THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #141

"The Man's Name Appears To Be... Mysterio!"

• Writer: Gerry Conway
• Artist: Ross Andru
• Inker: F. Giacoia & D. Hunt
• Print Date: Feb., 1975

Featuring:

Plot Summary:

"BBREEEEEEEE" goes the sirens of the police cars as they pursue the Spider-Mobile (yes! The Spider-Mobile!) through the streets of New York. As Spider-Man speeds through the streets and alleyways, he regrets bringing the red and blue monstrosity out of retirement (where did he store it anyways?). A quick maneuver trashes three cop cars, and the Spider-Mobile high-tails down an alleyway. Oddly enough, the remaining police end pursuit at the head of the alley leaving Spider-Man to wonder what they're up to. He doesn't wonder long as the fog (mists?) clear, and Spider-Man's alley turns into a very short pier. With a SPLASH the Spider-Mobile dives into the river leaving a soggy Spider-Man to climb out of the muck. Two patrolmen approach the end of the pier wondering why Spider-Man drove off the dock doing about 90, but they leave shortly vowing to let the Harbor Patrol clean up the mess. With water-logged web shooters, web-slinging home is out, so Spider-Man starts the long hike back over the rooftops.

When we next pick up our harried hero, it's several hours after the abortive Spider-Mobile caper, and an exhausted Peter Parker tries to stay awake during a class in bio-chemistry with few positive results. After class, Professor Warren berates Peter for falling asleep in Bio Chem 106 especially after Peter had to re-take the class due to low marks last year.

The autumn winds lifts leaves across the city, gusting them from one part of town to another. If we follow them across town, they take us to a certain private club. Inside, Jonah James and Robbie Robertson arrive and sip a snifter of brandy in the salon. A phone call interrupts their conversations, Jonah receives a mysterious "report" from someone who has "made contact". It doesn't take a huge leap of logic to realize that Spider-Man is involved somehow.

Five o'clock and Spider-Man swings above the city wondering how to salvage his Spider-Mobile. If it wasn't for the contract he signed with Corona Motors, he'd be more than happy to write the whole thing off. On his way, he decides to stop for dinner, and steals a McDonald's bag from a pedestrian on the street below. While he's snacking on his stolen eats, a strange mist appears and clings to Spider-Man's costume. As Spider-Man's spider-sense alerts him to danger, he becomes disoriented and falls of the rooftop. Reacting on instinct, Spider-Man breaks his fall by grabbing onto a fire escape, but manages to dislocate his shoulder in the process.

Holding his wounded wing, Spider-Man looks around for the source of the ever-thickening fog, and he sees the man he suspected of being behind thing approach - Mysterio! Mysterio charges out of the fog and in a flash, he knocks Spider-Man to the ground with several quick, powerful blows. Employing a hit-and-run tactic, Mysterio sprints away along a building way. Suspecting a trap, Spider-Man chases after him only to be nearly run down by a van driving along the side of the alley wall. Spider-Man panics and dives out of the way only to crack his elbow on the alley floor. Despite knowing that the van was an illusion, Spider-Man couldn't help but react instinctually to what his senses perceived.

Again with the illusions, as Spider-Man stands in the alley, visions of his enemies climb through the walls like ghosts and solidify in front of him. Again, Spider-Man should know that these are illusions, but the mist is disorienting him and preventing him from thinking things through. He can't help but lash out at the images with the result of shattering his hands on the alley wall. Finally, he's confronted by Mysterio once more, and leaping at his enemy in a rage, Spider-Man slams his head into a fire escape and collapses to the alley floor.

After, Peter shows up to the Daily Bugle with his hands in bandages. He tells Betty and Ned that he got caught in a brawl between Mysterio and Spider-Man. There's never a bad time for a surprise ending and Ned exclaims to Peter: "Mysterio died in prison almost year ago!"

Comments:

And I continue to write. I don't think I'll have a "Mysterio II" page when I put this update up, but it should follow shortly thereafter. Today's review music is a plethora of CD's I purchased yesterday. Currently, I'm listening to KMFDM "Adios", keeping a half-eye on the Denver vs. Detroit NFL game, and working on this. That's multitasking for you.

Plot Analysis:

Spider-Man is actually cruising around in the Spider-Mobile. I thought for sure that everyone had forgotten about that already. It's hard to believe that this rolling monstrosity has been around since issue #126 or so. For those of you asking, "Why would he be cruising around downtown in this instead of swinging through the skies?" Well, apparently he thought it might prove useful getting around the boroughs and tracking down the Jackal. Instead, what it seems to be most useful for is attracting attention particularly attention from very local law-enforcement officers. When we last saw the Spider-Mobile, Spider-Man could hardly control the goofy contraption as he didn't have a driver's license. Today, he'd put most any NASCAR driver to shame, zooming through the streets, and pulling a "dodge up the stairs" maneuver around a blockade that seems straight out of the 'Dukes of Hazard' complete with a three police car pileup behind him.

The Spider-Mobile darts on, with Spider-Man dodging what he thinks is an alley, but is obviously a pier to the casual reader. As a result of his confusion, the Spider-Mobile flies off the end of the pier doing about 60 MPH and crashes into the river. Now, reading ahead, we know that Mysterio used his illusions to disguise the pier, but my question is, "Where is he, and how did he know that Spider-Man would drive by this alley?" Unfortunately, those questions remain unanswered as Spider-Man climbs back up on the dock and begins hiking home.

Later, we have a nice interlude showing the even Spider-Man can't stay up all night patrolling the city without facing the consequences of sleep-deprivation. Peter struggles to stay awake in Professor Warren's class and afterwards, get a deserved reprimand from the Professor. Mary-Jane shows up and the budding relationship between her and Peter is evident along with Peter's self-doubts about getting involved with someone else after Gwen died at the hands of the Goblin.

Focusing back in on a web-slinging Spider-Man we watch as Spider-Man very uncharacteristically steals someone's fast food dinner. He talks about sending down a few dollars to make it up to the pedestrian, but he never does. This just seems like something we wouldn't expect him to do. Especially so casually.

While he enjoys is ill-gotten meal, mists swirl up from nowhere and surround Spider-Man causing him to get dizzy and fall of the rooftop. See, I'm disappointed in how Mysterio and his illusions are portrayed this issue. For starters, he only has one or two really dramatic illusions. The rest of his attacks are limited to swirling mists, old foes hovering around like wraiths, and the occasion physical assault. I mean, I know this is a new Mysterio, but still, the villain doesn't really go after Spider-Man with a vengeance. He seems more intent on tormenting and teasing Spider-Man than anything.

The villain revealed, Mysterio jumps in, takes a couple of shots at Spider-Man, and leads him on a short chase down an alley (along the alley walls no less). The chase ends when Spider-Man is confronted by a delivery truck barreling down the alley wall towards him causing him to dive to the ground injuring his elbow. Mysterio presses the attack by causing the illusion of an army of Spider-Man's enemies to form out of the walls and confront the web-slinger. Instead of going, "Hm, I bet Mysterio is up to his old tricks." Spider-Man responds as if the illusion is real, and in his savage assault, he manages to injure both of his hands slamming them into the brick wall of the alley. This is probably one of the rougher issues on our web-slinger as so far he's injured his left shoulder, left elbow, and both hands. Finally, Mysterio confronts the web-slinger causing Spider-Man to charge head-first into a fire escape. Instead of following up on his promise, Mysterio leaves an unconscious and helpless Spider-Man in the alley.

Later, Peter shows up at the Daily Bugle with his hands in bandages and bruises on his face. He explains that he was caught in the fight between Mysterio and Spider-Man, but Ned Leeds tells him that Mysterio died in prison a year ago!

Art Review:

For the most part, the art was acceptable. My big complaint is that Mysterio is a very visual villain with his illusions and tricks, and the art just didn't seem up to portraying Mysterio's abilities to their fullest. Mysterio had one good illusion of a delivery truck barreling down an alley wall, but then the rest of his attack were in the form a "weird mist" or a badly illustrated crowd of Spider-Man's deadliest foes. I dunno, I guess I'd have to give a "nice try, but needs to be better" comment to the art.

Action Factor:

The action could've been a little better. First, we have a car chase through the streets of New York. This is an interesting change of pace and certainly not what you expect when you open up an issue of Spider-Man. Other than that, there wasn't much. Mysterio got a couple of good licks on Spider-Man. However, all of the time spent on Spider-Man most had him reacting to Mysterio's illusions, and not actually doing anything (well, except injuring himself). It would've been nice to see Spider-Man shrugging off Mysterio's illusions for the harmless pranks they are.

Spider-Villain lessons 101:

Tip #1:
When you've vowed to kill someone and have them unconscious and helpless, you ought to take the opportunity to finish them off right then and there rather than letting them recover and bandage their wounds.