#usm is still running from the police

[flynamu]

Fixing Spidey's Cannon Event

Part 2

[spider-xan]

Okay, I was finally able to find a PDF of the Hobgoblin arc in the original USM comics and read it this morning after putting it off for years; for context, I followed USM as it was coming out during the 2000s and stopped when Gwen was killed off during the Carnage arc, only sporadically checking things years after print, so technically I had last seen the USM version of Harry at the end of the Ultimate Six storyline way back during its original run, and all I knew is that Harry died eventually, though I misremembered when exactly.

Anyway, I wasn't going to liveblog my read through, though I did wish I had jotted down thoughts as I was going along bc I have a lot of general and specific thoughts that I can't remember off the top of my head, and maybe I will go back later to jog my memory, but here are my main thoughts on the storyline:

It's just okay? It wasn't bad, but I wouldn't say it's good either - the most accurate description I can think of is that it felt more like set up for the next Goblin arc than a complete story in and of itself bc most of it is just Harry running around for exposition until he becomes the Hobgoblin unintentionally right at the end and it's over in one issue.

I think I would have enjoyed the story a lot more if I had read it as a teenager bc as an adult, I just really didn't care about all the high school dating drama, and the love triangle but not really between Peter, Harry, and MJ is a major part of the character drama, and I just don't find it compelling now, even if it makes sense for characters who are supposed to be fifteen.

USM had this weird thing where each arc was heavily decompressed, but the overall pacing both in terms of in universe events and the plotting of arcs was highly compressed in that ten years of real time publishing takes places within a year of the in universe timeline, so major events happen at a breakneck pace within months of Peter becoming Spider-Man - and Harry as a character definitely suffers from this bc this version of him feels very underdeveloped; from what I remember about the issues that one before this arc, he disappears for very long stretches of time where he reappears for a few issues before disappearing again, and he doesn't really get much depth as a character or in terms of his relationships, especially with Peter, like, tbh I still feel like I don't know anything about this Harry and had a time really buying them as close childhood friends forever in this universe, so the intended emotional moments didn't hit as hard for me as they were supposed to, and Harry's general absence is definitely why so much of the arc was just exposition for setting up the next Goblin arc.

I generally like Bagley's art, but I do think he has a problem with consistency when it comes to faces (and same face, especially for women) and his faces sometimes look weirdly rubbery and like people are melting, though in fairness, I remember USM being on a fast schedule, so it's not really his fault - anyway, with Harry, his design is inconsistent in a jarring way bc in some panels, he does look like a teenager, but in other panels, he looks like a grown man in his twenties or even thirties, which makes the intended hard hitting moments of him just being a child kind of awkward.

There is a certain scene that is just awful in terms of the copaganda (taps the sign that says that Spider-Man is not ACAB) that reads even worse today, and it's weird bc you could do a reading of the scene as being about police corruption, but it's framed as a positive bonding moment between two cops (Spider-Man not beating the Spider-Cop allegations) - though I suddenly remembered that I think Jean DeWolffe in this universe turns out to be a corrupt cop (shaking my head to show I think all cops are corrupt) instead of the Good Cop TM she is in the 616 comics, so maybe this scene was supposed to be read as shady and not like girlboss cop thing.

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

Here is my new theory for who Kindred could be.

It's Gwen Stacy.

Not a clone of her. Not a duplicate. Not a clone or duplicate that previously existed or a newly formed one.

The bona fide article.

She is not only the only person who fits all the clues but she also makes way too much sense on a metatextual level.

1) Kindred has been heavily implied to be a pre-existing deceased character and of course Gwen is one of the two most famously deceased characters in Spider-Man

2) Spencer has reaffirmed that Mysterio did in fact die back in the 'Guardian Devil' arc of Daredevil and Kindred consequently brought him back to life.

Putting aside how Gwen as a fellow dead person could've been in a position to do that, this means that Kindred must've been working from behind the scenes since at least USM Annual #3 circa 2008. Thanks to Spider-Men we know retroactively that this was the first time Mysterio showed up alive and well in a Spider-Man comic book. In publication order this was ASM #618 from 2010; hmm Mysterio was confirmed as alive 10 years ago, isn't THAT interesting?

Either way his return occurred after Friendly Neighborhood #11-13 where he was already shown as an undead servant of Hell; which of course was pre-OMD.

Even if we argued Beck wasn't working for Kindred in the latter arc it still means that Kindred must be someone who was dead before 2008-2010. Gwen obviously fits this profile.

3) This is where some metatextual circumstantial evidence starts to come into play. Who ELSE died in 'Guardian Devil'? Karen Page ANOTHER blonde girlfriend created by Stan Lee in the 1960s. And she was the girlfriend to Daredevil no less, who traditionally has been associated with Spider-Man one way or another; they've shared villains, been street level characters and pre-Frank Miller Daredevil was treated as a low-rent Spidey.

If you know a little of the behind-the-scenes for 'Guardian Devil' as well as check out Daredevil #1/2 you can see that Karen's death occurred for sort of similar reasons as OMD happened, but also for sort of similar reasons for why Gwen was killed off in 1973.

4) And just who were the creators working on 'Guardian Devil', the guys who felt Karen should die?

Well one of them was Kevin Smith, the guy who also infamously wrote a mini-series involving one of Spencer's favourite characters (Black Cat, who Kindred has also been shown observing) that also reintroduced a new version of Mysterio, Francis Klum who appeared in FNSM #11-13.

The other was...Joe Quesada. Not only did 'Guardian Devil' involve Mephisto briefly but Quesada wanted to revive Gwen with One More Day until brevoort talked him out of it.

5) Kindred first appears in a courthouse. This is a very loose connection I will admit but the courthouse is part of the justice system and Gwen's father was a decorated police captain. After his death she also supported a hardline law and order [b][u]mayoral candidate[/u][/b].

6) In Spencer's second arc, Kindred directly interacts with the [b][u]current mayo[/u][/b]r of NYC and recurring character under Spencer's run: Wilson Fisk.

7) Gwen has reason to resent Kingpin and make him bow because in Stan's run (the Brand of the Brainwasher arc IIRC) he brainwashed her father and jeopardize his and her life.

8) In Spencer's third arc Kindred is angry that Peter has revealed his identity to Black Cat. Gwen never interacted with Felicia, but Kindred's reaction makes a lot of sense if it was Gwen behind the mask. Gwen would be mad that Peter was bringing yet another woman into the crossfire of his life, endangering her life just as Gwen's was. Equally she might be mad that Peter revealed the truth to Felicia but not to herself

9) In Hunted and ASM #826, Kindred expresses a desire to keep MJ out of the conflict and even arranges for her to be off in Hollywood. This would be a logical thing for Gwen to do if she bears a grudge against Peter. MJ was her friend so she wouldn't want her hurt in general, but more importantly she doesn't want MJ to be caught in the crossfire just as she was.

10) In Absolute Carnage we have Kindred talking to Norman, clearly holding disdain for him and enjoying his pathetic state. The connection speaks for itself but noticeably Kindred says that Norman is responsible for turning him/her into what they are now. This would make sense if you argue Gwen become undead and twisted was the result of her murder. Norman didn't administer the killing blow (it was Peter when he accidentally broke Gwen's neck) but Norman still put her in that position in the first place, he still abducted her and knocked her off the bridge.

11) If Spencer was REALLY being brave this could work in the context of Sins Past too. Gwen might not only have become twisted by her death but also by having to deal with her pregnancy in total secrecy, by having to leave her children, by having them taken from her when she died and knowing Norman took them and corrupted them. If you argue Norman, even briefly on some level, felt any affection for Gwen, then  seeing her become a twisted villain like himself might give him cause to feel proud of her as he was in ASM #832

12) Gwen appeared in the flashbacks in ASM #831-832, the ones harkening back to the Silver Age

13) Harry Osborn was so heavily hinted at in those issues it HAS to be a red herring

14) Kindred's outfit doesn't hint at his/her sex, but Kindred's 'framing' within the narrative has I'd argue been more masculine. I think the proof of this is that most people have been guessing various male characters. That could be deliberate to throw us off the scent

15) Even if you feel that Kindred's body build is too masculine to be Gwen, remember Kindred has insects, rats and other critters inside his/her bandages, meaning the body buildhe/she appears to have might not be the body build he/she actually has

16) Want some more meta evidence? Kindred is a hooded figure who can clearly crawl on walls? Reminiscent of Spider-Gwen isn't it?

17) Of all characters who would suspect Gwen Stacy? Everyone regards her as too much of a sacred cow to touch, making her surely the most shocking reveal ever!

18) In response to that last point you might be saying

[quote]Of course no one suspects that. We don't suspect that BECAUSE Marvel would absolutely NEVER turn Gwen Stacy into a demonic undead villain[/quote]

And 10 years ago I might've agreed with you.

But nowadays Gwen Stacy's profile is distinctly different.

Within the mind of the general public I'd argue that Gwen Stacy's status as 'Spider-Man's dead girlfriend' has been supplanted (or at the very least challenged) by her status as Spider-Gwen.

She has appeared in no end of merchandise and cosplays in that form and of course in two cartoons and a hit animated feature.

In fact I went to Marvel.com and searched for 'Gwen Stacy' in their character section. You can ONLY find Ghost-Spider/Spider-Gwen, not the 616 version of the character.

With Spider-Gwen around I'd argue that Marvel regards 616 Gwen as far less of a sacred cow than they used to.

To be clear, I'm not saying that I necessarily WANT this to be the payoff to Kindred. But I now heavily suspect it will be.

[phgq]

Guv assures justice for 9 slain Kabacan farmers

#PHnews: Guv assures justice for 9 slain Kabacan farmers

COTABATO CITY – North Cotabato Gov. Nancy Catamco has assured relatives of the nine Moro farmers killed in the recent mass shooting in Kabacan town that the provincial government will help them attain justice. Catamco made the assurance when she met Tuesday with the spouses and immediate families of nine victims who were killed by still unidentified gunmen near the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) campus on Aug. 29. Various speculations have emerged as to the identities of the perpetrators, with relatives of one of the victims alleging that policemen were behind the killing based on the “dying statement” by one of the victims who later died in the hospital. Eight of the farmers died on the spot during the incident. Police said about five gunmen flagged down the victims who were on motorbikes heading to Barangay Aringay and demanded identification cards from the farmers. They were subsequently shot at close range and the gunmen quickly fled the scene. Responding members of Kabacan police rushed one of the victims to the hospital but the latter died three hours later. "Whether the perpetrators are in the government or anywhere connected, the provincial government will not side with anybody but justice,” Catamco said during the dialogue held Tuesday at the residence of Kabacan Mayor Herlo Guzman. “We will pursue them whoever they are and wherever they may be,” she said, adding North Cotabato residents should not rush to characterize the incident as a product of any conflict between the Muslims and Christians in the area. “The Muslim-Christin relationship in Kabacan is good; let us avoid speculations,” Catamco said, even as she asked the trust and support of the victims’ families in seeking justice. The mayor, meanwhile, has called on everyone to remain “calm but vigilant.” "Let us not put the law in our hands, let us allow the law to take its course,” Guzman said in the vernacular. He called on anyone who has information on the whereabouts of perpetrators to come forward, assuring them of protection. National Bureau of Investigation-12 director Romeo Cotingjo said their probe is nearing completion. He also asked the relatives and other witnesses to come forward. (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "Guv assures justice for 9 slain Kabacan farmers." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1114886 (accessed September 10, 2020 at 02:27AM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "Guv assures justice for 9 slain Kabacan farmers." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1114886 (archived).

[phgq]

Families of 9 men slain in Kabacan get aid

#PHnews: Families of 9 men slain in Kabacan get aid

COTABATO CITY -- The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has provided financial and non-monetary assistance to the families of nine Moro men who were slain in the recent gun attack in Kabacan, North Cotabato. BARMM Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) Minister Naguib Sinarimbo and BARMM Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) Minister Raisa Jajurie handed over PHP70,000 financial aid to each of the families of the slain men, mostly ordinary farmers. The nine men were killed by a still-unidentified group of gunmen in Kabacan last August 29 along a road just beside the state-run University of Southern Mindanao (USM) campus. Sinarimbo, the concurrent BARMM spokesperson, said PHP50,000 from MILG and PHP20,000 from MSSD were given to each family. The BARMM also gave the families a bag of rice each as humanitarian assistance. The two BARMM officials held a dialogue with the relatives of the slain victims who all demanded an impartial probe so that justice will be served. The victims, Kors Salilangan, Sandigan Zailon, Benladin Dimanalao, Musaid Jaiden, Romeo Balatamay, Katindig Kagayawon, Fahad Mandigan, Budsal Lipusan, and Tong Guiaman, died from multiple bullet wounds. They were flagged down by gunmen armed with long firearms and ordered to present identification cards. Thinking they were police officers, the victims parked their motorbikes beside the highway to subject themselves for inspection. However, the armed men opened fire, killing eight on the spot. Responding police officers rushed the critically wounded Guiaman, the ninth victim, to the hospital but died hours later. Police said they are still pursuing leads to determine the identities of the perpetrators and the motive of the attack. “All they want now is impartial probe so that justice is achieved,” Sinarimbo said. (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "Families of 9 men slain in Kabacan get aid ." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1114384 (accessed September 05, 2020 at 04:17AM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "Families of 9 men slain in Kabacan get aid ." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1114384 (archived).

[phgq]

Task group expedites probe on NoCot shooting incident

#PHnews: Task group expedites probe on NoCot shooting incident

KABACAN, North Cotabato – The North Cotabato Police Provincial Office (NCPPO) has formed a special investigation unit to look into the killing of nine persons at a secluded section of Barangay Poblacion here on Saturday.

Killed on the spot in the 12:30 p.m. shooting incident along Aringay Road in the Poblacion were Kors Salilangan, Sandigan Zailon, Benladin Dimanalao, Romeo Balatamay, Katindig Kagayawon, Fahad Mandigan, all from this town; Budsal Lipusin of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao; and Musaid Jaiden of Midsayap, North Cotabato.

The ninth victim, Tong Guiman of Barangay Aringay, Kabacan, died hours after he was rushed to a local hospital.

Maj. Peter Pinalgan, Kabacan police chief, said Col. Henry Villar, provincial police director, ordered the creation of the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) to resolve the multiple angles shrouding the incident.

The SITG would comprise the Kabacan police, the NCCPO intelligence unit, and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) North Cotabato.

“We would like to determine who the killers are, where the victims came from prior to the shooting incident, and what led the perpetrators to shoot them,” Pinalgan told the Philippine News Agency in an interview Sunday.

Initial police investigation disclosed that some five suspects armed with high-powered firearms stopped the motorcycle-riding victims along the provincial road at the rear section of the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) campus and subsequently fired at them for still unknown reasons.

“The SITG is also set to establish who the main target of the killers is and if there really was a shootout as earlier mentioned by witnesses,” Pinalgan said.

He said Guiman, while critical in his hospital bed, was able to relay some details of the incident before he died. Police crime scene investigators disclosed that the slain victims were not armed when found.

Pinalgan reiterated that the incident is not a police operation as earlier surmised “as cops merely responded to the incident.”

Recovered at the crime scene were 32 empty shells from an M16 rifle, M1 Carbine rifle, and .45 caliber pistol.

He said the SITG is also set to determine as to what type of vehicles the killers used in their escape as there are also conflicting reports.

“Some of the witnesses said the killers used a pickup truck while others disclosed they sped off aboard motorcycles while escaping,” Pinalgan said.

Pinalgan said there are several “persons of interest” currently being monitored but he declined to comment further. (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "Task group expedites probe on NoCot shooting incident." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113847 (accessed August 30, 2020 at 09:15PM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "Task group expedites probe on NoCot shooting incident." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113847 (archived).