Nightcrawler’s efforts as Spider-Man just ran into their first major hurdle as Vulture has resurfaced, working with Orchis to track and experiment on mutants.
The Fall of X has sent the mutants scrambling, with some stranded on a war-torn Arakko and others hiding out in the Canadian north. Others have chosen to stay close to their roots, though.
Wolverine is currently on the hunt for wayward clones of himself, while Shadowkat and Ms. Marvel lead a mutant resistance. Others, like Iceman, have been striking Orchis where they can.
Nightcrawler has gone a different route. He’s adopted an old Spider-Man costume and is saving New York citizens one by one, but he’s unfortunately catching the eye of an old Spidey foe in the process.
Spider-Man’s foe Vulture is hunting Marvel’s mutants – using their technology
Uncanny Spider-Man #1 reveals that an Orchis facility is experimenting on mutants in an effort to understand the secret of mutant resurrection. Leading the charge is Adrian Toomes, who has taken to calling himself Director Vulture.
Vulture also appears to have gotten some kind of a tech upgrade. He appears to have new wings and a new helmet, both of which are made from Warlock’s nanotech.
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Debuting in The Amazing Spider-Man #2, the Vulture is one of Spider-Man’s oldest foes (both timeline-wise and literally), so it makes sense that he would be a foil for the Uncanny Spider-Man. His role with Orchis is new, though, and the torture of mutants he’s had a hand in – both demonstrated and implied – is a terrifying new leap for the villain.
The Vulture has fought Spider-Man for decades, with his portrayal swinging wildly from an ineffectual old man to a terrifying, scheming threat. Vulture was last seen in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man, where he nearly killed Spidey for revealing Vulture’s criminal past to his granddaughter. He’s also currently a member of the Savage Six, a team of animal-themed Spidey villains who formed following Kraven’s Great Hunt.
The mystery of how Vulture could have gotten Warlock’s nanotech to make his wings is a fairly significant mystery in itself. Warlock was killed in the pages of Legion of X to save Krakoa after Nimrod corrupted him. Despite being a longtime ally of the New Mutants, Warlock himself was not a mutant and was not subject to mutant resurrection, though the character has managed to cheat death before.
Uncanny Spider-Man #1 is available now from Marvel Comics. For more Spider-Man and comic book news, be sure to follow all our coverage.
