Spectacular Spider-Man (UK Magazine) #149

Background

This UK magazine features a new Spidey story each issue, which is to say, each three weeks.

This relatively long-running mag started off by reprinting various issues of Spider-Man Adventures and Adventures of Spider-Man. It then swapped to reprinting more recent issues set in standard continuity, before switching at some point to creating isolated original Spider-Man stories set in the a universe very similar to the 1994 Cartoon TV series.

Most recently the magazine has made another switch in theme, now creating its own continuity-driven stories set in a non-specific "Teen Spidey" universe. Peter's identity is a secret from the world, and from his part-time girlfriend Mary Jane. Peter falls asleep in class because he's up all night fighting villains, that kind of thing.

Most recently, Harry has taken on the role of the Green Goblin, Jr. Spidey presumably defeated Harry (I don't have the preceding issue), but now finds himself facing Norman Osborn (who supposedly was dead) in Green Goblin form. Is it possible to have too many goblins? I think perhaps so.

Story 'Legacy of The Goblin'

Spidey and Norman fight. Then Norman, in true villain fashion, decides to explain everything before killing Spider-Man. Seems that the Norman who was supposedly killed was in fact a robot. Norman then manipulated his son Harry, with the assistance of drugs and hypnosis, into taking his place. Seems Norman wanted his son to become a success, and this was his plan.

All the events of the past few issues were Norman's doing. They fight some more. Flash Thompson (apparently lingering around from last issue) whacks Norman from behind, saving Spidey. Spidey and Norman fight some more, and Spidey wins... Norman being taken out to sea by his out of control glider. Yeah, I'm sure that's the end of him.

Harry is coming around, Spidey uses the hypnosis keyword that he learned (see earlier issues) and hypnotises him to think that Spidey isn't evil and to forget Spidey's identity, and a bunch of other convenient things. Peter finds MJ and explains that he ran into a lamp-post and knocked himself out for several hours. MJ doesn't take him to hospital to check for brain damage, but instead just accepts the story. Tidy ending, until next time.

General Comments

Oh, this is just what we needed, yet another mangled retelling of the Green Goblin story. At least a Robot is better than a Clone. Possibly. But really, between the formulaic plot and writing and the Deus Ex Machinas, this is really rather terrible stuff.

Overall Rating

Bring back the silly tomfoolery we used to know and love from this title. If you want serious Green Goblin action, go read Ultimate Spider-Man. Two webs.

Footnote

The original Spidey story in these issues takes up 10 or 12 pages of the overall 36 pages. The remainder is given up to puzzles, fact files, features, posters, fan letters, competitions, and a little bit of Spidey-specific advertising.