Web Of Spider-Man #25: Beware The Stalker From The Stars!

Story & pencils: Larry Leiber
Inks: Vince Colletta
Lettering: Rick Parker
Color: Julianna Ferriter
Editor: Jim Salicrup
Editor In Chief: Jim Shooter

I always find it a bit of a surprise when aliens show up in the Marvel Universe.

I mean, with all that creativity being channeled into the lives of the terrestial characters, what possible originality can a being from space bring to proceedings? Super powers? Advanced technology? They're just not going to impress anyone.

Well actually they might. Despite all the routine bizarreness of Earth 616, Spider-Man still has trouble finding a cop who will believe him.

Anyway, the races at war around the planet Cygnorion seem to have been designed with a deliberate campiness to them. Green skin, cloaks, the ability to take over humans and turn them into zombies, you name it. On the opening page, even the narration seems to be sniggering to itself.

Alien on screen: "I will transport the Cosmultigizer* to you at once!"

Narration box: Cosmic multi-energizer.

Said Cosmultigizer, or Cosmultigiser (sheesh aliens, if you're gonna all speak in our language then please learn it) is basically a superweapon. It winds up on Earth, and there's a bit of a runaround between several parties after it, including the guy in a black costume that's based upon an alien one.

When, at the end, Spider-Man is dubiously giving-up the weapon to an intergalactic peace-merchant called Vaalu, he stops to ask a fairly reasonable question. The somewhat inspired answer that he receives floors him a bit.

Spider-Man: "Wait -- how can I be sure that you're not as evil as Xanja -- that you won't wreak havoc with this thing?"

Vaalu: "You can't! But tell me... do you really want to keep the ultimate cosmic weapon on this world of nuclear stockpiles, terrorist organizations, international crime cartels, pervasive drugs, and every other corruption conceived by the human mind?!"

Spider-Man: "You've made your point!"