Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 7

   

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual
Issue Number: 7
Release Date: November 1987

Highlights

• Last annual titled Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man, all the remaining annuals in the run are simply titled, The Spectacular Spider-Man
• The honeymoon of Peter, and Mary Jane Watson-Parker
• First appearance of Smugglers, Ramon, Carmen, Cheryl, and Lewis
• First appearance of the locations Hartsdale, New Mexico, and Cassis, France
• At an American Indian Reservation in Hartsdale, Puma partakes in a ritual, showcasing his power against the brave warriors of the tribe
• When the test is complete, his uncle tells the Puma that while he enlisted the help of Spider-Man in his plight against Beyonder, that he never thanked the hero for his aid
• He's told to find Spider-Man, and express some form of gratitude and thanks
• Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 273, Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 111, and The Amazing Spider-Man Annual 21
• The newlywed couple arrives at the Villa in France, a gift from Bruce, one of Mary Jane's old boy toys
• As the two walk on the beach, Peter loses himself in thought of their future together with his consistent lack of money
• Mary Jane notices he's grown distant, and snaps him out of it by saying they should go swimming, throwing her dress off, and running for the water
• The two go to a swanky joint for dinner, and Peter is anything but comfortable in both the atmosphere, and his tux
• Things don't get any better when Mary Jane is spotted by some posh "friends"
• She's then spotted by Carmen, an owner of a fashion model agency, and when Peter excuses himself, he tells her that he wants her to join his group
• When the two return to the Villa, they find Thomas Fireheart, AKA Puma, sitting in the living room
• He introduces himself by his real name, and gives them a wedding gift
• Thomas offers Peter a job where he can be a scientist, as well as live his life as Spider-Man, and even doing side work on his Puma missions with him
• He tells Peter he's in Marseille on a mission, and if the job suits him, it pays $80,000.00 a year, and he can meet him tomorrow at 8:00 PM for a Spider-Man mission, which will pay extra
• Peter struggles with the offer, knowing he doesn't like Fireheart, and certainly had his issues with Puma in the past
• Though he arrives late, Peter does come the next day to see him
• Fireheart tells him of the mission to secure to stolen eggs, the ova ignata
• Fireheart has even had Spider-Man's costume designed, web shooters and all, in anticipation he would be working for him
• Peter is worried that Fireheart knows so many details about him that he could reproduce his superhero suit and gear
• Despite all their attention to details, the webbing his team has produced is inferior, and it snaps the first time Spider-Man tries to swing on it
• Spider-Man returns to Firehearts lab to create his own, which only somewhat turns our right, giving off acidic fumes when it comes in contact with the oxygen in the air
• Spider-Man arrives at his assigned location to retrieve his egg of the pair
• Fireheart monitors from afar, and is angered when the hero enters from the top of the building, and not the basement as instructed
• Ninjas attack, Spidey makes short order of them, and orders "squad A" to move upstairs
• Spider-Man finds his egg, and makes short order of the guardian and faux priest who try to stop him
• Everything is just the plan of Fireheart, who doesn't really want to work with Peter or Spider-Man, but is doing this for his uncle
• While saving the life of the faux priest, Spider-Man drops the egg, and in instinctively webbing it, it disintegrates when touched by his new acid webbing
• Fireheart sits at the restaurant waiting for Peter, and it just so happens to be the same one Mary Jane has stepped out to with her friends from earlier
• Peter returns the shredded Spider-Man suit to him, along with the trackers he put in it, and shouts at him that everything was just a setup to study him
• Fireheart shoots back that the job offer was legit
• Fireheart comes to see Peter the next day, and says the offer for the job still stands, and admits it's only to make his uncle happy, but still he respects him now
• Peter says that instead of the job, that they'll call it even if he destroys all the data he collected on Spider-Man, to which he agrees

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• None

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

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Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 6

   

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual
Issue Number: 6
Release Date: July 1986

Highlights

• Last appearance of Ace, Lorenzo Spencer, and Jean Hillman
• First appearance of Chuck Hanes, Dianne, Wendy, Bob Haar, and Reaper member Tyrone
• Death of Mrs. Spencer
• Peter wakes from a dream, and thinks about his first encounter with Ace, specifically how the man was able to dodge everything Spider-Man threw at him, and his own jealousy that Ace was admired while Spider-Man always remained a pariah
• Tyrone roughs up Ace's sister in the street, warning her that she better tell her brother not to testify against the Reapers, a story arc carried over from Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 5
• Ace shows up, and Tyrone pulls a knife on him, but is beaten down pretty quickly
• Ace reminds his sister that one of the people he's testifying against is his brother Lorenzo, which will split their family apart
• Chuck Hanes of the Child Welfare Bureau waits for Ace outside, and when he arrives informs him he's there to take his sister
• Ace declines, and rides off, while Hanes gives chase, but wrecks his car in the process
• City Editor Kate Cushing has had enough of Peter, and lays in down plain and simple, "No more clichéd pictures of Spider-Man!"
• She instead tells him their running a story on the mysterious vigilante, Ace, and tells Peter to go find him and get photos
• Ace shows up late to testify in court, but is pushed to his limit with the defense counsel insulting his family, and making accusations that he's only testifying to gain control of the Reapers for himself
• Ace storms out of the courtroom, deciding the legal system isn't worth his time
• A mistrial is granted, and Lorenzo goes free
• Peter Parker is in the courtroom witnessing it all, and decides he now has a reason to fight Ace
• As Spider-Man investigates Ace's apartment, the cops bust in with Chuck, they spot Spider-Man, and inform him that Ace is holding the child somewhere
• Now Spider-Man thinks he's a child abductor
• Spider-Man finds Ace in the streets below, and immediately springs into a fight
• To no avail, Spider-Man can't land a blow
• It's actually Ace who has the level head, and stops the fight, asking Spider-Man why he wants to fight him so badly
• Seeing he's not getting through to Spider-Man, Ace simply stands there, and lets him land punches for a moment
• Tyrone pulls a gun on Ace, but Spider-Man saves him
• Aces tells the gang that he and his sister are leaving, ant that Lorenzo will be back and can have leadership of the gang - he no longer cares
• As Lorenzo takes control of the Reapers again, in his own apartment, the son of Vince Difeo, the man killed by Lorenzo loads his father's gun, and says he'll get justice himself

Low Points

• The story opens with Spider-Man having a dream that he's beating the stuffing out of Ace, while everyone he knows is cheering him on; Aunt May, Mary Jane, Robbie Robertson, and J. Jonah Jameson, to name a few
• Spider-Man is intent on finding Ace because he wants to fight him for a reason he doesn't even understand

Oddities

• Ace sees a couple armed robbers heading into a store, and tosses them out the window
• As he's walking out the store, he has a handful of cash, and the owner tells a reporter for the Bugle that Ace provides protection, and he kicks him some cash
• Except how much did he just cost the guy in a broken window?
• After an odd scene of Mrs. Spencer dancing with Ace, she dies

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

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Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 5

   

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual
Issue Number: 5
Release Date: November 1985

Highlights

• First appearance of the Reapers gang; Ace, Al Webber, and Lorenzo Spencer
• Additional first appearances of the Dragons (all unnamed), Jean Hillman, Rosie Spencer, Mrs. Spenger, and Mr. Alexander
• First appearance and death of Sammy, and Vince DiFeo
• A gang war has broken out, and the wake leaves the dead teenage boys of the Dragons at the hands of the Reapers
• Spider-Man spies Ace sitting in an alley on his bike, and catches a picture of him with his camera
• Joy Mercado, new hire for the Daily Bugle, rushes outside, almost knocking over Peter Parker
• When she learns who he is, she grabs him, saying she needs a photographer, and drags him with her
• Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 267, and Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 103
• Al Webber and Lorenzo Spencer stand trial for shooting Vince DiFeo, unfortunately, he's in a coma, and can't be a witness
• As the trial is postponed, the defending legal team find out that DiFeo has passed away
• Peter shares his photo of Ace with Joy, and the two head to his neighborhood, asking around for him
• Peter and Joy are attacked by the Reapers, and when Ace appears on scene, he pretends to get hit by his bike, playing possum until he can change into his Spider-Man suit
• The gang kidnap Joy
• When Spider-Man tracks down the Reapers, he's surprised by Ace, who crashes through the window on his bike
• As the two fight, Spider-Man can't land a punch on Ace, nor nab him with his webbing, the guy is just too quick for him
• Just as Spider-Man thinks he's tricking Ace into getting closer for him to land a blow, the guy cuts him with a knife, so fast that Spider-Man can't even react
• The rival gang, the Dragon's show up, ready for war
• Spider-Man asks Ace to intervene and stop everyone, but he says it's none of his business
• During the fight, a "kid" named Sammy is hit by a bullet, and dies in Joy's lap
• Ace goes to see Lorenzo in jail, and tells him he's going to testify against him and Al
• Lorenzo turns out to be Ace's half brother

Low Points

• We don't learn why Ace is so fast in a fight, but a quick search of Marvel Fandom informs that he's a mutant

Oddities

• None

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

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Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 4

  

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual
Issue Number: 4
Release Date: November 1984

Highlights

• First appearance of Johnny Jerome, Albert Reilly, and Claire Reilly
• First appearance of the locations Danceland, and 310 Bedstone Avenue
• Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 258
• As the robbers of a bank exit into the streets, Spider-Man swoops overhead, but he ignores them completely
• The narration tells us he's asleep (see low points)
• In the rain drenched streets below, May Parker walks through the city, remembering her past
• The story serves as a historic glance into the life and times of one May Reilly, soon to be the wife of Ben Parker, and guardian of a young Peter Parker
• Nathan Lubensky calls Peter at home, and tells him he needs to come see his Aunt - The two still haven't spoken since Peter told her he dropped out of school
• Aunt May is getting mysterious letters daily, and a car picks her up each night to take her out alone
• The letters are love letters from Johnny Jerome, a figure from May's past
• Nathan asks Peter to follow his Aunt, and find out where she's going, and what she's doing
• As Peter and Nathan rest, May slips out again, and into a cab - Hearing her exit, Peter springs into action, following as Spider-Man
• Aunt May wander's Coney Island in a daydream, reliving her past
• Aunt May returns to her old home, 310 Bedstone Avenue, but is followed in by some thugs
• While May meets with an older Johnny, Spider-Man quietly deals with the thugs
• In a flashback, Ben Parker informs May the jewelry which Johnny was trying to woo her with was not only stolen from a shop, but that he was shot by Johnny
• We learn that Johnny was only paroled because he doesn't have much time left to live
• May tells him that he doesn't love her, he only loves the memory of her, and says that she will help him find a place to live out the rest of his days, but nothing more than that
• May returns home to a waiting Nathan, and tells him that it's time for her to explain everything
• A backup story has Spider-Man and Black Cat trying to enjoy a normal night in, when the wine carafe Spidey gave her as a gift is stolen
• Black Cat send Spider-Man for a bottle of wine, while she sets out on a mystery to find the stolen glassware
• Black Cat finds the carafe at a restaurant, but it's taken from her at gunpoint by a mysterious man, who gives it to his hostages when she gives chase, and who give it to the police
• The carafe is turned over to Captain DeWolfe, and as she examines it, the mysterious man shows up at her office claiming to be CIA agent Tamarind
• Black Cat busts through the window of DeWolfe's office and chases after the man, only to find out that it's her friend, Tamara Blake in disguise, just playing a game with Cat

Low Points

• Deciphering the Spider-Man timeline
• This issue must occur at some point during the events of The Amazing Spider-Man 258 - They must because at the end of that issue, Peter no longer has the symbiote suit
• This issue makes reference to a sleeping Peter Parker within his Spider-Man symbiote costume, thus why he doesn't engage with the bank robbers
• In The Amazing Spider-Man 258, the symbiote once again envelopes a sleeping Peter Parker, and takes him out into the night, but prior to Peter going to the Fantastic Four's headquarters
• The events of Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 4 feasibly occur during that time
• The backup story is silly and unnecessary

Oddities

• Editor's Day Off: A major goof in the lettering occurs, with words completely missing when Spider-Man says, " But at least neither Aunt May else was hurt!" I think it's supposed to say, "But at least neither Aunt May or anyone else was hurt!"
• Editor's Continued Day Off: A young Johnny tells May, "But now there's no time left now." The last "now" is redundent

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

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Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 3

   

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 3
Issue Number: 3
Release Date: September 1981

Highlights

• Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 190, and Marvel Premiere 41
• Peter has the sense to not give photos of Man Wolf fighting Spider-Man to Jonah, what with the man thinking his son was dead
• Lance Bannon doesn't have that same sense, and gets yelled at when he presents his photos
• John Jameson wants to be rid of the curse of Man Wolf, and turns to Doctor Connors for help
• The treatment works, and the moon stone falls from John Jameson's body
• The moon stone crumbles to dust
• Fun section after the main story featuring Aunt May's photo album, Peter's office layout at Empire State University, Pete's Pals and Gals (a one pager based on his co-workers at ESU), and a pinup gallery of numerous Spidey villains which not only includes bios, but notes their first appearance and list of issues they've appeared in since

Low Points

• Cliche title on every level
• J. Jonah Jameson buckles under the medical experiments that Doctor Connors is performing on him, and lets the Man Wolf out of captivity

Oddities

• Spider-Man crashes through the window of Kristen Saunders, and I once again have to ponder - who gets stuck with that bill?

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

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Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 1

   

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 1
Release Date: December 1979

Highlights

• Concludes the Doc Ock portion of the story arc left off in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual 13
• Reference is made to Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 37
• Doc Ock gets his own super villain submarine, the Octosphere
• Doc Ock is dragged down to the depths, his arm caught in one of the submarine's closed hatches - is he dead? No

Low Points

• Peter is a jerk to Marcy Kane when she tries to apologies for calling him a coward in the above referenced issue 37

Oddities

• None

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

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