Thursday, November 07, 2024

This isn't really a horror comic, but...wait, am I still doing that bit?

It does feature Marvel trying to add a woman to Spidey's rogues' gallery, but is it weird that whenever they give that a shot, they usually draw from horror? Voodoo priestess, goth girlfriend, and today vampire? I felt like there were more, or maybe more one-shot ones that didn't catch on, like Spidey's fought a werewolf-girl or a Bride of Frankenstein type. Anyway, from 1993, Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #13. Written by J. M. DeMatteis, art by Jerry Bingham.
We saw another Nocturne some time back, but this one was Detective Angela Cairn: her partner had been killed by Vermin (and 'partner' is left open to interpretation there, it very likely was a same-sex relationship at a point where Marvel would've still been uncomfortable outright saying that) and she had thrown herself into her work. On the trail of what the papers were calling the "Mutilation Killer" she gets captured by a creepy mutate that isn't even given a name but seems like an Igor-type, and gets a torturous treatment in Baron Zemo's machine that had created Vermin. Angela seemingly dies, and her body is thrown in the river, but she arises, reborn with big bat-like wings.
Meanwhile, it looks like Spider-Man's in deep, surrounded by mutates; but they're actually happy to see him: they were receiving treatment from Dr. Kafka. Vermin had been restored, to a young man named Edward; but Kafka was worried his cure might not work on the other mutates. Edward tells Spidey that Vermin was "dead and buried" but Spidey isn't sure he believes that: the Lizard alone had been "gone forever" about 40 times at that point. He had stopped by, to see if his spider-sense went off indicating Edward was involved with the Mutilation Killer, but nothing. Nocturne flies past him, triggering waves of conflicting emotions, but she opts to return to her apartment and see what she's become. She discovers, she seems to have no voice, and flies out her window in a panicked rage. Spidey sees that, time for the traditional fight! As usual, Spidey never makes a great showing the first round, but he tags Nocturne with a spider-tracer.
Nocturne returns to the Mutilation Killer's lab, and the mutate tells her to throw off the shackles of her old life, changing her shape to Angela's old form as she does. (Angela realizes that was how the mutate had taken its victims; they would've fled screaming otherwise.) Spidey of course arrives in time to find a winged terror killing 'Angela,' but Nocturne is able to verify her identity with a blast of emotions. The mutate reverts back, and Nocturne refrains from killing her, then declines treatment, instead wanting to see what she would become. Huh, I really thought she was going to be a vampire-villain going forward, but maybe not. Unfortunately, Nocturne hasn't had a lot of appearances since, but she did appear at a Pride event in Marvel's Voices #1.
Also this issue: a solo Nocturne story, then a Black Crow/D'spayre story! ("In Your Eyes" Plot by J.M. DeMatteis and Marv Levine, script by DeMatteis, pencils by M.C. Wyman, inks by "Company" but it's pretty obviously Bill Sienkiewicz!) Then, a Prowler story with John Romita Sr. art, guest-starring the former Sons of the Tiger.

1 comment:

Mr. Morbid said...

I wonder whatever happened to those mutates & if any more of them were ever cured or at the very least somewhat helped after Spider-Man turned over Zemo’s equipment. You’d think Cap or Nick Fury or SOMEONE would’ve gone after Zemo & held him accountable for what he did, yet there’s no mention of that ever happening.

I only remember seeing Nocturne from that one issue with Puma and that’s about it. Shame she never really caught on as a character aside from whenever DeMatties would use her. Definitely lots of potential there.

Since there’s no Black Crow figure to use to help get rid of D’Spayre, I wonder who the lucky contestant will be.