What If…..? # 42 (“What If Spider-Man Had Kept His Six-Arms?”)
Writer: Michael Gallagher
Penciller: Kevin West
Inker: Ian Akin
Letterer: Ken Lopez
Colorist: Tom Vincent
Cover Date: October 1992
Rating: 09/10
Kicking off my slew of reviews of my favorite issues of “What If…?” in honor of the upcoming show on Disney+, I’ll be taking a look at them in no particular order, starting with issue # 42 of the second volume, which is called “What If Spider-Man had kept his Six Arms?”
In the reality that we knew (Back in Amazing Spider-Man # 100 & 101), Peter Parker concocted a potion that would rid him of his Spider-Powers but instead gave his four extra arms, so this story exams what would happen if Spidey’s predicament took a different turn when he desperately tries to find a cure and in this reality, Moribus The Living Vampire, whose blood was in fact, the key in curing Spidey’s problem met a very gruesome fate (**NO SPOILERS**); And the help of both Curt Conners (Who ended up transforming into The Lizard) and Professor X didn’t exactly yield any positive results.
Seeing Spidey in turmoil while coming to grips with his situation made this a very likable issue and it puts Spider-Man in a different light, although I would have liked it if the creative team for this issue did more with Gwen Stacy and the rest of Spidey’s supporting cast. I’m happy to say that this may very well be one of the rarest “What If…?” issues to deliver a happy ending (Yes, that’s so rare); And the fact that this issue is so distinctive and eccentric, just shows everyone how “What If….” kept its popularity during all these years.
Well, that’s it for me. I’ll be back next week with another “What If…” issue to review so thanks for sticking around and I will see you all next time.
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