In "The Wrong Side," I examine comic book fights that were particularly notable in the wrong side winning (or at least that the fight wasn't won the "right" way). This really isn't a big deal, of course, as it doesn't really matter if the "wrong" person won a fight. But it's fun to talk about! Here are our past editions of the feature.

If you want to suggest a fight for future inclusion in this feature, drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com. Don't suggest a fight in the comments!

Reader Adam W. wrote in to suggest a particularly embarrassing defeat Spider-Man suffered in the pages of Marvel Team-Up.

As you might know, Spider-Man is a pretty tough guy, tough enough (and has enough SUPER-STRENGTH) that he is able to fight groups of men pretty darn well. Look at how well he does against a bunch of mob enforcers WHILE CHAINED UP in Amazing Spider-Man #27 (by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee)...

And of course, just six issues later, Steve Ditko and Stan Lee showed Spider-Man famously lifting a whole pile of machinery off of himself in one of the most inspiring moments in Spider-Man history...and AFTER that (while he was exhausted) he had to take on a bunch of Doctor Octopus' highly-trained goons, and he kicked all of their asses at once!

Therefore, you will have to admit that it seems awfully fishy at how easily Spider-Man is defeated in Marvel Team-Up #42 (by Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema and Mike Esposito). This is the middle part of a classic storyline where Doctor Doom is eventually enlisted as one of the GOOD GUYS. You see, Cotton Mather (of Salem Witch Trials fame) somehow manages to travel to the present and kidnaps the Scarlet Witch and brings her back to the Witch Trials. Spider-Man and Scarlet Witch's husband, Vision, go back with her to save her and, well, the Puritan followers of Cotton Mather then sort of kick their ass...

The Sinister Six are tough, but nothing can beat FOUR late-17th Century Puritans! Cotton Mather and his followers were ridiculously over-powered throughout this storyline. This was not a well-supported fight. Just throw in something about magic or something if you want to beat Spider-Man. Don't just say "Oh...uhm...those four dudes just overpower SPIDER-MAN."

Thanks to Adam for the suggestion!

If anyone else out there has a suggestion for a fight that you think the "wrong" side won, drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com!