Make Way for Man-Mountain Marko!

You know the best thing about Man-Mountain Marko, an enforcer of the Maggia and muscle to former crime boss Silvermane? It wasn't the fact that he was just an oversized bruiser who thought he could take on the likes of Spider-Man, giving us a weird root-for-the-underdog vibe. The most memorable thing I took away from Man-Mountain Marko is that he was his own best press agent (the 20th century precursor to "publicist")--because he often dropped his name in the third person.

And the thing about saying "Man-Mountain Marko" is that you can't just spin it off your tongue casually--each word has to be given a slight pause in order to get the full effect. In fact, you almost feel a compulsion to give it that kind of emphasis, even if you're not the man-mountain himself. I even find that, as I'm reading, I play the words out slowly in my head.

So what's the story on this guy? He's been around for awhile, either as hired muscle or out for his own interests--even popping up in the Dark Reign storyline. But he goes way back to late '60s Amazing Spider-Man, where we found an aging Silvermane attempting to obtain an ancient tablet that held the secret of the fountain of youth. Marko was sent out to retrieve the tablet, which had formerly been stolen by the Shocker who stashed it at his girlfriend's apartment for safekeeping. Given what happens next, I'm betting this lady will think twice about ever dating a costumed villain again, because I don't think she counted on a pitched battle in her living room between Spider-Man and Man-Mountain Marko.

(You see what I mean about the impact of the name? You just can't stop replaying "Man-Mountain Marko" in your head, can you.)

When they talk about fights that go back and forth, this fight is one of the best examples I can think of. First, Marko gets the upper hand:

Then, Spider-Man shows Marko that being a man-mountain only goes so far:

Then back over to Marko, who surprises Spider-Man with his strength:

Finally, the two mix it up in earnest, with Spidey not making much headway:

And now back to Spidey, who's ready for another round:

But Marko now has what he came for, and so he cuts the fight short by tossing the girl out of the window, knowing that Spider-Man will race to save her--and when that happens, Marko makes his escape.

Later, though, Spider-Man locates both Marko and Silvermane, and his rematch with Marko lasts just a few panels, though enough to indicate a clear winner:

We learn in other stories that Marko was subject to genetic engineering by the Maggia as well as steroid use to account for his strength, though in this first outing there's no such explanation to account for the trouble he was able to give Spider-Man (other than from a writer's perspective, i.e. to provide some action sequences in a story that would otherwise have Spidey just battling a few hoods). In any event, Man-Mountain Marko's future as an antagonist for Spider-Man as well as other heroes was set--since he practically guaranteed that his reputation would precede him.