Spider-Man
Back In Black, Again
by Phil Perich for the Capes and Lunatics Blog
Ir’s been announced that a version of Spider-Man’s black suit will be returning in Amazing Spider-Man #800 in the midst of Peter Parker’s current battle against the Red Goblin (the new combination of Norman Osborn and the Carnage symbiote). Will Spider-Man be wearing just another cloth version of the suit or will it be an alien symbiote, which he rejected in the past after learning of it’s true nature? The majority of the times Spider-Man has worn the black suit it has been during times of great stress or darkness.
Toxic Relationship
Spider-Man was first seen in his new black costume in Amazing Spider-Man #252 (May 1984) This issue recounted Spider-Man’s return from Battleworld where many of the Marvel heroes and villains had been taken by the alien Beyonder.
Spider-Man’s new costume was shown to able to alter it’s appearance and flow on and off him like liquid by just a mental command by Spider-Man himself. The suit also seemed to generate it’s own webbing, saving Spider-Man the expense of creating web fluid and upkeep on web shooters.
The “origin” of the black costume was revealed months later (December 1984) in the pages of Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 where we get the scene of Spider-Man, in the aftermath of a big fight, attempt to use an alien machine to create a costume to replace his battle damaged one. (Spoiler Alert: He uses the wrong one). A black, ink-like ball appears and envelops Spider-Man in a new costume.
Amazed by the new abilities of this seemingly “magical” costume, Spider-Man didn’t rush to take Fantastic Four leader Reed Richards up on his offer to examine the suit until it started exhibiting erratic behavior and even Spider-Man himself was suffering greater and greater periods of exhaustion. Upon Richard’s examination, the suit’s dark secret was revealed!
This was the first “dark moment” involving the black suit. The revelation that it was an alien parasite. Upon this discovery, Reed Richards was able to separate Spider-Man from the alien using a combination of the Human Torch’s fire power and a sonic blaster of his own design. The alien was imprisoned in the Fantastic Four’s headquarters until it was released unintentionally by an enemy of the Fantastic Four.
Seeking the one person on Earth it thought of as it’s friend and partner, the alien symbiote snuck into Peter Parker’s closet and disguised itself as his old costume. Peter then put the disguised alien on and was once again under attack. Only after a harrowing trip through New York was Spider-Man able to free himself once again, this time by standing right under the giant bells of a church.
Dark Avenger
Believing the alien entity dead in the church, Spider-Man continued along in his life and super hero adventures, alternating between wearing his original costume and a cloth version of the black suit.
Months later, in the same church where the symbiote supposedly met it’s end, disgraced reporter Eddie Brock sat, praying for forgiveness of his thoughts of suicide. Brock had become a joke in the newspaper community after he supposedly interviewed the serial killer known as the Sin Eater. Only after Spider-Man brought in the real Sin Eater was Brock’s story revealed to be wrong and his career was ruined.
Before he could decide on whether he could commit the mortal sin of suicide he was “visited” by the symbiote which had been regenerating in the church for months. Learning they had a common enemy in Spider-Man, the symbiote bonded with Brock to become Venom. The pair formed one of Spider-Man’s most dangerous villains, not only because they didn’t set off Spider-Man’s danger warning Spider-Sense, but also because the symbiote revealed Spider-Man’s greatest secret to Brock—That Peter Parker was the face under the mask.
Upon gaining this info, Brock as Venom went looking for Parker but found his new wife, Mary Jane Watson Parker and gave her a shocking hello! Upon learning that the symbiote was still alive, Spider-Man borrowed Reed Richards sonic blaster and went hunting. During their initial confrontation, Venom captures Spider-Man and reveals his (their?) origin to him. Breaking free, Spider-Man battles his twisted double and is able to beat and incarcerate him, but the damage is done. Spider-Man not only has a new, deadly villain that knows his identity and would stalk and attempt to kill him, but Mary Jane would have a pathological fear of Venom for years to come, not even wanting to see Peter in any version of the black suit ever again. The second “dark moment”, a BIG one.
Forever Evil
After years of attempting to kill Spider-Man and even a period of truce between the two during Venom’s “Lethal Protector” period, Eddie Brock was diagnosed with cancer and was eventually separated from the symbiote. Even though the two would eventually be reunited, the symbiote used it’s free time to bond with several other hosts, including Mac Gargan the supervilalin known as the Scorpion and even tempting US soldier Eugene “Flash” Thompson during their time together with dark thoughts of violence. The third “dark moment”? Making deadly super villains even deadlier and angrier and tempting good men and driving them away from those they love.
Back In Black
Following the first super hero Civil War, Peter Parker’s identity was outed to the world. After an attack by a sniper sent by Wilson Fisk aka the Kingpin, May Parker was shot and about to die. With his world crumbling around him and dark thoughts swirling in his head, Peter once again donned a cloth version of the black suit, retreating into it during periods of darkness in his life, another “dark moment”, especially when he beats the Kingpin almost to death with his bare hands!
So which version of the black suit will Peter Parker use in his battle against the Red Goblin, another combination of two deadly enemies? A cloth version with some tech upgrades like the ones he used recently when he was the head of Parker Industries? Or in his desperation to defeat another villain who has knowledge of his secret identity and threatens his loved ones will Peter succumb to the dark seduction of the power of an alien symbiote, the “darkest moment” yet? Tell me YOUR thoughts!
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