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Cover: Steve Skroce & Bud LaRosa

The Amazing Spider-Man #419

Name: The Amazing Spider-Man #419
Brand: Marvel
Availability: InStock

Jan 1997 · Marvel · 1.50 USD; 2.10 CAD

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“Beware the Black Tarantula”

★ 1st appearance — Chesbro★ 1st appearance — Black Tarantula

About this Issue

Amazing Spider-Man #419 is the debut issue — in shadow, voice only — of Black Tarantula (Carlos LaMuerto), one of the most physically formidable adversaries Spider-Man would face in the post-Clone Saga era. The issue arrives at a pivotal transitional moment for the Spider-Man titles: the Clone Saga had just concluded with the death of Ben Reilly, and Marvel was rebuilding Peter Parker's rogues gallery almost from scratch. By introducing an international crime lord whose dynastic 'Black Tarantula' title is inherited father-to-son over seven centuries, DeFalco and Skroce grafted a mythology onto organized-crime storytelling that would give the character enough depth to migrate years later into Daredevil's corner of the Marvel Universe, ultimately playing a meaningful role in the Shadowland crossover. The issue is also a notable showcase for Skroce's kinetic, hyper-detailed page design — his run on Amazing Spider-Man would prove to be a brief but admired bridge between Mark Bagley's long tenure and his own departure into film storyboarding.

writer Tom DeFalco · artist Steve Skroce · inker Bud LaRosa · colorist Bob Sharen · letterer Richard Starkings · letterer Comicraft/LA · cover Steve Skroce, Bud LaRosa

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Raw (NM) $5

CGC 9.8 · 68 in census $72

CGC 9.6 · 11 in census $30

CGC 9.4 · 7 in census $29

CGC 9.2 · 2 in census $25*

CGC 9.0 · 4 in census $24*

CGC 8.5 none in existence

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CGC 8.0 · 2 in census $20*

CGC 7.5 · 2 in census $20*

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History

Written by Tom DeFalco and penciled by Steve Skroce (with inks by Bud LaRosa, colors by Bob Sharen, and letters by Richard Starkings/Comicraft), the issue was edited by Ralph Macchio under editor-in-chief Bob Harras. It was released on the stands November 13, 1996 and carried a January 1997 cover date. Skroce had joined Amazing Spider-Man in 1996, succeeding Mark Bagley, and this was only his second issue on the title; he would complete roughly eight issues total before departing for Image Comics and subsequently storyboarding The Matrix. The issue's in-continuity framing is rich with then-current Marvel events: it references the aftermath of Onslaught (with the Avengers and Fantastic Four believed dead) and the post-Kingpin power vacuum in New York's underworld, giving the new villain an immediately credible strategic reason to move on the city.

Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance (in shadow/voice only) of Black Tarantula (Carlos LaMuerto), a superhuman Argentinian crime lord whose dynastic title has allegedly been passed father-to-son for over 700 years.
Black Tarantula was created by writer Tom DeFalco and artist Steve Skroce; inker Bud LaRosa is also credited as a co-creator by some sources.
The character's first full visual appearance does not occur until Amazing Spider-Man #432 (March 1998), making this issue a 'first cameo' by the standard collector distinction.
Also features the first appearances of several supporting characters in Black Tarantula's organization: his aide Chesbro and his enforcer El Uno, as well as the organization itself.
Story title: 'The Bite of the Black Tarantula Is Always — Fatal!' The plot involves Black Tarantula sending El Uno to broker an illegal emerald deal with the Rose's enforcer Delilah, setting off a pier confrontation interrupted by Spider-Man.
The issue is set directly after the end of the Clone Saga — the Marvel Database notes it occurs approximately one month after Ben Reilly's death — positioning it as the first major new villain introduction of the post-Clone-Saga Amazing Spider-Man.
Penciler Steve Skroce went on to storyboard The Matrix (1999) for the Wachowskis, a connection that traces back to his earlier work with them on the Marvel Razorline series Ectokid; his Amazing Spider-Man run is now recognized as a transitional highlight before that career shift.
The issue was reprinted in three international editions: Spindelmannen (Egmont, Sweden, 1997 series) #13/1998, Spiderman (Juniorpress, Netherlands, 1996 series) #17 (1997), and Spider-Man (Panini Deutschland, Germany, 1997 series) #26 (March 1999).