Spider-Tracer: Maxie Shiffman: Agent of…Spider-Man?!

Sure, everyone knows that getting bit by that radioactive spider is what led to brainy Peter Parker eventually becoming the ever amazing Spider-Man! But did you know that Spidey took a bit of a detour before settling on the hero life? In fact, I’m willing to bet that if Uncle Ben hadn’t died, Spider-Man would have kept with his first choice and stuck to show business! Yep, Spidey was a regular celebrity before using his powers responsibly. And like every good celebrity, even Spider-Man had an agent, an agent by the name of Maxie Shiffman. And wouldn’t you know it, this month Maxie is in the spotlight!

 

 

Like Spider-Man, Maxie Shiffman first showed up in “Amazing Fantasy” #15 in 1962. Following his brief, but memorable fight with Crusher Hogan, Maxie approached the “Masked Marvel”, as Crusher called him, and gave him his business card with the offer to get him on television. Maxie insisted that the kid keep the mask, as it was great showmanship.

 

 

What kid could pass up fame and fortune? So of course Spider-Man went back to Shiffman (after creating one of the most iconic superhero costumes in history) to take him up on his offer, and soon, Spider-Man was on TV. Following his first smash appearance on TV, a certain Burglar ran past Spider-Man at the TV studio (see last month’s Spider-Tracer article for more on this nefarious criminal). The security guard asked Spidey for help in stopping him, but, with his fame now going to his head, Spider-Man let the guy run past him without even trying to slow him down. Spider-Man didn’t think much more on it, and continued to hit the TV circuit, his notoriety growing more and more with every TV appearance.

 

 

However, Spider-Man’s fame came to a sudden halt after his Uncle Ben died, and Peter tried to put showbiz behind himself.

 

Years later in real time, in 1995 to be exact, Marvel continued “Amazing Fantasy” for three issues (16-18). The mini-series of sorts was to bridge the gap between “Amazing Fantasy” #15 and “The Amazing Spider-Man” Volume 1, #1. If you’ve read “Untold Tales of Spider-Man” then you know what you’re in for, since Kurt Busiek wrote both.

 

 

It’s revealed that after Spider-Man caught Uncle Ben’s killer, Spider-Man dropped out of the public eye for a little while, though he needed a form of escape and soon put the costume back on. Meanwhile, the bills had kept coming for Maxie Shiffman, and that included gambling debts for his bookie. In order to get in contact with Spider-Man, Shiffman put out an ad in the Daily Bugle for Spider-Man to get in touch with him. Imposters lined up at Maxie’s office, but none of them were the real deal that Maxie needed. However, someone new by the name of Supercharger came by, and Maxie took him on as another client.

 

 

Spidey did eventually speak with Maxie, and when he finally learned that Maxie wanted to continue where they left off, he declined the offer and swung off.

 

 

No stranger to financial woes, Spidey relented and went back to Maxie, who happily booked him on the television show “It’s Amazing” alongside fellow client Supercharger. Of course, nabbing a big guest like Spider-Man for their show meant that another guest had to be bumped, and wouldn’t you know it, the other guest was astronaut John Jameson. While John didn’t seem phased by it, his father J. Jonah Jameson sure was. I’m sure everything turned out fine in the end with JJJ, right? Right…?

 

Soon, Supercharger’s ulterior motives came to light; he planned to kill the entire studio audience in order to prove the dangers of those with powers. If he sounds crazy, you’d be right. Fortunately, Spider-Man stops the madman. He also insists that Maxie gives back the money the studio advanced him for booking Spidey (and presumably for Supercharger; I know I’d want money back if I was the TV studio) so that the TV studio can rebuild after the Supercharger fight. Despite both he and Maxie desperately needing the money, Spidey insists it’s the right thing to do.

 

 

J. Jonah Jameson can’t help but believe that no man can be that good, and plans to get back at Spidey… somehow.

 

And get back at him he does; by starting an anti-Spider-Man campaign, Jameson makes Spidey into something of a pariah, and no one wants to book the hero anymore. While things went sour for Spidey’s stardom, Maxie moved to the West Coast with his wife, Trudy, where Maxie enjoyed the notoriety he earned from having been Spidey’s agent and becomes a successful producer.

 

 

Maxie returned quite a while later in “Web of Spider-Man” #90. It turns out that his luck eventually ran out, and Trudy passed away from cancer. He was approached by Mysterio to join him in a revenge plot against Spider-Man. Mysterio had promised to bring back Maxie’s wife if he helped him, and gave Maxie an illusion of Trudy after he agreed.

 

 

Max helped trick Spidey into believing he had continued on to become a movie star, but Spidey eventually saw through the ruse and defeated Mystero. With Mysterio’s failure, the Trudy illusion disappeared and Max was sadly alone again.

 

 

Knowing something about loss, Spidey tried to comfort his old agent, bearing no ill will towards Maxie for his role in Mysterio’s scheme.

 

 

Maxie hasn’t shown up since, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him show up again one day. Have you guys read the “Web of Spider-Man” #90 or the “Amazing Fantasy” follow up issues? Let me know what you thought of them if you did, and what you think of ol’ Maxie Shiffman in the comments below!