These generic covers. This was the mandate of the time, as I’ve mentioned before, just “iconic” shots of the character or maybe a villain instead of anything revealing story content. It had the effect of making them all feel the same. Erik Benson helps out in inks this month. This issue opens with a 6-page sequence in which Doc Ock has smashed his way into the office of Justin Hammer, not yet named but shown in a portrait, and if you know, you know, and rants at that portrait about how his current situation is all the guy in the portrait’s fault. How he had Octavius doing industrial espionage at Oscorp, and how the guy must’ve done this to him in an attempt to kill and silence him. Ock can’t remember what happened, doesn’t know what they were working on, but knows who to blame for the pain and craziness of his current life, and vows to get revenge. But guess what?
People who aren’t Jewish often tend to write the Jewish “oy” as “oi,” like the informal “hello” of the UK or Australia. Bendis, being Jewish, always wrote “oy” when he meant “oi.” Surprisingly difficult thing for a lot of writers, as it turns out. But yes. It’s time for Ultimate Kraven, and who better to base him on than Steve Irwin, with a splash of Crocodile Dundee. We find Peter Parker watching this ad at work, never suspecting what Kraven might be hunting, instead wondering why none of the networks are covering Doc Ock. As a very aggressive Betty Brant walks by and declares her intention to bed Kraven when he gets here, Peter thinks Octavius probably knows more about his whole deal than he does, and it would be nice to talk to him about it, except he seemed like a weasel and is wandering around crazy. He thinks about Ock maybe figuring out who Spider-Man is. Then JJJ walks up and sees him watching TV.
Pretty funny!
Great stuff. Strong material to continue to intro the Stacys with. Then George is told his Mom is on the phone, but that’s Ben Urich, of course, who lays out that Doc Ock used to live in the house that lady was murdered in, and he’s been sighted in the area. George is actually glad to get this tip, but Gwen has snuck off. And he can’t go after her, because 2 feds show up wanting to talk to him and being mysterious. He says “Wait, does this have anything to do with Doctor Otto Octavius?” and the feds are visibly shocked. Good job, Ben.
Soooooo, Spider-Man swings on over to Hammer’s place to investigate, but finds the feds from the police station talking to Hammer himself.
Ultimate Sharon Carter looks to have had a harder life than the OG Sharon, longtime love interest of Captain America. Then again, she spent almost over a decade “dead,” and was only revealed to be alive and undercover that whole time a few years prior to this. One assumes this Sharon hasn’t had to deal with such a sweaty retcon in her life.
Clay Quartermain is another classic SHIELD agent. Bendis seemed to love the original SHIELD cast, but oddly never really used them all. Spidey’s eavesdropping as they explain to Hamme that the arms are fused to Ock now, he has amnesia, and this attack would indicate he’s after Hammer, and they’d like to know why. But then Hammer notices Spidey, and the futuristic SHIELD guns come out.
Ultimate Kraven. Seems like a crazy thing to do. We shall see.