SPIDER-MAN: THE OCTOPUS AGENDA - November 1996 (Part Five)

Chapters 9-11

Written by Diane Duane

The Plot:  Spider-Man searches the New York underground for Dr. Octopus and eventually finds a radiation trail.  Venom meets him soon after, but both are taken captive by Dr. Octopus after they’re narrowly killed by Niner’s grenade launcher.  Later, Dr. Octopus explains his plan to Spider-Man.  After destabilizing national economies and devaluing established currencies, he’ll unleash neutron bombs to kill large portions of the population.  Ock will rule a new science-based utopia.  When Ock is distracted, Venom uses his symbiote to escape the cell he shares with Spider-Man.  Dr. Octopus overtakes Venom, but Spider-Man ultimately defeats Ock.  He soon realizes, however, that Dr. Octopus has already triggered a bomb in the city.  Using Dr. Octopus’ computers, Spider-Man locates the bomb and disarms it.  Venom disappears, after taking a printout of Dr. Octopus’ secret bomb locations throughout the country.

The Subplots:  The cartoon MJ worked on has its order cut after a weak debut.  Doris calls with the good news that the cell phone company is dropping the charges, thanks to her investigation.

Web of Continuity:  Niner earned his nickname because he’s Dr. Octopus’ “ninth arm.”

I Love the ‘90s:  The one bomb that Dr. Octopus does manage to trigger?  It’s in the World Trade Center.  Spider-Man finds it in a wine cellar underneath the Windows on the World restaurant.

Review:  Honestly, I wasn’t expecting this much of a happy ending.  I was sure that MJ’s cartoon would be prematurely cancelled, but I just assumed that the Parkers would somehow get stuck with the $5,000 phone bill.  Regardless, the personal life subplots have remained enjoyable throughout the novel, and I’m relieved to see Duane avoid any temptation to place MJ in personal danger during the climax.  MJ isn’t totally divorced from the novel’s main story, but her role doesn’t feel particularly forced or distracting.  Venom’s role, on the other hand, has becoming increasingly questionable as the trilogy has progressed.  Looking back over the plot, it’s hard to see any significant role he’s played.  Duane does use Eddie Brock’s past as an investigative reporter to her advantage, but any information he uncovers could’ve just as easily been discovered by Peter Parker with a Daily Bugle reporter.  (Speaking of which, why does Mel Ahrens drop out of the story so early on?)  Venom’s scenes aren’t necessarily bad, since Duane does have a handle on the character, and his final confrontation with Dr. Octopus is brief but fun.  By the end of the novel, however, the reader isn’t left with the sense that he truly needed to be here.  For commercial purposes, sure, although I wonder how much of a draw Venom remained by the time the trilogy completed.

Ultimately, the novel is about society and its uncertain relationship with progress and technology.  A twenty-something reporter eschews it, while a bored retiree embraces it and becomes a wealthy security expert.  Dr. Octopus views mankind’s petty squabbles as an impediment to real progress, so he’s willing to destroy just what he needs in order to make his point and then start his own advanced civilization.  Applying Ock’s intellect to money laundering, world economics, and sociology is a clever move on Duane’s part, and her choices for “ripped from the headlines” issues were clearly inspired.  It’s a sharply written novel that never needed the Venom gimmick, I say.  If you’re a fan of the characters or just suspense thrillers in general, it’s worth your attention.  

SPIDER-MAN: THE OCTOPUS AGENDA - November 1996 (Part Four)

Chapters 7 & 8

Written by Diane Duane

The Plot:  Doris Smyth calls Peter to discuss the mobster’s cell phone.  She tells him that it’s been wanted by several agencies for months and gives him a list of the numbers it’s dialed.  Meanwhile, Venom investigates an import/export firm named Bothwell and learns that it has a connection not only to CCRC, but also to Dr. Octopus.  That night, Venom enters the Parkers’ home.  Convinced that MJ isn’t mob connected, Venom passes information to Spider-Man and asks him to contact the authorities.  Later, Spider-Man meets with the AEC and is discreetly given two radiation sensors.  At home, he studies the numbers called on the mobster’s phone and suddenly realizes that Hobgoblin’s underground hideout could’ve been provided by Dr. Octopus.  He leaves a message for Venom and heads for the sewers.

The Subplots:  MJ meets Doris Smyth and drops off her personal phone that’s been cloned.  She then travels to her second recording session, playing the role of supervillain Glaive.  

Miscellaneous Note: It seems the real-life United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) no longer exists. (Actually, it was abolished in the 1970s!)

Web of Continuity:  The Hobgoblin’s underground hideout previously appeared in the first novel in the trilogy, The Venom Factor.  Peter assumes that Hobgoblin’s past as a mercenary means he could’ve been working for Doc Ock all along. Also, Venom's investigation into CCRC leads him to believe Doc Ock might actually be its owner.

I Love the ‘90s:  

• Peter wonders if it’s possible for the location of a cell phone to be tracked.  Doris Smyth tells him its theoretically possible, assuming the phone has a certain microchip and you know its nearest cell tower.
• Doris gives an incredulous Peter a detailed explanation on how the NSA can spy on the public using cell phones.  She speculates that the spying will decrease in future years, when cell phone systems move from analog to digital, and the public grows more aware of the government’s activities.  Sure…

Review:  Chapter Seven mainly consists of Peter receiving a lecture on the mechanics of cell phones and how the government can easily spy on them.  Chapter Eight is mostly dedicated to Spider-Man learning about neutron bombs from an AEC agent.  A comic couldn’t get away with two lengthy info dumps in a row, but in a novel, this is more forgivable.  As usual, Duane’s research does a lot to enhance the story and draw the reader into the reality of the world, and the subject matter (government spying and terrorist plots to sneak small nukes into major cities) is of course prescient.  While this section of the novel is light on action and heavy on pure technical information, Duane manages to add some character to the scenes.  Doris, the eighty-year-old computer expert, is a fan of MJ’s old soap opera and is excited to meet her.  Venom is allowed to do more than threaten to eat someone’s brain, when he's given an opportunity to show off his skills as an investigative reporter.  And MJ draws upon an unexpected source to face her fear of Venom -- Glaive, the poorly-written supervillain she’s now playing in a cartoon.  That last bit is perhaps too silly, but it does allow MJ to have a response to Venom that doesn’t repeat what we’ve seen before, while also not pushing her too far into the “warrior woman” cliché.  She’s still terrified of Venom, but has a better handle on how to deal with the fear.  The novel’s almost finished, and while the title villain has been noticeably absent for much of the story, I am curious to see how this plays out.  And, honestly, a potential Venom/Dr. Octopus fight sounds like it could be entertaining.

SPIDER-MAN: THE OCTOPUS AGENDA - November 1996 (Part Three)

Chapters 5 & 6

Written by Diane Duane

The Plot:  Sgt. Drew arranges for Spider-Man’s “friend” Peter Parker to meet with Doris Smyth, a hi-tech security consultant.  Peter gives Doris one of the cells he confiscated from the mob earlier to investigate.  Elsewhere, Venom’s research into CCRC leads him to the shell company, Rothschilds Bank & Securities.  Venom invades the offices and tortures one employee until he reveals the bank’s connection to the Russian mob.  A mystery man named Niner escapes during Venom's attack.  Venom takes five cell phones from the office and discovers one of their numbers belongs to MJ.  Shortly after Spider-Man swings away from Doris’ apartment, he’s ambushed by Venom.  Their fight ends when both are attacked by Russian mobsters.  Venom spots Niner and leaves.  Later, Niner meets with Dr. Octopus to discuss their money laundering scheme.

The Subplots:  MJ arrives at Sundog Productions and meets producer Jymn Magon.  She auditions for voiceover work and is offered an interim role on a new superhero cartoon.  MJ later returns home to discover Peter recovering from his fight with Venom.

I Love the ‘90s:  The phones Spider-Man took from the mob apparently don’t have caller ID, since he doesn’t know how to trace Galya Irnotsji’s number.

Review:  I was wondering how Diane Duane was going to bring MJ into the main plot this time.  In the first novel, MJ gives up an acting job in order to be near Peter during the Hobgoblin’s nuclear scheme, and in the previous novel, MJ’s ongoing storyline was apparently going to tie in with the villainous plot at Cape Canaveral, although this turned out to be a red herring.  This time, MJ’s the victim of (what I’m assuming used to be) a common crime.  It’s a crime that also has ties to the Russian mob, the omnipresent CCRC, and Dr. Octopus.  On top of that, Venom calls one of the mobster’s phones and gets MJ’s voicemail, so he’s jumped to the irrational conclusion that Spidey and his wife are mobbed up now.  

I’m undecided on where on the Scale of Coincidence Acceptability this falls.  It’s not as egregious as the Shocker robbing a bank just as Aunt May enters, I will say.  MJ isn’t the only victim of phone cloning, she’s one of thousands of people who have had their numbers hijacked, so that does help to prevent this from becoming a truly massive coincidence.  Still, having MJ’s number be one of the five Venom discovers is a little too convenient.  At any rate, Duane continues to write MJ incredibly well.  MJ’s acting career is destined to stay on the B-list at best, so exploring the possibility of voice acting makes sense.  It’s a way for her to keep acting as a career while also not gaining any real level of fame, which is where the writers always wanted to keep her.  Having MJ work on a cheesy, ultra-PC superhero cartoon also adds some humor to the novel, and if you’ve ever watched the I Know that Voice documentary, then it should be obvious Duane’s done some research into how voice acting works.

The main plot finally brings us the novel’s first Spider-Man/Venom confrontation.  Duane handles the action well (there’s also a nice suspenseful scene featuring Spider-Man’s escape from a gunman that has him pinned behind a row of cars), and I’ll give her credit for remembering that Venom far outclasses Spider-Man.  There is a sense of Spider-Man being in actual danger, and he isn’t able to escape the fight without a bruised, possibly broken, rib.  And if you’re sick of Spider-Man/Venom fights, at least Spider-Man voices that frustration.  

SPIDER-MAN: THE OCTOPUS AGENDA - November 1996 (Part Two)

Chapters 3 & 4

Written by Diane Duane

The Plot:  Venom goes undercover on Wall Street to investigate CCRC.  He’s attacked by a group of muggers and easily defends himself.  Peter Parker travels with Mel Ahrens to meet with Mel’s contact within the Russian mob.  They speak to Dmitri Elyonets, who claims to represent the old ways and resents his competitor’s illegal dealing in nuclear material.  After leaving, Peter changes into Spider-Man and tails Mel’s cab.  Soon enough, the cab is attacked by a van.  Spider-Man saves the cab from falling off the bridge and webs up the mobsters inside the van.  One of the mobster’s phones rings, and on the other line is Dmitri’s rival, Galya Irnotsji.  Elsewhere, Dr. Octopus receives an update from his agent, Niner.

The Subplots:  MJ cuts her finger during an accident on her shoot and is sent home.  Later, MJ's model friend Lalande recommends her for a lipstick commercial.  MJ is grateful for the money, but tells off the verbally abusive director as soon as the shoot is over.  Someone on the set notices and gives her a production company's business card.  

I Love the ‘90s:  Both MJ and Lalande are fired for having minor blemishes during shoots.  I’m assuming Photoshop was unable to remove tiny imperfections back in 1996.

Review:  The story is still taking shape, with MJ getting into position to do more than just model hand cream, and Peter learning more about the Russian mob’s infiltration into America.  The novel’s moving at a steady pace and Duane is finding a nice balance between the superhero action, the crime drama, and the real life material.  For the entirety of Chapter Three, Peter is stuck on the phone, dealing with the cell phone company’s automated customer service line -- a move that might seem unusual in any other hero’s novel, but is a natural fit for Peter Parker.  (This is the kind of “everyman” material I think most people want to read in a Spider-Man story; not forced girl trouble or cataclysmic personal trials, just annoyances and frustrations that anyone could relate to.)  Venom also finds his way into the story, surprisingly late.  His scene during this section is mostly here to introduce him to the reader, although I think Duane does a decent job on the obligatory action sequence.  Venom is merciless to most of his attackers, but does spare the one young man who was reluctant to join in on the violence.  The Venom who thinks that he’s protecting innocence, however skewed his perspective might be, has always been the most appealing interpretation of the character.  I’m not necessarily eager to have Venom join the plot, but if written properly, he doesn’t have to be a drag on the story, either.  Venom can be entertaining, just in small doses.

SPIDER-MAN: THE OCTOPUS AGENDA - November 1996 (Part One)

Prologue, Chapters 1 & 2

Written by Diane Duane

The Plot:  Dr. Octopus and his henchmen invade Consolidated Quartzite, a mine in upstate New York.  They drill into the mine and detonate a small nuclear bomb.  Later, Spider-Man stops a group of jewel thieves in New York.  He discovers numerous cell phones in their vehicle.  When the police arrive, Spider-Man learns from Sgt. Stephen Drew that the weapons used by the thieves are Russian military.  At the Daily Bugle the next day, Peter Parker asks Kate Cushing to pair him with Mel Ahrens, who is investigating the Russian mob.  Peter suspects that the Russian mob has ties with the shady CCRC corporation, which is allegedly out of business.

The Subplots:  MJ begins a new job as a hand model.  She’s shocked to discover her new cell phone has been cloned, leaving her with a bill that’s almost $5,000.  

Web of Continuity:  

• This is the final release in Diane Duane’s trilogy of Spider-Man/Venom novels.  The story picks up one week after the previous novel, The Lizard Sanction.  
• Reporter Mel Ahrens is a new creation, not seen in the comics. Sgt. Stephen Drew is a recurring character in the prose novels.

I Love the ‘90s:  Cell phones play an important role in the novel, so not surprisingly, much of this material has noticeably aged.  A security guard in the Prologue remarks that a cell costs 150 bucks.  Peter himself barely understands how to use a cell.  MJ describes the process of cloning a phone, and complains that New York law only gives the consumer ten days to report the fraud.  Unrelated to cells, Spider-Man drops one “Not!” during the fight scene.

Review:  Hey, I finally got around to this one.  For anyone who doesn’t know, Marvel licensed their characters out for a series of well-reviewed prose novels in the ‘90s.  Most were paperbacks, but Diane Duane’s Spider-Man/Venom trilogy received the hardcover format, with one novel being released each year between 1994 and 1996.  The final novel in the trilogy eluded me for years, but in these modern times, I no longer have to rely on my local shopping mall.  The first novel I loved as a teenager and was pleased to discover that it holds up well today.  The second novel had its moments, but lacked the basic entertainment value of its predecessor.  The final novel in the trilogy has a stronger opening than the previous one, thankfully.  Hopefully, "Octopus Agenda" can return to the standards set by the initial release.

It’s not hard to notice that the third novel’s opening chapters follow the same basic pattern as its predecessor.  An established Spider-Man villain attacks a team of security guards in the middle of the night.  A quick scene checks in on Peter and MJ, giving the reader some insight into their relationship.  Peter sees action as Spider-Man, then travels to the Daily Bugle to receive the assignment that will lead to even more Spidey action.  These are broad similarities, though, so it’s more of an observation than a complaint.  To Duane’s credit, even as she hits the same notes as the previous novel’s opening, the execution feels much sharper this time.  The security guards in the opening have a bit more personality, and the sequence involving Dr. Octopus and his flunkies (mistaken for aliens because they're wearing their old Ditko outfits) has a nice blend of action, characterization, and suspense.  I’ll also praise the opening for not falling for the “villain callously kills guard for no reason” cliché.  Duane certainly teases the reader with the threat that Ock might kill, which is fine, but allows the prologue to play out in a much more engaging way.  The Peter and MJ scene is a decent introduction for both characters, and I like the idea of tying in MJ’s relatively minor problem with the phone company into the novel’s larger story.  The action scene is placed just where the novel needs an action scene; it gives Spider-Man something to do, while also serving a legitimate story purpose.

Finally, there’s the introduction of Daily Bugle reporter Mel Ahrens.  Ninety percent of all Bugle reporters are doomed to obscurity, but in just a few pages, Duane does an admirable job of giving Mel a distinct identity.  He’s the Daily Bugle’s last holdout on going digital, clinging stubbornly to his fifty-year-old typewriter.  Mel’s also twenty-something years old, and just unusually old-fashioned for his age.  Mel is naturally here to dump a few pages worth of exposition regarding the Russian mob, but the delivery is smooth enough and the information is honestly interesting.  Duane’s knack for research is one of my favorite aspects of her novels, and addressing the specifics of the Russian mob’s entry into America should give the novel more than enough material.  I suspect that “research” for most mob stories in comics simply involves re-watching Goodfellas, so getting real content out of the subject is a welcome relief.