THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #134

"Danger Is A Man Named... Tarantula"

• Writer: Gerry Conway
• Artist: Ross Andru
• Inker: F. Giacoia & D. Hunt
• Print Date: July, 1974

Featuring:

Plot Summary:

Springtime in Manhattan: Perhaps the city's best season. One during which its people come alive, and find joy in simple pursuits: bicycle riding, stickball, wandering in Central Park, and of course, taking a day-long boat ride up the Hudson River such as the one leaving now from a West Side Dock, the boat on the verge of being missed by your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Our hero, late for a boat ride with M.J., Liz Allen, and Flash Thompson, ducks down into an alley and changes into Peter Parker. Cue the dramatic foreshadowing as he points out that he's down to his LAST web-cartridge. Sixteen seconds after completing his change of clothes, he catches up to the rest of the gang and boards shortly before he sets sail on the River.

Grinning, Peter Parker joins his friends on the deck of the decade-old day liner, watching the water churn away from the prow of the boat as the cruiser begins its voyage up the Hudson... A voyage which won't be as uneventful as it now may seem. Peter gets a brief hint of the chaos to come when his Spider-Sense tingles, warning him of danger from three touristy looking fellows on the upper-deck. Writing it off as a bad case of nerves from his recent excitement, Peter focuses instead on the passing scenery as he recaps the events of the past few issues: The nuclear explosion that destroyed Doc Ock, Hammerhead, and entire island, returning Aunt May to Anna Watson's apartment, the re-appearance and disappearance of the Molten Man, and his reunion with Liz Allen.

And just as Peter thinks to himself, "I'm just glad it's all over now..", screams and the sound of a fight break out on the upper deck. As MJ cracks wise about being highjack, Flash rushes up to assist the crew. However, the sight of the Tarantula's dramatic introduction gives him pause. The Tarantula and his crew (Hidalgo and Juan) subdue the last two sailors and take control of the ship.

During this, Peter slips away to change into Spider-Man. He re-appears just in time to witness the Tarantula kicking a sailor off the deck and overboard. As the ship passes underneath a bridge, Spider-Man attaches a webline to swing down and rescue the sailor, bounces up to deposit the sailor on the bridge, and leaps over the bridge the catch the ship as it emerges from the other side...

AND.. Peter's shortage of webbing comes into play as his webshooters are unable to attach a web line to the bridge. As he plummets from the bridge, Peter flails about in a panic, but manages to catch himself on the underside of the bridge. Crawling up, he watches the day-liner steam off.

In an amusing scene, Spider-Man attempts to hitch a ride back to his apartment. Of course, all his attempts to stop passing motorists fail as no one is inclined to pick up a nut in Spider-Man costume. Abandoning his quest for a volunteered ride, Spider-Man hops atop a speeding van and mulls over how it came to pass that everyone thinks he's a murdered. Cue a mental monologue recapping the death of Norman Osborn and Gwen Stacy.

Hurrying home, Peter jumps into his bedroom window, grabs his spare web cartridges, and leaps out to catch up with the hijacked day-liner. Unfortunately, he was too much in a hurry to notice Harry Osborn spying in Peter's door. Harry thinks to himself, "It's as I've always suspected. Peter Parker is Spider-Man, and it's Spider-Man who killed my father!"

We'll have time enough to concern ourselves with Harry Osborn next issue; for now, let's take a brief look away from our harried hero, and turn for a moment to the office of the Daily Bugle's temperamental publisher, where the mayor is ringing J. Jonah Jameson. Apparently, the Tarantula is ransoming the cruise ship for $1 Million. Not having that sort of money in the city budget, the mayor blackmails the Daily Bugle into arranging the ransom payment by threatening the paper's charter. Jonah, under great duress, agrees to call his bank immediately.

At this moment, aboard the day-liner in question, already several miles up the uncaring Hudson, the Tarantula and his men are whetting their appetite for the big payoff by robbing the passengers of their valuables. Finally, Flash Thompson loses his temper, but learns it quick lesson at the end of Hildago's bullwhip. Before further punishment can be extracted, the bullwhip is yanked away by a webline, and Spider-Man, hitching a ride on a passing police helicoptefr, returns to the scene. Tying up Juan in his own bola, Spider-Man faces the Tarantula. Dodging the Tarantula's spikes with powerful leaps, Spider-Man wonders where exactly the Tarantula is from and what his game is. Unfortunately for him, he stopped paying attention to the Tarantula's henchmen, and the one known as Hidalgo leaps on Spider-Man from behind. Slowed just enough by Hidalgo's weight, Spider-Man is caught by one of the Tarantula's kicks.

Knocking aside Hidalgo, Spider-Man turns his full attention to the Tarantula. He's just about to finish off the battle when the well-meaning Flash Thompson re-enters the fray. As the Tarantula turns to finish off the would-be hero, Spider-Man dives and intercepts the flow that might've been lethal to Flash. At this, Spider-Man tags the Tarantula with a blow to the chin, and the masked villain slumps stunned to the deck. Unfortunately, the powerful drugs lacing the Tarantula's stings finally catch up with Spider-Man and he slums helpless to the deck as well. Just then, through a gathering haze, Spidey sees a familiar white pair of boots approaching. Staring up the gun barrel, Spider-Man is helpless against the return of .

Comments:

Welcome back to happy hour at the Embassy Suites! What an exciting time this has been. I haven't spent any significant time at home in the past six weeks, and I've only got three more weeks to go. I can't imagine what I'm going to do with myself once I get there.

Plot Analysis:

Overall, this was a fun issue. It introduces a new spider-villain who isn't ever listed on the "A"-list of spider-foes, but who definitely ranks on the "B"-list. We also get a significant development in the "what's wrong with Harry?" subplot, and it features the 2nd ever appearance of the Punisher.

This issue takes place a significant amount of time after the last issue. At rough guess, I'd say weeks after. The season has transitioned from distinctly winter to distinctly spring, and Spider-Man doesn't seem quite so harried as he has in the past couple of stories. As anticipated, he's suffered no ill affects from battling the Molten Man last issue.

To start us off, Spidey is running late to meet up with MJ, Liz Allen (who's going to stick around for awhile), and Flash for a day cruise up the Hudson River. When changing into his street clothes, Peter makes a point of mentioning that he's down to his last web-cartridge, so you just know that this is going to come into play. To be honest, for someone whose life depends so much on his webbing (like carrying him around town for starters), you wonder how careless Peter has to be to get so low on them. For now though, Peter hurries off to catch up with his group, and they board the ship without incident. There's more foreshadowing though as Peter's Spidey-Sense tingles lightly due to three men dressed as tourists standing on the upper deck. Peter writes it off to nerves, but faithful readers know better.

Next, we have a whole page recapping the past four issues or so and the first issue of Super-Giant Spider-Man (which is not in my collection.. YET!). If you want to know what happened, feel free to scroll back a couple of issues and you can get the low-down on this very site. Peter's thoughts, and our flashback, ends abruptly with the sound of a fight on the upper deck.

Y'know, one of the things I like about this issue is the little conversational touches and characterizations in the first half. Especially those relating to Peter's life. For example, early on he comments its a good thing the his boss, J. Jonah Jameson, doesn't know he's taking the day off to take a boat tour instead of snapping photos for the Daily Bugle. A couple of pages later, when the fight breaks out on the upper deck, Flash's first reaction to point out to Peter that here's an opportunity to get some news pics. Also, Flash's second reaction is to hurry up to the upper deck, put his boxing and military training to good use, and help the crew as much as possible.

Luckily, before he gets himself hurt, Flash pulls up at the sight of the Tarantula and his henchmen standing in control on the upper deck. The Tarantula announces that they have control of the ship, and their intentions are not to harm anyone. Actually, as I'm thinking about, I guess hijacking and ransoming a cruise ship isn't such a bad idea. It'd be difficult for anyone to approach the ship without your notice, and the crowds on a day-liner ought to be manageable. Of course, with the way Tarantula and his men stand out in the open with no apparent lethal weapons, a trio of police sniper's on a overpassing bridge could take them down, but those sorts of details are manageable.

Since we, the readers, weren't privy to the original skirmish, the writer then throws a couple more crewmen at the Tarantula to demonstrate his fighting ability and lethal style. Peter, having snuck off at the first sign of troubles, returns to the scene as Spider-Man just in time to witness one of the crew being pitched over the side by his momentum. Now, Spider-Man rescuing this crewmen takes up a page and a half, and the writer makes a big deal of it. To me, it seems like a fairly straight-forward things for Spider-Man to web a line to an bridge the boat is passing under, dive out to catch the bobbing crew member, and swing him up to the bridge. I guess the writer is making a big deal out of Spider-Man decision to temporarily abandon the ship to rescue a single man, but to me, I guess I didn't see it as that big of a deal. We all know that Spidey isn't going to abandon someone to let him drown under any circumstances.

Hehehe, and we get the typical comic book scene when Peter's friends realize that Spider-Man was on the ship. Flash looks around and notices that Parker is gone. "Guess he must be off hiding his head somewhere. Unless... Nah. Not a chance." That old cliche is always good for a laugh.

Finally, Peter's lack of webbing comes back to haunt him. He dives off the bridge intending to lower himself with a webline and return to the hijacked ship, but unfortunately, his last web cartridge just ran out. Thankfully, we avoid seeing him plummet to certain doom when he catches the bridge. We're left with Spidey on the bridge, and the boat steaming away.

Next, we're treated to a whole page of comic relief. Spider-Man, stranded on a bridge, with no webbing to travel by, attempts to hitch a ride with oncoming traffic. Despite Spidey's negative thoughts regarding people who would be so cold as to not pick up an apparent nut in a costume, I can't say that I blame them much. Anyways, Spider-Man hops atop a passing moving van, and rides his way into the city. This ought not to be that big of deal to him, but he seems frustrated about it. Thinking back over the past four issues or so, I've seen him do the same thing on a subway train, helicopter, and another truck out the Doc Ock's estate, so I don't know why he's so frustrated this time about doing the same. Of course, his thoughts remind the readers that the public at large hold him responsible for Norman Osborn's death. This makes the third reference/flashback/recap of past issues that Spider-Man's thought have led us in this story so far and we're only on Page 17. How far back is the writer going to take us, and how often do you have to catch up readers picking up Spider-Man for the first time this issue?

Strangely enough, the most significant part of this issue is only taken up by two small panels on Page 22. Harry Osborn, witnesses Spider-Man entering Peter's room and picking up web cartridges. It's at this point that Harry realizes that Peter is Spider-Man! He now blames Peter for the death of his father! And this is hardly remarked upon by the narrator at all! How can they can just throw that in as an afterthought and not comment on it for the rest of issue? Remarkable! I don't get it. If _I_ was writing this story, that would've been treated as the HUGE development that it is instead of a mere subplot to the issue.

And now we witness a rather bizarre occurrence. The mayor calls Jonah Jameson and blackmails him into agreeing to pay the Tarantula's one-million dollar ransom. I'm a bit boggled at this as I'm pretty sure that Jonah could sue the city for all it's worth for such a threat. Regardless, Jonah backs down and meekly agrees to the mayor's outrageous demand. Jonah makes a comment, "John Linsay, where are you when I need you?" This must be some sort of pop reference of the times because I have no idea who John Linday is.

OK, enough side-tracks, we've finally returned to the hijacked day liner where the Tarantula, not happy with a simple ransom, is busy collecting whatever valuables he can from the passengers. When Liz Allen's purse is being taken, Flash has had enough. He charges the goon with the whip known as Hidalgo only to be easily swept off his feet. That isn't enough to cool his jets, so Hidalgo stuns him with a blow to the neck.

This is actually a good place to mention something. I really like the portrayal of the Tarantula this issue. For starters, he doesn't have that completely cheesy and overdone accent that I've seen him use in subsequent appearance. Secondly, he's never really treated as a serious threat to Spider-Man. The writer knows that the Tarantula is nowhere near Peter's strength or ability, and he's treated as such. The only reason he gets in a couple of blows later in the story is because the web-slinger takes it easy with him and toys with him until he's distracted by the intervention of the Tarantula's goon and then Flash's misplaced assistance.

Spider-Man returns to the ship via the assistance of police traffic helicopter (yet another hitched ride!). Weird that police copter would be 'passing by' the hijacked ship. I'd prefer to think that it was patrolling the ship to keep and eye on things. In any case, Spider-Man is back on the boat, and after brushing aside the Tarantula's goons, we get to see him match skill against the Tarantula himself.

Like I mentioned, the Tarantula is a highly trained fighter, but he is simply not in the same class as Spider-Man. The Tarantula makes several leaps to try to impale Spider-Man with his sting, but Spidey deftly dodges and leaps to remain untouched. Meanwhile, he keeps up his trademark snappy patter wondering aloud where the Tarantula is really from (unanswered as yet), what's his motives for snatching the boat (simple money, apparently), and just who he really is (again, unanswered). Finally, when Spider-Man's back is turned he's jumped from behind by Hidalgo. Again, Spider-Man quickly and easily disposes of the thug, but the Tarantula makes the most of the diversion by stinging Spider-Man in the thigh with a boot spike.

Despite the pain, Spidey still outclasses the Tarantula, but before he can make quick work on the villain, Flash intervenes at the wrong moment (but in typical Flash fashion). As the Tarantula turns his sting on Flash, Spider-Man leaps in taking the Tarantula's blow in the forearm. At this point, Spidey's had enough, and a desperate punch to the jaw stuns the Tarantula.

Instead of celebrating an easy victory, Spidey realizes his troubles are just beginning as the drugs lacing the Tarantula's sting kick in. Spidey collapses the deck in a heap, and as he's on the verge of passing out, his bleary vision makes out the form of the Punisher (where did he come from?) standing above him. "Well, Spider-Man, it seems we meet again..."

Art Review:

Ok, the art had a lot of good and bad. The bad part were the aerial views of the ship as it passed under bridges, and the city background as Spidey swings across the city. The good parts involved the closer shots like the fight scenes and facial expressions. For example, Jonah's transition from glee to being called by the mayor to sullen acceptance that he's being blackmail is depicted really well complete with the background colors changing to fit his mood.

Action Factor:

Really the only action here involved Spider-Man toying with the Tarantula on the deck of the cruise ship. Again, I think the Tarantula was depicted well as a skilled fighter, but not someone who is in the same class as Spider-Man. Also on the plus side, Spider-Man wasn't as all-powerful and unbeatable as he can be portrayed. He's caught off guard twice during the fight, and both times, the Tarantula was experienced enough to make the most of the opportunities.

Spider-Villain lessons 101:

Tip #1:
Kidnapping and ransoming a cruise ship. Well, you saw it here first before Speed 2 and a host of other bad Hollywood films picked up on this unique twist of a common theme.