Raimi-Verse References in the Swiney-Verse

 

A fun little side-piece to my two Spider-Man: No Way Home related posts Raimi-Verse References in the MC2 and MC2 in the TASM-Verse, today we’ll be taking a very brief look at the Raimi-Verse in the Swiney-Verse.

 

A lifetime ago I wrote about the Sensational Swiney-Girl and I later mentioned the character’s appearance as a playable character in the Spider-Man Unlimited mobile game.  But let's skip ahead and recap starting with Amazing Spider-Man Family #4 where Tom Defalco leaves hoof-marks on his own creation 'Spider-Girl’ when he and artist Shawn Moll introduce May 'Mayday' Porker, The Sensational Swiney-Girl. Miss Porker is the daughter of Peter Porker (definitely a pig) and Mary Crane Watsow (and not Mary Jane Waterbuffalo) and as such her origin somewhat mirrors our own Mayday's. Beginning by going into action to help her father against the Green Gobbler, (apparently Norman Osbird's son out to for revenge) Swiney-Girl goes on to face the Hay-Monger in Amazing Spider-Man Family #5 and in an epic two-part story in the Spider-Ham 25th Anniversary Special One-Shot, faces off with Crayfin the Bunter.

 

Anyway, lets look at the references to the original Spider-Man movie of the Raimi-Verse in the Swiney-Verse. In the origin story of Swiney-Girl seen in Amazing Spider-Man Family #4, we see a flashback to Peter Porker’s final battle with the Green Gobler (yes, I checked the spelling with the issue itself, one ‘b’) which is a clear nod to the first Spider-Man movie’s final confrontation with the Green Goblin. In the film, the Green Goblin presents Spider-Man with a sadistic choice atop the bridge; dangling a tram full of children in one hand and Mary Jane in the other.

 

Later in the same issue, we get another direct nod to the climactic battle of 2002’s Spider-Man film, when, in another flashback to Spider-Ham’s last showdown with the Green Gobler, we see Porker’s mask is damaged, exposing part of his face. This reference was pointed out by the MC2 A Day blog, please check it out here. Additionally, Spider-Ham also mentions avoiding Thanksgiving ever since, which has to be another nod to the film’s plot.

 

I’ve enjoyed revisiting the Swiney-Girl stories while working on this post, I wish we had a few more. They deserve to be collected in a trade paperback at some point. Do you agree, let me know!

Until I get my own Ham Hock 3000 prosthesis and continue my bovine bravery, I remain

 

frogoat

Raimi-Verse References in the MC2

 

Following on from the recent Spider-Man: No Way Home villain posts, for no specific reason today’s post will be about the various Sam Raimi Spider-Man movie trilogy references, easter eggs and connections in the MC2, including those I consider too coincidental not to mention. For short, here’s Raimi-Verse References in the MC2.

 

First up, here’s one I’ve always thought was ahead of it’s time and almost certainly unintentional. In Spider-Girl #5 we first meet the MC2’s Venom symbiote. When the symbiote bonds to it’s former original host Peter Parker we get a variation on both the Spider-Man and Venom’s costumes combined dubbed ‘Spider-Venom’. Now, to me this looks way too similar to Spider-Man 3’s Venom costume design for it *not* to be an inspiration. Of course, it’s more than likely a huge coincidence but it’s amusing that this comic was published in 1999, a whole seven years before the film was released. On an unrelated note, as far as I’m aware this may also be the first example of the symbiote replacing a host’s lost limb using it’s own bio-mass over a decade before ‘Agent Venom’ was a concept.

 

When a mysterious new Spider-Man first showed up at the Daily Bugle in Spider-Girl #32, he was rocking a new costume design which included classic eye-pieces and a red and black colour scheme. Additionally, the stylized spider emblem on both the front and back of the costume bore a very familiar design. While the front is a larger, modified version of Peter Parker’s own, the back with the red colour is remarkable for it’s strikingly similarity to the one first seen on screen a year later in the first Spider-Man movie.

 

Another fun detail -again more than likely unintentional- is the fact that this new Spider-Man (actually Gerry Drew, the son of the original Spider-Woman) is capable of producing organic webbing much like the Raimi-Verse’s version of Peter Parker (Spider-Girl #37). Meanwhile Peter’s ability to produce organic webbing wouldn’t be introduced in the Main Marvel Universe until 2004’s Spectacular Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #20 in what was most likely an attempt at synergy between the comics and films.

 

This next one is probably my personal favourite. While attending an engagement party for Normie Osborn and Brenda Drago, Mary Jane points out to Peter a fellow partygoer’s uncanny resemblance to someone he should know all too well. Needless to say, Peter doesn’t see the resemblance and instead thinks he looks like Tobey Maguire (Spider-Girl #82). Of course, the man MJ points out is Reilly Tyne aka Darkdevil aka the son of Ben Reilly aka the clone brother of Peter Parker himself which makes this joke all the more amusing.

 

Okay, this one was so obvious I really have no idea how I nearly missed it when compiling this post! After hanging up her webs as Spider-Girl months prior, May ‘Mayday’ Parker suddenly finds herself in need of make-shift disguise. Thus, the short-lived adventures of the Red Hoodie Girl begin (Spider-Girl #1-#2, Avengers Next #1). Obviously, this look will seem very familiar to anyone who’s watched the original Spider-Man movie as it’s Peter’s ‘Human Spider’ wrestling costume.  

Calling back to the concept of producing organic webs, Peter’s second child, Benjy is shown to have developed just that ability, first in Amazing Spider-Girl #9 and later in Amazing Spider-Girl #30 when the infant manages to save himself and his mother from a deadly fall at the hands of a returned Norman Osborn. This is nicely foreshadowed in a scene where Peter and Mayday discuss organic webbing while producing a fresh batch of web-fluid together in Amazing Spider-Girl #20).

 

There’s also a nice little Raimi-Verse Spider-Man costume reference on the cover of Amazing Spider-Girl #11 featuring Peter Parker strung-up by Carnage’s tendrils, his Spider-Man costume adorned with the spider-design of his film counterpart.

 

That’s all I have for now, if you think I’ve forgotten or overlooked a reference to Sam Raimi trilogy, let me know! I thought this would be a nice little bit of fun to close things out for now.

 

Until I learn they’ve brought Tobey’s Spider-Man back… with a daughter in tow, I remain

 

frogoat