Preview: Amazing Spider-Man#6

[Inversed]

I feel as if I am missing something. Was this revealed last issue? I just remember Kraven bugging some poacher. Since when does Sergei outsource his hunts.

The last issue insinuated they were working together, and the opening page in this preview confirms that. And maybe he's not hunting them per se, and needs them for a bigger hunt.

[Michael Watkins]

The last issue insinuated they were working together, and the opening page in this preview confirms that. And maybe he's not hunting them per se, and needs them for a bigger hunt.

Fair enough. I just assumed that the big bad was someone who was similarly split into two beings; like Peter. It might be interesting if someone like Ollie Osnick was dusted off for the role.

[Michael Watkins]

A thought... if Kraven is Taskmaster and Black Ants employer then there is one curious thing... when they supposedly went for the device, only to reveal that was never their goal, maybe it was the Lizard they were really interested in? Now this... Lizard and Vulture... both animal-themed villains... and Kraven IS a hunter... maybe he's trying for a new hunt?

Could be. But that would be a retread of the Punisher/Kraven story. And the female Electro is supposed to show up.

[Celgress]

Looks like another solid issue.

[Hypestyle]

sidebar- is Taskmaster still a mutant? Is he still training and/or equipping minions?

[MarkRodriguez09]

sidebar- is Taskmaster still a mutant? Is he still training and/or equipping minions?

It's hard to say, but Spidey is referring to him as a C-lister after being 'laid off' by HYDRA. I never heard of Black Ant before this series though, I assume he somehow jacked Ant Man's technology?

[Dreaded Porcupine]

It's hard to say, but Spidey is referring to him as a C-lister after being 'laid off' by HYDRA. I never heard of Black Ant before this series though, I assume he somehow jacked Ant Man's technology?

He's Eric O'Grady the Irredeemable Ant-Man.

[Huntsman Spider]

It's hard to say, but Spidey is referring to him as a C-lister after being 'laid off' by HYDRA. I never heard of Black Ant before this series though, I assume he somehow jacked Ant Man's technology?

Black Ant used to be the third Ant-Man, Eric O'Grady, actually billed as "The Irredeemable Ant-Man." He was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who swiped an experimental advanced Ant-Man suit built by Hank Pym and used it to get into all sorts of amoral hijinks. Eventually, he attempted to go straight as a hero after being exposed to too much genuine evil with Norman Osborn's Thunderbolts during Dark Reign, joining Captain America's Secret Avengers and actually having a heroic death in Rick Remender's run on that series. Alas, he was brought back as an LMD on the side of the Descendants, a kind of race of robotic beings, and sent to infiltrate his former teammates for them, though after being exposed and the Descendants' defeat, he struck out on his own as a mercenary calling himself Black Ant. He was seen in Joshua Williamson's Illuminati series launched during ANAD Marvel, and then teamed up with Taskmaster in Nick Spencer's Captain America run, which led directly into Secret Empire, which was his last appearance until Spencer started writing Amazing Spider-Man.

[MarkRodriguez09]

Black Ant used to be the third Ant-Man, Eric O'Grady, actually billed as "The Irredeemable Ant-Man." He was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who swiped an experimental advanced Ant-Man suit built by Hank Pym and used it to get into all sorts of amoral hijinks. Eventually, he attempted to go straight as a hero after being exposed to too much genuine evil with Norman Osborn's Thunderbolts during Dark Reign, joining Captain America's Secret Avengers and actually having a heroic death in Rick Remender's run on that series. Alas, he was brought back as an LMD on the side of the Descendants, a kind of race of robotic beings, and sent to infiltrate his former teammates for them, though after being exposed and the Descendants' defeat, he struck out on his own as a mercenary calling himself Black Ant. He was seen in Joshua Williamson's Illuminati series launched during ANAD Marvel, and then teamed up with Taskmaster in Nick Spencer's Captain America run, which led directly into Secret Empire, which was his last appearance until Spencer started writing Amazing Spider-Man.

Cool. Thanks for the info.

[Inversed]

Black Ant used to be the third Ant-Man, Eric O'Grady, actually billed as "The Irredeemable Ant-Man." He was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who swiped an experimental advanced Ant-Man suit built by Hank Pym and used it to get into all sorts of amoral hijinks. Eventually, he attempted to go straight as a hero after being exposed to too much genuine evil with Norman Osborn's Thunderbolts during Dark Reign, joining Captain America's Secret Avengers and actually having a heroic death in Rick Remender's run on that series. Alas, he was brought back as an LMD on the side of the Descendants, a kind of race of robotic beings, and sent to infiltrate his former teammates for them, though after being exposed and the Descendants' defeat, he struck out on his own as a mercenary calling himself Black Ant. He was seen in Joshua Williamson's Illuminati series launched during ANAD Marvel, and then teamed up with Taskmaster in Nick Spencer's Captain America run, which led directly into Secret Empire, which was his last appearance until Spencer started writing Amazing Spider-Man.

I really wish we could get a mini-series or something that delved into Black Ant more, Eric O'Grady was such a great and interesting character, and had the perfect kind of sacrificial end, that I would love to get to see how much of the original's memories the LMD has and how much they effect him. Because since the end of Secret Avengers, all he's really done is just generic mercenary stuff and engaging in Taskmasker bromance. I'm glad Spencer is at least keeping him around.

[Huntsman Spider]

Cool. Thanks for the info.

You're welcome.

I really wish we could get a mini-series or something that delved into Black Ant more, Eric O'Grady was such a great and interesting character, and had the perfect kind of sacrificial end, that I would love to get to see how much of the original's memories the LMD has and how much they effect him. Because since the end of Secret Avengers, all he's really done is just generic mercenary stuff and engaging in Taskmasker bromance. I'm glad Spencer is at least keeping him around.

That would be great to see, too. Maybe, if Nick Spencer's gonna use him more, he could spin him off into a mini that goes further in-depth on him.

[Michael Watkins]

I really wish we could get a mini-series or something that delved into Black Ant more, Eric O'Grady was such a great and interesting character, and had the perfect kind of sacrificial end, that I would love to get to see how much of the original's memories the LMD has and how much they effect him. Because since the end of Secret Avengers, all he's really done is just generic mercenary stuff and engaging in Taskmasker bromance. I'm glad Spencer is at least keeping him around.

I'd definitely read it. I want to know if his religious views have changed. His Catholicism was a minor plot point in the Ant-Man and the Wasp mini. He and Pym argued over the nature of the human soul. Black Ant was, speculatively, given life through some kind of magic science mix. They never did explain how he or the Descendants survived the destruction of the necromancy orb. He clearly remembers enough to seek out his buddy Taskmaster. Does he remember Black Fox, Visioneer, or Veronica?

[Michael Watkins]

sidebar- is Taskmaster still a mutant? Is he still training and/or equipping minions?

His last origin had him as a Shield agent who injected himself with a kind of super soldier serum that gave him photographic reflexes at the cost of his memory. His wife, unbeknownst to him, acts as his agent (for lack of a better description). I kind of miss his original origin where he just had natural but one of kind talent (like Hawkeye's aim). He doesn't need to be a mutant or super soldier. But the last story was fun in a tragic way.

[Michael Watkins]

It's hard to say, but Spidey is referring to him as a C-lister after being 'laid off' by HYDRA. I never heard of Black Ant before this series though, I assume he somehow jacked Ant Man's technology?

The skrull who replaced Pym built that suit for SHIELD. Eric took the costume off of his dead friend (whom he used as a human shield)to survive a helicarrier crash (wolverine enemy of the state era). He spent a lot of his series being hunted by SHIELD. Tony Stark officially made him Ant-man after Eric blamed his own crimes on a high ranking Shield security agent who also happened to be a serial killer. Still not sure how he beat the polygraph.


On another note, I just assumed that the creepy bandaged dude was a redesigned Blackheart. He's made several references to hell. He also expressed frustration in being in someone else's shadow.

[Michael Watkins]

My official guess is that the mystery villain is Boomerang split into two beings. One has no ambition and just wants to sponge off Pete and Randy. The other is a high functioning master planner who plays a different game (since he used to be a professional baseball player).