This month, we open on a news report about how Spider-Man is a fake mutant.
JJJ gleefully reads embarrassing entries from Peter’s journal that have nothing to do with his powers, while at the hospital Crusher is in, a suspicious man in an obvious disguise reacts to this on the TV in despair, then disappears as some orderlies come looking for him.
Hard to unpack the politics of this world. There’s a report that the Rhino has gone crazy in Times Square, and Peter vanishes, with that Giarruso guy saying it’s good for him to stop whining and do something. Rhino’s out there throwing cars at people and shouting he just wants to be left alone when a web hits him and the solid point is made that this isn’t helping that happen.
It’s funny, this really gets at the heart of why the X-Men don’t make any sense, as as I type this, the situation is playing out in reverse in the current books. Spider-Man was just fine when everyone thought he was a mutant. He had weird powers no human could have, just like them. But now that they know he wasn’t BORN with those powers, he’s an evil, stupid human. The opposite of the usual anti-mutant screed in the regular books. What sense does that make? “This guy flying around New York is ok, ‘cuz he got his powers in a chemical accident, but THIS guy can do it naturally, and that’s unnatural!” I mean I know prejudice isn’t rational, but it’s hard to successfully “other” the group you’re prejudiced against when people just like them are a-ok. The whole X-Men metaphor would work a lot better in a universe where powered regular humans don’t exist. But why are these dopes helping the Rhino? He’s not a mutant, either. It makes no sense. Well, as tends to happen in these things, the Green Goblin just happens to be down that subway tunnel waiting for Rhino, to offer him a chance to keep ruining Parker’s life, and they plan to meet later. Are they gonna cram a Sinister Six into a 5-issue alternate reality book? Later, at the Parker estate, Peter comes clean, and George is a real jerk about it. He and Ben get into a shouting match, which only makes Peter feel worse, and he slinks away. Gwen is furious with the old men for making Peter’s worst day even worse, puts Richie in May’s arms, and sets off to find her husband. Meanwhile, Rhino and the Goblin meet…
But all is not as it seems, I guess.
The Goblin seems to kill Electro by blowing up his glider, then Ox tackles him.
Well, I sure can’t say they didn’t surprise me. I officially don’t know what’s going on. But with 2 issues to go, I’m sure it will all be made clear.