The Amazing Spider-Man #318
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeAmazing Spider-Man #318 lands squarely in the heart of Todd McFarlane's celebrated run on the title — a stretch of issues that redefined how Spider-Man looked on the page and drew a new generation of readers to the character. The issue is notable as the first chapter of a two-part arc in which McFarlane redesigns the Scorpion's suit, introducing the technologically upgraded, weaponized tail built by Justin Hammer — a visual reinvention that gave the villain a fresh menace befitting the kinetic McFarlane style. Equally important is the issue's role as a quiet pivot point in the Harry Osborn subplot: readers watch Harry rediscover his hidden Green Goblin costume, a slow-burn story beat building toward the tragic final act of his arc. As part of the Michelinie–McFarlane creative partnership — one of the most commercially and artistically significant collaborations in late-Copper Age Marvel history — every issue in this run, including #318, forms an essential chapter in that larger, collector-beloved body of work.
In "Sting Your Partner!", the Scorpion receives a terrifying new costume from Hammer, designed to make him deadlier than ever. With a new tail and a mission to capture an army officer, the Scorpion’s plan takes a shocking twist when he realizes his target isn’t who he seems—leading to a dangerous game of deception where the real J. Jonah Jameson might be in peril. Written by David Michelinie and brought to life with bold, dynamic art by Todd McFarlane, this issue showcases one of the character’s most iconic transformations, all under McFarlane’s striking cover.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The issue was written by David Michelinie with full art duties (pencils, inks, and colors on the cover) handled by Todd McFarlane, who had taken over Amazing Spider-Man beginning with issue #298 and was by 1989 the title's signature artistic voice. Interior colors were provided by Bob Sharen and Gregory Wright, with lettering by Rick Parker. The book was edited by Jim Salicrup under editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco, and went on sale April 11, 1989, with a cover date of August 1989 — standard for the direct-edition periodical market of the era. The issue was published in both a direct-edition and a newsstand variant, as well as a Mark Jewelers insert variant distributed through military PX channels.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Written by David Michelinie; pencils, inks, and cover art all by Todd McFarlane — one of the few issues in the run where McFarlane handled all three art roles.
- Part 1 of the two-part 'Sting Your Partner!' story arc (concluding in #319), in which Justin Hammer supplies the Scorpion (MacDonald Gargan) with a new weaponized tail and costume in exchange for kidnapping General Musgrave.
- McFarlane redesigns the Scorpion's suit for the arc, incorporating a special membrane on the mask that vaporizes Spider-Man's webbing on contact — a notable upgrade to the villain's defensive capabilities.
- The Chameleon appears in disguise as J. Jonah Jameson at the Daily Bugle, a subplot threading through the broader Michelinie run.
- Harry Osborn's cameo — discovering his hidden Green Goblin costume in a SoHo loft as his repressed memories continue to resurface — serves as a key beat in the slow build toward his eventual return as the Green Goblin.
- The issue was published in three print variants: Direct Edition, Newsstand Edition, and a Mark Jewelers insert edition.
- The story was reprinted at least nine times internationally and in domestic collections, including Marvel's Greatest Super Battles (1994), the Amazing Spider-Man by David Michelinie & Todd McFarlane Omnibus (Marvel, 2011), and the Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection #19: Assassin Nation (2019).
- Edited by Jim Salicrup under editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco; on-sale date was April 11, 1989, with an August 1989 cover date.
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in L'Uomo Ragno #51 (1990), Strange #246 (1990), Edderkoppen #2/1992 (1992), The Amazing Spider-Man #2/1992 (1992), Marvel's Greatest Super Battles #[nn] (1994), Amazing Spider-Man by David Michelinie & Todd McFarlane Omnibus #[nn] (2011), Marvel Omnibus : Spider-Man par McFarlane #[nn] (2012), Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection #19 (2019), De spectaculaire Spider-Man [De spektakulaire Spiderman] #121, Die Spinne #180, Edderkoppen #89, Hämähäkkimies #2/1992, Homem-Aranha #115, Örümcek Adam #119, Σπάιντερ Μαν [Spider-Man] #515, Spiderman #223, Spindelmannen #2/1992
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