"The Other" in Spider-Man: The Other is quite obvious

[The Red Hood]

Who would the only other logical "other" be when referring to Spider-Man?

Uncle Ben? No. Any of the other supporting characters? No? Ben Reilly? By no means. Another clone of Peter Parker that no one knew about? A resounding negative.

In the origin of Spider-Man, when Peter Parker is forever changed, there are only two living beings involved. Peter Parker and...

...the irradiated spider.

I know, it's crazy. Loony. Nuts. But think about it. That hack JMS's infernal Totem storyline will be involved. I read those issues (before I abandoned the title after "Sins Past") and I recall distinctly that one of the cruxes of the storyline was whether or not the spider that bit Peter was "just a spider."

I submit to you that this is what will be addressed. Either we'll learn that the spider was really some kind of mystical being, or we'll learn that the spider was affected by biting Peter just as Peter was affected by being bitten by the spider.

So the question is: how would the spider be affected? What if the radiation wasn't just radiation, or perhaps, what if it was merely a catalyst for something more mystical? What if Peter Parker's qualities were somehow transferred to the spider when it sank its fangs into his vein?

What if the spider is now some kind of mutant being, a combination of spider and human like Peter Parker, but with the quantities reversed?

Assuming something like this was the case, what if...any of this really was really worthy of a major storyline?

'Hood

[cosmicspidey]

It was just a spider. The question Ezekiel raised was never if the spider was something more than just a spider, but whether it was the spider or the radiation that gave him his powers.

[The Red Hood]

^^^That doesn't mean the spider wasn't more than just a spider.

I know how it sounds, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is what happens. The spider is going to play a pivotal role in this storyline.

This is one of those cases wherein a spider isn't just a spider.

'Hood

[icymatt]

That would be crazy. Yet entertaining.

[foxfire]

Hmmm sounds pretty plausible to me.

[Spider-Nebber]

Assuming something like this was the case, what if...any of this really was really worthy of a major storyline?

That is certainly a supported idea, but if it is...then I agree with the above quote.

[foxfire]

Yeah I agree I dont like the mystical stuff much. Lets see with JMS we've had Dr. Strange several times, Loki, the whole Totem story, Morlun, the Wasp thing etc etc etc. Enough already with the mystical mumbo-jumbo!

[Davideaux]

I think Red Hood is on to something.

[Gauss]

I tend to doubt the idea, although it would fit in with the Spider-totem stories pretty well. But 12-plus issues, from three different books, devoted to Bitey the Friendly Neighborhood Man-Spider? That alone doesn't seem plausible, and when you try to figure out how it would relate to Peter's illness, or give him a hope in hell of beating down Morlun, it becomes even harder for me to swallow.

Plus, no way will Marvel let Spider-man be a giant spider again this soon. :)

[SirChasm]

it becomes even harder for me to swallow

And on that note I point you to Garth Ennis run on Tangled Web to discover what happened to that spider - great story IMO

I say run...

It was one arc... Still I love my Ennis... :D

[The Red Hood]

^^^I'm familiar with this story, but I feel certain it will be retconned away should this angle come to light as a result of "The Other."

'Hood

[Gauss]

And on that note I point you to Garth Ennis run on Tangled Web to discover what happened to that spider - great story IMO

I say run...

It was one arc... Still I love my Ennis... :D

I do too, but the fact that you picked that particular note makes me a little leery. :) Still, if anyone has issue numbers handy...

[Geardaddy]

Yeah I agree I dont like the mystical stuff much. Lets see with JMS we've had Dr. Strange several times, Loki, the whole Totem story, Morlun, the Wasp thing etc etc etc. Enough already with the mystical mumbo-jumbo!


Agreed. Enough already.

[Sion]

Here I'm quoting myself, but what the hey, if I said it's worth being listened to many many times. ;)

This has probably been brought up before...

What if the Spider was there to give the Totem power to someone and else, but it got infected by radioation (which would soon kill it) so it instictively bit the first thing that got in the way (your now Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man). So what if the other, who was supposed to get that power in the first place, came to claim it back *omniscient song plays in background* ???
It would be cool to see how much Peter is Spidey became of the responsiblity and because he really likes it (I mean, c'mon, he can avoid traffic.... in NY!).

And of course the other guy would have some sort of super power cuz Peter would say no and he would have to take it by force.

[Sion]

Agreed. Enough already.

Personally, I couldn't disagree more. I dig the Spider-Totem stories.

[Zeta]

Spiderman and magic never mix well. See also: The Traveler storylines.

[Uncensored]

I ask again... Can someone please catch me up on just what the hell "The Other" is supposed to be continuing from? Who is Ezekiel? Morlun? The Spider-totem?

[cosmicspidey]

I ask again... Can someone please catch me up on just what the hell "The Other" is supposed to be continuing from? Who is Ezekiel? Morlun? The Spider-totem?

We don't know. We're all just speculating at this point. The series doesn't come out until October and we won't know until then. Although it has been revealed that Morlun will be part of the story, who is related to Ezekiel and the Spider-Totem storyline.

[olympichero62]

Wow. Just.......wow

[Dentty]

I do too, but the fact that you picked that particular note makes me a little leery. :) Still, if anyone has issue numbers handy...


It was Tangled Web #1 - 3.

[Uncensored]

We don't know. We're all just speculating at this point. The series doesn't come out until October and we won't know until then. Although it has been revealed that Morlun will be part of the story, who is related to Ezekiel and the Spider-Totem storyline.

Yeah, I'm aware no one knows about The Other. But can someone tell me what that arc involving Ezekiel and the Spider-totem or whatever was about? It happend during my comic reading hiatus.

[jadegiant77]

I ask again... Can someone please catch me up on just what the hell "The Other" is supposed to be continuing from? Who is Ezekiel? Morlun? The Spider-totem?

This is all continuing from recent issues of Amazing Spider-Man, which were also collected in trade paperback form(Amazing Spider-Man: Life and Death of Spiders, Unintended Consequences, and The Book Of Ezekiel). Basically, it involved Spidey's learning that he was not the first person on Earth to possess spider-powers, as evidenced by the arrival of an elderly man named Ezekiel, kind of an Obi-Wan Kenobi figure. He gained his spider-powers through a mystical ceremony. Morlun is a vampiric entity that feeds off "spider-avatars" like Peter. Pete defeated him by giving himself a mild case of radiation poisoning, essentially souring the milk as Morlun attempted to feed on him. Ezekiel died in a battle with a large entity made entirely of spiders. Hope that helps.

[Titanium]

I've always wanted to see a story with one of the crazy mad scientists of the Marvel Universe, like maybe Dark Beast or even a revamped Jackal, messing with Spider-Man and then revealing he actually has the radioactive spider in a container in his lab. Or heck, maybe see Osborn's secret secret HQ has a bunch of files on Spidey and has the remains of the radioactive spider in a jar.


I keep thinking this Other story should involve all the Spider-powered characters in the Marvel Universe. Maybe the return of Doppleganger?

[Zeta]

This is all continuing from recent issues of Amazing Spider-Man, which were also collected in trade paperback form(Amazing Spider-Man: Life and Death of Spiders, Unintended Consequences, and The Book Of Ezekiel). Basically, it involved Spidey's learning that he was not the first person on Earth to possess spider-powers, as evidenced by the arrival of an elderly man named Ezekiel, kind of an Obi-Wan Kenobi figure. He gained his spider-powers through a mystical ceremony. Morlun is a vampiric entity that feeds off "spider-avatars" like Peter. Pete defeated him by giving himself a mild case of radiation poisoning, essentially souring the milk as Morlun attempted to feed on him. Ezekiel died in a battle with a large entity made entirely of spiders. Hope that helps.

Jeebus. That's awful. Is anyone strongly reminded of the Japanese Spiderman live-action show? It sounds like something directly taken from it!

"You are last surviving member of Planet Spidah! The Spirit of Planet Spider RESIDES in you! MYSTICAL SPIDER POWER MAKE-UP!"

[Jake V]

The spider died immediately after biting Peter. Peter said so himself.


Me, I always assumed that the "other" was referring to Kaine. The only halfways interesting character to come out of the clone saga.

[Uncensored]

I keep thinking this Other story should involve all the Spider-powered characters in the Marvel Universe. Maybe the return of Doppleganger?

Well he was featured in the Spider-Man handbook 2005.