Or How to kill a Spider...

Who was he, and was he the muse in why Peter Parker had to die? In 1987 when I was still a closet collector and Michelle owned my heart, some of my money had to go to her for gifts, dates, and Friday night roller skating. Spider-man would sometimes be skipped here and there. So here it is twenty-five years later and I have finally completed the six part story with Vermin, Spider-Man, and the original Superior Spider-Man: Sergei Kravinoff or other wise known has Kraven the Hunter.

His first appearance way back in Amazing Spider-Man #15 had Kraven originally portrayed as a performer, but he was more about the thrill of the hunt. In this six issue story spanning three titles Kraven "killed" Spider-Man and took his place. I never was familiar with the silver age Kraven, sure I had a Marvel Tales copy of a story or two but it was the Copper Age Kraven I knew best.

Kraven knew he was getting older, or maybe he was going insane like his mother had, but before the final curtain was to fall he had one thing to prove and that was his superiority over Spider-Man. He did this by defeating Spider-Man, burying him alive, and dressing up in Peter's black uniform to defeat a foe single handedly that Captain America originally assisted in.

Kraven never made it to the sixth issue of the story arc. His body, bloody and lifeless ended by a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Peter took after Vermin and beat him, this time alone.

The most touching scene took place off panel in the arms of Mary Jane and nothing makes you appreciate life as much as thinking about your own mortality than the act of creating it.

So back in the eighties when a character was "killed" it was for good, well at the very least it wasn't sensationalized for a dollar and the character was dead for more than a couple months. This story line never portrayed or advertised itself as the "Death" of Spider-Man but it was the first time we saw a Superior Spider-Man.

Thanks for Reading

Tnerb

And for something work related...

http://tnerb-myfirstblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/theyshould-give-you-raise-i-hate-when.html

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