PSA Monday: Spider-Man and Power Pack
Spider-Man and Power-Pack was a giveaway comic produced in 1984 by Marvel, the National Committee For Prevention of Child Abuse, and the NEA. Written to educate children about sexual abuse, this comic contains two stories.
The first is a Spider-Man tale written by Jim Salicrup and penciled by Jim Mooney. Peter Parker is in his apartment darkroom developing pictures when he hears something disturbing from the next apartment. Changing into Spider-Man, he swings over and finds that Tony, the son of the couple next door, has been abused by his babysitter Judy. Spider-Man wants Tony to tell his parents what happened but Tony is too scared.
Spider-Man tells Tony the story of a young man about his same age who lived with his aunt and uncle (could it be Peter Parker?). This young bespectacled boy was a bookworm and didn’t have many friends. He was pleased when a slightly older boy named Skip befriended him. Then one day, Skip pulled out some Girlie magazines (no really, that was the name of the magazine) and told Pete that they should “touch each other like the people in that magazine.” The young boy tells his aunt and uncle what happened and in the end everything works out. Spider-Man tells Tony that just like that other young boy, he should let his parents know what happened. Tony’s parents are very supportive and tell Tony that he did the right thing. They thank Spidey, but he tells them that there’s no need for thanks as Tony has already helped him. Web-swinging back to his apartment, Spider-Man realizes that helping Tony face his abuse has allowed Spieder-Man to face a dark chapter of his own past (an incident never mentioned again in any other Spider-Man comic book ever).
The second part of the comic is a Power Pack story by Louise Simonson with pencils by June Brigman and Mary Wilshire. Jane, a young school friend of the Power children, has run away from home because her father sexually abuses her. Jane told her mother what happened, but her mother didn’t believer her. The Power Pack are able to locate the runaway Jane and they bring her back to their house. Jane tells Mrs. Power what happened. After Mrs. Power consoles her, she gives Jane a number to call to get her family some help.
November 14th, 2005 at 10:35 pm
I’ve actually been trying to find a copy of this comic for awhile, as part of my occasional “Marvel’s Treatment of Gay Themes” type posts, just to see if the Spider-Man story really is as homophobic as I remembered it. The scene with Skip always struck me as more “Peter gets ineptly and creepily hit on by a gay teen” than “Peter almost got molested.”
November 15th, 2005 at 1:49 am
Are you suggesting this story is not in-continuity? Pshaw! Obviously you didn’t read enough Power Pack as a lad. Skip was retconned as a Snark.
I’d be amazed if there hasn’t been an actual “Girlie” magazine out there at some point.
Seriously, I vaguely remember seeing this story around. What depresses me tonight is that comic books have fallen so far off the map with today’s kids that Marvel wouldn’t even think of putting this kind of book out today. You’re more of a manga guy then I am, but can you think of any manga labels doing anything like this?
November 15th, 2005 at 7:09 am
Official Comment
Dorian, I think the comic is still available from the NCPCA, I think I have the address and request number around here somewhere…
Haole, I don’t think traditional Japanese manga would touch it, but some of the more recent American-produced manga could pull it off succesfully.
November 15th, 2005 at 8:04 am
There is something creeping up from the dark recesses of my mind that makes me think that I have read this. I don’t think that I owned it, but might have read it at the barber shop or something.
November 15th, 2005 at 8:52 am
I remember reading this as a pull-out section from the Chicago Tribune. It was like a comics section within the comics section.
July 8th, 2007 at 2:02 am
Never saw the comic itself, but I remember a splash advertisement with Spiderman and various Power Pack members with speech bubbles about abuse. It was in one of the magazines my parents subscribed us to. It confused me as a child because I had no conception of abuse and the only information was in the characters’ speech bubbles.
August 3rd, 2007 at 5:01 am
Puke me a river…
Yes, Virginia, comic book physique is possible. Within reason. Thing is, who wants to be a comic book character these days?
Most of you have seen the I’m a Marvel / I’m a DC spots. I didn’t even bother to watch them all, because they made DC look…
March 6th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
They should have made this a Punisher story.
May 30th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
I have this comic. Volume 1 Number 1
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