Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man #2 Review

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When trying to prevent the future leads to unintended consequences for Spider-Man.

Warning: this article contains spoilers for Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man #2.

Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man #2

Writer: Christos Gage | Artist: Travel Foreman | Color Artist: Rain Beredo | Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna | Cover Artists: Travel Foreman & Jason Keith | Title Page Design: Nicholas Russell

Introduction

In Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man #2, the last issue of this Civil War II tie-in, Spider-Man met Ulysses, the young Inhuman with the ability to glimpse the future in visions. Concerned about Ulysses’s powers, Spider-Man had requested a meeting. Ulysses proved himself by sharing a vision in which a young couple was about to be murdered. This allowed Spider-Man to thwart the crime. Having seen Ulysses’s power at work, Peter Parker proposed using Ulysses’s powers to advance the greater good. Spider-Man gave Ulysses a tour of Parker Industries where Ulysses had a chance to meet Clayton Cole.

An Introduction to Clayton Cole (a.k.a. Clash)

If you are not familiar with Clayton, you probably aren’t alone. He is a relatively recent addition to the Spider-Man cast of characters. Clayton’s alter ego is Clash. He was recently retroactively added to Spider-Man’s continuity as one of the wall crawler’s earliest foes. Clayton was a rival intellect for Spider-Man. Clayton felt he was snubbed by Spider-Man as a teenager. So, intrigued by Spider-Man’s abilities and growing fame, Clayton created his own suit complete with sonic generating gadgets. He unfortunately turned to crime. Ultimately, Clayton was defeated and sent to prison.

Years later, Clayton is out on parole. Like many ex-convicts, he has trouble finding work. Peter Parker remembers Clayton’s abilities and offers him a second chance and a job at Parker Industries. However, life isn’t smooth sailing for Clayton. A portion of his income is placed into a trust in accordance with the terms of his parole. Clayton feels restricted, like he is on a short leash. In addition, his parents continuously nag him about his life decisions. They simultaneously remind him of his past failures and question his current decisions while insisting he is not treated fairly.

Ulysses’s Visions of Clayton

Clayton is important to this Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man #2 because Ulysses has a vision in which Clayton will take up the Clash identity again and fight Spider-Man. Much like Tony Stark in the core Civil War II title, Parker is concerned that foreknowledge of the future may have disastrous results. However, unlike Stark, Parker is willing to use some of that knowledge. For instance, this issue opens with Spider-man combating a Quintronic Man. The Quintronic Man is a mech piloted by five people. They have featured prominently in issues of The Hulk.

That Spider-Man is fighting a Quintronic Man is not significant. However, Ulysses informed him of the Quintronic Man’s activities after a vision. Spider-Man put this knowledge to good use and figured out how to counteract the Quintronic Man’s attacks. Therefore, Spider-Man is comfortable using this knowledge to combat threats at least when he knows villains are involved.

Spider-Man is not so comfortable acting on Ulysses’s visions where Clayton is concerned. For one, he sincerely believes Clayton has been working hard to reform. Second, Clayton hasn’t done anything wrong since Clayton had his vision. As a result, Spider-Man does not believe he can take any preemptive physical action to stop Clayton before he acts. He can’t have him locked up. However, Peter Parker still takes action.

Clayton’s Bad Day and Temptation

In an abundance of caution, Parker becomes overbearing. By trying to prevent Clayton from becoming Clash again, he keeps Clayton under closer scrutiny. When Clayton has a bad day, it is enough to start the cascade of events that result in him taking up the Clash identity. First, Clayton’s news shoes get ruined in a puddle. Next, his overbearing parents disapprove of his current life choices and his decision to propose to a woman, Donna, he is dating. Third, just as Clayton is about to propose to Donna, she breaks off their relationship citing a need to look out for her son. Finally, using a device he invented, the retroactive recorder, he is able to listen in on the echoes of Ulysses’s conversation with Spider-Man. He learns of Ulysses’s vision and quits Parker Industries.

To compound his bad decisions, Clayton meets up with some old criminal acquaintances for drinks. While there, Mendel Stromm approaches him. Stromm is an old henchman of Norman Osborne, better known as the Green Goblin. Stromm is aware of Clayton’s difficulties and offers him the opportunity to sabotage Parker Industries and make a fortune in the process. After Clayton displays reluctance to accept this offer, Stromm points out Clayton’s large debts to the Tinkerer causing Clayton to consider the offer. The Tinkerer assembles gadgets and devices for various entities in the Marvel Universe.

Clayton’s Fall

Meanwhile, Parker has a conversation with Harry Osborne about Clayton. Osborne is an officer in Parker’s company. He helps Parker realize that his attitude towards Clayton has been overbearing and unhelpful. A light bulb goes off in Parker’s head and he vows to make it up to Clayton by financially backing him. The problem is that Clayton has disappeared.

Clayton is next seen shaving off his beard and contacting the Tinkerer, whom it would seem makes his gear. He then receives a package containing his new Clash costume. After donning it, he calls Stromm to set up a meeting as the issue concludes. Whether he intends to confront Stromm or accept his offer is unclear.

Uninteded Consequences

If there is a lesson to be learned from this issue is that action taken based on foreknowledge of the future, no matter how good the intention, risks setting that very future in motion. Alternatively, action taken on such foreknowledge may have unintended consequences. Spider-Man was trying to prevent Clayton’s decision to resume the Clash mantle. However, despite his best intentions to support Clayton, he smothered him. Ultimately, it was not Spider-Man’s responsibility that Clayton made poor choices. However, Spider-Man’s actions are one of many contributing causes.

Spider-Man falls between Tony Stark and Carol Danvers on the spectrum of heroes that must make judgments about Ulysses’s powers. Like Stark, Parker clearly sees a danger in acting on these visions. However, like Danvers, he is willing to risk action when a villain has been identified. Stark realizes that any action, no matter how benign the intention, may have unintended consequences. Therefore, Stark would prefer to ignore the visions and take no action. Parker wasn’t willing to do that. His belief was that positive action could prevent disastrous consequences. He is beginning to see the error of his decision.

Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man #2 Conclusion

Like many of the stories in Civil War II, Amazing Spider-Man #2 is an excellent exploration of the paradox of foreknowledge of future events. Christos Gage has written a fascinating tale about how the best intentions can still lead to disaster. In fact, this issue nearly argues that any knowledge of the future is dangerous. Any such knowledge influences events whether one intends for it to do so or not. Spider-Man desperately works to save Clayton, but his actions seemingly drive Clayton to the very thing they were trying to avoid. However, there is still opportunity for the vision to fail. He has made poor choices, but Clayton can still turn his life around. Will he make that choice in time?