cell, similar to a stem cell. These cells can be ‘programmed’ to become the cells necessary to build a new tail, such as a muscle or skin cell. When a break occurs, a cell that might have once been a muscle cell dedifferentiates, waiting for instructions on what kind of cell to become. It then begins to divide into more cells of the necessary type.” Harris goes on to write that the new tails have no new bones and are actually quite different from the originals—a pale imitation, really. And lizards actually cannot regrow limbs in the real world—only the severed or abandoned tails. Now, salamanders are a different type of amphibious species, and they can generally grow actual replacement limbs. But “Spider-Man vs. the Salamander” just didn’t have the same ring to it, I guess. No, instead, as Mrs. Connors tearfully explains to her costumed visitor, Dr. Curt Connors became the Lizard in his attempt at finding a formula that would regrow his missing right arm. In testing it on himself, Connors managed to successfully replace his absent limb, but only at the expense of his humanity. Like Dr. Jekyll and his experiments, the rampaging Lizard was Mr. Hyde—a powerful, but seemingly toothless, Mr. Hyde. At first, he tried to create an antidote to his bioregenerative formula, but his mind was rapidly clouding. As early as the following day, he wrote a goodbye note to Martha and then fled deeper into the swamps. “Flee puny humans! This swamp is mine!” he hissed. His fevered brain formulated a vague plot to create a “savage, super-powerful lizard army.”

Fangs a Lot! (above) Six-armed Spidey tangles with the toothy twosome of the Lizard and Morbius (misspelled as “Moribus” on the cover) on the Gil Kane/Frank Giacoia cover to ASM #102 (Nov. 1971). This is the sole issue of Amazing Spider-Man published during Marvel’s oh-so-brief 1971 flirtation with an expanded page count and price tag in competition with DC Comics; one month later, Marvel abruptly shifted gears, reduced its page count to the normal 32, and undercut DC’s cover price by five cents. (left) On the splash of ASM #44, Lee and Romita quickly recap the Lizard’s plight. TM & © Marvel.

Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 25

A Couple of (Man-) Things. (top) The Lizard was the plus-one character in the Spidey/Man-Thing team-up in GiantSize Spider-Man #5 (July 1975). Cover by Gil Kane and Tom Palmer. (bottom) In 2010, artist Giorgio Comolo reimagined that Bronze Age cover with this mesmerizing interpretation. Courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Marvel.

Meanwhile, science prodigy Peter Parker manages to come up with the antidote himself and confronts the Lizard at an abandoned Spanish fort. Doc Connors changes back, and Spidey reunites him with his wife and son. They all agree that since the Lizard was more a tragic figure than a true villain, they would all just keep the whole thing to themselves. Shhhh! Connors destroys his notes on the lizard formula, and JJJ and Pete fly back to New York with no pics of Spidey. The end. Or at least it seems it was meant to be. Ditko chose never to revisit the Lizard—not as a separate antagonist nor even as a member of the Sinister Six in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (1964) (although Sturdy Steve does provide a nifty pinup of the Lizard in that Annual). It seems likely that Ditko meant for the character to be done-in-one. In a weird coincidence, in issue #10 (Mar. 1964), on the letters page, a fan from Yonkers by the name of John Favareau writes, “You really had something with the Lizard! He was the most worthy villain ever to match wits with the Spider-Man. The reason I liked him so much was because I liked his origin. Also, I liked the little sub-plot where Spider-Man had to save the good doctor who had turned into a lizard, yet had to rid the world of the Lizard. It is these sub-plots which really add to the story, so keep them up.” The spelling of the last name is a bit off and MCU actor/director/producer Jon Favreau wasn’t even born until three years later (in Flushing, 12 miles from Yonkers), but it’s still a bit odd that both Favreau (as Happy Hogan) and the Lizard (played by Rhys Ifans) would appear in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home.

THE LIZARD PROWLS AGAIN

Lending credence to the theory that Ditko had intended the Lizard as a one-shot villain, it’s Dr. Curt Connors who does pop up next, in the now-classic “Master Planner” story arc (a.k.a. the one where Spidey gets stuck under that big honkin’ machine). Since this storyline and this version of the doctor are based in New York City, if not for the fact he has just one arm, I’d suspect Stan just decided to turn a random doctor Ditko drew into the story into Dr. Connors. Connors is still in the Big Apple, though, in ASM #43 (Dec. 1966) as he helps our hero defeat the Rhino, the first new villain introduced into the book since John Romita, Sr. took over as artist from Steve Ditko. This time, though, it seems that Jazzy Johnny and Smilin’ Stan got the idea to finally bring back the Lizard, for the very next issue features the character’s long-awaited return. Visually, Romita’s depiction of the character here—once again in a lab coat—has become iconic. One panel was even used for a Marvelmania sticker. This time he’s running amok in the subway tunnels and sewers of Manhattan. As usual, he doesn’t remember that he is Dr. Connors, but he somehow retains pretty vivid memories of having fought Spider-Man before. This two-issue encounter has Spidey with one arm out of commission, an ironic counterpart to the one-armed man now using two arms—to say nothing of a big, green, scaly tail—to fight him. Once again, Peter’s science skills save the day. Doc Connors is back in the Everglades when we next hear of him in ASM #72 (May 1969). Peter refers to him as “one of the greatest men I’ve known,” and contemplates getting a summer job with him. Turns out this was all just foreshadowing as in the very next issue Maggia (the Marvel Universe’s version of the Mafia) capo Silvermane has Connors brought to him in NYC to translate the message of the ancient tablet that had been a MacGuffin for a number of issues at that point. (Because, sure, who else would you think of but a reptile expert for that task?) This time, Connors thinks to himself that he’s holding back the change, which would make him more Hulk-like than ever. Of course, he ultimately fails in his efforts after several angsty chapters and, in issue #75 (Aug. 1969), the Lizard prowls yet again. This time, though, the artists—Romita and Jim Mooney—chose to give him a longer face, making him look more like a crocodile or alligator, although the endless open26 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

issue, and the Black Panther shows up to assist both Peter and Dr. Connors the following month. The last page of this two-part Len Wein–written saga shows us Curt for the first time ever without the lab coat! He’s wearing a brown jacket when he and T’Challa show up on the dock after the Web-Slinger has saved the day. A minor point, but that lab coat had always been as much a “uniform” for both Connors and his alter ego as Pete’s Spidey outfit! The Lizard was starting to turn up more often now. In Giant-Size SpiderMan #5 (July 1975), written by Gerry Conway, our friend the doctor is speculating about a newer Marvel swamp character, the Man-Thing, AMID THE MARVEL and, while his mind wanders, he MONSTERS accidentally knocks over a beaker As the Bronze Age was about to roy thomas filled with an experimental gas— begin, anti-heroes were starting to IMDb.com. “the same formula I used before!” become popular, and soon enough Marvel would have more than its fair share of those— By the next page, the Lizard is back, and this time he Morbius, the Punisher, Ghost Rider, Werewolf by attempts to get not just snakes and alligators but also Night… One might wonder why this version of the Lizard was never tried in a solo series in that era, but one-time Marvel editor-in-chief Roy Thomas says, “I don’t think anyone back then ever considered giving him his own series.” Instead, the character lay dormant again for a little while. Speaking of Morbius, he’s the villain of the month in the issue where ol’ Liz makes his first Bronze Age appearance, ASM #101 (Oct. 1971), written by Thomas. Connors is back living in the Everglades but agrees by phone to let the temporarily four-armed Spidey (long story) use his vacation home in Southampton (which Pete supposedly recalls him mentioning once; you know, in one of their quiet, non-crisis chats). In spite of his occasional forays into attempting to take over the world, the doc seems to have been doing extremely well for himself. It’s when he comes up to see if he could help his old friend that he, too, runs into the so-called Living Vampire and the excitement and fear turns him into the Lizard. The following issue, #102 (Nov. 1971), was the first and only double-sized issue (another long story) of Amazing Spider-Man, again written by Roy Thomas and drawn by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia. It was also the first time we ever saw the Lizard with teeth—and sharp fangs, they were! I asked Roy if that was an editorial decree from Stan Lee or perhaps his own idea? “I suspect the teeth were Gil’s idea, not Stan’s, and certainly not mine,” Thomas replies. Either way, the fangs would be there from that point on… and they would be used. Even the character’s 1974 Mego action figure had a mouth full of choppers. This time it isn’t long before we see Curt Connors again, with Spidey once again hitting him up for a favor in issue #106 (Mar. 1972). After that, though, things stay quiet for the good doctor for the next two years, until the March 1974–cover-dated issue of Marvel Team-Up, issue #19, a Spider-Man/Ka-Zar pairing. In this first Connors appearance outside of SpiderMan’s main title, we find that the Doc has been working on a project for S.H.I.E.L.D. that utilized dinosaur DNA. His assistant, a Dr. Stegron, had become convinced that the formula that turned Connors into the Lizard (wasn’t that supposed to be a secret?) could turn a man into a dinosaur when modified with the dino DNA. And he’s right! Stegron becomes a “human dinosaur.” [See BI #140 for more about Stegron.—ed.] Ka-Zar helps the Wall-Crawler fight Stegron in this mouth shots appear to again reveal him as toothless. Before the storyline finishes, the Fantastic Four’s Human Torch joins the fight, but Spidey has to keep him from hurting the Lizard since he isn’t aware of the monster’s backstory. Again, it’s Pete’s scientific know-how that defeats the scaly green figure, this time by dehydrating his pores to weaken him and cause a chemical reaction that restores him to his one-armed human self yet again. This all occurred in ASM #77 (Oct. 1969), concluding the Lizard’s third and final Silver Age appearance.

Iguana Be Like You It’s a full-scale attack on the Web-Slinger while the Lizard and the Iguana show their tails on Al Milgrom’s cover to Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #34 (Sept. 1979). TM & © Marvel.

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And He Thought His Four Extra Arms Were Bad…! Our friendly neighborhood Web-Slinger becomes SpiderLizard on the shocking Al Milgrom/Joe Rubinstein cover to PPTSS #40 (Mar. 1980). Original art courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Marvel.

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Super-Villain Team-Up The Lizard runs wild with many of Marvel’s most menacing malcontents on Bob Layton’s cover to Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #6 (Oct. 1984). TM & © Marvel.

the Man-Thing to do his bidding. Getting pretty fed up with this sort of thing, Martha Connors joins the Web-Slinger to put an end to her husband’s somewhat cloudy, as usual, plans. That previous story was part of the infamous Clone Saga story arc. Just a few months later, writer Archie Goodwin has Spider-Man return to Dr. Connors for help determining if he himself is a clone in issue #150 (Nov. 1975). Curt’s two-page cameo in writer Len Wein’s ASM #164 (Jan. 1977) sees Spidey calling in yet another favor, this time for help in the middle of a high-stakes battle with the Kingpin and his family. In his final panel of the issue, though, we again see a bit of foreshadowing as Doc Connors “shudders violently.” Gerry Conway follows up on this subplot with the Wall-Crawler paying another visit to his “favorite Floridian” that same month in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #2 (Jan. 1977) to explain how well his help had worked. Curt’s dizzy and sweating, but Spidey chalks this up to his overwork. Echoing what Spider-Man once thought about him, Dr. Connors thinks that the hero is “…one of the finest men I’ve ever known.” By the following month, in ASM #165 (Mar. 1977), Stegron the human dinosaur returns after three years and kidnaps Billy Connors. The Lizard is a bit hazy about everything, but knows that Stegron took something of his, and he wants it back! Oddly, Spider-Man easily disables his old frenemy this time and tackles Stegron and a bunch of reanimated dinosaurs on his own, eventually defeating them and getting the doctor and his son home for Christmas.

THE SAVAGE SPIDER-LIZARD

Except for appearing in a Pez candy mini-comic in 1978, our scaly friend and his alter ego got another couple of years off for good behavior. It’s writer Marv Wolfman who gets Curtis (as Spidey now calls him for some reason) involved in attempting to free Spider-Man and his nemesis (and Peter’s boss at the Daily Bugle) J. Jonah Jameson from some deadly high-tech handcuffs shackled on them by the evil Professor Spencer Smythe. This was in ASM #192 (May 1979). We’re told that Dr. Connors is at Empire State University “on a research grant” when next we see him in PPTSS #32 (July 1979). Peter meets him when there’s an accident in the biology lab and finally realizes that Connors doesn’t know Peter Parker. They’ve never even met. The doc does say that he thinks he’s heard of Pete. While at the Bronx Zoo to deliver a lecture, though, Dr. Curtis Connors turns into… nobody. Instead, Spider-Man unexpectedly faces a different Lizard, the Iguana, and rescues Connors from him. For the first time ever, Dr. Connors chooses to voluntarily become the Lizard in order to fight the Iguana, a creature he himself had accidentally created. It seems all the Marvel writers at the time wanted to use the Lizard. This particular creative story arc was from Bill Mantlo. After initially battling each other, the Lizard and the Iguana team up against their common foe, Spider-Man, only to have Parker’s scientific know-how come through yet again in PPTSS #34 (Sept. 1979). “I siphoned all of the Lizard’s life energy from you,” he tells Curt, “and transferred it to the Iguana. There shouldn’t be a trace of lizardness left in you.” It appeared at least as though that was meant to be the end of the Lizard. Just four issues later, though, Dr. Connors is back, still at ESU, and with Peter, now in graduate school, working in his college lab. Peter has an uncharacteristic blow-up in the lab, in fact. In PPTSS #39 (Feb. 1980), we find out that Dr. Connors has been worried about Spidey having been affected by the machine he used to seemingly destroy both the Iguana and the Lizard. After running some tests,

he’s convinced that Spider-Man is slowly turning into a lizard man himself, which is exactly what happens at the end of the issue. The savage Spider-Lizard runs rampant through PPTSS #40 (Mar. 1980), with Doc Connors the hero this time. He has the formula that can change the monster back… only the new Lizard destroys it and captures Curt instead! Luckily, he secreted a second vial of the antidote serum in his belt, anticipating that the first would be destroyed. Because… sure. It’s comics, Jake. Spidey turns back and hides his Peter Parker face, saves his own rescuer from drowning, and lives to fight the Frightful Four, who turn up on the last page… but that’s literally another story. Spidey ends this one swinging through the streets in his tattered costume, saying to himself, “Curt Connors still seems cured of becoming the Lizard and I’m back to normal! The nightmare’s finally over! Now maybe I can get some sleep!” The Frightful Four are still around in PPTSS #42 (May 1980), which features a brief cameo from Doc Connors in his role as an ESU instructor. No sign of the Lizard, though.

BEYOND(ER) THE FARTHEST STAR

It’s Curt yet again in writer David Anthony Kraft’s lead story for Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #3 (1981), in which he aids Spider-Man once again, this time in curing John Jameson of being the Man-Wolf. After that, it’s another jump of a couple of years and we find Doc Connors still at ESU and working overtime in his “state-of-the-art research lab” in ASM #243 (Aug. 1983). He does another favor for ol’ Webhead by analyzing part of an explosive. Still no lizardness. But things—and Connors—were about to change. Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 29

Swamp Spawn In his Spider-Man series, writer/artist Todd McFarlane made the Lizard more savage than ever. Signed original art from Spider-Man #1 (Aug. 1990), courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Marvel.

Love it or hate it, writer Jim Shooter’s Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars (Secret Wars) in 1984–1985 was a game-changer. Its 12-issue story arc was akin to a reality show in which a random group of good guys (Spider-Man, Captain America, Reed Richards, Wolverine, etc.) and a random group of bad guys (Dr. Doom, Galactus, Molecule Man, Ultron, etc.) are snatched out of their everyday lives and placed on a distant alien planet by a mysterious entity known as the Beyonder, where they need to learn to survive and, hopefully, escape… from both the planet and each other. If you weren’t paying close attention, you might well have missed the few Mike Zeck-and-John Beatty–drawn panels with the Lizard in that first issue. No explanation was given as to how the Lizard personality returned after all that time, having been seemingly cured. The Lizard doesn’t really turn up in the story again until Secret Wars #6 (Oct. 1984), where he gets a few hissing panels as the Wasp tries to nurse his injuries whilst joking at his expense. For her troubles, she is severely injured, which infuriates the

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Lizard but the other bad guys immobilize him and take him along with them. That’s the last we see of the Lizard until the final issue, Secret Wars #12 (Apr. 1985), when he freaks out amongst the other bad guys including Dr. Octopus, the Wrecker, and Volcana. “Lizard wants out thiss humans nesst!” he hisses. Volcana calms him down only to be spirited away by the evil Enchantress. The Lizard follows her scent and claws up the Enchantress’ face, only to be seemingly burnt to a crisp by her powerful magic. So, what exactly was the point of the Lizard being among the villains in that series? No idea. Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars precipitated numerous changes in the Marvel Universe, not the least of which was Spider-Man’s black costume, which would ultimately turn out to be a symbiote which became Venom, a divisive character who would, himself, later fight the Lizard. But here, at this point, the character seemed to be in the series just to be killed off once and for all… or as “once and for all” as anything ever gets in the Marvel Universe. Because we already knew he wasn’t. You see, the same month that Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1 came out also saw the publication of Amazing Spider-Man #252, which debuted the black costume and showed the aftermath of the year-long limited series that was just starting. Trust me, it was just as confusing to readers of the time as it sounds here. In the issue, Spidey’s new noir self comes popping back from the other planet carrying a perfectly healthy Curt Connors, whom he reunites with Martha and the now-teenage (finally!) Billy. No explanations as to how Curt came to be the Lizard again or how he was still alive. The same scene of Spidey and Connors returning is repeated almost note for note in MTU #141 (also May 1984), which features an otherwise unrelated Spider-Man/Daredevil adventure.

DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY

Spider-Man’s black costume is still around a full three years later in PPTSS #127 (June 1987), when writer Len Kaminski, along with artists “Alan Kupperberg and Co.,” offer up a story entitled “Among Us Lurks a Lizard.” By this point, though, it’s an actual costume, not the symbiote. Martha Connors has finally decided to separate from Curt, taking Billy, of course. But then the pair is kidnapped by Daredevil’s old foe, the Owl, who wants the Lizard formula. Curt comes up with a way to change himself back into the Lizard, but with at least some knowledge of still being Curt. Spidey offers to help because that’s what Spidey does, only to be violently rebuffed by the Lizard, who insists he has to save his family by himself to prove to them he’s sane. Ultimately, he does save the day, and while his son is proud of him, Martha still leaves him. A few months later, our hero, needing yet another favor, imposes on the doc for one page in PPTSS #130 (Sept. 1987). After that, it’s the January 1989 issue of Amazing Spider-Man, #331, when writer David Michelinie and artist Todd McFarlane have Peter back in grad school and good ol’ Dr. Connors still teaching at ESU. A vignette in the following issue shows us the Lizard is starting to emerge yet again even as Curt has convinced himself he has complete control of things. And maybe he has, but the events of one of Marvel’s by-then regular cross-company tie-ins, “Inferno,” have everyone on edge as demons start scampering everywhere. In ASM #313 (Mar. 1989), the stress gets to him and he changes into his scaly green self, just before Martha and Billy show up to attempt a reconciliation. This McFarlane-drawn Lizard has the most teeth of any version yet! The Inferno storyline continues in other titles, but the Lizard gets “cured” in this ish yet again, only to be denied a happy ending this time as Curt, himself, finally decides that reuniting with his family could put them in danger. Outside of a five-panel flashback featuring the human Curt in 1989’s excellent Parallel Lives graphic novel by Conway with Alex Saviuk and Andy Mushynsky, we don’t see any more of Doc Connors or the Lizard until Todd McFarlane’s adjective-less Spider-Man #1 (Aug. 1990). This was, of course, the period where McFarlane was “feeling his oats,” and for five bizarrely stylized issues he depicts Peter’s seemingly endless battle against the biggest, toothiest, most sadistic, and least human version of the Lizard yet. One chapter is even entitled “Bloodlust of the Lizard.” Controlled by a mysterious voodoo witch named Calypso, there seems no trace of Curt Connors left. The drawn-out saga ends with the seeming death of the monster, even though readers are shown he isn’t really dead as his still scaly green hand shoots up out of the water at the end. Nearly two years go by, though—at least in the real world—before David Michelinie attempts with some success in the special 30th anniversary issue of Amazing Spider-Man, #365 (Aug. 1992), to restore some of the Lizard’s sympathy. Peter and wife Mary Jane are at Billy Connors’ birthday party. Why? Who knows? If there is an issue where the Parkers bonded with Martha and Billy, I didn’t find it. Anyway, without any indication of where he’s been for well over a year, Billy’s dad shows up for the party and cuts Billy for a DNA sample. Peter turns to Spidey (do the Connors know at this point?) and chases the Lizard—still wearing his lab coat, mind you—only to be followed by Billy, on his birthday skateboard, with a large knife. After years of watching the pain his mother has had to endure, the now-

teenage-looking Billy (after about 30 years since his first appearance) has determined to kill the Lizard once and for all, and if that means killing his father, too, so be it. Only the Lizard really does have Doc Connors’ mind this time and manages to make a device that successfully turns him human again, so Billy relents and the pair have a tearful reconciliation. Writer Mike Lackey finally gives us a Lizard solo story in 1993’s Amazing Spider-Man Annual, complete with logo—Stan Lee presents: CURT CONNORS: THE LIZARD. Sadly, Curt is held in a metal restraint throughout the entire eight-page story while a colorful Manhattan prosecutor called “Cowboy” Dave Hopkins argues that the doctor has to pay for the crimes committed in both the recent McFarlane stories and the birthday party story. In doing so, we get a good recap of highlights from Liz’s comic-book life. The judge rules for an indeterminate incarceration at the prison known as the Vault and Curt tells Martha to go back to Florida and destroy all his old notes. He tells Billy that he’s now the man of the family.

Connors in Court Curt Connors stands trial for his Lizard crimes in this backup tale from ASM Annual #27 (1993). By Mike Lackey, Aaron Lopresti, and Andy Mushynsky. TM & © Marvel.

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He isn’t incarcerated for long, however, as Calypso returns, courtesy of writer Terry Kavanagh, in a backup story of Web of Spider-Man #109 (Feb. 1994). Expecting her once-faithful servant to succumb again to what the writer calls “her primal bond—her music, her musk,” Calypso is no doubt surprised when he slaughters her. Despite all his rampaging over the years, I believe this is the first life he’s shown taking. Over the next couple of issues, we see the seemingly ageless Billy telling Spidey he’s “William” now. More interestingly, perhaps, we finally see the Lizard without a lab coat, although still wearing the Comics Code–stipulated purple pants! Alex Saviuk, later the final artist on the long-running Spider-Man newspaper strip, has a field day with all the green lumps, bumps, and scales.

THE LIZARD HAS LEGS

We’ve gone slightly beyond the Bronze Age scope of this magazine with our coverage of the Lizard, and the Lizard himself has continued on ever since. In fact, between Martha dying of cancer, Billy becoming a teenage lizard boy, a whole new Lizard growing from a chopped-off tail, Curt becoming a vampire lizard, the Lizard joining various groups of Spider-Man enemies, morphing into various unrecognizable forms, and the pièce de résistance—killing and eating his own son!—the legend and legacy of Dr. Curtis Connors has become so convoluted as to have completed muted and mutilated Steve and Stan’s original concept of the tragic figure with all the best intentions saved from himself. There are, however, still a few loose ends to discuss. The character of the Lizard first turned up outside of the comic books in an early episode of the 1967 ABC Spider-Man series, where he’s referred to as “Lizard Man.” Another change is that he’s Dr. “Conner” and has both arms. It’s been theorized that the network didn’t want to show such a severe disability on a children’s show. In this episode, he becomes the Lizard while working on a formula to counter “swamp fever.” Weirdly, there’s a third season episode that’s a partial remake, using about 75% of the same footage, but with a different plot

entirely! This episode is one of the Ralph Bakshi–produced ones, with their pseudo-psychedelic backgrounds and layouts by artist Gray Morrow. Spidey knows about how Curt had been the Lizard and yet this time when he again goes up against a human lizard in purple pants and a lab coat… it’s supposed to be a mutated alligator and is called Reptilla. As they used to say in comic books, “What th…?!” Entitled “Conner’s Reptiles,” JJJ sends Peter to do an exposé of Dr. Conner, who is then trying to increase the intelligence of reptiles. On arrival, as Spider-Man, Peter meets Billy the same as in the first cartoon, but they don’t seem to have met before. He goes on to speak with Curt’s wife, Martha—whose name is now seen as Grace on a different letter than the one in the other episode. Spidey tracks Reptilla to that old Spanish fort in the Everglades— again—and forces him to drink the antidote, which turns him into “nothing.” Our hero then goes off to actually find Curt Conner (whom he now mistakenly calls “Connors”) and reunite him with his family in reused front-porch footage from his first appearance. Most comics kids back then had no problem keeping up with the concept of DC’s multiple earths, but reconciling continuity on the Spider-Man TV series was a different matter entirely. The 1981 Spider-Man animated series that came directly from Marvel Productions was a little less surreal and thus easier to keep up with (although it was missing that great, catchy theme song from the original). The third episode, entitled “Lizards, Lizards, Everywhere,” features the lab-coated Liz—never once referred to as actually being a doctor, or even a human—stalking the NYC subways and basically unionizing the reptile population of Manhattan. Veteran voice actor Corey Burton acted the role. Arguably the best of the Wall-Crawler’s TV versions was SpiderMan: The Animated Series, a show that ran from 1994–1998. It had the biggest name voice cast, too, with the Lizard—and, for the first time, the one-armed Doctor Curt Connors—acted by veteran character actor Joseph Campanella. Dr. Connors actually had a regular supporting role this time, appearing in 20 episodes over the five-season run of the series, beginning with the very first one. The Lizard also popped up in several Marvel videogames and, beginning with the 1974 Mego figure, became regularly merchandised as well. In 2011, one of several children’s picture books in which he appeared, In the Claws of the Lizard, came out where various children’s names could be included as a young hero who helps Spider-Man. These kids were no doubt traumatized by some of Marvel’s later nightmarish Lizard appearances. Back in the comic books, the character, or a sometimes-unrecognizable variation thereof, has appeared in recent years in numerous one-off miniseries, specials, graphic novels, and other offshoots set in alternate universes such as the infamous Marvel Zombies titles and Marvel’s ambitious Ultimates line. Roy Thomas, who ghosted the Amazing Spider-Man newspaper comic strip under Stan Lee’s name (and with his occasional input) for three decades [see BI #146— ed.], even revisited the Lizard in the daily papers. “I did a story or two with him as a character in the Spider-Man newspaper strip… once perhaps as the main antagonist (I think)… and once where he, the

The Animated Lizard (main image) A production cel from the “Night of the Lizard” episode of Marvel Studios’ 1994–1998 Spider-Man animated series. Courtesy of Heritage. Previously, the Lizard had been seen in Spidey cartoons from (bottom left) 1967 and (bottom right) 1981. TM & © Marvel.

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Hulk, MJ, Jonah Jameson, and Spidey were all in the Everglades together.” In fact, in that latter story arc, Curt got a blood transfusion from Bruce Banner that made him bigger and stronger—sort of a Lizard-Hulk. Perhaps the most prestigious appearances by the Lizard over the years have been in other mediums. In 1995, in conjunction with Byron Preiss, a man who was always pushing to show that comics deserved to flourish in various forms, acclaimed science fiction/ fantasy author Diane Duane built the second novel in her Spider-Man/Venom trilogy, The Lizard Sanction, around the Lizard, here being controlled by criminals and spies trying to mess with NASA in Florida. When Mrs. Parker—Mary Jane—is sent to Florida, Peter eagerly joins a Daily Bugle assignment to go there, too, to cover a new rocket. But reports of the Lizard out and about again have Spidey calling on Martha and William. The violently over-the-top Venom attempts to track down and stop the powerful monster while Spider-Man, as usual, attempts to save his friend, Doc Connors, and hopefully cure him once and for all. Published originally in hardcover from Putnam, Duane’s novel received mixed reviews, but did hover around various bestseller lists when it first came out. Even more recently, of course, came 2012’s somewhat darker movie reboot of The Amazing Spider-Man, with Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker and Spidey. Dylan Baker had appeared as the one-armed Dr. Curt Connors in the prior Tobey Maguire trilogy, but never transformed. Welsh actor Rhys Ifans appears as Dr. Connors in this one, marking the big-screen debut of the Lizard, a version that who made some viewers think more of Batman foe Killer Croc. It’s Ifans who cameos as the Lizard again in the 2021 multiversebending MCU flick, Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Lizard Droppings (top left) Diane Duane’s 1995 novel, Spider-Man: The Lizard Sanction. (top right) Front and back views of the 1974 Lizard action figure, from Mego’s World’s Greatest Super-Heroes line. (bottom) The Lizard makes it to be big screen in 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man. TM & © Marvel.

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Two-for-One Abduction (top) Peter and Mary Jane are cornered by the Lizard in this Amazing Spider-Man Sunday comic strip dated February 2, 2002. Script by ghostwriter Roy Thomas, art by Alex Saviuk/Joe Sinnott. (bottom) Original painted art by Gary Ciccarelli for the Lizard 1995 Fleer Ultra Spider-Man ClearChrome Card. Images courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Marvel.

2021 was a long way from 1963’s seemingly one-anddone Florida adventure for Peter Parker. So much has happened since, so much insanity in Peter’s fictional life. So much insanity in Curt Connors’ life! And in the real world, for that matter! But every new Spider-Man writer who comes along seems to want to see what he or she can do with the Lizard. And not just Spider-Man anymore, as the character has popped up in one form or another in various non-Spider titles such as X-Men: First Class, White Tiger, and Exiles here in the 21st Century! Judging by the fact Liz was never revived in Ditko’s run, Stan and Steve may not have thought the character had any staying power. Hey, they couldn’t always be right. Looks like lizards will be a thing in the Marvel Universe long after most of us are gone. Speaking of which, I can’t help but wonder what John Favereau, who had that pro-Lizard letter in Amazing Spider-Man #10, would have to say about all thissssssss. And, sheeeesh! After years and years of subways, swamps, and sewers, that lab coat has really gotta SMELL! Erstwhile lab assistant to Dr. Curt Connors, STEVEN THOMPSON can be found in Northern Kentucky, where he lives with his family, his pets, and his computer AI, Samantha.

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TM & © Marvel.

Lizard Cover Gallery

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MYSTERIO

by MIKE PAROBECK

captions by M i c h a e l

Eury

Spider-Man and related characters TM & © Marvel.

Batman Adventures and Justice Society of America artist Mike Parobeck left us much too soon, dying at age 30 in 1996. His crisp, accessible art earned him a legion of fans and his kindness endeared him to his fellow creators. All art scans in this column are courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com). 36 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

DOCTOR OCTOPUS

by ERIK LARSEN

The Savage Dragon creator was one of our favorite Copper Age Amazing Spider-Man artists, and in this undated sketch it’s easy to see why: Erik’s wiry Spidey evoked the spirit of Steve Ditko, and his Doc Ock always conveyed danger.

Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 37

VULTURE

by JOHN ROMITA, SR.

We never tire of Jazzy Johnny Romita’s amazing Spider-art! This 2004 specialty illo featuring the Web-Slinger and his winged foe was inked by former Hawkman artist Murphy Anderson (see inset), an extraordinary pairing of the two illustrators who respectively epitomized Marvel’s and DC’s Silver Age house styles.

38 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

SINISTER SIX

by MIKE ZECK

Presented here is Mike Zeck’s pencil art for the cover of 1996’s You Are Spider-Man vs. the Sinister Six, part of Pocket Books’ “Choose Your Own Adventure” line. In the inset is the published cover, with Zeck’s art painted by Phil Zimelman.

Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 39

BRITMANIA

by MARK VOGER

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GROOVY also by MARK VOGER

From Woodstock, “The Banana Splits,” and “Sgt. Pepper” to “H.R. Pufnstuf,” Altamont, and “The Partridge Family,” GROOVY is a far-out trip to the era of lava lamps and love beads. This profusely illustrated hardcover book, in psychedelic color, features interviews with icons of grooviness such as PETER MAX, BRIAN WILSON, PETER FONDA, MELANIE, DAVID CASSIDY, members of the JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, CREAM, THE DOORS, THE COWSILLS and VANILLA FUDGE; and cast members of groovy TV shows like “The Monkees,” “Laugh-In” and “The Brady Bunch.” Revisit the era’s rock festivals, movies, art, comics and cartoons in this color-saturated pop-culture history! (192-page COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 • (Digital Edition) $13.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-080-9

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In the 20 years following the Jackal’s first appearance, the Jackal was seen in a mere nine issues, with Carrion managing ten, yet these two Spider-Rogues left a legacy that continues to affect the Spider-Verse today.

DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME

by J o h n

Schwirian

When Stan Lee and Steve Ditko introduced Peter Parker’s college chemistry teacher in Amazing Spider-Man #31 (Dec. 1965), they never imagined that Professor Miles Warren would develop into one of the more controversial villains in Spider-Man’s history. Do not confuse Miles Warren with Parker’s high school science teacher, Mr. Warren from ASM #8 (Jan. 1964). The two look nothing alike. However, writers Roger Stern and Kurt Busiek retroactively made the two instructors into brothers in 1997’s Untold Tales of Spider-Man #25 in a tale where Mr. Raymond Warren takes his best science student (Peter Parker) on a tour of Empire State University and introduces the boy to Professor Miles Warren. Under Stan Lee, Professor Warren appeared infrequently, usually in a single panel to remind Peter of his slipping grades. The professor’s one shining moment is in ASM #53 (Oct. 1967), when he gives Peter two tickets to a science expo and offers to drive him there. Upon hearing about the tickets, fellow science major Gwen Stacy convinces Peter to take her along and Professor Warren states his admiration for Peter’s choice. Several interesting events occur in this issue, which were most likely intended for humorous effect, but take on a more sinister hue when viewed in terms of what will be revealed a few years later. First, the professor catches Peter changing out of his costume in the gym, but only sees Peter climbing down a rope with his “undershirt” protruding from under his clothes. On the ride to the expo, they discuss the Nullifier (a new type of missile defense) that is the centerpiece of the show. Professor Warren comments that it will be “a practical application of the many seemingly unrelated theories we’ve been discussing in class.” Just what are they talking about in chemistry? Of course, the expo is disrupted by Doctor Octopus. Later, after Spider-Man has restored order, and Peter reunites with Gwen and Warren, the professor wonders, “if only [Spider-Man’s] identity could be exposed. What a subject he’d be—for a psychological study. Imagine learning what motivates such a man— altruism or deep-rooted schizophrenia?” Why the hesitation in thought? Did the professor have something else in mind to study? If Stan Lee was building up the professor for a possible plot development, we’ll never know, as Professor Warren only makes two more brief appearances before disappearing altogether for the rest of Lee’s duration on the book.

Send in the Clone The cackling, conniving Jackal turned up several times during the Bronze Age to give poor Spidey a never-ending headache… and a clone! Cover to Amazing Spider-Man #149 (Oct. 1975) by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia. TM & © Marvel.

Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 41

DAY OF THE JACKAL

gerry conway

Is Peter Wearing Spidey Underoos? Panels from ASM #54 (Oct. 1967), featuring the pre-Jackal Professor Warren. By Stan Lee, John Romita, Sr., and Mickey Demeo (Mike Esposito). TM & © Marvel.

Two years pass before the professor is seen again, returning in Amazing Spider-Man #114 (Nov. 1972). Writer Gerry Conway restores Warren’s role as concerned teacher, asking Gwen why Peter has been missing all week. Now sporting a shaggier look, the professor knows an uncomfortable amount about Peter’s private life, which may seem odd until one remembers that Conway was building up to the infamous ASM #121–122 and the deaths of Gwen Stacy and the first Green Goblin, a story that rocked the readers and still influences the Marvel Universe today. The Jackal and a very disturbed Professor Warren emerged in the immediate wake of these events in a slow and unsettling manner. See BACK ISSUE #44 for the rationale behind killing Gwen Stacy. It’s the unexpected aftermath of that story that needs examining. “What we did was ignite a firestorm,” Conway wrote in the introduction to Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man (ASM: Masterworks) vol. 15. “We got mail. Lots and lots of mail. Lots and lots of hostile mail. Very hostile mail. And not just mail: at conventions, those of us considered responsible for Gwen’s death… were regularly verbally assaulted by angry fans. …It was upsetting. But not as upsetting for me as it was for Stan [Lee]. Stan, you see, is a people person. He loves crowds, the bigger the better. …What he wasn’t accustomed to was being attacked for his part in killing off Peter Parker’s love interest. …So he told [us] that somehow, someway, we had to bring back Gwen Stacy. …We argued with him… [and] Stan agreed that whatever we did, we should not invalidate the original story, and that when we were

42 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

done ‘bringing Gwen back’ we could write her out of the series permanently.” Thus, the Jackal was born. Gerry Conway’s introduction to ASM Masterworks vol. 15 stated that the Jackal was designed as a mystery figure much like the Green Goblin when he first appeared. No connection to Professor Warren was hinted at, so it came as a big surprise when he and the Jackal were revealed to be one and the same. Conway explains to BACK ISSUE, “the Jackal was introduced to resolve the Gwen Stacy storyline and I always knew that he was going to turn out to be Professor Warren because that was my way into solving the requirement that Stan had that Gwen be returned. But the idea was, if I am going to return her, I want to create a villain who is as interesting to me as the [Green Goblin] was in that original storyline— a mysterious figure, we don’t know who he is, we know that there is some connection between him and Peter, but what is it?” Following Gwen’s murder, Professor Warren returns in ASM #126–127, expressing concern over Peter’s poor attendance, but doesn’t appear the least bit distraught over Gwen’s death. The Jackal makes his debut in ASM #129 (Feb. 1974), where he convinces the Punisher that Spider-Man is a killer. The plan backfires when the Punisher learns that the Jackal is the real murderer. In the next issue, the Jackal offers his services to Hammerhead. “I can be anywhere, at any time,” he claims and proceeds to maneuver Spider-Man, Hammerhead, and Doc Ock into fighting each other. Eight issues pass before the Jackal makes his next move in ASM #139–140 (Dec. 1974–Jan. 1975). He befriends former professional wrestler Max Markham and provides him with a furry costume and an exoskeleton harness to increase his strength, turning him into the Grizzly [see this issue’s “Spider-Rogues Only a Mother Could Love” article for more about the Grizzly—ed.]. After Spidey and the Grizzly clash at the Daily Bugle, our hero tracks his ursine foe to his lair where he is ambushed by the Jackal, who tells Grizzly that “Wherever Peter Parker goes, Spider-Man is not far behind. How else does Parker manage those news photos?” Jackal tries using a tracking device to monitor Parker’s movements, but Peter disables it and later captures the Grizzly. Now this raises the question of how much the Jackal knew about the connection between Peter and Spider-Man. According to Gerry Conway, “I don’t think that he knew that Spider-Man was Peter Parker. I think he discovered that when he went to make the Spider-Man clone because then it becomes obvious.” Of course, now we must wonder, when did he start growing the clone? The Jackal lays low for the next five issues, but evidence of his handiwork appears to shock SpiderMan during this time. In ASM #142 (Mar. 1975), Peter sees Gwen in the lobby of the Daily Bugle building, but thinks she is one of Mysterio’s illusions. The next issue opens with Spider-Man spotting Gwen entering the subway. Chalking it up to his imagination, he rushes home to embrace a very real Mary Jane Watson. However, he must believe his eyes when he finds Gwen standing in his apartment on the last page of ASM #144. The next four issues slowly unravel the mystery of Gwen’s return and the Jackal’s motivations. Peter enlists the aid of his friends at the Daily Bugle. Ned Leeds determines that while the body in Gwen Stacy’s grave hasn’t been touched, the new Gwen’s fingerprints match the one’s taken at the autopsy. Somehow, there are two identical Gwen Stacys!

Meanwhile, the Jackal recites a lengthy monologue expounding on his hatred for Spider-Man, stating that he was born the day Spidey committed murder two years ago! The villain makes his next move by sending the Scorpion to Aunt May’s hospital room, promising that Spider-Man would be there. The plot continues to twist and thicken in ASM #147 (Aug. 1975). Ned Leeds receives a lab report stating that Gwen is a clone. Spidey eerily prophesizes, “Suppose she isn’t the last? Suppose there are more? Ten Gwen Stacys—a hundred?” The Jackal teams with the Tarantula, reveals his connection to the Gwen clone, and nearly kills Spidey by chaining him up and tossing him in the river. The story arc hits a dramatic climax in its penultimate issue (#148). When Peter and Ned hypothesize the possible origins of the Gwen clone, Peter remembers that Professor Warren once collected tissue samples from the entire class—including Peter and Gwen. However, when Warren tries to show them to Peter and Ned, they are missing, stolen by lab assistant Anthony Sebra. Spider-Man slips into Sebra’s apartment, only to find it abandoned. No furniture or anything, not even electricity. However, the Scorpion is there, and he battles Spidey in the dark in a series of panels displaying the amazing talent of artist Ross Andru. The issue ends on a cliffhanger, with Spider-Man drugged and reeling as the Jackal unmasks, exposing the face of Professor Miles Warren. As if it was possible, ASM #149 (Oct. 1975) adds to the excitement as Spider-Man is forced to fight his clone to the death in Shea Stadium (hopefully in the off-season), to save Ned Leeds and “Gwen” from the Jackal. As the Spider-Men battle, the Jackal explains how he came to love Gwen Stacy like the daughter he never had, and that he blamed Spider-Man for her death. He gave Sebra two tissue samples to clone, but when Sebra discovered that they were human, Warren accidentally killed his assistant while trying to keep him quiet. It was at that moment he created the identity of the Jackal. When the Gwen clone was fully grown, he set into motion his plan to kill Spider-Man. The confession awakens Gwen, who calls Warren a monster. In a last moment burst of sanity, Professor Warren saves the captive Ned while dying in an explosion that also claims the life of the Spider-Man clone. Whew! Gerry Conway sure knows how to make an exit. Archie Goodwin filled in as writer for Amazing Spider-Man #150, with Len Wein taking over the reins with #151. Goodwin tried to bridge the gap between the two writers with a story that would definitively prove who died in the explosion—the original Spider-Man or the clone. While Dr. Curt Connors runs tests on tissue from the corpse, Spider-Man engages Spencer Smythe and a Spider Slayer in combat. Along the way, Spidey realizes that he is in love with Mary Jane, while the clone (having been grown from tissues taken before Gwen’s death) would have no such memories or feelings. Convinced that he is the tissue donor, Spidey takes Dr. Connors’ report and tosses it into the wind. “I don’t think that I would have done the followup that Archie Goodwin did,” elaborates Gerry Conway to BI, “where he described that ‘I am the real Peter Parker. I’m me!’ I wanted to leave it ambiguous or at least not question it. I thought that was kind of an interesting existential question that should have been kept floating and, in a way, while they kept it floating, they had to pinpoint it. They had to make a big deal out of it. My preference is to never point at something and say: ‘Look at this!’ Leave it be and then if somebody wants to deal with it later or I want to deal with it later, I have that opportunity.”

The Lurker Leaps In (top) The Jackal isn’t seen but blurbed on Gil Kane/Johnny Romita’s iconic cover to ASM #129 (Feb. 1974), which also premieres the Punisher, but (bottom) inside that issue he slinks out of the shadows to directly attack the Wall-Crawler. By Gerry Conway, Ross Andru, and Frank Giacoia. (inset below) Jackal and Tarantula team up against Spidey in issue #148. TM & © Marvel.

PHOTO FINISH

Len Wein’s first thought was to tie up the loose ends left by Conway. “I decided the first thing I needed to do,” Wein wrote in ASM Masterworks vol. 17, “was to absolutely wrap up the bizarre clone storyline. …To make certain Peter’s clone could never come back again, I had Spidey dump the dead body down the chimney of a local incinerating plant to be reduced to ash, despite the fact that his spider-sense went off during the process, making him suspect someone was watching him.” Wein intended the tingling spider-sense to indicate the presence of a hypnotized Harry Osborn, who was photographing Spidey’s actions (revealed in ASM #180), photos that Harry would mail to J. Jonah Jameson with humorous results in ASM #169 (June 1977). However, the scene at the smokestack would be replayed a decade later with surprising new details.

TM & © Marvel.

Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 43

THE CADAVEROUS CARRION

“As a writer,” Conway confesses, “one of the things you are always trying to look for, at least in comics, is threads that you can pick up and use and, I had a lot of loose threads. It was partly for the benefit of my own writing to leave something hanging so that I had something to grab onto in the future and if someone else wants to come along and grab onto it—great.” Writer Bill Mantlo picked up on some of those threads, resulting in the first Carrion story in Peter Parker, the Spectacular SpiderMan #25–31 (Dec. 1978–June 1979). Carrion was a clone of Professor Warren designed to incubate the carrion virus. He was super-strong, could reduce his density to intangibility, could levitate, displayed a form of telepathy and telekinesis, and caused organic material to rot into dust with his touch. He carried a sack of red dust that could render its target unconscious and, in greater concentrations, burn through solid objects like acid and kill with the “red death.” Carrion introduces himself with a message written in red dust—“The dead walk, Parker,” which causes Hector Ayala—the White Tiger—to watch over Peter. However, Hector is ambushed by Carrion in the university library and left unconscious with another red-dust missive—“Ashes to ashes Parker.” Carrion attacks Peter, revealing that he knows that Peter is Spider-Man and that they have met before. Battered and bruised, Peter is left to ponder how Carrion knows his secret identity. Later, the White Tiger tangles with Carrion’s assistant Darter (undergrad student Randy Vale) while Spider-Man and Carrion square off in the ESU gym. Carrion accuses Spidey of murdering Gwen Stacy and Professor Warren. This further confuses Spidey, who states that nobody should know that Warren was the Jackal as the official report was that Warren died a hero. Carrion defeats Spidey and takes him to Warren’s old lab, where he reveals that he is Warren’s clone. “After arranging to meet you at Shea Stadium, [Warren] extracted a cell sample from himself and injected it into a waiting clone casket,” cackled Carrion. “Then, as the Jackal, he went off to confront you. He never returned. That single cell began to divide—a new professor began to grow within the casket. But something went wrong. The casket refused to open—the process continued. The body reached old age—died—yet still the fluid kept it alive. And then an unsuspecting undergraduate student by the name of Randy Vale stumbled into Professor Warren’s laboratory and unsealed the clone casket.” Carrion emerged and forced Vale to serve him, promising to give him spider-powers. In the meantime, he gave Vale 44 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

He Blinded Me With Science Our spotlighted Spider-Rogue in a pulse-pounding pinup from 1979’s Amazing Spider-Man Annual #13. Original Keith Pollard/Frank Giacoia art courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com). TM & © Marvel.

the Darter costume that allowed him to fly. Using Spider-Man’s blood, Carrion creates a protoplasmic pre-clone—a giant spider-amoeba. As the creature moves in to feast on the restrained Spider-Man, Darter arrives. Having overheard that Carrion had no intention of giving him spider-powers, Darter shoots at Carrion. Carrion kills Vale, but a wild shot frees Spidey. White Tiger arrives and the ensuing battle starts a fire. The spider-amoeba turns on Carrion—they struggle together and are consumed by the blaze. Spidey and White Tiger escape, believing this is the last anyone will ever hear of Carrion. The lab is sealed and forgotten. As the investigation found at least Vale’s corpse and some level of biological matter from the clones, the university must have paid a fortune to cover it up.

HIGHER EVOLUTION

While the farewell to the Gwen clone in ASM #149 calmed the fervor over the death of Gwen Stacy, it opened a new can of worms. How could Warren have made full-grown human clones so fast? In those days before Dolly the sheep, readers had many doubts about the viability of cloning. Likewise, many fans wondered what became of Gwen’s clone. The “Evolutionary War” crossover event in 1988 was used to resolve these issues. Gerry Conway recalls, “Jim Salicrup asked me to bring her back. He had the idea for the Evolutionary War, and since we’re doing this large crossover event, the way that we can tie it into Spider-Man is through Gwen. It did give me the opportunity to revisit some stuff, but it wasn’t my idea. Jim was really good at figuring out ways for Spider-Man stories to interact with the larger events that Marvel was doing at the time.” Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #8 explained where “Gwen” had been and clarified the nature of her “cloning.” Gwen is now teaching sophomore history at Baxter High School in Lansing, Michigan. The High Evolutionary sends his goons to capture her, but she evades them and flees to New York, seeking the help of the only man she trusts—Peter Parker! Finding Peter in his apartment,

she sees the Spider-Man costume under his robe and panics. Racing back out onto the street, she is snatched by the Gatherers and taken to the High Evolutionary—with Spidey barely managing to tag along for the ride. The High Evolutionary considers Gwen an anomaly—a genetic freak that should not exist. As he straps Gwen into his gene tester, the Young Gods arrive, and chaos ensues as they (and Spidey) fight the High Evolutionary’s goons. When the battle ends and the Young Gods leave, Spidey frees Gwen and hugs her, realizing that he no longer harbors any major feelings for her. The High Evolutionary explains that he “learned of her from the files of her ‘creator’ Professor Miles Warren. I asked myself, how could a mere university biology professor accomplish a technical miracle such as nearly instantaneous cloning? My study of this woman’s genetic structure, compared to that of Gwen Stacy, shows that he did not. Wishing to recreate Gwen Stacy, Warren kidnapped another female of similar age and genotype. He infected this woman with a genetic virus that transformed her on a cellular level into a near duplicate of the original. This woman is not and never was Gwen Stacy’s clone.” Spider-Man and “Gwen” teleport back to New York, where they are met by Daydreamer of the Young Gods, who uses her powers to remove “Gwen’s” illusions—stripping her of the genetic virus. No longer resembling Gwen Stacy, she walks away

as Spidey realizes that he does not know her name. “Well,” Conway laughs, “it does answer that question and it did put a real finish to that storyline—although it did eventually go on in other directions.” Indeed it did, as the High Evolutionary later admits to altering Warren’s journals and having lied about the cloning to hide his connection to Warren. This thread was picked up and elaborated on in Alpha Flight #114–115, Scarlet Spider Unlimited #1, and Spider-Man: Dead Man’s Hand. Scientist Herbert Edgar Wyndham took on young Miles Warren as his assistant. Later, Wyndham became the High Evolutionary and made the New Men—animals evolved into sentient bipeds. In the shadow of Wundagore Mountain, they explored the mysteries of genetics based on the works of Nathaniel Essex (Mr. Sinister) and the Inhuman known as Phaeder. Warren grew ambitious and created an unauthorized sentient Man-Jackal. While highly intelligent, the Man-Jackal frequently gave in to his beastly instincts, attacking the livestock of local farmers. The High Evolutionary imprisoned the Man-Jackal and banished Warren from Wundagore. Warren settled in a nearby village, where he married a woman named Monica. They had two children, but as before, Warren became obsessed with his research to the point where it caused his wife to take the children and leave him. Unknown to anyone, the Man-Jackal had escaped and had been secretly observing his “father.” Blaming them for his

Carry On, My Wayward Warren Two early cover appearances by the creepy Carrion: (left) Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #28 (Mar. 1979, cover by Keith Pollard and Al Milgrom) and (right) SSM #30 (May 1979, cover by Pollard and Bob Layton). TM & © Marvel.

Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 45

Miles Away The Professor Warren/Clone Saga continues, in the hands of writer Gerry Conway, in the pages of SSM. Original cover art to issue #149 (Apr. 1989), by Sal Buscema. Courtesy of Heritage.

abandonment, the Man-Jackal attacked Monica and the children, causing their death in an automotive accident. Warren went on to ESU, where Gwen Stacy reminded Warren of his wife. It also explains why Warren blamed Anthony Serba’s death on the Jackal.

IF GWEN STACY WASN’T A CLONE— WHAT WAS CARRION?

A recurring theme in comics is that no decent villain stays dead, so while Carrion may have gone up in smoke, a clever writer can find a way to bring him back. Thus, in the wake of the X-Men’s “Inferno” crossover, Gerry Conway raised Carrion from the grave. “I was writing two Spider-Man books a month,” Conway recalls, “so that required a bunch of villains. I liked the idea of Carrion, again, in that Green Goblin type mold of strange, weird-looking characters that threaten Spider-Man. So, visually, he was interesting. It might have been Jim Salicrup’s suggestion because I was pretty unfamiliar with what had happened in the

TM & © Marvel.

46 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

book between the time that I left it and the time that I came back. Jim and I would talk about things, and he would say, ‘Oh, well, you could use this character and you could use that character.’ I never had the impulse to tie everything up neatly.” Conway clarifies, “I wanted resources to draw on for the future. I never questioned certain tropes in comics. The villain explodes and then he’s back three issues later, dusting himself off and saying, ‘Boy, I sure am glad I ducked behind that door!’ To me, that was explanation enough. You don’t have to overcomplicate it.” In Spectacular Spider-Man #149 (Apr. 1989), Peter, filled with questions after seeing “Gwen” again, decides to investigate Professor Warren’s old lab, sealed and forgotten in ESU’s science building basement. If “Gwen” wasn’t a clone, then what were the Spider-Clone and Carrion? Finding a loose stone in the floor of the lab, he discovers one of Warren’s old journals. Unknown to Peter, he was followed by fellow grad student Malcolm McBride. After Peter leaves with the journal, McBride inspects the space and pulls out a vial of goo that infects him with the Carrion virus. Peter reads the journal, which explains that Warren discovered Peter’s secret by following him one night and seeing him change into SpiderMan. The journal also describes how Warren used Anthony Serba to make the Parker/Spider-Man “clone” and how he kidnapped Joyce Delaney to recreate Gwen. Yet there is no mention of Carrion or any other “cloning” attempts. So how was Carrion made? Spider-Man makes another trip to the lab where he meets the new Carrion. Believing himself to be a clone of Miles Warren, Carrion explains how the professor “designed a special replicator virus from Warren’s own DNA, endowed with unique powers.” Spidey concludes that the professor must have left a series of “biological booby traps” around campus to transform unsuspecting students into Carrion. Unaware of who is hosting the virus this time, Spider-Man defeats his “unliving” foe and turns him over to the Vault with the hope that Reed Richards can develop a cure. Spidey visits Four Freedoms Plaza, headquarters of the Fantastic Four, in PPTSS #161–163 (Feb.–Apr. 1990). There, he and Reed “Mr. Fantastic” Richards examine the Carrion virus, concluding that “it contains a complete human DNA package able to replicate its donor organism in a host in incredible speeds.” Somehow, Spider-Man deduced that the new Carrion is Malcolm McBride, but keeps it secret. Reed is not hopeful that a cure can be found. On his way home, Spider-Man runs into his old foe the Hobgoblin. In the ensuing scuffle, Spidey loses his notes on the Carrion virus, which Hobgoblin finds and takes with him. Later, he breaks into Reed’s lab and steals all the research related to the virus. Learning where Carrion is being detained in the Vault, Hobgoblin breaks in and frees Carrion, promising to help him kill Spider-Man. First, however, Carrion wants to see his family. Coincidentally, Spider-Man was heading there to tell Mrs. McBride what happened to her son. Arriving at about the same time, hero and villains battle, with Hobgoblin and Carrion overwhelming SpiderMan and hauling him back to their sewer hideout. Mrs. McBride, having recognized Malcolm underneath the Carrion exterior, travels to where Spider-Man, Carrion, and Hobgoblin have renewed their skirmish. When Hobgoblin prepares to hurl a pumpkin bomb at Mrs. McBride, Carrion stays his hand, with the resulting explosion igniting a nearby ruptured gas line. As no sign of either felon can be found, they are presumed dead.

CLONING AROUND

Nearly 20 years after the first appearance of the Jackal, roads were paved to prepare for his return. The 14-part crossover event “Maximum Carnage,” which ran through all the Spider-Man titles for three months, focused on the massive, psychotic killing spree by Spidey foes Carnage, Shriek, Spider Doppelganger, Carrion, and Demogoblin. Carrion joins the slaughter in Part Five, emerging from the sewers without a word. Shriek comments that she thought he died in an explosion, but no explanation for his survival is offered. Carrion contributes little to the plot with the only development to his character is that he now considers Shriek and Carnage to be his mother and father. In part thirteen, Spider-Man and a team of heroes super-charge Shriek with alpha particles (a form of “good” energy) that she absorbs, converts, and discharges. The energy wave engulfs Carrion, driving the virus into submission, restoring Malcolm McBride. Carrion’s story continues in “The Shrieking” in Amazing Spider-Man #390–393 (June–Sept. 1994). Poor old Malcolm is sent to the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane. Doctors seek a more permanent cure for Malcolm while he receives therapy for his guilt over everyone Carrion killed. Shriek escapes her cell and awakens the Carrion virus in Malcolm. They escape Ravencroft to rebuild their “family,” but enough of Malcolm remains aware and he rejects Shriek as his mother. Shriek takes them to Mrs. McBride to force Malcolm to kill his mother, however, he tries to kill himself and Mrs. McBride risks her own life to save him. Some spark of humanity awakens in Shriek, who uses her powers to cure Malcolm, drawing the virus into her body. It all hits the fan when the creative teams on the various Spider-Man titles took two years to tell the tale of the return of the Spider-Man clone, the

Jackal, and more in what has come to be known as the Clone Saga. Over the course of this epic, truths are twisted and outright lies confuse the readers and the characters involved, leaving many concepts in doubt at the end. Writer Terry Kavanagh explains. “It was my idea originally, but I developed it with Howard Mackie before I pitched it. The plan was for the story to run for four months over the five titles. It would end with Ben Reilly [see below] being revealed as the original Spider-Man, and a happy ending for ‘Peter,’ walking off into the sunset with pregnant MJ, recognizing that as a father, his responsibility was closer to home now. The other writers contributed lots and sales increased so significantly that the marketing and sales departments kept telling us that we couldn’t end it. Eventually, it was decided that Peter would stay as Spider-Man.” It starts when a man called Ben Reilly arrives to visit the ailing Aunt May Parker. Ben looks exactly like Peter Parker, creating mass confusion until it

Dead Man Walking (left) Carrion and Hobgoblin plague our hero in PPTSS #162 (Mar. 1990). Cover by Sal Buscema. (right) Carrion, in new threads, allies with Shriek on this menacing cover to ASM #393 (Sept. 1994). Cover by Mark Bagley and Randy Emberlin. TM & © Marvel.

Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 47

Twisted Triangle Mark Bagley and Larry Mahlstedt’s flip cover to ASM #394 (Oct. 1994) hints at the complex storyline linking Spidey, Peter, Gwen Stacy, and Professor Warren. TM & © Marvel.

is revealed that he is the clone thought to have Warren and the one that died in Shea Stadium was died in the explosion at Shea Stadium. Many a clone. This Jackal does not wear a costume—he has mutated into a green-skinned, superpowered other clones appear, including the mysterious being whose mind has snapped entirely. Kaine! This is the end of Malcolm McBride’s The Jackal takes credit for making many part of the story. The mysterious Judas clones, including Gwen (Joyce Delaney) Traveller appears in Ravencroft, Stacy, the Professor Warren that using his illusion powers to make died at Shea Stadium, the Professor Malcolm believe he has become Warren that became the first Carrion again. However, Traveller Carrion, Ben Reilly, Kaine, and the drops the spell and Malcolm is newly emerged Spidercide. Oh, and cured for good. The Carrion virus let us not forget the mysterious did completely transfer to Shriek, Warren Miles—a Professor Warren only to be removed from her by clone that was happily married to the Jackal. Gwen (Joyce Delaney) Stacy in The Jackal? Isn’t he dead? New Jersey until he died from Ummm, kind of sort of… clone degeneration disease. Yes, the Jackal is back, but this terry kavanagh This Jackal is a master manipis a Jackal we’ve not seen before. Facebook. ulator, using deceit to pit Peter, Emerging after five years in a cloning chamber that genetically restructured his body, Ben, and Kaine against each other just for fun while this Jackal claims that he is the real Professor Miles he seeks the means to control the genetic matrix. “I believe our original intent was to have the Jackal be the non-physical threat to the Spider-Men,” Kavanagh clarifies, “and Kaine would be the physical threat. But, to me at least, the real drama was always going to come from the internal conflicts of Ben and Peter. What inspired the whole storyline, obviously, was the story Gerry Conway had done when he introduced the unnamed clone. What resonates from that story is that neither Spider-Man was a bad guy—they both essentially were steered by Peter Parker’s moral compass—and the ‘two good people in a bad situation’ is a more interesting dynamic to me than good vs. bad.” Eventually, the Jackal falls to his death, leaving everyone in doubt as to who is and who isn’t a clone until finally Ben dies from clone degeneration, revealing the one true Peter Parker to be the guy married to Mary Jane all these years. As an epilogue to the Clone Saga, The Osborn Journals reveals that Norman Osborn did not die when impaled by his glider. Instead, he went into hiding and manipulated events to continue to make Parker miserable. Osborn funded Warren’s research and sent Scrier to aid Warren in his cloning agenda. After the Clone Saga, almost anything goes! Roger Stern created a new Carrion when Dr. William Allen examines the Jackal’s corpse and contracts the virus (Spider-Man: Dead Man’s Hand). Jackal clones appeared frequently while the real Professor Warren stayed hidden behind the scenes in stories like Daredevil vs. Punisher #1–6, the “Spider Island” story arc, Amazing Spider-Man #693, Avenging Spider-Man #16, Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #1–2, Scarlet Spider #20, the “Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy” event, Marvel Team-Up vol. 4 #1–2, and Ghost Spider #1–3. With clones aplenty to do Professor Warren’s dirty work, the Jackal is now a major villain in the Spider-Verse. “That’s great!” chuckles Gerry Conway. “I love that. That’s an extrapolation of his person and what we know about him that makes complete and perfect sense. It doesn’t contradict the theme of the character. I like that. It’s cool.” By day, JOHN SCHWIRIAN is a mild-mannered college English professor, but by night, he dons the role of comic-book historian.

48 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

by J o s e p h

Norton

Don’t Play Footsies with This Guy (left) The Tarantula’s first appearance, in The Amazing Spider-Man #134 (July 1974). Cover art by John Romita, Sr. (right) Ol’ pointy toes helps launch the new Spidey book Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #1 (July 1976). Cover by Sal Buscema and Romita. TM & © Marvel.

Created by two of Spider-Man’s finest Bronze Age craftsmen, writer Gerry Conway and artist Ross Andru, the Tarantula was perfectly positioned to be a major foil to Peter Parker. His costume’s reverse coloring of Spider-Man’s blue-and-red uniform made a great visual contrast. His athletic fighting style was remarkably similar to the Wall-Crawler’s. His name was a natural fit for an epic nemesis of Spider-Man. Look at the Tarantula’s first few cover appearances and you can feel the energy as he boldly slashes across the page toward our hero. His appearances were also perfectly placed in Spider-Man history to cast him as a major opponent. He showed up in a one of the most memorable early Punisher tales, and was a major player in the Clone Saga. Of all the rogues that Spider-Man had by that time, the Tarantula was picked to be the villain for the premiere of the Bronze Age classic title, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man. The Tarantula had pedigree, was well placed in the narrative, and had a classic bad guy’s name. Why, then, was he never considered a major opponent? Why was he relegated to second-tier status, even in stories where he was the featured villain? What did the Lizard, Electro, and Doctor Octopus have that the Tarantula did not?

‘CAPTAIN DELVADIA’

In The Amazing Spider-Man #134 (July 1974), we met the villain with the arachnid moniker as he was hijacking a sightseeing cruise for ransom. Peter Parker quickly changed into Spider-Man, but Spidey was undone by the Tarantula’s poison-tipped boots. Stunned, Spider-Man then faced an angry Punisher in a riveting cliffhanger. Next issue, we learned (in a gloriously retro info dump, complete with a film projector) that the Punisher was trailing Anton Miguel Rodriguez, a former leftist guerilla (how very ’70s) that was too cruel for the rebels and wrangled into service of the same oppressive government he rebelled against, later identified as the fictional South American nation of Delvadia. The Tarantula was being positioned as Delvadia’s own costumed superhero. “That was the thought, their [Delvadia’s] very own ‘Captain America,’” the character’s creator, Gerry Conway, tells BACK ISSUE. In the story, the Punisher explained that the Tarantula was now a mercenary, and that Spider-Man and he should team up to stop Rodriguez. Conway explains that the character of the Tarantula was in part “motivated by El Condor,” a swashbuckling character the writer introduced along with Delvadia, in Daredevil #75 (Apr. 1971). Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 49

This Guy’s Buggy (left) Tarantula’s return in ASM #233 (Oct. 1982) signaled a downward spiral for the bad guy. (right) See? We weren’t kidding! He mutates into a monster in ASM #235 (Dec. 1982)! Covers by John Romita, Jr. and Al Milgrom. TM & © Marvel.

According to Conway, the Tarantula also grew out of a love of the animal-themed villains so proudly used in Amazing Spider-Man since the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko era. “Yes, there was that lineage,” Conway states. “I loved the idea of the animal theme.” Tarantula’s costume was created for maximum opposition against Spidey, and “reverse coloring was the idea” with Ross Andru’s costume design. Back to ASM #135: Tracking the Tarantula and his gang to an abandoned tenement (more ’70s goodness), Spider-Man and the Punisher made quick work of their foes. The Tarantula’s associates were reminiscent of the henchmen found in the ’60s Batman television series, with bolos and lariats to cement the tacky Latin flavor. The Tarantula’s poison-tipped boots were not enough to defeat Spider-Man, and we next saw Tarantula in prison in ASM #147 (Aug. 1975), plotting his breakout with the help of the Jackal and an oblivious corrections officer who allowed Rodriguez to make a new pair of deadly boots in the prison metal shop! Serving as a henchman to the devious Miles Warren, Tarantula was again made quick work of by Spider-Man, despite some gorgeously drawn action scenes, particularly one set in a dark warehouse, lit only by Spider-Man’s rarely seen Spider-Signal. Conway fondly recalls, “I loved the way Ross choreographed the fights.” Once again, despite the cover spot, the Tarantula was pushed to the side, this time by the Gwen Stacy clone, and even dealt with off-panel. Forty-five years later, while the Clone Saga holds a memorable if controversial place in Spider-Man lore, the Tarantula’s role in it is long forgotten.

A CHANCE TO SHINE

With Spider-Man’s increasing popularity in the mid-’70s, Marvel gave Conway the task to kick off a second solo title for the character. Gerry chose the Tarantula to be the premier villain of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #1 (July 1976). Conway tells BI, “We really were not using the top-tier villains from the main title, and I had a proprietary interest” in choosing the Tarantula as the first villain to appear. But once again, despite another great cover, a spotlight in a debut issue, a three-part story and great art by Marvel house-style mainstay Sal Buscema, the Tarantula was second fiddle, this time to the villainous designs of Kraven the Hunter and… Lightmaster? Talk about no respect. 50 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

This was the Tarantula’s chance: a cover spot on a debut issue for easily the most popular character at Marvel at that time. But another villain again outshined the Tarantula. Not surprisingly, the Tarantula was forgotten about for a few years until we got to see him briefly in Captain America #224 (Aug. 1978) serving as a mercenary, with Senor Muerte. In this oneoff appearance, he was no match for Captain America, despite Rodriguez’s original intentions as Delvadia’s own flag-bearer. Relegated to a few panels, the villain’s non–Spider-Man role drew attention to how far the not-so-mighty Tarantula had fallen.

A MEMORABLE EXIT

The Tarantula showed up again in ASM #233 (Oct. 1982), and was used to great effect in a riveting four-part story written by Roger Stern that wrapped up Rodriguez’s time in the costume. During his Amazing Spider-Man run, Stern not only wrote the seminal “Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut,” considered by many as one the finest Spider-Man stories of all time, but he also broadened Spidey’s Rogues’ Gallery with the Hobgoblin; atypical villains like Cobra, Mr. Hyde, and Thunderball; and a reinvigorated Vulture. Now Stern was trying his hand at the underused Tarantula. Here, we met the Tarantula again working as a mercenary. After another beating by Spider-Man on a Manhattan garbage scow, the Tarantula, fed up with his constant defeats, sought a power enhancement from the Brand Corporation, a subsidiary of the Marvel big-bad Roxxon Oil. After interference from another great B-level Spider-Man villain, Will-o’-the-Wisp, the Tarantula was accidentally transformed into a monstrous spider and now, finally, was a match for SpiderMan. But the Tarantula was disgusted by his transformation and, in the end, committed suicide-by-police and was gunned down. This exciting tale, highlighting some early John Romita, Jr. art, was a great example of how comic books can create an emotional and exciting narrative using minor characters to make a bigger point. In his death, Anton Miguel Rodriguez achieved what his previous actions could not—he made an impression. This four-part Stern/Romita, Jr. tale is an unheralded Spider-Man classic, utilizing the larger Marvel Comics Universe, some classic Daily Bugle drama, and fine portrayals of two previously forgettable characters, Tarantula and Will-o’-the-Wisp.

Big Trouble Afoot Captain America subdues Spidey (!) as the new Tarantula makes his move on the splash page to PPTSS #138 (May 1988). Art by Sal Buscema. Courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Marvel.

TM & © Marvel.

TARANTULA 2: THE SEQUEL

Not one to let a good name go to waste, Conway and Marvel reintroduced the Tarantula in Web of Spider-Man #35 (Feb. 1988). There we met Luis Alvarez in Delvadia as he was injected with a serum to try once again to make him his nation’s super-soldier. In a tightly constructed origin tale spanning multiple issues of WoSM, the Tarantula jumped over to the following month’s PPTSS #137 (Apr. 1988) to pursue Delvadian refugees. The Tarantula encountered Spider-Man along the way, and Spidey was surprised to see a newer version of his old punching bag. As an official representative of Delvadia, Tarantula teamed up with guest-star John Walker, who at that time was standing in as Captain America. In a great Sal Buscema–drawn fight scene, we saw the Tarantula headquartered on another garbage scow. There he tag-teamed with Captain America-Walker against Spider-Man, but ultimately Walker saw how misguided the Tarantula’s actions were and knocked him out before Tarantula could finish off Spider-Man. Asked if he could have pulled off that story with Steve Rogers as the shield holder, Conway shrugs, “Probably not.” The Tarantula showed up in another strong storyline, “Powerless,” in ASM #341 (Nov. 1990). Here, Peter Parker decided that his Spider-Man responsibilities were interfering with his life with Mary Jane and were the cause of many near-death experiences. So he temporarily gave up his spider-powers… only to face off against Tarantula, once again an exile from Delvadia for being too violent. Artist Erik Larsen maximized the energy in some great fight scenes, using to its full potential the fighting style of the Tarantula. But once again the villain was pushed to the sidelines, this time by the Black Cat, the Scorpion, and… the Femme Fatales? Alvarez’s Tarantula appeared in issues of Punisher War Journal and Captain America until he was killed by the vigilante group the Jury in the backup tales from the five-issue miniseries Venom: Sinner Takes All. He met his end in the fourth issue (Nov. 1995). Despite inheriting the name, Alvarez never quite rose to the levels of his predecessor, lost in an era so heavily reliant on the villainy of Venom. Another Tarantula tossed on the scrap heap of Spider-Man bad guys. Later in Marvel continuity, there was a brief appearance of Rodriguez’s daughter Jacinda, who took her father’s Tarantula mantle and teamed up with Batroc the Bouncer’s daughter Marie Batroc in Agent X #6 (Feb. 2003). And, as with all villains, A-, B-, or C-level, we got a resurrected version of Anton Miguel Rodriguez’s Tarantula, this time in Clone Conspiracy #1–5 (Dec. 2016–Apr. 2017), but those appearances only emphasized the disappointing career of the Tarantula.

WHERE DID HE GO WRONG?

With everything going for him, why was the Tarantula destined to be a B-level Spider-rogue? It was not for lack of the spotlight. He got his chances to shine. He had roles in classic storylines, side by side with iconic Spider-Man characters. In the Spider-Man Universe he held his own, and had a believable origin and motivations. The Tarantula should have been a long-standing rival for Spider-Man. Gerry Conway has a possible answer for this question. “I always liked the street-level villains, the weird guys in a suit,” he reveals.

Conway never saw the Tarantula as a major player. “At his best, he was a henchman. He is not a powerful villain. It’s hard to imagine him being in charge.” Conway’s own words contribute to the Tarantula’s designed obsolesce. When in another creator’s hands, given the chance to catapult him into the next level, Roger Stern used sal buscema the Tarantula to tell a resonating, universal story of frustration and disappointment, only to kill that version of the character off in a grand way that punctuated what we knew all along. The Tarantula did not have what it took to match Spider-Man and to become one of his classic rogues. Which is a shame. Looking at all that the Tarantula had going for him, of all the B-level bad guys, the Tarantula should have cast a wider web over Spider-Man and his readers. This author would like to thank Gerry Conway for his time and insight. JOSEPH NORTON is still confused by the term “stiletto heels,” 45 years after encountering them in Amazing Spider-Man and From Russia with Love. Many a Famous Footwear salesperson have been alarmed by his requests. This is his third article for BACK ISSUE, and he hopes for many more.

Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 51

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by J o

hn K. Kirk

Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of Crime, has had a long and illustrious career of thwarting Spider-Man and other heroes since his first appearance in 1967. For over 55 years, this character has undergone a number of transitions, growing from a crime boss with limited, two-dimensional motivations into a complicated adversary whose political and corporate corruptions are as sophisticated as the ambitions he demonstrates. While the stories the Kingpin is featured in became more sophisticated as time progressed, it’s fair to say that the character himself has become more sophisticated in kind. Long-time readers have witnessed his transformation into a powerful supervillain, the revelation of his marital status and his parenthood, and eventually his rejection of his life of crime. In later comics, he becomes a philanthropist and a politician who grows to believe he cares about the community he once terrorized, albeit it in his own blind, eventually self-serving way. In short, the Kingpin has evolved over the years, becoming someone whose variations continue to fascinate and entertain generations of comic-book fans. But at his heart, he is still just the simple thug whose inability to see beyond himself twists and destroys everything he believes he loves… even his own illusions. The Kingpin is doomed to failure because he is unable to see beyond his own petty needs, despite how much wealth, power, and refinement he accrues.

HUMBLE ORIGINS: KINGPIN, THE CRIMINAL BOSS

Looking at the first appearance of the Kingpin in Amazing Spider-Man #50 and 51 (June and July 1967), we see a crime boss who uses his massive size and strong-arm tactics to intimidate mobsters into obeying his orders. But it’s also clear that the Kingpin has a strategic side to his personality that other criminals don’t have. It’s this vision that almost legitimizes his methods to other members of the underworld; while they fear him, they also respect him. This is the Kingpin’s earliest inception, and without a lot of depth we learn the scope of his character, created by Stan Lee and John Romita, Sr. The Kingpin is brutish and egotistic, and his plans are fairly basic. While he has superior strength and fighting skill, he also has a laser blaster in his cane. But his main ability is his influence and ability to organize henchmen and underlings for criminal purposes. It’s a simple character template: the Kingpin is a bully—a clever one, but a bully nonetheless. His plans are simple in scope. Like this one: in ASM #51, he aims to consolidate his hold on the crime gangs of New York after being elected to be

Have a Seat, Spidey This original cover art for The Amazing Spider-Man #197 (Oct. 1979) was not found underneath the sofa but instead comes to us courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com). Pencils by Keith Pollard, inks by Frank Giacoia. (inset) The published version. TM & © Marvel.

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john romita, sr. Brandonbaker01/Spider-Man Animated Wiki.

‘Can he swing?’ Behold, Jazzy Johnny Romita’s jolting original cover art to ASM #60 (May 1968). Courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Marvel.

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in charge and launches a crime wave like the city has never seen before. However, with J. Jonah Jameson constantly spouting Daily Bugle editorials about rumors of an underworld takeover, it’s clear to the Kingpin that JJJ has to be quieted. He orders his underlings to kidnap Jameson to either keep him quiet or put him on ice—for good. Every story has a beginning and every character has a starting point. This is the Kingpin’s. Marvel purportedly based the character’s physical appearance on a combination of actors Robert Middleton and Sydney Greenstreet. They were also simplistic in their performances of the villains they portrayed, but like Lee and Romita’s work, it was a product of the times and the accepted level of storytelling back then. But, as in most things, simplicity is best. We understand this character and his motivations for future writers to build and develop upon in later stories and roles that the Kingpin plays. For now, this is the Kingpin that is at the heart of every one of the different faces he portrays in other stories, with SpiderMan or other villains who are to come afterwards. Comic writer Paul Jenkins has this to say about the Kingpin: “At his root, he will always be a simple thug. He’s a narcissist—a criminal. It doesn’t matter what hat he puts on; he will always be the bad guy. He’s a crook, plain and simple, and everything he does—whether it’s as a dad, husband, or a politician (and we’ve seen enough of these in this day and age, right?), the Kingpin is a psychotic villain and everything he does will be ruined by that. Even his own plans because, ultimately, they’re selfish and, very easily put, about him.” Interactions between the Kingpin and Spider-Man are very similar, with the Kingpin and the Web-Slinger mixing it up in hand-to-hand combat. In a later story, the Kingpin tries to procure an antique clay tablet that holds the key to eternal youth. It’s a very simple pattern, but in ASM #83 (Apr. 1970), the Kingpin faces a challenge to his fledgling underworld domain in the form of the Schemer. This is when we see one criminal boss go up against another in a battle of wits. The Kingpin is forced to rely upon his own planning abilities to offset those of another planner and cleverly shows his street-smarts by staying out of the conflict, allowing Spider-Man and the Schemer to fight each other, waiting to see which one of his enemies emerges victorious. It’s also of note that in this issue we first see his wife, Vanessa Fisk, and the influence she holds over him. We also get a sense of the type of parent and husband he is, refusing to believe that his son could have perished in an accident and that he wanted to protect his wife from the truth of his death. This is the first time that we see the Kingpin as a family man. We’ll look at this aspect of the character in more detail later on. In the meantime, the battle between the Schemer and the Kingpin continues, with both waiting to see who will emerge from the shadows first to lay claim to the underworld. When they eventually do meet and face each other, it is the Kingpin’s wife who manages to allay the conflict out of an awareness that the reader doesn’t understand until the end of issue #85, when we learn that the Schemer is none other than the Kingpin’s own son, who faked his death to come back and wrest his father’s criminal enterprises for his own. This leaves the Kingpin in a state of defenseless shock, and the city of New York doesn’t hear from him for a while. As a result, the Kingpin’s criminal machinery crumbles and degrades.

Tender Mercies Early Kingpin History: (top) A stern “dressing down.” From ASM #69. (center) Romita’s wizardry at drawing statuesque beauties, partially forged in the fires of romance comics, made him the perfect artist for the icy but fetching Vanessa Fisk. From ASM #83. (bottom) A catatonic Kingpin. From ASM #85. TM & © Marvel.

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DEVOTED HUSBAND AND FATHER?

Captain America and the Falcon… and the Kingpin?? (bottom) For a few months in late 1971 and early 1972, Kingpin appeared in a Captain America storyline by writer Gary Friedrich and artist Sal Buscema. Presented here is the title splash for Captain America #148 (Apr. 1972). TM & © Marvel.

That brings us to this incarnation of the Kingpin. We first meet Vanessa in ASM #70 (Mar. 1969). As drawn by Jazzy Johnny Romita, she is a regally handsome woman with a streak of gray in her hair, but also the bearing of a noblewoman. Kingpin is clearly influenced by her, as we see in his deference and her ability to withstand his will. In the previous issue, ASM #69 (Feb. 1969), when one of the Kingpin’s thugs remarks that the only person who can boss “the Boss” around is his wife, the Kingpin overhears him and flies into a fury. The level of importance even this early incarnation of the Kingpin has for his family is established. No one bandies even the slightest mention of the Kingpin’s wife in his vicinity. In this brief moment, we get the sense that Vanessa is a better person than her husband. It’s a specious glimpse into the Kingpin’s personality, but his anger at this insinuation points to an insecurity wrapped in the knowledge that he not only is aware of this but believes it, too. The Schemer appears in issues #82 to 85, proving a worthy adversary to the Kingpin’s own plans. Vanessa Fisk is someone who tries to minimize the Kingpin’s violence and rescue her husband from defeat, even though she doesn’t approve of his criminal activities, and someone Wilson Fisk desperately wants to protect from any sort of pain— including the knowledge that their son, Richard, has gone missing from his illustrious boarding school in Switzerland and is presumed dead. Wilson Fisk’s relationship with his wife is clearly of paramount importance, becoming even more vital to the events of issue #85 (above left) when the Schemer is revealed to be Richard. When Vanessa eventually discovers that their son had gone missing from his boarding school, she demands to know why her husband did not tell her. The Kingpin responds with two reasons: he didn’t believe he was dead and he wanted to protect her from pain. While the Kingpin’s intentions are good, sending his away to school and keeping his wife unaware of the incident are two decisions that cost him both his son’s love and his own sanity. There is no doubting Wilson’s love for his son and wife, but he loses both because of the clumsy way he expresses and supports that love. His devotion to his wife is myopic and is corrupted by his criminal ways. The revelation that his son is the Schemer, the upstart villain who tried to steal the Kingpin’s criminal empire, throws the Kingpin into a state of catatonic shock. It is too much for him to bear and all of his efforts to protect and preserve both wife and son from his criminal activities are for naught.

KINGPIN THE SUPERVILLAIN

The Kingpin later appears as the menacing secret mastermind behind a chapter of the terrorist organization Hydra, beginning in Captain America #146 (Feb. 1972). [Editor’s note: For an in-depth Hydra history, see BACK ISSUE #141.] Readers are not given a reason as to how he managed to recover from his catatonia until much later in the comic. However, in this story, we see the Kingpin mobilizing troops, diverting resources to help defeat the Red Skull’s Sleeper Robot as it threatens his own criminal enterprises. Though he has access to ultra-high technology, regardless of the trappings, his plans are still basic in nature. 56 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

In this issue, Captain America battles his way through the Hydra base in an attempt to rescue Sharon Carter. Cap eventually confronts the Supreme Hydra, who threatens Carter with electrocution if the Star-Spangled Avenger continues. In the meantime, in a secret location within the base, we are shown a beefy hand resting on a monitoring console. A sinister stranger is observing Captain America’s progress. Resuming on this scene in the next issue, #147, a voice expresses disapproval and is about to press the base’s self-destruct button when all of a sudden, we see none other than Vanessa Fisk burst into the room, imploring with the stranger to refrain from destroying the base for fear of losing “a part of them both.” Of course, it is the Kingpin. As we see the Kingpin’s hand hover above the console, we learn from Vanessa that the Supreme Hydra who had been battling Captain America is none other than Richard Fisk. Readers remember that the Kingpin’s son, as the Schemer, was responsible for bringing down his father’s criminal empire, and Kingpin fell into a state of shock. What the Kingpin learns afterwards is that his son is filled with remorse and with his mother as his confidant, he arranges for his father to be treated in an institution. Then, dissatisfied with the limited amount of progress his father is making, he joins Hydra and makes use of their resources to not only improve his own station but treats his father with his own type of specialized electroshock therapy. Kingpin doesn’t initially learn about his son’s involvement in his care until the end of the issue when, once again, his wife intercedes in preventing her husband’s activation of the self-destruction of the base. When the Kingpin eventually faces Cap and the Falcon, that’s when he discovers the truth and once again, he is shocked by his son’s twisted nature and belief that crime was the way to restore amends for taking his father’s health and wealth. He knows that this is the son who he tried to preserve from a life of crime and whose twisted stint as the Schemer threw him into a mental breakdown. The Kingpin’s corruption has permeated his son, and as Paul Jenkins observed earlier, everything the Kingpin does is touched by that narcissistic criminality. “Twisted” is an accurate descriptor for the relationship that exists between the Kingpin, his wife, and his son. While they claim their motivations to be out of love, it is of note that they hide secrets from

Desk Set (top) ASM #163 (Dec. 1976). Cover art by Dave Cockrum and Romita. (bottom) Original art for the cover of Super Spider-Man and the Titans #226 (June 8, 1977), which reprinted ASM #163 in the UK. Heritage Auctions, which kindly provided this scan, attributes the art to penciler Larry Lieber and inker Frank Giacoia. TM & © Marvel.

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each other and do themselves harm while they try to protect the others. In short, they are bad people trying to do good things, but their inherent natures betray them from doing so. Of course, at the center of this triangle is the Kingpin, and whether it is a case of leading by example or his corrupting influence, the Kingpin ultimately is to blame. When it is revealed that Richard Fisk is simply the unwitting pawn of the Red Skull, who threatens to release a giant robot known as “the Fifth Sleeper” upon the world in order to prepare for the birth of the Fourth Reich, the Kingpin is ashamed of his son. Shocked that Richard could be so easily duped, he allies himself with Captain America to defeat the Red Skull. He calls in favors with the Maggia and gathers gangsters with automatic weaponry. In addition to his above-average physical strength, Kingpin also has access to a vast array of weapons, resources, and manpower on a ready basis, in true supervillain fashion. In this Captain America saga, Richard Fisk falls as a casualty against the Red Skull.

MORE FAMILY, MORE VILLAINY

In Amazing Spider-Man #163 and 164 (Dec. 1976 and Jan. 1977), Spider-Man intervenes in a road heist. He witnesses a truck lifted into the air in mid-highway traffic by a cargo helicopter. Spidey tries to stop the helicopter and its accompanying jetpack-wearing thieves, but fails to do so. They steal the truck’s contents and force Spider-Man to plummet to the ground. In the next panel, a shadowy figure berates the thieves for their clumsiness and threatens them should the Wall-Crawler be killed. This is true-to-form supervillainy courtesy of writer/editor Len Wein and is prologue to setting up Spider-Man to be used as a living battery to replenish the life-force of Richard Fisk. As Spider-Man tracks down the criminals, he is ambushed by the Kingpin, who defeats him in combat. After relating the story of his experience in the Captain America issues, Wilson Fisk reveals to Spider-Man that his son tried to make amends by working for Hydra and used their resources to heal his father. The Kingpin then places Spidey in a device known as the “Vita-Drain,” the same contraption stolen from the cargo truck earlier, and siphons most of Spider-Man’s life-force to heal his son Richard. Afterwards, Kingpin discards the weakened Spider-Man, having no further use for him. To the Kingpin, this is a simple transaction: Spider-Man’s life to save his son’s. However, before Kingpin initiates the procedure, Vanessa Fisk implores her husband to reconsider his actions, asking him if this is what Richard would want: his life restored at the cost of another’s? Kingpin dismisses her plea, with the claim that he knew his son better. Despite his supervillain braggadocio, Vanessa was actually closer to their son than her husband was. Despite her awareness of the wrongness of his actions, Vanessa, weighing the cost against the gain, also falls prey to her own desire to see her son returned to life. It is a measure of the Kingpin’s corrupting influence that even though Vanessa is aware of the unconscionable nature of her husband’s actions, she gives up trying to convince him otherwise and walks out of the room, divesting herself of any responsibility. After the procedure, Spider-Man is weakened but manages to obtain assistance from Dr. Curt Connors, a.k.a. the Lizard, to regain enough strength to pursue the Kingpin and reclaim his life-force from Richard Fisk. Spidey overhears Richard squabbling with his father, who clearly cannot understand why his son seems so upset after he saved his life. The Kingpin demands respect from his son. Richard responds, “You have my love, Dad. Isn’t that enough?” After using a siphoning device constructed by Dr. Connors, Spider-Man regains his life-force and confronts the Kingpin. They battle until the construc-

Fisk Is for Kids A more kid-friendly—but still menacing— Kingpin appeared in issues of Marvel’s Spidey Super Stories in the mid-1970s, as well as (bottom right) this 1983 giveaway comic whose Marie Severin/Frank Giacoia cover art was repurposed as the cover of BACK ISSUE #85. TM & © Marvel.

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tion frame they are standing on collapses into the water. The Kingpin is seemingly buried in wreckage and debris and does not rise to the surface. When SpiderMan emerges he encounters Vanessa, who spares his life when she instructs her husband’s henchmen to leave Spider-Man alone. She explains to Spidey that his life-force was within her son long enough that it managed to rejuvenate him. Though Spider-Man had cost Vanessa Fisk her husband, he had given her back her son. For that she was grateful, but warns him their paths should never cross again.

MORE MARITAL CHALLENGES

Of course, this is not the end of the Kingpin, nor his marriage. He next reappears to confront Spider-Man in ASM Issues #196 and 197 (Sept. and Oct. 1979), courtesy of writer/editor Marv Wolfman. Bent on revenge, the Kingpin lures Spider-Man into a final confrontation to best him in combat. While Peter Parker is mourning the loss of his Aunt May [She got better!–ed.] and suffering a broken arm, Spider-Man is ambushed by the Kingpin’s thugs. They render him unconscious and bring him to a hideout, where the Wall-Crawler is shocked to discover the vengeful Kingpin—alive! A stunned Spider-Man is told by Kingpin of how he escaped his watery grave from their last encounter. Kingpin was able to extricate himself from the wreckage and crawled through a culvert for days, only to wander out on to the street, suffering a temporary amnesia for months, surviving on the streets as a self-described John Doe. He was targeted by a hitand-run assassination attempt by his rival crime boss, Silvermane, but survived, recuperating in a hospital before regaining consciousness and his identity. The first thing the Kingpin does is return to Vanessa. However, while his wife is happy to see him, her reaction can’t be described as overjoyed. She does not resist his attempts at affection, but when he states his desire to enact revenge on his rival, including Silvermane, Vanessa rejects her husband, decrying his work, expressing her hatred of it, and her desire for him to finally leave his criminal past behind. Kingpin agrees, on one condition: that he be allowed 24 hours to wrap up his dealings, including the opportunity to take his revenge on those he felt had wronged him. His intention? To destroy Spider-Man, once and for all. Spider-Man literally fights the Kingpin with one hand (his broken arm) tied behind his back. He battles the Kingpin to a standstill, and then at the end of the appointed time, Vanessa appears to remind her husband of his commitment. Wilson Fisk has to decide if his word to his wife is worth more than ending Spider-Man’s life. He reluctantly leaves a dazed and helpless Spidey behind as he departs the room with his wife. Once more, Vanessa has saved Spider-Man from death, showing her nobility.

A NEW FACE, NEW ADVERSARY

Legendary comic-book artist Bill Sienkiewicz offers this about the Kingpin to BACK ISSUE’s readers: “I grew up with the classic version—the Romita version of the Kingpin. But then, when Frank [Miller] and I did several issues of Daredevil, I thought: Make him feel big. Taking a character that had a classic approach, but there were so many iterations. The way he developed in my mind, working with Frank, I trusted his take on the character. For me, it was just a chance to imbue the character of the Kingpin with as much size and embody the veracity, the definition of his name.”

This speaks to the inherent insecurity the Kingpin grew up with. His classic origin depicts him as a young, fat kid, bullied and persecuted because of his size. He overcame this bullying through exercise and weightlifting, learning how to fight and eventually joining local gangs, rising in power to amass not only wealth, but influence. How he did that is never fully described, but it’s enough to know that it is present in his makeup. Perhaps it is this upbringing that accounts for the Kingpin’s inability to see beyond himself. Despite his size, his combat prowess, and his cleverness, Kingpin is simply just a character whose selfishness is all the motivation he needs. He will never be able to overcome that need to enrich himself and make himself bigger. But, for the sake of a good story, it’s just enough for the readers. “There’s backstories we get with characters, and with the Kingpin there’s a malleability there, that finding out his whole arc would be fascinating as opposed to like the history of Darth Vader,” Sienkiewicz continues. “Some characters are mythic.

Fearless In the early 1980s, Daredevil auteur Frank Miller successfully reinvented the Kingpin in the Man without Fear’s title. Cover to Daredevil #170 (May 1981) by Miller and Klaus Janson. TM & © Marvel.

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frank miller Cain86/Batman Fandom Wiki.

Fisky Business From the crimelord’s perspective, everyone bends to his will. This extraordinary original art page from Daredevil #177 (Dec. 1981) is signed by writer/ artist Frank Miller in panel 5. Finishes by Klaus Janson. Courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Marvel.

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You don’t need to know their backstory to appreciate what they are now.” With the Kingpin, that’s true. He is a force of criminality. It’s enough to know that he came from humble origins and rose to the ranks. But that type of climb comes with a cost. The resulting insecurity that follows that rise to power never leaves and is a permanent influence in his decision-making. In the beginning, the Kingpin presented as a typical villain. However, as we see less of him appear in Spider-Man’s adventures, he takes on new dimensions and opportunities for growth with other heroes, like Daredevil. Leaving his criminal enterprises behind also marked the end of his encounters with Spider-Man. It was around this time when the Kingpin actually went legitimate in his dealings. While he acted more like a typical grandstanding thug boss when facing Spider-Man, he grew to depend less on his natural abilities and gadgets and become more of a “behindthe-scenes” mastermind. After ASM #197, we see the Kingpin stepping down from his life of crime, at his wife’s bequest, but it isn’t until Daredevil #170 (May 1981), during the lauded run on the title by writer/penciler Frank Miller, until we learn more backstory—that he has been in Japan with enough money to build a fortress with enough manpower to protect him and live a detached life from his former criminal past because of that promise to his wife. Wilson Fisk is now merely a “humble dealer of spices,” devoted to a life of peaceful commerce. But he still finds it important to pit himself against eight martial artists from the finest houses in combat as one of his “work-out” sessions. Though he easily defeats them in 17 seconds, one of them refers to him as the Kingpin, contrary to one of the standing orders of Fisk’s house. If it were not for the timely arrival of his

wife, he would have done more than simply dislocate his shoulder. Again, we see that Vanessa is the only safeguard that prevents Wilson from lapsing into his previous villainous ways, and we learn how important she is to his rehabilitation. On the heels of this workout, Vanessa brings with her a guest from the US Attorney General’s office. Fisk informs Vanessa that he has decided to turn over evidence that he had compiled against the entire East Coast underworld and that his guest is here to negotiate for that information. For the sum of $7,000,000 and a cleared name, Fisk agrees to betray his former lieutenants with that evidence. While this clearly bothers him, Vanessa is quick to point out they are criminals—and he is not. In that frame, the reader knows intuitively that is not the truth. The pauses in his dialogue indicate that he has clear difficulty with this action. To be an informer is the worst crime known to the criminal underworld, yet Fisk is willing to do so, despite the stigma this will undoubtedly cause because his wife has asked him to. She tells him that they must fly to

I’ve Got a Secret David Mazzucchelli’s cinematic layouts (electrified here by Christie Scheele’s colors) give weight to Miller’s unfolding drama in this crucial page from Daredevil #227’s (Feb. 1986) “Born Again” storyline. (bottom left) The issue’s cover. TM & © Marvel.

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New York to enlist the services of attorneys Foggy Nelson and Matt Murdock, though the Kingpin is reticent for his wife to fly with him. She cannot be jeopardized. There is no disputing the Kingpin’s love. However, because of his intrinsic criminal nature, that love will be inevitably corrupted. Sure enough, we see resentment building in the Kingpin’s right-hand man, Lynch, against Vanessa. He internally laments his employer’s past, remembering when he was free from her influence. He clearly wants Fisk to return to his ways. In this issue, we see Vanessa, along with two bodyguards, visit the office of Nelson and Murdock to retain their services. Before they can conclude their business, the office is suddenly rife with machine-gun fire in an attempt to assassinate Vanessa. Murdock intervenes in his guise as Daredevil, but Vanessa is taken. The police arrive to ask questions of the bodyguards who, despite their employer’s example, refuse to say anything. Now it is up to Daredevil to somehow rescue Vanessa, yet, as Matt Murdock, also safeguard the recovery of the files in order to prosecute the underworld bosses the Kingpin’s information could incriminate. Worse, the assassin Bullseye is now retained to kill the Kingpin. What is the Kingpin’s reaction to this? At the end of Daredevil #170, the Kingpin arrives in the US. He declares now that his wife is in danger, he will employ all of his old skills to bring down the empire that he built. If his wife is harmed in any way, there will be blood to pay. With Vanessa absent, he now is free to wreak havoc on the city he once ruled.

Putting the ‘Hell’ in Hell’s Kitchen (top) In Miller and Mazzucchelli’s Daredevil #228 (Mar. 1981), the Kingpin methodically plans and orchestrates (bottom) the breaking of DD by ruining the life of his alter ego, Matt Murdock. TM & © Marvel.

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The Kingpin is poised to forsake his promise to her to bring her back, despite the threat of Bullseye and the underworld bosses—he will trade his information for her safe return. She means everything to him. In issue #171, after Daredevil locates the files, the Kingpin and the Man without Fear face off against each other and Daredevil discovers what Spider-Man had already learned: that Fisk’s size does not forgo speed. The Kingpin decisively defeats Daredevil in hand-to-hand combat and he leaves with Lynch to trade the files for his wife at a construction site. He rigs an ultrasonic device in the briefcase. When opened, it activates and stuns everyone within the vicinity, except for the Kingpin who wore earplugs. Honoring his wife’s wishes not to kill, he spares the mobsters their lives, except for one who fires a mortar that brings down the half-constructed building around them… and on Vanessa. The shocked Kingpin is guided by Lynch back to his car, claiming he will have his revenge on his wife’s killers. However, Wilson Fisk has figured out that it was Lynch who killed Vanessa. Declaring that she was his “One moment of joy. His one brief instant of humanity,” the enraged Kingpin kills Lynch. Without Vanessa to hinder his plans, Fisk returns to being the unfettered force of criminality he once was. To honor her memory, the Kingpin would have spared Lynch instead of enacting his own selfish revenge. But the Kingpin can’t elevate himself beyond this, which begs the question: Did he truly love Vanessa in the first place?

THE NEW WAY OF THINKING IN ‘BORN AGAIN’

The Kingpin and Daredevil cross swords with each other multiple times after this first encounter. This leads up to writer Frank Miller and artist David Mazzucchelli’s 1986 “Born Again” arc in Daredevil #227–233, which shifts the villain’s status from Spider-Man’s Rogues’ Gallery to Daredevil’s arch-nemesis. While the story arc’s title is about Daredevil, the Kingpin is also born again as he is fully realized into the mastermind criminal genius readers are familiar with. With Spider-Man, the Kingpin’s schemes had always been limited in scope: a heist, a theft, or some sort of struggle for dominance. In Miller’s Daredevil, the Kingpin becomes more cerebral. His plans take more time to unfold and he becomes a “long-game” player. Nowhere is this more on view than in “Born Again,” where the Kingpin discovers Daredevil’s secret identity. He launches a smear campaign against Matt Murdock, eliminating Murdock’s social and financial assets and essentially erasing Daredevil as a threat, the types of criminality Kingpin is now known for. The idea of the Kingpin using legal loopholes against an adversary was not a practice of the more straightforward storytelling of Amazing Spider-Man stories of the 1960s and 1970s. By the 1980s, an awareness of dramatic legal topics in mainstream literature and movies (Kramer vs. Kramer; I, the Jury, etc.) opened up possibilities for Frank Miller’s more believable portrayal of Kingpin’s criminal mentality. Forget the laser canes, trick desk gadgets, or even the Kingpin’s vaunted super-strength in those ASM tales. Under Miller, Wilson Fisk’s greatest power becomes his ability to command legal warfare to crush his enemies. As “Born Again” begins in Daredevil #227 (Feb. 1986), Karen Page, Murdock and Nelson’s ex-secretary and Murdock’s former flame, has fallen on hard times. For the cost of a single score of heroin, she gives up Daredevil’s true identity of Matt Murdock. When this revelation reaches the Kingpin, he carefully tests the information before taking his revenge upon his new nemesis. Using the legal resources of his vast criminal empire, the calculating Kingpin destroys Murdock’s credit rating, freezes his financial assets, and through bribes and intimidation ruins his career with false accusations. Fisk isolates Murdock from his friends, and then destroys his home, at which time Matt becomes aware of the perpetrator of his woes. In this arc, we see a Kingpin who is content to let his enemy come to him. Murdock loses his purpose, and at last loses his hope. The Kingpin keeps him under close observation, regaling in the updates he is given by underlings when he learns that Murdock sits by and lets innocents suffer around him. He also predicts that after all that has been done to him, Murdock is on his way to face him. Weakened and demoralized, Murdock faces the Kingpin—who easily defeats him, much like the first time they met. Yet in this case, Fisk battles Murdock with the confidence of a chess player who knows his opponent is in the losing stage of an endgame. It is Matt Murdock he is facing, not Daredevil. The Kingpin takes his time crushing Murdock and relishes the victory. He pummels Murdock into unconsciousness, loads him into a taxi, and has the vehicle dumped into the Hudson River. The Kingpin’s methodical vengeance faces an unexpected turn in Daredevil #229 (Apr. 1986) when he discovers that there is no corpse in the wreckage of the cab. This, of course, is testament to Matt Murdock’s fighting spirit. Murdock is in dire need of something that the Kingpin could never attain: redemption. We know that Daredevil will never give up. But in this story arc, there is an emphasis on the increased sophistication of how the Kingpin thinks. Most of the “Born Again” arc is devoted

Scales of Justice Kingpin looms large in this 1987 limited edition Daredevil lithograph painted by Gray Morrow. Courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Marvel.

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to his ruminations and reflections, as the Kingpin strategizes more than he acts. The fight with Murdock barely lasts two pages, but the Kingpin’s machinations last for three issues—a more detailed thinking process than we have seen Fisk exhibit in past iterations. Despite his pondering, the Kingpin fails to realize that Daredevil’s death will not bring him satisfaction he craves. It is a goal that will gain him… nothing.

THE MODERN KINGPIN

Master of All He Surveys Original art by Mazzucchelli and inker Joe Rubinstein produced in 1986 for The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe vol. 2 #7. Courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Marvel.

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The Kingpin will always be unable to see past his own selfish ambitions. That is his Achilles Heel, and why he will always fail when battling a hero like Spider-Man or Daredevil. While the former thinks of others before himself in the realization that his “great power” gives him “great responsibility,” the latter believes in fighting for good and to never submit. In short, altruism will always defeat narcissism. Everything the Kingpin touches is corrupted by this sense of narcissism: his self-image, his family, and in the end, his schemes. Paul Jenkins’ Spectacular Spider-Man #21 (Jan. 2005) shows this to be true. In its light-hearted story titled “Read ’Em an’ Weep,” we see the Kingpin impose himself upon a “Texas Hold ’Em” charity poker game played by superheroes, including the Fantastic Four, Angel, the Black Cat, and Dr. Strange. The heroes are obviously surprised to see the Kingpin involved, and even more surprised at his proposal. Fisk promises to give them $50,000 each as seed money to buy into their game. He will also put up a pot of over $300,000 to play in a “winner-take-all” game that they can donate to their “grotty charities,” as he puts it. He, on the other hand, plans to buy a boat that he will christen Heroes’ Folly. The motivation? Simply for the satisfaction of beating them. To the Kingpin, he needs to show his superiority. He wants the chance to prove his superiority. To his credit, he actually beats every hero in the room at poker, until it comes down to him and Spider-Man, the adversary he respects the most. This is the moment the Kingpin wants: the chance to best the Web-Slinger by stating that this is part of the magnificent game that he loves, “where we bring your strength of character into question.” The cards are revealed. The Kingpin shows he has a full house, queens over nines, but Spider-Man shows he has four-ofa-kind: four nines. The Kingpin is defeated, not just at the table but is also shown up to be the narcissistic, petty criminal with no sense of character of his own. To him, strength is measured in what someone can achieve for oneself, not for others. Of course, this is why he’s a villain, and as Reed Richards says in this book: “I love being a hero.” Spider-Man bests the Kingpin at his own game, as he has always done so because Spider-Man has the capacity to think beyond his own needs. Though the trappings of the Kingpin—his wealth, strength, and vast resources—may increase, and his thinking and scheming may grow more detailed and meticulous, the Kingpin still devotes all of these attributes to his own needs. Simply put, evil is selfish and good is not. In the end, good will always overcome. This is the criminal Mastermind’s blind spot. That’s why— despite the opportunities to reform, the promises to his wife, and the chances to be there for his family— the Kingpin’s schemes will always fail to give him the satisfaction he demands. However, he will never fail to continue to delight and entertain generations of comic readers to come. JOHN KIRK is a librarian and English teacher with the Toronto District School Board in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, who incorporates comics and comics history into his classroom teaching.

TM & © Marvel.

Kingpin Cover Gallery

Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 65

The vast majority of comics readers, casual and hardcore fans alike, tend to think of supervillains like Doctor Octopus, the Chameleon, Sandman, or the various goblin-themed baddies when Spider-Man’s Rogues’ Gallery is discussed. Yet, organized crimelords have also wreaked havoc in the Wall-Crawler’s numerous adventures. Wilson Fisk is perhaps the most famous crimelord in SpiderMan’s diverse cast of foes. But there have been other gangsters who have given the so-called Kingpin of Crime (discussed elsewhere in this issue) a run for his money—coloring New York City’s streets red with the blood of their enemies and the innocent alike—in their attempts to take control of the underworld and destroy ol’ Webhead. Join us as we shine a spotlight on these wise guys and their plots, schemes, and crimes. Remember to dodge Hammerhead’s steel-alloy head before reading on. Otherwise, it’ll knock you unconscious.

SILVERMANE

Silvio “Silvermane” Manfredi made his debut in the late Silver Age, in Amazing Spider-Man #73 (Mar. 1969), and continued to cause trouble for Spidey in the Bronze Age and beyond. Silvermane and BACK ISSUE–era villains Hammerhead and Tombstone, discussed shortly, are heads of families comprising parts of the criminal syndicate called the Maggia. Manfredi was nicknamed “Silvermane” once his hair had completely whitened in his middle age. As he grew older, Silvermane became obsessed with regaining his youth. Spider-Man often got caught in Silvio’s quest and the mob boss’ attempts to bring crime families together and apart. The Lifeline Tablet, a.k.a. the Tablet of Life and Time, and its elixir’s formula were what Silvermane had sought to prevent his aging. The end result was a case of being careful what you wish for. Silvio Manfredi had regressed into infancy and eventual nothingness. Silvermane later revealed to the Man without Fear in Daredevil #123 (July 1975) that a “rubber band effect” from the chemicals brought him back to his proper age. Silvermane attempted to bring together crime families while forming an uneasy alliance with pseudo–Green Goblin Bart Hamilton to destroy the Wall-Crawler in ASM #177–180 (Feb.–May 1978). He also threatened J. Jonah Jameson into silence in Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #2. Yet, these are typical gangster tropes used in comics and other media. Silvio Manfredi was on life support when Cloak and Dagger apparently killed him in Spectacular Spider-Man #69 (Aug. 1982). The following issue revealed a resurrected Silvermane with a cybernetic body as he went on “The Great Cloak and Dagger Hunt,” with Spidey in pursuit. Like so many other bad guys, Silvermane was out for SpiderMan’s blood. This was not his only objective. The cybernetic gang leader needed this upgrade to get off life support in Web of Spider-Man #79–80, where he had been since a failed assassination attempt in ASM #284, the first chapter of “Gang War.” (More on that story shortly.) This was all part of Silvermane’s plan to return as head of his family. Had it not been for the help of the Black Cat, Spidey would have barely survived the ordeal with Silvio and his Silver Squad androids. Silvermane returned to wreak more havoc on Ol’ Webhead in 1995’s Spider-Man: Power of Terror miniseries. In this tale, which takes place during the controversial Clone Saga, the likes of Deathlok and the Punisher guest-star as Spider-Man must stop Silvermane from taking over Michael (Deathlok) Collins’ cyborg body. Presently, Silvermane remains active in the Maggia and, thus, is still trying to kill a certain Web-Slinger. His efforts have not been successful, but you can’t blame a cybernetic crimelord for trying. Upon examining Silvermane as a character, one can see his obsessions with youth and cheating death eventually cause his 66 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

by J a m e s

Heath Lantz

Harried by the Mob Hammerhead and his gang, muscling their way onto the John Romita, Sr.–drawn cover of Amazing Spider-Man #114 (Nov. 1972). TM & © Marvel.

Mighty Manfredi (top) The weary Silvermane, from his first appearance in ASM #73 (June 1969). Art by John Buscema and Jim Mooney. (middle) Silvermane is among the gauntlet of gruesomes appearing in Daredevil #123 (July 1975). Cover by Sal Buscema. (bottom left) Silvermane and the Green Goblin aren’t giving the Wall-Crawler a moment’s rest on this punchy Ross Andru/Mike Esposito cover to ASM #179 (Apr. 1978). (bottom right) They can rebuild him, they can make him stronger… Cybernetic Silvermane vs. Cloak and Dagger. Cover to Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #70 (Sept. 1982) by Ed Hannigan and Al Milgrom. TM & © Marvel.

defeats at the hands of Spider-Man. Silvio doesn’t see that preventing his own demise causes him to not see the flaws and effects of his quests for eternal life. He does succeed to some degree, but like Dr. Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein, his search for immortality is paid with the ultimate price—his own humanity.

HAMMERHEAD AND TOMBSTONE

Perhaps more than any Spider-Man scribe in the Bronze Age and beyond, Gerry Conway has most impacted Peter Parker’s life. Tales featuring the debuts of Man-Wolf and the Punisher, and battles with the Hulk and Luke Cage, barely begin to describe the mark Conway has made on Spidey. His stories in his initial Bronze Age run on The Amazing Spider-Man and his late 1980s return to the character in Spectacular Spider-Man and Web of Spider-Man offered fans web-slinging action mixed with colorful, interesting characters. Two of the latter were Maggia family leaders Hammerhead and Tombstone. While he is called Mister Smith in “Gang War” and Joseph Martello (Italian for “Hammer”) in Insomniac’s Spider-Man video game, the surname of the Al Capone–obsessed Joseph, a.k.a. Hammerhead, is presently considered by most sources to be unrevealed in main Marvel Comics continuity. Hammerhead, co-created by Gerry Conway and artist John Romita, Sr., premiered in ASM #113 (Oct. 1972). As longtime BACK ISSUE readers recall, Conway was influenced by the mobster the Big Man from the Stan Lee/ Steve Ditko ASM tales as well as by Dick Tracy villains. Joseph gained the name Hammerhead because of his uniquely shaped cranium, which contains a steel alloy surgically inserted by Dr. Jonas Harrow. In addition to making an enemy of Spider-Man, Hammerhead has feuded with longtime Spider-Foe Doctor Octopus. This isn’t the only Spidey baddie to cross paths with Joseph. Fellow Maggia gang leader Tombstone has both worked together with Hammerhead and against him. This leads one to believe that within the crimelord’s tough skull is a short fuse. One moment he is a friend, and the next he is a foe. This makes heroes and villains alike want to watch their back around Hammerhead. Otherwise, he’ll charge like a bull when least expected. In the mobster’s backstory, Hammerhead is a fan of gangsters of the Golden Age of Hollywood. His only memory before meeting Jonas Harrow was of the film The Al Capone Gang, as Joseph’s beaten body was discovered near a poster for the movie. His behavior even seems to mimic what is believed to be that of Capone. Hammerhead’s fanaticism might have shaped his personality before Harrow enhanced him. Like Silvermane, Hammerhead wishes to become head of New York’s underworld. This tends to leave him at odds with other crimelords including the Kingpin, the aforementioned Silvermane, the Rose, and the next mob boss we’ll discuss, Tombstone. Still, when Hammerhead strikes superheroes and his fellow wise guys, he’s a force to be reckoned with. Like Hammerhead, Tombstone was influenced by Lee and Ditko as well as by Dick Tracy. First seen in Conway and artist Alex Saviuk’s Web of Spider-Man #36 (Mar. 1986), albino African-American Alonzo “Lonnie” Lincoln has ties to an important member of Peter Parker’s supporting cast, thereby giving him slightly more depth than Hammerhead and Silvermane. According to Conway in an interview at Terrificon 2022, he, Alex Saviuk, and Sal Buscema had been working on the secondary Spider-Man books Web of Spider-Man and Spectacular Spider-Man. Stories in those titles couldn’t greatly affect Mary Jane Watson-Parker or Aunt May as the ones featured in Amazing Spider-Man Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 67

had at the time. Conway had wanted Tombstone to be connected to someone in Peter’s life, and the Daily Bugle’s Joe “Robbie” Robertson was chosen. Saviuk, in another Terrificon 2022 interview, stated that Conway’s initial description of the villain, combined with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s buzz cut from Commando, influenced Tombstone’s look—he’s one sharp-toothed baddie you do not want to mess with. Lonnie Lincoln and Robbie Robertson grew up in Harlem. Lonnie was teased because he was an albino. The only one who didn’t make fun of him was Robbie. Lonnie had mistaken Robbie’s acceptance of him for friendship in their youth. Lincoln earned the nickname “Tombstone” because of his chalk-white skin; his whispered, raspy voice; and his extortion and strongarm tactics used to bully his fellow students. Robertson, the school newspaper editor, wanted to write an article about Lonnie’s crimes until the Horror of Harlem, as he was sometimes called, assaulted him. Years passed before Robbie and Lonnie crossed paths in Philadelphia. Lonnie had once again intimidated his former classmate. This time, however,

Robbie’s failure to report the murder of an informant made him an accessory to the crime that Tombstone had committed. Tombstone would continue to haunt Robbie even when he moved to New York, where he would later see Lonnie Lincoln yet again. Lonnie made a name for himself as a mafia enforcer when Robbie was doing the same in the journalism profession. However, Lonnie used strength and fear to climb the underworld ladder. This is common practice in the organized crime world of Spider-Man’s part of the Marvel Universe, but Tombstone excelled in the tactics other crimelords used on their victims, wielding his albinism, muscles, and other means to terrorize. This perhaps makes him the more fearsome than the baddies mentioned earlier. There is a more repeatable reason for Tombstone’s being “cold as ice, hard as marble,” as WoSM #68 (Mar. 1992) puts it, in his villainy. Lonnie Lincoln had been bullied and discriminated by his peers for his diversity. He sought refuge in making himself strong, and the hatred he received became the fuel for his extortion in school and later his career as an enforcer

Make Way for Hammerhead! (left) The thick-skulled scalawag barrels over Spidey and Doc Ock on the cover of ASM #159 (Aug. 1976). Cover art by Andru and Giacoia, with Romita alterations. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com). (above) Dick Tracy rogue Flattop influenced the creation of Hammerhead. Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus, and Hammerhead TM & © Marvel. Dick Tracy and Flattop © King Features Syndicate, Inc.

68 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Tombstone… but were afraid to ask is revealed in (top left) PPTSS #139 (June 1988). Cover by Sal Buscema. TM & © Marvel.

Son of the Kingpin (top right) The Schemer’s true identity was unrevealed when the costumed mob boss made his bow on Romita’s cover to ASM #83 (Aug. 1970), but (left) two issues later, he unmasks to disclose that he’s Richard Fisk. TM & © Marvel.

to be Richard Fisk, son of Wilson “Kingpin” and Vanessa Fisk. Richard idolized his father until he discovered Wilson was the Kingpin. Having disappeared from his private school, Richard was believed to be dead. and a crime boss. These feelings also led to Tombstone’s physical In truth, he was creating the Schemer persona to humiliate and bring and mental abuse of Robbie Roberts including PPTSS #139 (June down Wilson. Learning the Schemer’s true identity sent Wilson Fisk into a catatonic shock. However, both Wilson and Richard would 1988), where Robbie’s back was broken by the Horror of continued to give a certain Webhead grief after the son’s Harlem. Subsequent issues saw the apprehension Robbie change of heart helped him seek a cure for his father. felt when thinking of or being confronted by Lincoln, The younger Fisk later returned in another guise to and while Robbie does overcome the terror within prove that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. himself, Lonnie had proved himself to be like his In the aftermath of Secret Wars, came Spider-Man’s nickname throughout his appearances in both alien symbiote black costume and some battles with Spider-Man and Robbie Robertson’s lives. new villains, along with some of the classic foes. Tombstone continues to do so today in Among those baddies, the Rose, a violet-masked, post–Bronze Age comics in the current Amazing bespectacled crimelord, first appeared in ASM #253 Spider-Man series. (June 1984), written by Tom DeFalco and penciled by Rick Leonardi. The Rose, with the aid of henchmen THE SCHEMER AND THE ROSE Johnston and Varley, managed crooked betting on When Bronze Age dawned on Peter Parker and his professional football games in New York when he web-slinging alter ego, readers were introduced to met Spider-Man. During their first encounter, the tom defalco the Schemer, a villain with a grudge against the Rose stated that he refuses to partake in physical Kingpin. The Schemer first began his vendetta in Hildy DeFalco. combat. He employs people to do that for him. ASM #83 (Apr. 1970), which started a three-part Tom DeFalco elaborates on this when discussing the Rose’s story arc by writer Stan Lee, penciler John Romita, Sr., and inker creation with BACK ISSUE. “I had a notebook full of ideas for the Mike Esposito (under the pseudonym Mickey Demeo). What starts out as a typical power play influenced by gangster Rose,” DeFalco recalls. “I saw him as a middle-management crime films and literature, turns into rivalry right up there with Greek and boss who kept his hands clean, never did any dirty work, and rarely, Shakespearean tragedies when the Schemer is revealed in issue #85 if ever, confronted law enforcement or heroes like Spidey.” Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 69

Now, Here’s a Bloomin’ Bad Guy (left) The Rose debuts in ASM #253 (June 1984). Cover by Rick Leonardi. (right) The Rose’s secrets are divulged in Web of Spider-Man #30 (Sept. 1987). Cover by Steve Geiger. TM & © Marvel.

The person behind the Rose’s violet mask was revealed to be Richard Fisk, in writer Christopher Priest and penciler Alan Kupperberg’s ASM #286 (Mar. 1987). Six months later, Priest, with penciler Steve Geiger, revealed the origin of the character in WoSM #30 (Sept. 1987). Wilson Fisk learned of the Rose’s identity and vowed to destroy him in ASM #287. However, that was briefly put aside when Richard was permitted to see his mother Vanessa before she was secretly taken to Europe. Richard did eventually have to swallow his pride and work for the Kingpin in the final story page of WoSM #30. Established readers of both BACK ISSUE and the Spider-Man titles will recall the mystery and controversy of the identity of the Hobgoblin [explored in depth in this magazine way back in BI #35—ed.]; Hobgoblin’s identity was changed during creative and editorial shifts at Marvel. DeFalco informs BACK ISSUE who he originally wanted to be the Rose before his exit from writing Peter Parker’s comics. “I thought the Amazing #286 and Web #30 story got everything backward. I wanted Roderick Kingsley to be the Rose and Fisk to be the Hobgoblin, but that’s the biz.” Richard Fisk, as both the Schemer and the Rose, wanted to destroy the Kingpin and his empire. Yet, his means of doing so, as his girlfriend Dina points out, make Richard himself as much of a criminal as Wilson. The junior Fisk’s obsession to bring down his father doesn’t blind him to this fact, but Richard has already forged his path to his goals. If it means he becomes a bad guy when allying himself with the Hobgoblin and other evildoers, so be it. His objective was for the Kingpin and his organization to crumble by any means necessary, as he proves in WoSM #84–89 and #97–100. Unsatisfied with how his father treated him and concerned with his mental state, Richard forged an alliance with a new Rose and created a new anti-hero persona called the Blood Rose. Blood Rose killed members of Wilson Fisk’s organization while his friend Alfredo Morelli posed as Richard to become the new Kingpin after the events of Daredevil #300 (Jan. 1992). This showed Richard was willing to do anything to destroy his father’s empire. The Fisks would continue to be at odds with one another at various points in Marvel and Spider-Man comics throughout post– BACK ISSUE era, proving the conflict between fathers and sons normally seen in the aforementioned Greek and Shakespearean tragedies can transcend the four-color medium of comic books. 70 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

GANGLORDS VS. SUPERVILLAINS

While they may share a desire to destroy Spider-Man, crimelords like Silvermane, Hammerhead, Tombstone, and the Rose have different goals from more traditional supervillains like Doctor Octopus, Kraven the Hunter, Mysterio, and the Green Goblin. Their objectives are more basic, as Tom DeFalco tells BACK ISSUE. “Someone like the Rose initiated action and confrontations,” DeFalco opines, “but never actively participated in them. Crime villains like Hammerhead and the Maggia participated in the confrontations, but they usually had a simple goal in mind—the acquisition of money. Supervillains like Doctor Octopus, Vulture, and the various Goblins seemed more interested into the acquisition of power or revenge—than mere money.” Spectacular Spider-Man writer J. M. DeMatteis expands on DeFalco’s assessment of crimelords in Spidey’s universe. “The crime bosses are more street-level,” says DeMatteis. “So using them opens the door on another style of Spidey story, one rooted in the classic gangster genre, while the supervillains raise the battle up to another plane entirely, more melodramatic, much bigger. That said, these crime boss characters are as exaggerated and larger than life as the supervillains, just tilted in a slightly different direction. But, in the end—whether it’s a crime boss or supervillain—you need interesting, multi-layered characters and strong plots for your Spider-Man story to succeed. And you need Peter Parker in the middle, making important choices, learning and growing.” Perhaps the story that focused the most on how gang leaders differ from supervillains was the story arc “Gang War” in ASM #284– 288 (Jan.–May 1987). Sure, it also showed the similarities, such as innocent lives being lost and/or placed in peril. Yet, their diversity to a bad guy like the Scorpion showed in this serial as well. This was especially true of the fact that they want to take Kingpin’s place. The Jackal and Doctor Octopus, for example, would find such a thing trivial as many of their plans tended to be on a grander scale. With Kingpin missing after the events of 1986’s Daredevil #226–233, other bosses like Wilson Fisk’s right-hand man the Arranger, Hammerhead, Silvermane, and the Rose used extreme violence in their bids to rule the city’s organized crime. In “Gang War,” Spider-Man was run ragged trying to make sure certain people caught in the crossfire were safe. Daredevil and the Falcon wanted

to do the same for Kingpin, for as Matt (Daredevil) Murdock himself stated, New York was safer with Fisk than it was without him. For this reason, Daredevil was disguised as Fisk. The real Kingpin was smuggled in by the Arranger and also learned who the Rose truly is, resulting in Richard’s plans going awry. The first two chapters of “Gang War” were plotted by Tom DeFalco, with scripts and remaining issues written by Christopher Priest. The overall serial was classic 1980s action, but the change in direction stands out considerably when examining both DeFalco and Priest’s respective styles of storytelling. “I never read the final chapters of ‘Gang War,’” DeFalco says, “but I did hear about Daredevil wearing a fat suit to impersonate the Kingpin. Let’s just say that Christopher Priest had different visions for the characters.” DeFalco, DeMatteis, and other creators involved in Spider-Man comic titles have all tapped tap into what organized crimelords like the bad guys studied in these pages have in common with the rest of SpiderMan’s Rogues’ Gallery while also looking at their differences. They delved deep into their thoughts and obsessions, giving readers with villains who want to take over the New York underworld while making SpiderMan’s life more complicated than it already is. You can check out all of their gangland antics and attempts to squash a spider on paper at your local comic shop or digitally through outlets like Comixology.

Dedicated to my beautiful and incredible wife Laura, whose love makes me climb the highest walls ever created; Jadis, Pupino, Odino, and our four-legged feline and canine Maggia, who rule our entire family with iron paws; my nephew Kento, who brought about the true downfall of Tombstone; and Tom DeFalco, J. M. DeMatteis, the late Stan Lee, and all the creators who brought Spider-Man’s battles against organized crime to the comic-book pages. May Aunt May always serve you wheat cakes. JAMES HEATH LANTZ is a freelance writer whose stories, essays, and reviews can be found online and in print at Sequart.org, Superman Homepage, his blog and such publications as his self-published Trilogy of Tales and PS Artbooks’ Roy Thomas Presents Sheena vol. 3. James currently lives in Italy with his wife Laura and their family of cats, dogs and humans from Italy, Japan, and the United States.

Who Will Be the New Kingpin? (above) An alternate version of the Ron Frenz/Joe Rubinstein cover for ASM #284 (Jan. 1987), launching the “Gang War” storyline. Courtesy of Heritage. (above left) The published version. TM & © Marvel.

Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 71

The Silver Age bestowed upon us classic Spider-Man rogues, and the 1980s continued this proud tradition: giving us Hobgoblin, Venom, and Puma!

INTRODUCING… PUMA

Peter Parker—Spider-Man—had always been a favorite, but the early ’80s saw a resurgence in popularity. Interest rose to a frenzy with Roger Stern’s mystery of the identity of the Hobgoblin, then—amazingly— soared even higher with the debut of Spidey’s new, all-black costume [Amazing Spider-Man #252, May 1984]. Incoming scripter Tom DeFalco had a tough act to follow. DeFalco hit the ground running. He scripted ASM #252 (over Stern’s plot), introduced crimson-cowled crime boss the Rose in ASM #253, and suave jewel-thief Black Fox in ASM #255. However, the following issue featured this author’s favorite DeFalco contribution to the Spider-Man mythos. After Spider-Man proves himself to be a thorn in the Rose’s side, the mauve-masked malefactor hires a professional assassin to deal with the Web-Slinger in Amazing Spider-Man #256 (Sept. 1984). Thus we are introduced to… Puma! And what a dramatic introduction, gorgeously penciled by Ron Frenz! We watch a man-like figure race across the uneven ground of the New Mexico desert. “With physical senses which have been heightened to superhuman levels, he follows a spoor that would be totally invisible to most human trackers!” The man-cat then hurls himself into affray with three rogue mountain lions. “He attacks swiftly… with a strength which staggers the mind… and a savagery beyond that of any wild animal!” Six minutes later, Puma muses that that wasn’t a bad workout. He sits, concentrates, and transforms back to Thomas Fireheart, CEO of Fireheart Enterprises—located in Heartsdale, New Mexico. Receiving the Rose’s message, Fireheart flies to New York. The two meet as old colleagues, with Fireheart telling the Rose, “The work you offer is usually so… challenging.” (So we know this is not his first rodeo.) Fireheart asks the Rose for something which Spider-Man has recently handled, and the Rose complies. Fireheart transforms into Puma and leaps to the Manhattan rooftops. He identifies Spider-Man’s spoor, sits, concentrates, and finds one scent in a city of millions! Puma tracks Spider-Man and spies the Web-Slinger swinging through the city. Puma throws a pipe at Spidey with such speed that Spidey has no time to react. The Wall-Crawler feels his spider-sense tingling, but barely dodges—losing his web-line and wrenching his arm out of its socket as he stops his fall. Spidey collapses from the pain as Puma advances… To be continued! The illustrious Tom DeFalco was asked if he and Ron Frenz had as much fun creating these stories as we had reading them. “Ron and I were having a ball, but we also worked our butts off,” he beams to BACK ISSUE. “We kept trying to make each new issue even better than the last one. We aimed to improve our skills and entertain our readers to the best of our abilities—goals which we still have today.” It is immediately evident that Thomas Fireheart is a stone-cold killer. An assassin-for-hire who accepts assignments for the challenge. But he’s also a Native-American millionaire entrepreneur—a Tony Stark of the Southwest. He’s measured, level-headed, and dangerously sane. DeFalco was asked if this was a conscious choice to distinguish him from other “wild” characters: “Absolutely! Ever since Wolverine appeared on the scene, people have been copying him to absurdity. Almost every company and creator has a Wolvie clone. We wanted Puma to be different and stand out in contrast to all those fake Wolvies.” Another point of distinction is that Fireheart is Native American. “Ron and I were often thinking of diversity back in those days—long before it became the cause of the week,” explains DeFalco. “I was also a big fan of the Tony Hillerman books.” [Editor’s note: Crime novelist Tony Hillerman (1925–2008) was the author of a series of detective novels featuring Navajo cops Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee.] 72 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

Jarrod Buttery

Cat Scratch Fever Watch out, Web-Slinger! A new supervillain is on the prowl! Puma premieres in The Amazing Spider-Man #256 (Sept. 1984). Cover by Ron Frenz and Joe Rubinstein. TM & © Marvel.

BEWARE THE CLAWS OF PUMA

ASM #257 (Oct. 1984) opens with Puma about to kill an unconscious Spider-Man. Claws raised—the killing blow seconds away—Puma is stymied by the arrival of the Black Cat! At this point in time, Felicia Hardy had received a power upgrade—including “bad luck” powers— from the Kingpin (a fact she has kept hidden from Spidey). Puma’s heightened senses detect a mysterious aura surrounding Spidey’s lover, but he cannot counteract a sudden run of bad luck. He misjudges a leap. When he grabs a pipe to stop himself, the pipe breaks and then the roof gives way beneath him! Meanwhile, Spidey regains consciousness, but is in no condition to fight. He and Black Cat decide that discretion is the better part of valor. Puma follows, but considers that Black Cat is the more dangerous of the two and, after all, he’s only being paid to kill Spider-Man—why kill the Cat for free? Round Two can wait. Side note: Speaking of Spidey’s new, all-black costume, all he (and we) knows is that he obtained it on an alien world during the Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars maxiseries. At this point in the storyline, Spidey still thinks the costume is simply some form of advanced alien material that responds to his thoughts… [Editor’s note: Spidey should read BACK ISSUE #12 for the full story of his venomous costume “upgrade”—and you should, too, if you haven’t already!] Round Two: Puma tracks Spider-Man to his apartment and waits on a nearby rooftop for the Black Cat to leave. Completely coincidentally, as the Cat leaves, Mary Jane Watson pays Peter a visit. Puma advances from outside, and Peter’s spider-sense goes wild. He shoves Mary Jane out of his apartment and jams the door just as Puma bursts through the window. Peter’s black costume leaps across the room and moulds itself around Peter’s body. In the hallway, Mary Jane can hear crashing and tries to break back in to the apartment. As Puma’s claws rake Spidey’s back, Puma stops, startled: “Your costume...! Can the evidence of my heightened senses be true? No! It… it just isn’t possible!” Spider-Man takes the fight out the window—away from his apartment—and they end up in a nearby high-rise gym. When Spidey uses his webbing, an astonished Puma exclaims, “Wait! Can

‘A Native-American Tony Stark’ Tom DeFalco’s character profile for Thomas Fireheart, a.k.a. Puma. Courtesy of Ron Frenz. my heightened senses be telling me the truth? I had always assumed that Spider-Man’s webbing was something artificial—a man-made substance—but now, after touching it, I realize I was wrong! It’s ‘organic!” This catches even the usually unflappable Spidey by surprise: “‘Organic?’ Are you sure?” Enraged, Puma bellows, “Stop trying to play me for a fool, Spider-Man! You must know what your webbing is composed of!” He hurls some gym equipment at Spidey, which crashes through a window. Desperate to save pedestrians below, Spidey catches the equipment with his webbing, but he falls and is stunned. Puma decides it would be unworthy to attack an injured adversary and departs. Meanwhile, the Kingpin has been informed of the unsanctioned hit on Spider-Man, and tells the Rose: “I do not wish to have Spider-Man killed… at this time. I trust my position is clear.” The Rose immediately cancels Puma’s contract. Spidey changes into civvies and returns to his apartment—to be met by a distraught Mary Jane. Peter attempts to explain the earlier crashing but Mary Jane interrupts him by admitting she knows that he’s Spider-Man. It’s difficult to convey just how much of a bombshell this issue was. When was the last time you were genuinely surprised by a comic? And this issue had two major surprises! Not only was it an action-packed story with a new antagonist whom our hero could barely battle to a standoff… not only were our suspicions confirmed about the alien costume… but we also discover that Mary Jane knows Peter’s secret. (And we haven’t even mentioned the return of the Hobgoblin.) With Puma providing the missing piece of the puzzle regarding the black costume, DeFalco was asked if this was pre-planned. Was Puma created for this purpose? “Our original goal with Puma was to Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 73

Puma Permutations Courtesy of Amazing Spider-Man artist Ron Frenz, early character sketches for the new Spider-Rogue, including Rich Yanizeski’s original Puma costume design. Puma TM & © Marvel.

ron frenz

create a character who could move faster than Spidey—and had the ability to defeat Spidey’s greatest weapon—his spider-sense. Spidey could sense where Puma was going to attack, but wasn’t fast enough to avoid the attack. The bit about using Puma’s enhanced senses to detect that Spidey’s webbing was organic was probably just ad lib. I don’t remember if Ron and I even discussed it!” The illustrative Ron Frenz generously provided DeFalco’s original notes, and several early character designs, for Puma—noting that he tapped the talents of Rich Yanizeski for designing Puma’s original costume. “Mr. Yanizeski and I went to art school together before both doing work for Marvel,” Frenz explains, “and I always appreciated his design sense which—most importantly—was different from mine. I recognized early on in my career that Rich could be my secret weapon in keeping ‘my’ characters from looking the same year after year. Luckily, he seems to enjoy helping and is reasonably priced!” The sketches demonstrate a fascinating evolution. Frenz was asked if he discussed these with DeFalco: “There was definitely a back and forth with DeFalco on Puma—more with his actual form than just his costume. As you can see, I started out with a costumed human and Tom was picturing the ‘were-cougar’ of his description.”

TO CHALLENGE THE BEYONDER!

In the aforementioned Secret Wars maxiseries, many of Earth’s heroes and villains were transported to an alien world by an omnipotent being called the Beyonder. In Secret Wars II, the Beyonder journeys to Earth. 74 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

During Puma’s debut, he briefly muses that his uncle would have a fit: “If he ever learned that his beloved tribal guardian was also an assassin for hire.” ASM #272 (Jan. 1986) introduces us to Uncle Joseph Threetrees as he tells his nephew that the ancient prophecies have come true and a mad god now walks the earth. The shaman implores Fireheart to seek the assistance of Spider-Man—which he does in ASM #273. Fireheart flies to New York, lets himself into Peter’s apartment, and makes himself a coffee. When Peter returns home, Fireheart identifies himself as Puma and announces his intention to kill the Beyonder—and he will pay Peter for his help. Although Peter hates the idea, he can’t let Fireheart face the Beyonder alone, and so they change into their “work” clothes. Puma here sports his new costume. Originally primarily blue with fur accents, now it is primarily red. Frenz previously explained: “I wanted to avoid confusion over what was part of Puma’s body fur and what wasn’t. When the original costume was colored the shoulder costume fur was too close to the color of his actual fur so I took it out and streamlined the costume. Also, I thought warmer colors would be more appropriate for the character moving forward. The belt was meant to suggest ancient Native-American designs.” The story continues into Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #111 (Feb. 1986), by writer Jim Owsley (Christopher Priest) and artist Rich Buckler. The Beyonder has now decided that his purpose is to help others achieve their roles in the scheme of things. However, the Puma is the appointed protector of his tribe, and the Beyonder is the greatest threat to that tribe. Therefore, the Beyonder’s role is to facilitate Puma’s role to kill the Beyonder!

Clothes Make the Man-Cat (top left) Puma no longer crouched in the shadows during his second outing, in ASM #257 (Oct. 1984). (top right) A new costume for Puma, plus a Secret Wars II tie-in with guest-star the Beyonder, in ASM #273 (Feb. 1986). Both covers by Frenz and Rubinstein. (bottom) Puma in action on this superb original art page (by Sal Buscema, over a Gerry Conway script) from Spectacular Spider-Man #172 (Jan. 1991). Courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com). TM & © Marvel.

The universe aligns harmoniously. Puma becomes cosmically empowered and is now the one being able to end the Beyonder. However, Spider-Man lays the seed of doubt—is it real or just manipulation? Puma falls out of harmony with the universe and the moment is lost. In BACK ISSUE #82 (Aug. 2015), DeFalco stated, “When Ron Frenz and I first created Puma, we built his backstory around the idea that he (and his ancestors) had been created to protect his people from some great menace from beyond. I explained the idea to Jim Owsley and he crafted his own story around it.” Asked if he would’ve liked to have continued the story himself, DeFalco chuckles, “I’m sure I would have loved to write every Spidey comic in those days, but I needed to sleep every once in a while!” Clearly the Beyonder qualifies as “some great menace from beyond.” Was this planned? “The Beyonder was totally serendipitous,” admits DeFalco, “but it sure looked like we planned for him. Sometimes stories just fall into your lap. Ron and I have always tried to see every crossover or editorial directive as a creative challenge and a chance to tell a new and exciting story.” Puma is described as “A product of generations of careful, deliberate breeding—a complex anomaly, made up of genetic sciences and dark tribal magics.” In a time when the X-books were riding high, Puma is refreshingly not a mutant! “Ron and I believe that we’re paid to create new ideas, and explore different concepts not just recycle the old ones,” smiles DeFalco. Peter and Mary Jane famously married in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 (1987). Soon after, Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #7 presented “The Honeymoon” by Owsley and artist Alan Kupperberg. Therein, Puma’s uncle is displeased. Puma has failed to thank Spider-Man for his assistance against the Beyonder. A debt of honor must be repaid. Thomas Fireheart subsequently approaches Peter (whilst on honeymoon) and offers him a job—but there’s a catch…

TO BUY THE BUGLE

Two years later, in Web of Spider-Man #50 (May 1989), the Daily Bugle prints photographs accusing Spider-Man of being a thief. Incensed that he was indebted to a common criminal, Puma attempts to bring Spidey down. When the truth is revealed (Spoiler: Spidey is not a crook), Puma finds himself under another debt of honor. Fireheart’s solution is to buy the Daily Bugle, in PPTSS #156 (Nov. 1989), and turn it into a pro-Spidey newspaper. At this time, Gerry Conway was writing both Spectacular Spider-Man and Web of Spider-Man, and Thomas Fireheart became a supporting character for the next 18 months. Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 75

“I liked Puma,” recalls Conway. “First of all I liked the name, I loved the costume. Part of my remit—maybe self-imposed—was to develop stories for Spectacular and Web that featured the secondary supporting cast. Which were the people below Aunt May and Mary Jane and, say, J. Jonah Jameson. Doing a story that put characters like ordinary working people at the Bugle into a threat situation. Y’know, people like Joe Robertson and Glory Grant. And Puma was kind of part of that. Because he was not a top-level Spider-Man villain or hero, I could use him in the book in fuller development than I would be able to do with a more-established, or A-list, character.” The relationship is strained. Puma is not above helping Spidey when innocents are threatened by the Hobgoblin [PPTSS #161, Feb. 1990], but will shed no tears if Spidey is killed in action. Fireheart sends Peter to England on a Bugle assignment to follow two criminals [PPTSS #166, July 1990], but muses that his debt would be paid if Peter dies in London. A showdown arrives in PPTSS #171–172 (Dec. 1990–Jan. 1991). Spidey demands that they finish things once and for all. The two travel to the reservation of Puma’s uncle for their final battle. The fight is brutal, but Spidey gains the advantage and—of course—

Stray Cat Puma goes solo! From Marvel Comics Presents #44 (Feb. 1990), the opening page of the Puma tale. By Dan Mishkin, Gavin Curtis, and Bob Wiacek. TM & © Marvel.

76 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

refuses to kill Puma. Spidey convinces Puma that there is no honor in dying—only in living for the people who depend on them. They part not as enemies, but neither as friends. These were Conway’s final issues, and BI asked him if this wrap-up was planned: “I think so. I think I was pretty much aware that at that point I was going on into television writing, and I had less and less time to work in comics. So, I wanted it to be a fairly neat ending rather than some of my stories… the storylines where I’d left in the middle of things, and other writers had to clean up my mess.”

SOLO SPOTLIGHT

Puma received a solo outing in Marvel Comics Presents #44 (Feb. 1990), written by Dan Mishkin. Primarily writing for DC (co-creating Amethyst and Blue Devil), Mishkin wrote several stories for Marvel: “When the Puma story came out, I was finally doing what I should have done several years earlier when my work at DC was hot,” Mishkin tells BACK ISSUE. “By the time I realized the assignments would not always come at DC, and I ought to establish relationships at Marvel, it was a lot harder to do so. “I think that of the Marvel stories I did, I liked this Puma story the least. It’s not like I dislike the Puma story, but it just kind of sits there. And in retrospect, I’m not at all happy with giving him a warmed-over Spider-Man (or Blue Devil) speech pattern. I think, though, that I was hoping this would open an opportunity to do more with Puma because what interests me about him is that he ought to fit squarely in the category of the folkloric trickster character—a being with great power to shape the world around him—but who is anarchic and for whom destruction is just as good as creation.” Upon the Sacred Ground of his tribe, Puma encounters a spirit with reality-warping powers—who hits a nerve when he accuses Puma of embracing the material world rather than believing in the tribal religion that he claims to defend. “Rereading the story, I can see how it would have been easier to accomplish my goal if I’d written it after tech companies took over the world,” Mishkin says. “Making Fireheart an Elon Musk type instead of a down-the-middle driven businessman would have made him more like a trickster character from the get-go. A character arc where he might still resist what he thinks of as mystical mumbo-jumbo but comes to see that he’s personified the trickster all along could be very entertaining.” Puma has appeared intermittently since. His animal side took over and he was shot by police [PPTSS #193, Oct. 1992] but was restored to health by the woman known as Nocturne [PPTSS #218, Nov. 1994]. A miniseries advertised in 1994 never eventuated when penciler Sal Buscema withdrew and writer J. M. DeMatteis became busy with Amazing Spider-Man. Puma later has a relationship with Black Cat [Sensational Spider-Man #26, July 2006]. Tom DeFalco revisited Puma, as Fireheart recalled his failures, in Spider-Man Unlimited #15 (Feb. 1997). “I wanted to do a story about someone who was looking back on his life and not enjoying the view—someone who is convinced his best days are behind him and that he never lived up to his full potential. It’s a reckoning many of us eventually have to face. “I will always have a soft spot for Puma and all the other characters that I co-created with Ron Frenz and all the other amazing artists that it has been my privilege to work with,” DeFalco asserts. Frenz adds: “I loved the character, and would’ve enjoyed doing more with him, but our departure from the title was not our decision.” The author would like to express his sincere gratitude to Gerry Conway, Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz, and Dan Mishkin for their generous help. JARROD BUTTERY lives in Western Australia. During his day-job as an industrial chemist he wears steelcapped boots, and on stage he is often found in blue suede shoes. However, whilst writing articles for BACK ISSUE, his footwear trends towards Puma.

LOVES THOSE MARVEL ‘OUTCASTS’

Send your comments to: Email: euryman@gmail.com (subject: BACK ISSUE) Postal mail: Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief • BACK ISSUE 112 Fairmount Way • New Bern, NC 28562

Find BACK ISSUE on

Thanks for BACK ISSUE #139. It’s my perfect teen-fan issue. The first comic I bought with my own money was Marvel Premiere #44 with Jack of Hearts. I then raced back to find that they still had #43 with Paladin. It set me on a collecting course, and I next tracked down #31 with Woodgod. This trifecta made “my” Marvel the outcasts, including Stingray, Quasar, Union Jack, Shroud, Modred, and all the others of that ilk, most of which are in this issue which gave me a jolt of happiness. Thanks for that. – Steven Seagle You’re welcome, old chum! And thank you for writing some of our favorite comic books—including Sandman Mystery Theatre, which BI will be covering in issue #151.

ESSENTIAL READING CAPRICORN ONE?

BACK ISSUE #139 astonishingly reveals just how deep Marvel’s back-bench was during the Bronze Age. DC had their own “Not Ready For Primetime Heroes” such as Ragman and Shade the Changing Man, but the difference was that DC initially developed them with the intent that they would become successful A-List characters, whereas Marvel had such a rich creative tapestry, they were fully satisfied with developing new heroes who would at best only have a future as guest-stars in the books of others. But you know, it might have been fun to see a rotating list of such heroes as Jack of Hearts, the Torpedo, the Shade, Thundra, and others coming and going through the pages of Marvel’s non-team, the Defenders. It would seem to have been the most logical place to use them. There’s one obscure Bronze Age hero I’d loved to learn more of. When nine-year-old me gleefully got the 1976 Marvel Bicentennial Calendar, I was fascinated to learn of Capricorn, the winning character in a fan contest to create a new Marvel hero. Was Capricorn ever used anywhere since? He would seem a natural team-up with Woodgod! All in all, another superlative issue, Mr. Eury! – Gene Popa On behalf of our wonderful writers and dynamite designers, we all appreciate your comments about BI #139, Gene. Re Capricorn (shown to the right, in a scan from the 1976 Marvel Bicentennial Calendar): There was a Life-Model Decoy named Capricorn that appeared with Zodiac in Bronze Age Defenders issues, and the character name has been used elsewhere in Marvel stories. An editorial call-out to BI’s writers: If anyone is interested in writing a history of Capricorn, from this fan-created original through the other iterations of the character, let ye ed know.

The sheer joy of BACK ISSUE is that you can go from an issue where you haven’t read a single panel of the comics they feature (#138, Classic Heroes in the Bronze Age) but still find it fascinating, to an edition where you drool over every page, with it being pretty much a scrapbook of your formative era as a comic-book reader. Issue #139’s Not-Ready-For-Primetime Marvel Heroes was essential reading. The cover stars would make for a fantastic team book in itself. I would happily write The B-Team, with Stingray, Thundra, Doc Samson, Jack of Hearts, and Union Jack. The benefit of heroes who never quite made it is that they have less of a history to mine, and that gives BI the space to feature a larger number of articles. I have always gravitated towards those B-list heroes and it was great to finally have the spotlight on them. Roy Thomas was certainly busy creating characters in the 1970s, and he was responsible for the first four heroes in BI #139 (not to mention Union Jack later in the issue). Nighthawk and Doc Samson were firm favorites of mine. I have fond memories of reading about them in the UK weeklies Rampage and Mighty World of Marvel, respectively. Stingray was a frustratingly reluctant hero with a striking costume. He made every cover he appeared on pop out of the newsstand, but unfortunately they were few and far between. It was a shame that Walter Newell [Stingray’s alter ego—ed.] resisted being a full-time hero in preference to being a scientist, and writers never really developed him beyond that noble profession. It would have been great to see him as a full-time Avenger. The tantalizing theme of BI #139 featured heroes that made you want more, and that was certainly the case with Stingray. Excellent article by Dan Tandarich. I met my other favorite Thomas creation, Thundra, in the pages of the UK’s Super Spider-Man and Captain Britain, whilst the first issue TM & © Marvel. of The Complete Fantastic Four featured a reprint of FF #133, with Thundra’s memorable clash with the Thing. In 2022 you can wince at the problematic origins of a character like Thundra, Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 77

and the clumsy attempt at representing/satirizing the Women’s Lib movement, but as a ten-year-old I loved the Femizonian. I enjoyed big, huge superhero slugfests, and I followed her obsession with Ben Grimm through subsequent Complete Fantastic Four issues and, graduating onto American comic books, Marvel Two-in-One (where she was illustrated by legends Byrne and Pérez). She was the Avenger that never was, but at least she finally joined an alternate reality version in Kurt Busiek’s Avengers Forever. Excellent history of her by Ed Catto. Matching Mr. Thomas’ domination of BI #139 was Bill Mantlo, who created Modred, Woodgod, and the superb Jack of Hearts. I remember my dad bringing me Iron Man #103 while I was in hospital, and my eye was immediately drawn to the gaudy but brilliant costume of Jack on the cover. It would be decades before I got the chance to read his first appearances in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu. Sadly, a Marvel Premiere appearance failed to thrust Jack onto the spotlight, despite being one of the most memorable issues of the title. Andy Mangels’ article was pure, warm nostalgia. Elsewhere, I devoured Michael Eury’s fascinating article on Wundarr, with Steve Gerber’s playful twist on the Superman origin. Marvel’s version of the “Distinguished Competition’s” headline character never flew, if you pardon the pun, and after he was forced to change Wundarr’s similarity to the Kryptonian, Gerber lost interest in the character. It’s worth noting the “Project Pegasus Saga” in Marvel Two-in-One rejuvenated both Wundarr and Thundra. In fact, Marvel Two-in-One featured a few of the heroes featured in BI #139, teaming with the Thing: Modred (MTIO #33), Nighthawk (#34), Jack of Hearts (#48), Thundra (#56), Wundarr/Aquarian (#57–58), and Stingray (#64); whilst Marvel Team-Up featured the following characters teaming with Spider-Man: Woodgod (MTU #53), the Shroud (#94), Doc Samson (#102), Paladin (#108), Starfox (#143), and, ironically, the original NotReady-For Prime-Time Players (#74). Insert plug for Mr. Eury’s excellent Team-Up Companion book here. [Thank you!—ed.] I could rattle on forever about BI #139. I literally could not put it down, so I will just thank all the other writers for their sterling work. As for a DC issue on the same theme, may I suggest Ragman, Madame Xanadu, Lilith, Captain Comet, Tyroc, the Odd Man, Enemy Ace, Wonder Twins, and a “sea trio” of Mera, Lori Lemaris, and Dolphin. – Paul Burns, UK Paul, the idea of a companion DC issue is intriguing, and under consideration, although a few of the characters you’ve listed have been featured in previous BIs. 78 • BACK ISSUE • Spider-Rogues Issue

IS IT ANY WUNDARR?

Of all the runner-up superheroes on display [in BI #139], the one I was most intrigued to have covered, in detail, was Wundarr. Never read the actual story (Adventures into Fear #17), but did hear it caused much contention and hard feelings upon publication. Nice to learn more details and, almost 50 years later, see the cool Frank Brunner cover. DC was angry and talking legal ramifications, which, in turn, got Stan Lee so furious he almost fired Steve Gerber. That’s what gets me: the timing. Had Gerber been canned, right then, we’d never have had Steve’s brilliant series run on Howard the Duck. There’s an aspect I really don’t comprehend. How was this particular instance so intolerable? I mean, DC, in 1966, had Metamorpho fighting the Bat-Hulk (Brave and Bold #68). Their cover to Inferior Five #10 (see left), from 1968, overtly features SpiderMan, the Torch, Thing, Mr. Fantastic, and Sub-Mariner. Other issues have Marvel surrogates inside. Marvel, circa 1968, likewise, cover featured Superman on Not Brand Echh #7. There was an archetype version, as well—Hyperion— in the Squadron Supreme. DC, in turn, had Avengers replacements in contention with the JLA. Additionally, DC and Marvel each featured both companies’ characters when they’d do stories, in the early ’70s, involving the Rutland [Vermont] Halloween Parade. So, it seemed it was an ongoing pattern of behavior on both sides. Either as an outright satire, or a playfully masked inclusion, the characters unofficially crossed over. What was so threatening about Wundarr? That the common origin was played straight? That he could, in theory, be a recurring character? Yet, if so, why bring him back to be changed rather than drop him, immediately, so as to not compound the damage? Did Steve even have a TM & © DC Comics. direction in mind? Or, with all the anger over the character, was he, thereafter, in no hurry to use him again and risk even more? Most amusingly, two and a half years after this dust-up, Superman and Spider-Man were sharing a treasury edition. – Joe Frank Joe, with most of the people involved now deceased, we can’t go straight to the source to ask why Wundarr was such a contentious figure when both DC and Marvel had a history, as you note, of spoofing each other’s heroes. Relations between the two publishers have been even worse in recent years. Our loss.

A MARVEL UNIVERSE DEEP-DIVE

TM & © Marvel.

I greatly enjoyed reading about the Marvel also-rans this issue. I was only slightly disappointed not to see an article about one of my favorite Marvel second-stringers, the TORPEDO! His storied history in the Marvel Universe would have surely fit the bill of this issue’s theme. Dare I hope perhaps for a sequel to this issue in the future? Might I also suggest stalwarts such as Shannon (Ms. Thing? She-Thing?) Ventura, D-Man, and the seemingly perpetually forgotten Captain Ultra as possible subjects for scrutiny? In the case of that latter one, you could probably get about three paragraphs, but whatever. I love your magazine! Keep up the great work! – Ron Chevrier I overlooked the Torpedo when compiling #139’s original roster. He would have perfectly complemented the contents. Torpedo will get a little love in BACK ISSUE #146, our Men without Fear issue, in its “Daredevil in the 1970s” article. There are no current plans for revisiting the Not-Ready-for-Primetime Marvel Heroes theme, although as you note there are a number of lower-tier Marvel characters that have yet to be explored in BI, making a sequel to #139 appealing.

Another call for a Not-Ready-forPrimetime DC Heroes issue! And an article about Marvel Age? Nate, that’s a great idea! Marvel’s 1980s house zine was “the Internet” for Marvelites back when the only “web” most of us encountered was in a SpiderMan comic. We’ll do our best to make it happen!

TM & © Marvel.

DON’T TORPEDO THE TORPEDO!

Issue #139 really captured something great—so, thanks to the contributors all, and to you, Michael, for pulling it together. So many favorites! But apart from the colorful array of heroes featured, it really shows how deep the Marvel Universe was. I use the word “was,” I guess, because part of what makes comic-book storytelling so compelling to me has always been the sense that it’s bigger than what goes on in the panels. In an era of story arcs, you miss the peripheral view. For that, you need characters who aren’t stars, who grow and evolve off-panel, who have one-and-done guest-shot adventures that form an episodic chronology over time, one that you have to work a little harder to follow. That’s how you know the universe is more than just Alisters, that there’s something bigger, grander, weirder going on… and one of the reasons why a title like Astro City is so amazing…. Anyway, apart from storytelling, it’s characters like these who really make the hobby so much fun as well (if you’ll allow me to separate reading from collecting for a second). Falling in love with a weirdo character like the Aquarian/ Wundarr, then having to track down all the appearances— well, to me, that’s what collecting is all about. I mean, anyone can show up every Wednesday (or Tuesday) and buy the newest issues. Researching appearances, dreaming about those stories, digging through boxes and boxes—that’s one of the true joys of this hobby. Like probably everyone else writing in, I’ll say that I’m anxiously awaiting the DC version of this issue. But I also wonder about a feature on Marvel Age—it’s not comics storytelling, I suppose, but I bet there are some great behind the scenes stories about putting together that (or any) house organ. Come to think of it, it was fun reading your editorial for #139 for that very reason! – Nate Pritts

Next: Men Without Fear Issue! The Bronze Age Daredevil and Challengers of the Unknown, Sinestro and Mr. Fear villain histories, Who Is Hal Jordan?, and superheroes with disabilities. Special feature: an exclusive JEPH LOEB interview about his Challengers and Daredevil: Yellow collaborations with the late, great TIM SALE, and a Sale tribute art gallery. With GERRY CONWAY, STEVE ENGLEHART, JOE STATON, ROY THOMAS, MARV WOLFMAN, and a rare early ’70s Daredevil specialty cover by GENE COLAN! Don’t ask—just BI it! See you in thirty! Your friendly neighborhood Euryman, Michael Eury, editor-in-chief

Spider-Rogues Issue • BACK ISSUE • 79

THE BEST OF SIMON & KIRBY’S

MAINLINE COMICS

by JOE SIMON & JACK KIRBY Introduction by JOHN MORROW

In 1954, industry legends JOE SIMON and JACK KIRBY founded MAINLINE PUBLICATIONS to publish their own comics during that turbulent era in comics history. The four titles—BULLSEYE, FOXHOLE, POLICE TRAP, and IN LOVE—looked to build off their reputation as hit makers in the Western, War, Crime, and Romance genres, but the 1950s backlash against comics killed any chance at success, and Mainline closed its doors just two years later. For the first time, TwoMorrows Publishing is compiling the best of Simon & Kirby’s Mainline comics work, including all of the stories with S&K art, as well as key tales with contributions by MORT MESKIN and others. After the company’s dissolution, their partnership ended with Simon leaving comics for advertising, and Kirby taking unused Mainline concepts to both DC and Marvel. This collection bridges the gap between Simon & Kirby’s peak with their 1950s romance comics, and the lows that led to Kirby’s resurgence with CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN and the early MARVEL UNIVERSE. With loving art restoration by CHRIS FAMA, and an historical overview by JOHN MORROW to put it all into perspective, the BEST OF SIMON & KIRBY’S MAINLINE COMICS presents some of the final, and finest, work Joe and Jack ever produced. SHIPS AUGUST 2023! (256-page COLOR HARDCOVER) $49.95 • (Digital Edition) $15.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-118-9

DESTROYER DUCK GRAPHITE EDITION

by JACK KIRBY & STEVE GERBER Introduction by MARK EVANIER

In the 1980s, writer STEVE GERBER was embroiled in a lawsuit against MARVEL COMICS over ownership of his creation HOWARD THE DUCK. To raise funds for legal fees, Gerber asked JACK KIRBY to contribute to a benefit comic titled DESTROYER DUCK. Without hesitation, Kirby (who was in his own dispute with Marvel at the time) donated his services for the first issue, and the duo took aim at their former employer in an outrageous five-issue run. With biting satire and guns blazing, Duke “Destroyer” Duck battled the thinly veiled Godcorp (whose infamous credo was “Grab it all! Own it all! Drain it all!”), its evil leader Ned Packer and the (literally) spineless Booster Cogburn, Medea (a parody of Daredevil’s Elektra), and more! Now, all five Gerber/Kirby issues are collected—but relettered and reproduced from JACK’S UNBRIDLED, UNINKED PENCIL ART! Also included are select examples of ALFREDO ALCALA’s unique inking style over Kirby on the original issues, Gerber’s script pages, an historical Introduction by MARK EVANIER (co-editor of the original 1980s issues), and an Afterword by BUZZ DIXON (who continued the series after Gerber)! Discover all the hidden jabs you missed when DESTROYER DUCK was first published, and experience page after page of Kirby’s raw pencil art! NOW SHIPPING! (128-page COLOR HARDCOVER) $31.95 • (Digital Edition) $13.99 ISBN: 978-1-60549-117-2

ALTER EGO COLLECTORS’ ITEM CLASSICS

By overwhelming demand, editor ROY THOMAS has compiled all the material on the founders of the Marvel Bullpen from three SOLD-OUT ALTER EGO ISSUES—plus OVER 30 NEW PAGES OF CONTENT! There’s the STEVE DITKO ISSUE (#160 with a rare ’60s Ditko interview by RICHARD HOWELL, biographical notes by NICK CAPUTO, and Ditko tributes)! The STAN LEE ISSUE (#161 with ROY THOMAS on his 50+ year relationship with Stan, art by KIRBY, DITKO, MANEELY, EVERETT, SEVERIN, ROMITA, plus tributes from pros and fans)! And the JACK KIRBY ISSUE (#170 with WILL MURRAY on Kirby’s contributions to Iron Man’s creation, Jack’s Captain Marvel/Mr. Scarlet Fawcett work, Kirby in 1960s fanzines, plus STAN LEE and ROY THOMAS on Jack)! Whether you missed these issues, or can’t live without the extensive NEW MATERIAL on DITKO, LEE, and KIRBY, it’s sure to be an AMAZING, ASTONISHING, FANTASTIC tribute to the main men who made Marvel! NOW SHIPPING! (256-page COLOR SOFTCOVER) $35.95 • (Digital Edition) $15.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-116-5

CLIFFHANGER!

CINEMATIC SUPERHEROES OF THE SERIALS: 1941–1952 by CHRISTOPHER IRVING

Hold on tight as historian CHRISTOPHER IRVING explores the origins of the first on-screen superheroes and the comic creators and film-makers who brought them to life. CLIFFHANGER! touches on the early days of the film serial, to its explosion as a juvenile medium of the 1930s and ‘40s. See how the creation of characters like SUPERMAN, CAPTAIN AMERICA, SPY SMASHER, and CAPTAIN MARVEL dovetailed with the early film adaptations. Along the way, you’ll meet the stuntmen, directors (SPENCER BENNETT, WILLIAM WITNEY, producer SAM KATZMAN), comic book creators (SIEGEL & SHUSTER, SIMON & KIRBY, BOB KANE, C.C. BECK, FRANK FRAZETTA, WILL EISNER), and actors (BUSTER CRABBE, GEORGE REEVES, LORNA GRAY, KANE RICHMOND, KIRK ALYN, DAVE O’BRIEN) who brought them to the silver screen—and how that resonates with today’s cinematic superhero universe. NOW SHIPPING! (160-page COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 • (Digital Edition) $15.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-119-6

TwoMorrows 2023 www.twomorrows.com • store@twomorrows.com

THE

PACIFIC COMICS COMPANION

by STEPHAN FRIEDT & JON B. COOKE

Author STEPHAN FRIEDT shares the story of the meteoric rise of the Schanes brothers’ California-based imprint PACIFIC COMICS, which published such legends as JACK KIRBY, SERGIO ARAGONÉS, STEVE DITKO, NEAL ADAMS, MIKE GRELL, BERNIE WRIGHTSON, and DAVE STEVENS. From its groundbreaking 1981 arrival in the fledgling direct sales market, to a catastrophic, precipitous fall after only four years, THE PACIFIC COMICS COMPANION reveals the inside saga, as told to Friedt by BILL AND STEVE SCHANES, DAVID SCROGGY, and many of the creators themselves. It also focuses on the titles and the amazing array of characters they introduced to an unsuspecting world, including THE ROCKETEER, CAPTAIN VICTORY, MS. MYSTIC, GROO THE WANDERER, STARSLAYER, and many more. Written with the editorial assist of Eisner Award-winning historian JON B. COOKE, this retrospective is the most comprehensive study of an essential publisher in the development of the creator’s rights movement. Main cover illustration by DAVE STEVENS. SHIPS NOVEMBER 2023!

WORKING WITH DITKO by JACK C. HARRIS

WORKING WITH DITKO takes a unique and nostalgic journey through comics’ Bronze Age, as editor and writer JACK C. HARRIS recalls his numerous collaborations with legendary comics master STEVE DITKO! It features never-before-seen preliminary sketches and pencil art from Harris’ tenure working with Ditko on THE CREEPER, SHADE THE CHANGING MAN, THE ODD MAN, THE DEMON, WONDER WOMAN, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, THE FLY, and even Ditko’s unused redesign for BATMAN! Plus, it documents their work on numerous independent properties, and offers glimpses of original characters from Ditko’s drawing board that have never been viewed by even his most avid fans! This illustrated volume is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience the creative comic book process by one of the industry’s most revered creators, as seen through the eyes of one of his most frequent collaborators! SHIPS OCTOBER 2023!

(160-page COLOR SOFTCOVER) $29.95 (Digital Edition) $15.99 ISBN: 978-1-60549-121-9

(128-page COLOR SOFTCOVER) $24.95 • (Digital Edition) $13.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-122-6

THE CHILLINGLY WEIRD ART OF

MATT FOX

by ROGER HILL

MATT FOX (1906–1988) first gained notoriety for his jarring cover paintings on the pulp magazine WEIRD TALES from 1943 to 1951. His almost primitive artistry encompassed ghouls, demons, and grotesqueries of all types, evoking a disquieting horror vibe that no one since has ever matched. Fox suffered with chronic pain throughout his life, and that anguish permeated his classic 1950s cover illustrations and his lone story for CHILLING TALES, putting them at the top of all pre-code horror comic enthusiasts’ want lists. He brought his evocative storytelling skills (and an almost BASIL WOLVERTON-esque ink line over other artists) to ATLAS/MARVEL horror comics of the 1950s and ’60s, but since Fox never gave an interview, this unique creator remained largely unheralded—until now! Comic art historian ROGER HILL finally tells Fox’s life story, through an informative biographical essay, augmented with an insightful introduction by FROM THE TOMB editor PETER NORMANTON. This FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER also showcases all of the artist’s WEIRD TALES covers and interior illustrations, and a special Atlas Comics gallery with examples of his inking over GIL KANE, LARRY LIEBER, and others. Plus, there’s a wealth of other delightfully disturbing images by this grand master of horror—many previously unpublished and reproduced from his original paintings and art—sure to make an indelible imprint on a new legion of fans. SHIPS SEPTEMBER 2023! (128-page COLOR HARDCOVER) $29.95 • (Digital Edition) $15.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-120-2

New from TwoMorrows!

RETROFAN #28

ALTER EGO #183

ALTER EGO #184

ALTER EGO #185

BRICKJOURNAL #82

Golden/Silver/Bronze Age artist IRV NOVICK (Shield, Steel Sterling, Batman, The Flash, and DC war stories) is immortalized by JOHN COATES and DEWEY CASSELL. Interviews with Irv and family members, tributes by DENNY O’NEIL, MARK EVANIER, and PAUL LEVITZ, Irv’s involvement with painter ROY LICHTENSTEIN (who used Novick’s work in his paintings), Mr. Monster, FCA, and more!

Known as one of the finest inkers in comics history, the late TOM PALMER was also an accomplished penciler and painter, as you’ll see in an-depth interview with Palmer by ALEX GRAND and JIM THOMPSON. Learn his approach to, and thoughts on, working with NEAL ADAMS, GENE COLAN, JOHN BUSCEMA, and others who helped define the Marvel Universe. Plus Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, FCA, and more!

Presenting MARK CARLSON-GHOST’s stupendous study of the 1940s NOVELTY COMICS GROUP—with heroes like Blue Bolt, Target and the Targeteers, White Streak, Spacehawk, etc., produced by such Golden Age super-stars as JOE SIMON & JACK KIRBY, CARL BURGOS, BILL EVERETT, BASIL WOLVERTON, et al. Plus MICHAEL T. GILBERT in Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, FCA, and more!

Celebrating Disney’s 100th anniversary in LEGO! Disney Castles with MARTIN HARRIS and DISNEYBRICK, magical builds by JOHN RUDY and editor JOE MENO, instructions to build characters, plus: Nerding Out with BRICKNERD, AFOLs by GREG HYLAND, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, and Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Aug. 2023

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Oct. 2023

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Dec. 2023

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Oct. 2023

The BRITISH INVASION of the Sixties, interview with Bond Girl TRINA PARKS, The Mighty Hercules, Horror Hostess MOONA LISA, World’s Greatest Super Friends, TV Guide Fall Previews, the Frito Bandito, a Popeye Super Collector, and more fun, fab features! Featuring columns by ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW, and MARK VOGER! Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

BACK ISSUE #148

COMIC BOOK CREATOR #31 COMIC BOOK CREATOR #32 KIRBY COLLECTOR #88

DC SUPER-STARS OF SPACE! Adam Strange in the Bronze Age (with RICHARD BRUNING & ANDY KUBERT), From Beyond the Unknown, the Fabulous World of Krypton, Vartox, a Mongul history, the Omega Men, and more! Featuring CARY BATES, DAVE GIBBONS, DAN JURGENS, CURT SWAN, PETER J. TOMASI, MARV WOLFMAN, and more! Cover by CARMINE INFANTINO & MURPHY ANDERSON!

MEN WITHOUT FEAR, featuring Daredevil’s swinging ’70s adventures! Plus: Challengers of the Unknown in the Bronze Age, JEPH LOEB interview about his Challs and DD projects with TIM SALE, Sinestro and Mr. Fear histories, superheroes with disabilities, and... Who Is Hal Jordan? Featuring CONWAY, ENGLEHART, McKENZIE, ROZAKIS, STATON, THOMAS, WOLFMAN, & more! GENE COLAN cover!

WILLIAM STOUT is interviewed about his illustration and comics work, as well as his association with DINOSAURS publisher BYRON PREISS, the visionary packager/ publisher who is also celebrated in this double-header issue. Included is the only comprehensive interview ever conducted with PREISS, plus a huge biographical essay. Also MIKE DEODATO on his early years and FRANK BORTH on Treasure Chest!

THE COLLECTORS! Fans’ quest for and purchase of Jack’s original art and comics, MARV WOLFMAN shares his (and LEN WEIN’s) interactions with Jack as fans and pros, unseen Kirby memorabilia, an extensive Kirby pencil art gallery, MARK EVANIER moderating the 2023 Kirby Tribute Panel from Comic-Con International, plus a deluxe wrap-around Kirby cover with foldout back cover flap, inked by MIKE ROYER!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Sept. 2023

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Nov. 2023

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Now shipping!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Fall 2023

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BACK ISSUE #147

Great Hera, it’s the 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF BACK ISSUE, featuring a tribute to the late, great GEORGE PÉREZ! Wonder Woman: The George Pérez Years, Pérez’s 20 Greatest Hits of the Bronze Age, Pérez’s fanzine days, a Pérez remembrance by MARV WOLFMAN, a Wonder Woman interview with MINDY NEWELL, and more! With a stunning Wonder Woman cover by Pérez!