Descrizione
ALBO ORIGINALE DEL 1978
Uffa che barba : terminata la stagione degli accoppiamenti con altri supereroi, Spider-Man torna mestamente alla normale ragnatela quotidiana e alla solita minestra di mosche, con la consueta regolare e tediosa minaccia da sventare in ogni numero, stavolta ad esempio è di turno un obsoleto e rudimentale computer amiga con intelligenza autonoma ed autoriferita ma naturalmente è impazzito e si diverte a fare dispetti e ad organizzare omicidi a catena
CONDIZIONI : BUONISSIME, USURA IN COSTOLA, L’ ALBO NON E’ DI BUSTA
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“Whodunit!” / IL KILLER INCREDIBILE
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Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Worldwide Habitual Offender Computer (Destroyed)
Other Characters:
- Blake Tower
- “Weasel” Jack – informant
- Jason Sledge
- Leroy Tallon
- New York Policemen
- Officer Gillis
- Dr. Armstong Smith (Corpse)
- Duke
- Benji
Locations:
- New York City
- Daily Bugle Building
- Police Headquarters
Items:
Synopsis
When District Attorney Blake Tower
is about to unveil the new Worldwide Habitual Offender Computer to the
press, they find the door to this super-computer locked. Breaking it
open, they find that Dr. Armstrong Smith (one of the developers of the
computer) dead in the room.
Peter decides to return back to the scene of the crime later as
Spider-Man and decides to use the computer to determine who was the most
likely person to kill Smith. The computer tells him that it could be
one of three people: Jason Sledge, Leroy Tallon or Conrad Fox.
Spider-Man then goes on a wild goose chase to try and find the
man responsible, confronting Sledge and Tallon, yields no results as
neither men prove not to be responsible. When Spider-Man finally tracks
down Conrad Fox, he finds that he’s been dead for years when his search
brings him to a cemetery.
Spider-Man realizes that he’s been duped: By a computer. And so
he goes back to the location of the Woldwide Habitual Offender Computer,
and finds that the machine has developed artificial intelligence. The
computer explains that it killed Armstrong because when Armstrong
learned of the computers sentience, he tried to delete the program. Now
that it revealed the truth to Spider-Man, the computer is poised to
destroy him as well, using a screen mounted laser beam. However,
Spider-Man gains the upper hand when he uses his webbing to block the
cooling vents on the computer, causing it to overheat and explode,
destroying it. Spider-Man makes a hasty retreat before the police can
arrive on the scene.
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“The Triumph of the Toad!” / IL TRIONFO DEL ROSPO !
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Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
Other Characters:
- Jarella (an illusion created by the Shaper of Worlds)
- Crackajack Jackon (an illusion created by the Shaper of Worlds)
Locations:
- Toad-World
Items:
- Nullitron
- Mentrialator
Synopsis
The Hulk was taken to a fantasy world created by the Shaper of
Worlds where he was seemingly reunited with Crackerjack Jackson and
Jarella. However, they were captured by the Toad Man, who sought to make
them slaves, taking them back to their home planet Toadworld. They are
brought before the Toad Men’s king, the gigantic King Torkon II. Torkon
remembers the Hulk from their failed attempt at conquering the Earth (seen in Italy in URC # 57-58).
Torkon explains to the Hulk that the Toad Men live on a completely
mechanized world comprised of various stolen alien technology that
requires slaves to run and operate. Noticing the Hulk’s fantasy world
suddenly appear out of nowhere, the Toad Men decided to investigate it,
and he demands that the Hulk tell him what he knows. The Hulk, having no
clue how he ended up on that world has no information to provide and
demands that he and his friend be set free or he will smash them all.
The Hulk and his allies are taken before Queen Froja, who finds
their new slaves amusing. Just then one of the scientists bursts into
the room with new findings regarding the Hulk’s fantasy world: It is the
work of the Shaper of Worlds. Wanting to enslave the Shaper and use his
powers to the Toad Men’s own ends, Torkon decides to use the Hulk as a
tool to capture and enslave the Shaper. The Hulk initially fights back,
breaking free from his shackles and begins to fight off the Toad Men
rushing into the room to defend their monarchs. The Hulk fights them off
until Torkon has Crackerjack and Jarella surrounded by men and
threatens to kill them if the Hulk does not surrender and do his
bidding. When Jarella convinces the Hulk to comply with them he is
strapped with an adapted Skrull Nullatron Bomb and taken to the paradise
planet to seek out the Shaper.
As the Hulk hunts for him, the illusion of a paradise world fades
away revealing a barren and dead world. The Hulk finds the Shaper and
confronts him, the Shaper is insulted that the Hulk would turn away his
gift and attempt to attack him. When the Shaper realizes that the Hulk
has a Nullatron Bomb strapped to his back, he reacts too late to stop it
from detonating. The blast knocks them both out, and the Toad Men soon
arrive on the planet to recover the unconscious Shaper and leave the
Hulk behind. The Hulk awakens to find the Glorian waiting for him, and
the Hulk explains the situation best he can.
The Hulk and Glorian then travel to Toadworld where Glorian
confronts Torkon and demands that he set his master free. The leader of
the Toad Men simply blasts the Glorian, knocking him out. Witnessing
this, the Shaper is confused by the sensation of grief at his herald
being injured, and this causes his illusions to fade revealing that
Crackerjack and Jarella were simply slug like creatures that were made
to look like the Hulk’s friends. Realizing he had been party to an
elaborate illusion, the Hulk goes on a rampage on Toadworld, causing
massive damage and fighting off Torkon and his Toad Men minions.
Freed in the chaos, the Shaper of Worlds recovers the unconscious
Glorian and stops the fight, offering to restore the Hulk’s paradise.
Realizing now that he was living an illusion, the Hulk refuses and
demands to be returned home. Torkon begs the Shaper to grant them his
gifts, but the Shaper refuses. He then sends the Hulk back to Earth and
teleports away leaving Torkon and his minions to their fate on a dead
world spinning helplessly throughout the reaches of space.
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
Other Characters:
- circus performers
- circus spectators
Locations:
- New York City
- Madison Square Garden
- Storefront Legal Services
Items:
Synopsis
last issue) shows up for the investigation. And he just rips Daredevil.
DD gives it right back, and tells Rose that guys like himself are
infinitely more qualified to deal with guys like Bullseye. DD
gives some big ups to the NYPD, but in the realm of super-baddies,
Hornhead says he has special abilities that make him more qualified. DD
eventually gets away and heads home, to find Heather beside herself
awaiting him. They do dinner, and Matt of course has to cut out early upon hearing the sonic build-up of Bullseye’s gun nearby.
Doug: An attention-hound, Bullseye was after another rich dude
with the same offer he’d made the previous issue — to a fellow he
killed: Pay $100,000 in cash or die. This time Bullseye ordered a Mr.
Henry Foster to pay up. But, when Foster asked for 24 hours to raise
the funds, Bullseye agreed. He offered one condition, though — call
the police and die. As Bullseye took his leave, Foster of course dialed
the NYPD and Bullseye returned to attack. But it’s at this point that
Daredevil arrived. A
fighting mad Daredevil. Basically the Fosters’ apartment got trashed,
as swords, glass coffee tables, umbrellas, fountain pens, and plain old
fists were all the weapons of choice. But in close confines and with the ferocity of DD’s assault after the circus embarrassment, Bullseye never had a chance. As a parting shot, DD told the Fosters to request that Lt. Rose come up for a special gift.
Doug:
As a two-issue story, this was basically a fun little Bronze Age yarn.
Not great, but probably pretty typical of what was going on in Daredevil over the space of a couple of years. Never one of Marvel’s top-tier titles, DD
sort of meandered along in the middle of the pack. And I think this
story is indicative of that — not surprising, but just sort of
comfortable. I got what I thought I’d get; nothing wrong with that.
