Exclusive Collector's Edition: Spider-Man (1980) [AIM Toothpaste]

[vanhornluke]

Exclusive Collector’s Edition: Spider-Man (1980)
By Marv Wolfman

APPEARANCES:
Spider-Man, New Yorkers, J. Jonah Jameson, Randy (Jonah’s nephew), Green Goblin, Dr. Raymond Sadetsky, lions, cops, Robert A. Bite, guards, Glory Grant, Aunt May, Bridgework Metal employees, doctor

SYNOPSIS:
J. Jonah Jameson’s young nephew Randy is visiting (he looks to be around 9 or 10 years old), but Jonah is too busy to watch him, so he threatens to fire Peter unless he watches Randy, including taking him to his dentist appointment. While at Raymond Sadetsky’s dental office, the Green Goblin appears and kidnaps the dentist. Pete tells Randy to stay there while he tries to rescue Sadetsky, but they get away. The next day Peter has taken Randy to the park and showing him how to take pictures when they hear over a police radio that the Green Goblin is robbing a jewelry store. Pete tells Randy to stay and then webswings to the store, but again fails to stop the Goblin. Later, Pete tries to return Randy to Jonah, but Glory Grant tells him that Jonah is in a big meeting, so Pete drops him off with his Aunt May. Then Spidey follows a hunch based on something the Goblin said and tracks the villain to the Bridgework Metal factory. However, the Goblin manages to escape yet again. The next day, the Goblin attacks a dental exhibition with his glider tricked out to include an experimental dental laser that he forced Dr. Sadetsky to create for him. He plans to use the laser to cut through large teeth on display to steel the silver and gold within them. Spidey arrives and this time manages to trap the Goblin and turn him over to authorities.

NOTE:
Confusingly, this issue is given the exact same name as the promotional comic published the same year for Acme Dingo Boots.

The Goblin is always in costume and never thinks his own name to himself, so it’s not clear who this Green Goblin is supposed to be. Is it a new character, or one of the other Goblins we’ve seen in other stories?

Once again, I would appreciate placement suggestions for this story.


Chronologies:

BITE, ROBERT A.
ECESM

GRANT, GLORIA “GLORY”
See above note

GREEN GOBLIN
See above note

JAMESON, JOHN JONAH JR.
See above note

PARKER, MAY REILLY
See above note

RANDY
ECESM

SADETSKY, DR. RAYMOND
ECESM

SPIDER-MAN/PETER BENJAMIN PARKER
See above note

[Michael]

Since Glory is Jonah's secretary, this has to take place after Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man 2.
There's two problems. One is the Green Goblin. As far as we saw, there was only Green Goblin story between Spectacular Spider-Man 2 and Inferno- Amazing Spider-Man 176-180- and there's no place for a gap in it. The other issue is that Jonah is usually written as an only child and this seems to be before his marriage to Marla- so how does he have a nephew?

[vanhornluke]

"Nephew" might be intended non-literally. Often, a friend of a parent is referred to as "uncle" (for example, I was encouraged when I was little to call my dad's best friend Alan from college "Uncle Alan"), so the reciprocal of that would be for the "uncle" to refer to the child as "nephew." But yeah, the Green Goblin thing is weird.

[Russ Chappell]

(I was encouraged when I was little to call my dad's best friend Alan from college "Uncle Alan"), so the reciprocal of that would be for the "uncle" to refer to the child as "nephew."

How do we know that Randy is JJJ's nephew?
1. Does the narrator refer to him as Jonah's nephew?
2. Is Jonah speaking to Randy: "Randy, since you're my nephew, you should go to the dentist."
3. Does Jonah introduce him: "Peter, this is my nephew, Randy."
4. Does Jonah otherwise refer to him: "Peter, my nephew's coming by, and I want you to take him to the dentist."
5. He's not referred to as JJJ's nephew, but JJJ is referred to as Randy's uncle.

[vanhornluke]

When Pete is called to Jonah's office, he walks in and Jonah says "Parker, this is my nephew, Randy..."

[wolframbane]

Advanced Idea Mechanics made toothpaste too... will their depravity never cease...

[Michael]

I just realized- Randy could be the child of John Jameson's mother's sibling. Still doesn't explain the Green Goblin though.

[StrayLamb]

Advanced Idea Mechanics made toothpaste too... will their depravity never cease...

We have a company here called AIM which manufactures agricultural implements.. they have their finger in everything.

[ShadZ]

The indica (and cover) actually say "Exclusive Collectors' Edition: Spider-Man", not "Exclusive Collector’s Edition: Spider-Man".

Also, the cover can be seen here: https://www.comics.org/issue/225822/cover/4/