Web of Spider-Man #44
“Reunion”
Writer: Peter David
Penciler: Alex Saviuk
Inker: Keith Williams
Letterer: Rick Parker
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Editor: Jim Salicrup
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco
Released: July 5, 1988
I've got a list of comics I'd like to feature in “Missing Links,” looking at issues I missed the first time around and reading them years later. This one should have been on it, but I forgot all about it until I stumbled upon it while exploring a bunch of longboxes at a vendor mall while on vacation.
I bought issues of “Web of Spider-Man” here and there, probably drawn by the fact that the title itself eschewed the adjective-hero naming conventions of the web-slinger's other books at the time, “Amazing” and “Spectacular Spider-Man.” I was a weird kid.* But I hadn't bought many, if any, at this point. I read the second half of this story as part of the first series I regularly collected, “The Incredible Hulk,” in the early days of the recently departed Peter David's indelible run. It was clear in Hulk #349 that this was continued from a Spider-Man issue, but I don't recall ever trying all that hard to track it down.
I did get it eventually, in one of the Marvel Visionaries collections of David's run I bought to fill in gaps and replace some of the battered issues I'd purchased at good old Waldenbooks. I must have read it at some point, but it didn't really stick in my mind. The Hulk issue I had opened with Spidey and the Hulk facing off against some paramilitary types and each other in Las Vegas, where the Hulk was working as muscle for a casino owner/mob boss.** But how did they get there?
Well, the issue opens with Spider-Man's spider-sense going off as he swings through Las Vegas. We learn this is because he accidentally swung into the sites of Delta, one of those paramilitary types from the cover. It's apparently not because he's in Vegas on a book tour as Peter Parker and having Spider-Man show up inexplicably in the same place is a bad idea. If danger strikes and he needs to leap into costumed action, sure. But just taking in the sights in costume, or even saving on cab fare, seems like secret identity malpractice.
As Spidey monologues a recap of recent events and cracks wise about talking to himself, Alpha, Bravo and Charlie – three members of the quartet from the cover called Warzone – are enjoying a little get-together before their annual games, despite the absence of reigning champion Delta. Their seemingly friendly rivalry kicks up a notch when Charlie brandishes a knife in Bravo's face.
Marlo spots Peter stumbling through an awkward interview on a local TV show and decides he's nice and cute enough to go to his book signing. Alpha, Bravo and Charlie are shown getting into their battle gear.
Outside the book shop where Peter's signing has failed to draw a crowd, Delta springs an ambush on Charlie using a missile launcher. When Marlo rushes to see if Charlie is all right, the other woman brutally strikes her, knocking her unconscious.
As Charlie and Delta exchange fire, Peter changes into his costume*** and sides with the woman with a crossbow over the unseen missile sniper. Delta chucks a car at Spidey before reverting back to his rockets. Before the wall-crawler can chase the surprisingly fast assailant, he spots the injured Marlo and swings her to a hospital.
Marlo's roommate Mona is a nurse at the ER, and she calls Fixit to let him know his special lady friend has been wounded. He tells her it's not his problem. Remember, this gray Hulk isn't as friendly as the green one who talked like a child and generally wants to be left alone.
Figuring the hero can serve as a good distraction, Charlie sticks with Spidey, telling him Delta is a fellow mercenary and her mentally unstable ex who's been harassing her since she dumped him. Poor, trusting Spider-Man. I guess spider-sense doesn't double as a BS detector. Using the signal from a spider-tracer, they track Delta to the Coliseum casino. But they're attacked by Alpha, then interrupted by the massive figure of Mr. Fixit. See, the Coliseum is where the Hulk has a penthouse. His beef at first is with Alpha, who shot him, but he quickly recognizes Charlie from Mona's description. Seems Marlo's injury is a little bit his problem after all.
He says he's got no problem with Alpha taking her out. When Spider-Man says he does, Fixit turns his attention to him, and Spider-Man realizes he's dealing with the Hulk, who he thought was green, dumb and dead.
We're referred to the upcoming issue of the Hulk, about which I remember... not a lot. I know Warzone has a secret that's hinted at in this issue, and Bravo steals an Isuzu, which really excites him, until it blows up.
By the way, Fandom tells me this issue was the first appearance of Warzone, and the Hulk issue was the last.
The reveal of the Hulk here is treated as a mystery, and from Spidey's point of view, it is. But readers saw the Hulk, gray and wearing a suit, on the cover, so even if they weren't reading his book, they knew what was coming.
The story also depends on a lot of coincidences, even more than the average comic book dust-ups and team-ups. Marlo sees Peter on TV, goes to his book-signing, which just happens to be where Delta attacks Charlie. Then Delta just happens to flee to the vicinity of the Hulk's place.
But that's nitpicking that doesn't overshadow the main appeal of this issue: It's fun.
I make no secret of my love for Peter David, and this does nothing to dissuade me. As Spidey's stop in Vegas gets more frustrating, David drops the names of authors and friends, with the book store owner telling Parker there was a big crowd when Chris Claremont and Tom DeFalco did signings there. And David's wit fits well with Spider-Man's, such as when he advises Charlie as they hunt for Delta to “Let me do the talking. I'm real glib.”
* - Let's face it: I still am.
** - A brief description of that era I
never get tired of sharing with people who aren't familiar with it.
Yes, anything can happen in comics.
*** - A justifiable risk to his secret ID, what will all that power and responsibility.
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