As the summer of 1964 intensified with the Gulf of Tonkin battle in Vietnam, Disney tried to lighten the mood back home by releasing Mary Poppins in theaters. However none of these events compared to the debut of one of the greatest villains in the annals of comic book history.
That's right people, I'm talking about the one, the only, Kraven the Friggin Hunter.
Sorry I get a little emotion here when I talk about the Tarzan meets Burt Reynolds super being who got me into comics all the way back when I was but a wee tyke, tying a red towel around my neck and trying to leap off my bed like Superman.
Plus I'm not going to lie here, should Kraven the Hunter ever get the big screen treatment, I hope n pray that my hairy arrogant behind isn't old or unknown enough not to be considered for the role. Screw you if you're laughing and get off my cloud, it's another installment of Comics in the Classroom.
Our tale opens with Spider-Man leaping into a robbery in progress by four would be hoods. With his usual wisecracks, Spidey catches three of the villains while the last one makes a mad dash for an awning and leaps out the window. Before Spidey can grab him, the man hit a gas pouch on his suit that changes the color of his fabric as he pulls out a quick wig from his inside pocket and turns a small looking glass into a long cane. As Spider-Man swings past the unsuspecting old man, we learn then and there that is the momentous return to comics of Spider-Man's first villain all the way back from his debut issue in the series. The face changing, master of disguise known as The Chameleon returns.
After barely escaping Spider-Man, The Chameleon goes back to his hideout in the city to contemplate his anger and bitterness over being foiled, caught and deported after being captured by Spider-Man during their last encounter. Knowing full well that he will have to eliminate the wall crawler in order to reign over crime in New York, The Chameleon decides to reach out to the one man crazy enough to take down the Spider.
Jameson and all the students at Midtown are in a frenzy at the announcement of Kraven the Hunter's arrival in New York. A living legend, Kraven is famous for having taken down every dangerous beast across the planet, always single handed and in many instances bare handed. Kraven arrives at the harbor in full regalia, wearing an animal hide across his body to show off his muscles and thick lion's mane of hair. Kraven is the complete description of the quintessential 60's era villain. When Peter Parker arrives to take pictures, he is met at the harbor by both Betty Brant and Liz Allen, and just barely avoids what could've and should've been a first class catfight.
When Jameson uses his media credentials to inquire with Kraven about his visit, Kraven states that he has hunted and defeated every deadly beast on the planet and now is turning to hunt the most dangerous game of all................MAN, most importantly, The Spider-Man.
No ordinary hunter, Kraven possesses super strength and speed, obtained by drinking a secret potion stolen from the witch doctor of a hidden African tribe. With one punch, Kraven can stop the charge of a raging bull elephant. All these little factoids will work perfectly within our master script.
The Chameleon tricks a quartet of two bit thugs to rob a local bank at midnight to draw Spider-Man into combat. While Spidey makes easy work of the thugs, Kraven observes from a nearby rooftop to watch his quarry in action. Kraven's arrogance, outfit and extreme love for himself really make him the perfect Marvel villain.
While Spider-Man hugs the rooftops all the way home for some necessary R n R, Kraven announces to the Chameleon that he is overly thrilled by the fact that Spider-Man is a stronger and faster foe, relishing in the idea that he has finally found the perfect match for his boastful hunting prowess.
While Kraven is lost in the smell of his impending manhood, Peter Parker recovers from his shoulder pain after a good night's rest, but can't seem to shake the twitchy feeling in his hands, a lingering side effect from Kraven's nerve toxins. While gulping down breakfast, we get the first official mention of an icon in this issue, as Aunt May converses with her neighbor Miss Watson about setting Peter up with her niece who is moving to town. While Peter is sketchy at first, we will soon know that this niece they want Peter to take on the charity date will end up being the gorgeous redheaded vixen and subject of constant miscasting in all big budget pictures, Miss Mary Jane Watson.
Peter heads to the Bugle to sell Jameson some pics, and he's even getting crap from Betty Brant for flirting with Liz Allen. Even my students begin to point out that Betty's possessiveness is getting slightly annoying, and once again we segue into the tribes and tribulations of relationships in the high school and post high school realms. Even I have to admit Betty was getting on my nerves in this issue and slowly losing her Bond girl status in our master script.
While at the Bugle, Peter sees Kraven is in cahoots with Jameson about taking down Spider-Man and making it the exclusive story for the paper. Peter changes to stalk Kraven and follows him to Central Park where he is eventually attacked from behind by,
Kraven the Hunter...................
Like the Raptors in Jurassic Park, Chameleon was dressed as Kraven in disguise to lure Spider-Man into the park for the real Kraven to attack. First he hits Spider-Man with a metallic net and by the time he escapes he slaps on a pair of magnetic iron manacles to Spidey's left wrist and ankle while The Chameleon beats a jungle drum loudly and in a hypnotizing rhythm in order to keep Spidey's off base and in sensory overload.
While handicapped and outnumbered, a still determined Spider-Man gets fierce and starts to think like a hunter himself, first globbing a huge amount of web fluid into the crevices of his manacles to kill the strong magnetic pull and then killing the circuit breakers on the lamp post system, plunging the park into darkness and evening the playing field.
After easily taking down The Chameleon and ripping off his Kraven mask, Spider-Man becomes the stalker and sends Kraven fleeing into the darkness, however his own ego won't allow him to escape as he is determined to finish off the wall crawler. Kraven waits patiently behind a rock and strikes when he thinks he has the advantage, but Spidey is ready due to his instincts and two combatants punch, kick and beat each other all over the park.
With both foes exhausted, Spider-Man takes to the trees and stalks Kraven from above, eventually railroading him to run face first into a large webbed trapped he set up between two trees. With Kraven trapped helplessly in the web Spidey lets the wise cracks fly and turns Kraven and The Chameleon over to the police, who promptly have both spies deported on a steamer bound for South America.
Peter goes home anxious to go out with Betty, who is still mad at him. He then tries Liz Allen, who is on a date with Flash, and even thinks about going out with the "ugly" girl next door on a blind date, but unfortunately she has a headache. All in all, the hero doesn't get the pie.
So this issue has definitely beaten out the rest as the best so far, and that's the students talking not just me and my unrelenting bias for Kraven. Either way, we have definitely chosen the right villain for our master script and making The Chameleon his foil should make for some great, witty and unique characterizations on both old favorites as we wrap another fine, fast paced adventure in Comics in the Classroom.
Vocab Word Web
1- Elusive
2- Stalker
3- Rugged
4- Incredulous
5- Conniption
6- Conquest
7- Quarry
8- Vast
9- Panorama
10- Enthusiasm
11- Leering
12- Vantage
13- Strenuous
14- Vanquished
15- Prolong
16- Unwary
17- Imminent
18- Cunning
19- Ferocity
20- Cowardice
