Amazing Spider-Man Special #1

Inhuman Error Part One

Peter Parker is in a coffee shop where he sees one of the regulars he has developed a crush on. He tries to psyche himself up and go to talk to her but can’t find the courage.[1] He thinks about the ways he could ask her out, as both Spider-Man and Peter Parker. Unfortunately, as he makes up his mind, the girl in question gets up and leaves. Soon, Spider-Man is web-slinging across the city, enjoying his burrito for one, wishing he could find a girlfriend. That’s when his spider-sense begins going off. Looking up in the sky, he sees a massive floating city. Suddenly, an army of winged bird-men descending on the city. Reminding himself that with great power comes great responsibility, Spider-Man abandons his burrito so he can face this threat.

Spider-Man fights off this army of invaders and is shocked to see none of the bystanders have fled. This is because New Yorkers have become so used to this sort of thing they don’t feel afraid. Adding insult to injury, a kid mistakes Spider-Man for Blade while asking for a selfie. As he corrects the boy, one of the bird warriors snatches Spider-Man and carries him away. He is soon swarmed by all of these creatures and wonders where New York’s other heroes are.[2]

He is saved by Medusa, Gorgon and Triton of the Inhumans.[3] Spider-Man is grateful for the save and Medusa apologizes for their last encounter as she wasn’t herself at the time.[4] Spider-Man understands, relating how his body was taken over by Doctor Octopus recently.[5] By this time, Gorgon has failed to contact both the Fantastic Four and the Avengers. Spider-Man then tells the Inhumans that he is an Avenger and a one-time member of the Fantastic Four and suggests they team-up.[6] Although Spider-Man believes this is an attack on New York, Medusa corrects him by pointing out that the Bird-People are actually attacking the Inuhman’s city of Attilan located off the shore of Manhattan.[7] Medusa explains that Attilan has been under constant attack since coming here and her people have few allies. Spider-Man thinks it over briefly and agrees to help the Inhumans.

At the gates of New Attilan, the newest recruits of the Inhumans are trying to defend their home. This group includes Flint, Iso and Naja fight against overwhelming odds. Flint is about to give up when suddenly Triton arrives and tells them that Inhumans die on their feet. Flint is telling his allies he’s not a hero like others. That’s when Spider-Man arrives with Gorgon and Medusa. Seeing the wall-crawler in action, Flint points out to his friends that Spider-Man is a real hero. After fighting through the Bird-People, Spider-Man is introduced to Naja, Iso, Inferno, and Flint. He is impressed by them all and after a quick pep-talk, he welcomes them to the world of super-heroes before leaping back into battle.[8]

Having fought off the invaders, Gorgon suggests that they take the battle to their enemy’s floating city. They use Eldrac the Door to teleport themselves onto the floating city.[9] There, they discover that the leader of the Bird-Men is the legendary Red Raven. To the Inhumans surprise, he accuses them of committing a great crime against his people. When the Spider-Man and the Inhumans try to attack they are contained in energy spheres. The Red Raven then accuses Medusa for taking away his beloved Vera. He then ejects Spider-Man and the younger Inhumans out of the floating city and vows to destroy New Attilan.[9]

This story continues in Inhumans Special #1…

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Inhumans (Medusa, Gorgon, Triton, Flint, Inferno, Iso, Naja, Eldrac the Door), Red Raven, Bird People

Continuity Notes

1. Peter recounts how he once kicked Thanos in the face. That was in Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2.

2. Spider-Man recalls that both Daredevil and Iron Man have relocated to San Francisco recently. Daredevil moved to San Francisco in Daredevil (vol. 3) #36, while Iron Man relocated in Superior Iron Man #1.

3. Spider-Man recounts he had a thing for redheads and makes a reference to the first thing Mary Jane Watson said to him in Amazing Spider-Man #42. You know the line, “Face it Tiger you just hit the jackpot!”

4. That was in Inhuman #10, which took place during the Axis event where heroes and villains had their personalities swapped. See Axis #1-9.

5. Doctor Octopus took over Spider-Man’s life from Amazing Spider-Man #698 until Superior Spider-Man #31. Spider-Man states here that Otto took over his life. However, this should be considered a topical reference as it denotes the length of time between publications as opposed to the Sliding Timescale. Per the Timescale, Doc Ock took over Spider-Man’s life for only a few months, not a year.

6. Spider-Man became a regular full-time Avenger back in New Avengers #1. He was briefly a member of the Fantastic Four during a period when Johnny Storm was believed dead. This took place from FF #1 and Fantastic Four #611.

7. Attilan was relocated to the shores of Manhattan in Inhuman #2.

8. Some of the advice that Spider-Man gives includes:

   • Never getting body-napped by a Skrull. Skrulls are notorious for replacing people with spies, one of their grandest schemes was chronicled in Secret Invasion #1-8.

   • Never work with Moon Knight: By this time, Moon Knight was certifiably crazy. See literally any Moon Knight appearance following Moon Knight (vol. 5) #1.

   • He also recommends not dating either Daredevil or Cyclops. This is because the pair are notorious for having lovers who died or worse:

     • Daredevil has had a number of girlfriends who died. There was Elektra who was killed by Bullseye in Daredevil #181 (she did cheat death, but that doesn’t make it better, but I digress) , Karen Page was also killed by Bullseye in Daredevil (vol. 2) #5, Heather Glenn was mentally ill and committed suicide in Daredevil #220, Glorianna O’Breen was murdered by Victor Krueller in Daredevil #340, Echo who (at the time) was believed to have died in Moon Knight (vol. 6) #9, Lastly there is Milla Donovan, who Murdock married in Daredevil (vol. 2) #74, but she was later driven insane and institutionalized in Daredevil (vol. 2) #100-105.

     • Cyclops is not any better with lovers. Jean Grey his longest lover is dead at the time of this story, having died in New X-Men #150. His first wife, Madeline Pryor died in X-Factor #30.

9. It is mentioned here that the Inhumans usual teleporter, Lockjaw the Dog, is in New Jersey at the time of this story. See Ms. Marvel (vol. 3) #8.

10. As we’ll learn in Inhuman Special #1, when the Terrigen Cloud was unlashed on Earth in Infinity #3, it had a devastating effect on the Bird-People.

Topical References

• Real-World businesses: Craigslist

• Dated pop-culture references: Chronicles of Narnia, Finding Nemo