Okay, at this point, if you haven’t read Amazing Spiderman 698-700, shame on you. Turn in your Merry Marvel Marching Society card. And if you’re not old enough to know what that is, sorry. Not really. I will warn you that spoilers are a plenty from here if you’re behind in your reading, so try and catch up, will you? You can’t expect the Internet to wait for YOU to take your sweet time waiting to get around to what’s really important in life.
As we proceed into the era of Superior Spider-Man, virtually every discussion includes variations on the following:
WHINING of the HATERS: Wah! You killed Peter Parker! I hate change! Marvel sucks! Look how tough I am by using big boy words to display how narrow minded and immature I am! Wah! Change my diaper!
CYNICAL SPOILSPORT: Don’t worry, they’re gonna bring Peter Parker back within a year.
PERSPECTIVE: Chill out and enjoy the ride. In Slott we trust.
We at GvE are of the third category, and clearly biased against the first. I am reminded that everyone is entitled to their opinions, however, even if they are stupid.
Addressing the middle category, lets be clear, NOBODY thinks you’re a genius psychic for predicting this. Other people have stepped in for Superman, but Clark Kent always comes back. Same for Iron Man, Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America, Thor, Ghost Rider, Bucky, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, you name it. These are icons. In the end, everything new is old again. The powers that be have hundreds of millions invested in Peter Parker as Spider-Man. And that’s okay. We get to take a welcome diversion that will develop Parker and make him that much more interesting at the end of what WE expect will be a very cool arc.
That said, while Dan Slott takes us on this wild ride, here are the players you want to watch.
Doc Connors – not as mindless as we were led to believe
LIZARD – I’ve already mentioned this earlier. Doc confession prison confession to Peter (when he thought he was talking to Ock) was significant. We now know that, somehow, Connors is in control of his alter ego. That little nugget HAS to have some value to Peter, wherever he is (and I’m guessing where he is is buried in his own sub conscience under Otto). Developments in Avenging Spider-Man and issue 700 seem to be hinting that Peter is in there somewhere and swarming hard to pull some strings. Connors HAS to be number one on his radar.
Morbius
MORBIUS -For much the same reason as the above, Peter briefly considered allowing Ock’s goons to free the living vampire. Parker has issues with him right now for sure, but there’s a reason he had become a player at Horizon Labs in recent days, and he played a role in Connors’ recent work as well.
SCARLET SPIDER – For some, Ben Reilly still remains an albatross of the abysmal Spider Clone saga. But recently, he’s been holding his own and gaining a following as a darker, less friendly neighborhood Spider-man. His confrontation with Superior Spider-Man is inevitable. Ad who knows Peter better than Peter’s own clone?
VENOM – This ones a double whammy. Pete’s best friend, Flash Thompson, and the symbiote that loves him. How will both react to a Peter Parker that ain’t quite right?
SILVER SABLE – Thought dead in Doc Ock’s last outing, but no body was recovered – and we all know what THAT means. What has she learned in her time buried in one of Otto’s old bases?
MARY JANE – She’s no dummy. She had it figured out once before. How long before she pieces the clues together?
AUNT MAY – Her ex-husband is in her nephew’s body. Ick.
NORMAN OSBORN – Another inevitable player just for shock value. But Osborn has taken shock value to incredible levels in the past few years. If he plays a role, it won’t be a bit role. I won’t even hazard a guess here how this will play out, just that it will be ugly if he’s in the game. Bottom line is that he’s been silent in Peter’s life since the end of Siege, and it’s time.
JACKAL – I’ve also mentioned this one before – it was not an accident that a lame character like Jackal was pulled out of moth balls recently. My guess is that sub-conscious Parker is going to suddenly have a very keen interest in clones of himself.
MADAME WEB – Remember, she predicted this. How long before she puts it all together?
THE SINISTER THREE – Hydroman, Paste Pot Pete and Scorpion. Spider-Man “killed” Doc Ock while he owed them each a few million bucks for busting him out of prison. They will need to take it out of someone’s hide.
MR FANTASTIC – Dark horse here. Smartest man alive, although probably would be aloof enough not to notice slight variations in Parker’s behavior. However, he IS the leader of the Fantastic Four, of which Spidey is a member (like Eric Clapton to the Beatles). He also has a weird little history with Doc Ock. Anyone remember that storyline? Sue’s second pregnancy during the John Byrne days?
There are a bunch others, or course. Black Cat. The Avengers. The Human Torch. The other third of the Sinister Six (Rhino and Mysterio). The list goes on.
Sure, part of the purpose of this little essay is to show you how smart I am. But more than anything, I wanted to demonstrate why I’m excited about this upcoming story arc. The possibilities are huge and mind boggling. And my bet is, Dan Slott is giggling his little head about what he has in mind.
Gonna be a fun ride!
Now watch Newsarama rip this off when they come out with their own oh-so-witty Top-Ten List list this week. I can’t wait to link to it!!!
Ain’t I a stinker?
Goodguy
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