Issue(s): Marvel Team-Up #92
Cover Date: Apr 80
Title: "Fear!"
Credits:
Steven Grant - Writer
Carmine Infantino - Penciler
Pablo Marcos - Inker
Mark Gruenwald - Assistant Editor
Denny O'Neil - Editor

Review/plot:
Spider-Man encounters a terrified Hawkeye...

...and helps him snap out of it. It turns out that he was attacked by a new Mr. Fear at his job at Cross Technological Enterprises. CTE is not happy about the fact that their chief security officer has allowed someone to walk off with a radioactive isotope, and Spider-Man decides to help him get it back.

The fear potion seems to have given Hawkeye a little brain damage ("he thinks I'm too sure of yourself"?) but luckily before Mr. Fear's raid he "had a hunch something was going to happen" and bugged the isotope.

The new Mr. Fear is a nephew of Larry Cranston, and has inherited his uncle's equipment. His uncle will eventually return and it looks like both Mr. Fears are active in later years.

Hawkeye's pride is hurt by Mr. Fear's attack, so i was pretty sure that Spider-Man was faking it when he allowed Mr. Fear to hit him with the poison needle that injects the fear poison, so that Hawkeye could regain his confidence. I mean, you'd think his spider sense would let him know not to let himself get hit. But he turns out to not be faking it.

Hawkeye similarly doesn't have any tricks up his sleeves. The two of them just seem really unprepared going up against Mr. Fear.

Granted neither has fought a Mr. Fear before, but they already saw what he did to Hawkeye the first time. It would be cool if Grant was deliberately writing them as a bunch of irresponsible goofballs, but that doesn't seem to be the intention.

They only overcome their Fear when Hawkeye is thrown out a window, which shocks them to their senses, but at least it's a quick mop-up.

There was a lot of opportunity here to play up the joker aspect of both of these characters; they could have been a lot of fun together. But Grant plays it straight. His script is fine, just very straightforward and not what you'd hope for.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 3 - new Mr. Fear

Chronological Placement Considerations: Spider-Man avoids the police and lets Hawkeye take full credit for the capture of Mr. Fear's gang because he "just got out of trouble with the police"; that actually happened a little while ago but it's all relative. The MCP places this between Amazing Spider-Man #200-201. Hawkeye appears after he was removed from the Avengers and while he's working at Cross; the MCP has him here between his appearances in Avengers #189 and #198.

References:

• Hawkeye got removed from the Avengers in Avengers #181 and got the job at Cross Technological Enterprises in Avengers #189.
  
• The previous Mr. Fear died in Daredevil #91.
  
• I assume Spidey's reference to no longer being in trouble with the police refers to Amazing Spider-Man #186.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Oh, Hawkeye and brain damage eh?

Wow, there are a lot of Mr. Fears.

You know, sometimes I think there are only two hair colours in the MU. Unrealistic red (MJ, Medusa, Marvel girl, DD, etc). and pre-mature gray (Mr Fear, Black cat, Clea, Silver sable, etc.)

(To M: A joke. Please don't feel the need to point out other colours)