Unca Cheeks the Toy Wonder's Silver Age Comics Web Site!

By the time 1981 rolled around, I was a brash 7th grader living in the tiny hamlet of Desha, Arkansas. There was exactly one store in town: a little hole in the wall called Pauline's, which aspired to be a quick mart, and didn't stock comics. (Heck, you couldn't even get a slushie there.) Fortunately, the larger nearby town of Batesville had numerous outlets which peddled four-color diversions.

When I saw the first ads for the second pairing of Superman and Spider-Man, I actually considered passing on it. After all: it had already been done, hadn't it...?

Furthermore: it was reportedly being written by Jim Shooter, who was (at the time) establishing a rep for himself as "Resident Big Ol' Meanie," in his capacity as Marvel Comics' editor-in-chief.

Finally: while John Buscema is a fine penciler, his work just didn't thrill me the way his predecessor's (i.e., Ross Andru) generally did.

Then -- on a trip into town, at Magic Mart -- I saw that Bob Larkin cover, and realized: "Hey! That's Doctor Doom!".

Examining the book in question also revealed that both Wonder Woman and the Hulk would be making appearances within; which certainly upped the ante, storytelling-wise.

Okay, I decided. I'm on board.

Being old enough to purchase my own comics at this point, I blew my entire week's comic budget -- a whopping $2.50 (plus tax!) -- on this baby.

It was worth every penny.

Cracking it open, the story began thusly: Spider-Man just happens upon a robbery in progress as he's swinging by (notice how this seems to be a recurring theme with this guy?), and decides to stop by and have a little chat with the miscreants in question.

Whilst thus engaged with the robbers, ol' Spidey realizes that they're packing some mighty sophisticated (to say nothing of high-calibered) heat;and -- after he's decently disposed of them -- his patented Spider-Sense goes off, telling him something decidedly odd is afoot.

Alas, the authorities arrive before the web-crawler can properly investigate; prompting him to skedaddle.

However, his exit does not go unobserved.

At this point, enter our villain: one Victor Von Doom, mad monarch of the tiny eastern European nation of Latveria; and massive (and ongoing) pain in the neck to the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and -- yes, occasionally -- even Spider-Man.

Seems Vic has something up his metallic sleeve, involving luring the Hulk to Metropolis and....

... well: that would be telling.

It seems that -- after his night of crimebusting -- Peter Parker wakes up late for class and (as per usual) gets shortchanged by his tyrant boss, J. Jonah Jameson; leading Parker to leave the regular employ of THE DAILY BUGLE in a pronounced huff.

Meanwhile, Clark Kent and Lois Lane find themselves covering the Hulk's sojourn to Metropolis; or, rather, the path of destruction he's left in his great, green wake.

When they get back to the Galaxy Communications building, an excited Jimmy Olsen hurries them into a meeting with the rest of the WGBS/DAILY PLANET staff; where Clark uses his super-powers to make Steve Lombard all wet. (Hey, I'm getting déjà vu, here).

Morgan Edge takes control of the meeting; during which time an observant Clark notices the Hulk, prancing about in the middle of town and making a big jade nuisance of himself. Clark manages to create a diversion, and: holy smokes... Look! Up in the sky -- !

The Hulk continues his characteristically devastating temper tantrum -- scaring the bejeezus out of the locals -- until Big Blue gets his attention and makes a far more tempting target of himself; prompting Superman to wonder if maybe he's finally bitten off a bit more than he can comfortably chew.

Peter Parker arrives on the scene just in time to see Supes (apparently) put Jade Jaws down for the count; but it turns out the big guy's just playing possum, and belts the Man of Steel up, up and AWAY, over the far horizon.

Unfortunately (for the Hulk, I mean): disposing of Superman doesn't seem to cure whatever's ailing the brutish monster; who proceeds to bring down whatever's left the city, at this point, all around him, in hopes of bringing about an end to his invisible torment.

The Man of Tomorrow manages to make his way back to the battle, and makes like an Immovable Object to counter the Hulk's Irresistible Force; and -- while making like a punching bag -- the Kryptonian crimebuster notices a little buzzing... thing, flittering about the Hulk's head.

Superman gets rid of the annoying little mechanical drone, and the Hulk (who's tired himself out somewhat, at this juncture) calms down.

Everything finally seems to be okay, then (except for the nagging question about who cobbled up the nasty little mechanical buggy thing to get the Hulk all worked up in the first place, I mean): but, noooooo -- !

We find that -- during all of the aforementioned excitement -- long-time Superman foe the Parasite has been freed by the Hulk's rampage.

After making a light snack of Peter Parker's bio-energy, The Purple People-Eater takes a powder; and the faint photog makes the acquaintance of one James Bartholemew Olson, who encourages him to seek more gainful employment over at THE DAILY PLANET.

Parker makes himself right at home, in his new daily digs; while Clark Kent -- following the clues left by the Parasite's escape and the design of the device which was driving the Hulk buggy -- heads for New York...

... and: the Latverian Embassy.

After a wholly unsatisfactory meeting with the not-so-good Doctor, Superman re-assumes his civilian I.D., and lands himself a gig at THE DAILY BUGLE; all the better to keep tabs on his brand new enemy.

Oh, and -- surprise, surprise! -- it turns out that Doom and the Parasite are working together.

As in the instance of the previous DC/Marvel team-up, we find that one of the villains is just a wee bit more on the proverbial ball than the other.

Victor Von Doom is the reigning scourge of the Marvel Universe, entire.

The Parasite is a middle-range inconvenience to super-powered people. Period.

You do the math.

Meanwhile, back in Metropolis: Peter Parker goes through some "growing pains" while working at the Planet, and runs afoul of the Metropolis PD. (Some things never change.)

Passing by the construction site where he was unknowingly attacked by the Parasite, Spidey gets that old tingling feeling; and -- following up on the insectile intuition -- finds a secret base, hidden under the site.

Poking about a bit, he runs smack dab into Wonder Woman, conducting combat with a full battalion of bad guys. Observing from afar, Doom tricks the Amazon warrior into thinking Spidey is his willing pawn.

The Webbed Wonder kills the lights, and 'splains things to Wonder Woman, just in time for Doom's reinforcements to inconveniently arrive and capture her.

Spider-Man sneaks away, but manages to evade the follow-up sweep of Doom's seccurity forces long enough to eavesdrop upon the Latverian monarch's scenery chewing expository monologue; the latterrevealing his master plan of the moment (i.e., emitting a specific type of radiation into the earth's crust, and destroying all fossil fuels, in order to make the world entirely dependent upon a giant fusion reactor he's building).
..
Nasty guy, that Von Doom. (Basically, the Parasite is to act as a big, unsuspecting capacitor, in the process.)

Spider-Man beats feet to the surface, and hooks up with an arriving Supes. The two of them then make a final assault upon the villains...

... but: Superman succumbs to a kryptonite dust attack, in the process;leaving Spider-Man to fall to the Parasite, in turn.

Doom readies the final phase of his plan (while musing, casually, that the Parasite will end up being... well... crystallized,in the process; which is basically what Doom intended all along,since said transformation will end up "fixing" his precious reactor).

Spider-Man makes a desperate attempt to "sweep" the Kryptonite residue off of Superman's body, via the naturally adhesive properties of his trademarked webbing; as the Spider-powered Parasite (finally!) realizes something is darned rotten in the state of Metropolis, and flatly refuses to enter the special "harness" Doom has fashioned on his behalf.

Now free, the hard-charging heroes initiate Round Two, which the Parasite joins glady; whereas Doom hastily takes it on the royal lam, 'cause he knows something they don't know...
..
... chiefly: that his reactor is now completely out of control, and is gonna end up pretty much OJ'ing the entire world, more or less.

Superman disposes of the Parasite, and enters the reactor; informing Spider-Man that it's (basically) all up to him, at this point,to figure out how to shut the blamed thing off.

The Arachnid Avenger suffers a momentary panic attack, at the prospect...

... but: dopes out the right switch to throw, at the last possible instant!

Doom finds his escape from Earth thwarted, ultimately: but manages to hustle it back to his Embassy, mere steps ahead of Superman...

... and (therefore): directly onto the safety of his own soverign soil.
..

All's well that ends well, then, as our heroes return to their respective regular situations and supporting casts; with the world saved from utter annihilation, once more.

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An Embarrassment of Riches (PAGE THREE)

An Embarrassment of Riches (PAGE FOUR)

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