Spider-Oracle Petitions (01-Feb-2004)

 Posted: 2004
 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 Mighty Oracle" is a good starting point, but don't feel limited in your entreatments.

From pablo

Hey, do you know or at least has an estimate of Peter's age? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Peter's age is something that Marvel intentionally keeps fuzzy, Pablo. The general consensus, though, is that Peter is between 25 and 30.

From Darren

When I was a kid (somewhere between 1975 and 1989), my Mother took me to see a Spider-man movie at the Cinema. All I can remember thinking was "He is the coolest super hero ever!". Now that I am 32 yrs old, have two kids (one of whom is a MASSIVE Spidey fan!), my thoughts have sprung up and questions about this old movie are numerous.

  1. What year did it come out?
  2. Was this first Spider-Man movie covered up for the sake of the newest movie so it could be the "first"?
  3. Are there any websites that mention, have pictures, or where you can buy this old movie?
  4. Who was the main actor?
  5. What was the story line?

Well, Darren, the answer to all your questions involves the live-action SPIDER- MAN series from the 70's. The pilot for the show, plus two of the episodes, were shown as TV-movies in America. Overseas, however, they were actually released theatrically. It's one of these three episodes you must have seen. To find out all about the show, go to the section covering it here: http://spiderfan.org/shows/tv_70s/index.html

From boedangle

Can you tell me the name of the villain who has long blonde hair a red uniform and metal tenticles/cables that come out of his wrists? I think he is mostly in X-Men comics.

I'm not too current on my X-Men trivia, Mr. Dangle, but it sounds like you're describing Omega Red, first seen in X-MEN (vol.2) # 4-8.

From ringreader3

In your list, Doc Strange is listed as knowing Spidey's identity. But during the Shathra story, Pete makes a big deal about Strange seeing him with no mask. Who's wrong here?

It seems JMS might have made a slight mistake, because Marvel Team-Up Annual #5 makes it quite clear that Doctor Strange knows Spidey's real name and face (and Pete knows that he knows). It's understandable JMS didn't know about it since it hasn't been referenced since then.

From Jen

I heard that Doctor Octopus had a pet octopus that was killed by another villain. Is that true? If so, what issue that from?

That's basically right, Jen. Doc Ock's pet octopus was killed by the villainous Fusion in PP:SM #39-41. Doc Ock didn't really care, though.

From labj09

I see that Ultimate Spidey's new storyline has something to do with a Hollywood director making a Spidey movie and Doc Ock gets involved. Did this happen in the older comics, or is it out of Bendis' bag of tricks?

Something like that kind of happened waaaay back in ASM #14 (which was also the first appearance of the Green Goblin). Spidey persuades a director to make a Spider-Man movie and goes out to Hollywood to star in it. It gets scrapped, though, when the director decides to make a Hulk movie instead.

From Jason

I am intrigued to what compilations of comics to get featuring Spidey's origins. On your site you have Essential Spider-Man which seems the best choice, but it is in black and white. Is there the same thing in color or something similar? In the UK we have a hardback book which may be what I'm thinking of. It may be in color and it has a picture of Amazing Fantasy 15 on the cover. Is this what im looking for? Though it costs £50. Expensive, but essential?

That hardback you're talking about, Jason, is Marvel Masterworks: Spider-Man volume 1, which reprints AF #15 and ASM #1-10 in glorious color. There are an additional 5 volumes for Spidey, each of which reprint the next 10 consecutive issues of ASM. But yes, they do cost quite a bit more than the Essentials. It's between you and your wallet if color means that much to you!

From Brent

In the 70's, Marvel Tales and other reprints began omitting 2-4 pages from their reprints. What exactly where these omissions? Was it any part of the main story or was it just ads and secondary stories? I really need to know this because I want to see the first Spidey stories in full color, but I don't have the money to go and buy ASM #100 and such.

Yes, Brent, Marvel sadly reduced their page-count in the 70's, and for reprint title like MARVEL TALES and MARVEL TRIPLE ACTION, that meant leaving out a page or two. The compilers did their best to only remove nonessential pages, sometimes having to snip a panel here and there until two pages were gone. As for which reprints are complete and which aren't, the best resource I can direct you to is Arthur's Marvel Comics Reprints located here: http://www.math.ucla.edu/~alee/reprints.html

From titanjb

If you can tell me in which issue of Spider Super Stories Thanos faced my favorite web-head and in what issue Spider-Man had a team-up with the X-men against Magneto, I would be grateful.

Oh, if I must. The issue of Spidey Super Stories featuring Thanos is #39. As for your other question, I don't recall an issue of SSS that had Magneto. Maybe some help from our SSS specialist Eric Engelhard?

 Posted: 2004
 Staff: The Spider-Oracle (E-Mail)