Spider-Man's six-issue time traveling adventure comes to an end here, as Spidey teams up with the cyborg named Deathlok. Starting in Marvel Team-Up #41, Spider-Man, the Scarlet Witch, the Vision, Doctor Doom and Moondragon battled the mysterious Dark Rider and his henchman Cotton Mather in Salem, Massachusetts in the year 1692 - the era of the Salem Witch Trials. After that four-issue saga was completed, Spider-Man attempted to use Doctor Doom's time machine to return to present-day New York. Instead, he ended up in the future, where a Martian invasion has decimated the Earth. Spidey briefly joins forces with Killraven, the leader of the human resistance, before trying once more to return home.

Spider-Man gets to New York, but once again, he is in the future. In this post-apocalyptic world, the military, led by a man named Ryker, transformed a large percentage of the world's population into mindless "muties" (not mutants like the X-Men, but mutated human beings). Like Killraven, Deathlok is a freedom fighter who is trying to put the world back into some semblance of order. However, when Spider-Man leaps in, Deathlok is about to fire on a group of seemingly helpless teenagers. "I don't care where I am -- or what year this is," Spider-Man thinks. "Gunning down kids just doesn't make it -- any time!" He stops Deathlok from firing on the group. But instead of being grateful, the kids turn on Spider-Man and Deathlok and begin firing beams of radioactivity through these small cubes in their hands. "They're totally mindless, except when the group is threatened," Deathlok explains. "Then they link -- some kinda group instinct -- poolin' their energies through the cubes, converting it into pure power." Deathlok and Spider-Man fight off the "muties," who scatter. They take on unconscious boy captive. Deathlok believes they can use the boy to track down his colleagues.

From above the ruins of 42nd Street, some of Ryker's goons have spotted Deathlok and Spider-Man. They fire onto both of them with sniper rifles. The bullets miss the two heroes, but they strike and kill the boy. That sends Spider-Man into a rage. "Once that rifle is taken from you, you're just another slimy little weasel! Not much of a man -- not even much of a murderer! In fact, you're not much of anything!" Spider-Man tells the sniper as he kicks him in the jaw. Sal Buscema's art in this scene is absolutely spectacular, as we see Spider-Man approaching the sniper through the sniper's crosshairs. Very tense, effective storytelling by one of Marvel's all-time greats. Deathlok joins in the battle and takes out another sniper, although unlike Spider-Man, he uses lethal force, which bothers the Web-Slinger greatly.

The "muties" (who are cannibals -- ugh!) return to Times Square and Spider-Man and Deathlok go down to fight them. Defeated, the muties flee again. Before he returns to the time machine, Spider-Man gives Deathlok a lecture on priorities. Deathlok agrees and says he will go after Ryker himself. That confrontation took place in Astonishing Tales #36.

Not much to say about this one. Really, this six-part time travel storyline should've ended after the conclusion of the Colonial Salem/Dark Rider four-parter. However, I guess Marvel wanted to milk it out a couple of issues, so that their most popular character (Spider-Man) could give some exposure to two lesser-known characters in Killraven and Deathlok. That's all well and good, but aside from the Buscema art, there's not much to this issue or the previous one. Oh, well, Marvel Team-Up does get better soon - check out the classic four-part storyline (introducing Jean DeWolff and the Wraith) starting in Marvel Team-Up #48 if you don't believe me!

Spider-Man's adventures continue in Marvel Two-In-One #17, as Spidey returns home. But he and the Thing must battle the new menace of the Basilisk! That two-part storyline is then continued in Marvel Team-Up #47!

Note: Also see Marvel Two-In-One #27.

Reviewed by Reviewed by Bruce Buchanan.

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