Peter Parker’s new appearance as Spider-Man includes a major armored redesign, as the Vulture returns with a threatening new upgrade. However, the upgrade isn’t just to the villain’s armor – he has a new place in the Marvel Universe that makes him deadlier than ever.
Introduced in 1963, Adrian Toomes is one of Spider-Man’s most despicable villains – an aging bankrobber who’s constantly coming up with new ways to prey on the young and vulnerable. Thanks to Michael Keaton’s portrayal in Spider-Man: Homecoming, the villain is more popular than ever.
Now, Spider-Man’s iconic foe is officially back, but gone is his original feathery green costume. Now, the Vulture is trading simplicity for shining metal and lethal edges, even wearing an awesome ‘bird skull’ mask.
Spider-Man’s Vulture Gets New Costume and Role in Marvel Universe
In today’s The Amazing Spider-Man #31 – from Joe Kelly, Patrick Gleason, Joe Caramagna and Marcio Menyz – Spider-Man interrupts a supervillain gathering at the ‘Blood Market,’ a new villain auction house where the valuables go to whoever triumphs in a one-on-one gladiatorial battle.
The owner turns out to be Adrian Toomes, who is outraged that Spidey is messing with his profitable new business, and charges in to settle the score. However, when he attacks it becomes clear he’s been keeping the best tech for himself, debuting a new flight suit covered in lethal blades.
While the new costume keeps Vulture’s iconic green, it also adds a huge amount of chrome, as well as a stylish jacket whose fur ruff mimics an actual vulture. Adrian Toomes is drawn at his most inhuman, with an emaciated frame and beak-like nose, as well as goggles that distort his eyes.
The issue sees Vulture team-up with Tombstone – New York’s current crime boss, who is trying to avoid killing Spider-Man due to Peter’s heroic actions towards him in the past. However, Toomes has no such hesitation, and it’s clear he intends to slay Spidey. But given the absence of innocents, why is Spider-Man at the Blood Market anyway?
Spider-Man Is Still Mourning a Fallen Enemy
Spider-Man is actually at the Blood Market to claim Shocker’s gauntlets. His longtime villain was recently slain by the serial killer Torment, due to a distant relation to Mary Jane Watson (the current host of Venom.) Herman Schultz has long been depicted as more reasonable and workaday than most of Spider-Man’s villains, and Peter is carrying guilt for being unable to save him.
As a result, Spidey doesn’t want his gauntlets to be simply sold off to empower someone else – potentially someone who will steal Herman’s codename, as often happens with low-level villains. It’s interesting that Marvel is treating Shocker’s gauntlets with this level of importance, suggesting that the fallout of his death isn’t quite finished yet.
Spider-Man‘s longtime enemy the Vulture has a vicious new costume as an auctioneer of supervillain tech, partnering with ganglord Tombstone to take down the thorn in both their sides.
The Amazing Spider-Man #31 is available now from Marvel Comics.
- First Appearance
-
Amazing Fantasy
- Alias
-
Peter Parker, Ben Reilly, Otto Octavius, Yu Komori, Kaine Parker, Pavitr Prabhakar, William Braddock, Miles Morales, Kurt Wagner
- Alliance
-
Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Secret Defenders, Future Foundation, Heroes for Hire, Mighty Avengers, New Avengers, Web-Warriors
- Race
-
Human