Because a lot of these stories were, as I said, running concurrently, that meant that the first comic story to feature Spider-Man in the black suit, Amazing Spider-Man #252, was actually published before the story explaining how he got it. This was very deliberate on Marvel's part. In that same Comics Journal piece Marvel editor-in-chief and Secret Wars writer Jim Shooter is quoted as saying, "I'm hoping it [Spider-Man's black suit, and changes in other characters seen at the time] will generate interest in what happened in those 12 issues [of Secret Wars]. There will be significant changes going on." (Emphasis in the original.) The article goes on to note that this sounded like a "Big Bang" type theory that had been circulating a year earlier which posited that Shooter wanted to dramatically shake things up across the entire line.
What I have NOT seen is the timeline with which all this happened as readers experienced it! That is, what issues came out in what order? If you were following Spidey's adventures in 1984, how did you learn about the black costume/symbiote and when. So what I've done is put together a listing of the various Spider-Man appearances surrounding the original black costume saga with their 1984 publication dates (using the on-sale dates noted in the Grand Comics Database*) and a few notes about key plot points relevant to the symbiote costume saga.
December 27, 1983Fantastic Four #265
While most heroes left for the Beyonder's Battleworld at the end of one issue and returned at the beginning of the next, the Fantastic Four do both within this issue. As all the heroes return, the Invisible Girl notes from across the park that she sees Spider-Man and others returning; however, Mr. Fantastic, the Human Torch, She-Hulk, and Iron Man are the only ones actually shown. Theoretically, she would not recognize Spider-Man's new suit, but it's been argued that he was far enough away that her recognition of him was based on his general physique and movement, not the costume itself which she would not have been able to discern at that distance anyway.
January 3, 1984Amazing Spider-Man #251
At the end of this issue, Spider-Man is transported to Battleworld. While this issue, Marvel Team-Up #140, and Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #89 all depict the same scene of Spider-Man being taken to Battleworld -- down to identical dialogue and poses -- each issue features original art unique to that story.
January 17, 1984Marvel Team-Up #140
At the end of this issue, Spider-Man is transported to the Beyonder's Battleworld.
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #89At the end of this issue, Spider-Man is transported to Battleworld.
January 24, 1984Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1
This title begins moments after all the heroes are transported to Battleworld.
January 31, 1984Amazing Spider-Man #252
Spider-Man and the Lizard return from Battleworld at the start of this issue. This is the first published story featuring Spider-Man's black costume.
February 14, 1984Marvel Team-Up #141
A condensed version Spider-Man's return from Battleworld is provided before picking up his story the next day. This is the first issue of this title to feature the black costume.
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #90Spider-Man is absent for most of this issue, only returning to his aunt's house on the very last page. This is the first issue of this title to feature the black costume. Note that this cover still highlights Spider-Man's old costume and has half-and-half costume in the corner box.
February 28, 1984Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #2
Marvel Team-Up #142
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #91This issue picks up almost immediately after #90 and features an even-more condensed retelling of Spider-Man's return from Battleworld.
March 6, 1984Amazing Spider-Man #253
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #3
March 13, 1984Amazing Spider-Man #254
March 27, 1984Marvel Team-Up #143
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #92
April 3, 1984Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #4
April 10, 1984Amazing Spider-Man #255
April 24, 1984Marvel Team-Up #144
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #93
May 1, 1984Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #5
May 8, 1984Amazing Spider-Man #256
Although hints were dropped in this title previously, this is the first issue that explicitly shows the costume has been taking Spider-Man out for clandestine activities while he is sleeping.
May 22, 1984Marvel Team-Up #145
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #94
June 5, 1984Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #6
Marvel Team-Up Annual #7
June 12, 1984Amazing Spider-Man #257
June 19, 1984Incredible Hulk #300
June 26, 1984Marvel Team-Up #146
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #95
July 3, 1984Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #7
July 10, 1984Amazing Spider-Man #258
In this issue, Mr. Fantastic separates the symbiote from Spider-Man. Spider-Man returns home from the Baxter Building wearing the "Bag-Man" costume.
July 24, 1984Marvel Team-Up #147
This is the first issue of this title after the symbiote has been separated from Spider-Man. The final page duplicates the final page of Amazing Spider-Man #258 in which the symbiote is trapped in Mr. Fantastic's lab. Note that the corner box still sports the black suit.
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #96This is the first issue of this title after the symbiote has been separated from Spider-Man. The final page duplicates the final page of Amazing Spider-Man #258 in which the symbiote is trapped in Mr. Fantastic's lab. Note that the corner box still sports the black suit.
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #4
July 31, 1984Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner #3
Peter Parker appears here in a brief cameo. While not in costume, it is visually implied that he is still using the symbiote suit.
August 7, 1984Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8
This is the issue in which Spider-Man first acquires the black costume.
August 14, 1984Amazing Spider-Man #259
This is the first issue of this title where Spider-Man is shown back in his classic costume. Note that the corner box on the cover still sports the black suit.
August 28, 1984Marvel Team-Up #148
The symbiote is briefly seen attempting to get out of Mr. Fantastic's lab.
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #97The symbiote nearly tricks the Human Torch into letting it escape from Mr. Fantastic's lab.
September 4, 1984Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #9
Amazing Spider-Man #260
Franklin Richards is coerced into trying to release the symbiote, but is cut short before actually doing so.
September 25, 1984Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #98
The symbiote is shown creeping around New York, with a caption noting that it had recently escaped Mr. Fantastic's lab.
October 16, 1984Fantastic Four #274
The symbiote is released from Mr. Fantastic's lab thanks to a small, flying drone that is revealed in the next issue to be controlled by Kristoff Vernard.
October 23, 1984Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #10
October 30, 1984
Amazing Spider-Man #261
The symbiote is released in a one-page retelling of the two-page incident from Fantastic Four #264.
November 13, 1984
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #99
Spider-Man is given a cloth version of his black costume by Black Cat; however, he continues to wear his classic uniform. The symbiote, roaming freely about New York, finds and bonds with Lenoard Elkhart.
November 27, 1984Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #11
December 18, 1984
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #100
The symbiote removes itself from Elkhart and hides in Peter's apartment, waiting for his return. As noted in the final caption, this story leads directly into Web of Spider-Man #1.
December 25, 1984Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #12
At the end of the issue, the heroes get sent back to Earth in small groups.
Web of Spider-Man #1The symbiote bonds with Peter once again, but Peter is able to remove -- and apparently destroy -- the symbiote using church bells. While the symbiote obviously did not die, and would later bond with Eddie Brock to become Venom, this effectively ends the original symbiote storyline.
January 2, 1985
Amazing Spider-Man #263
Spider-Man dons a cloth version of his black costume for the first time.
* Many issues actually had different on-sale dates for the direct market and newsstands; I am opting to use direct market dates here, which are generally a week or two earlier. Most of these dates are based on records of when they were supposed to ship, so it's possible some issues arrived earlier or later than indicated. Even with those two caveats, though, I think providing this timeline still achieves the net effect of showcasing how disjointed the overall reading experience was if you were trying to follow the symbiote storyline at the time.
3 comments:
Nicely done recap. I was starting to lose interest in the Spider-Man books around this time. Marvel replacing Team-up with Web of Spider-Man meant one less book for me to buy each month, and I probably stopped buying Spectacular Spider-Man around the 110 mark, so I missed the debut of Venom.
So crazy to think the whole symbiote thing and the separation was all done and revealed MONTHS before the SW #8 "origin" of the costume.
Yeah, I think this was an instance where they really misread their readership. They did promos for a new costume and heard the loudest fans complain; they were too far along to scrap it entirely, so they had to develop the symbiote story to justify losing the costume; but that idea itself proved really interesting to fans, so they had to bring it back via Venom.
What I find interesting, though, is that Venom probably wouldn't have happened at all if they didn't try to retcon the costume before it's Secret Wars debut. It would've just been Spidey with a new costume that changes appearance.
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