Issue(s): Spectacular Spider-Man #147
Cover Date: Feb 89
Title: "When the Bugle blows"
Credits:
Gerry Conway - Writer
Sal Buscema - Penciler
Sal Buscema - Inker
Glenn Herdling - Assistant Editor
Jim Salicrup - Editor

Review/plot:
This issue marks the current Hobgoblin's transition to the Demogoblin. Flying around New York, he's attacked by demons...

...and starts to wonder if he'd like to be a real demon himself.

It's quite a transition for a guy that used to be a very practical mercenary, but getting beaten by the non-superpowered Harry Osborn seems to have been quite a blow to his self-esteem. He shouldn't be so down on himself; Harry is obviously a natural at being a Goblin. Here he is fighting a water demon.

Spider-Man, meanwhile, is attacked by a stone gargoyle. I bring this up mainly to contrast what we'll see in the Excalibur Inferno issues. And it also is another demonstration of Spider-Man's spider-sense failing him during Inferno.

Injured, he staggers on instinct into the Daily Bugle, where J. Jonah Jameson is leading a defense against the demon hordes.

JJ has Spider-Man taken care of, and when Spidey is recovered, he joins the fight.

This issue also shows the Robertson family, and Mary Jane's photoshoot crew (separately) fighting their way through the horrors of Inferno.

But the real news is the Hobgoblin, who makes his way to N'astirh...

...who turns him into a demon.

Fun to see Spider-Man teaming up with JJ. The transformation of the Hobgoblin into Demogoblin is an odd twist; perfect for this story but makes you wonder why they ever bothered having Jason Macendale become a Hobgoblin. The original Hobgoblin situation was bungled but they made Macendale a new Hobgoblin because the character design and concept was still cool (although i liked him as Jack O'Lantern too). But in pretty much his first outing since the switch, he's trying to sell his soul to a demon.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 4 - Jason Macendale becomes the Demogoblin.

Chronological Placement Considerations: Spider-Man says it was "yesterday" that he was still thinking that Mysterio was behind the weirdness in the city. This takes place after N'astirh becomes techno-organic in X-Terminators #4. As i understand it, Jason Macendale is actually bonded with a demon (unlike, say, Bogeyman and other minor characters we've seen in X-Terminators who were turned into demons), so i'm going to continue to list Macendale (as Jack O'Lantern, his original identity) and list the Demogoblin as a separate character, the way i do with other bonded characters like Eddie Brock/Venom and Ghost Rider/Zarathos.

References:

• This issue begins with the Hobgoblin flying around the city muttering about the way Amazing Spider-Man #312 turned out for him.
  
• A slight lack of coordination: Mary Jane thinks to herself that she hasn't heard from Peter since he left looking for Harry Osborn in Web of Spider-Man #47, but that's not true. We saw Peter and MJ together in ASM #312.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

You cut out the funniest part, fnord. Macendale's such a loser that N'astirh doesn't even WANT his soul.

Ah, he says that to everyone though. To Hodge it was we already have your soul. I think he just likes to mess with people. But i've added a portion of that scene.

I think he likes people to assume he's from hell and would automatically acquire them simply because they are sinners. It'd fit well with the concept of demons liking the souls of the innocent, harder to get as they're not damned.

"Have you looked at your soul lately? Disgusting!" Never let it be said that demons don't have a grasp of beauty! xD

Course, demons are also known for just messing with people, so that's as good a reason as any!

I didnt like Conway's worship of the average New Yorker here. They have to endure things like rude waiters, over-priced pizza, crazy cab drivers, etc. and somehow that makes them equipt to deal with a demon invasion. Heck, the only guy who had any trouble fighting demons was spidey.