Li'l Benjy in Christmas Crisis!

 

It’s that time of year once again; where we are supposed to be thinking of others, so I thought of you, faithful reader! Consider it a gift, because today I wanted to share an adorable aspect of the MC2 I don’t think I’ve ever covered before: Li’l Benjy! And because it’s Holiday Season, let’s kick things off with ‘Li’l Benjy the Spectacular Spider-Baby in “Christmas Crisis”

 

Created by Tom Defalco and Colleen Coover, Li’l Benjy was a series of short, silly and fun tales published as back-up stories starting in Amazing Spider-Girl #25. Are they canon? I see no reason why not! Shush! Anyway, in the pages of the following issue -Amazing Spider-Girl #26- we have “Christmas Crisis” wherein Benjy wonders why his mother Mary Jane appears so excited. His play date mate Shelly explains to the oblivious baby that it’s a special time of year called ‘Fat Day’ where some old Fat Man sneaks down chimneys to steal everyone’s money and leave clothes behind. Ever the courageous hero, Benjy uses his sister Mayday’s web-shooters to block off the Parker House’s chimney with webbing.

 

While this might keep your average Santa Claus from getting inside, we must remember that in the Marvel Universe, Santa is not only very much real, but also extremely powerful. The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 10 tells us that among his abilities, Santa gains superhuman strength on Christmas Eve, can teleport, has a magical sack which is bigger on the inside and possesses the ability to fit through any chimney (or any alternative if a chimney is not available). Naturally, I’m now wishing we got more Li’l Benjy stories because I’d love to see him meet the real ‘Fat Man’.

 

Happy Holidays and I hope you all find yourselves surrounded by family because that’s truly magical and worth living to see in this scary world. Hug your loved ones, enjoy this time and stay safe everybody!

 

Until I manage to work the Elf with a Gun into a post, I remain

 

frogoat

Benjy's Real First Appearance

Hey, really quick: remember when J.J. Abrams and his son Henry Abrams launched a new Spider-Man title that surprised everyone by being set in an alternate universe that introduced Peter Parker’s son, Benjamin ‘Benny’ Parker II? Remember how it caused the comic collectors market to suddenly drive up the value of Spider-Girl #59 because it was tangentially related by having also introduced Peter Parker’s son Benjamin ‘Benny/Benjy’ Parker II, our beloved Li’l Benjy of the MC2?

 

Well, what if I told you they got it wrong? I mean, obviously these two Ben’s are very different characters from completely different alternate realities. But what if I told you Spider-Girl #59 isn’t even Benjy’s real first appearance? That’s right, I’m going to be nit-picky here.

You see, Benjy actually makes his first appearance on-panel in Spider-Girl #57, two issues prior to his credited first appearance. Here, Mary Jane Parker and May ‘Mayday’ Parker pay a visit to the Fantastic Five Building for a prenatal check-up with the team’s Big Brain aka Reed Richards.

It’s here we see a full-term Ben shortly before his birth via Richards’ high-tech ‘diagnostagram’. It’s also here that Mayday get’s her first glimpse of her baby brother, which is a nice when you remember she will miss his birth in Spider-Girl #59. It’s also May who suggests to her mother Mary Jane the name Ben for her as-yet-unnamed brother.

 

Hope you’ve learned something today, and remember the value of a comic is what you get out of it, not how much money it makes in the collector’s market.

 

Until I stop revisiting my favourite series just to ruin things for collectors by picking nits, I remain

 

frogoat