SPIDER-MAN versus MYSTERIO

Media Blizzard Part 3 of 3: Unplugged (Marvel)
Where: Spider-Man #65 When: February 1996 Why: Howard Mackie How: John Romita Jr & Tom Morgan

The Story So Far...
MysteryVision is the hottest name in must-see TV, earning unprecedented ratings as the fastest-growing network to hit New York City cable providers!

The critics can't seem to stand it, but that hasn't stopped viewers of all ages beating a path to tune-in to its lineup of highly unusual programming! So, what's the secret to broadcaster Randolph Hines' success?..

Spider-Man discovers a stolen DIT chip is behind MysteryVision after finding its inventor mesmerized by his television! Professor Ramirez's highly advanced "Digital Imagery Transmission" technology can convert thought into broadcast, replacing an entire production team with one man's vision!

An unannounced trip to the dilapidated theatre housing MysteryVision's offices soon reveals the mastermind behind it all: Mysterio has at last found his medium and is reaping success through subliminal manipulation! The new Spider-Man must meet his old foe head-on if he's to free the minds of NYC!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Spider-Man 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Draw 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-Man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Spider-Man 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Spider-Man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Spider-Man 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Mysterio 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Spider-Man 29 (Metahuman)

Time for another showdown between classic arch-rivals, right? Not exactly...

As the mugshot above shows: This isn't your father's Spider-Man -- even though we were all being led to believe he was at the dawn of 1996.

The infamous "Clone Saga" switched the real Peter Parker with his prodigal duplicate, who had apparently survived their seemingly lethal meeting in 1975's Amazing Spider-Man #149!

Created by the notorious Jackal; the Spider-Clone was an exact genetic copy of a matured Peter Parker, possessing of all his unique abilities and memories up to that point. This allowed both to believe the clone had replaced the original, leading the self-christened Ben Reilly to eventually become a new Spider-Man.

When it came time to throw down with Spidey's classic foes, the clone recalls intimate details of their earliest history, such as the first battle with Mysterio in Amazing Spider-Man #13, and later victory in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #4!

In truth, the Spider-Clone's adventures only began with his reemergence in 1994. He relearned the ropes (or webs) after taking up the responsibility of his powers as the Scarlet Spider. During this time he even developed some new tricks, such as his trademark "impact webbing" - pellets that ensnare a target.

Mysterio may not be a complete unknown to the replacement Spider-Man, but that doesn't mean he lacks the element of surprise!

As seen in his debut, Mysterio isn't just a master of visual effects. He also has the means to suppress Spider-Man's greatest weapon against them: his spider-sense! He was even able to diminish the heightened sense of the sightless Daredevil leading up to their dramatic showdown in Daredevil #7!

In today's featured battle, Spidey has already removed augmented reality lenses Mysterio secretly fixed to his mask. He's banged up from fighting gangs he thought were hideous monsters, and dealing with iced-up web-shooters. Is that enough to throw him off his game? Let's find out!

The Tape: Spider-Man Ranking: Spider-Man (#94)

What Went Down...
Through a cold winter's blizzard, Spider-Man swings a determined path against a bitter night wind. His guide is a tracing device created by Professor Ramirez: inventor of the stolen DIT chip that powers Mysterio's MysteryVision broadcast!

The villain watches his ratings skyrocket as an audience of huddled New York masses is held in total thrall by subliminal signals. Only security systems divert his attention as a closed circuit feed provides images of the web-slinger's arrival.

With the transmitter at last upon him: Spider-Man prepares to free the people -- when suddenly the snow covered city tower is replaced with an arid desert and a looming dragon!

Spidey leaps clear as the gigantic beast plunges its head for a deadly bite!

He reminds himself Mysterio's illusions can't really hurt him as the dragon rises back up and its mouth begins to fill with flame. He's only half right...

The disoriented wall-crawler is sent hurtling from the inner city high rise as a massive blast of electric energy strikes him!

Replacing the dragon illusion is Mysterio, wielding the high-voltage charge of gauntlets attached to an upgraded power suit. He vows to protect his "privately owned property" by any means necessary.

The airborne hero uses a web-line to pull himself back into orbit of the rooftop and challenge Mysterio's glib defense of the transmitter. He's greeted with another blast of electric energy, but this time he vaults over it -- into snakes!

The tangled mass of snapping serpents is unsettling - and even causes pain -- but Spider-Man remains determined to shrug off the illusion!

He fights his way through the distraction, reaching the transmitter tower to rip away its exterior covering like mere aluminum foil! His focus leaves him totally vulnerable to intense fire as Mysterio attempts to protect the device!

Fast weaving of a web-shield provides some insulation from the devastating electric jolts, but leaves Spidey pinned to the transmitter's side with few options for defending himself and completing his objective to destroy the DIT chip!

Mysterio powers up the charge to deliver one all mighty finishing blow, giving Spider-Man the chance to formulate one high-stakes play. He waits until the very last moment and leaps clear, leaving the deadly bolt to strike the tower!

The transmitter explodes, but Spider-Man is still on the case -- leaping to rescue Mysterio from the shockwave and collapsing roof!

The pair spill into the building below where employs scramble to make sense of the drama. Assuming the guise of MysterVision President once more, Mysterio attempts to have Spider-Man arrested, but with the DIT chip destroyed and back-up generators maintaining the broadcast, everyone's eyes are opened to the truth. The ratings begin to plummet as the nightmare finally ends.

The Hammer...
Chalk one up for Ben Reilly! The erstwhile "new" Spider-Man had a prelude battle in Sensational Spider-Man #0, but passed his first real test in the new webs by defeating classic foe Mysterio in today's featured third act finale!

It took a couple of years of convolution to get here, but the premise was fairly simple: 1975's Spider-clone had unknowingly switched places with the real Peter Parker, leading "Ben Reilly" to "return" as the one true Spider-Man in '96.

This ultimate twist in the controversial "Clone Saga" completely redefined twenty-years of publication history, but for those willing to stick with the dramatic rethink, it promised a reinvigorated take on the classic formula.

In his new life, Ben Reilly had already found a supporting cast working at The Daily Grind café. They captured some of the classic spirit of the Daily Bugle bullpen, while also providing easy access to the city (for heroics), and a relevant workplace in the age of Friends, Seinfeld, and the rise of the foamy latte.

Reilly met a customer turned love interest, Jessica Carradine, who put a moody 90s twist on the old dual identity dynamic. She soon turned out to be a photographer obsessed with proving Spider-Man framed & killed her father -- who was the burglar that shot Uncle Ben. It was never going to work, but it started out with a lot of promise and probably could've lasted longer.

This new status quo was anchored with the launch of Sensational Spider-Man. It was a new title Ben Reilly could call his own, while also starring in continued runs of classic series (Amazing, etc). The new book demanded a classic villain to go with the classic mantle. As Scarlet Spider, Reilly had already had run-ins with the likes of Venom and Alistair Smythe. All things considered, it was a fine time to dust off Mysterio, who was a little worse for wear after previous episodes.

The three-part Media Blizzard kicked off in Sensational Spider-Man #1, imbued with the philosophy of combining classic and modern. Mysterio was up to his old tricks, but got a new design to go with new tricks.

It seemed inevitable that someone would try to subvert Mysterio's famous "fish bowl". The new design buried it in a thick fog of green smoke that only implied the dome - never showed it clearly. His now black bodysuit was covered with copious buckled belts for some reason, too. I guess that was some kind of hangover from the early nineties, and came back into vogue right around this time in anime & manga, too. Somebody in the Spider-offices obviously liked it. Hobgoblin would get the same design treatment not long after this.

The plot to use television to enthrall the masses wasn't a bad one, but the story lacked a unique twist or commentary. Anyone who'd seen Batman Forever a year or so prior would've found the brainwashed masses staring at their TV sets pretty familiar. It's a tried & true idea, but a perfunctory one, really just using an available Lee/Ditko villain to lend heft to the introduction of the world.

With the ills of brainwashing thwarted, the story concludes with a whimpering critique of Mysterio's unconventional programming: "In the end, Mysterio, I think it was really simple... Your shows were just no good."

We're never shown much of what MysteryVision actually is. Spider-Man's street fights are involved, and there's a big skull-adorned killer reindeer and elf out to cause trouble. Otherwise it's mostly green-tinted static and promos. In my mind's eye, I guess I filled in the blanks as something like MTV's Liquid Television. It reads like the moral is to never challenge conventional programming and in 2019 that's an especially unattractive proposition.

Despite its lack of aspiration, the story does play with some interesting twists on the Mysterio MO. Quentin Beck as a smarmy, villainous TV executive was a fun take. Something about his goateed design as Randolph Hines reminds me of Wes Craven, but his violent Christmas programming is much more like Bill Murray in Scrooged, if his prickly programming had artistic pretentions.

The real edge is in the way Mysterio's illusions are filtered through the concept of practical technology. MysteryVision is in the process of developing virtual reality and special "3D broadcasts" when Spider-Man infiltrates their offices. He dons a prototype VR helmet at the behest of Hines and unwittingly applies vision-obscuring lenses over his mask that edit his reality. These days we know this technique as "augmented reality", but back then it was pretty nifty.

This is also one of the earliest stories I remember dealing with the eyes on Spider-Man's mask as lenses. It became live-action standard with Sam Raimi's Spider-Man in 2002, but the comics often depicted them as cloth.

Virtual reality was by no means a new idea, for Mysterio or in general, but it was on the cusp of taking off in new ways with the theatrical explosion of The Matrix in '99. It seemed like this should've been the foundation of a strong push into the new millennium for Mysterio, but as we know, the revamp didn't last. He'd have a run-in with Daredevil later this year, and deliver his grand opus leading to his untimely demise in Daredevil (Vol.2) #7, shortly after.

As for Ben Reilly, he wasn't long for this world, either. If it was ever intended to permanently switch the two Peter Parkers - cooler heads prevailed. Ben Reilly was killed by a resurrected Norman Osborn at the end of 1996. A fitting end to a controversial few years in Spider-Man's long and web-tangled history.

At the time, I was intrigued by the radical shift in reality, and fresh sensibility of the new Spider-Man. It was a first of its kind concept, and a fun time for casually reading comics. I wouldn't want to go back to it, though.

Indeed, I haven't had much desire to revisit any of the Clone Saga prior to this moment. With so many half-hearted stunts and multi-year replacements in the last few years of Marvel Comics, the concept has been well and truly worn out, if it was ever a good one to begin with. Maybe we'll explore more some time.

If you really want to experience more of the Ben Reilly saga you can find today's featured fight, and some of the issues referenced, in Spider-Man: Ben Reilly Omnibus Vol. 1. Use purchase links provided and Amazon will support the site at no cost to you! Don't see them? Disable blocking add-ons to go see them right here!

You can also find more superhero smackdown and discussion by following links throughout this post, or diving into the Issue Index for a full archive! Follow on Twitter and Facebook for daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day, and be sure to like, share, and subscribe the best ones!

Winner: Spider-Man
#64 (+30) Spider-Man (Ben Reilly)
#393 (-10) Mysterio

DAREDEVIL versus MYSTERIO

Guardian Devil Part Seven: The Devil's Demon (Marvel)
Where: Daredevil #7 When: May 1999
Why: Kevin Smith How: Joe Quesada

The Story So Far...
Matt Murdock has found himself caught in a struggle between heaven and hell - or so he's been told.

It all began when a frightened teenager entrusted him with her child. The infant is purported to be the second-coming of The Redeemer, announced by angels -- but the demon Mephisto says it's all a lie!

Struggling through ominous scripture, demonic visitation, and the death of Karen Page, Daredevil is at last ready to discover the truth: He has been the private audience for an illusion created by Mysterio!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Daredevil 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Mysterio 5 (Professor)
Speed: Daredevil 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Daredevil 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Daredevil 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Daredevil 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Mysterio 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Daredevil 26 (Metahuman)

Matt Murdock was robbed of sight when he was doused with toxic chemicals as a boy, but his other senses were also greatly enhanced by the same accident! As a result: Daredevil observes the world better than most thanks to his unique bat-like radar sense -- but can he see through Mysterio's illusions?

DD is certainly no stranger to battling the deadly foes of Spider-Man! So far we've seen him take down Tombstone in Daredevil #90 & #91, mix it up with old Spidey frenemy The Punisher in Daredevil #257 and Daredevil (Vol.2) #55, and even kick Scorpion's symbiote-enhanced tail as part of a superhero team-up against The Sinister Twelve in Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #11!

Those battles showcase Daredevil's fighting prowess and agility, but the primary weapons of Mysterio are misdirection and subterfuge. This was succinctly demonstrated during his first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #13 when he was able to disappear into a cloud of smoke while also obscuring Spidey's ability to sense danger! Can he beat the human lie-detector that is Daredevil, though?

When DD fought The Jester in Daredevil #75, he was able to sense something not immediately apparent to the world -- the vague shift of demonic possession.

Yet these same razor-sharp senses were able to be subverted by Typhoid Mary's low level telepathic influence in Daredevil #255. Most damningly, he was duped by Deadpool during a chaotic clash in Contest of Champions II #4, using only a simple tape recorder, props, and the façade of a perilous scenario for an infant -- a playful reference to today's featured fight.

The battle comes at the end of a steady campaign of psychological torment orchestrated by Mysterio. DD's been visited by "devils", witnessed the murder of Karen Page by his worst enemy, and been compelled to kill a baby he was led to believe might grow up to be the Anti-Christ. He's clearly off his game.

Will it be enough to give Mysterio his grand sendoff? Let's find out!

The Tape: Daredevil Ranking: Daredevil (#14)

What Went Down...

With the veil of horror at last breached, Daredevil comes face to face with his tormentor -- or at least face to dome. Mysterio promises more talking than action for his grand denouement, but Daredevil doesn't plan to comply...

A straight red fist knocks against Mysterio's tempered dome, knocking him off balance. A wild backhanded fist sends him stumbling to hands and knees. The vengeful devil looms through smoke as a billy club into his hand, but Mysterio stays his beating with a reminder of the imperiled youth DD has come to save.The pause allows Mysterio time to engage the super-strength of his enhanced suit. He channels it into an uppercut that launches Daredevil off his feet!

Trading the floor to his target, Mysterio reveals the soundproof vacuum that is the baby's predicament. An airless deathtrap completely hidden from Daredevil's heightened senses, which were trained on beating Mysterio for five of the twenty-five minutes the child will have to live.

Daredevil is forced into compliance as Mysterio leads him deeper into his sanctum and the hidden truths of his recent nightmare.

Mysterio laments a career overshadowed by filmmaking greats, past defeats at the hands of Spider-Man, and the apparent replacement of his arch-rival with a mere clone. He revisits a diagnosis of brain tumor and lung cancer, and the affordability of Matt Murdock's entire history courtesy of a fallen Kingpin.

Revealing the intricacies of his grand plan, Mysterio then turns to executing the failed accomplices already bruised and battered during Daredevil's incursion. The hero cannot act quick enough to save their lives, but time has afforded him the gentle sound of Mysterio's wrist-mounted suit battery. He breaks it!

A well targeted billy club smashes the power source. An equally placed boot heel does the same to Mysterio's protective dome! When the smoke clears, the shattered façade reveals Quentin Beck - bald and sickly, breathing tube in nose.

The villain compels Daredevil to end his life, but the hero refuses. He rejects the delusion of Mysterio's grand finale. Knocks back his attempt to drive him to madness. Scoffs the lack of originality of his so-presumed creative vision. Words that cut far deeper into Quentin Beck than any mortal wound.

Removing his head from his hands, the defeated Mysterio presses a button on his gauntlet that reveals a hidden chamber. Air floods into the room as the sliding panel reveals itself. Super-enhanced senses immediately detect an infant's heart beat and breathing. The child is alive and unharmed.

Mysterio beckons to Daredevil's attention as the hero takes the child into his arms. Through the smoke filled haze is a gun barrel trained right on Daredevil. He can hear Mysterio's heart racing - but he remains stoic, knowing exactly what that means. The villain has one final borrowed act...

Like Kraven the Hunter before him, Mysterio turns the pistol on himself. Fin.

The Hammer...

So we move from Mysterio's very first triumph - to his ultimate defeat. Sort of...

By now we know Mysterio is back amongst the living. He's been causing trouble for Spider-Man for quite a while again, with a particular 2010 appearance (during The Gauntlet) coming to mind as a recent favourite. For almost a decade prior, his status wasn't nearly so clear, shared between supernatural ambiguities, vengeful successors, and complicated doppelgangers.

A faked death always seemed right in Mysterio's wheelhouse, but the tone in comics was changing at the turn of the millennium. The frivolous excess of the nineties was being walked back in favour of a more grounded, character-driven approach. Perhaps there were plans for Mysterio's comeback right from the outset, but they didn't eventuate. As unfashionable as Mysterio had become, respect for his death created an unlikely standard-bearer.

Guardian Devil had turned out to be a top selling jewel in the crown for Marvel Knights. The gritty imprint could be seen as a proving ground for an approach Joe Quesada would soon apply more broadly when he became Marvel Editor in Chief in 2000.

Today we know "Joe Q" as the overseer of some of comics' most meaningless deaths, but this one at least seemed considered, weighing the status of the character, and the impact of the story. Quesada's hands-on role, and relationship with its writer, likely helped it stick beyond a fleeting year or two.

Geek guru Kevin Smith has often spoke of his appreciation for Mysterio, repping the villain as a fan, as well as in his work. There are fun references peppered into Daredevil #7, including a direct throwback to Amazing Spider-Man Annual #4! Even when he became synonymous with terminally delayed comics projects, Quesada often reserved key elements for his friend and top talent, and Smith eventually restored Mysterio to the Marvel pantheon through the creation of a short-lived mutant successor.

Smith's story continues to be a touchstone for the character, who's in the process of being bigger than ever. With his arrival on the big screen (in Spider-Man: Far From Home -- now in theatres), you've probably read many references to Guardian Devil. Yet, its acid-tinged conclusion of humiliating defeat and apparent suicide clearly participates in some amount of understanding that the character was, at the time, an object of ridicule.

The greatest tragedy ultimately wasn't that one of Marvel's long-running icons was killed off -- but that a filmmaker was responsible for writing it!

The late nineties saw a massive increase in the mainstream interest and understanding of movie special effects. The proliferation of DVD special features, and effects-heavy blockbusters like The Matrix and Star Wars, brought the inner workings and innovations of the industry to the common man. Instead of being an era that ended Mysterio's relevance -- it arguably should've been a time of great renaissance!

The Matrix, with its futurist approach to connected networks and artificial realities, was ripe to be a major influence on a character who specialized in state-of-the-art special effects. Even the dubious invention of giant robotic apes was becoming increasingly convincing with the advances of animatronics and practical effects in tandem with computer-generated digital images.

Of course, Mysterio had dabbled in the realm of virtual reality and commentary on popular media consumption before Guardian Devil and The Matrix. With any luck we'll get a chance to explore a curious aside that comes to mind. One indirectly referenced during Mysterio's unravelling of his plot, which is a fun, non-combat scene not quite captured in today's fight recap.

For now, it's time to close the book on one of the modern classics. There's a lot to enjoy about the story! Quesada was a gifted artist, and worked well with an unconventional script from Smith, who was then unpracticed in the medium of comics. I wish Quesada could've continued to draw more, but we still got a lot of top shelf DD.

If you'd like to explore Guardian Devil for yourself, you can find the complete story printed in various collected trade editions.

Use one of the Amazon links provided to make a purchase and you'll help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths at no extra cost!

You can find more Daredevil and friends by following links included throughout this post. Or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights by publisher and series. Follow on Twitter and Facebook for daily links to battles inspired by the topics of the day - be sure to subscribe and share!

Winner: Daredevil
#12 (+2) Daredevil
#382 (-5) Mysterio (Quentin Beck)

SPIDER-MAN versus MYSTERIO

The Menace of... Mysterio! (Marvel)
Where: Amazing Spider-Man #13 When: June 1964
Why: Stan Lee How: Steve Ditko

The Story So Far...
When Spider-Man suddenly turns to a life of midnight robbery: J. Jonah Jameson touts his scathing editorials as vindicated. With the public turning against him, and no way to safely consult a psychologist without risking his secret identity -- even Peter Parker is beginning to doubt his own wall-crawling alter-ego's innocence!

Enter - Mysterio: A strange, bubble-domed individual who arrives unannounced at the Daily Bugle!

Mysterio claims to be a hero who's disguised himself to prevent threats to his family from the criminal underworld. He aims to use his incredible powers to stop Spider-Man's crime wave -- asking only that the newspaper print an invitation to the Brooklyn Bridge before he disappears in a puff of smoke!

Spider-Man answers the rendezvous in the hopes of learning the truth about his sudden crisis of identity. Mysterio has no interest in talking, though. This eerie new "hero" is only interested in using his "powers" to destroy Spider-Man!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Spider-Man 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Spider-Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-Man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Spider-Man 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Spider-Man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Spider-Man 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Mysterio 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Spider-Man 29 (Metahuman)

Based on the stat readout you're probably expecting a cakewalk for our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man -- but the numbers only tell part of the story!

Mysterio is Quentin Beck: A Hollywood master of special effects and stunt work who turned his trade into an elaborate career creating crime!

His knowledge of electronics, chemicals, and practical effects means he's a villain who attacks the mind as vociferously as the body! Deception in his greatest tool, but make no mistake -- his illusions are often a deadly reality!

In Amazing Spider-Man Annual #4 we saw Mysterio team with The Wizard to create: a deadly gas chamber, lifelike holographic doubles, and a giant-sized animatronic gorilla! Alone, Spidey might've been defeated, but he tag teamed with the Human Torch to narrowly escape the various perils.

Mysterio's illusions range from the disorientation of a living funhouse mirror, to elaborate death traps. In theory, Spider-Man can rely on his unique "spider-senses" to navigate visual decoys. However, Mysterio's deceptions have been known to be quite convincing!

In the alternate reality of Old Man Logan it was Mysterio who helped beat Wolverine's keen senses, tricking him into eviscerating the X-Men while under the belief they were his deadliest enemies. Mysterio has also been able to fool his way past the highly enhanced senses of Daredevil!

What ultimately lets Mysterio down is a combination of ego and lack of fighting skills. His personal suit provides some physical armoring, levitation, as well as an arsenal of special effects gimmicks, smoke projection, mind-altering gasses, holograms, and controls for various electronic aids. Once these are bypassed he's typically ripe for defeat, though.

This is pretty early in Spider-Man's career, so he's at least vulnerable to the pretense of Mysterio's claims of strange powers. He's also still getting to grips with his own powers. We saw the Vulture use simple diversionary tactics to get the drop on Spideya few months earlier, in Amazing Spider-Man #7.

The proportionate strength, speed, and agility of a spider should typically be enough to best Mysterio, but it's about time we find out what happened!

History: Spider-Man (1-0-0)
The Tape: Spider-Man Ranking: Spider-Man (#2)

What Went Down...
Walking a tightrope along the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge, Spider-Man seeks answers from the man who summoned him. As if appearing from nowhere in sudden burst of smoke -- Mysterio arrives to carry out his challenge!

Spidey immediately dives at his hostile host -- but Mysterio effortlessly avoids the attack! As if by magic, his smoking feet carry him over his adversary in a graceful backwards arc -- and into a returning dive kick to the back!

The blow staggers Spider-Man for a moment, but the proportionate strength and agility of a spider helps him recover quickly. He takes a return swing at his newest nemesis, but swipes open air as Mysterio steps onto the sheer face of the bridge brickwork -- and stands on it in defiance of the laws of gravity!

Designs to pull Mysterio back up top go by the wayside when his smoking feet again glide him out of the wall-crawler's reach!

Issues of reach are quickly remedied with some quick fire web-slinging, but Mysterio appears to have an uncanny answer for that, too! With a simple gesture of his hand the webs appear to freeze in mid-air and vaporize!

With another wave of his hands Mysterio disappears into a blooming cloud of smoke. Undeterred, Spidey jumps into the fog with his keen spider-sense at the ready -- but for the first time in his amazing career it fails him!

With his preternatural danger sense jammed, Spider-Man resorts to swinging wildly through the cloud, but it does him no good. Mysterio stays hidden, avoiding his attacks while unleashing a barrage of his own!

Pummeled by invisible strikes, Spider-Man's disoriented situation grows desperate! With options dwindling, and Mysterio's blows testing his enhanced resolve, he opts for a drastic measure -- jumping from the Brooklyn Bridge!

Spidey hits the water relatively unharmed, weaving a web ball of air to evade police helicopters. He swims away submerged beneath the waves, while Mysterio basks atop the bridge in victory!

The Hammer...
The first career outing for Mysterio goes into the books as a success!

His mighty "powers" lived up to their claim, earning a tactical victory against a young and unprepared Spider-Man. The reader, of course, knows all is not as it seems, but in this first outing, Spidey only has fleeting suspicions about the true nature of Mysterio, and his talent for simulating super-powers.

It's a fairly standard introduction for a classic Spider-Man villain. Even in his second appearance, we saw Vulture get a similar win in 1963's Amazing Spider-Man #7. It's the dramatic set-up for a tense rematch later in the issue.

I'd like to think readers of the time may not have had absolute certainty Spidey would come out on top in the end, but they probably did, and had fun seeing how he did it, any way. I sure did!

It's been much tougher for Quentin Beck to get respect in the intervening decades. His defeats have had a way of overwhelming his fleeting successes.

Fans of a certain age seem to have either loved the fantastical fish-bowled felon - or hated him. Like a lot of dyed in the wool fans, I've always come down on the side of affection. I love the classic Steve Ditko design, and the core concept.

Mysterio may be best associated with smoke and mirrors, but his penchant for deception and false realties only seems to lend itself to growing relevance.

The way we consume media should easily be reflected on the way Mysterio distributes it. Smart phones and virtual reality headsets are the kinds of ever present vehicles that invite Mysterio into all of our lives.

False narratives of so-called "fake news" and the growing concern of gullibility and confusion among average consumers plays directly into the schemes and means of Mysterio as a super-villain. These concepts don't even need to be pushed into the realm of science-fiction to exploit the concept of Mysterio as a very real, very dangerous character, perfectly suited to our times.

Of course, smoke and mirrors are still pretty fun, too.

Jake Gyllenhaal brings plenty of smoke to the big screen with his version of Mysterio appearing in Spider-Man: Far From Home. It looks like the movie appears to be paying some homage to the original story seen in Amazing Spider-Man #13, which is nice to see. Especially with the dome on!

Mysterio's deceptive skill has been extended to marketing for the movie, which presents Gyllenhaal as a powerful inter-dimensional hero accidentally brought to the MCU by Thanos, and the events of Avengers: Infinity War. We can all assume much of what Mysterio claims will be a lie, but I'm sure moviegoers will enjoy seeing how Spidey comes out on top in the end.

If you'd like to see how they did it in the classics, and reconnect with the original (and best) Mysterio, you can do so by checking out the collected Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2! Using the Amazon purchase link provided will get you a top deal on paperback and help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths at no extra charge! That's no illusion!

Find more Spider-Man smackdown by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive! There you'll find every featured fight indexed by publisher, series, and issue! You can also get daily links to featured fights by following on Twitter and Facebook! Be sure to throw a like or share this way!

Winner: Mysterio
#377 (+264) Mysterio
#2 (--) Spider-Man

SPIDER-MAN & HUMAN TORCH versus THE WIZARD & MYSTERIO
The Web and The Flame! (Marvel comics)
Where: Amazing Spider-man Annual #4 When: 1967
Why: Stan Lee How: Larry Lieber

The story so far...
When the Human Torch appears to be on a rampage in a populated city street, Spider-man swings in to save the day. Little does he know, Johnny Storm's landed himself a part in a Hollywood feature film!

In the times before computer generated special effects, Spidey makes for a great secondary addition to the film, but the misunderstandings continue as another Human Torch situation gets out of control!

Intent on destroying one and other, Spider-man and Human Torch wage war against one and other across the backlot of the film sets. All the while, the masterminds of the misunderstandings watch on from a hidden lair. Masterminds who go by the names -- The Wizard and Mysterio!

Previous Form:
Spider-man (#2): Has successfully teamed with War Machine, The Avengers, Namor & Ghost Rider.
The Human Torch (#29): With the Fantastic Four, defeated the Wizard's Frightful Four.
The Wingless Wizard (#77): The Wizard has led the Frightful Four to a win and a loss.
Mysterio: Mysterio has not yet been featured on the site.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Spider-man 5 (Super Strength)
Intelligence: The Wizard 6 (Genius)
Speed: Spider-man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Human Torch 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Spider-man 3 (Street Wise)
Energy Powers: Human Torch 7 (Solar Power)


Okay, I know what you're thinking: it's not exactly the super villain team-up of the century. It's not exactly the Sinister Six, or the Sub-Mariner and Dr. Doom.
Sure, that's easy to say, but what is it that we have proposed to us here today?

Spider-man and Human Torch are well established A-listers here on Secret Earths, and certainl in comics in general. That's probably a steady contrast to the ever made-fun-of Mysterio, and the just-barely-taken-seriously, Wingless Wizard.
We've got to shine a light on the Wizard.
Like a lot of master villains in the Marvel Universe, he probably doesn't have a great record. This guy has been duelling with Reed Richards since the sixties, and that's not a great way to get a reputation, but to his credit, he's played in that weightclass pretty well, all considered!

Wizard's brilliance usually revolves around specific gadgetry. Perhaps his most famous invention being the anti-gravity disc, which ties to the Wingless Wizard theme, and his abilities of flight.
If you've been following the site you'll have seen the Frightful Four initially getting the better of three of the FF with the use of said gadget-discs. [Marvel Adventures #12]

Mysterio also deserves more credit than he deserves. He's more than the green leotard and fishbowl dome. He too has a wealth of know-how in the field of technologies, particularly in the field of special effects. Which, as you can imagine, means he should be in his element in this issue, which revolves around a film.

Spidey and Human Torch are famous for having a jovial love-hate relationship, and while that might slow things down... The bad guys are toast.
I just wanted to give them a little bit of respect. Mysterio is cool, fools.

The Math: Spider-man & Human Torch
The Pick: Spider-man & Human Torch

What went down...
Freeing himself from the shackles of a tarpaulin, the Human Torch flames on to swoop back around and take a second run at Spider-man, who not too long ago ripped the Torch's trailer open like a tin can!

Watching on from a secret location, the Wizard scowls the heroes for not exerting the fullest of their powers against each other. In his fury, he accidentally wrenches a lever that activates a laser ray from a hidden lense in the ceiling of the studio.

With the ruse foiled, Mysterio makes measures to rectify the situation with the activation of a gas emitting cage that lowers around the pair of heroes.
Unable to escape the gas, the Human Torch finds his flames doused as they both become engulfed with the asphyxiating fumes.

With the Torch clinging precariously to the edge of the cage, Spidey uses some quick thinking and webs up the gas dispensing nosels. With the noxious gas clearing it's not long before Johnny Storm can flame on once again, much to the chagrin of the dastardly duo watching on.

With his spidey-senses tingling, the web-slinger leads the charge toward a control cubicle in the upper corner of the studio. As they make their approach the Torch fires off jets of flame, heating the box up to be a furnace.
Mysterio totes his genius as the Wizard rushes to initiate escape plan A!

Spider-man and the Human Torch swoop down just in time to intercept Mysterio and the Wizard emerging from the box, but they quickly discover they are little more than hologramatic illusions courtesy of Mysterio!
Meanwhile, the two villains make their escape via a secret hatch in the roof!

By the time the heroes are hip to their plan, Mysterio and Wizard are already hovering high above, clinging to a gravity defying contraption. With their foes in sight, the sinister pairing begins their escape, pleased to have a pursuing audience.

The Torch tows Spidey via a line of his fire-resistant asbestos webbing, as they follow their nemesis' across the lot to the artificial jungle grown for movies. The villains disappear into the foliage.
Rather than risk burning down the entire scene, Spidey drops from his line to use his spider-senses to steer them to the hidden location, but a thunderous THOOM alerts him to another danger!

Stomping across the compound is a giant animatronic gorilla being controlled by the Wizard from the safety of a secondary base. Having lured the heroes over, he uses the behemoth of a machine to swat the flaming Human Torch out of the sky!

The slap proves so severe it knocks the Torch out, leaving him unconscious and vulnerable beneath the monster's grip.
As the gorilla snatches the FFer off the ground, Spidey leaps on it's back and rips away at the surface, exposing circuitry and mechanics. With all the proportionate strength of a spider, he pounds down on the vital mechanics, finally rendering the machine ineffective!

But peril is not yet gone! The frozen grip of the mechanoid hand still has Johnny Storm clutched so tight he can't breathe. Again the wall crawler is forced to call upon his strength to pry the giant fingers apart, and free his rival from doom!

Taking time to reload his web cartridges, Spidey gives Johnny Storm the time necessary to revive, before taking chase once again.
They work their way through the vegetation until they find the underground bunker that contains the wingless Wizard and the menacing Mysterio!

Just as they had before, the heroes swoop in to deliver defeat, but again find themselves snared in another trap. Glass walls lower from the rocky cavern, coming between them and their foes, and the exit.
With the flick of a switch, the Wizard then unleashes a barrage of hurtling boulders coming from all sides! The Torch charges the glass, but it's too thick!

With nowhere to go, the two heroes have no choice but to combat the situation head-on. While Spidey uses his fantastic agility and danger warning senses to escape harm, the Torch reduces the incoming boulders to slag.
With the threat neutralized, Spidey directs the Torch to focus his flames on one point of the glass. It takes a moment, but finally it melts enough for Spidey to shoot two precision lines of web to the magnetic field switches that control the boulder attack.

With the process interrupted the boulders become erratic, shattering the weakened glass and exploding into the villain's lair!

With the barrier destroyed, the heroes are finally able to catch up with their lethal foes. The Torch superheats Wizard's gun, preventing one final effort of escape, thus sealing the fate of the Wizard and Mysterio!

The hammer...
After all that, a well earned victory goes to Spider-man and the Human Torch. Like we didn't all see it coming.

Whew! Well, I've been to the dentist a couple of times and I'm a week behind, so that's going to be my excuse. As you can see, this was also a gargantuan entry that covered maybe only half of this action-packed Amazing Spider-man Annual!

If we ever get around to revisiting it there's probably at least two seperate fights we could talk about between the Torch and Spidey, which could be fun!
These are two characters who've clasically had a really fun relationship, and we'll probably be talking about that in a couple of months from now. Oh, have I said too much?

Yes, this is particularly topical as in less than a week Spider-man 3 will hit theatres across the globe. We'll be joining in with a whole mess of Spider-man posts across May, so consider this an sample with which to whet your apetite.
Of course, after that, June will be all about the Human Torch and his fellows in the Fantastic Four, with the release of Rise of the Silver Surfer, the sequel to the first Fantastic Four feature film!

So, yes! Plenty to look forward to! Consider this the trailer!

It's late into the AM as I try to finish this overdue post, so I'm probably not going to have a chance to get into any of the complexities of Stan Lee's obvious fascination/admiration of Hollywood, or any of the dynamics going on in this gem from the sixties.

What I will mention, which came to my attention somewhere during the middle of the lengthy summary section, is Spidey's web situation.
A smirk creeps across my face when it dawns on me that some readers visiting the site won't realise that up until a few years ago, Peter Parker's web-slinging relied solely on wrist-mounted shooters built to be worn under his gloves, which required cartridges of a special adhesive solution Peter himself had concocted.

Let's not forget, Peter Parker gets a 5 rating for intelligence in the tape regularly, because the guy does have the smarts. We saw some of that here when he took more of the leadership role next to Johnny Storm's impetuous, young hothead.

So, there you go. If the hammer can provide you with anything, it's that passing musing about the state of Spider-man and his mythology.
Barring unforseen changes in the future, it's bizarre to think the mechanical web-shooters may actually be erased from the minds of all but the trivia buffs and poseurs!

In my excitement last week, I accidentally mentioned in last Monday's post that MODOK was next up, but as you can see, I'd forgotten that Mysterio was the next Marvel: Ultimate Alliance villain to be featured.

Today is Monday 23rd, which is when we should have had our 100th feature battle posted, and once I've caught up to that, yes. MODOK will arrive!
So, stay tuned for that one!

The Fight: 3.5 The Issue: 4.5