Welcome to the sixth installment of Newlywebs, a retrospective on the early marriage years of a certain web-slinging wonder and his redheaded bride. This week, the collision of two opposing visions of what Spidey should be in the deconstructionist days of the 1980s. And if you have any favorite memories of the Peter and Mary Jane nuptials you’d like to share, let me hear them. Just leave a comment, or contact me on Twitter.
Having covered “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” undoubtedly a major event of the era, it’s only natural for this retrospective to move on to the next month’s storyline, right? That would be another line-wide crossover event, “Life in the Mad Dog Ward” from writer Ann Nocenti and artist Cindy Martin. Just as “Kraven’s Last Hunt” began life as a multi-part story arc for the darker, grittier Peter Parker, Spectacular Spider-Man title, “Mad Dog” reads as another slightly esoteric storyline for the edgy stepbrother of the Spidey line that’s been repurposed as a quickie crossover. There’s also a very good chance the issues were produced before Marvel’s decision to have Peter and MJ married by June 1987, as MJ only receives scant references in the arc and never makes a real appearance.
Following the disruptions of “Kraven’s Last Hunt” and “Life in the Mad Dog Ward,” the next issue of flagship title Amazing Spider-Man surely concentrates on this historic new era of Peter Parker’s life, correct? Actually, Amazing #296-297 is a Doctor Octopus storyline that David Michelinie intended to open his Amazing Spider-Man run, but was pushed back several months due to the wedding and the crossovers. The marriage is only given lip service in these issues. Speaking of delayed gratification, a John Byrne cover for Web of Spider-Man that the previous editor rejected is rumored to be the cover for Amazing #296.
Our Pal Sal Returns to Spider-Man
The next published arc that truly fits the new status quo is Spectacular Spider-Man‘s “Return of Sin-Eater” storyline, running through Spectacular #134-136. (Peter Parker has been dropped from the title, making it easier for Spectacular to match new editor Jim Salicrup’s remit that all of the titles share the same logo design.) Writer Peter David had been doing regular work on the Spider-titles for a few years at this point, making him one of the few freelancers to reappear during the new editorial regime. David’s joined on the arc by artist Sal Buscema, a penciler/inker with a long history at Marvel.
Buscema had enjoyed stints with virtually every major Marvel character by the late ’80s, and is in fact the very first Peter Parker, Spectacular Spider-Man artist. Prior to his Spidey return, Buscema was experiencing a bit of a career resurgence on Thor, inheriting art duties from Walt Simonson and impressing fans with a more stylized, angular style and bolder ink line. Previously viewed as a “generic Marvel” artist without much of a distinctive style, Buscema’s Thor work showed the veteran artist had the skills to compete with the industry’s larger names.
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The transition from Thor to Spectacular was owed to shifting freelance assignments, following some editorial changes at Marvel in this era. After moving on from Amazing Spider-Man, and briefly (and incorrectly) assuming they would be taking over Daredevil, creators Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz next eyed Thor as a potential title, following Simonson’s departure as writer. No one felt comfortable removing Buscema from his gig, however, so a hypothetical was raised.
If Sal Buscema was willing to trade Thor for a Spider-Man title, that could leave an opening for the DeFalco/Frenz team — but only if Buscema would go for it. Buscema’s response didn’t seem to be much deeper than “sure, if that’s what you want.” With that, Buscema returned to Spectacular, and stuck around for one of the longest runs in the history of comics.
Buscema’s return to Spectacular has him teamed with Peter David on a sequel to a disturbing storyline from David’s earlier stint on the book. Introduced in 1985’s Spectacular #107, the Sin-Eater is about as “grim and gritty” as a character could get in the era. The initial arc establishes that former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Stan Carter underwent a dangerous experimental drug treatment as a young man, which apparently drove him mad. Later joining the NYPD, the death of his partner exacerbated Stan’s mental issues, driving him to drink. Believing in punishing those who abused authority, he became the deadly Sin-Eater. His first victim would be established supporting cast member Captain Jean DeWolff. Ironically, as an NYPD detective, Stan’s assigned DeWolff’s murder case.
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The initial arc’s notable for the death of Jean DeWolff, a truly shocking moment at the time, and as the story arc that has Spider-Man and Daredevil discovering each other’s secret identities. Daredevil acts as Spider-Man’s conscience during the story, attempting to talk the webslinger, driven to despair by DeWolff’s senseless murder, away from the edge. In the final chapter, Spider-Man delivers a brutal beating to Stan Carter, a sequence intended to unnerve the reader and reinforce the idea that the Spider-Man titles would be entering more dangerous waters in the era of Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns.
A New Era: More Optimism. Fewer Clothes.
The arrival of a new editor steered the titles far away from darker territory (one reason Jim Salicrup supported the wedding was to send the message that brighter, more optimistic stories were coming), so it’s interesting to see David return for a Sin-Eater sequel. The arc begins with an institutionalized Stan Carter haunted by an illusion of his demonic alter-ego. Doctors debate Stan’s release, but he’s been declared healthy by S.H.I.E.L.D., on the condition he receive ongoing counseling.
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Meanwhile, newlyweds Peter and MJ discuss their future, with Mary Jane hoping Peter will give up his Daily Bugle job for a serious photography career. She hopes to entice him with a homemade bikini shoot, giving readers the era’s first gratuitous sequence of MJ cheesecake. These will become a stable of the “newlywed” era, and as Amazing Spider-Man artist Erik Larsen has noted, they’re one reason why these comics sold so well. Regardless, future editorial regimes apparently felt these Comics Code-approved sequences were still a little too racy for the audience.
Peter, upon hearing about Carter’s release, becomes furious. MJ attempts to present an opposing viewpoint, suggesting that Peter accept the doctors’ findings. He refuses to listen, and is so enraged over Carter’s release, MJ admits that he’s scaring her. Over the course of a few pages, we see two credible uses of MJ in this new status quo. Her romantic moments with Peter provide more than titillation, they add some flirty fun to the series, and help to humanize the couple. But she’s also here to present a “civilian” perspective on Peter’s life as a crimefighter. And when Peter doesn’t listen to MJ’s counsel, the tension is appropriately ramped up.
As Spider-Man, Peter arrives at Carter’s apartment and is shocked by his physical condition. Carter now lives with a severe limp and stutter, injuries sustained when Spider-Man apprehended him a year earlier. (Interesting to see how close to “real time” these issues are still running.) Stan, now contrite, claims he deserved his fate and that he’s disavowed the Sin-Eater identity. Spider-Man, frustrated and now overwhelmed with guilt, leaves.
This could be the most intriguing aspect of this sequel — in the original story, we see Spider-Man behaving the way a more bloodthirsty element of fandom would want him to react. After all, if Spider-Man’s going to be facing murderous serial killers, isn’t it appropriate for him to dish out some brutal street justice? The sequel introduces real consequences for these actions, and seems to be asking the metatextual question of “Do you really want stories like this in your Spider-Man comics?” It’s also notable that this arc is only a few months out from “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” which served as another rebuke of violent, bone-breaking “heroes.”
Electro Exposes the “Coward” Spider-Man
Threaded throughout this arc is Electro, already returning after the wedding annual and operating under his civilian identity as Max Dillon. He’s decided his new gimmick is to rob stores “with” a toy gun, but truly with his electrical powers, just without the costume. There was some sentiment in these days that his Ditko-designed “starfish” costume was outdated, and it would later be redesigned by a few artists. Oddly enough, Electro returns to the costume he dismissed in the arc’s earlier chapters in the final issue, with no explanation.
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Closing out the opening chapter, an emotional Spider-Man encounters Electro, escaping a robbery. Spider-Man hesitates in the fight, fearing he might hurt Electro as he did Stan Carter. This hesitation allows Electro to defeat Spider-Man, sending the hero into a deeper funk.
Following this defeat, Spider-Man struggles with guilt and a shaken confidence. A crowd gathers, threatening to unmask him, but Stan Carter surprisingly intervenes, scaring them away with a toy rifle, the only kind he can legally own. Peter returns home, humiliated and severely burned from his battle with Electro. This leads to another element unique to the marriage issues, Peter’s inability to find any privacy after he’s royally screwed up and wants some time alone.
Meanwhile, Carter attempts to adjust to civilian life, but finds the employment opportunities for known serial killers are quite limited. Reluctantly, Carter signs up with Scott Rosenberg, a talent agent who’s convinced his infamy equals big bucks. As for Spider-Man, he’s spared from selling humiliating photos of his Electro fight by MJ, who’s landed a modeling gig on a morning talk show. The host is intended to be the late, great Regis Philbin, but it doesn’t seem as if Sal Buscema received that memo.
MJ ends up booked on the same show as Carter, a TV appearance that draws the attention of Electro, after Spider-Man abruptly arrives on-set to disrupt Carter’s interview. (An impulsive act that convinces MJ that Peter’s lost his mind.) The most obvious bit to play — MJ imperiled by either Sin-Eater or Electro — is thankfully ignored, showing that MJ can be close to the Spidey action without becoming a damsel in distress.
Sins Past, Indeed
Electro, enraged at the thought of his past defeats, heads to the studio to kill Spider-Man once and for all. This establishes a trifecta of Electro, Stan Carter, and Spider-Man as individuals haunted by past actions, too emotional in the present day to act in their own interests or make real peace with their mistakes. Spider-Man’s on-air dressing down of Carter inspires the one-time Sin-Eater to confront his gravest mistake. Carter confesses that Jean DeWolff was someone he also cared for — in fact, she was his secret lover.
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This revelation is possibly David addressing one of the weaker aspects of the original Sin-Eater storyline. The villain’s gimmick is that he murders those who abuse their authority, consuming their sins. In the original arc’s finale, he provided a rationale for each victim. But for Jean DeWolff, Carter could only state that “I just felt like it.” Later, when attempting to write his memoir in the sequel, Carter recalls that DeWolff’s cancellation of a date while Carter endured an escalating mental crisis was enough to push him over the edge. Perhaps not the greatest villain motivation, but better than “I just felt like it.”
As for Electro, he delivers a second humiliation to the hero, who again hesitates when it’s time for the fisticuffs. Later, MJ again attempts to cheer Peter up, but to no avail. Elsewhere, Stan Carter seemingly loses his fight with the ghost of Sin-Eater and readopts the costume. And setting the final piece for the finale, Electro takes control of a power station and ransoms the city with the threat of ongoing blackouts. On his way to confront Electro, Spider-Man visits Carter’s apartment to apologize…only to be told that his injuries are psychosomatic, caused by guilt over the Sin-Eater’s murders, and not Spider-Man’s assault.
It’s telling that Rick Parker’s word balloons have clearly been re-lettered by someone else when Carter makes this confession. Throughout this final chapter, in fact, any reference to Carter’s “psychosomatic” injuries has been re-lettered. This indicates some editorial second thoughts, and a conscious decision to alleviate any guilt Spider-Man should feel after his brutal assault on Sin-Eater in the initial story arc. There’s an obvious reason why editorial would want to erase the idea that Spider-Man once beat a man so badly he never fully recovered, but it’s odd that the opening chapter even introduced the idea if it’s so quickly retconned. Regardless, Carter (withholding his seeming re-embrace of the Sin-Eater persona) encourages Spider-Man to believe in himself and take on Electro.
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In the final pages, Spidey does indeed overcome his doubts and defeat Electro. While the hero’s preoccupied, the Sin Eater, lurking nearby, kidnaps a child and holds him hostage. The standoff with police escalates, and believing Sin-Eater to be armed, the officers shoot and kill him. Dying, Carter claims this was necessary to finally end the Sin-Eater’s evil. As Spider-Man mourns over the body, the police discover Carter never even loaded his gun. Carter outsmarted the Sin-Eater after all, even though it cost the man his life.
Both Sin-Eater arcs are tragedies, but the sequel feels like a more explicit rebuke of the era’s nihilism. Stan Carter had something good in him after all, even if his most noble act was manipulating police into ending his life. Mary Jane plays an intriguing role in the arc, occasionally frustrating Peter more than comforting him, but never coming across as some nagging harpy. It’s Spider-Man’s willingness to make peace with Carter (a nod toward Peter’s inherent good nature) that ultimately provides the self-confidence needed to defeat Electro, another victim of wounded ego in the story. Compared to the original storyline, it’s clearly a swerve toward more traditional superheroics, but feels far more appropriate as a Spider-Man story.
