Issue(s): Web of Spider-Man annual #5
Cover Date: 1989
Title: "War zone: New York / A random miracle / A mute prayer for deaf ears"
Credits:
Gerry Conway / Fabian Nicieza - Writer
Javier Saltares / Steve Ditko / Mark Propst - Penciler
Randy Emberlin / Al Milgrom / Christopher Ivy & Andy Mushynsky - Inker
Jim Salicrup - Editor

Review/plot:
Atlantis Attacks again in this issue but it is just a ruse, a way for Ghaur to keep Attuma and the Atlanteans distracted so that he can destroy them as a sacrifice necessary for bringing Set to Earth.

Gerry Conway takes the narrative approach of depicting all this through the reports of a tv news crew, including bickering between a fatuous news anchor and a tough on-the-street reporter. Despite that narrative approach, though, we are privy to scenes that the reporters aren't, like this one of Attuma killing one of his generals for suggesting that Ghaur and Llyra are misleading Attuma, which, as we also see, they are.

Defending against the Atlantean invasion is Spider-Man ("recently returned from upstate"), and the Fantastic Four.

The FF include a non-powered Ben Grim. It's said that his recent appearance as the Thing was really an exo-skeleton, but it got damaged. That must have happened in an off-panel battle, since the Thing had to sit out the last round of Atlantean attacks in Avengers annual #18.

Also helping out, away, from the cameras, is our mysterious armored guy.

The main opposition is this awesome thing.

Of course, Attuma and his troops and Atlantean tech are a challenge too.

The Invisible Woman is kidnapped by Ghaur in this issue, during the battle. He takes a more personal approach with Sue than he did with Jean Grey in X-Factor annual #4.

Spider-Man also tricks the Atlantean soldier controlling the monster into punching an electronic billboard, and the resulting electrical discharge knocks the pilot out.

After that the creature is mindless, and it's possible to lead him back to the sea.

While the Atlantean troops are attacking New York, Lemurian troops bomb Atlantis, destroying it.

And that demoralizes the Atlantean attackers in New York, including Attuma, and many flee or are taken captive.

I would never have expected a universe-wide crossover event to be a strong point for Gerry Conway, but he's done very well in his issues of Atlantis Attacks. It's not a surprise to me to see him handling Spider-Man and Daredevil well when dealing with the tangent Save Our Society threat, but he handles a big attack on New York really well too, and the device of using the newscasters helps it feel like more than just a mindless battle. Javier Saltares' clean super-hero friendly art helps, too.

Our first back-up feature (by Conway and Steve Ditko) hilariously has Dr. Evan Swann, the professor that Peter works for as a teaching assistant, becoming Captain Universe...

...to fight the Quantum Mechanic.

At issue is the Uncertainty Principle...

...and i'll leave it to people that didn't pass out and drool all over their physics textbooks to decide if that makes sense. One thing's for sure: there's no physics quandary so challenging that punching won't take care of it.

Other back-up features include an adventure of Peter Parker's before he became Spider-Man, by Fred Hembeck. And also by Hembeck, a collection of Spider-Man's Most Dubious Accessories (including the bag-headed Unknown Super hero costume and the Spider-Mobile), Dubious Friends and Foes (Razorback and the Hypno-Hustler are included), and Most Dubious Situations (including Aunt May nearly marrying Doc Ock and Spidey teaching the Beyonder how to use the bathroom).

The final feature (by Fabian Nicieza and Mark Propst) is a solo story featuring Silver Sable. It's got a framing sequence showing Sable considering denying benefits to the widow of a Wild Pack mercenary because of his poor performance on the field, and then a flashback to her time as a child with her demanding father...

...and then Sable indeed deciding to deny the benefits.

Quality Rating: B-

Historical Significance Rating: 2 - Atlantis destroyed (for real this time)

Chronological Placement Considerations: This is part eleven of Atlantis Attacks; part twelve takes place in Avengers West Coast annual #4.

References:

• Spider-Man was upstate in Daredevil annual #4.
  
• It's revealed that Ben Grimm wore an exo-skeleton Thing suit in Avengers annual #18.
  
• Captain Universe has previously manifested in Micronauts #8, Micronauts #35, Marvel Spotlight #9, Marvel Spotlight #10, Marvel Spotlight #11, and Hulk annual #10. That's according to a footnote, and leaves out Contest of Champions and a back-up story from Marvel Fanfare #25.
  
• The Serpent Crown Saga for this issue covers and expands on the events from Avengers #141-149. It starts off by showing a meeting of the leaders of industry from the Squadron Supreme world that includes Justin Hammer, the Owl (the Owl of Wall Street), Kyle Richmond, Sebastian Shaw, Obadiah Stane, and Cornelius Van Lunt. They are contacted by Hugh Jones of our Earth via the Serpent Crown.

Crossover: Atlantis Attacks

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Annoyingly, Peter promises to help find Sue in this issue but he doesn't play any role in later chapters.

"Trish Fox"? How odd. She looks like Trish Tilby in that one scan... Hm...

"the device of using the newscasters helps it feel like more than just a mindless battle."

It also worked out well in the X-Men issues of "Fall Of The Mutants".