Uncanny Spider-Man #1 annotations
As always, this post contains spoilers, and page numbers go by the digital edition.
UNCANNY SPIDER-MAN #1
“Park Life”
Writer: Si Spurrier
Artist: Lee Garbett
Colour artist: Matt Milla
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Design: Tom Muller & Jay Bowen
Editor: Sarah Brunstad
Editor-in-chief: C B Cebulski
UNCANNY SPIDER-MAN is the latest iteration of the book formerly known as Way of X and Legion of X. We last saw Nightcrawler in X-Men: Before the Fall – Sons of X #1 (which was effectively a Legion of X special), in which he was freed from Orchis and reunited with the “Hopesword” that Margali Szardos conjured out of him in Legion of X #10. Then he decided to leave Krakoa, which is why he wasn’t around for the Hellfire Gala.
COVER / PAGE 1. Nightcrawler in action as “Spider-Man”.
PAGES 2-3. John Romita tribute pages.
PAGES 4-9. “Spider-Man” defeats some organ thieves.
Shocker tech. The thieves are apparently using the technology of perennial Spider-Man D-list villain the Shocker – and they’re so far down the pecking order that they think it’s impressive.
“Entschulgigung.” “Excuse me.”
Nightcrawler is wearing a modified Spider-Man costume with a mask, though he’s not exactly going overboard to disguise himself – his tail is in full view and his unusual hands and feet are also clearly visible. Plus, he’s still wearing his red and black colour scheme. This seems to me more of an exercise in plausible deniability.
The sword is the Hopesword, which he evidently produces from inside his body. The sound effect when he puts it away again is rather disconcerting, but he doesn’t seem to be in any pain.
PAGE 10. Some random park dwellers approach.
In the first panel, Nightcrawler is looking at the burnt ruins of the Treehouse, the X-Men’s former New York headquarters. It is indeed right next to Central Park – according to X-Men #1, it’s on “the southwest corner of the 86th Street Central Park Transverse”.
We’ll find out later who the woman muttering about her baby is – the others in the group call her “Sad Suzie”.
PAGES 11-13. A Sentinel approaches.
This is one of the Stark Sentinels seen in X-Men and Invincible Iron Man. It detects Nightcrawler as a mutant but somehow gets tricked into changing its mind. The voice that whispers in Nightcrawler’s ear in page 12 panel 2, and takes credit for thwarting the Sentinel, appears to be the voice of the Hopesword itself – but quite what it’s actually doing here, and what powers it has, aren’t clear yet.
Spinnenmann. “Spider-Man” in German, obviously.
PAGE 14. Data page – just a standard Orchis propaganda poster. Presumably the X’s on the map are the locations of disabled gates.
PAGE 15. Recap and credits.
The title, “Park Life”, is presumably a vague reference to the 1994 Blur single, which wasn’t a hit in America, but was one of the iconic Britpop tracks (even though it only got to number 10). The story has nothing to do with it, though.
PAGES 16-20. Kurt and Spider-Man.
I’m not honestly sure what this building is supposed to be – it doesn’t look like the Belvedere.
Spider-Man has given Kurt his blessing to join the Spider-Man franchise. However, Kurt originally pitched his plan as being to hide in plain sight and clear his name after Orchis sent him to kill a bunch of people in Sons of X. He seems to have lost sight of all that, and is now just hanging out in the park keeping a low profile.
In keeping with the “Fall of X” premise, Spider-Man is aware of Orchis’ allegations of mutants poisoning drugs and so forth, and while he doubts the allegations, he doesn’t reject them out of hand. However, he presumably sees that as an allegation against the Krakoan authorities rather than mutants in general. In fairness to Peter, he does know that the drug-poisoning really happened (if not how), and he also knows that the Quiet Council was filled with very dodgy characters, so it’s not entirely unreasonable for him to give some credence to the idea that somebody on the Quiet Council might indeed have done this on purpose.
PAGES 21-25. The Vulture works on Orchis’ Hound programme.
The Vulture. Since this is a quasi-Spider-Man book, we get a quasi-Spider-Man villain. Adrian Toomes has been around since Amazing Spider-Man #2 (1963). He’s an odd character to use as a creator of Hounds, a concept which dates from the “Days of Future Past” storyline and timeline. That normally involves mutants biologically altered in some way to make them into mutant-hunting slaves; the Vulture is more of a tech guy. However, his experiments here do indeed seem to be mainly technological in nature.
His outfit here also has a distinct look of techno-organics about it, with the traditional colouring of black with yellow highlights. Perhaps this storyline is picking up on Legion of X #10, in which Warlock wound up being absorbed by Nimrod.
Vulture figures out that Nightcrawler has some sort of ability to dodge the mutant sensors, but decides to call in some mercenaries rather than to pass it up the chain of command.
Ultimatum-X is what Vulture is calling the threat to kill 10 humans for every mutant found on Earth, which Orchis made in X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023. The “Fall of X” books have been wildly inconsistent about how seriously characters are taking this threat. Here, Orchis seem to regard it as something they might do occasionally for the sake of show but don’t genuinely intend to take literally. Understandably, Vulture figures that Nightcrawler might not know about it, since he wasn’t at the Gala – Wolverine also portrays it as an ultimatum directed more at the X-Men than against mutants in general. Wolverine, however, does know about the ultimatum, presumably from Professor X’s attempts to march everyone through the gates; if so, Nightcrawler might well know too.
The unnamed mutant being experimented upon by Vulture is Feral, from the first line-up of X-Force. She was last seen living among the Marauders in Madripoor.
PAGE 26. Data page – Spider-Man fans discuss the new Spider-Man on the webpage mentioned by one of the organ thieves in the opening scene.
“That Limbo Tower thing down on 59th” is the Limbo Embassy from Dark X-Men.
PAGES 27-32. “Spider-Man” stops a mugging.
This jogger is about as unsympathetic as a mugging victim could get, but she is still a genuine member of the public, so she gets saved.
The mugger is Mystique, who was also the homeless woman near the start. Mystique suffered some sort of aneurysm while resisting Professor X’s attempts to march her through the gates in Hellfire Gala 2023, which presumably explains her confused behaviour here. Mystique is, of course, Nightcrawler’s biological mother.
PAGES 33-37. The mercenaries prepare to face Nightcrawler.
The mercenary leader is Silver Sable, another Spider-Man character, and usually an ally of his. Broadly speaking, she’s a “good” mercenary, and so an odd choice for Orchis to bring in.
The photos given to the mercenaries by Orchis show Nightcrawler in his heavily mutated form from Sons of X and the closing issues of Legion of X – which, to be fair, is what he looked like the last time they saw him.
“A little documented ability to become functionally invisible in low light.” Early X-Men stories mention this power but are very inconsistent about it. X-Men #102 is very explicit about him having the power; the reprint of that same story in Classic X-Men deletes the dialogue.
PAGE 38. Trailers. The Krakoan reads BLUE STREAK.
This was fun. The sole focus on Kurt definitely helps – Way and Legion of X were split between so many characters that none of them were served right.
And now I’m wondering what stories Kurt and Peter were in together. Or is it a case of ‘they must have talked a lot off-screen in the Spider-Man and the X-Men mini’?
Nightcrawler’s invisibility power was re-established in Alan Davis’ Excalibur. But that comic is completely ignored by continuity for some reason.
Did I completely imagine you posted your annotations about this earlier in the week? I was almost sure I read your take on this already. Regardless, your writing’s great even as deja vu.
Ceran-Spider-Man and Nightcrawler met each other in Amazing Spider-Man #161-162 and teamed up at least once more in Marvel Team-Up #89.
Kurt and Peter also met in Marvel Team-Up Annual #1 and in a brief scene of its follow-up in #53. Also the very last issue of the original MTU run, #150. And a few “crowd” scenes such as the early 1980s story where Hulk is pardoned. And of course, Contest of Champions and Secret Wars. It was a bit crowded, but the two are also significant parts of the Kulan Gath story in Uncanny #189-191.
Kurt’s “transparency in shadows” is briefly mentioned in Uncanny #123-124, the first story where Arcade targets the X-Men.
I’m not liking the idea that Kurt has trouble making jokes in English. He’s been quipping in English for years.
I don’t think that the voice in Kurt’s head is the voice of the Hopesword. I think it’s the Nightkin child Mother Righteous tried to sacrifice in Nightcrawlers 3. It was hinted the child survived the destruction of the Sins of Sinister timeline.
Remember Blindfold’s prophecy in Before the Fall: Sons of X: “A Dominion in the dark…the fall of mutantkind…the wall-crawler.”Kurt is the key.” Probably the voice is the reason why Kurt is the key to stopping Orchis and/or the Dominion.
One annoying thing is that there’s no mention that Mary Jane’s Aunt Anna was driven insane by the poisoned medicine. You’d think that Peter would be pushing Kurt harder about finding a cure.
This could have been co-ordinated better with Peter’s own book. Kurt chose to become a Spider-Man because Peter currently has a better reputation than mutants. Except that this week’s Amazing Spider-Man has Spider-Man attacking cars passing through the Holland Tunnel under the influence of the “sins” of the Green Goblin.
If the books had been coordinated better we could have had Peter and Kurt comparing their experiences- Kurt feeling guilty about hurting people while he was turned into a monster by Margali and Peter feeling guilty about hurting people when he was influence by the “sins” of Norman Osborn.
Vulture is working with Orchis because he wants immortality. He’s been depicted as trying to steal other people’s youth to rejuvenate himself before in the ’90’s.
I’m guessing the white Bamf is actually Legion, and that he assumed this form to break Mother Righteous’ hold on him
Loathe as I am to mention it, Nightcrawler also guest starred in one issue of Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do, a notoriously late Kevin Smith comic that ended up sucking.
Si Spurrier writes a good Kurt, most of the time, and I liked this issue. The clear, crisp art of Lee Garbett was most welcome- his Nightcrawler is one of the few that look good, and the action was well-depicted- and less supporting characters/teammates means Spurrier’s plot had a tighter focus. If the rest of the series reads like this issue, I’ll be happy.
“The clear, crisp art of Lee Garbett was most welcome”
Is Garbett any good lately? I last saw their work on The Return of Bruce Wayne and some satellite bat-books over a decade ago. Perfectly competent, but nothing that would bring me back just for the art.
>I think it’s the Nightkin child Mother Righteous tried to sacrifice in Nightcrawlers 3.
Agreed. And worth mentioning, for any who missed it, that we already saw this glowing dude in Before the Fall: Sons of X, hanging in the rafters of the Green Lagoon, looking down on Kurt.
>If the books had been coordinated better we could have had Peter and Kurt comparing their experiences- Kurt feeling guilty about hurting people while he was turned into a monster by Margali and Peter feeling guilty about hurting people when he was influence by the “sins” of Norman Osborn.
But then we’d have Peter dealing with the aftermath of a story that’s only just begun in his own book. Which, granted, is the sort of out-of-sequence continuity Marvel’s done in the past, but it’s never ideal, I’d argue.
“his tail is in full view and his unusual hands and feet are also clearly visible. Plus, he’s still wearing his red and black colour scheme.”
Don’t forget, a mask also somehow designed for his ears too.
The emphasis on Kurt speaking English as a second language is rather strange – after all these years of the X-Men meeting aliens, otherdimensional beings and foreigners who all speak fluent English (unless Cypher’s in the story), most writers have learned not to draw attention to that by now…
Kurt says in this issue that he wasn’t at the Hellfire Gala. Didn’t we see him there, as one of the first to use the “Resist” technique?
No. He is seen at a gate not on Krakoa resisting while others walk through it.
I think the idea is that the sentinel initially detected Mystique as “Sad Suzie”, then got distracted by seeing a superhero so focused on Nightcrawler instead. Would also make sense as the woman’s pheromone alarm doesn’t go off for Nightcrawler and only activates when Mystique transforms back into her mutant form.
My money is on the voice being either Legion or somehow the future Nightkin child, I don’t think the Hopesword is sentient.
Considering Silver Sable grew up hunting Nazis, her working for Orchis doesn’t feel right.
Vulture does sound like an odd fit. Someone like the Lizard, Stegron, Stone, or Alistair Smythe probably would have been better.
The talk of Kurt’s strange apparent awkwardness with quipping is reminding me of this caption from a Chuck Austen comic that referred to Nightcrawler’s “poor comedic timing due to lack of use” in contrast to Iceman’s “great comedic timing due to constant use”. Like … That was from an early 2000s comic, so the fuzzy dude had been japing for almost as many decades as the frosty one by that point. XD
@Adam Farrar- Which Stone? Ty Stone the corrupt corporate executive or Stone the partner of Styx who experimented on homeless people?
Lizard wouldn’t work because if he was Conners he would oppose Orchis and if he was Lizard he’d be trying to turn everyone into lizards. Similarly, Stegron would be trying to turn everyone into dinosaurs.And Alistair Smythe is specifically obsessed with wanting revenge on Peter and JJJ for “destroying” his father’s life, when in reality his father destroyed his own life.
Surely the problem is that very few of Spider-Man’s villains would really work for this plot, since none of them seem like they’d be especially anti-mutant.
Miles Warren might’ve been a funny choice — a non-mutant Sinister-type working mostly for giggles — but it’d still be a stretch.
Norman Osborn might do it for the power and the sadism — and for revenge after the Utopia fiasco during Dark Reign — but he’s temporarily a good guy right now.
I guess the Toomes version of the Vulture works in terms of the stated motivation, but…he’s never come across as a brilliant gadgeteer. He invented one thing, his flight harness, that he keeps improving, but not much else of note.
I thought the Terrible Tinkerer would have been a better fit.
Toomes isn’t expected to invent anything. The Hound procedure would be known by Omega Sentinel and Nimrod (see: Moira’s sixth and ninth lives, although those were different Hounds). Toomes would just need to follow the directions given him by Orchis.
Besides which, Toomes seems to be post-human now. Perhaps there were augmentations to his brain as part of his upgrade.
@Michael- I was thinking of the Stone with Styx. And yeah, there’s lots of motivations that would need to be worked out but at least those characters are making modifications to the human body.
Just idly wondering what makes Vulture “quasi” as a Spidey villain. I thought that was his main thing?
“Just idly wondering what makes Vulture “quasi” as a Spidey villain. I thought that was his main thing?”
Yeah, just looking at Comic Vine, everything on the first page of appearances is either a Spidey book or an anthology (therefore, a Spidey story).
Everything else aside, Vulture feels like an odd choice to join Orchis. I guess he’s gone up against X-Force but that was like as an average villain. Doc Ock is the one whose been a big mutophobic in the past, feels like he would make more sense. I guess it’s ultimately because Wells isn’t doing anything with Vulture and Slott has Ock on hold for Superior Spider-Man, but surely there could have been another villain to pick from?
The thing with the Vulture is the searching for immortality. He’s been searching for rejuvenation for a long time, and I think that his confrontation with Nightcrawler could reconnect with the low value that young mutants showed regards dieing and resurrecting in the early issues of Way of X.
I guess that works… but I think that Will-O-the-Wisp or even Spencer Smythe Jr. might fit the role better.
@Luis- Will-O’-the-Wisp is odd because he was never meant to be a straight-up villain in the first place. in his first appearance, he was being forced by Jonas Harrow to fight Spider-Man. In his next appearance he kidnaps Marla to force her to restore him to his body. In his appearance after that, Peter is trying to convince him not to murder a former employer who left him to die. Then, he mistakenly thinks Peter is a thief. Then there’s a story where he’s helping Silver Sable. Then, he’s gets controlled by Harrow again and Spider-Man frees him. That story ends with him grateful to Spider-Man.
Then suddenly, in Sensational Spider-Man 29-31 by Roberta Augeirre-Sacasa, he’s part of a group organized by Chameleon who wants revenge on Spider-Man and is willing to threaten children to do it. The writer apparently didn’t realize that Will-o-the-Wisp had no reason to want revenge on Spider-Man in the first place. But in every appearance after this, he’s been evil. it’s an odd example of a character being turned evil because a writer failed to do their homework.
Now, Jonas Harrow, he might work for Orchis. But the reason why no one’s brought him back since the Hood killed him is that he simply wasn’t that good a villain.
Your average super-hero comic reader will recognize the Vulture as a Spider-Man villain who uses advanced tech. All the other villains mentioned have a lower Q-rating. I think the Vulture works for the role he’s in just fine.
Feral was last seen living on Krakoa with roommate Marrow. It’s sad that Marrow is in a series now, and they didn’t include Feral. They could have used Thorrn in this program and let Feral be in the other. I just hope they don’t Kill Feral again. It’s getting old. She’s one of my favorite characters from her X-Force days.