Six-Armed Spider-Man

While I wanted to produce a post for this blog that in some way ties into Sony’s Morbius movie, I couldn’t find any direct connections to the MC2. So, instead I present the next best thing: an in-direct connection to Morbius’ first comic appearance within the MC2.

 

Some history for those who don’t know: In Amazing Spider-Man #100, Stan Lee’s last regular issue, Peter Parker uses a formula he had developed in an attempt to finally rid himself of his spider-powers. Untested, Peter takes a chance and tests it on himself, soon after becoming unwell and experiencing terrible nightmares. Upon waking, Peter is horrified to discover he has grown four extra arms.

 

In shock and forced to hide this latest unexpected development, Peter fobs off his then-girlfriend Gwen Stacy and an offer of work at the Daily Bugle, and desperate to find a place to hide and work on an antidote for his condition contacts Dr Curt Connors aka The Lizard. Connors allows Spider-Man to use his secluded place in South Hampton which included a fully-equipped laboratory in the basement, and Peter stealthily makes his way there under cover of darkness and spends two days frantically trying to cure himself to no avail (Amazing Spider-Man #101). 

 

Meanwhile, another Doctor, Michael Morbius makes his debut aboard a nearby anchored ship. Having killed the ship’s captain, Morbius is turned upon by the crew until nightfall allows him to regain his strength and make short work of them before leaping from the vessel with some remorse. Morbius seeks shelter and rest in the nearby house owned by Curt Connors, and soon encounters Spider-Man when night falls. Their battle is interrupted by the sudden arrival of Curt Connors himself and the shock triggers his own transformation into his more monstrous Lizard form (Amazing Spider-Man #101).

Morbius and the Lizard fight over who may lay claim to the Spider-Man until Morbius seizes an opportunity to bite the Lizard but is interrupted before fully feeding by Spider-Man and quickly departs. The bite causes the Lizard to partially revert to Connors, including the loss of his right arm, which leads Spider-Man and Connors/the Lizard to deduce they can utilize an enzyme from Morbius’ bite to cure themselves. After an extended exploration of Morbius’ origins, we pick up with Spider-Man and a Lizard who is quickly-reasserting control of his mind and body. The pair track down and add some of Morbius’ blood to their serum which fortunately proves to be the cure they needed, restoring Connors to human form and removing Spider-Man’s addition limbs. Naturally, Morbius escapes and is believed to have perished beneath the waves (Amazing Spider-Man #102).

 

Now, how does all this have any bearing on the MC2? Well, we know for sure these events transpired in the past of the MC2’s Peter Parker thanks to an unlikely source; Spider-Man Family Vol. 1 #1. Therein we have a story (seemingly) set during the mostly unexplored point in time after Baby May is rescued and returned to Peter and Mary Jane Parker by Kaine but before Peter loses his leg in his final battle with Norman Osborn aka the Green Goblin. Lured into a trap by the villain Jack O’ Lantern aka Maguire Beck, Spider-Man meets and teams-up with Araña and her *sidekick* Miguel as they battle a variety of museum like room full of Spider-Man robot’s designed to resemble various costumes and points in Peter’s career. Among these we see a Six-Armed Spider-Man robot which should reaffirm for anyone who may doubt the Main Marvel Universe and the MC2 share a common history (up to a point) and by extension, the existence of the living vampire Morbius.

 

Now for a little nit-pick! While I can understand how a villain like Jack O’ Lantern would confuse Ben Reilly or Miguel O’Hara with the original Spider-Man and include them when filling out her museum of various Spidey robots, the very existence of a Six-Armed Spider-Man was supposedly a secret. That said, I’d like to offer a No-Prize explanation, if I may. During the so-call ‘Six-Armed Spider-Man’ story arc, various phone calls are made to New York’s TV News Service and the Daily Bugle about the events that are transpiring, including Morbius’ attacks and a sighting of the Lizard and the extra-limbed Spider-Man, described as a ‘prowler’ with ‘the usual hundred arms.’ It’s conceivable that one of these witnesses managed to snap a photo of the arachnid hero amid all this confusion. Alternatively, any of the participants including Morbius or Connors may have later relayed this information to others. In fact, we know for certain that Spider-Man told the Human Torch about his encounter with Morbius, including mention of how he cured himself of his additional limbs (Marvel Team-Up #3). Problem patched?

 

Well, that’s the closest you’ll get to an MC2-related Morbius tie-in post from me, I hope it was worth the read. Let me know if you think I’ve missed some super-obvious connection!

 

Until I start producing my own unique enzyme that’s capable of removing entire limbs while cursed to crave the blood of others, I remain

 

frogoat

Doc Magus: Who's Your Daddy?!

 

I must admit I’ve been devoting a fair bit of time and thought to the MC2’s present Sorcerer Supreme, the youthful Doc Magus. With that being the case, today I’m going to take a look at Dormagus’ parentage. In particular this post will provide the answer to the question of just exactly who is Dormagus’ father.

 

So, this one is easier than you might think. Let’s take a look at the not so subtle and numerous clues from throughout Doc Magus’ appearances: Firstly in his debut in A-Next #3, the former Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange refers to Doc Magus by his real name Dormagus upon his encountering him. The pair are on very familiar, albeit somewhat antagonistic or strained terms with one another. Doc Magus refers to Stephen Strange as ‘Old Man’ and is well aware that the Doctor was ‘fired’ as the MC2’s current Sorcerer Supreme. Dormagus refers to Doctor Strange as ‘the Old Man’ a few more times and later states he’s become ‘more ruthless and bitter with age’, meanwhile Stephen reminds the young Sorcerer Supreme that his ‘skills were honed in this realm long before [Dormagus’] birth' so evidently, they have a pretty personal knowledge of one another’s history.

 

While in an unknown dimension alongside the Avenger J2 battles a Darkling posing as the original Juggernaut, the dark lord Nemesus taunts Dormagus’ about the mystic’s strained and dysfunctional relationship with his own father. When he is thwarted and retreats, Nemesus’ parting words to Dormagus are ‘give my regards to your own dear father!’ (J2 #4).

 

Doc Magus later summons Zane and informs him he has found his father being held in a small, unexplored pocket dimension for years. Ignoring a protective warning from Doctor Strange (whom Dormagus calls ‘Old Man’) to wait for reinforcements, Dormagus and Zane make their way to the pocket dimension to rescue Cain Marko aka Juggernaut. Despite reuniting Zane with his father, Nemesus appears and reveals Doc Magus had fallen into his trap and closed the heroes gateway home, trapping them. Fortunately, Doctor Strange appears alongside his fellow Defenders the Hulk and the Sub-Mariner to help the others escape from Nemesus’ dimension. Nemesus comments ‘I should have known you wouldn’t let Dormagus fall into my hands without a fight’. With their escape route seemingly blocked, Dormagus begins what he believes may be his final words with ‘We may have had our differences over the years, but I want you to know that I’ve always been real proud of the fact the you’re my—’ before he is interrupted. With their escape secured, Dormagus responds to Doctor Strange’s comment about closing the door behind him with the quip ‘Really? My father must have skipped that lesson.’ I think these *ahem* clues are adding up now (J2 #12).

 

Around this time, Doctor Strange made an appearance in Wild Thing #0 where he makes a knowing comment to Wolverine: ‘Independent children can be such a trial, eh, Wolverine?’ This is remark is not well received by Logan, but it’s also very telling of Doctor Strange.

 

When next he appears, Doctor Strange is greeted by Doc Magus with far more appreciation due to his lack of expertise when attempting to save the demonic hero Darkdevil. Even so, Dormagus still calls Strange ‘Old Man’ and when asked for help, Stephen responds ‘And you shall have it, my boy!’ (Spider-Girl #83)

 

Let’s finish this out, shall we? When Doc Magus rebuffs Doctor Strange’s offer to work together to solve the mystery of various kidnapped heroes, Strange quips ‘You certainly have the arrogance of youth, my son.’ Yet again, Dormagus calls Stephen ‘Old Man’ (Last Hero Standing #2).

 

By now it should be pretty darn clear that Doc Magus aka Dormagus’ father is none other than Doctor Stephen Strange. The real mystery is what has transpired between the two that makes them so often unkind to one another. It’s obvious that Stephen keeps an eye on his son and is prepared to jump in to protect him despite all their animosity. For a future post I’ll be covering the inevitable follow up question of who Dormagus’ mother could be...

 

Until I stop pointing out the obvious, albeit not explicitly stated, I remain

 

frogoat