I haven’t read this one. Can’t wait to see how sad DeMatteis can make a crossover between Marvel’s most popular characters. It’s pretty shocking, in retrospect, how little Spider-Man and The X-Men interacted in this period. If they’d gotten a team-up while McFarlane and Lee were still around, it probably would’ve been the best-selling comic ever made. But they almost never interacted, and when they do, it’s here, of all places. And in what appears to be a weird configuration. The X-Men were divided into 2 teams at this point, and all the original members except Cyclops would up on “Gold Team” while Cyclops led “Blue Team.” So this is mixing members of the 2 while also leaving out Jean, for some reason. The reliable team of DeMatteis, Buscema & Sharen on deck. Whatever your thoughts on this title, you couldn’t take away their consistency. Sal only took 2 issues off between 134 and 238. Pretty impressive! Well, we open on an off-panel orange & green-suited figure smashing the original X-Men, apparently small figurines or something, for “the sins of the father.” Ok! Then we find Spider-Man running late as he swings through town, unable to explain where the time went.
Pretty funny. Peter is scurrying on to meet his parents. You know DeMatteis wished he coulda sunk his teeth into that drama more, but it was pretty exclusive to ASM. As he does, he passes a restaurant where, as it happens, Angel, Beast & Iceman are waiting, talking about going out as teens trying to impress girls.
We cut away to the destroyed grave of Matthew Aaron Powers, and as I suspected but couldn’t really believe, we are once again headed for a showdown between Spider-Man, members of the X-Men, and Professor Power. The fact that this is a running thing is CRAZY to me. DeMatteis created the character in MTU 117 to menace Spider-Man & Wolverine, a story that continued into MTU 118, where Spidey and Professor X took him down. Then in MTU 124, Spidey and Beast fought him. But that was 11 years ago! We’re really going back to this well? The robbers retreat to their car, but it won’t move, because Spider-Man has webbed it to the street. And so they pile out, running away, but…
Sal’s playing with a thing this issue where the top 2 panels are an inverted and horizontal “L,” with the taller one having a bold outline to connect it solidly to the wide one so you know to read it before panel 3. And it works! It’s a really weird move, and it keeps working. Directing the eye is a very underrated comics making skill. I say this as someone who doesn’t put nearly enough thought into it in my own meager work. Sal’s had a lot more opportunity to think about it than most with his prolific career. At any rate, Professor Power blasts a big hole in the ground, sending the heroes flying, and sending a big chunk of concrete flying right at, you’ll never believe it, Peter Parker’s parents. As Power tries to villain monologue at the fallen X-Men, Spidey webs that concrete, swings it into Power’s head, and then follows through with a massive Buscema punch. Don’t throw concrete at Spider-Man’s family, man, it’s simple.
The heroes get their 2nd wind, 3 of the X-Men attacking simultaneously, and suddenly, this C-lister who Spidey took down in 2 hits a few pages ago is shrugging off everything they have. Seems unlikely! Along the way, he lets us know he also fought Angel & Iceman in Defenders 103, no doubt written by one JM DeMatteis. So I guess the only person here he doesn’t have prior beef with is Cyclops, except by association.
Oh, yeah, Scourge got him back in that Cap comic, I think. Not sure about the Iron Man. Professor Power wins the anime eyebeam fight, again, improbably.
All this “sins of the father” business is, of course, referring to his son turning the plot of his first 2 appearances, but it is obviously also supposed to be of a piece with the ongoing Harry Osborn plot. I can’t believe it, tho. DeMatteis made a superhero comic! No crying, no depression, just a buncha guys fightin’ in the street. As I live and breathe. Seems like it’d be a good time for Jean to show back up, but I guess we’ll see.