Issue(s): Spider-Man #24
Cover Date: Jul 92
Title: "Double infinity"
Credits:
Howard Mackie - Writer
Larry Alexander - Penciler
Andrew Pepoy - Inker
Danny Fingeroth - Editor

Review/plot:
Since Erik Larsen has left as part of the Image exodus, this book does not have a stable creative team and it won't get one for a while. This is an Infinity War tie-in, the only one for any of Spider-Man's books.

Spider-Man can't sleep, so he goes out for a nighttime web swing. Meanwhile, Jason Macendale trains to recover his mercenary skills now that he's separated from the Demogoblin, and then he goes out as the Hobgoblin, hoping to hunt down and kill his demonic duplicate. Spider-Man is thinking about how lately all he's been doing is managing the various attacks from villains in his rogues gallery with vendettas instead of actually helping to stop crime, when he comes across the Hobgoblin.

And hot on the Hobgoblin's heels is the Demogoblin, in a new costume.

But also thrown into the mix is Spider-Man's Infinity War duplicate.

So it's evil twins all around.

Spider-Man and Hobgoblin agree to a temporary alliance.

The Spider-Man doppelganger winds up shot and impaled on a fence.

But after Spider-Man leaves, the Demogoblin comes to claim it.

There's not much of a story here, and the panels feel extra big, like this was a rush issue. Which, based on the fact that this book was without a creative team, may have been the case. But this issue does show us the new look for the Demogoblin, and (in parallel with Infinity War, which is where i awarded the point), it's the first appearance of "Doppelganger" (who merited an action figure).

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This expands on the fight between Spider-Man and his doppelganger as seen in Infinity War #1.

References:

• Jason Macendale, formerly the Jack O'Lantern, became the Hobgoblin in Amazing Spider-Man #289. He got demonic powers in Spectacular Spider-Man #147. And he split from his demonic form in Web of Spider-Man #86.

Crossover: Infinity War

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

I had the Doppelganger figure! I was really obsessed with him as a kid, probably due to his overall design.

Spider-Man having to constantly fend off old enemies who keep coming back will be a theme in this era of Spider-books up until at least the Clone Saga, though it is most obvious during Maximum Carnage.

I had the Doppelganger figure too (with the little shiny badge thing!). Some of it's arms eventually fell out and I wound up buying it again.

It used to freak me out. Still does a bit. It's a freaky design.

Personally, I hate the Doppelganger. And Demogoblin. Ugh.

I remember reading that issue when I was 15. I was very disappointed with it. I still don't think it was anything good...

BTW. The "Spider-Man" book was pointless at this point, wasn't it? It was created as a big-name book for McFarlane. But he left. Larsen took over, but he left, too. And then, the book was left with no big name to headline it...

I quite like Demogoblin's look, especially when he gets the fully-demonic glider.

Heh, I have the Doppelganger figure still on the card, which makes me the king of nerds.
I don't think they ever bother to explain why the Spidey doppelganger doesn't dissolve when killed, and is still around after the Infinity War event is over. Or they did and I missed it?

Daredevil's doppelganger hangs around too (he's called Hellspawn).

I think at some point Demogoblin mentions infusing Doppelganger with some of his demonic power to keep it, uh, alive.

Yeah, it was hinted to be the case in the course of a small Spider-Man / Spirits of Vengeance crossover that Fnord should be covering quite soon...

So weird looking back on it that the Doppelganger stuck around for another year before being killed off in Maximum Carnage.

How does Vulture exist because of a personal grudge against PETER?

Piotr is right in that this series had already outlived it's usefulness by this point. It was created specifically as a McFarlane showcase and Marvel was lucky that Larsen stepped in after Todd's departure and do a few fun issues before he too left.

The title should have been dropped right then and there. If memory serves, there's no regular artist on here until John Romita, jr. comes aboard around 40 issues from now! How can a book starring the corporate mascot be allowed to languish for so long?

Mackie and Tom Lyle would also have a sustained run on the book, but that would still be a little under two years from this issue.

Yeah Doppelganger and Demogoblin's new look. Step by step getting closer to Maximum Carnage.

As I distantly recall, Marvel tried to make Spider-Man an stand alone arc book with rotating creators, but none of the arcs attracted any real sales or critical acclaim. Without McFarlane or Larsen, it was just another Spider-Man book. And then came the clone saga.

It's very "meta" that this crossover story involves a battle with a leftover from another crossover (Demogoblin is the last bit of Inferno still around), and contributes a character who will be one of the few leftovers from Infinity War to make further appearances (Doppleganger).

I do really like what Mackie is doing with the Hobgoblin(s). He's coming across as respectful to everyone's contribution to the character, no matter how destructive or ill-thought out they were, and is delivering a (very rare) inoffensive fix to the character.

Maybe if Mackie had a co-writer, he would've done better as a Spider-Man writer. Hell, maybe even if he co-wrote with (another dud of a writer) Terry Kavanagh we would've gotten something better than the Mackie and Kavanagh's separate runs.