Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #7
Masks Part Two
Following his charity wrestling match with El Muerto, Iron Man wants to know if J. Jonah Jameson’s claims that Spider-Man cheated by smuggling a spear in his costume are true, particularly since El Muerto has been in the hospital ever since. At that same moment, J. Jonah Jameson and Joe Robertson are standing over El Muerto’s unconscious body. Jameson vows to make Spider-Man for cheating like this, but Joe tries to convince Jameson that Spider-Man was as shocked as everyone else over what happened. However, Jonah is unconvinced and insists that the wall-crawler will pay for this. Suddenly a chill fills the room as a shadow enters the room.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man and Iron Man are out on patrol, and Spider-Man tries to explain his newfound abilities — particularly the stingers in his wrists — that are a product of his powers, apparently, being mystical in origin. He tries his best to explain how he’s actually a spider-totem in a long line of spider-powered champions. Hearing all of this, Tony tells Peter not to abandon the science behind his abilities, reminding him that science is merely a form of investigation. He points out that humanity used to think the sun moved across the sky by being pulled by the chariots of the gods, or because it was being chased by a wolf. Eventually, though, Isaac Newton developed his laws of physics that eventually evolved into the field of quantum mechanics. He doesn’t dismiss that Peter got his powers for some kind of grand scheme rather than happenstance, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a scientific explanation that can be found to explain how they work. Stark concludes by saying that science and magic shouldn’t be considered mutually exclusive and a scientist should maintain somewhat of an open mind. When Spider-Man retorts by asking if intelligent design be given the same weight of consideration as evolution, Iron Man decides that this is not a subject he wants to get into and flies away, ignoring Spider-Man’s repeat attempts to get an answer out of him.[1]
By this time, El Muerto has awoken in the hospital and is brought up to speed on what happened by J. Jonah Jameson. As his eyes come to focus, El Muerto quickly notices a third man standing behind the two newspapermen, a massive muscular being in a golden costume. While outside of Stark Tower, the Avenger’s butler Jarvis is taking May Parker out on a date to Chez Martine.[2] As they get into the car, May asks how Jarvis prefers to be addressed as. After debating over Edwin, Ed, or Eddy, the butler decides that Jarvis will do. As they drive away from the building in a limo, they are unaware that someone is watching from the shadows of a nearby alley. Back at the hospital, Jonah and Joe have noticed the man standing behind them. The man in a luchador outfit tells them that his name is El Dorado and orders them to get out of his way. El Muerto tells the two men that El Dorado has come to kill him for failing to defeat and unmask Spider-Man. Despite Joe Robertson’s suggestion not to antagonize the intruder, Jonah gets in El Dorado’s face, ranting and raving about how he can ruin El Dorado’s wrestling career with a single editorial. When he reminds the intruder that the pen is mightier than the sword, El Dorado decides to test that theory and suddenly two swords suddenly materialize in his hands. However, before El Dorado can harm either Jonah and Joe, Spider-Man comes crashing through the window. As Spider-Man keeps El Dorado busy, Jonah begins raving about how Spider-Man is responsible for all of this as he is being ushered out of the hospital room by Joe.
As Spider-Man evades El Dorado’s sword slashes, the mystery man has come to believe that Juan-Carlos somehow managed to lure the web-slinger to the hospital room to offer as a sacrifice in his place. For that, El Dorado promises to spare Juan-Carlos and allow him to continue his family legacy as the newest El Muerto. As El Dorado swings his swords at Spider-Man’s head, the wall-crawler’s stingers pop out and block the blow. Seeing this, El Dorado recognizes Spider-Man as a creature of legacy. When Spider-Man asks what he means, El Dorado responds by kicking the web-head out into the hall wondering why he would be ignorant to his mystical means of effects. Spider-Man insists that his powers were derived from science and tries webbing up his opponent. El Dorado slashes through the webbing, who points out that being able to fire webbing from one’s wrists is anything but natural. Spider-Man lunges at his foe, sweeping him with his legs. He tells El Dorado that he doesn’t need his stingers to deal with him. However, as he tries to punch his opponent, Spider-Man’s stinger pops out involuntarily and stabs El Dorado in the chest. It doesn’t, however, piece through his costume which mystically protects El Dorado. He then grabs Spider-Man by the wrist and flings him up into the ceiling.
Meanwhile, back at Stark Tower, Tony Stark examines Mary Jane’s arm and determines that it has healed perfectly after being recently broken. When he mentions how she never really explained how it was broken, she admits that she hasn’t talked about it because she is guarded because she is used to everyone looking at her husband with suspicion. She assures Tony that she and Peter consider him a good friend, but she worries that could possibly change in the future. When Tony asks her how that could happen, she admits that she has no idea.[3]
Back at the hospital, El Dorado continues wondering why Spider-Man would ignore the mystical nature of his powers, as his spider-sense is similar to the senses that he is now using to track Spider-Man down. At that moment, Spider-Man is in a lab mixing chemicals hoping that El Dorado will keep on running his mouth until he’s ready to launch his surprise attack. However, El Dorado can hear him and pulls the desk he’s hiding behind away. Luckily, before El Dorado can attack, El Muerto ambushes him from behind. The luchador tells El Dorado that their fight is between them as always, and refuses to let someone else die in his place. Breaking free, El Dorado finds this amusing since he El Dorado allowed his own father to die in his place. Still, El Muerto continues to fight, deciding that his family’s generations of judgment at the hands of El Dorado will come to an end. Unfortunately, El Muerto ends up stepping on broken glass in his bare feet, cutting them open. However, this has caused a long enough distraction for Spider-Man to toss a vial of chemicals at El Dorado. It shatters again his chest and begins eating through his costume. Spider-Man explains that all he ever needed to defeat El Dorado was his knowledge of science, which enabled him to mix the chemicals needed to create aqua reiga an acid that is used to melt the gold that makes his costume. With that, Spider-Man lays out El Dorado with a number of quick punches sending him flying into a nearby storage closet. However, when Spider-Man and El Muerto go looking for him, El Dorado has vanished.
At that same moment, May Parker is enjoying her evening out with Jarvis, when she mentions how she hasn’t has this much fun since she was last out with Ben Parker. When she realizes she mentioned her late husband she apologizes for doing so, but Jarvis tells her there is no need as Ben was clearly very close to her.[4] She’s in the middle of thanking Jarvis for being understanding when she sees someone who resembles Ben Parker looking at her from the window outside. This comes as a shock to her, but as she calls out his name, the man turns and walks away from the window.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, El Muerto, El Dorado, J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Iron Man, Mary Jane Watson, Aunt May, “Edwin Jarvis”
Continuity Notes
There is a lot to unpack here with regards to the origin of Spider-Man and his newly acquired powers:
It’s commonly believed that Peter got his powers after getting bitten by a radioactive spider back in Amazing Fantasy #15.
However, since Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #30-35 and Amazing Spider-Man #506-508 that Peter’s powers actually have a mystical source. That something called the Great Weaver selected Peter to be the recipient of the totemistic abilities of a spider for some grand purpose.
Most recently, as a result of the totemistic of his power, Spider-Man has gone through a series of transformations. The first happened in Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 2) #17-20, giving Peter organic web-shooters instead of the mechanical ones he used up to that point. The second transformation occurred during The Other: Evolve or Die story arc (Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1-4, Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #19-22, and Amazing Spider-Man #525-528) that enhanced his pre-existing powers as well as arm him with stingers that pop out of his writs.
It’s later explained during the Spider-Verse event that these additional powers were gifted to Spider-Man’s powers and evolutions thereof were all part of a scheme by the Master Weaver — a multiversal being that maintains the web of life — to stop the Inheritors, who hunt the multiverse feeding on beings of totemistic power, particularly spiders. See Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #9-15 for details.
This man is not the real Edwin Jarvis, but is, in fact, a Skrull spy as revealed in Secret Invasion #1. The real Jarvis was replaced prior to New Avengers #1.
There are a number of references made during this conversation between Mary Jane and Tony here:
Mary Jane’s arm was broken by Morlun in Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #3.
She refers to Peter as her husband. However, not long after this story, their marriage is erased from existence by Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. In the new timeline, Mary Jane would identify Peter as her fianceé here instead of her husband.
Tony mentions a recent tabloid story that accused Mary Jane of having an affair with Tony Stark. Tony quickly used his resources to squash that story. That happened in Amazing Spider-Man #519-524.
4. Ah the Ben Parker reference we’ve all been waiting for. He got ganked by a home invader, remember? Amazing Fantasy #15.
Topical References
Joe Robertson reminds Jonah how poorly he did antagonizing union negotiations. He states that that happened in the year 1996. The year should be considered a topical reference. Modern readers should interpret this to mean that Jonah was involved in union negotiations 10 years prior to this story and not a specific year.
