Siskoid and Shag’s coverage of Marvel team-Up continues with issue #147 (November 1984) by Cary Burkett, Greg Larocque and Mike Esposito, starring Spider-Man and the Human Torch! It’s “A Debt Repaid…”.
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Relevant images and further credits at: FW Team-Up Supplemental
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Interesting story covering the Abbot, a character I have never heard of. But perhaps being so stupid as to have the overload switch on the outside of his mental helmet means I shouldn’t have.
Comment left not to help pad comment numbers but more to say that my favorite Torch/Spidey team-up is MTU #61, a book which made me a lifelong fan of Byrne, the Super-Skrull, and Tigra (from a 2 panel flashback). The world is a better place because of that book. Should that book ever be covered here, I will drive to Canada to guest star.
And for dream team-ups? Torch and Mera, especially if they both are on the often ‘I’ve broken up with ___’ plotline. Steamy adventures for sure.
The full Tigra team-up is my oldest physical issue, found in a flea market when I was a kid. It’s precious to me.
After we’re past issue 150, we plan to start on the Claremont/Byrne era, so you’re eventually in luck!
Always love a Spider-Man & Human Torch team-up. Their friendship/rivalry is the stuff of legends. There was an excellent 5 issue Spider-Man/Human Torch miniseries written by Dan Slott many years ago. (More years ago than I’m willing to think about). Each issue was a self contained story with the entire series spanning several years of the heroes lives. The first issue took place during their teenage years, the second their college years, etc.
The 3rd issue is a real treat. It features the Spider-Mobile and an homage to the Hostess Snack Cake Superhero ads. I highly recommend this series.
Thanks for another great episode and look forward to the next.
As you’ll find out when you finish the episode, that mini-series comes up!
Intrigued enough about this mini to seek it out. Does it have a trade? Specific name? Searching instock but coming up empty.
It’s simply titled Spider-Man/Human Torch. It’s by Dan Slott and Ty Templeton. There is a hardcover collection, I’m not sure about a tpb.
Amazing Spider-Man and the Human Torch HC (2009)
I don’t know if I’m in the minority on this, but I do not think the Web of Spider-Man series was worth ending Marvel Team-Up. Team-Up wasn’t perfect, but it was the much stronger book.
You’re not going to find much opposition to that opinion at the FW Team-Up show.
I remember really enjoying the first few issues with the team of guys who stole the Vulture’s equipment. But after that, I don’t remember it being much different from “Amazing” or “Spectacular”.
It was a rotten move, up there with ending Marvel Two-In-One for the Thing series.
I THINK it’s surely more a human Torch story Spider-man even mentions reed and Stillbirth! and Black abbot is a pretty good team up bad guy. Spider-man aint beating them.
How did I PLAY Questprobe? I kept my c64 TO play those damn games! when that broke emulator
I LOVE TERROR INC! I PITCHED SO MANY TERROR STORIES
My Commodore 64 stopped working in 1988. But there are a ton of free emulators and a lot of the games were also available. I *finally* finished Sword of Fargoal some time during the early pandemic.
As someone who grew up at the Jersey Shore (right next to Long Beach Island) I can confirm that there are islands there, but they’re all barrier islands (basically sand). The continental shelf does go out quite a ways from the coast, though, so theoretically there could be a rocky island (or twelve) out there for the super-villians to buy from Real-Thor, a villainous and suited disguise that Loki uses to make some cash on the side. The fact that he looks like and evil Thor is purely a coincidence. 😉
Real-Thor the Realtor. Oh Gene!
MTU 61 and 121 are better Spidey/ Torch team ups as is that mini Siskoid was talking about. Spidey just comes off real bad in this one. I’d like to see the Torch team up with Power Girl though. Kind of similar to him and Byrne’s She Hulk.
Ok I got a team up this maybe my weirdest yet
First of all let’s reset things for this story . Johnny is a teenager whose favorite anime is yugioh so we are in the 90’s . His favorite character is Joey wheeler . The main side kick who uses a warrior deck and seems to be lady luck’s favorite son and talks like he’s from New York . And a show reed introduced him to Gerry Anderson’s space 1999 . One night after coming home from a adventure he puts the episode “space brain “ and falls a sleep and has dream where he and Joey wheeler join the alphans on space adventure as the face a skrull invasion. And Joey has the power to summon his cards in real life . I call this adventure dream warriors 99.
I don’t know if I have any favorite team-ups between Pete and Johnny, but there was a great annual after Ben took over the role of Spider-Man where the two of them teamed up and it was grand
Ah, Spidey and the Torch, the first bromance of the Marvel Universe, started off hating each other and now they’re BFFs. The Slott/Templeton mini is fantastic, I mean amazing, I mean oh never mind you get it. I’ve reread it a few times and I can’t recommend it enough.
I’m with Shagg about Spidey’s comment that snapped Torch out of the mind control. It was way over the line. I’d forgotten it was in this story, and I actually winced when I read it. Really really rough. I guess it was good not to dwell on it within the story.
Just one more Black Abbott story? Oh no! This classic villain, cut down before his time, never to be seen again, confined to limbo for all eternity, waiting patiently for his moment to shine ok whatever, he’s fine but I’m ready to move on.
Siskoid’s right about the Ryan North Fantastic Four. It’s been a highlight from Marvel, I love it a lot. Now I’m wondering if “Johnny tries to have a secret identity” was a callback to his Strange Tales series, because he was in high school and doing shenanigans to hide that he was the Human Torch, but after 6 or something issues, they actually wrote in the comic his friends saying “yeah, we knew all along, we just pretended not to.” Ouch!
For a Torch team-up, I kept thinking about Firestorm, but nothing clicked until I thought, super-villain plot accidentally causes Johnny and Ronnie to switch powers, and I imagine Johnny arguing with the Reed-like Prof Stein in his head while all struggle with vastly different powers, forcing the two hotheads to reconcile and work together. I imagine Multiplex and the Wizard as the baddies. Hey, Wizard was originally a Torch foe, so why not.
Thanks for another great episode, gents!
My idea for a crazy Spider-Man team up:
Who are the two best characters who have ever (I have no idea if this is true, just go with me to make this joke work) teamed up with Spider-Man?
Doctor Stephen Strange and Felicia (Black Cat) Hardy
Based on this made up fact, what would be the best fantasy team up?
The Amazing Spider-Man and Alley-Kat Abra from Earth-C!
In a plot line similar to “No Way Home” Peter Parker is drawn to Earth-C to fight some of his animal-themed villains which also magically appeared: Doctor Octopus, The Vulture, the Rhino, and Leap Frog.
The battle is evenly matched until Leap Frog changes sides. By leaping out of the Rhino’s charge at the last second, a building collapses on all three remaining villains with the Rhino holding up the demolished building similar to that early classic Spider-Man issue. Alley-Kat Abra magically transforms them into funny animal versions of themselves and they become the founding members of the Substitute Zoo Crew along with Polar Bear, Fire Crab and Chlorophyll Squid.
Throughout the issue, Alley-Kat Abra falls in love with Peter (whom she calls “my savory savior, Spider-Ham”). But, alas and alack, for … reasons … their love cannot be. With tears and caterwauling cries on both sides, Alley-Kat Abra sends Spider-Man home.
Looks like a cool issue minus the villain…. Sorry just saying.
Wait did Spider Man not make an Abbott and Costello joke the whole issue? That is just a fail on his part. Also at no point did he make fun of this man’s outfit? I get it. This is supposed to fit a chess motive with him being dressed like.pea r on the board. Or some weird attempt at the pope’s outfit.. but nothing like who’s your designer? The same person who dresses Elton John and Liberace?
That is a fail on Peter’s part. Or what happened did you get inspired by the movie Alice in Wonderland and instead of looking like a giant playing card look like a chess piece?
Still cool podcast on y’all’s part. Hey a Cisco and shag team up that kind of fits the title. of this book..
Yes, he did make one!
Marvel Team Up is indeed the best team-up magazine… that stars Spider-Man. It had some great runs, notably when Chris Claremont, John Byrne, Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema were involved. Even the earlier days, with the randomness of early Seventies Marvel, were fun and fascinating. But these final years, well, it’s no shock the book was cancelled. I’m so pleased to hear you’re going back to the glory days!
Thanks for another fun episode, lads, it’s great that you can make listening gold from any comic you choose to look at. Good job on recommending the Slott Spidey/Torch mini-series, it was a real treat.
The Black Abbots, incidentally, was the name of a British music and comedy group, the lead of whom, Russ Abbott, became a big TV star. One of his most popular characters was Cooperman, Superman by way of the greatest comic Tommy Cooper, who always wore a fez, so there’s a Doctor Who connection!
How does everyone feel about Johnny’s red costume? I thought it looked neat. Wonder if it became a symbiote?