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[QUOTE=Huntsman Spider;5030444]Technically, it wasn't just Spider-Man's rogues gallery being funded and equipped by corrupt corporate collusion, but many of the rogues faced by the first modern superheroes in general. That said, you do raise a lot of great points.[/QUOTE]
Thanks for that yeah. Millar just tossed that there without really intending it to be followed up but at the same time it tracks pretty well with Marvel Continuity (like David Michelinie created Justin Hammer, originally, to be the guy who funded a lot of B or C List villains).
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[QUOTE=Revolutionary_Jack;5030478]Thanks for that yeah. Millar just tossed that there without really intending it to be followed up but at the same time it tracks pretty well with Marvel Continuity (like David Michelinie created Justin Hammer, originally, to be the guy who funded a lot of B or C List villains).[/QUOTE]
Even in older Spider-Man comics, guys like Jameson funded the Scorpion and Spider Slayers and promoted villains like Kraven.
Millar's take is a bit more organized and politicized, but you're right that it's not exactly new in the MU.
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[QUOTE=Kaitou D. Kid;5030525]Even in older Spider-Man comics, guys like Jameson funded the Scorpion and Spider Slayers and promoted villains like Kraven.[/quote]
In the case of the Spider-Slayers, Peter was partially responsible for that. Jameson initially told Smythe he's not interested but Peter having a dry day and needing photos convinced Jameson to give Smythe a shot and greenlight the Spider-Slayers.
Jameson is all over the place in the early issues (as was Peter since being a certain amount of jerk was kind of acceptable back then) but that extreme end was modified after Ditko left. And in #91-92, JJJ established himself as an opponent of both Spider-Man and white supremacy, but he also made it clear that he hated white supremacy more.
[quote]Millar's take is a bit more organized and politicized, but you're right that it's not exactly new in the MU.[/QUOTE]
No it isn't. Millar's Marvel Knights Spider-Man was intended by him to be a kind of summation i.e. "the Spider-Man-ness of all things" and his idea was that Peter was too compassionate and good natured to be successful in a very corrupt world.
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[QUOTE=Revolutionary_Jack;5030478]Thanks for that yeah. Millar just tossed that there without really intending it to be followed up but at the same time it tracks pretty well with Marvel Continuity (like David Michelinie created Justin Hammer, originally, to be the guy who funded a lot of B or C List villains).[/QUOTE]
You're welcome, although considering what you've said about overall Marvel continuity, this does sound like the kind of thing that should have had farther-reaching consequences than it actually did. Imagine if it got out to the in-universe public that many of the supervillains menacing them were financed and equipped by a consortium of crooked corporate types wanting to distract superheroes from focusing on meaningfully changing/improving the world, or just taking down said crooked corporates for their greater crimes against society and humanity.
[QUOTE=Revolutionary_Jack;5030557]In the case of the Spider-Slayers, Peter was partially responsible for that. Jameson initially told Smythe he's not interested but Peter having a dry day and needing photos convinced Jameson to give Smythe a shot and greenlight the Spider-Slayers.
Jameson is all over the place in the early issues (as was Peter since being a certain amount of jerk was kind of acceptable back then) but that extreme end was modified after Ditko left. And in #91-92, JJJ established himself as an opponent of both Spider-Man and white supremacy, but he also made it clear that he hated white supremacy more.
No it isn't. [B]Millar's Marvel Knights Spider-Man was intended by him to be a kind of summation i.e. "the Spider-Man-ness of all things" and his idea was that Peter was too compassionate and good natured to be successful in a very corrupt world.[/B][/QUOTE]
Wasn't that the part where Norman Osborn taunted Peter for not making himself more successful with all his intelligence and capabilities, and his retort when Peter called him out for messing around on a flying bat-shaped glider like a lunatic when he could do a lot more with himself amounted to, "[Unlike you,] I don't give a rat's ass [about other people]"?
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[QUOTE=Huntsman Spider;5031734]You're welcome, although considering what you've said about overall Marvel continuity, this does sound like the kind of thing that should have had farther-reaching consequences than it actually did. Imagine if it got out to the in-universe public that many of the supervillains menacing them were financed and equipped by a consortium of crooked corporate types wanting to distract superheroes from focusing on meaningfully changing/improving the world, or just taking down said crooked corporates for their greater crimes against society and humanity.[/quote]
Well the Corporate types will lawyer and PR their way by pointing out that, "Sure we financed some projects that created supervillains but put them together they didn't kill as many people as Ultron did. And know who created Ultron...that's right, Hank Pym, founding member of the Avengers." And you can't really argue against that. They will also argue that their funding is important to keep up with Doctor Doom, who they will point out wasn't funded by any corporation.
[quote]Wasn't that the part where Norman Osborn taunted Peter for not making himself more successful with all his intelligence and capabilities, and his retort when Peter called him out for messing around on a flying bat-shaped glider like a lunatic when he could do a lot more with himself amounted to, "[Unlike you,] I don't give a rat's ass [about other people]"?[/QUOTE]
Yeah. Green Goblin being an untouchable figure of American impunity was central to Millar's run there.
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[QUOTE=Revolutionary_Jack;5031797]Well the Corporate types will lawyer and PR their way by pointing out that, "Sure we financed some projects that created supervillains but put them together they didn't kill as many people as Ultron did. And know who created Ultron...that's right, Hank Pym, founding member of the Avengers." And you can't really argue against that. They will also argue that their funding is important to keep up with Doctor Doom, who they will point out wasn't funded by any corporation.
Yeah. [B]Green Goblin being an untouchable figure of American impunity was central to Millar's run there.[/B][/QUOTE]
Speaking of the bolded . . . check out Ravencroft #5. And yeah, I can see your point about the corporates spinning their way out of any real sense of liability for their actions by turning it back on the superheroes themselves, who admittedly also have problems with accountability.