COMIC BOOK OF THE WEEK – “The Spectacular Spider-Man” #178 (July 1991)

'Spectacular Spider-Man' #178 (July '91)

This week’s “Comic Book of the Week” is “The Spectacular Spider-Man” #178, which was published by Marvel Comics in July 1991. This issue was titled “Up From the Depths” and was the first installment in a series called “The Child Within.”

This issue’s creative team included J.M. DeMatteis, writer; Sal Buscema, artist; Rick Parker, letterer; Bob Sharen, colorist; Danny Fingeroth, editor; and Tom DeFalco, editor in chief. Buscema was the cover artist for this issue, which sold for $1 at newsstands. 

This 30-page issue begins with video footage of a therapy session that the villain “Vermin” was undergoing in a mental institution. He’s huddled in a corner of a padded cell, and a doctor off-screen is telling him that there’s nothing to be afraid of, that no one’s going to hurt him and that he doesn’t have to be afraid. Vermin comes out of his corner, but only to call the doctor a liar before returning to his corner.

The next scene takes place in the sewers beneath New York City. Vermin has escaped from the mental hospital, and as he makes his way through the tunnels he comes upon a young, overweight kid who’s probably four or five years old. The kid’s lost and asks Vermin to help him find his way home.

From there, we return to the mental hospital, where Vermin’s therapist, Dr. Kafka, shows Spider-Man grisly photos of the hospital workers Vermin killed during his escape. From the looks of things Vermin killed eight or nine people, including orderlies, nurses, security guards and a janitor. Spider-Man, who has battled Vermin before, is outraged by the escape and resulting killings.

Spider-Man begins to feel guilty about the killings because Vermin never would have been in the hospital if he hadn’t turned him over to Dr. Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four, who arranged for Vermin’s hospitalization. Spider-Man thinks about all of this while swinging over the city, and he passes right over a manhole that Vermin emerges from with the lost child. A few minutes later, drawn by his “Spider-Sense,” Spider-Man returns to the open manhole to find Vermin long gone.

Later, we see an attractive young woman walking the dark streets alone. When she passes the mouth of an alley, something in the shadows grabs her and pulls her into the alley. She manages to escape, and Spider-Man swings in thinking that he’s found Vermin at last. Unfortunately, it’s not Vermin, only a bum. Spider-Man turns him over to the police and decides to head home to get some rest.

The issue ends with an unusual scene that starts with a truck driver. He’s minding his own business, driving his rig down a street in the rain. Vermin lands on the top of the cab, breaks in through the windshield, grabs the poor driver by the throat, drags him out of the truck through the broken windshield and throws him into the street. The driver of an approaching car finds him face down in the street after slamming on brakes before running him over.

The driver’s truck comes to a stop against a utility pole, and Vermin leaps down onto the sidewalk. Next thing we see is Vermin at the wheel with this young boy from the sewers in the passenger seat. Vermin tells the boy they’re headed home, and they eventually arrive outside a large home with an iron gate across the driveway entrance. Instead of taking the lost boy to his home, Vermin has returned to his own childhood home, where he lived before being turned into Vermin.

This comic (unless I’ve sold it) and others are available for purchase through Peacock’s Books on Amazon.com. If you’re interested in buying it, search for it there by title, issue number and date of publication.