***** (five of five stars)
Summary
In Nueva York in 2099, Public-Eye officers clear the area around Alchemax Tower, announcing that citizens need to be outside a five-block radius or else they'll be fined. Miguel passes by the scene in a mag-lev train and bails, changing into his Spider-Man costume on the roof of the train. His enhanced vision picks up the power surges coming from the Tower and he recognizes it as "temporal energy distortions." He dives into action, moving past the initial group of flyboys creating the perimeter to discover another group fighting off several World War I bi-planes and a dinosaur. The flyboys tell him that they have to arrest him, but he directs them to take out the bi-planes while he webs up the dinosaur's mouth. However, the time-displaced characters suddenly disappear and Miguel observes to the confused flyboys that it was because the temporal energy is unstable. They again announce that they have to arrest him and take him into Alchemax, but Miguel announces that he's going there himself.
He then breaks into the building and follows the trail of temporal energy to a lab where a bunch of technicians are huddled around a door. He asks if they've been playing with the virtual-unreality program or Fujikawa time-experiments again. However, Tyler Stone interrupts Spidey, telling him that Alchemax isn't responsible this time and that it's actually trying to mount a defense. Miguel expresses shock at Tyler's condition: he's in the process of becoming time displaced, missing parts of his body. Miguel realizes that he'll also be erased if Tyler is (since Tyler is his biological father) and gets motivated to help. The techs say that they've narrowed down the problem to "two or three eras," but an exasperated Tyler says that only the Heroic Age could've been the origin for this sort of problem. Miguel looks at the monitors and contemplates all the various incursions into the fabric of space-time during that era. The tech tells Miguel that he can travel into the past (2013) with a device that'll keep him connected to the present (2099) to track down the "anomaly that's negating Mr. Stone." Tyler rejects the proposal, since Spidey's his sworn enemy, and Miguel has to keep up the act by also agreeing that he's an unlikely candidate, hoping that the techs will given him a good reason to go. The one fails to do so, but another one notes an image that shows Miguel already in 2013, telling him that he'll create a time paradox if he doesn't go since he's apparently already decided to go. (Ugh, time-travel stories.)
In New York in 2013, Horizon Labs is having its company softball-game. Otto decides to take advantage of Peter's athletic prowess and hit a home run, something that he never got to do as the type of kid who got picked last in gym class and inspired by Annamaria's presence in the bleachers. However, the game is interrupted when a helicopter arrives. It disgorges several federal agents, who arrest Max for "procurement, storing, and creation of hazardous materials" as well as "harboring known fugitives, human experimentation..." Max goes with the officers, saying that he expected the charges. Peter asks what's happening and Max tells him that he'd know if he came to meetings. Suddenly, Peter's Spider-Sense activates and he realizes that they're being watched; it's revealed to be Tiberius Stone, announcing (to no one in particular) that the arrest is just the beginning of Max's "very long fall." At the "Daily Bugle," the staff watches one of its online reporters discussing the arrest, informing the listener that someone is leaking classified documents online (which are presumably the basis of the federal government's arrest warrant) and that Horizon's stock prices have taken a dive. One of the staff complains that Robbie wouldn't let them post images of Max's arrest, but Robbie says that it's because he knows that they're being played by the insider leaking the information. He said that he's not going to fall for that again, after Phil fed the "Bugle" images of his career as the Hobgoblin.
Meanwhile, in the secret lair of the Green Goblin, Urich complains about being "cooped-up" since he wants to get his revenge on Spidey. The Goblin attacks him, annoyed at him for almost revealing that he had successfully hacked Spidey's systems and removed the goblins for his grid (something that he calls the Goblin Protocols). However, as he's thrashing Phil, the Goblin suddenly gets an idea.
At Alchemax, Hector waits with the staff as they update Peter on the charges: Max harbored the Lizard and Morbius, kept hazardous materials like Sajani's vibranium and Grady's time door, and experimented on humans with the Spider-Island vaccine and Peter's Alpha experiment. Pete claims not to remember the events because his memory has been fuzzy and asks why Hector's still there (and not, presumably, freeing Max). He says that he's waiting for some "special guests." On cue, Liz Allan arrives, announcing that she's become Horizon's majority shareholder. She informs the group that Tiberius Stone will be the new site supervisor as they fold Horizon into the Allan Chemical, or "Al Chem," family. (Dun, dun, dun!) Pete's Spider-Sense buzzes like it never has previously, and Sajani accosts Tiberius, accusing him of being the rat (something that Hector already implied when he noted that Tiberius' self-professed "intimate knowledge" of Horizon might've already come in handy). Tiberius brushes off her attack, even noting to Liz that she's an asset despite her attitude. He announces that Al Chem now owns everything that Horizon has, including all the gear that Peter created for Spider-Man. Pete threatens Tiberius, but Liz says that Pete gets a pass as an old friend.
Hector leaves to help Max while Grady complains to Bella that Tiberius only knows about Horizon's screw-ups since most of them were his fault. Bella reminds Grady that no one caught him in the act, inspiring Grady to use his time door to try to get some evidence. Uatu warns Grady that it's a bad idea, but Grady swears that he's worked out the kinks. However, before he can activate the door, it activates itself and Miguel arrives. He asks the year and exults when Grady confirms that it's 2013. Miguel looks at his wrist device to confirm that the anomaly is in front of him. He wonders if he's moved in space and time and asks Sajani if he's at Alchemax. She asks if he meant "Al Chem" but says that, no, he's at Horizon. (DUN DUN DUN!) Miguel recognizes the name but re-focuses on tracking down the anomaly. Meanwhile, Otto follows Liz and Tiberius and stops their car. Liz's chief of staff notes that Spidey's a vigilante, but Liz says that Spidey's saved the lives of her and her son countless times. However, Normie, who's there, says that he knows who Spidey "really" is and that he's the worst, causing Otto's Spider-Sense to buzz. Spidey threatens Tiberius, but Tiberius tells him the everything that he's doing is above board and that Spidey can't lay a finger on him. Spidey says that he aims to test that when he's stopped by Miguel, who realizes that he has to save the day and his own grandfather!
The Review
I was nervous to read this arc.
First, I was worried what Slott would do to Miguel. I had to delay reading this arc (and its subsequent issues) until I read all the other Spider-Man 2099 issues, so that it didn't inadvertently spoil anything for me. However, by the time I got to the end of "2099: Manifest Destiny," I started to wonder if Slott maybe offered the possibility of redemption for us Spider-Man 2099 fans. If Slott plucked Miguel from 2099 around the time that everything went nuts, then Slott might remove some of the more ridiculous developments that came after "Spider-Man 2099" #44: the 2099 world wouldn't have been destroyed by a global flood, Conchata and Tyler would still be alive, Gabe might still be the Green Goblin, Miguel wouldn't give up his costumed career on some damn fool idealistic crusade to find a lost Gabe. It could be the way that it was when David was in charge. In the end, I'm glad to say that Slott does exactly that. The version of Miguel that Slott uses here is a more recognizable one than the one that we had at the end of the 2099 line. As I discuss below, it might mean that we sacrificed some cool developments from "Spider-Man 2099." But, they seem to be acceptable casualties if we get back the Miguel that we all knew and loved.
Moreover, I was nervous that Miguel would merely become little more than a foil for Otto in Slott's hands. Given how enamored Slott is with the Spider-Otto plot, I was worried that he wouldn't find a way to balance two marquee characters, reducing Miguel to little more than a MacGuffin. However, Slott has a clear love of the character, making him the real focus of the issue, even at the expense of Otto. I'm honestly excited to see where Slott goes next.
The Amazing
OMG, Tiberius Stone is Miguel's grandfather. Brilliant. Seriously brilliant. I often said, reading the 2099 line, that it contained such clever connections with "past" events and 2099 realities that it felt like Marvel had some sort of 40-year master plan, but this issue really takes the cake. It makes you feel like Slott knew that Tiberius Stone was going to be Miguel's grandfather from the minute that he was introduced. Even if he didn't, though, it's still a brilliant twist.
The Excellent
1) As I predicted throughout the continuity fiasco that ended the 2099 line, Slott decides to ignore pretty much everything that comes after "Spider-Man 2099" #44. In fact, it looks like he's ignoring everything after issue #41.
First, Nueva York appears fine, so it seems clear that the Atlantean invasion of issues #43-#44 and the global flooding of issues #45-#46 didn't happen. (Praise Thor.) It is possible that they did "happen" in the original time-line, but my guess is that Slott has now created an alternative time-line that Marvel will embrace, erasing the ridiculous developments that ended the 2099 line. (Cap-Thor, anyone?)
Moreover, Miguel knows that Tyler Stone is his father, so we know this issue happens after "Spider-Man 2099" #25. But, Tyler doesn't know that Miguel knows, so it presumably happens before "Spider-Man 2099" #41 (or, at least, its conclusion, when he discovers that Miguel knows). Moreover, Tyler appears to be in his wheelchair; he first appeared in one in issue #41.
The only problem with the issue #41 hypothesis is that Miguel makes some anti-Alchemax comments here that seem to ignore the fact that he's the Acting CEO at that point. (Also, it seems unlikely that he would be taking the mag-lev train if he were.) It implies that we could be somewhere before issue #34, when Doom initially offers him the job as head of R&D at Alchemax. But, the problem is that the last time that Miguel is in Nueva York before issue #34 is in issue #26 (before he and Xina leave for Nightshade and then Mexico). I don't think that Slott would retcon away half the series, but I guess that we'll see.
In other words, I'm guessing that we're in issue #41, but stay tuned.
2) As a continuity nerd, I have to take off my hat to Slott. Miguel mentions the two reasonable explanations for the space/time fluxes that his personal experience would suggest: the virtual-unreality program that brought out Thanatos in "Spider-Man 2099" #12-#14 and "Captain Marvel" #27-#31 and the Fujikawa time-experiments from "Spider-Man 2099 Meets Spider-Man."
The Good
1) I loved how Slott induced Miguel to return to the present. It's entirely plausible that Otto would decide to kill Tiberius Stone for his transgressions against both Horizon and Peter, making it equally likely that it would erase Tyler and Miguel from the timeline. Moreover, Slott makes it clear that it creates a time loop that Miguel must create: Miguel exists because he saves Tiberius. In that way, the lab tech who tells him that he has to return to the past because it was his destiny is right: if he doesn't go, he doesn't exist. It is literally his destiny. I hate time-travel stories, but even I have to admit that this development is pretty clever.
2) I thought that Slott did a great job using Tiberius as a whistle-blower, particularly making it clear that Hector and the Horizon Labs folks clearly know that it's him. Similarly, Liz giving Peter a "pass" from Tiberius claiming his work on Spider-Man's tech was equally believable. Slott clearly didn't pick Liz to take over Horizon Labs for that reason, but it's an example of how he really uses the development to its fullest potential.
3) Stegman should always draw Spider-Man 2099. He looks spectacular, both futuristic and impressive at the same time. Amazing stuff.
No comments:
Post a Comment