The Avenging Spider-Man is the new Marvel Mash-up franchise we all know and love. Who doesn’t enjoy seeing our favorite wise cracking web-slinger team up with people who either love, hate, or learn to respect him (or that he gets even more on their nerves)? It’s a fantastic concept but what happens in the world when Spider-Ock? Last issue was hilarious, but as for this one? Let’s see how it pans out when he’s asked by the Fantastic Four to help!
Of course Spider-Man being played by Doc Ock isn’t the only change in this comic. This issue still has the Fantastic Four being played by their counterparts as Marvel’s first family is out in space at the moment. The current FF has a case they need to solve and need someone to help them out.
While the ego of Doc Ock of course leads him to think he should be leading the team the reality is that they need his help with another problem – babysitting. They don’t want to take the kids with them while they save the world and feel that Spider-Man is the perfect Avenger to help keep the kids safe.
While he gets a quick tour of the building and who he has to take care of he quickly tries to use the time to use some of Reed’s equipment for his own use. Great plan: in charge of the Baxter Building with no adult oversight. What could possibly go wrong?
Well kick in the famous Peter Parker luck and up pops up the The Time Variance Authority who have detected a reality ending event is about to occur. Who are The Time Variance Authority? They’ve been around before and are from the future as they guard the timeline from events like this. They are very powerful and usually are ruthless to get the results (though can be reasoned with.)
The solution to prevent this is to just kill all of the children and at this point Peter’s subconscious kicks in causing Doc Ock to not just let this happen. The Time Variance Authority calls in Death’s Head (future cyborg bounty hunter who hasn’t been around in awhile.)
After a huge fight goes down between Spider-Man and Death’s Head we see Spidey talk to the kid whose machine is going to ruin the future. We don’t get to hear the exact conversation but clearly he put’s the fear or God into him as he quickly announces he’ll destroy the invention, never use it and never make anything like it again.
The FF return shortly after to a class in full attendance behaving perfectly. Something they’ve never seen before. Clearly surprised at how well he did Spidey says to not really call again unless they’ve got a real problem.
Spider-Man is one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Universe. I haven’t been sold on the Avenging Spider-Man team-ups but this issue was a complete stand out just for the fun factor of it. You get to see him feel very Peter Parker in some moments and VERY Doc-Ock in others. On top of that Death’s Head is always a blast.
There wasn’t a single bad thing in the entire issue and just like last week’s issue of The Superior Spider-Man we get an awesome cliffhanger. I won’t announce what it is but we’re going to be seeing the return of another of Spider’s villains in the near future and his return could mark something rather… sinister.
Writer: Christopher Yost
Cover Artist: Paolo Rivera
