J. Michael Straczynski Brings His Marvel Spotlight To An End In ‘Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister Sixteen’
by Tony Thornley
J. Michael Straczynski’s “unlikely duo” one shots have been a delightful bit of unusual comics popcorn this year. Now, we have more information about the event’s conclusion.
Originally announced as Spider-Man Vs. Doctor Octopus, Marvel revealed today the one shot is actually Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister Sixteen. I’ve enjoyed each of these one-shots, even if they’re a little far-out (and really should have used branding like Marvel Spotlight). Straczynski wrote Amazing Spider-Man for nearly a decade, but never really told any stories about the traditional Spidey rogues. In this one-shot, he changes that with pretty much every traditional Spider-villain. He’s joined by superstar Phil Noto on art for this doozy of a finale.
Peter Parker was just trying to have a nice night out with Mary Jane, but wouldn’t you know it: The Parker Luck has filled his evening with an assortment of some of the world’s most vile villains! With Spidey, Thor, Doctor Strange, Magneto, Loki, Doctor Octopus and many more all in one room, things are bound to explode!
On what inspired the tale, Straczynski explained, “One of the most common tropes in the super hero world is that of the amount of destruction that comes when heroes and villains lock horns. We all accept that it just happens. This led to thinking: What if the owner of a popular restaurant has run it into the ground and needs the place to be destroyed for the insurance money, and invites a ton of heroes and villains to dine all at the same time in the hope that a fight breaks out? What if initially everyone tries to stay calm to enjoy the experience, but sooner or later, with that roster…the storm comes.”
“It became a great opportunity to shove a truckload of characters, good and evil, into one room at the same time, and watch the situation deteriorate into chaos,” he continued. “Given the mandate of this book, to show unlikely combinations, this was the ultimate and only possible conclusion: put everyone into one 30-page story, roll in a grenade, and see what happens. This was probably the most fun book to write, and one of the funniest. So appreciative of Marvel giving me this chance to just write whatever the heck I wanted, and come up with fun stories with unlikely associations.”
Check out the issue’s cover by Terry & Rachel Dodson and watch for the one-shot this July from Marvel Comics.
