Issue(s): Marvel Tales #242
Cover Date: Oct 90
Title: "Fast feud"
Credits:
Tony Isabella - Writer
Alan Kupperberg - Penciler
Rudy D. Nebres - Inker
Jim Salicrup - Editor

Review/plot:
I guess due to differences in page count between the current time period and the time of the books being reprinted, Marvel Tales was running back-up features. Often these were Spider-Ham or Fred Hembeck's Petey Parker stories, but sometimes they were in continuity. In those cases, they usually took place directly after the issue being reprinted, and usually addressed a continuity problem introduced by the main story (see Marvel Tales #262-263, Marvel Tales #255, and Marvel Tales #256).

This story, though, is unrelated to the reprint (a Spider-Man/Nightcrawler Team-Up from Marvel Team-Up #89). It's a Rocket Racer story. The story was promoted in Spectacular Spider-Man annual #10, but if they wanted to get more people to read it than those picking up the book for the reprint, you'd think it would have made more sense to go in Marvel Comics Presents. As it is, it's a pretty obscure story (even the MCP doesn't list it!).

And not that any six page back-up story is going to be great, but it's too bad that it was dumped here, because if nothing else (and actually, there is nothing else) we get a race between Rocket Racer and Speed Demon.

The set-up is the same as in the Spectacular annual, with Rocket Racer working for Silver Sable's organization and taking orders from Ernie Sluganski ("Sluggo"). Speed Racer Demon has stolen a figurine, and the person he stole it from is actually willing to pay to get it back. So Speed Demon was supposed to meet him and chase him into one of the nets being held by Sable's men. He fails (and gets chewed out by Sluggo) but Speed Demon calls to say that he had so much fun that he'd be willing to do it again (adding an additional $5,000 to the price of the statue). This time, the case that is supposed to have the ransom money has a trap.

Speed Demon runs anyway, and Racer has to grab the net and hold on.

And eventually he hooks the net to a UPS truck's bumper, stopping the Demon.

But it doesn't exactly end well for Racer.

I guess Sable International doesn't assume any liability for its contractors. That seems dickish, especially when you're dealing with a kid that you recruited.

Rocket Racer's next back-up feature will be in Marvel Tales #250, not #248.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

The hero nobody wanted to read about, the Rocket Racer. It felt really annoying that marvel was trying to make something out of this guy. He was horrible, even back in the 70s.

I do like it when you mix them up and say "speed racer" in this review.

Dammit, i caught myself doing that once and fixed it, but some more still slipped through!

See, and when I saw the "Speed Racer Demon" thing, I thought you were making a joke...

This story might be obscure, but I have a feeling Nick Spencer read it, since in Superior Foes of Spider-Man Speed Demon sues Iron Fist for injuries.

Aargh. Rocket Racer's costume is so ugly...

A stupid question: why do speedsters always *run* when moving fast? Can't they walk at superspeed?

Same reason someone would walk on a conveyor belt, or elevator. Faster can always be faster still.

@cullen, walking on an elevator doesn't help much:-)

(PS I know what you were intending to say. just having fun)