With Halloween right around the corner, perhaps it's fitting that even Peter Parker is in an evil mood these days. Two of Marvel Comics' biggest releases this month feature Spider-Man at his most depraved.
We're here to break down the big events of both The Amazing Spider-Man #35 and The Superior Spider-Man Returns and how these comics will shape the franchise heading into 2024. Just beware of full spoilers ahead for both books!
Spider-Man Officially Becomes Green Goblin
Marvel's flagship Spider-Man series has taken an especially dark turn of late. Back in issue #32, Peter Parker found himself infected with the disembodied sins of Norman Osborn, effectively transforming him into the new Green Goblin. Since then, Peter has set about proving his evil mettle, including hunting Kraven and burying him alive and unplugging the comatose Tombstone's ventilator.
It was only a matter of time before Pete turned his wrath to the latest and greatest nemesis in his life - Mary Jane's boyfriend Paul. In issue #35, Spidey attempts to kill Paul and take revenge for the "theft" of his girlfriend (naturally, that's not how MJ sees it). And what better way for a burgeoning Green Goblin to kill a foe than by throwing him off a bridge, a la Gwen Stacy?
Killing Paul is an act Peter would have a hard time walking back from. Luckily, he didn't plan for the timely intervention of Kraven or the fact that MJ now has powers of her own. Paul is spared a gruesome death, and Kraven and Osborn set about saving Spidey from himself. In fact, Kraven admits to feeling grateful for being buried alive. He avoided the temptation to kill himself, proving once and for all he isn't doomed to the same fate as his father.
Spidey is once again stabbed with the mystical spear, which reabsorbs Osborn's sins and safely locks them away. Peter immediately comes to his senses and apologizes to MJ, admitting that he knows she did nothing wrong in starting a new life with Paul.
Spider-Man's brief tenure as the Green Goblin is now over. But there's reason to worry that this iconic Marvel villain could soon return. Issue #35 ends with Osborn reflecting on the fact that the spear isn't meant to be the final resting place for his sins. He knows that they're destined to return to their source, one way or another. Osborn is unable to stifle a laugh at the thought, suggesting that some of his old madness still remains. Sooner or later, it would seem Norman Osborn is doomed to return to his wicked ways. That may be why Marvel is teasing that this issue sets up the next 24 issues' worth of ASM stories.
How the Superior Spider-Man Returns
As if Peter Parker becoming infected with Norman Osborn's sins weren't enough, Marvel has been teasing the return of the Superior Spider-Man. Ten years ago, the monthly Superior Spider-Man series introduced a status quo where a dying Doctor Octopus hijacked Peter's body and set about proving himself as the better hero. Ultimately, he failed, and these days Otto Octavius has been restored to his own body. But now Marvel is bringing the series back for its tenth anniversary.
As revealed in Superior Spider-Man Returns #1, Otto has a vested interest in recreating the Superior status quo. This issue retcons Otto's origin story to fall in line with that of Alfred Molina's Otto Octavius in 2004's Spider-Man 2. Here we learn that he was attempting to perfect a nuclear fusion reaction when he suffered the accident that transformed him into Doctor Octopus. Otto knows that he finally unlocked the secret of fusion during his time as the Superior Spider-Man, but he doesn't remember that time well enough to recreate his work.
However, this issue subverts expectations by not actually bringing back the Superior Spider-Man. Instead, it presents an untold story from that era, showing Otto-as-Spidey working alongside a new lab assistant named Estrella. Estrella is the one who unlocks the key to stabilizing the fusion reaction. However, the arrogant Otto refuses to acknowledge her contributions, leaving Estrella to test the reaction on her own. In the process, she winds up transforming herself into a living fusion reactor named Supernova.
Spidey is able to avert nuclear disaster by trapping Supernova inside an impenetrable protective chamber. She's remained locked away there ever since, doomed to solitary confinement while both Peter and Otto have moved on with their lives. That is, at least, until Otto returns to the ruins of his lab and accesses the chamber. He hopes to once again unlock the secret of fusion by examining his old work. Instead, he inadvertantly sets Supernova free.
Luckily for him, Supernova doesn't recognize the man who freed her. Her wrath is saved solely for Spider-Man. And so it seems Peter will have to atone for another crime committed during Otto's brief reign as the Superior Spider-Man. But the question remains - will Doctor Octopus actually become Spidey again in the upcoming Superior Spider-Man revival, or is the series simply about Peter confronting the twisted legacy of those old days? We'll find out more when Superior Spider-Man #1 drops on November 15.
In other comic book news, you can check out an exclusive preview of TMNT: The Last Ronin II and learn how Zorro: Man of the Dead reinvents an iconic hero.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
