Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man #1 Review

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In Amazing Spider-Man #1, Spider-Man meets the man that can see the future and learns of the dilemma.

Warning: this article contains spoilers for Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man #1.

Civil War II, Amazing Spider-Man #1

Writer: Christos Gage | Artist: Travel Foreman | Color Artist: Rain Beredo | Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna | Cover Artists: Khary Rhandolph & Emilio Lopez

If you haven’t been reading Amazing Spider-Man since last year’s Secret Wars event, then you may not be up to date with the changes in Spider-Man’s universe. Peter Parker has grown up. He is no longer the struggling photographer and budding scientist. He has acquired his doctorate (thanks to a body swap with Otto Octavius—for more on that, read the Superior Spider-Man series). Now, he is the CEO of his own international corporation, Parker Industries. He has set up headquarters in the Baxter Building, the former home of the Fantastic Four. Spider-Man is known to the public as Peter Parker’s bodyguard, and he is no longer fighting crime in just New York. Spider-Man’s domain is now worldwide.

Spider-Man was present when the Avengers, the Ultimates, the sorcerers lead by Dr. Strange, and Inhumans banded together to defeat the Celestial that invaded Manhattan. He was present the next night when the Inhumans revealed Ulysses, the college student turned Inhuman that could predict potential futures. Ulysses had a vision in which the Celestial attacked. The existence of Ulysses has begun to divide the superhero community. Iron Man and others are concerned that Ulysses powers only predict a potential future that their actions change merely by knowing of the potential; and therefore, the potential to punish those that have committed no crimes exists. On the opposite side is Carol Danvers, a.k.a. Captain Marvel. They believe that Ulysses powers should be used to predict and prevent attacks and disasters regardless of the cost.

On which side does Spider-Man fall? Peter Parker, like Tony Stark, is a scientist. Also like Tony Stark, he is concerned with the extent of Ulysses’s abilities. Unlike Tony Stark, Peter gets the chance to test the accuracy of Ulysses ability to predict the future. Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, has used his connections with the Inhumans to arrange a meeting with Ulysses for Spider-Man.

The Inhumans deliver Ulysses to Spider-Man, and Ulysses predicts a man will murder a couple in Manhattan. On their way to the location in Ulysses’s vision, Spider-Man intercepts a group of villains calling themselves the Vulturions. They are modelled after the class Spider-Man villain the Vulture. Spider-Man defeats the Vulturions and has a discussion with Ulysses about his powers.

Spider-Man reveals that he also has the ability to see the future. His ability is far more limited than Ulysses’s. His Spider-sense gives him the ability to see incoming attacks moments before they happen. However, this ability they have in common gives Spider-Man the chance to bring up the fact that Ulysses has a chance to learn and understand his abilities and the responsibilities that come with them early with the benefit of a mentor, which is something Peter Parker did not have.

Their heart-to-heart is interrupted as Ulysses sees the man from his vision. Spider-Man and Ulysses follow him to an apartment and prevent him from murdering the couple in Ulysses’ vision. To Spider-Man, Ulysses passed the test. He invites Ulysses to tour Parker Industries at the Baxter Building the next day. During the tour, Ulysses gets to meet Harry Lyman (formerly Harry Osborne—the Green Goblin), and Clayton Cole, one of Spider-Man’s earliest foes, who has been reformed and is now a sonics expert.

Spider-Man brings up that Ulysses’s abilities could be used in a broader sense. Those abilities could be used to focus Parker Industries’ research into those areas that are the most likely to succeed. This would save money and lives. Spider-Man points out this would save more lives than predicting a bank robbery ever would. Ulysses had never considered this, but is now considering trying to get a job at Parker Industries. The issue concludes with Ulysses confiding in Spider-Man that he had a vision in which Clayton Cole would don a costume and fight Spider-Man.

The conclusion of Amazing Spider-Man #1 is what makes this series so great. Spider-Man was prudent in testing out Ulysses’s abilities to predict the future. Ulysses successfully predicted the assault and attempted murder, and Spider-Man was able to prevent it from happening when he otherwise would not have been able. Suitably impressed, Spider-Man contemplated bringing Ulysses into the Parker Industries fold. However, Ulysses then presents Spider-Man with the very scenario that frightened Tony Stark. He predicts someone will do something criminal, but not the when or for what reason.

What is Spider-Man to do with this knowledge? Amazing Spider-Man #1 ends on this note. The reader does not know whether Ulysses has any additional information, but suppose he does not. What should Spider-Man do? If he does nothing, will Clayton become a villain and fight Spider-Man? In that case, would it make Spider-Man irresponsible for not doing something. However, if he should take action, what should he do? Clayton has not yet committed any crimes. He is not yet guilty of anything. He only has the potential to commit a crime. What is Spider-Man entitled to do with this information? He isn’t the law, so he cannot lock up Clayton. Even if he were, he couldn’t charge Clayton with anything. He hasn’t done anything yet! Should Peter Parker fire Clayton? How does he know that isn’t the very thing that will push Clayton into villainy?

There are consequences to action and inaction. By attempting to change a potential future, one may be creating the very thing they hoped to avoid. This isn’t exactly a new theme in science fiction and fantasy, but it isn’t always pulled off well. Gage, like Bendis in the title series, has done a great job of drawing in the reader through the perspective of the character. Spider-Man thought to test Ulysses and his abilities. He started off at least somewhat skeptical. However, once Ulysses’s prediction was proven to have prevented a crime, Spider-Man, and perhaps the reader, dropped his guard and his skepticism. Now Spider-Man will need to make a choice with what appears to be imperfect data. I don’t envy him. This is what makes Iron Man the ideal champion of his side of the dispute in Civil War 2; he saw the dilemma that Ulysses’s powers creates, and despite the evidence as to how his abilities could be used for good, he did not drop his skepticism. With this in mind, it will be most interesting to what side of the conflict Spider-Man falls.

Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man #1