Some years back, we saw a Power Pack comic guest-starring Hobgoblin where he probably should've been captured and unmasked at the end of it, but there was no way the Spider-Man editorial would let that happen outside of a core title. Four years later, and he's getting burned off in today's book! From 1991, Marc Spector: Moon Knight #33, "Torn" Written by Howard Mackie, pencils by Ron Garney, inks by Tom Palmer. Predating the song by six years, anyway!
Where was I? Oh, right, Hobgoblin. That was Jason Macendale today, the mercenary formerly known as Jack O'Lantern, who had allegedly had the original Hobgoblin Ned Leeds murdered and took his identity. A lot of that would be retconned right and left, but again, today it's Macendale. Since he had been a mercenary prior to his costumed identities, it's not unreasonable that he knew Marc Spector in his merc days: Spector remembers him as a psycho, but one he could handle. Today, though...
Claiming to be "filled with the way of righteousness!" Hobgoblin is intent on killing all mercenaries, in order to purge himself of corruption, namely Macendale. Moon Knight, rather charitably, wants to help; although Hobby seems duplicitous at best. Spider-Man and Frenchie arrive to help; Spidey with his trademark snark, Frenchie out for vengeance. Even Spidey is surprised Moon Knight is trying to help Macendale, as opposed to clubbing him to an even, lumpy consistency; but it becomes obvious that Macendale is torn in two, possibly the early manifestation of what would later be Demogoblin. Macendale gains control, then tries to take Marlene as a hostage and gets slapped down, so he retaliates with a pumpkin bomb! Spidey saves her, but it's no more mister nice guy for Moon Knight: the sight of Marlene hurt reminds him too much of his brother Randall assaulting her, a blunt bit of foreshadowing for an upcoming four-parter with the Punisher.
Getting clear for a moment, Macendale summons his goblin glider by remote control: Spidey grabs onto it, and Moon Knight on to him. MK delivers a stout but mostly off-panel thrashing, but wonders what is next for him. At a guess, I'd say 'violence.' This feels like they were trying hard to trade Hobgoblin to Moon Knight's somewhat thin rogues' gallery, in part by making Spector much more emotionally invested in this than Spidey seemingly was. I'm not saying Spidey needs to make everything a grudge match, but he might as well be punching a clock here. In Spidey's defense, though; he had fought the old Hobby like eight dozen times and this one much, much less. I don't know if Hobgoblin is really thought of as a Moon Knight baddie these days, but he would be back, sort of.
Maybe they were, and using the merc connection was a smart way to do that if Marvel had remained committed to staying that direction.
ReplyDeleteIt almost seems like Huston, during his run, might've tried to do the same thing w/ the Taskmaster.