WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man #1 by Nick Spencer, Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, Laura Martin and VC’s Joe Caramagna, with a backup story illustrated by Humberto Ramos, Victor Olazaba and Edgar Delgado, on sale now.
Spider-Man is known for having one of the more robust rogue galleries in all of comics, from A-listers like Doctor Octopus and the Green Goblin, to lower-tiered characters like Screwball and Rocket Racer. One of Spidey's more recognizable villains tries to level up to take on the Avengers, X-Men, Guardians of the Galaxy and Defenders when the illusionist, Mysterio, unleashes an alien swarm over New York City.
In a moment of true sacrifice, Spider-Man slings himself into the air in an attempt to close the alien vortexes. However, this is when it's all revealed to be a ruse orchestrated by Mysterio to make a name for himself outside of robbing banks and getting beat up by Spider-Man.
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Mysterio is left hanging upside down in a cocoon of webbing as he gives Spider-Man his sob story. Mysterio does offer some good advice, however, when he gets to the part where he thought one big gesture could turn his life around. Reinvigorated, Spider-Man swings away and leaves Mysterio for the cops, and as far as we knew, that should have been the last we saw of the villain for the issue. But if you continued reading past the happy (and unexpected) reunion and a letter from Spider-Man editor Nick Lowe, we get one more surprise appearance by Quentin Beck that introduces an all-new villain with some demonic origins.
Spider-Man's New Villain Is....Pretty Disgusting
Readers are quickly taken to Mysterio's court appearance, where his internal monologue recaps his origin story and his run-in with some of the Marvel Universe's biggest heroes that resulted in his arrest. Being a performer, Quentin chooses to represent himself in court with an opening statement. However, he's interrupted by attorney Janice Lincoln, better known as the villain Beetle. Someone with rich pockets has decided to contract Janice out as Mysterio's attorney.
Before Janice can give her opening statement, the courtroom is overrun by vermin and insects. The person behind the rampage finally appears, and we have to say, he's definitely one of the more unique (and disgusting) villains Spider-Man will have to contend with.
We're not given a name to who this mystery character is, but we do learn he has a connection to Mysterio. The illusionist committed suicide in 1999's Daredevil #7, but mysteriously came back to life and reclaimed his stolen moniker, which was being used by a criminal named Francis Klum.
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This new bandage-wearing, vermin-controlling villain claims to be the one who brought Quentin back to life, so he must also have some type of resurrection powers. He also mentions he's the one who paid for Beetle to represent Mysterio. Another useful piece of information is the figure says he knows Peter better than he knows himself, which is quite interesting. So not only does this person know Spider-Man is Peter Parker, but he also has a connection to the afterlife.
If this is ringing any bells, another Marvel character with the power to bring people back from the dead and is the ruler of the afterlife is Mephisto, who famously erased Peter and Mary Jane Watson's marriage in the controversial "One More Day" story arc.
Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley look to be challenging "One More Day" with their opening Amazing Spider-Man issue by reuniting the couple, so what we're witnessing from this new villain could be a continuation of that story. Thankfully for Mysterio, his death and everyone's in the courtroom was all a figment of his imagination.
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The plus side of that is it allows Quentin to enter a plea of insanity, which should get him an easier sentencing. The negative is the villain is definitely real, and should represent a real major problem for Spider-Man going forward.