Old Bad Guys are New Again

cover art by John Romita

Marvel Team-up #39 (November 1975) was the second issue in which Bill Mantlo wrote the story and Sal Buscema drew it. And I think it is this issue that left readers confident that the Mantlo/Buscema era would be incredibly fun.

This issue begins with an unknown assassin trying to kill Spidey. Though, it turns out, the assassination attempt was expected to fail--it's simply the first step to lure Spider Man into a trap.

Soon after, the same bad guy, now backed up the Enforcers Fancy Dan and Montana, ambush Johnny Storm, capturing him.

So who the heck is this bad guy? When Spidey tracks the villains to a warehouse, he discovers this new guy is auctioning off the Torch to mobsters. And the new guys is claiming to be the Big Man.

This takes us back to early in Spidey's career. The original Big Man turned out to be Frederick Foswell, who had long since died. Obviously, the new Big Man is someone else. 

But mysteries will have to wait, since a fellow hero needs rescuing. Spidey busts Johnny from the coffin-like box in which he's being held and for a few minutes, it looks as if the two heroes will easily clean up the Big Man, the Enforcers and the mobsters. But then another element is tossed into the mix.

Someone claiming to be the Crime Master (another long-dead foe from Spidey's early career) shows up, with the Sandman as a bodyguard. 

 The entire issue is fun from start to finish. The mysteries involving the new Big Man and Crime Master are intriguing, the action is great and Sal Buscema's art often seems to pop off the page with pure energy. 

But we need to solve these mysteries, don't we? Next week, we'll look at the concluding issue of this story.