A little over a year following his debut in Amazing Spider-Man, the Punisher makes his way over to a high-profile appearance in the fourth issue of Giant-Size Spider-Man, fighting beside the wall-crawler in a 36-page story (which, excluding ads, works out to 27 pages--still a nice 9 extra pages for your extra 25¢ than what the monthly Spidey series offered). Coming along for the ride is the regular book's creative team of Gerry Conway and Ross Andru (with Mike Esposito stepping in on inks) in a story of greed vs. human lives, an equation which rarely works out in favor of the latter.
We're introduced to at least one of those lives when Spider-Man foils an attempted kidnapping of a young woman, and receives some unexpected assistance from a nearby sniper.
(I don't know about you, but there have been enough instances of Spider-Man's spider-sense being "set aside" when the story calls for someone to take him unawares that I've conditioned myself to sigh and let it slide. That said, two such instances in one scene may tax my resolve.)
As for Spider-Man's resolve to be more understanding of first responders, that lasts for all of sixty seconds, tops (in a very odd scene on Conway's part).
So what's this plot that Spider-Man has stumbled into all about? Why was this girl targeted for kidnapping? What's the extent of the Punisher's involvement (aside from having some interest in the kidnappers that may extend beyond simply picking them off)? Thanks to his journal entry, we can make a fair guess by now that the Punisher is conducting some sort of investigation--but judging by the issue's shocking (if symbolic) cover, the "enemy" that the Punisher speaks of is going to mete out some punishing of his own.
As for the plot, Spider-Man learns from his sometime-ally that a weapons manufacturer has put on the market a lethal gas available to anyone who can meet its price. And as he sees to his horror, the product comes with its own "demonstration"--while the scene also serves to reveal the man who bears responsibility.
We haven't seen Moses Magnum in the PPC since he attempted to seize control of Japan--but here, in his first appearance, he's taking a less blunt approach to being a major player on the world stage. As for our heroes, their "assault" is actually cover for a deeper plan which involves reaching Magnum's South American internment camp where other test subjects are held captive; otherwise, Spider-Man is fully capable of taking out Magnum's armed men like tenpins, though Magnum himself appears to be another matter.
Spidey's face moldings, courtesy of the Punisher, appear to be only precautionary (and it's about time--there's really no good reason why Spider-Man's captors over the years haven't pulled that mask off first thing); regardless, it's time for both men to begin taking care of business, which the Punisher's provisions facilitate.
A nice sequence by Andru. (No, I don't know how Spidey ended up with his mask again--I doubt the Punisher was carrying a spare.)
While it seems appropriate that Magnum's men are in part taken out by gas bombs, Magnum himself proves far more resilient even against Spider-Man. As for the Punisher, we'll come to learn that he never planned on Magnum surviving this encounter--and in the scene that follows, you'll note that both he and Spider-Man have discarded their gas masks in order to accommodate the drama of the moment in regard to the method by which Magnum finally meets his fate.
Despite what we've seen here, in addition to the Punisher's thoughts on the subject (which appear to put future writers on notice), Magnum is later brought back by Chris Claremont (thanks to a "self-contained anti-gas body suit" under his clothes) to make his first attempt at triggering earthquakes along the Japanese and Alaskan fault systems. Which is our cue to trigger a replay of a reaction from the man least likely to take this news well:
12 comments:
To UK eyes, snow falling's incongruous, as this story was a 1979 'Summer Special'! Unfortunately, that summer, I chose another UK 'Summer Special', with the Thing vs the Hulk, instead! (Both were heavily plugged in UK weeklies, beforehand.)
It's strange how sometimes Esposito's inks seem very 'rough hewn' (like here & the last post) but, on other occasions, are much more polished.
Facially, Magnum's less distinctive here, than later - but he's always been strong. Before his X-Men outing, when he punched Colossus a very long distance, Magnum also gave Luke Cage a very hard time (UK 1978 MWOM Annual). Incidentally, that Cage story flashbacked to this story's final gas canister scene, and Spidey's Punisher-save.
The chronology's weird, to me, as I read the Cage/Magnum tale first - X-Mas 1977 (although the MWOM Annual was, of course, dated 1978), whilst the earlier Spidey/Punisher/Magnum story wasn't published by Marvel UK, until the summer of 1979. Go figure!
Phillip
*this earlier*
Phillip
As regards chronology...
Unless, the 1979 UK Spidey/Punisher Summer Spesh was actually the Denny O'Neil/Frank Miller story Murrray mentioned. That would make more sense (in terms of the time-frame!)
Must check...
Phillip
Nope - the 1979 Summer spec is entitled, "If this be Death's Day" - so, it looks like it's today's PPOC post!
Phillip
Phillip, as soon as I saw the Giant-Size Annual's cover I instantly remembered the 1979 UK Spidey Summer Special. I bought both the Spidey one AND the FF (Hulk vs. Thing) one. 1979 was the first year that Marvel UK published any Summer Specials.
Colin, you'd have thought Marvel UK would have included newer material! After all, Dez Skinn seemed all about revamping everything & the shock of the new!
Phillip
Tsk, tsk, CF. A fan of your veteran standing knows the only time a hero is unmasked is when A) preliminary precautions had very fortuitously been taken ahead of time and/or B) we can fully expect the mask-yanking villain to be dead by the end of the story.
I'm not sure how much in-universe time later, Spidey worked up a fix for mask-pulling. He employed his "stick to walls" ability to stick his mask to his face/head. "I got fed up with it being pulled off every five minutes, like it was some kinda drinking game. 'Spidey loses his mask, take a shot.'"
Are you familiar with Astro City stories? In of the early (best) tales of Busiek's, a small-time crook learns the identity of Jack-in-the-Box (an urban crimefighter in the niche of Spider-Man/Daredevil). The crook's imagination tries to work up a plan on how to cash in on this major secret, but no matter how he attempts to work the angles, his fantasies all end up with him dead or nearly so. Eventually his justifiable paranoia has him emigrating to Anchorage, Alaska and goodbye to all the stress.
Murray, are we talking about the mutant, Jack Mead? I think I feel more sorry for him than that crook, given how he ends up in that box. (Besides, when it comes to jack-in-the-boxes, I'm more partial to these babies. ;) ) BTW, I wonder if Spidey's method for keeping his mask on works if he's unconscious?
I had to go a-searchin' for "Jack Mead". After my creep-shivers died down, I am able to report that I was not referring to that poor bugger. No, while Astro City is built as an homage to Marvel, DC, and super comics, it is off and away in its own universe-world.
https://www.writeups.org/jack-in-the-box-astro-city-comics/
Those jack-in-the-boxes you link to are the bee's bum! Are they strictly "museum pieces" or are they for sale somewhere? I have a friend who is staggeringly difficult to buy birthday presents for. I'm willing to wager I've never seen one of those in his vast collection.
Those were produced by Schylling Toys in 2005 as part of a limited edition set, but you'll probably be able to find a few on eBay. ;) (You can also see them demo'd on YouTube!)
CF - Here's the Spidey/Punisher flashback I mentioned, in Luke Cage vs Magnum. I think Lee Elias did a good job, on the story's art:
https://earthsmightiestblog.com/power-man-annual-1-1976/
Phillip
Thanks, Phillip!
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