For Gosh Sake, Will Someone Buy Spider-Man a Plane Ticket?!!!?

 

In the previous issue of Marvel Team-Up, Spider-Man had to travel to South America. Despite the fact that he was working with a member of the Fantastic Four, he had to bum his own ride, cocooning himself to the bottom of a commercial airliner with his webbing. 

He ends that issue in Greece and with the necessity of getting to the Inhumans' Great Refuge in the Himalayas. And, as we see at the beginning of MTU #11 (July 1973), he has to hitchhike. Poor Peter. When Johnny Storm bailed out on him last issue, he couldn't even be bothered to use his FF-access to all sorts of high tech to score a ride for the webslinger.

This issue still features art by Jim Mooney. Gerry Conway had been writing this story arc, but this time he's credited with the plot, while Len Wein writing the script. 

Anyway, it sounds like I'm trashing the story, but I really don't intend that. Spidey having to hitchhike to the Great Refuge is a tad silly. Also, an upcoming "the story so far" flashback scene and a fight against henchmen when Spidey returns to the 23rd Century are both a little padded, showing that there probably wasn't enough of a story left to fill another issue. But Mooney's art is great and, overall, the plot indulges in entertaining Comic Book Science while getting the personalities of the various characters right. Despite its flaws, it accomplishes its purpose in being fun. 

Anyway, Spidey reaches the Great Refuge and explains to Black Bolt what's going on, including the important point that Zarrko's time bomb uses the same sort of radiation as does the Great Refuge's protective force field. As I mentioned, the flashback sequence accompanying Peter's explanation seems a little padded to me. But to be fair, the Comic Book Science involves is a tad convoluted. Maybe using up two pages to explain it all was unavoidable. On the other hand, two pages is 10% of the entire issue.

Black Bolt's brother Maximus, though still as Crazy-Pants as he usually is, is able to use the time bomb to slap together a time machine. Soon, Spider-Man and the Inhumans are zapped to the 23rd Century to rescue the imprisoned Avengers.

They actually appear several minutes before Spidey originally left at the beginning of the previous issue, with Zarrko only just arriving at Kang's headquarters. They follow him in and are soon locked in combat with a small army of henchmen. 

The ensuing fight is long enough to once again make me think that Len Wein was searching for ways to stretch out the remaining story to fill 20 pages, but it IS a good fight scene. Each of the key Inhumans and Spidey get a few panels to show off their own abilities and there's a really nice group shot as they polish off the last of the bad guys.

They confront Kang and Zarkko, which is when we find out what Kang's surprised reaction from the previous issue was for. Spidey and the Inhumans charge into the control room just moments after Chronologically-Earlier Spidey has fled. It doesn't really affect the story, but it's a fun moment.

There's some more fighting, the Avengers are freed and Zarkko is captured. Kang also appears to have been knocked out, but his armor turns out to be empty, allowing him to gloat a little via remote control as the story wraps up. 

But the cross-century invasion plans of both Kang and Zarkko are foiled. The heroes are zapped back to their own time and the day is saved.

I've just read back over what I've written and I am being nit-picky about some elements of the story. I admit that. But, by golly, there's a long tradition of comic book/science fiction fans being nit-picky--SO THERE! And despite whatever holes in logic might have been scattered about along the way, it's been a fun story arc and the world is a better place because it exists.

All the same, couldn't Johnny Storm have arranged a more comfortable ride for Spidey from Greece to the Great Refuge? C'mon,Johnny! You're better than that, man!

Next week, let's spend some time with Korak the Killer.