GORILLA GRODD versus THE FLASH TRIO

Beyond The Super-Speed Barrier! (DC)
Where: DC Special Series #11 When: 1978
Why: Cary Bates How: Alex Saviuk

The Story So Far...
An ordinary night in the lives of three civilians becomes a bizarre mystery as each is summoned to don their identities as The Flash and Kid Flash of two worlds -- and race to meet in a single, solitary location on an Earth-1 hillside.

Compelled to run at blistering speeds against their will, the speedsters discover themselves confronted by a shocking force capable of bending their very impulses. Though believed executed for his crimes in Gorilla City: Super-Gorilla Grodd lives!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Gorilla Grodd 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Barry Allen 5 (Professor)
Speed: Barry Allen 7 (Lightspeed)
Stamina: Barry Allen 6 (Generator)
Agility: Gorilla Grodd 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Gorilla Grodd 2 (Projectile)
Total: Gorilla Grodd 28 (Metahuman)

Gorilla Grodd is the big-brained super-ape with super-primate strength, stamina, and durability, with telepathic powers to take it to the next level, but if he's so smart -- why is he challenging three generations of The Flash?!

Barry Allen is the frontrunner of the trio as the fastest man alive and arch-nemesis to Grodd. Thwarting the Anti-Monitor's attack on reality robbed Allen of decades of print, but his eventual rebirth brought him racing back to the present day to reaffirm his dominance over the Speed Force!

During Allen's lost years it was Kid Flash who assumed the mantle of the "Scarlet Speedster". Wally West established a connection with the speed force like no other Flash before him. This is our first time visiting his junior years, but his later exploits have included outpacing Marvel's Quicksilver, and teaming with Barry to stop the sprint of the Lady Flash.

Jay Garrick is the one and only "golden age" Flash who started it all! He might not hit the top speeds of his younger counterparts, but that never stopped him fighting the good fight against the monstrous Morgauth, villainous Reverse-Flash, or resourceful Rag Doll!

All three can run rings around Gorilla Grodd, so the question is: How can Grodd counter-act a triple threat of super-speed? Well, there are a couple of ways...

Numbers actually might work against the Flash trio if Grodd can use his mental powers to turn one or more against each other. This mind-controlling technique was on full display when he marshalled the Ultramarine Corps against Wally and the Justice League in JLA: Classified #3!

The Flash may be able to think fast on his feet, but we saw Barry Allen succumb to this very type of subterfuge when the Black Lantern Martian Manhunter telepathically tricked him into targeting the Green Lantern!

When mind games fail, Grodd can always use more direct means to turn enemies into allies. His quest for gorilla dominance has seen him use many methods to turn the populace into likeminded primates, as he did in Supergirl #3 with a mystical talisman.

The Tape: Flash Team-Up Ranking: Barry Allen (#20)

What Went Down...

Puzzled by a mysterious, irresistible force that compelled Barry Allen and Kid Flash to run backwards to their destination -- and bring Jay Garrick spinning from Earth-2 -- the trio is equally shocked to learn the source: Super-Gorilla Grodd!

Knowing Grodd by reputation -- Garrick doesn't miss a beat joining Kid Flash in a two-pronged attack that sees the two racing to grab one of the super-gorilla's arms and spin him at super-human speeds!

The attack does the trick, but as Grodd falls flat on his face, Barry Allen informs his friends that he learned from Solovar himself that Gorilla Grodd was executed in Gorilla City by inter-dimensional molecular dispersal!

As Garrick checks on the motionless Gorilla, he makes the grim discovery that the ape before them is indeed dead.

The Flash knows his allies couldn't have inflicted lethal force, and a booming disembodied voice confirms the truth. The ape before them was in fact Jroyy -- an agent killed with "mind-power" for outliving his usefulness.

Suddenly the voice comes from the mouth of Kid Flash as his face twists into a sinister, contorted parody of a grin, and he taunts The Flash with the mystery: "What has become of your detective abilities, Flash? You should have deduced who I am by this time!"

The Scarlet Speedster quickly recognises the voice to be Grodd's -- even as it suddenly springs forth from the mouth of Jay Garrick!

The Golden Age Flash becomes the vessel from which Grodd reveals that the only thing that could penetrate the dimensional barrier that trapped his atoms was precise super-speed! Thus, Jroyy orchestrated events that would take each of the three speedsters unwittingly to the correct vibrational frequency.

Speaking through Barry Allen; Grodd describes the billions of his atoms that clung to each of his foes as they passed through his dark domain. Then in a single terrible instant -- Super-Gorilla Grodd returns!

Freed from Grodd's molecular influence -- the trio of Flashes race away from the reassembled villain to regroup. Quickly gaining ground, they turn back to make a bee-line towards the scheming simian.

Once again its the eldest & youngest speedsters who reach their target first, but neither of them could've imagined that Grodd would've gained his own temporary super-speed as a result of piggybacking on their molecules!

A rapid swatting of his hand allows Grodd to stop the charging Kid Flash in his tracks, before effortlessly side-stepping the Golden Age Flash, turning his momentum against him with a simple super-fast toss into a nearby tree!

Earth-1 Flash closes in at high-speeds, digging his heel into the ground to launch a blanket of rocks at the Super-Gorilla!

Alas, Grodd's temporary super-speed and powerful mind-powers allow him to face the spray of rocks with impunity -- telekinetically hurling them at The Flash!

With no speed advantage and nowhere to run -- Flash has no choice but to spin on the spot, using his incredible momentum to deflect the incoming projectiles.

Kid Flash attempts to take advantage of the distraction, rushing Grodd from behind with a flurry of hammer-fists -- while Jay Garrick recovers to dive straight at the villain with a flying kick!

Seeing it coming -- the Super-Gorilla vibrates himself at fast enough speeds to achieve molecular intangibility and leave the two Flashes colliding into each other!

The Flash takes a page out of his sidekick's book, using the distraction to dive onto Grodd's back and start stomping at high speed!

For a moment it seems the gorilla is capitulating, but he soon sends The Flash flying into the dirt with a speedy back kick!

With the Flash trio on the ropes, and mere seconds of residual super-speed at his command, Grodd hops to his feet and begins racing across the battlefield in preparation for delivering a single finishing blast of mind-power!

Grodd's gloating of superiority unwittingly inspires a new tactic in Barry Allen, who turns his sprint towards his allies -- running at such phenomenal speed as to collect their atoms in a confusing blur of three speedsters!

For an uncanny moment the three Flashes are merged as one -- allowing The Flash of Earth-1 to pilot their combined speed into a single powerful punch! A mighty knock-out blow even Super-Gorilla Grodd cannot withstand!

The Hammer...

A gloriously bizarre end for a mildly unusual episode.

The Flash takes the team-up to its most literal conclusion -- combining powers & bodies to wholly share the victory with Kid Flash and Jay Garrick!

It's not a trick I remember The Flash pulling very often, which might be why I'm not completely disgusted by it.

I get a little crankier about the on-going trend of superheroes switching powers and identities these days. Today we have to endure entire years of this type of distracted nonsense, but in this story, it's a quick little gimmick, using the established trope of The Flash manipulating his molecules at high speeds to perform weird & wild feats. A colourful end to a fun plot.

A more modern take on the story would probably see the speedsters creating a slipstream to slingshot the fastest of the trio towards their target. A less mind-bending version of sharing speed, but hey. Let's just chalk it up to Speed Force.

Back then they didn't have a catchy name for the extra-dimensional super-normal phenomena that informs The Flash's incredible abilities, but its intuitive invention is here on display in 1978. If Gorilla Grodd's dispersed atoms weren't imprisoned in the Speed Force dimension itself, similar concepts aided in freeing him.

The story of Grodd's temporary death runs throughout the issue. Not to be confused with the classic 80-Page Giant series; DC Special Series #11 never the less uses the 80-page format to tell a value-packed one dollar story, comprised of six or so chapters, each an episode in the lives of the three Flashes featured.

Solovar oversees the execution of the criminal super-gorilla in the opening story, setting up the thrilling main event featured today, after each Flash is run through their paces by various opponents, with covert interference from Jroyy.

If you think opening with Grodd in what amounts to an electric chair death scene is grisly, wait until you see Kid Flash chasing his girlfriend Leslie on an out-of-control motorcycle that goes so fast -- her body bursts into flames! Reducing her to a skeleton! It's just an illusion cooked up by Jroyy, but geez! That's a bad date!

Irv Novick, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, and Kurt Schaffenberger handle pencils on the other chapters, all written by Cary Bates, but our featured installment boasts a 26 year old Alex Saviuk, with inks by Joe Giella. A nice look into the early work of what would become a favourite Spider-Man artist in later years, both on the mainline books, and the aesthetically memorable Spider-Man Adventures.

Saviuk's action is pretty solid and the Amalgam-style mash-up design of the three merged speedsters is amusing enough. For the time, and circumstances, it's fun to see Grodd grifting some residual super-speed for his latest clash with his arch-nemesis, even if the real enjoyment comes from Flash facing off against opponents who challenge him in ways other than his own powers of speed.

Yes, I'm taking another swipe at contemporary storytelling, where if The Flash isn't being sucked into time travel and multiverse shenanigans, he seems to be stuck in the quagmire of everything being coloured by speed. TV seemed to be particularly guilty of this. I'm glad to look back at one of his other classic foes.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to see more of The Flash's famous rogues gallery -- consider becoming a supporter on Patreon. As a thank you for helping make all of this possible you'll unlock options to sponsor future entries, or join the discussion on the Discord server. A big thank you to new patron Dominic!

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Winners: The Flash, The Flash & Kid Flash
#16 (+4) The Flash (Barry Allen)
#24 (+14) Kid Flash (Wally West)
#146 (+288) The Flash (Jay Garrick)
#449 (-2) Gorilla Grodd
#1010 (new) Jroyy

DOPPELGANGER, SHRIEK & CARNAGE versus SPIDER-MAN, CLOAK & DAGGER

Darklight: Maximum Carnage, Part 2 (Marvel)
Where: Web of Spider-Man #101 When: June 1993 Why: Terry Kavanagh How: Alex Saviuk

The Story So Far...
Incarceration in the Ravencroft Institute's maximum security facility proved a temporary stay when serial killer Cletus Kasady was reunited with his alien symbiote.

Carnage's escape from Ravencroft was a total bloodbath, but not everyone who crossed his path that day was part of the massacre. He found a kindred spirit in the villainess Shriek, forging a homicidal relationship that soon became a family with the adoption of the six-armed, razor-fanged Doppelganger!

News of the escape prompts Spider-Man to take to the New York City skyline, but a chance encounter with Shriek & Doppelganger leaves the web-slinger worse for wear at the bottom of a building! Rescued by Cloak & Dagger, the web-slinger has much needed back-up as the villains close-in for Round 2!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Carnage 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Spider-Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-Man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Carnage 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Cloak 7 (Intangible)
Fighting: Doppelganger 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Shriek 5 (Lasers)
Total: Spider-Man 29 (Metahuman)

The sides may be even at three-on-three, but the differences separating today's two forces makes this a match-up with many sides to consider!

Our Tape rates Spider-Man the strongest player thanks to his versatile skill set of strength, speed, agility, and intellect. However, he's already done this dance with Doppelganger & Shriek, and come off second-best in Spider-Man Unlimited #1! That means Spidey's coming in with a loss and some busted ribs!

Cloak & Dagger are guardian angels in Spidey's time of need. Old friends to the wallcrawler, they're Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen: Teen runaways who were experimented on by Maggia scientists and gained incredible powers!

Cloak became a conduit for the Darkforce, creating an endless black void within the folds of his cloak. Those caught in its abyss will be drained of life and driven to terror or madness. This dark hunger can also be sated by the equal opposite Lightforce wielded by Dagger! The former dancer can channel her light into daggers for projectiles, purifying, or illumination.

We saw Cloak test his power against Thanos during a moment of hope in Infinity Gauntlet #4. We'll also learn of his history with Shriek through the course of this battle, which drove her insane. Spider-Man, Cloak & Dagger should be able to match the sonic shockwaves and savagery of Shriek & Doppelganger, but the late arriving third part of their trio could cause some problems!

Cletus Kasady is a homicidal maniac who happened to share a cell with Eddie Brock and received the seed of his alien symbiote's offspring. The resulting bond was Carnage: a deadly red counterpart to Venom with a penchant for forming sharp constructs with his suit, such as axes and spear-like tendrils!

Carnage shares a similar super-human strength to Venom, with a more agile frame. This, combined with his taste for serial killing, has made him a deadly enough villain to force Venom and Spider-Man to put their own issues aside. A necessity that will eventually bring Carnage down in Spider-Man Ulimited #2.

Carnage has the same vulnerability to intense sound and heat as Venom, which could make Dagger a difference maker in this battle. Shriek's sonic powers are a risk to Carnage as well, but without an unforeseen incident, her attack range can provide an invaluable defense. Let's jump in and see what happened.

The Tape: Spider-Man, Cloak & Dagger Ranking: Spider-Man (#2)

What Went Down...
Stars fill the Holy Ghost Church as the pain of two fractured ribs being reset ripples through Spider-Man's body. Cloak and Dagger tend to the webhead's injuries, but it's only a temporary measure. It'll have to do. Suddenly a blaring signal replaces the pain as Spider-Man's senses detect incoming danger!

Spidey springs to his feet, narrowly avoiding a stream of razor-barbed webbing as his Doppelganger smashes through the church window!

The web-slinger gives his allies a quick crash course in his evil duplicate's M.O. before the church is struck with a massive wave of sound! Beams topple around all four occupants as the roof partially collapses and Shriek arrives!

Doppelganger purrs as his surrogate mother strokes his head and plots the demise of the heroes -- but they aren't buried beneath the rubble as she thinks! Cloak was able to teleport them away at the last second thanks to another tip-off from friendly neighbourhood spider-senses!

Doppelganger grapples with Spidey, while Cloak reacquaints himself with the familiar one-time downtown drug dealer Shriek. She thanks him for introducing her to madness by unleashing her sonic powers against his great ebon void!

Dagger does her best to shackles the wild Doppelganger as he slams Spider-Man hard into the ground with his extra limbs, but Cloak's cries draw her attention! The eerie expanse of his cape magnifies Shriek's masterfully fired sonic blasts like an agony-inducing echo chamber!

Spidey takes care of himself, webbing up Doppelganger's slashing talons before socking him in the mouth with a stiff left jab! Meanwhile, Dagger draws Shriek's attention with a spray of light shots. Only one is on target, but Shriek's sound blasting hands absorb the blow. She re-directs her blast at Dagger!

The battle between light and sound stands at an effective stalemate. Cloak uses the opportunity to attack Doppelganger from behind, snaring him in the living folds of fabric that are his impressive namesake as Spidey hits an uppercut!

The momentary advantage pales as the church doors fly open and a nameless gangster's limp body announces the arrival of Carnage!

Jagged streams of alien symbiote extend from his hands in an effort to pull his sick "family" out of harm's way. Dagger persists in her attempts to fire light shards at Shriek, provoking a savage response from Doppelganger, who protectively fires razor-webbing at her. Cloak steps in to effortlessly absorb it.

Spider-Man attempts to pacify the situation by webbing Shriek's hands and her mouth, but it's for naught. Sonic waves blast the web away, while Carnage goes on the offensive once again, sending ever growing tendrils from his fingers to chase the scrambling wall-crawler!

Carnage sends his pointed fingers over Spider-Man and into the church wall,  trapping him against the church wall like a helpless bug in a cage!

Meanwhile, Shriek attacks the ground beneath Dagger's feet, and Doppelganger spews more razor-webbing at Cloak! The situation looks dire for the heroes, but Spider-Man leans into the situation -- plunging directly at Carnage with his fist extended! A devastating missile dive that stuns the symbiote!

Dagger intervenes to cut through Doppelganger's webbing, while Cloak again descends upon Shriek and engulfs her in his cape!

The trap is temporary. Shriek scrambles clear of the fabric-bound abyss, citing her past trip through insanity as a means to walk through it. Cloak never the less puts his impressive folds between the villains and Dagger again, while his soulmate burns away razor-webbing coiled around her ankle. The defense leaves Cloak vulnerable to another devastating blast of sonic energy!

Things soon turn sour for Spider-Man, too. He wails away with unrelenting left and right punches to the downed Carnage's face, but the living costume that covers his body soon comes to the fore. A huge, jagged prong launches from Carnage's torso -- smashing through Spider-Man's injured ribs!

With pain rippling through his body, Spider-Man desperately uses a flying kick to the face to try to put some distance between he and Carnage.

Distance is no barrier for Shriek, whose efforts to finish Cloak are only stopped by Dagger standing in her way. Light shields absorb the powerful stream of targeted sonic energy, but Shriek's madness only fuels her growing power! She aims to repay Cloak for driving her insane. As Dagger begins to weaken, Cloak is too weak to come to her aide. Inevitably, a killing blow is struck!

Dagger screams as unfiltered sonic blasts rip through her body! Spider-Man attempts to shield Cloak as the heroine explodes in a dazzling column of light!

The explosion of light is enough to knock Shriek and the heroes mutually off their feet, but Carnage still stands!

Unsympathetic, he slaps his would-be bride for daring to finish-off his nemesis Spider-Man. Forgiveness comes as soon as anger. The pair collect Doppelganger and make their exit through the roof to spread more murder across New York.

In the rubble of the church, Spider-Man slowly comes to. Cloak is already up, searching for Dagger when Spider-Man illuminates the devastating truth: Dagger is dead.

The Hammer...
There's good news, and there's bad news...

The good news is: Dagger isn't really dead! She was merely rattled so severely her body dissipated into pure particles of light. She'll pull herself together just in time to make a triumphant return towards the end of Maximum Carnage. Yay!

The bad news is: It doesn't much matter for the heroes in Part 2!

Shriek, Carnage, and Doppelganger gave the good guys a whooping that will keep 'em hurting throughout most of the 14-part crossover. A hurtin' that actually began with Part 1, in Spider-Man Unlimited #1, where Doppelganger kicked Spidey clean off a rooftop, and into a gang-infested alley!

For Cloak: the real pain is psychological. His anguish over Dagger's apparent death made Part 2 one of the most resonant for me over the intervening years. A lot of characters will come and go throughout this saga, but I would speculate none of them is as convincingly affected by events as Cloak (and Dagger).

At some point I hope to double-back to the start of the issue to highlight Cloak & Dagger's big entrance, as well. It's a pretty straight forward fight with the gang descending on injured Spidey, but it participates in a nice pair of bookends that make Web of Spider-Man #101 a memorable Cloak & Dagger read.

Artist Alex Saviuk deserves credit for getting the emotional core across with his pencils. Cloak howling his partner's name is a lasting image from the time. Right up there with the first time Wolverine popped his bone claws in Wolverine #75. There are quite a few iconic images in this issue. Some of them are included above, and you might remember a couple from the popular 16-bit video game.

Because Maximum Carnage was a crossover with the various Spider-Man titles of the time, there were several artists involved. Guys like Mark Bagley, Ron Lim, and the inimitable Sal Buscema contributed some very memorable scenes. Because of their varying legacies I think Saviuk is actually a little underrated.

I'm tempted to say an early issue like this is more essential than reading the entirety of  the Maximum Carnage saga. I'm aware that some of that might be downplaying the spectacle of it all, and come from the luxury of having lived with the story without examining its finer details in quite a while.

I have to admit to absorbing a little bit of the culture cringe that built up around Venom and Carnage, too. Their function can become base and uninspired, but I was certainly all-in when Maximum Carnage hit shelves back in 1993!

This was actually one of the first crossover events I made any real effort to acquire in its entirety as it was released. This was a time when comic purchases were made on a whim, grabbed from whatever assortment a nearby newsagent was carrying while out and about. Trips to the comic store proper were more infrequent, and with no real purpose, making assembling significant numbers of issues from a single run something of a feat of divining.

The lure of a Spider-Man event on stands was an easy sell. It was already a front runner for a casual pickup. The eventual accumulation of unusual allies proved an effective novelty worth pursuing.

Black Cat and Venom had history as friends & foes of Spidey, but it wasn't often you'd see the likes of Captain America, Morbius, Deathlok, and Iron Fist working together. It had a similar appeal to Acts of Vengeance a few years earlier, with a more pointed story like the similarly grim mini-crossover of Spirits of Venom.

I guess it was a renewed period for oddball crossovers at Marvel. That same year they would further challenge the notion of rigid divides with the cult series Secret Defenders. Slapdash team-ups can be a lot of fun, but go to that well too many times and it all starts to feel a little bit meaningless. Maximum Carnage walked a fine line of natural storytelling and weird mash-ups.

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Winners: Shriek, Carnage & Doppelganger
#176 (+286) Shriek
#105 (+99) Doppelganger
#380 (+269) Carnage (Cletus Kasady)
#2 (--) Spider-Man
#902 (-285) Dagger
#930 (-24) Cloak

SPIDER-MAN versus SHOCKER
The Alien Costume Part 2: Paint It Black! (Marvel comics)
Where: Spider-man Adventures #9 When: August 1995
Why: Nel Yomtov, Brynne Stephens & John Semper How: Alex Saviuk

The story so far...
John Jameson, son of Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah, was preparing to make a heroes return from an exploratory mission to space, when things went awry.
The discovery of a powerful dormant nuclear material called "Prometheum X" earned the mission much attention, but when the material appears to ooze an oily substance, the astronauts make a crash landing in New York City.

The evacuated area is ripe for the picking, as Rhino moves in to steal the valuable substance for the Kingpin, but with Eddie Brock on the scene to cover the case with his camera, he frames Spider-man for stealing Prometheum X.

Spidey, having saved the astronauts from the ship's fall from a bridge, becomes a wanted man as J. Jonah Jameson looks for someone to blame. With a price on his head things are looking bad, but when he wakes up with a new costume and enhanced powers, Spidey starts to think his luck might have finally turned around. But what sinister secrets does the alien symbiote hide?

Previous Form:
Spider-man (#1): Victories over Kraven, Mysterio, Scorpion, Carnage & Green Goblin.
Shocker (#260): Defeated by the Avengers as member of Sinister Twelve.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Spider-man 5 (Super Strength)
Intelligence: Spider-man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Spider-man 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Spider-man 3 (Street Wise)
Energy Powers: Shocker 5 (Lasers)


Let the record show: The tape is not terribly flattering for one, Max Schulz aka; The Shocker. Even now his name inspires immature sniggers and snorts amongst the readership for his allusion to certain dubious sexual activities.

I'm going to be upfront about -- I'm a big supporter of the Shocker!
No, not that, I'm talking about the quilted super-villain who has gotten more than his fair share of flack over the past decade. Sure, he's a bit of a one-note thug, and maybe his costume is on the silly end of functionality, but it's not like Norman Osborn ever had a real reason for wearing a big green nose and purple night cap. Is it?!

It looks like Schulz is on the end of another ass whooping in the pages of The Initiative, but at least it's a step-up from his Ultimate counter, where the Shocker is little more than a running gag.

Generally speaking his blasts are going to cause anybody a bit of trouble, but Shocker is quickly dispensed through perseverence, keen agility, and superior strength. Traits all common to one spectacular Spider-man.

Of course, we should acknowledge that the black symbiote is involved in this particular encounter, which I like to think puts an interesting spin on the whole affair. Of course, this once again represents an area, as far as I know, completely overlooked in both the comics, and even in the cartoons upon which the subject of review is based upon:

I'm talking about Shocker's powers being derived from intense vibrations.
Which, in a round about way, amounts to a cousin of sonics, which are one of the key weaknesses of the Venom symbiote. Thus making Spider-man's possession of the symbiote a potential weakness, despite the fact it greatly enhances his powers.

As I mentioned, certainly in the cartoon/adaptation this is never a concept acknowledged, and to the best of my knowledge, if Shocker and a symbiote have ever had the misfortune of crossing paths, it hasn't been an issue raised.

So, where do we finish after all this?
Well, hoepfully I've at least skimmed the surface of a potential strength in the Shocker's arsenal. I probably won't finish this entry in one sitting, but there's a good chance I might again appeal to the quality of the character later in The Hammer, but in the mean time...

The Math: Spider-man (Meta Class)
The Pick: Spider-man

What went down...
Out looking for evidence that will clear his name in the theft of Prometheum X, Spider-man is on the scene when one of the Kingpin's hired thugs comes to ensure the evidence doesn't leave Eddie Brock's hands.

A man in a trenchcoat roughs Brock up on the steps of his apartment, before firing off a warning shot of intense vibrational force above his head, whilst shouting his name: The Shocker!

Shocker quickly tosses Brock aside as the black Spider-man clings to the wall of the apartment building. Shocker tells Spider-man to back off, firing off a blast that reduces the wall of the building to rubble, and collapses on top of Spidey.

Shocker retreats to Kingpin's secret base, but the super-powered Spider-man has followed him with the aid of his increased spider-senses. He smashes down the hi-tech security doors and bursts in on Shocker and Alistair Smythe.

Shocker leaves the stolen Prometheum X with Smythe, and begins firing off vibrational blasts at the black Spider-man. Spidey's trademark speed and agility leaves him freely avoiding each and every hit, before coming in for the kill with an uncharateristic aggression.

"Face it, Bozo... Messing with me these days -- is like signing your own death certificate!"

Spidey's fist collides with the Shocker's quilted face -- the padding designed to absorb vibration, little help against the increased super strenght of the Spider-man.

Spidey webs up Smythe and relieves him of the Prometheum X, before heading out to theorize who could be manipulating the pawns of crime against him.

Meanwhile, Smythe and Shocker crawl back to a displeased Kingpin with claims of a Spider-man more powerful and deadly than ever before. To stem the Kingpin's wrath, they assure him they have a plan to retreive the valuable space material, and very soon after J. Jonah Jameson receives a visit from the Shocker.

J. Jonah Jameson appears on television to make an appeal to Spider-man. The Shocker has kidnapped John from the hospital, with the intent of setting up an exchange for Prometheum X. Despite his reluctance, Spider-man is compelled to aid the man who paints him a villain in the mass media.

Meeting late night at a gothic art museum, the black Spider-man and J. Jonah convene as Smythe makes himself apparent, a restrained John Jameson in a wheelchair behind him. Spidey hands over the space material, unaware that looking on is a spiteful Eddie Brock, who has followed him there.

With the exchange made, another figure emerges from the shadows - The Shocker! He fires off a blast without warning, but Spidey is able to use his superior agility to push John Jameson clear, and dodge the blast himself.

Smythe instructs Shocker to "clean up", while he heads off to the lab.
The Shocker continues firing off deadly focused vibrations, while Spider-man continues to use his agility to steer clear of the assault.
Shocker makes a run for the belltower staircase, keeping Spider-man on the backfoot while he moves up the narrow shaft.

Waiting at the top of the tower, the Shocker points his gauntlets at the only entrance door, but he under estimates the intencity of the new Spider-man.

Spidey pounds his way through the concrete of the structure, making himself a new door to the shock of the Shocker!

Eddie Brock makes his way up to the tower only to find the Spider-man swatting the Shocker like a ragdoll from one side of the belltower to the other.
Spidey, noticing his photography rival, leaves him dangling from the tower by a line of web to await his revenge.

Atop the tower, Spider-man continues to man-handle the Shocker, pressing him up against one of the openings at the very top. Begging for his life, the Shocker finds himself not nearly as surprised as Spider-man himself, as tendrils from the black symbiote push the villain over the edge!

Contrary to the suit's whims, Spider-man manages to shoot off a web-line that snags Shocker before he plummets to his doom. Even so, Spider-man can hardly believe the subversive hold the costume has on his personality.

Having sought the advice of Dr. Curt Conners previously, Spider-man realises now the importance of freeing himself of the living costume before it permanently bonds with him.
It is a hollow victory, but with John Jameson and even the Shocker safe, it is a victory Spider-man will take.

The hammer...
You actually have a very distinct gap between the two major portions of the story, so as unorthodox as it is, I'm actually going to register this one as two victories to Spider-man and the black costume.

Immediately after saving the Shocker from his fall from the tower, the bell begins to toll, triggering the symbiote's weakness to loud sounds and sonics. Spidey seizes the opportunity, thus providing the link between the cartoon version, and the canonical comic book account of how Spidey frees himself on the alien costume, and passes it to Eddie Brock.

In this case, the kid-friendly version of having Brock pursuing his grudge replaces the grimmer comic book version of Eddie Brock being on the scene contemplating suicide after a string of spider-influence bad luck. Either way the result is much the same, producing the original version of the homocidal arch-villain, Venom!

It would be very easy to shift back into talking about the ever-topical Venom, but this is really the first opportunity we've had to mention the Shocker, who is among the many classic Spidey villains that has been overlooked during the first year and a half of Secret Wars on Infinite Earths. He's one of those characters that I think is crucial to the success of the Spider-man formula, but just doesn't get the credit that goes with that.

If you're a regular reader you'll by now be familiar with some of the basics of my infamous Sub-Mariner pitch, but I haven't had the pleasure of introducing you to a little something I call Scavenging for Scraps: The Life and Times of The Vulture -- the low key a-day-in-the-life series starring The Vulture, along with various other supporting characters, such as Vulture-best-buddy, Max Schulz!

Essentially this is concept that characterizes the Vulture's compulsions to villainy as the result less of criminal aspiration, and more of a curmudgeonous reaction to the events around him. Essentially he becomes a grumpy old man in a green leotard, or for the Hollywood pitch -- it's Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm starring The Vulture, who bares an appropriate resemblance to the Seinfeld co-creator.

Currently existing is an outline for such a series, with a few pages of completed script that has the Vulture - aka Adrian Toomes - encountering Max Schulz on a city street. There they establish various plot points including Shocker's super-villain birthday party and the Vulture becoming victim of a cellphone theft.

Likewise they make commentaries about developments from recent comics, like Civil War, where Spider-man went from pro-registration cook, to anti-registration fugitive -- and also puts the Vulture's own slant on the story where Spidey offered to fullfil the Vulture's wish to die, where Vulture chose life.

There are also throwbacks to things like Webs, the book of Spider-man photography Peter Parker sold in the eighties, which becomes the subject of a lawsuit amongst the villains contained within after Peter Parker has revealed his identity. Likewise, Vulture elaborates on needing to give-up his activities, having suffered a stroke, even though he inevitably finds himself in the wing harness again.

I've gone on a self-indulgent tangent again, but what I'm alluding to is some of the greater character qualities of some of these classic Spider-man villains. I think even a character as goofy as Vulture has been shown to have action-based merit recently by the likes of Mark Millar in Marvel Knights: Spider-man, but even if in this modern age that were an uncomfortable fit, there is so much more that can be done with them.

I could sit here and tote the Shocker all night, but I've still got plenty of catch-up to do, and lots of other things. Working on some new projects, and hopefully will have news of KMI #1 sales information soon. So stay tuned, true believers!
Oh, and Mr. Quesada, if you're reading. Contact details are below the profile photo. Seriously, we'll talk...

EDIT: I shouldn't let my own writing aspirations get in the way of also acknowledging the fine efforts here. I've mentioned previously that Adventures comics generally aren't my thing, be they young readers comics, or cartoon adaptations that entail much the same thing.

I actually considered reviewing the episode upon which this issue was based, but opted in favour of the comic version, which does possess some streamlined differences, in favour of saving a cartoon review for a later date.
The guys involved here, including the original teleplay writer, do a superb job of reinventing the black costume origin under conditions that demand the concept be contained within and-of itself. It arguably outdoes the Secret Wars version for it's simplicity, and while it probably inspired the Spider-man 3 version, it does it in a way that is considered, and better attended to.

Full credit to the guys! I might even like this one, for using peripheral characters like John Jameson, even better than Brian Michael Bendis' Ultimate interpretation, which like much of USM, failed to live up to the hype.

With that said -- if I can be selfish again -- those of you interested in my Vulture script can find it right here. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The Fights: 3.5 The Issue: 4