The Amazing Spider-Man #397
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeAmazing Spider-Man #397 opens the 'Web of Death' arc, one of the more narratively coherent chapters of the sprawling Clone Saga, and carries two developments that give it lasting significance: the first appearance of Stunner (Angelina Brancale), a virtual-reality-powered villain whose concept of identity and self-image added genuine emotional texture to the Doctor Octopus corner of the Spider-Man mythology, and a quietly startling scene in which a critically ill Spider-Man is unmasked by Doctor Octopus, who discovers Peter Parker beneath the mask. That unmasking — paired with Octopus choosing compassion over exploitation — reframes the Parker/Octavius rivalry in a more psychologically rich register than either character had occupied for years. Running concurrently with the 'Web of Life' arc in the other Spider-titles, 'Web of Death' gave the Clone Saga its most compelling villain spotlight of the period, and Stunner's introduction set in motion a chain of events (including the eventual death of Doctor Octopus at Kaine's hands) that reshaped the supporting cast for the remainder of the 1990s.
In "Web of Death, Part 1 of 4: Tentacles," Spider-Man finds himself in a desperate fight for survival after being poisoned, his strength fading as he confronts both Doc Ock and The Stunner. The stakes rise dramatically when Doc Ock finally uncovers Spider-Man’s secret identity, setting off a chain of events that will test the hero’s resolve like never before. Written by J. M. DeMatteis and brought to life with dynamic art by Mark Bagley, inks by Larry Mahlstedt, and colors by Bob Sharen, this pivotal issue features a cover by Mark Bagley and Tom Grummett.
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The issue was scripted by J.M. DeMatteis, pencilled by Mark Bagley, inked by Larry Mahlstedt, colored by Bob Sharen, and lettered by Bill Oakley, under editor Danny Fingeroth and editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco. It landed in January 1995 squarely inside the Clone Saga's early momentum, when the Spider-titles were publishing tightly coordinated four-part arcs across multiple books; 'Web of Death' ran through Amazing Spider-Man #397–398 and Spectacular Spider-Man #220–221. The Marvunapp Appendix credits Stunner's creation jointly to DeMatteis, DeFalco, Bagley, and Mahlstedt — reflecting the collaborative, editorially directed nature of Clone Saga character development. The oversized flip-book format (52 pages) also included an abridged prose story, 'Radically Both,' by Christopher Golden with art by Alex Saviuk, adapted from the 'Ultimate Spider-Man' 1994 Berkley Books anthology, and the issue shipped with a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers White Ranger barcode card for Tiger game systems bundled inside.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Stunner (Angelina Brancale), a virtual-reality construct who projects the idealized physical form that reclusive, overweight secretary Angelina always wished she had — making her one of comics' earliest characters whose power is explicitly rooted in body-image and virtual identity.
- Doctor Octopus unmasks the defeated, virus-weakened Spider-Man and discovers he is Peter Parker — a revelation that, notably, does not shock Octavius, who instead turns his attention to finding a cure for his foe's illness.
- The issue is the opening chapter of the 'Web of Death' four-part arc (completing in Spectacular Spider-Man #220, Amazing Spider-Man #398, and Spectacular Spider-Man #221), published as part of the larger Clone Saga event.
- Written by J.M. DeMatteis with pencils by Mark Bagley, inks by Larry Mahlstedt, colors by Bob Sharen, lettering by Bill Oakley, edited by Danny Fingeroth, and published under editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco.
- The story picks up directly from the 'Back from the Edge' arc, in which the Vulture infected Peter Parker with a lethal government-engineered virus for which no antidote exists, leaving Spider-Man physically deteriorating throughout this issue.
- Kaine (the first clone of Peter Parker) appears in cameo, lurking in shadow and observing the poisoned Spider-Man — foreshadowing his role later in the arc when he kills Doctor Octopus.
- The issue uses a flip-book / prestige format (52 pages) containing a second story: 'Radically Both,' written by Christopher Golden and drawn by Alex Saviuk, adapted from the 1994 Berkley Books anthology novel 'The Ultimate Spider-Man,' featuring Spider-Man versus the Lizard.
- Copies of this issue were originally bagged with a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers White Ranger barcode card for Tiger handheld game systems — a now-often-missing insert that reflects Marvel's mid-1990s cross-promotional publishing practices. The issue has been collected in Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Web of Life, Web of Death and in Spider-Man: The Complete Clone Saga Epic Book 2.
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Reprints
Reprinted in Strange #315 (1996), Spider-Man #3 (1997), Spider-Man: The Complete Clone Saga Epic #2 (2010), Spider-Man: Clone Saga Omnibus #1 (2016), Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection #28 (2024), De spectaculaire Spider-Man [De spektakulaire Spiderman] #188, Edderkoppen #140, Spindelmannen #5/1996
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