Saluting The Puppet Master

Today is World Puppetry Day, so, it is time to give a little love to the Fantastic Four villain, the Puppet Master, a somewhat tragic villain, or at least he became as his story unfolded.

Puppet Master premiered in Fantastic Four #8 (November, 1962) in a story by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers, where the villain used a special radioactive clay to control the minds of others, all the while caring for his blind stepdaughter, Alicia Masters.

Strange Tales

Puppet Master did menace the Fantastic Four again, using Namor against them, but then worked against the Human Torch and the Thing, later in conjunction with the Mad Thinker, as part of deadly duo, turning the two friends against each other to further his own nefarious plans. 

 

Tales To Astonish and Marvel Team-Up

Puppet Master also worked against the Sub-Mariner early in his career, making Namor seem more violent than he really was.  But, the Puppet Master, real name Philip Masters, had regrets, as he had split with the Mad Thinker, and tried to undo the damage he had done as he was the one who blinded his own stepdaughter, Alicia.

Marvel Two-In-One

Still, the Puppet Master would fall back on his old ways, using his skills to put other heroes against the Fantastic Four, or even having to deal with the Thing for help around Christmas as the Puppet Master came to see his stepdaughter for the holiday.

Back to Fantastic

Sadly, Philip Masters couldn't escape his evil ways, returning again and again to face the Fantastic Four, while he did evidence concern for Alicia.

Spider-Man Meets The Watcher For Christmas

Peter Parker is your friendly neighborhood super-hero, going about his business before the holiday, while Uatu is a being living on the Blue Area of the moon, doing his usual business (watching). 

What Earthshaking cosmic events bring these two together (under a cover by Ed Hannigan and Al Milgrom)?

Small Miracles

In Marvel Team-Up #127 (March, 1983) by J. M. DeMatteis, Kerry Gammill and Mike Esposito, Peter is getting his gifts ready for Aunt May and the old folks that live with her at the home.  Everyone seems to be in the Christmas mood except for Arthur Chekov, who was waiting for his granddaughter, Bette to show up.  Peter is now concerned, but gets a big blast to his Spider-Sense, heading outside.  

There, a sudden snowstorm isolates him from the home, and he finds himself in his Spider-Man outfit, confronted by a large, bald, silent alien (Uatu), who hands him a gem, with an image of Bette.  Now, motivated to find Bette, Spider-Man begins a search for the young lady, while the Watcher watches from the Blue Area of the moon.  

Finding her address, Spider-Man arrives to a crime scene, which worries him.  This demoralizes Peter, who then meets with Captain America (who had many team-ups with Spidey before....and after), who inspires Peter to keep at it.  Peter does find Bette, who, thanks to a dishonest boyfriend, is in trouble with drug dealers, and she is shot.  Peter, thinking he will be unable to save her, yells his displeasure to the world, and is answered with a silent appearance of the Watcher.  

Still hearing nothing from him, Peter hurls the gem the Watcher gave him at the silent alien, which breaks, healing the girl enough for Peter to get Bette to a hospital.  There, she reunites with her grandfather, and Peter can say a silent thanks to the alien who helped save her.  

On the moon, Uatu reflects on this event, hoping it is insignificant enough not to be noticed by his brethren, who have a strict policy of non-interference....and how sad that they couldn't even be bothered to help someone on Christmas.

Spider-Man Meets Mr. Fantastic And Invisible Girl Of The Fantastic Four

With the return of Reed and Sue Richards this week as a part of the Fantastic Four, now's a good enough time to see how Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Girl (as she was at the time, only more recently being the Invisible Woman) met up with New York's favorite wall-crawler, the amazing and spectacular Spider-Man!

Stretching Out

First up is Mr. Fantastic, who worked solo with Spider-Man first in Marvel Team-Up #17 (January, 1974) with "Chaos At The Earth's Core" by Len Wein, Gil Kane and "Everybody" (inkers Sal Trapani, Frank Giacoia and Mike Esposito).

Due to events of the previous issue, Spidey headed to the Baxter Building for help, finding a lonely Mr. Fantastic there (the team had recently split up in the FF's own title).  Spidey relays to Reed his problem....that he was fighting a villain called the Basilisk, and the original Captain Marvel got trapped within the Omega-Stone and disappeared.  Spidey hoped Reed would help him find Cap and the stone, which he does, locating them in the center of the Earth.  The two take a Fantasti-Car there, where they are captured by Mole Man's Moloids.  Taken to their leader, Mole Man explains his plan to use the power of the Omega Stone to crack the Earth....but the heroes break free, fight Mole Man, and then the Basilisk as well (who followed the heroes looking for the stone).  Within the stone, Captain Marvel finally touches his nega-bands, which switches his body with that of Rick Jones, and without Cap's Kree energies powering it, the stone shrinks in size and frees Rick.  The Mole Man/Basilisk battle unleashes a lava flow, one taking the Basilisk away with the stone, the other trapping Mole Man, and Spidey, Reed and Rick leave in the Fantasti-Car, with Rick explaining his situation outside the mine shaft, turning into Captain Marvel, who flies away.

The Human Torch appears in the next issue (meeting the Hulk, one of Johnny's many non-Spider-Man team-ups), while Sue and the Thing's time while the Fantastic Four are split is covered in Fantastic Four #142 (and some THING tells me that the Basilisk will return sometime later as well...).

She's Not There

While the Thing and Human Torch have a few team-ups with Spidey, finally the Invisible Girl gets a solo shot in Marvel Team-Up #88 (December, 1979) when "A Child Is Waiting" by Chris Claremont, Sal Buscema and Eduardo Barreto.

Covering a society luncheon as photographer Peter Parker, Spidey sees Hank "Yellowjacket" Pym, Janet "Wasp" Van Dyne and Sue Richards, the Invisible Girl.  Sue gets distracted by a phone call, which Peter overhears, finding out the call was from Alicia Masters (the Thing's girlfriend), and that a group of thugs had kidnapped Sue's son, Franklin, from Alicia.  Sue heads to Alicia's, where the thugs call, informing Sue how to steal from the crime family Maggia, so that she can pay to get her son back.  Spidey follows, coming up with a plan to thwart the kidnappers.

The Invisible Girl still takes the money from the Maggia, then follows the kidnappers instructions to go to Yankee Stadium during a double header, where she keeps Spider-Man invisibly next to her, so that he can trail the pick-up man.  He does this, and follows the man out of the stadium, changing to Peter Parker as Sue can only keep him invisible for so long.  Peter follows him to near their headquarters (with Sue following him via one of his trackers), changing back to Spider-Man after he thinks he lost him (but Sue saw where he went).  The two work together to save Franklin from the kidnappers, then the Maggia thugs who came to retrieve their money, with Spidey being able to turn them all over to the police as Sue and Franklin disappear.

A Family Gathering

Next up, Spidey works with the whole Fantastic Four and then some in Marvel Team-Up #100 (December, 1980) by Chris Claremont, Frank Miller and Bob Wiacek, "And Introducing - Karma! She Possess People".

This tale introduces Karma, Vietnamese mutant Xi'an Coy Manh, who uses her power to possess people first on Spider-Man, to try to free her brothers and sister from captivity....then, after finding out he was not such a menace as he battles the Fantastic Four, regrets her action, but ends up helping Spider-Man against her brother, Tran, who has the same powers, and uses the Fantastic Four against them.  Karma eventually defeats her brother, and frees her other siblings, with the Fantastic Four turning them over to Professor X of the X-Men, so he can help the young mutant.

This issue also has a second story, wherein Black Panther meets Storm (both now, and in a flashback to when they were young in a story by Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Bob McLeod.

Two In One

Spidey and Mr. Fantastic work together again in Marvel Team-Up #132 (August, 1983) facing "The Common Denominator" by J. M. DeMatteis, Sal Buscema and Mike Esposito.

Captain America foe, Everyman, attacked his uncle, Reed Richards, in the Baxter Building, having had his powers restored in the mental hospital he was staying in by the doctor who was treating him.  Everyman steals Mr. Fantastic's intellect.  Spider-Man shows up after Everyman starts stealing the lifeforce of people around the Baxter Building, going inside to help Reed.  The two battle Everyman, with Reed eventually regaining his intellect as they make Everyman realize he was killing everyone in the crowd to battle them.  Everyman escapes, and Reed promises to find who had been influencing his nephew, Larry Ekler.

Feeling Alone

This team-up continues in Marvel Team-Up #133 (September, 1983) with "The World According To...Faustus!" by J. M. DeMatteis, Sal Buscema and Mike Esposito.

Mr. Fantastic wants to find whoever was hurting Larry "Everyman" Ekler, but declines Spider-Man's help.  Spidey leaves, promising Reed that he'd gladly be there if he needs him.  Reed tracks down where Larry was being treated, and takes the Fantasti-Car to the institute, which is being run by Dr. Faustus (a foe of Captain America, who is working for the Secret Empire, and relating to his mother his plan to defeat the Fantastic Four....but is a little upset that only Mr. Fantastic has come).  Reed uses his stretching abilities to save Spider-Man, who seemed to come to help, attaching himself to the Fantasti-Car, but falling as they arrived.  Reed is also suffering from headaches, which he thinks is a side effect of Everyman's attack.  The heroes encounter the Human Torch, who says he just escaped the institute, and that the doctor his holding Ben, Sue and Franklin as well.  This puts Reed in a panic, when he and Spidey go inside, and find the Thing shackled, who says Sue and Franklin are further in.  Reed leaves Spidey to care for Johnny and Ben, and goes to look for his family. 

The other three quickly join, no matter their depleted condition, and find the Invisible Girl in shock, where Reed tries to find out where Franklin is.  Then, Doctor Doom appears with Franklin, mocking Mr. Fantastic, and taking off his mask...to reveal he is Reed Richards!  The villain then has the rest of the FF killed, traumatizing Reed, who goes to console Franklin, who pulls a gun and shoots his father, who falls unconscious!

How...bizarre.  Except that this is when Dr. Faustus reveals himself, as he tells Reed and his mom of his plan, to introduce these androids to confuse Mr. Fantastic, and, with this "Spider-Man" being one of Faustus' henchmen (who was really on the grounds, not on the Fantasti-Car).  Dr. Faustus touts his victory to his mom, but Mr. Fantastic was only feigning unconsciousness, as he had figured out the plan, and defeats Faustus, looking up to where he was talking too, but....finding no one there (as Faustus had likely only imagined his mom there, showing the doctor had a need to heal himself).

Of course, Spider-Man also had individual team-ups with the Human Torch and the Thing, but "Four" now, those fantastic tales are something we can look back at in the future.

Spider-Man Teams With The X-Men

Spider-Man was certainly amazing on his own, but...

...what happened when he worked with those uncanny mutants....

...the X-Men?

Here are the three tales of Marvel Team-Up where Spider-Man worked with the whole X-Men team.

First Class

First up is Marvel Team-Up #4 (September, 1972), with Spider-Man "And Then -- The X-Men!", in a story by Gerry Conway, penciled by Gil Kane, and inks by Steve Mitchell for most of the story, and Frank Giacoia and John Romita for the flashbacks (and Gil and Frank on the cover), with the X-Men replacing the Human Torch (who had teamed up with Spidey for the first three issues).

This was mostly the original team of X-Men (Professor X, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman and Angel), with the Beast popping up to explain that he was busy (because at the time, he was the only one with a title....the X-Men were homeless, and the Beast had solo adventures in Amazing Adventures!).

Continuing the story from the previous issue (with a Human Torch team-up), Spidey deals with a sickness and the living vampire of Morbius, who kidnaps a friend of Charles Xavier's...which leads Spider-Man into his team up with the band of merry mutants, who help the wall-crawler in civilian clothes, not their usual costumes (or even training uniforms, as seen in the Angel inset on the cover).

 

Second Class

Marvel Team-Up Annual #1 (1976) with a cover by Dave Cockrum, and plot by Chris Claremont, Bonnie Wilford and script by Bill Mantlo, and art by Sal Buscema and Mike Esposito, with Spider-Man meeting with the second incarnation of the X-Men to face "The Lords Of Light And Darkness!".

This was a chance for the X-Men to shine outside of their own title, and they did!  The X-Men (consisting of Professor X, Cyclops, Banshee, Wolverine, Colossus, Storm, Nightcrawler and the Phoenix) end up facing off against the Lords of Light and Darkness (who were a group of scientists transformed by a lab accident in Nevada.  Peter Parker was on a plane bound for Arizona and a conference on mutation (which also had Professor Charles Xavier and his students aboard), when that plane flew through a cloud and was attacked by the robots that use to guard the Nevada facility (causing the X-Men to go into action, and Peter, recognizing Cyclops, to change into Spider-Man).  The heroes confront the robot, and head to a source of radiation in the desert (getting an "anti-radiation spray" to keep them safe).  Once they end up at the Nest (the home of the mutated scientists), the heroes are taken down, and the Phoenix is isolated (as she was the one they were looking for).  The scientists, now calling themselves the Lords of Light and Darkness (with individual names taken from Hindu Gods), want to continue evolving and need to release more radiation to help that process (and want Phoenix to join them, as her mutant powers make her the only one on Earth that would survive the process).  Spidey convinces them to go into space to evolve, and not destroy the Earth (or take Phoenix along), and the X-Men help them get there.  Professor X helps wipe the minds of the other plane passengers to keep Spidey's identity a secret, and the team and Spidey then show up briefly in Marvel Team-Up #53 (January, 1977), the start of a two-issue team-up of Spider-Man and the Hulk. 

Third Class

Spidey's last X-Men team-up was in the last issue of MTU, Marvel Team-Up #150 (February, 1985) under a cover by Barry Windsor-Smith, and the story "Tis Better To Give!" written by Louise Simonson, penciled by Greg LaRocque and inked by Mike Esposito.

This time around, Spidey and the merry mutants of Rachel Summers, Nightcrawler, Rogue and Colossus, with Peter Parker dealing with his usual financial woes, and the X-Men dealing with the Juggernaut (who has just given the Ruby of Cyttorak to his friend, Black Tom Cassidy, which gave Juggernaut his power, and it has the same effect on Tom).  The two villains are battling in New York, with Spider-Man and the X-Men fighting to stop them (with Rogue at times absorbing powers from the villains, and turning on the heroes). Pictures of the fight don't help Peter's money troubles, but a lucky accident does!

That issue ended Spider-Man's Marvel Team-Up run, but there were more individual X-Men team ups, but we'll save those for a future date!

Spider-Man Meets Dr. Strange

Spider-Man is a friendly, neighborhood hero....and Dr. Strange is the sorcerer supreme, safeguarding all of Earth from inter-dimensional threats.  These two seem like unlikely heroes to team up, but it happened a few times over the course of Spidey's team-up book, Marvel Team-Up.

Let's take a look at the events that brought two of New York's heroes together....

Reflections Of An Old Meeting

First up, Spidey and Dr. Strange meet up in Marvel Team-Up #21 (May, 1974) with "The Spider And The Sorcerer!" by writer Len Wein, penciller Sal Buscema and inkers Frank Giacoia and Dave Hunt and cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia.

This issue is a follow up to Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2 (October, 1965), which featured the first appearance of the villain, Xandu.  Here, Xandu has hypnotized Spider-Man to break into the Doctor's home to steal the Crystal of Kadavarus, so that Xandu can re-energize his Wand of Watoomb (that Strange drained in the Annual).  Through Xandu's magic, Dr. Strange appears hostile to Spider-Man, and the two fight when Stephen tries to stop him, but Spidey does find the gem to take to Xandu.  Xandu wants his full mystic might back to sale the woman he loved, Melinda, whom he had put into a coma while learning magic.  Spidey and Doc face Xandu in his home dimension, with Strange casting a spell to switch their powers (which aren't quite working right), to enable the heroes to defeat Xandu, casting his Wand into another dimension.  Dr. Strange lives up to his profession, examining Melinda, to find she is not in a deathlike coma, but a coma-like death, which she cannot be returned from.

Doctor Says I Need More Iron

With Marvel Team-Up #50 (October, 1976), Peter and Stephen face "The Mystery of The Wraith" by writer Bill Mantlo, penciller Sal Buscema and inkers Mike Esposito and Dave Hunt and cover by Gil Kane and Dave Adkins.


This story is part of a multi-issue arc, with Iron Man being Spider-Man's partner for issues #48, #49 and #51 (though Doc makes appearances in the last two...).  In this issue, Spidey is recruiting Doctor Strange for help with the Wraith, whom he believes may be a supernatural menace.  The Iron Man team-ups and most of this issue are covered here, but this tale is worth a mention for Spidey's visit to Dr. Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum...and that Doc trusts Spidey enough that his house wouldn't react to him as a threat.

Deal Me In

Now, the story of "If Not For Love" by writer Chris Claremont, penciller Howard Chaykin and inkers Jeff Aclin and Juan Ortiz and cover by John Byrne and Terry Austin, Marvel Team-Up #76 (December, 1978)  starts with Spidey swinging past Dr. Strange's mansion, with Stephen noticing the web-slinger, but he goes back to a gift of tarot cards, and does a reading for himself.  Dr. Strange seems preoccupied with the cards, much to the frustration of his girl friend, Clea.  Meanwhile, Carol Danvers (secretly, Ms. Marvel) bumps into Wong, Dr. Strange's manservant, while shopping, dumping his goods to the ground.  While helping him pick them up, Wong receives a telepathic distress call from the Doctor, and heads to his aid (with Peter Parker witnessing this at the end, and changing to his Spider-Man clothes and going along).  At Strange's home, the Orb of Agamatto (a mystic possession of the Doctor's) has begun an attack at Strange and Clea, with Clea injured and the magical defenses of the Doctor's home down, both Spider-Man and the newly re-costumed Ms. Marvel show up, offering help.  Dr. Strange, along with Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel, head to New Orleans to get help for Clea, from Marie LaVeau, the Witch-Queen of New Orleans.  They decide that Clea was under attack from the Silver Dagger, an old foe of Stephen's, and Dr. Strange must go into the Orb to save Clea, and sends his astral form, leaving his body behind, under the protection of Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel.  Silver Dagger attacks in the real world, as Strange had been the target all along, and Silver Dagger looks to take his revenge while Stephen searches for his love.

This leads into Marvel Team-Up #77 (January, 1979), where Dr. Strange realizes "If I'm To Live...My Love Must Die!" by writer Chris Claremont, penciller Howard Chaykin and inker Jeff Aclin, under a John Romita Jr. and Al Milgrom cover.  Spidey and Ms. Marvel continue their battle against the Silver Dagger, while Stephen tries to free Clea from the world of the Orb with Marie's help.  Spidey gets knocked into the Orb by accident, and while his world temporarily resets the reality inside the Orb, distracting Clea, Strange is able to knock her out, and get her out of the Orb, and takes the cast back to his Sanctum Sanctorum, surprising Wong.  Dr. Strange casts a spell on Clea, causing her to forget her time in the Orb (where she mystically attacked Dr. Strange, due to her being Umar the Unspeakable's daughter, and niece to Dormammu, ruler of a dark dimension).  Marie also revealed it was her that sent Stephen the tarot cards, secretly sending him the message to stop Silver Dagger, to save her own life, and prevent Silver Dagger from destroying the world.  She also tells Stephen that the prophecy is not done, and teleports back to New Orleans, with Strange realizing that in saving Clea, he may have doomed himself.

Meetings Get A Little Hairy

Dr. Strange's tangled web with Spider-Man gets more complex with Marvel Team-Up #80 (April, 1979) as he faces "A Sorcerer Possessed" by writer Chris Claremont, penciler Mike Vosberg and inker Gene Day, under a Rich Buckler cover.  While on a date, Peter Parker fends off a werewolf (and fights to keep his identity unrevealed).  After sending the creature off and getting his panicked girlfriend to the hospital, Peter finds Stephen Strange's Eye of Agamatto where he was attacked, and changes to Spider-Man to take the item home to its owner.  There, Spidey finds Clea, who doesn't want to answer questions.  Remembering their recent adventure, Peter goes to get a tarot reading, which only confirms to him that there is trouble afoot.  Spidey goes back to the Sanctum Sanctorum, and finds Stephen attacking Clea, and transforming into a werewolf!  Clea uses the Eye to find that Stephen can get aid at a Tibetan monastery, and Wong and Spidey take the Doctor to the airport, though the Doctor changes before the plane can even take off, crashing, with the changed Dr. Strange leaving the wreckage, as Satana arrives at Strange's home, offering aid to Clea....

This leads us into Marvel Team-Up #81 (May, 1979), with "Last Rites" by writer Chris Claremont, penciler Mike Vosburg and inker Steve Leialoha (under a cover by Al Milgrom and Steve Leiahola), and Spider-Man working with Satana, as she transport Wong and Spidey to Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum.  Satana explains that Stephen has been cursed, and Spidey goes to track the werewolf down, finding him at the hospital where Cissy Ironwood (Peter's date) was.  With Strange home, Satana and Spidey go to battle the Basilisk (a foe of Satana's since Marvel Preview #7 of 1976, not related to the other Basilisk foe of Spider-Man's).  While there, Spidey learns of Satana's heritage (being the daughter of the devil, thus also relating her to the Son of Satan), and the two break the hold on Dr. Strange, but Satana becomes mortally wounded, dying to save Dr. Strange (and being the bad end prophesied at the end of Spider-Man and Dr. Strange's last team-up).

Doctor Strange also worked with the Human Torch, in Marvel Team-Up #35 (July, 1975) and with Spidey, Quasar, the Scarlet Witch and more in Marvel Team-Up Annual #5 (1982), which have been covered before, as well as working with the Scarlet Witch alone in Marvel Team-Up #125 (January, 1983), and as a part of the Defenders in Marvel Team-Up #111 and #112 (November and December, 1981).  That's the nice thing about Dr. Strange, he always has patience for dealing with other heroes!

Spider-Man Teams With Agents Of SHIELD

Spider-Man met with various agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division, at least until 1991...), during the course of his career in Marvel Team-Up, from Mockingbird, to Quasar, and even Nick Fury...

....and here are the team ups that focused on those characters!

Old Agent New Name

First up on this look at agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Spidey met with is Marvel Team-Up #95 (July, 1980) "...And No Birds Sing!" by writer Steven Grant, penciller Jim Janes, and inker Bruce Patterson (all under a cover by Frank Miller and Bob McLeod).

A bit of a spoiler here, but that agent was Bobbi Morse (who had been working for S.H.I.E.L.D. with Ka-Zar back in the days Ka-Zar appeared in Astonishing Tales), then as the Huntress in Marvel Super Action #1 of 1976 (which featured a lead story on the Punisher).   There, as here, Bobbi had been working to find spies with S.H.I.E.L.D., with Peter Parker returning to New York from the West Coast, and seeing a beautiful blond in a trenchcoat being chased, and he changes into Spider-Man to help out (along the way, seeing her get shot, but surviving due to her insulated costume, and fleeing from their flying car!).  Mockingbird introduces herself to Spidey, and informs him they were battling S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, which upsets Spider-Man, and Bobbi takes off away from him, leaving Spider-Man to deal with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Manhattan director, Carl Delandan.

Delandan gives Spidey all of Bobbi's S.H.I.E.L.D. history, and says she's here to kill director, Nick Fury, and is using a Life-Model Decoy (LMD) of Nick to lure her here.  Bobbi does show up as Mockingbird, but explains to Spidey she is here to give information to Nick Fury about traitors in S.H.I.E.L.D., not kill him.  Problem is, Delandan is one of those traitors, who uses an old weapon S.H.I.E.L.D. confiscated, the Satan Claw, to stop the heroes.  Then, the Nick Fury LMD shows up, and we find out it was really the real Nick Fury, looking to meet Mockingbird and get the facts she has, as he had already been suspicious of Delandan.  Sadly, Mockingbird is shot by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents (who were protecting Nick Fury, not knowing of innocence), but Bobbi later recovered, to work with the Avenger, Hawkeye, and even the Avengers for a time.

Ex-Agent All Hero

Next up is another former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., who left the agency to work for Project: PEGASUS, the mighty Quasar, who teamed with Spidey in Marvel Team-Up #113 (January, 1982) in "The Resurrection Of Edward Lansky" by writer Mark Gruenwald, penciller Herb Trimpe and inker Mike Esposito (with a cover by John Romita, Jr. and Frank Giacoia).

While on his way to class, Spider-Man encounters a Project: PEGASUS vehicle taking the dangerous villain, Nitro (whom Spidey had recently defeated), to its headquarters (with Quasar heading the team), and Spidey and Quasar get into a discussion, with Quasar later heading to go Empire State University.

Quasar detects a hidden lab underneath, run by Spider-Man foe, the Lightmaster, who has powers over light, and takes over Quasar's Quantum Bands (and Quasar as well, as Lightmaster attempts to regain his lost humanity, now only being a being of light).

This leads to a battle of Quasar and Spider-Man, but Quasar regains control of himself, and then the two heroes work together, restoring Lightmaster to his own body (that of Edward Lansky), yet still taking him captive (for the crimes he had committed).  Spidey and Quasar don't part happily, which is odd, as Quasar usually gets along with everyone, soon after getting his own series (written by Mark Gruenwald, who also revived Mockingbird in the Hawkeye mini-series) and Quasar becoming an Avenger!

The Boss Is Back

All these agents, but no leader?  Well, Nick Fury finally stops by for his only solo team-up with Spider-Man in Marvel Team-Up #139 (March, 1984) with "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime" by writer Cary Burkett, penciller Brian Postman and inker Mike Esposito, all under a cover by Al Milgrom!

Before Colonel Nick Fury was the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., he was just a sergeant in World War II, leading a team of combatants there, called the Howling Commandos.  One of that team's members was called Dino Minnelli, and the crime family of the Maggia kidnapped his girlfriend, actress Julie Winston, getting Nick Fury and Spider-Man involved in the case.

Even worse, the Maggia has some help, with an old weapon Hydra created to attack S.H.I.E.L.D., the robot Dreadnaught!  Sadly for Dino, it seems her acting included their relationship, as it was all a plot of the Maggia, who is heartbroken after this event.

But, these weren't the only times Spidey dealt with S.H.I.E.L.D., as he also worked with the agency in various team-ups involving Captain America, the Falcon, Iron Man, the Scarlet Witch and the Black Widow!  It seems Spider-Man and S.H.I.E.L.D. hold the Marvel Universe together!

Spider-Man Teams With Iron Man

Back in the day, Spider-Man and Iron Man got along, and they teamed up quite a bit!

Iron Man's earliest adventures with Spider-Man in Marvel Team-Up were quite involved, pulling in people from all over the Marvel Universe, Avengers and more!

Time to take a look back at what Tony Stark and Peter Parker's alter egos did together....

Time Troubles

The first time Spider-Man and Iron Man worked together in MTU was in Marvel Team-Up #9 (May, 1973) with the start of "The Tomorrow War" by writer Gerry Conway, penciller Ross Andru and inker Frank Bolle.

This time, Spider-Man comes to the aid of the Avengers, whose mansion is surrounded by a force field, with Iron Man and Spider-Man trying to break through, but instead, they end up in the 23rd Century, where the duo meet Zarrko, the Tomorrow Man (an old time-traveling foe of Thor's from the future).  The pair search around for their captive friends, finding them....

....held captive by Kang the Conqueror (a time traveling foe of the Avengers!).

More trouble ensues...

...but that is for the next couple of issues (where Iron Man is not as involved, but instead, Spidey gets help from the Human Torch, and then, the Inhumans!).

Human Torch had his own team-ups in MTU, and the Inhumans were without Medusa and Crystal....

A Long Time

Spider-Man and Iron Man started a long run of team-ups with Marvel Team-Up #48 (August, 1976), with "A Fine Night For Dying!", by writer Bill Mantlo, penciller Sal Buscema, and inkers Mike Esposito and Dave Hunt.

Spidey had just returned from a battle with the Basilisk with the Thing (and before that, a time travel adventure that started with the Scarlet Witch and Vision, and ended in the alternate futures of Killraven and Deathlok), where Spidey is knocked off his swing by an explosion at Stark Industries, and saved by Iron Man.  While conferring with police detective Jean DeWolff (introduced in this issue), the heroes are the focus of a model plane attack (with bomb!) in her office, with Spidey headed to stop the villain who launched the plane....

...the Wraith (who also debuts in this issue!).

Iron Man and Spidey's battle against the Wraith continues into Marvel Team-Up #49 (September, 1976) with "Madness Is All In The Mind!" by writer Bill Mantlo, penciller Sal Buscema and inkers Mike Esposito and Dave Hunt.

Spidey is taken prisoner by the Wraith, who reveals he has mind-control powers as well, so Spider-Man, Iron Man and Jean DeWolff have troubles battling the villain, but do cause the Wraith to flee.  Back in Jean's office, she shows the heroes a letter from the Wraith, but it appears in the handwriting of her brother Brian, an officer supposedly killed in the line of duty. 

Spidey thinks they may be dealing with the supernatural, a realm out of reach for Spider-Man and Iron Man, but not for a master of the mystic arts like Dr. Strange.... 

Iron Man takes a little back seat in this issue, as Spidey hooks up with Dr. Strange in Marvel Team-Up #50 (October, 1976) as they explore "The Mystery Of The Wraith!" by Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema, Mike Esposito and Dave Hunt.

Dr. Strange and Spider-Man find out that Brian was not killed in the shootout as everyone thought, and Iron Man does find Phillp DeWolff's fingerprints on the handwritten letter from the Wraith (Phillip being Brian and Jean's father).  After Jean is captured by the Wraith, she discovers that Brian is the Wraith, that he was wounded in the shoot out with a bullet in his brain, and taken by their father, who performed experiments on his son, linking their minds (allowing Phillip control, but Brian having mental powers).  Iron Man arrives trying to stop the Wraith with a special helmet, taking out the Wraith for a time.

Marvel Team-Up #51 (November, 1976) features "The Trial Of The Wraith!" by Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema and Mike Esposito.

Peter Parker gets assigned to cover the case against the Wraith (both Phillip and Brian DeWolff), but gets in an argument with his boss J. Jonah Jameson, thus being able to leave and attend as Spider-Man, even as expert witnesses on mind control like the X-Men's Professor X and the Avengers' Moondragon are called, and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents unsuccessfully prevent the defendants use of their mind powers.  Phillip reasserts control of the Wraith, at least until Dr. Strange lives up to his surgeon credit, using his mystic powers and medical knowledge to take the bullet from the brain of Brian as Spider-Man and Iron Man fight the menaces that Phillip is causing Brian to make up.  The court finds Phillip guilty, but Brian innocent (and the judges were secretly telepaths and telekinetics as well?)

All the while, the Hulk jumps around in New Mexico (though his team-ups would have to wait an issue, as Spidey worked with Captain America in the next issue, and then went to Marvel Team-Up's first annual to work with the X-Men.....), and the Wraith would appear again in issues of Iron Man, as well as the Amazing Spider-Man, Morbius the Living Vampire and the Punisher.

 Crack That Whip

After their lengthy battle with the Wraith, Spidey and Iron Man might have longed for a simpler time, like in Marvel Team-Up #72 (August, 1978) with a "Crack Of The Whip!" by writer Bill Mantlo, and art by Jim Mooney (and a cover by John Byrne and Bob Layton).

At least it seemed like a simple case, with Spidey trying to stop warehouse thieves, before Maggia enforcer and Iron Man foe, Whiplash, stopped him.  The crooks fled (though Spidey got a tracer on them), and Spidey, along with Jean DeWolff and Iron Man, prepare to go and face off against Whiplash.  Meanwhile, Whiplash arrives at the Maggia's base, where we find out that the Wraith is in control, heading up this Maggia's branch.  The heroes soon show up, with Iron Man fighting Whiplash's whips, and Spidey dealing with the Wraith's mind-projected illusions, until Jean stops her brother, causing Whiplash to turn on the Wraith, and the Wraith to defeat Whiplash.  The Wraith goes off with Jean as the police take Whiplash away.

 Hot Time In Town Tonight

Marvel Team-Up #110 (October, 1981) features "Magma Force" and the debut of a new villain, Magma, by writer David Michelinie, penciller Herb Trimpe and inker Mike Esposito (under a Bob Layton cover).

As Spidey is headed toward the Daily Bugle, he saves a falling window washer, who had been shaken loose from his perch by an earthquake in New York!  When Spidey goes into the Daily Bugle as Peter Parker, he gets an assignment to photograph the news conference that Tony Stark has called about how he plans to deal with New York's new earthquake problem.  This conference is interrupted by an earthquake, with Peter and Tony secretly changing into their alter egos to deal with it.  When Stark's tracking device pinpoints the area that started the trouble, the two heroes go to investigate, and find armed thugs there, under the leadership of Magma, a mining engineer who lost his company and his wife to environmentalists, and was to take revenge with his new armored suit and weapons, but his earthquake threat is stopped by Spider-Man and Iron Man (though Magma escapes, to cause Tony Stark trouble later....and ends up being the first foe that James Rhodes faces when he wears the Iron Man armor for a time!

 New Looks, Old Times

It's new hero meetings with Marvel Team-Up #145 (September, 1984) and the story "Hometown Boy" by writer Tony Isabella, penciller Greg LaRocque and inker Mike Esposito (under a cover by Greg LaRocque and Bob Layton).

Spidey's in his symbiote suit he got during the Secret Wars, James Rhodes is still acting as Iron Man and wearing the armor, and even Whiplash has a new look and name, now calling himself Blacklash.  They all meet at an electronics convention in Cleveland, with the newer Iron Man having trouble dealing with this improved Iron Man foe, but thankfully, Spidey is there to help defeat Blacklash....and the heroes head home, while Blacklash ends up in jail.

James, of course, later gets his own armor and becomes War Machine, after Tony takes back the Iron Man mantle.

Still, Spidey had plenty of team-ups to chronicle, and maybe it's time to look at the tech on those team-ups, and deal with some agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.!