Spider-Oracle Petitions (01-Jul-2003)

 Posted: 2003
 Staff: The Spider-Oracle (E-Mail)

Here's Oracular Wisdom a-plenty. Note the increasing politeness of supplicants. While we do include as many Oracle responses as possible, it has become clear that the Mighty One showers his Sapient Favours more freely on those whose missives contain due deference to his Superior Status.

If you wish to see your response printed, or wish the Oracle to answer more difficult questions in great detail, you would be well advised to begin your request with a sufficiently submissive introduction. "O Might Oracle" is a good starting point, but don't feel limited in your entreatments.

From Caroline

I really need to know the answer to this question. Some money is at stake and I would be very grateful if you could tell me:

How many clones does spiderman have in the comic series "The Amazing Spiderman"?

I'm afraid to say, Caroline, that there have been literally thousands of Spider-Clones, most of them during the aptly-named story-arc "Maximum Clonage". The main ones, however, are Kaine (the first attempted clone), Ben Reilly (the only perfect clone), Spidercide, Jack, and Guardian.

From Turner

I have recently read the novel "Revenge of the Sinister Six," and am now in the process of reading "Secret of the Sinister Six." I've heard of every member of the group except for Pity. Was she in the comics? Do you know anything about her?

Pity is a character created exclusively for the novels, which are not in continuity. There is no comic-equivalent for her, though there's always the possibility one might be introduced someday.

From Ian

Hey......just wondering if you know who Victor (Viktor) Vaughn is.

He may be an alias for a villian....he's gotta be a comic book characeter. I think the character went to Eastern State University (Dean Stockton offered him a full science scholarship)...

Any ideas what comic or what his story is all about?

I believe this is the alias Dr. Doom used in FF # 236.

From Sep

I have a friend who believes that it was Peter's ingenuity that allowed him to develop his late father's molecular adhesive into web fluid... but I thought that Peter never knew his father and that he developed the adhesive web fluid on his own.

I am not a Spidey buff, but the answer to this question is eating me up ... I haven't read Ultimate SPidey and was wondering if this is the way the web shooters unfold in Ultimate SPidey.

Your friend is basically going by the continuity laid out in the ULTIMATE titles. In those, Pete's design of web fluid was built upon his father's research, while in the regular Marvel Universe, it was all Peter.

From Darkgob

In the comic listings on the site, there are two covers for Amazing Spider-Man #434 - one featuring Spider-Man and an alternate cover featuring "The Amazing Ricochet #1". But on the copy I own, the comic features both covers. The outer cover is the Spider-Man one, with the fold-in "Last Issue" feature Marvel used at the time, then a seperate inner cover with Amazing Ricochet #1 before the story starts. Does my copy count as the alternate cover, or is it something else entirely?

All the copies of ASM # 434 came with both covers. Half of the issues printed had the Spidey cover on the outside, and half had the Ricochet cover on the outside. So, neither version of # 434 is rarer than the other.

From SC

I was wondering if i could get some info on the spider-carnage. I noticed that this website mentions Ben Reilly getting the carnage symbiote on the Carnage bio, but not anything more. Searching the net, i can barely find any info on the not-so-popular characters like spidercarnage and the 5 symbiotes from Seperation anxiety.

Sure thing, SC. It was a 4-issue storyarc called "Web of Carnage" that ran in ASM #410, SPEC #233, S-M #67, and SENSATIONAL #3. You can read our very own Web of Carnage review.

From SbPat

Since you're the oracle, what do you think will happen between your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and the Green Goblin?

I'm guessing insults, threats, quips, punches, and angst. With just a touch of melancholy.

From Spider-Rahul

Oracle of Spider Oracles.................
Holiest of all Holy Spidergods...........
Answer my quesions.......................
fill me with answers.....................
Satisy the doubts of me, the Indian Spider-Fan!

  1. I heard that Spidey was a part of the Fantastic Four? How?
  2. Which is the hero Spidey does not really get along?
  3. When was the last time that Spidey tangled with the Hulk?
  4. And with Daredevil?
  5. According to people, which are the best Spider-Man teamups?
  6. The Kingpin has appeared in which Spider book recently?

Help me! O Namoh Spiderman devayah Namaha!( Made up sanskrit prayer!)

(Heheh)

It's my regular customer, Spider-Rahul! Come, young pupil, and let's see what answers we can unearth together...

  1. Spidey joined the FF in an alternate reality, shown in WHAT IF? vol. 1 # 1, and its two sequels, vol. 1 # 21 and vol. 2 # 35. As for the real Spidey, he formed a "new Fantastic Four" along with the Hulk, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider in FANTASTIC FOUR # 347-349 and # 374. Alternate realities of this new FF can also be seen in WHAT IF vol. 2 # 78 and WOLVERINE # 148. Aren't you glad you asked?
  2. Some would say the Punisher, but then others would say the Punisher is not truly a "hero". Fact is, Spidey's just such a likable guy, all the heroes love him.
  3. The regular Spider-Man fought the regular Hulk last in PP:SM # 14. And Ultimate Spider-Man fought the Ultimate Hulk in ULTIMATE MARVEL TEAM-UP # 2 and
  4. So ultimately, it's one of those two.
  5. "Tangled with" as opposed to "teamed-up with"? ASM # 287 I suppose.
  6. Any one before the renumbering happened.
  7. The Kingpin hasn't appeared in any Spidey book recently. But you can see Spidey appearing in the new KINGPIN series. (It's a switcheroo!)

Consider yourself helped, SR.

From Scott

Hey! I left the Spider-man train, like many when the Clone Saga got way out of hand. I've been back on for about a year (Since JMS) and had a question that just occured to me.

  1. What happened to the Daily Bugle?
  2. What happened to JJJ?
  3. And do the answers to Questions #1 & #2 have to do why Peter is no longer there?

Don't worry, Scott. The Bugle and JJJ are still around. It's just that they don't get seen much ever since Pete became a teacher in JMS's first story-arc. It looks as though you might get your fill of them and the rest of the Bugle staff in the upcoming series THE PULSE by Brian Michael Bendis, which will soon be replacing ALIAS.

From David

I finaly spent the extra dollars and ordered ASM annual 01` which I never read as I am only a subscriber without a single comic book shop near by. I ordered the book with hope to finally end all lost strings from Mackie's run on ASM, but alas one thing still troubles me...Who called Peter Parker shortly after MJ's "death" and sent him off to Latveria? was it the stalker? was it Dr. Doom? was it senator Ward? maybe I missed something. Please help me if you can.

Sorry I can't be more help, David, but it was never revealed who that was on the phone in PP:SM #14. All part of the writing of Howard "making-it-up-as-I-go-along" Mackie.

From Jmay

Shame on you Spider-Oracle! Your answer to T. Prevette regarding Iceman was not complete. In Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man #17 & 18, Spidey does indeed fight a villainous Iceman who has been hypnotized or something. The Angel also guest stars and at the end, Bobby Drake decides to again devote his life to being a super-hero, a nice segue into the new Champions series!

Do you need a napkin to wipe that egg off your face?

Ah... you have much to learn, Grasshopper.

I know about Spidey and Angel's tussle with a brainwashed-Iceman in SPEC #17 and 18. Heck, I had to mention it in this column a few months ago. However, that was not the battle Mr. Prevette was referring to, so I didn't think it needed mentioning.

Furthermore, that apearance you mention was *after* the Champions had disbanded. So perhaps, young one, you should pay more attention to your own studies!

From GrandTheftGamer

I was watching the Spider-man animated(or 3-d)show on MTV and noticed that Harry as well as Norman Osborn (see Norman in a pic) have Blonde hair in the show. Now I've been reading Spider-man comics for a long time now and watched to old 90's cartoon show and their hair had always been brown with some red. Now the Spider-man movie(don't quote me on this) I thought they changed the color of thier hair again with it being brown.So my question is what the heck is going on?

MTV = Blonde
Comics = Brown with Red
90's Cartoon = Brown with Red
Movie = Brown

The Osborn hair is one of the great unsolved mysteries on the Marvel Universe. Everyday super-heroes and even cosmic beings can't figure it out. Rather than present this comic-book mystery to it's audience, the movie/show makers simply gave them a normal head of 'locks.

From Anonymous

I have a few questions for the uhhh... oracle.

  1. I'm not clear on the whole separation anxiety thing, what the heck is it? I can't find any comics on it in my local shop, so can you sum it up for me.
  2. I've got Spider-man #1 in Gold webbing Cover, I notice you don't have this on your covers guide and Pete's Place still is looking for one. Is there something I should know about this book, cause it seems to be rare stuff.
  3. Was there ever a reason for ending web of spider-man, or did they just feel like replacing it with a campier name... like sensational.

Well here's the "uhhh... oracle" for all your many Spider-Queries.

  1. It's a VENOM limited series about Eddie being separated from the alien, back when it was a novel idea (It was only the third time it had been done.) And Eddie has to contend with all the symbiote's offsprings trying to kill him. It was collected in a TPB if that helps you find it.
  2. The cover with the gold webbing is worth about 5 dollars. It's the one with the gold UPC that is worth a lot. Like around 200 dollars.
  3. WEB was canceled to give the new Spidey (Ben Reilly) his own #1 issue with SENSATIONAL.
From Steve the Spider-Man Fan

I recently bought a not so recent Spider-man comic. It was called Spider-man Legacy of Evil and it was printed in 1996.

Near the last 3 or 2 pages of the one shot comic as it is called Ben Urich asks Spider-man What was it between Norman and Spidey that changed the original Green Goblin from a power-hungrey crimelord into a revenge -obessed lunatic? and then Spidey says"What happened was he knew... and I knew.. and he couldnt...he just couldnt stand the thought of ." An so he says he cant tell Ben. Spidey says thats one question that has to be unanswered.

Now I think I know what that question is but I would like to hear your say on what it is?

What happened, Steve, was that Spider-Man and the Green Goblin had learned each others secret identity. After that, the ongoing battle between them became much more personal. It happened in Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #39 and #40, though you can find the story reprinted (and cheaper) in Marvel Tales #178 and #179.

From Dave McCoy

I'm 49 and a fan of the "Marvel Super-Heroes" TV show from '66, having a few of them on videotape.

Can you help me with a question concerning The Sub-Mariner cartoon?

I'm looking for the 1960's comic book that they made into the cartoon titled "Peril in the Surface World". I have or have seen all the Tales to Astonish comics from the mid to late '60s, and I can not find this adventure! Do you know where it was taken from?

I've done a little researching online, Dave, and as far as I can determine, the Sub-Mariner was the one Marvel cartoon back in the sixties that had an occasional original story. The episode in question is just such an example.

 Posted: 2003
 Staff: The Spider-Oracle (E-Mail)