Spider-Man Marvel Adventures #8

Background

OK, OK, eight issues in, we’ve finally come to accept that this is not the Marvel Adventure Universe that we remember, it is however become the Marvel Adventure Universe that will be seeing going forward. It is (if you can pardon the expression), a Brand New day, er, Adventure, and, as we’ve been saying, for reasons that still confound us, Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man was canceled (yes, eight months ago!) and re-launched under this new title, Spider-Man Marvel Adventures.

Well, near as we can figure, the important thing here is that Spidey’s name tops the book’s header, so, in this fashion we know it’s still all about him — as a teen in the modern-day world.

Story Details

This episode starts out with Spidey showing up in the car of a bunch or Torino thugs as they are speeding away from a crime they’ve just committed. As soon as they realize that they have attracted Spidey’s attention, they start shooting at him startling him and causing him to fall off. Not to be brushed off so easily, Spidey returns to the thug’s car and crashes through the window, taking over the driving and “parks” it into a wall. Everyone piles out and the thugs pull their guns on Spidey. Only they don’t shoot, but drop their weapons, and are suddenly over come with the desire to turn themselves into the police, leaving behind a very confused Spidey.

It isn’t until Emma Frost (The Silencer) approaches Spidey and tells him that it was her utilizing her mental powers to influence the thugs that Spidey realizes what’s going on (he is also a bit startled that she was able to sneak up on him). Needless to say he is not only not happy that she mentally influenced the thugs, but he is also upset that she can sneak up on him. Still as he starts straightening up the mess caused by the crashing car, he confides in Silencer that Chat won’t open up to him about her sister. He knows that they live together, but she never seems home whenever he visits.

The next day at school, Peter is talking to Carter Torino about the same subject, only now he is wondering why Emma couldn’t help him with his problem about Chat’s sister. Then, later on, when Peter is home, he is talking to his Aunt May about the same problem: Not only has he never met Chat’s sister, but he doesn’t even know her name, and the entire issue is really starting to send him around the twist, and he begins to wonder if he should hire the Blonde Phantom to help puzzle this out.

The next day finds Chat and her animal friends guarding the opening of an ally way so that Peter can change into Spidey, only when he emerges from the ally Peter isn’t Spidey, but in a new red and yellow costume and calling himself “Mace.” When Chat questions him on this he explains that since Spidey is still being hunted by the Torinos and getting so much bad press that he has determined to “become” a new hero, and has chosen “Mace” as his new persona. However as he springs into action, preventing his first mugging the mugger believes that Peter actually has a mace and is going to club him with it. When the crowd sees what he has done they all cheer, only when they learn who he is, they too wonder where his mace is.

Silencer then shows up and quiets the crowd as she tells Mace she need his help, then she, Chat, and Mace leave the scene. They arrive at an empty storefront a few blocks away that Silencer tells them was her favorite café before it shut down. She tells them that the new owner of the café was apparently thinking of torching the place when Mace grabs both girls and knocks them down just as the place explodes. Spidey gets the girls to safety and goes back for whoever started the fire. Only he can see someone, but can’t get to them through the smoke and flames. He makes it out collapsing into chat’s arms.

The next morning Peter is recuperating at home and Chat is there. He asks her about her sister, as he does for the next several days but she continues to refuse to answer him. Working with Blonde Phantom he learns where Cinder (the arsonist) is going to strike next and prepares to take her down as Spidey. At the docks, Spidey, Chat, and Silencer wait for Cinder to show up and torch a boat belonging to some millionaire. When she shows up, Spidey goes after her, and knocks her into the water, where he is able to subdue her, and web her up. Once this is done, Spidey is about to ask Chat about her sister once again, but seems to forget what he was about to ask her. Silencer whispers into Chat’s ear to tell her sister that Silencer says hello, and then leaves both Chat and Spidey on the dock.

General Comments

It is safe to say that we are starting to warm up to this all new and all different Spidey with his new cast of characters, and (very) different chronology and continuity.

Overall Rating

I can’t say that I’m really a big fan of this new direction, as I believe that there was still plenty of wealth in mining the old shafts of (Classic) Spidey’s rich history that would have allowed writers years worth of exploration. Still, no one asked me, so I guess this is where we are.

Footnote

Even if it is not clear to Spidey, it is fairly obvious to anyone reading the story that Silencer is Chat’s sister.