We've come to the concluding issue of a three-part story where Adrian Toomes, the super-villain known as the Vulture--in an unusual move for such a man--has sought forgiveness from May Parker for the death of her fiancé, Nathan Lubensky, which Toomes admits responsibility for. When his request was bluntly refused, the Vulture shifted his attention to destroying Spider-Man, a foe that has dogged him for nearly his entire career and whose life he felt compelled to end before he succumbed to the cancer caused by the fields generated by the power pack which provided him with strength and the capability of winged flight.
Having earned his place in Spider-Man's rogues' gallery, the Vulture's prior battles with his web-headed foe have generally been fierce and no holds barred. This time, however, the Vulture has an edge, having pushed his flight technology past its limits and thereby making himself a more deadly opponent to overcome. As for Spider-Man, he's more motivated than ever to end the Vulture's threat once and for all, having become furious at finding Toomes invading May's home more than once as part of an effort to settle his accounts before he dies from his disease.
Yet with J.M. DeMatteis scripting this story, we can expect that there might be more to be found in this battle than flailing fists--as well as more to be found in its aftermath. So be sure to get a good grip on your seat:
...because in this battle to the end, the sky's the limit!
During the Vulture's first attack on Spider-Man in this story, Spidey had already met with surprise at his foe's increased speed and strength; but the Vulture, too, faces a formidable opponent, determined to put an end to the Vulture's crazed rampage as well as his intrusion into his aunt's life. Yet when the battle moves away from the silo where the Vulture had brought Peter Parker as a hostage, the disadvantage that Spider-Man faces in this struggle becomes clear.
Meanwhile, back in New York and the relative safety of ground level, May, along with Peter's wife, Mary Jane, wait for some word about the Vulture's whereabouts, and the status of his hostage. But having reached her breaking point in her run-in with the Vulture, one of these ladies isn't willing to settle for Det. Brodsky's calm assurances that the situation is under control. As we discovered in Part 1, it's a side of this person we're not used to seeing--though watch the balance that DeMatteis attempts to strike with this classic character whose presence in Amazing Spider-Man and its sister titles has endured for nearly three decades.
Miles away, up in the sky (and far out of Brodsky's jurisdiction), the relentless fight becomes more desperate when the Vulture, acknowledging Spider-Man's threat, plays his last card in regard to his equipment--and things only get worse from there. For the Vulture, what eventually happens represents a release from the misery of his circumstances--with, even more pathetically, his only solace being the death of one he loathes. Somehow, that balances the scales for him; but in contrast to his final surrender, the one he seeks to bring down with him fights for his life and, regardless of the Vulture's protests, for their lives.
In answer, Spider-Man has no intention of letting the Vulture off the hook so easily. There is a reckoning of sorts that Toomes must face, aside from answering for his crimes. He'll find that both will be difficult to bear.
While it may seem out of character (and maybe a little over the top) for May to have dealt with Toomes so harshly throughout this story--something even Peter had been concerned about--there is a segment that DeMatteis provided earlier which offers some context for how she has handled this situation. Essentially, Toomes' plea for forgiveness regarding Nathan's death was too much to ask of her, given how many loved ones she's lost in her life because of people like Toomes. As we've seen, there's still a good deal of the kind and caring May left in her--but having become tempered by her experiences, she's become more like the rest of us when it comes to dealing with grief and loss on a day-by-day basis.
It's a blending of her disposition we may or may not see more of, depending on the writers who handle the character from this point on. But whenever we encounter May, family will remain a strong force in her life--and one family member in particular.
As for Toomes, he receives a most unexpected visitor at the police precinct where he's being held--a lady who finds it necessary to have a reckoning of her own, in a poignant scene which provides a fitting close for us here.
 | Spectacular Spider-Man #188 Script: J.M. DeMatteis Pencils and Inks: Sal Buscema Letterer: Joe Rosen |
4 comments:
Never read this before but I loved it. Great characterisation and Sal Buscema inking his own pencils looked good, especially for Spidey.
… Except for MJ. She looked like a fifty-year old with too much makeup.
I'm kinda sad to see the Vulture like this, to be honest. I never thought of him as a homicidal lunatic, although Spider-Man might disagree. I always saw him as a mean 'ol s.o.b., to be sure, but not crazy. Well, not very crazy, anyway. I guess I prefer super-villains who aren't completely nuts, like Beetle or the Shocker, guys who are just trying to ply their trade. But sooner or later, some writer is gonna turn 'em into the Joker.
That Kraven story line where he lost it completely was a classic, but I think writers do that too often sometimes.
M.P.
You raise a fair point about the Vulture's homicidal disposition, M.P., though perhaps knowing the clock was ticking down his final days of life had him looking back at that life and realizing that the path he chose was an ultimately meaningless one, while his guilt over Nathan's death had to weigh on him to a considerable extent. Add to that the fact that he was never able to deal with Spider-Man decisively, and you have one angry bird.
George, I agree that M.J. was a little glammed up due to her success in her chosen profession--but something tells me that Peter isn't likely to hold it against her!
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