So, then. Dropping the USM Annual where I did might seem a little weird. But this month, Mary Jane is very unhappy to see Peter smiling like an idiot in school, oblivious to the world, because he’s thinking about Kitty Pryde. And since he wasn’t thinking about her at all last issue, well… the annual goes where it goes. He’s trying to talk himself into the idea that he could date her publicly, as himself, but quickly crushes that idea, thinking of all the other suspicious stuff he’s constantly having to try to get past Aunt May.
Bit of a mix up with the word balloons there.
What happened was (we see), Spider-Man was gonna change in that alley, but stopped when he saw Flash enjoying a candy bar next to a dumpster, which is a strange thing to do. Then he webbed his backpack off a little awning it was hidden on and left, just in time for Flash to get nabbed. What’re the odds?
Ponsor using that spotlight to make Flash bright yellow smashing into the goons up top is really, really smart. It sells a pretty improbable physical attack, makes it look more dramatic. Flash manages to escape, which is also pretty improbable, but it’s not like he could die like this. But Sable knows he’s Fred Thompson, so he’s not out of the woods yet. Meanwhile, back at school…
Ouch! Elsewhere, Silver Sable & Co. are watching a press conference wherein county sheriff Mike McNeely is explaining that “Freddie Thompson” was kidnapped from his school by weirdoes who thought he was Spider-Man, and is working with the FBI to identify them. The Sheriff says Flash is a hero, which he will no doubt be eating out on for some time. Sable has not hear from Roxxon in a while, and is not pleased. So, later, she accosts him leaving work.
Not lookin’ good for Silver. Presumably around the same time, Peter and Kitty are hanging out in his basement, and he’s telling her about the Rhino, when the phone rings. It’s a barely together MJ asking if he’s watching the news. She hangs up before he can say anything. She looks to be in total despair, and man does Bagley sell it in a single panel. Next morning, Flash is on Good Morning America with his hilariously mugging Mom, as we cut to such luminaries as Liz, Kong, Tandy Bowen and Principle Ross Andru (!) reacting to the situation in their various ways. Then our man happens on the scene.
Ooooof! I’ll take “Dialogue That Would Never See Print Now” for $500, Alex. Man, my references get dustier by the year. But I will also take “Dialogue Bendis Wouldn’t Dream of Writing Today Because He’s Grown As A Person,” to be fair.
Now that’s a USM cliffhanger. It’s not the end of the world. It’s not life or death. It’s not the devil wanting someone’s marriage. It’s a random bag check that could ruin Peter’s life. It’s good to be back. Man, this Ultimate Vision thing in the back of these books was just a glorified teaser for something, but I do not at all remember what. I know Millar ends up back on Ultimates (finally called Ultimate Avengers by then) eventually, but not yet, and I don’t know what else he did in the Ultimate U. Maybe something in Ultimate FF? I have no recollection. Something I didn’t buy.