Bullseye in the MC2

Having binge watched almost all of Daredevil Season 3 on Netflix, coupled with my recent post about the character in the MC2, I figured it would be a fun to do a quick little post about one of ol' horn-head's greatest foes: Bullseye.

Making a grand total of one appearance, Bullseye appears in the MC2 in just one panel of a two page story from J2 #7 where he squares off against his former victim Elektra and her daughter Wild Thing. With no context or other clues to suggest any information bout the deadly assassin, I figure it's best to just provide the story here in it's entirety.

There you have it! Bullseye appears to be alive and well and still up to no good in the MC2.

Until I find something of more substance to cover here, I remain

frogoat

History of the MC2: Daredevil

I was inspired recently to make a timeline of events covering the history of the MC2, spanning the nebulous 15 year stretch of time after the Main Marvel Universe (or Universe-616) split off and became the MC2 (or Universe-982) and before the next-generation of heroes began to debut starting with J2 #1, A-Next #1 and What If #105.

Given that Daredevil Season 3 is coming to Netflix, for the third installment of this series I've chosen to examine The Man Without Fear himself; Daredevil. We first learn that Matt Murdock aka Daredevil was killed in What If #105. However, a reoccurring mystery in the pages of Spider-Girl revolves around the identity of the vigilante known as Darkdevil and his connection to the man called Kaine. This is most prominently addressed in Spider-Girl #17 where we learn Wilson Fisk aka The Kingpin of Crime was responsible for Daredevil's death. The full story would finally be brought to light in the phenomenal Darkdevil mini series.

While we don't know the exact point at which the history of the Main Marvel Universe's Daredevil stops reflecting that of the MC2's Daredevil, we can make a very educated guess based on the evidence. In Daredevil (vol. 1) #354, Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson - lawyer and close friend of Matthew Murdock - began dating the widowed Liz Osborn. The couple are later split up through the machinations of Mysterio in Daredevil (vol. 2) #8. As we learn in the MC2 that Foggy and Liz eventually married and remained so until Liz's death, we can assume the point where the two Universe's stop sharing a common history is sometime prior to Daredevil (vol. 2) #8.

Spider-Girl #63

Beyond this, we don't know a huge amount about the intervening years before Matt Murock's death.  Phil Urich aka the good Green Goblin tells us in Spider-Girl #42  that at some point Daredevil was ultimately responsible for the capture of the mentally unstable villain Angel Face.

Several years later the District Attorney had collected enough evidence to finally put Wilson Fisk aka The Kingpin away for life. Confronting him, Daredevil finds himself in battle with Fisk's enforcer Kaine. With nothing to lose, Fisk orders his men to open fire on Daredevil despite Kaine being in their way. In a heroic final act, Daredevil dies shielding Kaine from the barrage of bullets with his own body (Darkdevil #2).

Deeply moved by Daredevil's selfless sacrifice, Kaine vowed to save the hero through any means necessary. Bringing the slain Murdock's remains to a hidden lab, Kaine endeavoured to revive the dead hero through scientific means. When this proved fruitless, Kaine turned to the arcane methods he himself had used to stave off the effects of clone degeneration.

Unfortunately, Kaine's well meaning actions would have unintended consequences. Nearly a year earlier, Kaine had found his 'brother' Ben Reilly and Elizabeth Tyne's son (later known as Reilly Tyne) dying as a result of Ben's clone nature. Having placed him in a Resuscitation Tube to save his life, the boy lay in stasis when Kaine summoned the demonic Zarathos. The Spirit of Vengence ignored Kaine's offer of his own life in exchange for Daredevil's. Instead Zarathos possessed the teenage boy, altering his body into a demonic adult form with the intent of walking the earth once more.

Suddenly confronted by the soul of Daredevil in spirit form, Zarathos and the hero battled for the body and soul of the innocent. The conflict raged until finally Daredevil succeeded in banishing the demon, with Zarathos leaving his marks upon the boy and swearing vengeance. 

 The boy eventually mastered the residual abilities Zarathos had given him, though he now appeared to be a man in his twenties. Driven by the spirit of Matt Murdock, he enrolled in college and eventually joined Foggy Nelson's law firm under the name Reilly Tyne while fighting crime as the vigilante Darkdevil.

Though Matt Murdock died years ago, Daredevil lives on within the soul of another hero dedicated to justice. 

Based on various comments throughout various MC2 titles, we can piece together the order of events surrounding Daredevil's death and afterlife. However, unlike previous entries in this series, we have far less definitive references to determine placement in the pre-history of the MC2. We know Murdock died 'quite a few years ago' thanks to a line in Spider-Girl #17 but that's not much to work from. 

That said, here's what we do know:

• Foggy Nelson and Liz Allan Osborn continue dating and eventually marry, raising Liz's son Normie Osborn together.
• Many years later, the 13 year old son of Ben Reilly and Elizabeth Tyne is found near-death by Kaine, who places him in a Resuscitation Tube to stave off his clone degeneration.
• Nearly a year later, the District Attorney has collected enough evidence to send Wilson Fisk aka The Kingpin to jail for life
•  Daredevil is killed saving Kaine from Fisk's gunmen.
• Kaine attempts to revive Daredevil using science but fails, and so resorts to the arcane.
• Kaine summons Zarathos and pleads with the demon to restore Daredevil to life in exchange for his own.
• Zarathos instead possesses and alters the body of Reilly and Tyne's son. 
• Daredevil's spirit battles Zarathos for the boy's soul and body, eventually driving the demon out.
• The boy eventually masters his demonic abilities and studies law, gaining a job at Foggy Nelson's law firm under the name Reilly Tyne while also operating as the masked hero Darkdevil in Murdock's honour.
• Daredevil's soul continues to guide Reilly Tyne.

*Theoretically, we could use 'Reilly Tyne's' age of 13 years (+1 year in stasis) to estimate how long ago Daredevil was murdered and Kingpin went to jail but that requires knowing when Tyne was conceived. While that might sound easy, we actually have at least two potential answers. But that's a topic for another day.*

The Darkdevil mini series represents a truly mind-boggling collection of concepts and ideas that somehow work really well together. I think it's a fitting end for the Man Without Fear to fight vengeance with justice. 

Until I go blind reading MC2 comics, I remain

frogoat

Previous entries in the History of the MC2 series to-date:

History of the MC2: The Avengers

History of the MC2: The Fantastic Four

Spider-Symmetry: Venom

A quick post-drop today because I felt like illustrating an example of Ron Frenz's impressive ability to integrate disparate artistic styles from across the decades of Spidey's publication history into his own inimitable style to make a coherent and believable world within each story.


To illustrate my point using a relevant example, here is a side by side comparison of Venom:

 Here's Eddie Brock as Venom from Amazing Spider-Man #300 drawn by Todd McFarlane.

And here's the only on-panel appearance of Eddie Brock as Venom in the MC2 from Amazing Spider-Girl #29 by Ron Frenz.

     

Not only does Mr Frenz reference Mr McFarlane's work, he also nails the latter's style while making it fit seamlessly within his own unique style. In doing so, Ron makes the world of the MC2 including Spider-Girl feel like the spiritual successor to Marvel's original heroes. I love it.

Until I run out of things to gush about, I remain

frogoat

Venom in the MC2

With the Venom movie in cinemas, I figured it would be the perfect time to shine a little light on the symbiotic Spider-Man foe within the MC2.

The symbiotic half of the villainous Venom makes their MC2 debut in Spider-Girl #5 wherein we learn it has been held in a S.H.I.E.L.D. Maximum Security Facility in Mount Athena, New York for over a decade. We also learn that Spider-Man was involved in the symbiote being separated from it's 'true' host Eddie Brock, who later died leaving it alone and hungry for revenge.

When the symbiote learns of the existence of Spider-Girl, it breaks out the plexisteel container and seeks out another of it's former hosts to re-bond and control: Peter Parker.

After being defeated by Spider-Girl with the help of Phil Urich's sonic abilities, the symbiote is returned to it's confinement at Mount Athena. It would not be seen again in the MC2 until Spider-Girl #82 when Fury, the Goblin Queen crashes  Normie Osborn and Brenda Drago's engagement party and bonds the symbiote to Normie as a 'wedding gift'.

Despite the Fantastic Five's efforts, Spider-Girl is the last one standing against Venom and Fury until the vigilante Darkdevil intervenes, only to end up with a hole through the chest for his troubles.

 
The story continues in Spider-Girl #83 where Spider-Girl seeks the aid of the Avengers to track down Venom. When Mayday becomes frustrated with the Avengers approach, she dons her old black suit and recruits her 'Uncle' Phil Urich aka the heroic Green Goblin to pursue Fury while she confronts Venom.

The story concludes in Spider-Girl #84 where May leads Venom to a large bakery. Wise to Spider-Girl's plan, the symbiote is only stopped when Normie resists the alien's influence. Just as May is seemingly absorbed by the symbiote, Normie and May's combined willpower overpower the creature.

Despite May's assertions they should hand the symbiote over to the Avengers or Fantastic Five, Normie convinces her to let him keep the creature in the belief he can now control it.

Over the next several issues, Normie and the symbiote are seen working on something in secret, suggesting Normie may be slipping back into his former villainous ways. I think the page convey the story far better than I could.

Eventually things become clear in Spider-Girl #93 when a crime is interrupted by a figure riding a Goblin Glider...

However, Normie's choices aren't without a downside, as now Normie and his fiancé Brenda (who was working off her debt to society by working for the FBI's Agent Weadon) will now be in legal trouble again.

Obviously, creating several new super-weapons for the Green Goblin and harbouring a fugitive alien symbiote leads to Normie being confronted by the Avengers in Spider-Girl #94 on Tony Stark's orders. Things go awry when Tony's 'bodyguard' (actually a cyborg James Rhodes, see here) goes haywire after being hit by a hex from the Scarlet Witch.

 Proving to be instrumental in ending Rhodes rampage, Normie declares he is turning himself over to his fiancé Brenda, who is herself a government agent (Spider-Girl #95).

In Spider-Girl #96 Normie meets with Agent Weadon and his team to offer his services and negation terms. We learn that Normie plans to trade his services in exchange for a full pardon for Brenda (Spider-Girl #97). Despite projecting confidence and demonstrating control over the symbiote to Weadon and his fiancé, Normie privately confides in his personal assistant (Kristy Watson) that he is relying on her to keep him in check and-should he lose control- contact Spider-Girl to destroy him.

Later while sparring with Kaine, Normie and the symbiote are alerted to the threat posed to Spider-Girl by the Brotherhood of Scriers and their agent, the original Hobgoblin. Soon after, Spider-Girl and Normie discover several allies brutally beaten; including fiancé Brenda Drago (Spider-Girl #98).

After frantically rushing Brenda and the others to the hospital, Normie heads out to help bring down the Hobgoblin (Spider-Girl #99).

The various threads of the ongoing plots in the series come together when Mayday is stabbed by a Scrier's poisoned blade and on the verge of death. Normie aids Kaine in driving off (and apparently killing some of) the Scriers before using the symbiote to heal May's wounds and absorb all the venom (Spider-Girl #100).

Still too weak to carry on alone and losing an internal struggle against her own demons, May is given new hope by Normie who offers the symbiote to her. Normie tells May he has banished the  'Venom' persona that corrupted the symbiote, returning it to it's original state. The symbiotic other will only feed off the emotions of it's host, whether for good or evil (Spider-Girl #100).

Strengthened by bonding with the symbiote, May heads off the find the Hobgoblin. As a parting gift, the symbiote 'cleansed' Normie, removing his scars and hateful tattoos (Spider-Girl #100).

 

May finds the Hobgoblin battling her father and intervenes to save him, only for the symbiote to be driven off by the Hobgoblin's sonic device. Instead of fleeing, the symbiote continues attacking the Hobgoblin in an attempt to save May and Peter. The symbiote dies in an act of self-sacrificial redemption, with May revealing the symbiote learned these values from Normie. We learn soon after that Normie felt his symbiotic 'other' die (Spider-Girl #100).

The symbiotes death spurs Mayday on to defeat the Hobgoblin in a one on one fight. Despite the symbiotes death, she would appear one last time in Amazing Spider-Girl #29. We learn that before his death Eddie Brock was hired by Norman Osborn. Osborn used cell samples from the symbiote to transform a cloned infant May into a hybrid which possessing both the alien's abilities and spider-powers. Norman planned to use the hybrid clone in an elaborate plan against Spider-Man. After Norman's unexpected death, this hybrid would lay dormant for years until awakened and eventually taking the name April Parker aka Mayhem. But that's a story for another time...

The Venom symbiote made a large impact on the MC2 Universe and had, in my opinion one of the best character arcs in the Spider-Girl series coupled and interwoven with Normie's own arc of redemption. Who'd have thought a black blobby creature from outer space could move you to tears?

Until I stop delving deep into gooey MC2 lore, I remain

frogoat