“Good night, Miguel…”
WRITER Peter David
ART Will Sliney
COLOR Antonio Fabela & Andres Mossa
LETTERER VC’s Joe Caramagna
EDITOR Devin Lewis
In which we say “Goodbye–for now!” to our much beloved future Spidey…
SUMMARY: Tempest (Miggy’s superintendent who was cured of her leukemia by a Alchemax 2099 serum that also turned her into a man-eating bug-lady) attacks Spidey 2099 and send the two of them plummeting out of her apartment window. Luckily he can glide and she has wings. As Miguel tries to find a place to regroup and get ready to face her, he wonders what exactly could have turned her into an insectoid freak with a craving for his flesh. He hides out in Central Park and buys enough time to have Lyla try to figure out what might have caused Tempest to transform from the sassy superintendent who has the hots for him into a murderous freak.
Elsewhere in Central Park, Tempest is flying about searching for Miguel with a rumbly tummy, but she’s easily distracted by shiny things. She winds up colliding with a statue, which brings her up against a lone NYPD beat cop out on patrol. During this interlude, Lyla informs Miggy that the transformation is likely temporary and may last anywhere from six minutes to six hours. When Miggy catches up to Tempest, she uses the cop as a hostage and threatens to kill her unless Spidey surrenders to her. The cop valiantly tells Spidey not to surrender, saying that she’s just one cop and the city needs him more than her.
Miguel O’Hara has always been an alternative plan kind of guy, so he webs the cop’s gun over to his hand and opens fire on Tempest, knowing her exoskeleton will protect her. His quick thinking provides enough of a distraction for Miguel to save the officer (who gets grazed by a bullet) and knock Tempest into one of Central Park’s several lakes or ponds. While the cop radios for backup, Miggy and Tempest struggle against one anonther underwater. He eventually pretends to be drowning and reveals that he’s actually Miguel, which makes Tempest recoil in shock and allows him to knock her out.
Miguel carries an unconscious yet still bugged-up Tempest out of the water – and is immediately confronted by several New York cops. Tempest transforms back into her purple-haired normal self, still asleep in Miguel’s arms, and the cops demand that he stand down and surrender. Again, Miguel opts for the alternative plan – bailing out real quick-like before the cops can get a shot at him.
Miguel gets Tempest safely back to her apartment and puts her in bed. She comes to, asking what happened to her. Spidey explains everything, telling her that the cure he gave her also temporarily transformed her into a bug-lady. He asks her how much she remembers (thinking of his secret identity) and she tells him not much. He tells her goodnight and closes the door – and she says goodnight, calling Spidey ‘Miguel,’ showing that she remembered the most important part.
With that, Miggy’s all too short run of adventures end in the 616 just as Jonathan Hickman wrecks it.
ANALYSIS: While the story is a solid conclusion to the Tempest storyline, we’re left with too many unanswered questions in the wake of this title being derailed by the confusing Secret Wars. What else might have happened with Tempest and Miguel? Hell – what else might have happened with Miguel and Liz?! With the collapse of Parker Industries, does Alechamx build their super prison? What ramifications were to come with the Scorpion’s involvement? Alas, we may never know. Because event comics.
I’m sad to see Miguel’s 616 adventures cut short. Really and truly. Since the end of Superior Foes this book has been the stand-out as the best Spider-related title. Leagues better than what’s been happening in Amazing Spider-Man. We got a year, and hey let’s face it – that’s an old toothless horse by Marvel standards these days. So we should be thankful for the time we had but we’ll always wonder what was coming around the corner.
Miguel’s 616 adventures come to an end (just as, apparently, the 616 in general) but we’ve already been told he’ll be showing up in Yet Another Avengers Comic 2099. You can’t throw a rock out a window without hitting an Avengers comic right now, but at least the ship will be sailing with Peter David and Will Sliney, so that’s a plus. And whatever gives us more Miguel is a good thing. Well – as good as it can be with Miguel losing his second solo title.
REVIEW: B+
Thank you, Peter David. Thank you, Will Sliney. Thank you, Miguel O’Hara.
–George Berryman!
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The fact that this was not a “last days” nor a hard ending leads me to believe this book will be back post-Secret wars. Great series so far. Unlike with friendly neighborhood, I never felt like david missed a beat despite being sucked into crossovers, in fact I think he nailed the combination and told the best spiderverse tie in out of them all. Still, heres hoping this story can continue.
My last post got eaten so I’ll try again. This was one of the best Spider-Man books out. Why? Because Peter David and Sliney made you not only care about the characters but he made them human. He didn’t make them so full of themselves they can do no wrong. He didn’t make them to be incompetent. He made them human. Even with all the crazy and stupid crossovers, Spider-Man 2099 never lost focus of what it was. The characters were all rounded, the plots made sense, the twists and turns had payoffs. You could love to hate the villains and the heroes. While Secret Wars 2099 is the one title I am most confident in believing it will lead to a new Spider-Man 2099 series. This book proves how Spider-Man should be right now. Not the crying, can’t do anything manchild who can’t balance a checkbook or has his supporting cast backstabbing him and then going: “It’s all my fault.”
I found pleasure reading this (the issue) a second time. I believe this has the elements that made me fall in love with Spider-man 2099.
Of course there is action but instead of brute force this Spidey uses off-handed tactics. Off-handed such as using a gun to shoot Tempest while she was all bugged out. I found it really appealing because it reminded of the superior run in which Spock shot Massacre. Unlike that issue, the gun use isn’t treated as a great moral dilemma.
This Spidey’s moral compass is gray and I love it. Miguel doesn’t hestitate to shoot at Tempest despite the police officer’s presence and not fully understanding Tempest’s biology. Yes, he assumes that her exoskeleton is tough enough but what if it wasn’t. Also he gazed the officer, that just seems like something Peter Parker would endlessly fixate over.
In addition, I appreciate the fact that he uses his secret identity as a weapon. By telling Tempest his identity it throws her off guard. This makes me think of Miguel’s confrontation with Venom 2099 in which he contemplated fightning Venom without his costume in order to keep Venom off balance. He’s willing to take big risk which most super-heroes not willing to take.
Finally, I like the fact Peter Davidis plot building. Lyla describing Tempest as: ” temporarily transformed in order to discern how a longer-term change would affect them.” This mamakes me think that this is just the beginning.
Also the development of the officer makes me think we will see her again. ( I believe Peter David will be able to work his way out of the secret wars and steer us back to Spider-man 2009).
Thank you for the awesome review!
Bow chica wow wow.
Is it just me or does this cover look kind of…strange (rubs chin)
I’m done getting burned by this. I’ll read Secret Wars 2099…in trade form…from the library.
@1 & 2:
When I told the guy at my comic shop that I might pick up the first issue or two of Avengers 2099, just to see where Peter David goes with it, he told me that it is only supposed to be a five issue series, so I might as well get them all.
On the other hand, knowing it’s only going to be five issues, I wonder if I should even invest the time and money into it at all, since it’s not likely to matter in the long run.
Either way, I agree…HOPEFULLY we will get back to our normally scheduled 2099 program after that.
I can’t even imagine the potential this series had if not for marvel retcon 2015. I feel they just barely scratched the surface of what this series had to offer ugh such a shame.
@2 – “Isn’t Secret Wars 2099 a 5-parter?”
I honestly don’t know anymore. I gave up trying to keep track of it all long ago! 😎
Isn’t Secret Wars 2099 a 5-parter? Maybe I’m just reading some solicits incorrectly. Here’s to hoping that at the conclusion of Secret Wars, Miguel gets his solo title back… wishful thinking. Literally a third of this run, if not more, was dedicated to being a tie-in to Spider-Verse. Dammit, that’s not fair to Miggy, Peter David, or us! Ah well… I’m sure PD and Sliney will make Secret Wars 2099 an enjoyable romp.