Amazing Spider-Man #617

Sep 5

Sep 5 Amazing Spider-Man #617

Rage of the Rhino

In Yonkers, Aleksei Sytsevich is doted over by his new wife, Oksana. He complains about how he’s getting fat, but she tells him that it makes more to love and tells and then starts spoon feeding him the special meal he prepared for her.

At that same moment, miles away, Doctor Tramma has put on a demonstration on the new Rhino she has created. The mobstesr who have bank rolled this creation are unimpressed when the Rhino can clear out an entire room of people and test out his durability against heavy ordinance. One of the mobsters is sent in with a bazooka, which the new Rhino shrugs off and gores the shooter with his horn. Doctor Tramma considers her latest creation ready, however the new Rhino has one last thing he wants to accomplish before he goes to work for the mob.

At that same moment, Peter Parker wakes up from a nightmare screaming. This prompts his roommate, Michele Gonzales, to come rushing in with her shotgun because she thinks Peter is being attacked. Peter tells her that he just had a nightmare, a recurring one at that where he is in a zoo or the jungle. In the dream he happens upon a lion chewing on something bloody and is looking at him as though he is next. That’s when she asks what his plans are for New Years Eve since it is three days away. Peter doesn’t have any plans and is told not to come home until after 1 am since she intends on having a date over, she then tells him that she forgot to wake him up for noon like he asked.[1]

Changing into Spider-Man, Peter web-slings across the city in the freezing rain thinking about what he’s going to do for New Years. Usually he reflects on how bad the previous year had been, but this time he’s not sure what he’s going to do.[2] When Peter arrives at the offices of the Front Line, Ben Urich calls him into his office to express his concern over Peter since he’s been looking so worn out over the last couple of days. Peter says that he could use a break but he can’t afford one. That’s when Ben offers to hire Peter full time, for 10% more than what the mayor’s office is paying for him. When Peter asks if Ben can afford this, he tells him how the Front Line’s revenues are going up since the DB! folded. While Peter appreciates the job offer he needs time to think about it because he did make a commitment to work for city hall, and Mayor J. Jonah Jameson is family. Ben gives Peter some advice and tells him that to live a life of purpose one must sometimes close doors. Overhearing this conversation is Norah Winters who, upon hearing Peter’s being offered a full time job, pulls him out of Ben’s office and announces this to the entire bullpen and to call dibs on him as her regular photographer. She then tells him that they’re going out that evening to cover a story.

At that moment, someone calls the new Rhino and asks him if he endured all this transformation just to line the pockets of mobsters and then offers him the opportunity to ascend to a higher calling. Looking over old newspaper clippings of the original Rhino, his successor is intrigued.[3]

Later that evening, Norah Winters has brought Peter to the big casino in Yonkers, which is enticing journalists to come review the new expansion of the casino by offering $100 in credits. Norah makes a big deal about trying to expose government graft involved in the recent renovations, but Peter knows the real reason they are investigating such a tame story is because Norah lost her nerve after Norman Osborn threatened her life.[4] Peter feels uneasy when Norah bets her whole $100 on the roulette wheel, but is impressed when she manages to win five spins in a row. Peter makes a slip of the tongue when talking about his “other girlfriend” and Norah is flattered that he would call her a girlfriend.[5] Peter meant in a non-romantic way, but Norah says that she is free for New Years Eve. When he points out that she’s been dating Randy Robertson recently, she reminds him that they are only dating and not married.[6]

As Peter tries to wrap his head around all of this, his spider-sense suddenly starts going off. This is because he has just notices that Alexsei Sytsevich is in the casino. Peter tries convincing Norah that they should go but is put at ease a little when he discovers that Alexsei actually works there. This doesn’t abate his spider-sense which is still going wild, and a few moments later the new Rhino comes crashing into the casnio. Alexesi pushes Norah and Peter out of the way of the flying glass and calls the situation in for security. When the new Rhino says that he has come to have words with Sytsevich, Alexsei apologizes to the casino patrons, telling everyone that he has to deal with this matter personally. With the action about to start, Norah tells Peter to go to the gift shop and get a disposable camera because it’s time to work. Peter runs off but only to change into Spider-Man.

Meanwhile, the new Rhino is addressing Alexsei by his real name and asking him to greet him as the Rhino. However, since the original is operating under an alias and has retired from his career, he tells his successor that the man he is looking for is not here. Growing annoyed, the new Rhino strikes Alexsei, sending him tumbling into some slot machines. That’s when Spider-Man arrives and tries to slow down the new Rhino by sling-shotting a number of slots into the new foe. The Rhino easily breaks free and grabs one of the casino’s racing horses and tries to bludgeon his foes with the equine. Spider-Man manages to get Norah out of harms way, but Alexsei is struck by the horse. However, all this does is cover him with blood and gore.

Surprisingly, Alexsei doesn’t put up a fight, he simply bows before the successor and tells him that he has earned the right to call himself the Rhino and asks him to leave before someone gets hurt. However, the Rhino tells Alexsei he will fight as he must ascend and tells him to prepare for their next battle. When Spider-Man tries to stop the Rhino from escaping, he is easily bowled over as this new villain uses rockets to increases his charging speed.

In the aftermath of the battle, Peter and Norah go to the local police statement to give statements. So does Alexsei Sytsevich who is joined by his wife Oksana. Peter can hardly believe that his old foe has reformed and found love. Norah has convinced herself that Peter wasn’t present during the battle because he shit his pants in fear, but he insists that he was trapped in the giftshop by one of the horses that was loosed on the casino floor during the fight. That’s when Norah admits that the threat on her life by Norman Osborn scared her and that she almost resigned five different times afterward. However, what convinced her to stick to the job was because she was inspired by Peter constantly putting his life at risk to get the photos he’s taken of Spider-Man over the years. Looking back to Alexsei and his wife, Norah wonders if it’s over. Peter doesn’t think so, which bothers Norah because she’d like to see Sytsevich come out on top.

Later that evening, Spider-Man catches up with Alexsei as he walks toward a butcher shop. He has come to talk and learns that Alexsei, because even though he has entered witness protection and is no longer the Rhino, his current activities are suspicious. Alexsei explains that he decided to go straight after the Civil War.[7] He knows that the new Rhino won’t rest until he is killed, so he has come to recover his old Rhino equipment. Spider-Man tells him not to give in and revert back to his old life because there is no going back after and he doesn’t want to see Alexsei ruin the life he has built for him. He admits that over the last while he has seen so many people die or utterly lose themselves and would like to see someone win for once, even if it is one of his old foes. That’s when Oksana arrives and runs into Alexsei’s arms. After hugging his wife, he tells Spider-Man that for his wife he will do anything, including being a coward. With that, Sytsevich and his wife walk home together.

At that same moment, the Rhino has called back Sasha Kravinoff. He is furious that he cannot ascend by fighting a broken man. As her daughter Ana tortures Madame Web, Sasha tells the Rhino to be patient as no hero makes their journey without some trials, telling him that it’s not over yet.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Rhino, Aleksei Sytsevich, Oksana Sytsevich, Michele Gonzales, Ben Urich, Norah Winters, Doctor Trauma, Sasha Kravinoff, Ana Kravinoff, Madame Web

Continuity Notes

Michele jokes about Peter making a better offer for her New Years Eve plans. This is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that the pair slept together after Aunt May’s wedding. See Amazing Spider-Man #600-601.
Spider-Man swings past the rubble of the DB! Building. It was destroyed in a battle with Electro in Amazing Spider-Man #614.
One of the newspaper photos is actually the cover to Amazing Spider-Man #43.
Norah was trying to do an exposé of Norman Osborn’s American Son program but was forced to bury the story when Osborn threatened her life. This was in Amazing Spider-Man #595-599.
Peter is referring to the Black Cat who he started seeing again in Amazing Spider-Man #606-607.
Norah started dating Randy Robertson in Amazing Spider-Man #591.
He is referring to the superhero Civil War which was over the government imposing a registration act on superhumans. See Civil War #1-7.

Topical References

Spider-Man jokingly considers calling Dick Clark to cancel New Years Eve. Clark used to be the host of the annual televised New Years Eve celebrations in New York City starting in 1972. This should be considered a topical reference (real world person) especially since he retired from hosting duties in 2004 after suffering a stroke and subsequently dying 2012.
Part of this story takes place at the Yonkers Raceway and Empire Casino. References his made to a recently built extension to the casino. At the time of this story, the casino was undergoing renovations around the time this comic was published. At any rate, references to this being the Yonkers Raceway and Empire Casino should be considered topical since this is a real world business.
When Norah wins $3000 at the roulette wheel Peter says that she has almost six months worth of rent in her hands. Which seems almost quaint now in 2020 when the average rent in New York City is about $3300 and is only going to go up from there.
Spider-Man makes a joke about Russell Crowe wrecking things. This is a reference to the actor’s infamously bad temper. It’s also a topical reference because who even talks about Russell Crowe anymore?

The Walk

Having grown tired of his life of crime, the Rhino has decided that it is time to surrender. Sitting down in a bar he has a few final drinks after calling the police and then surrenders. After SHIELD scientists find a way to remove the Rhino’s hide, he pleads guilty to his crimes, registers with the government and is given a lenient sentence of 25 years for his crimes.

In prison, the Russian gang tries to recruit him so they have the edge over their rivals, but Alexsei refuses to engage in any violence. In group therapy he tells them all that he is going to reform the same way he’s done everything else in life, by putting on foot in front of the other until he gets there. He sticks to this goal. During a prison break, the guards are surprised when Alexsei stays at a table in the cafeteria eating his meal instead of making a run for it like the others. Eventually, Alexsei is released after only serving a short part of his sentence because the overcrowded prison needs room for criminals who are worse than he is.

Released from Ryker’s Island, Alexsei goes to the diner where the prison bus drops him off. This is where he meets Oksana, his future wife, as she was working there as a waitress at the time. Seeing easily deduces that he is an ex-con because they are the only people who come into the diner because the food is terrible. She has brought him a slice of pie because that’s what prisoners usually order first. Impressed, Alexsei asks her what she sees happening next since she has such keen insight. That’s when she gets serious and admits that most prisoners are awkward at first but begin leering at her since she is the first woman they have seen in a long time. Usually they end up propositioning her since they have fallen in love. Suddenly, Alexesi pays for the pie he hasn’t eaten, thanks her for her time and gets up to leave, telling her that love is not for him.

From there, Alexesi gets an apartment under an assumed name, but gets a stern warning from his new landlord about not causing trouble and paying rent on time. The employment agencies he goes to looking for work can’t find him anything, usually blaming the economy, his criminal record or both. With no other choice, Sytsevich contacts Doctor Tramma who looks forward on upgrading the Rhino’s abilities. However, their discussion is interrupted when he hears a woman crying. Looking over at the next booth he spots Oksana crying. Going to see what’s wrong, she tells Alexsei that she just lost her job, something that Sytsevich blames himself for because he didn’t fall in love with her and broke her streak.

This makes Oksana smile and she admits she only says that to the cons who came into the diner to scare them off. When he asks what usually happens to them, she says most criminals go back to what they do best, committing crimes because they don’t know any other way, because they stop putting one foot in front of the other. She tells Alexsei that her grandfather often said that a man could live forever if he did this one simple thing. By this point, Doctor Tramma has grown impatient and asks Alexesi if they are done. To his credit, Sytsevich decides to stay with Oksana and offers to buy her dinner, choosing to continue putting one foot ahead of the other.