This stage of Spiderman in the comics might not be the most beloved by fans, but Marvel is refocusing it, setting aside the drama with Mary Jane, who now has a new boyfriend that no one likes, to focus on what Spider-Man does best: street fighting and gang warfare. And of course, as it couldn’t be otherwise, this shift in paradigm has started with an unexpected death that could literally change everything.
A head for hammering nails
Al Ewing has kicked off this mega-crossover among all the Spider titles with an issue that explains why the New York mafia has engaged in an all-out war. But first, a quick update on this never-ending soap opera: during Randy Robertson and Janice Lincoln’s wedding, the daughter of Tombstone, things turned sour when Randy got shot and now lies in agony in a hospital bed. Got it? Let’s dive in.
With their enemy lying there dying, the rest of the street-level criminal associations decide to divide up Harlem, Randy’s territory, which obviously won’t happen without bloodshed. Janice shows up at the meeting demanding her father’s seat, something Hammerhead agrees to on the condition that she’s able to kill… Randy Robertson, her ex-fiancé (the wedding, post that incident, didn’t end well, for whatever reason).
Of course, as much as she appears willing in front of him, she won’t do it. Disguised as The Beetle, she warns her ex about what’s about to happen while he’s giving a speech. Too late, of course: Hammerhead shoots him, and he ends up in the hospital alongside Tombstone. Shortly after, the mobster reveals his plans to his innocent girlfriend, who, as always, is not what she seems. Here, we’ll need a sudden touch of magical realism because this could only happen in a Marvel comic book.
Actually, the anonymous girlfriend is Madame Masque, who faked her death at the wedding and now, knowing everything about Hammerhead, is ready to make her final move. Literally. She takes a human femur lined with adamantium (no one knows where she got it from), enchants it, and crushes her boyfriend’s skull, seemingly killing him on the spot… or so it seems. And thus begins a gang war where Spider-Man will assemble a team, thanks to Mayor Luke Cage (it’s a long story), with all fronts open. Sometimes it’s a pleasure to be a Spidey fan. Not many times, though.
