Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 2) #14
Everyone has an opinion on Spider-Man. A fan of the wall-crawler has been collecting information on the wall-crawler and has deduced that he is caucasian from Queens. At the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson thinks Spider-Man is a menace. To one woman who has been living in New York for three years and never seen the wall-crawler, thinks he’s made up to attract tourists. To a pair of burglars found by the police, they say that Spider-Man attacked them after the “accidentally” broke a window. Doctor Octopus, on the other hand, finds the wall-crawler nothing more than a child and a source of aggravation. May Parker of Queens figures that Spider-Man is a good boy who doesn’t get enough positive press and should probably eat more because he looks so skinny.[1] A pair of prostitutes recall once seeing Spider-Man on patrol and were amused when the web-slinger thought they were models. The last person to comment on Spider-Man 17 year veteran of the NYPD, who can sum up to Spider-Man in one sentence: Nobody really knows anything about him.
Joey Beal’s experience with Spider-Man is different from most. Although Joey suffers from Cerebral Palsy due to complications during his birth, he knows more about Spider-Man than most people. He thinks about how his father and sister Kristy regularly sacrifice their time in order to raise him. He understands how frustrating it is to care for him due to his inability to clearly communicate, leading to a lot of guesswork. However, he thinks that sometimes it’s probably better to be him since most people have to satisfy themselves with walking. Joey, on the other hand, has a vivid imagination and often images that he can fly high above the city. He often indulges in this fantasy when he is left up on the roof of their apartment building so he can watch the sunset.
On one particular day, he witnessed Spider-Man swing by and wishes he was able to call out and ask for the web-slinger to come back. A little later, he saw what Spider-Man was after, Morbius the Living Vampire who has been lurking around the neighborhood looking for fresh blood to drink. Morbius notices Joey watching him, but that’s when his father comes up to bring Joey back down to the apartment. Joey tries to warn his father about Morbius, but of course, his disability prevents him from doing so. As his father brings him downstairs, and later bathes Joey with the help of his sister, Joey thinks again about how much he owes his family for everything they do for him. As his father straps him down to his bed for the night, Joey wishes he could repay them for all their hard word, but knows he can’t. As he sleeps, Joey is unaware that Morbius is watching him from the building across the way.
The following morning, Joey’s father asks his sister if she’s seen anyone in the abandoned building across the way, but she dismisses his concerns telling him that it’s probably someone working maintenance. As they go about their day, Joey is brought up to the roof so he can watch the city from his favorite spot. Joey’s father tells him that he won’t be able to bring him back downstairs until after work, but assures Joey that his sister will be by to check on him periodically. However, Joey refuses to go back inside when his sister comes for him later, because he is waiting to see if Spider-Man will come back. As the sun begins to set he witnesses the vampire come out of his hiding place. Coming up close, Morbius knows that Joey has been watching him. Coming up close to Joey, Morbius mockingly says he understands the youth man’s pain and is about to end his life by drinking his blood when Spider-Man arrives and attacks him.
Joey watches with a big smile on his face while Spider-Man fights Morbius, lobbing insults and jokes at the vampire the whole time. The battle takes them off Joey’s rooftop and between the nearby buildings until they fall out of Joey’s line of sight. Joey’s concern for Spider-Man’s safety is quickly ended when the wall-crawler returns to his rooftop triumphant. Spider-Man apologizes to Joey about Morbius, admitting that he was using him as bait to lure Morbius out of hiding. He explains that Morbius can’t help who he is and figures that he is trapped in a body cursed with a constant bloodlust. In a way, Spider-Man figures Joey might be able to relate. Getting up to leave, Spider-Man pauses on the edge of the roof and decides to take off his mask and show Joey what he really looks like. After taking a bow, the web-slinger puts his mask back on and tells Joey to stay out of trouble before swinging off into the night. Seeing the look on Spider-Man’s face, Joey saw an inner sadness that is deeper than his own. Not long after, Joey’s father comes up to retrieve his son, unaware of what transpired on the roof mere moments ago.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Morbius the Living Vampire, Doctor Octopus, J. Jonah Jameson, Betty Brant, Aunt May
Continuity Notes
This is a nod to the fact that, at the time of this story, Aunt May had just recently learned her nephew’s double identity in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #35.
Topical References
Joey’s father takes his son downstairs so they can watch Wheel of Fortune, wondering if Vanna White will be wearing a bikini. This should be considered a topical reference. Wheel of Fortune has been a long-running game show. Vanna White has been the hostess of the show since 1982. Given that she’s 62 as I write this (June 2020) , I don’t think Joey and his father would be all that interested in seeing her in a bikini now.
Additional Notes
You may notice that some websites this issue is titled “Here There be Monsters”. This is incorrect. The story in this issue is untitled. The “Here There be Monsters” is the title given a trade paperback edition that collects issues #11-14 of this series.
