Amazing Spider-Man #669

[cyberghostface]

So Spider-Island is under way, with New York's inhabitants coming down with spider-powers. Spider-Man and His Amazing Girlfriend Carlie decide to help out.

It's also implied that Carlie Cooper might be on to who Spidey is, even though the mindwipe Spidey sold his soul to Mephisto for had made it so no one would be able to deduce it themselves even if the evidence is staring themselves in the face, but heck, given that Jackal still knows who Spider-Man is, it appears Slott doesn't care anymore. Or maybe Carlie Cooper is so perfect she can see beyond the mindwipe.

Anyway, Shocker now has four extra arms and is in the midst of a robbery.









The Queen? Who is she? Well, she was a Spider-Man villainess from Paul Jenkins' run a while back...she did this:



Which lead to this...



Also, Carlie...it's a good look for you. At least now we have something else besides your glasses to distinguish you from everyone else.
 

Comments

[cainofdreaming]

Colony? That's ants. Wasps. Bees. Hornets, even. Not spiders. Go back to basic biology 101, Miss Queen.

[biod]

What is a grouping of spiders called?
There aren't many species that work together, so I never bothered to find out.

[cainofdreaming]

Ah, dunno. I'd actually forgotten those rare exceptions. Or did they pull the species in Eight Legged Freaks out of their collective rears?

I dunno, if they did I'd never really considered collective web building the same as the internal hierarchies and the whole loss of individual sense of survival in favor of the colony that the insects who build those have. It's similar, maybe, not exactly the same thing.

[stillanerd]

What is a grouping of spiders called?

A "clutter" or "cluster." :-)

[khamelea]

A nightmare.

[sherkahn]

I'm sorry, you gave the wrong answer. You are the weakest link.

Spider have colonies, too.
http://www.sciencenews.org/sn_arc99/5_8_99/bob2.htm

[biod]

Those were the ones I was talking about.

[cainofdreaming]

Like I said above, I kinda consider those similar but not exactly the same thing. There's no social hierarchy, no queens for one, just a bunch of individuals working together. The closest, in that article at least, is the Australian crab spider species, but that sounds more like the behavior of a mammal/bird/etc parent. Only it ends with the offspring eating the mother rather than it kicking them out after they've grown up.

And the whole colony comes before anything, I haven't heard of that behavior in spiders.

[arilou_skiff]

It was a actually a plot point. Peter was like "SPIDERS DON'T WORK THAT WAY!" she was like "But I do! Nyer!"

[cyberghostface]

Also, what an *ugly* costume.

Seriously, what was wrong this one?

[cyberghostface]

*with this one

[superfangirl1]

Not supervilliany enough? I do like this outfit compare to what she got on in the last scan. :)

[biod]

Oh shush. If you're going to out ham THE ENTIRE TRI-STATE AREA!
Wait, that's Dr. D. He has no problems with that.
Anyway, if you're going to out ham Manhatten, you can't just go around in a stylish black cocktail dress.

[maridee42]

Dr. DRAKKEN?!!

[biod]

No! It is I, Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz! *Failed Lightning effects*
Ugh, that is what you get when you try to be economical about eeevil, it just doesn't work. But what do you know? You just break my big -inators every week. Never a thought for the effort real evil needs these days. I used to hear stories of agents who appreaciated all the death traps, but nooooo, you have to confuse me with the BLUE GUY!

[biod]

You know what? Just- just go. Go play with some over eager kids, or whatever it is you do. I don't feel like doing this today.

[darkblade]

How would you like your internet served my good sir?

[akodo_rokku]

A! GENT! P!

[arilou_skiff]

*snerch*

[wizardru]

That's not a costume, it's an evening gown. An incredibly adherent evening gown, but still. I'm not saying I like the costume...but Marvel's probably thinking in terms of action figures, here. :)

[hyperactivator]

It's an evening gown with no distinctive features.

[shadowpsykie]

what happened to MJ? doesn't seh have powers too?

[cyberghostface]

Not yet. She'll be getting powers by the end of the arc though.

[shadowpsykie]

i would love fore MJ's powers to be "special" in that she keeps (at least part of) them and does not go into the Metamorphosis stage. then in the end it is SHE who comes to the rescue!

[drmcninja]

That actually looks like where this is going.

[shadowpsykie]

really? what makes you say that? im only speaking as pipe dreams

[stillanerd]

Well, Dan Slott has made particular emphasis on the fact that Mary Jane does NOT have spider powers. First in the scene from last issue (ASM #668) in which she's talking to the tourist about how not everyone has spider-powers and seeing Peter and Carlie swing overhead with a look that suggested she was jealous. And then, in this issue, they show MJ being the only one walking around Times Square while everyone else is web-swinging overhead, with one of Jameson's Anti-Spider Patrol making the remark about how he doesn't think there's a person left who isn't infected by now. Even the recap page states: "Welcome to Spider-Island, where everyone has spider-powers! Well...everyone but Mary Jane Watson."

However, we know from previews of upcoming covers that she does get them; but considering the particular emphasis on her lack of them now, along with Reed also stating that only mutants and those already having super powers are immune, it seems likely that MJ not only already has powers but may have had them BEFORE Spider-Island and may end up keeping them afterwards.

Why, you might ask? Well, remember during One Moment in Time the mindwipe Strange used was partly delivered by Tony Stark's Extremis nanovirus. And for a brief moment, Peter was outside of the protective bubble when he went to get Mary Jane, thus they were both exposed to Extremis. What if the nanovirus copied and transferred Peter's powers into Mary Jane? The only reason why she hasn't manifested them until now is because, like Peter during the Other, it requires physical trauma to activate them. This would also explain how Peter lost his organic webbing and the additional powers he got from The Other, as well.

[akodo_rokku]

I'm just hoping Spider-Girl gets to keep her powers.

[biod]

Hah! Called it! I know the story she appeared in was kind of bad and nonsensical, and Pete's upgrade became kind of redundant with the Other, but it's still nice to see villains get more coverage than the arc they debuted in. Plus, I'm digging her new costume. Here's to the Queen!
Ah, but you fail to see the brilliant irony: Carlie will look just as freakish as all the others, so we will STILL have to use her glasses as only distinguishing feature.
I also like Herman's freakish new appearence. Always had place in my heart for the guy.

[jaybee3]

I know Marvel would never let it happen but the idea I've seen around that Carlie is either Mephisto or a Mephisto plant seems all the more appealing with time. It would make all the "she's the most awesomest awesome ever" stuff make sense and it would be the best way to save the character too.

[drmcninja]

I wouldn't say they would never let it happen. I would say that with the sheer hate Carlie gets, and how they only push her harder, it seems more like they are setting her up for something like that. She's just too perfect.

[cyberghostface]

Unlikely. Slott has deluded himself that people will warm up to Carlie eventually, and he's always on the defensive when people criticize her or the new status quo.

Even funnier is his belief that the only problem people have with her is that she's not Mary Jane. Not that I'd be 100% supportive with it, but Michelle Gonzalez or Carol Danvers (both who were played with as being Pete's new girlfriend post-OMD) would have been preferable to this wreck.

Granted, Michelle had suffered through some horrific writing and unpleasant storylines but her character was still salvageable, whereas Carlie is beyond hope at this point.

[mrstatham]

I'll be honest, Norah would've been my choice over Carlie. Utterly racist comments to Michelle aside, she has about ten times more personality, and I think it could've been cool for Peter to be with someone who could actually relate to him and his day job.

[bariman]

*thinking* Okay, so Carlie made a deal with Mephisto to have an awesome life: things work out in her favor, she has a great job, she gets a cool boyfriend, she instantly knows how does she shot web when everyone gets powers. And Mephisto knows that Peter and MJ would get back together if there wasn't something in their way, thus screwing up the OMD deal, so he steers Carlie to Peter, and the "she's so awesome" field 'Fisto put on Carlie overrides Peter and MJ's attraction. So he kills two birds with one stone.

[jaybee3]

I like the idea of Carlie making a deal with Mephisto too. It wouldn't undo OMD (thus Marvel wouldn't have to backtrack) but it would explain why she is suddenly the best thing since Swiss Cheese in the minds of everyone, even MJ.

[hyperactivator]

My idea is that she's an obsessed fan that sold her soul to be spider-man's true love. I for real mary sue.

[thanekos]

Suddenly, the Spider-King in Venom's tie-in makes a twisted bit of sense.

(Assuming that was really, ah, him who'd become that thing.)

[biod]

Oh yeah, Cap was in that storyline, wasn't he.
Huh.

[sherkahn]

And yet the issue says anyone with mutation/powers is immune, as the spider infection only targets normals.

[ian_karkull]

Oh Herm, you just never catch a break, do you? At least he's the only one who's got the right idea. Being Spider-Man sucks, because chances are, something like this will happen to you on a weekly basis.
I still wish he'd have a bigger role in this though.

[glprime]

I would read Spider-Man and His Amazing Girlfriend (if it was about Spidey and powered-MJ!Jackpot)

[drmcninja]

Do you have any idea how close I was to convincing myself she wasn't canon? Do you?

[sun_man]

Le Yawn.

Just get this event over with and move on already

[cypherfdp]

I was hoping the ultimate villain would be Mephisto Carlie as a big "FUCK YOU JOE" from Slott, but alas...

[kusonaga]

That's a nice Spidey/Shocker moment.

[nyadnar17]

Best part of her first appearance was when Cap shoved her off a building. Really hope he does it again.

[kenwyn89]

where? where? where?

I should feel bad about this, but I don't. I was just imagining she'd probably think she's so awesome she could tell Cap how to fight.

[kenwyn89]

I hope you were talking about Carlie...?

[cyberghostface]

No, the Queen.

[sir_mikael]

I might remember this wrong but didn't Cap and Queen know each other from back in WWII or something like that?

[leikomgwtfbbq]

Well, we've finally caught Carlie mid-shapeshift.

Do you think she'll have black hair and a round face next time?

[schala_kid]

Thank God, there was a guy claiming to work for Marvel in one of the boards I frequent and he said the Spider-Queen was going to be a Gwen clone.

I took it with a grain of salt but knowing how the Spider-Man stories are going I wouldn't rule it out either you know.

Well I'm glad that wasn't the case anyway.

[equinox216]

Page 3, Panel 2: uh, where'd the lenses in Carlie's glasses go?

At least, I assume that that random metal stick across the bridge of her nose is supposed to be glasses, even though as shown in Page 1 Panel 3 they're not built that way.

I'M SO CONFOOSED.