Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 280

   

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 280
Release Date: September 1986

Highlights

• First appearance of the new villainous team-up, the Sinister Syndicate
• Hydro-Man
• Speed-Demon
• Beetle
• Boomerang
• Rhino
• The story opens up to immediate action, with Silver Sable and Spider-Man already battling it out with the Syndicate
• Reference is made to Web Of Spider-Man 16 - 18, The Amazing Spider-Man 275, and 278
• The story rewinds a bit to Spider-Man swinging around the city looking for Silver Sables after seeing her add for his help - From The Amazing Spider-Man 279
• Sha Shan meets Flash Thompson in prison, and when he asks if he can count on her to testify on his behalf, she simply responds that she couldn't count on him
• Sha Shan is still angry about Flash cheating on her with Betty Leeds, and rightfully so
• This is not helped when as she's leaving the jail, Betty is walking in
• Spider-Man initially turns down Sable for the job, but then when he hears Flash needs money for his defense, he reconsiders
• Jack O'Lantern called Silver Sable, and told her where he'd be, and when, but it was clearly an ambush, and that's when the Sinister Syndicate attacked
• As part of her tactic, Silver Sable takes off running, drawing Beetle and Boomerang with her, leaving Spider-Man to face the other three villains
• Rhino has a new suit, and during the fight explains he only joined the team to earn money to get "illegal operations" to turn him back to human
• Betty Leeds comes home to find Ned moving out
• Jack O' Lantern goes to see Kingpin to offer his paid services, but is dismissed immediately
• Mary Jane knocks on Roderick Kinglsey's door to tell him the models are ready for their dress rehearsal
• After sending her off quickly, the man returns to his conversation with another man in the shadows who is holding a very familiar looking pumpkin bomb
• Jack O'Lantern hits up The Rose for work, telling him he could one up the Hobgoblin any day
• The Rose informs him he'll let him know if he ever needs his services, but more menacingly, considers pitting the two against each other for his own benefit
• Silver Sable manages to land a double kick on Beetle, but in the processes sprains both her ankles on his hard body armor
• Spider-Man and Silver Sable attempt to hide under a wooden roller coaster, but the villains literally knock it down
• Off in the distance, Sylvester Mann (Sandman) sees the plume of destruction, and decides to investigate
• The shadowy figure from Kingsley's office learns of Jack O'Lanterns ploy to usurp Hobgoblin, and leaving the building runs into Mary Jane, who immediately recognizes him (not as the Hobgoblin, but his true identity) - The suspense!
• Cliffhanger ending with the Sinister Syndicate bearing down on Spider-Man and Silver Sable
• It's about time we got back to Spider-Man stories that featured iconic villains

Low Points

• Spider-Man thinks to himself that he's only come to see Silver Sable out of curiosity, but that she doesn't know he's decided to give up being Spider-Man
• He has?

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Kix - Blow My Fuse

Today I'm wrapping up my time with Kix with their final release of the decade, Blow My Fuse (1988). I knew nothing about the band before coming across three of their four 80's albums at a used CD shop in December 2025, and while it's been an okay journey through their music, they're definitely not among my favorite hair metal bands.

Despite previous success, it would ultimately be Blow My Fuse which would serve as a breakthrough for the band. This was mainly aided by their number eleven Billboard Hot 100 hit, Don't Close Your Eyes, their first and only Billboard charter. This sudden boost in popularity enabled the band to start playing in arenas.

To further support the album, Kix released Blow My Fuse: The Videos. The VHS featured not only the music videos from the record, but also behind the scenes footage. These types of cassette treasures were commonplace in the 80's, and pure gold to rabid fans who wanted more and more.

Playing through it, you get another straightforward hair metal album. Solid riffs, screechy guitar solos, and raspy vocals.

As the lead single, Don't Close Your Eyes started up, my mind told me, "Oh, I remember this song." Apparently, the reason I'd forgotten it is because it's just okay. I certainly don't see it as a top twenty hit. Regardless, I'll take it, and I'm happy to have it in my ever-expanding collection.

Maybe it's because of their high ranking hit that I'm being more critical of the record than I normally word. However, overall, I just don't see it as all that amazing. Kudos to them if it boosted them to arena status, but I don't personally see Kix as all that amazing. Maybe I could picture them at an arena if they were opening for Bon Jovi or Mötley Crüe, but definitely not headliners.

Regardless of my personal opinions, the band carried on, releasing 1991's Hot Wire. Unfortunately, guitarist Brian "Damage" Forsythe would depart in 1993, replaced by Jimi K. Bones. Forsythe would site financial issues with the record company, and internal band friction which simply made it no more fun to be part of Kix.

The band was dropped by Atlantic Records in 1994, and moved to CMC International for 1995's $how Bu$ine$$. Though this would be their last album for almost twenty years.

The members would go their separate ways, but rumbles began to emerge of a possible reunion in 2003. This involved original members Steve Whiteman, Brian Forsythe, Ronnie Younkins, and Jimmy Chalfant. Final member, Donnie Purnell would not be invited to join the band, with Whiteman explaining the decision was made after, "the most unpleasant and nasty conversation I've ever had in my life," with the bassist. He was replaced by Mark Schenker, and these members remain active in the band to date. Additionally, they released an all-new studio album in 2014, Rock Your Face Off.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution. 

Comics Corner: Web Of Spider-Man 22

      

Title: Web Of Spider-Man
Issue Number: 22
Release Date: January 1987

Highlights

• First appearance of Liam Magill, Dr. Fahley, Freddie the Bartender, and Black Hoods members, Marty, and Rory Magill
• First appearance and death of Ian Forbes
• Death of Rory Magill
• Peter and Joy Mercado have arrived in Dublin
• Right off the bat Peter and Joy get caught in the crossfire of a gunfight between the military and the Black Hoods
• Liam runs from the scene of a bombed apartment building, and trips near Joy and Peter
• When questioned by the military, they both say the man is with him
• They learn that the Black Hood were trying to kill Liam, and have been for some time
• Liam's friends tell Peter and Joy that the Black Hoods are killing folks, bombing buildings, but making no demands or statements
• Liam also says he believes they killed his brother, Rory
• The Black Hoods kidnap the two reporters, and take them to the Roxxon building where they meet Ian Forbes
• Liam breaks into Roxxon, and frees the two, and after splitting up, Spider-Man joins the party
• Liam and Joy are captured again, and taken to the roof, Spider-Man follows, making short order of things, but just as the fight is about over, one of the Black Hoods has a gun aimed straight at Joy's back
• Liam shoots the guy in the back, only to learn the now dying man was his brother
• The helicopter carrying Ian Forbes away suddenly explodes, and we cut to a shadowy figure in an undisclosed Roxxon office informing an unknown person on the phone that he's been taken care of

Low Points

• Roxxon's involvement is nothing but the same old story of government funding for weapons being halted, and other options pursued
• Agent 003? Really?

• Forbes tells Joy and Peter the entire plan - Because there's no way they can possible escape
• Who wrote this story? A five year old who just binge watched every James Bond movie?
• This arc has done nothing meaningful for the overall story of Spider-Man, and it's been quite boring overall

Oddities

• Liam takes Peter and Joy to a pub to meet his mates, and the reporters buy them all a round of beers, and as they're leaving Joy asks if Peter will buy them a second round, to which he agrees, and flips to coins to the bartender
• Two coins for four beers? Even if each coin was €2, the average cost of a beer in 1986 in Dublin was €1.30 - €1.50 - Just saying
• Ian introduces Joy and Peter to the AK-X Antipersonnel Particle Beam Cannon
• He then has it fired within a few feet of everyone, which would destroy their ear drums
• If that wasn't bad enough, he then says it has a tendency to overheat and explode
• So basically, whether he's making himself deaf or exploding himself from firing while standing so close, he's an idiot - Yeah, that's the guy you want in charge

• Forbes tells Joy and Peter the entire plan - Because there's no way they can possible escape
• On the previous page, Spider-Man is helping Joy on the roof, on the very next, Peter Parker is standing next to her - quick change?

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Christmas Catalogs - Montgomery Ward 1972

Hey! You want to spend the next two years looking at the fantastic Christmas catalogs produced by Sears, JCPenny, and Montgomery Ward? Cause I do! Yeah, I said two years, cause that's a lot of catalogs! Join me on most Monday's each month as I post up one of those fabulous books starting with 1970, and ending with 1989.

Look through every page, feeling every bit of nostalgia. Chuckle at the look and style of the wardrobes those zanny past decade people wore. Gawk at the toys you used to have, but long since parted ways with. Bring back all those memories of hours spent laying on the floor, combing every inch as your young mind pined over everything you wanted. Reminisce over the Christmas that followed as you unwrapped those lucky few that you got.

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