Bacon Man is still in the building. I don’t even wanna dignify the title with an acknowledgement. A “J. Tartas” pitches in with the usual guys on line art, and Irene Vartanoff colors. The boys are still about to die. Buford says if he could just reach his belt buckle. Without asking what ti would do, Spidey gets to work on the stupidest rescue possible.
So Spider-Man can canonically make his web… what, not sticky at all?… by pushing the button a different way? Fart noise.
Stan Lee liked to brag that, while most comics were written for children, Marvel comics were written for more sophisticated minds, and that’s why Marvel was such a success in the 60s and why they became so big with college kids. Most of the time, feels like Bill Mantlo wrote for 8-year olds. I mean, 99% of the most ridiculous, nonsensical, childish things posted to this blog have his name on them. Him and everyone working on the middle period of the 90s Clone Saga tie for the worst. But, sure, Spider-Man’s can-do-anything-web called Razorback’s truck, which just happened to not crash through the wall they were attached to while somehow shattering it, anyway, which frees the heroes without a scratch by collapsing a brick wall on them. Ok. I mean, I know this sort of thing would’ve been done “Marvel Method,” so in theory, some part of this could’ve been Sal’s idea, but I can’t fault Sal at all because he’s done so many things that AREN’T this stupid. I have to pin it to Mantlo. Speaking of stupid, as the boys rush off to save the day, Brother Love is told by a journalist of the bombing at his estate. Watching, Hate-Monger thinks when the bodies are found in the rubble, everyone will think Spider-Man was the culprit. Why would they? How’s he so sure the bodies won’t still be chained to part of the wall? Why would Spider-Man be dumb enough to hang out in a building he was blowing up? Ugh. Bro & Sis go inside their event, Achmed re-recapping their deal, and meet the boss.
Well, that doesn’t much look like Hitler. I believe I have mentioned before how irritating it is when southern characters call a single individual “y’all.” I’d expect no less, tho. Spider-Man tells the boys to hide the truck and wait, then becomes Peter Parker and uses his press pass to get inside. That done, he sneaks around, knocks out some guards, THEN changes to Spider-Man (Why do the fighting as Peter?) and lets his cohorts in the back door just as the big show is getting underway.
Hey, good timing on that callback to ASM 5 for the blog, but as a justification for Flash being in this superhero fight, it leaves a lot to be desired.
But… why would some Hulk villain adopt this ridiculous identity? Spidey gets zapped by Razorback’s mane again, and then Hatey, whoever he is, gets control of both of them, and they start fighting. Elsewhere, Flash is sneakin’ around trying to find and rescue the girls. He puts on the robe of a cultist knocked out earlier and leads Bobby Sue away from the display, saying The Mentor calls for her. How’d he know to say that? Who cares? He starts leading her under the stadium to where the heroes are beating each other up while repeatedly apologizing, under control but aware of their actions.
Man-Beast. The first of The High Evolutionary’s “New Men,” evolved from a wolf. He fought Thor in he & The Evolutionary’s first appearance. I don’t know much else about him. Why in the world is he The Hate-Monger? Maybe next issue will explain…