Goblin 2099 – Author Carlo Carrasco

A Look Back at Spider-Man 2099 #42 (1996)

September 5, 2023September 2, 2023carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1996 and explore a part of the Marvel 2099 comics universe through a tale of the Spider-Man 2099 monthly series.

In my previous retro review, the futuristic webslinger encountered a group of dangerous people who are convinced that he betrayed them by becoming a corporate tool (note: the result of Goblin 2099 poisoning people’s minds). Not only that, the still-recovering Tyler Stone came back at Alchemax, saw his captured son Kron (Venom 2099 himself) and cold heartedly ordered his execution.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Spider-Man 2099 #42, published in 1996 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Peter David and drawn by Andrew Wildman.

Early story

The story begins with Miguel O’Hara now wielding tremendous corporate power at Alchemax where he is surrounded by managers. Some time had passed since he prevented Tyler Stone from returning to power and he made it known to him that he is aware that they are biologically father-and-son. Miguel then played “duck, duck, goose” on the managers while he stood up on his desk. He made clear to them that he is aware of their so-called game of “who can jerk the new boost and get the most for himself?”

Miguel then tells them that he will review their requests and address their concerns in his own time and his own way. They get dismissed by him. Miguel then meets someone who just arrived for the post of office secretary.

Meanwhile in the downtown section of New York, Raff and Kasey watch a union group composed of construction guys, watchdogs, sewer workers and truckers marching down the street and making noise. As Kasey wonders where the group was heading, she notices a man named Boru whom she previously heard was dead…

Quality

*Spider-Man 2099 faces a tough opponent.*

Storywise, this tale by Peter David moved away from the themes of issues #40 and #41 by focusing more on Miguel’s newest rise in Alchemax’s corporate hierarchy and how this adds more tension to his already troubled living as a secret superhero, an executive and as a person. By this stage, he knows Tyler Stone is his true father and the man known as Venom 2099 is his half-brother and relationships within his family are far from being normal or ideal. Still on the corporate aspect, a very notable person gets to work as Miguel’s new secretary which I won’t spoil here because I can say that the build-up and pay-off are well worth reading. The new secretary also added to the further development of specific characters and what was dramatized here will compel you to revisit earlier issues of the Spider-Man 2099 series. As always, Peter David’s writing is rich here.

Outside of Alchemax, the group led by Boru (who is symbolically a leader of hardened and desperate labor union members) emerges as an intimidating force of opposition for Miguel, the corporation he leads and even in his Spider-Man identity. Boru himself is quite a strong opponent for Spidey and the way their battle ended is something can intrigue readers or even frustrate die-hard fans of the protagonist. These conflicts, combined with Miguel’s struggle with all the tension hitting him from all angles, made this tale very intriguing and compelling to read.

Conclusion

*While walking through the city, Miguel O’Hara spots members of Fantastic Four 2099 in conflict with Stark-Fujikawa.*

Spider-Man 2099 #42 (1996) may not look like the expected continuation of what was built up in the previous two issues but its standalone story combined with strong twists, in-depth character development and sheer intrigue in key points of the story made this a must-read. I can also say that I am motivated to find out what happens next, especially given how this particular tale ended.

Overall, Spider-Man 2099 #42 (1996) is highly recommended!

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

A Look Back at Spider-Man 2099 #41 (1996)

August 31, 2023August 28, 2023carlocarrasco

In my previous retro review, the futuristic webslinger encountered Goblin 2099 (note: the futuristic take on Green Goblin) who proved to be very dangerous not with weapons nor physical attacks but with influence members of the local society to rebel against him believing that he is a corporate asset. How much influence Goblin had on the people at the expense of Spider-Man is just waiting to be discovered.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Spider-Man 2099 #41, published in 1996 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Peter David and drawn by Andrew Wildman

Early story

The story begins with Miguel O’Hara visiting a ruined place with armed personnel escorting him. It turns out the site was the White House and Doom 2099 has already fallen as President of the United States. Miguel seeks closure as he spends time at the ruins and eventually finds the name plate from the office of Tyler Stone (Miguel’s biological father).

Meanwhile at Alchemax, corporate personnel got surprised to see Tyler Stone return confined to a hovechair due to his fragile and weakened state. This turned out to be his first time to be at work since he got shot.

Inside the laboratory, Tyler sees his deranged son Kron (Venom 2099) contained behind solid glass like a mere scientific specimen for study. After learning key details about the symbiote and how it affected his son, Tyler gives the order to have Kron executed…

Quality

*Even though Goblin 2099 was not present, this scene shows how much the said villain poisoned the minds of people to harm Spider-Man.*

Let me start with the writing by Peter David. It is clear to me that David confidently wrote this story to maintain the flow of intrigue, emphasize how local society’s changing, how the external events affect others and, most notably, managing to push Spider-Man 2099 to the edge complete with a brewing conflict with the very powerful Tyler Stone.

At this stage of the monthly series of the 1990s, Miguel O’Hara’s rise within the corporate structure of Alchemax got emphasized again and Peter David inserted growing tensions for the protagonist effectively blurring the boundary that separates personal life from the corporate career. That being said, the futuristic Spider-Man in his civilian identity literally entered a gray area which will compel readers to speculate if he was still in control of matters or if he was slowly becoming evil as he gains power (this makes him comparable with the tycoon Tyler).

Still on the character development aspect of this comic book, Miguel here still showed his fragile side as the death of Dana left him with a lot of pain deep inside (which was dramatically emphasized by Andrew Wildman through his art in one very particular page). This furthers adds to questions about the sanity and mental stability of the protagonist who already wields so much power as Spider-Man and as an Alchemax executive.

Speaking of Alchemax, Tyler Stone here appeared more sinister than before and being unable to stand did not hinder him at all. His cold-hearted move to have his own biological son Kron (the futuristic Venom and the same guy responsible for the deaths of Punisher 2099’s family) executed clearly shows not only his sadistic nature but also the fact that he is living with pure worldly beliefs. His believes are so worldly, he does not really care about his own offspring. Ironically, this suggests that Tyler could be as twisted and evil as his murderous son Kron. Lastly, the connections between the late Dana and Tyler and Miguel is indeed morally disturbing.

While the cover art showed Goblin 2099, the new antagonist is nowhere to be found in this comic book. However in a very symbolic fashion, Goblin’s influence remained lively through a number of people who condemned Spider-Man 2099 so much, they went as far as actually hurting an idolater of the webslinger. This part of the story is a strong reminder that idolatry is unholy and foolish, that religion is corrupted and will never lead believers to salvation, and that socialism attacking capitalism remained a social disease in the far future.

Conclusion

*Tyler Stone and his son Kron (Venom 2099) are both very evil. They have different ways of being evil.*

Spider-Man 2099 #41 (1996) is indeed a great comic book to read from start to finish. Not only will you get to see the futuristic Spidey struggle with the tension both personally and professionally, you will see the big impact of Dana’s death on him too. The portrayal of negative changes in the local society (at least the society Spider-Man is part of) is pretty dramatic and what Peter David imagined about Marvel 2099 still remains socially relevant to this day. Lastly, this comic book ended very powerfully and was enough to convince me to see what happens next.

Overall, Spider-Man 2099 #41 (1996) is highly recommended!

+++++

A Look Back at Spider-Man 2099 #40 (1996)

August 25, 2023August 22, 2023carlocarrasco

To put things in perspective, there were these notable changes with both the storytelling and the character development of the futuristic webslinger as a result of the Venom 2099 saga (read my retro reviews here, here, here, here and here) as well as Doom 2099 becoming the new President of the United States (click here). Issue #39 saw the return of Vulture 2099 and the sudden appearance of Green Goblin 2099 (AKA Goblin 2099).

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Spider-Man 2099 #40, published in 1996 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Peter David and drawn by Andrew Wildman.

Early story

The story begins with the tycoon Tyler Stone helplessly on bed in a medical center’s room still recovering from the gun shot incident. He tells the doctor near him that he wants to speak to Dana and demands to know what has been going on. Stone also demanded to get into contact with President Doom. In response to Stone’s demand to know the truth, the doctor regretfully tells him that Dana is dead.

Meanwhile, a swinging Spider-Man gets hit from the back by Goblin 2099. As the webslinger asked who he is, the Goblin introduces himself and tells him that he intends to expose him as a fraud. As the green/purple colored mask freak keeps on attacking, Spider-Man moves out of the way. While in movement, Goblin tells Spidey that he has betrayed the good people of downtown New York and must be forced to confess.

As he falls down fast, the webslinger suddenly finds himself clamped and restrained by the Goblin…

Quality

*Goblin 2099’s main weapon against the futuristic Spidey is influence on people and being able to convince them to reject the webslinger.*

This comic book has a very intriguing tale crafted by Peter David. While this marks the first ever encounter between the futuristic versions Spider-Man and Green Goblin, this one has a strong social theme that prevented the conflict from becoming a generic good-versus-evil match-up. Goblin 2099 went after the webslinger not for the satisfaction of killing, not for the intention of dominating the whole world but for achieving social change for the members of the downtown community by destroying Spider-Man’s credibility once and for all (by exposing him as a fraud and a tool of the corporate world who should not be trusted).

This version of the Green Goblin clearly has an agenda that he seems very willing to die for and the mere fact that he interacted with Kasey (an important person for both Miguel and Gabriel O’Hara) further adds to the complexity on both the new villain as well as the downtown community. Given his obsession of destroying the hero by blaming him as a corporate stooge, Goblin 2099 here is symbolically with the Satanic Left (Communist/Marxist/liberal). These factors effectively raise the stakes and risks for Spider-Man who already has a lot of problems to deal with.

Through the fight between Spider-Man and Goblin, you will see how the people of downtown react in accordance to their perception as well as their inability to realize the truth behind Spider-Man’s social standing. The way they reacted shows impact on Spidey who himself struggles to understand their collective thinking and why they allowed themselves to be strongly influenced by the Goblin.

Along the way, there was a scene that emphasized Xina showing how Dana’s death affected her and another scene that took place at a very old New York City cathedral that clearly was crafted to build up on something for future tales of this series.

Characterization and plot aside, this comic book has a good amount of superhero action that will keep you entertained and Andrew Wildman really knows how to make action attractive to your eyes.

Conclusion

Spider-Man 2099 #40 (1996) is another solid tale from the David-Wildman duo. Apart from the big impact Goblin 2099 had on Spider-Man and the people of just one community, this story successfully built-up the tension and complexity on the part of the protagonist while executing suitable pay-offs in relation to the build-up that started in the previous issue. Also I should state that it is very clear that the feature match-up in this comic book is not a rehash of classic Spider-Man and the Green Goblin. This is indeed a very intriguing Spidey 2099 tale that convinced me to look forward to the next issue.

Overall, Spider-Man 2099 #40 (1996) is highly recommended!

+++++

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