How Spider-Man started dating Rambo
Today, we take a look at how Betty Brant experienced one of the most ridiculous moments involving a gun and blindfold in the 1990s (and considering how many guns and blindfolds the 1990s went through. , that says a lot).
In Remember to Forget, we spotlight some comic book stories that I wish I could forget, but I can’t, so I’m sharing them with all of you instead, so you’re stuck in the same boat as me. !
As I have mentioned a few times over the years, I usually jot things down in an online notepad whenever I think of something interesting, because as you are no doubt aware, ideas are fleeting and if you don’t write something down, you might not think about it anymore. My notepad is very long and I don’t read a lot, but I sometimes revisit old notes for ideas. Anyway, in my notes since early 2019, there was a note that just said “Betty Brant, Rambo”.
A friend of mine mentioned the story I’m referring to the other day and I thought, ‘Oh man, I really have to do this now, don’t I? So be prepared for Betty Brant to get weird… really weird.
BETTY BRANT HAS HAD DIFFICULT MOMENTS OVER THE YEARS
When we were Spider-Man’s first real love, Betty Brant, she was J. Jonah Jameson’s secretary and what stood out the most about her was that she did NOT stand out, in the sense that she was charming in a relaxed style. so. It was an interesting approach, like this delicious meeting between Peter and herself in Amazing Spider-Man # 7 (by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee)…
A few problems later, however, she was starting to worry about Peter and you could tell that something in her past was behind her outlook on life…
This led to the revelation that her beloved brother was a con artist who was trying to protect her and not get too caught up in the crime, but events made it very difficult …
Spider-Man got involved because Peter met Betty and learned about her situation, but in the process her brother was killed and she, of course, blamed Spider-Man …
This led to a rocky area for romance that never really recovered. Eventually, Betty met a reporter, Ned Leeds, and they soon got engaged for one of the longest engagements in comic book history, eventually getting married in Amazing Spider-Man # 156 (by Len Wein, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito)….
The 1970s seemed to be going well for Betty, but things were about to change. First, Betty and Ned’s marriage nearly fell apart (and I’m pretty sure she slept with Peter while she was still married to Ned), but Peter pushed her away to her husband. Then, in Spectacular Spider-Man # 109 (by Peter David, Rich Buckler and Brett Breeding), she was almost killed by the Sin-Eater…
Fortunately, he missed her with his first shot …
And Betty showed strong survival instincts while battling the villain …
It was long enough for Spider-Man to show up and save his life …
Soon after, however, Ned was killed …
and as we saw in Amazing Spider-Man # 289 (by David, Alan Kupperberg and Tom Morgan), Betty kind of broke…
and she hadn’t even discovered that Ned was the Hobgoblin yet!
Okay, he wasn’t REALLY the Hobgoblin, but that was a retcon later.
All of that trauma eventually sent Betty into arms awaiting worship in Web of Spider-Man # 40 (by David, Alex Saviuk and Keith Williams)…
Betty however came out of the cult and changed her life and became a solid reporter for the Daily Bugle in her own right.
BETTY BRANT IS READY FOR ACTION … EVEN IF SHE NEEDS A CHANGE OF DRESS
In Web of Spider-Man # 115 (by Terry Kavanagh, Alex Saviuk, and Don Hudson), Betty begins to take an interest in a scheming rich man, but hey, she has a bad history with men, so she goes out of her way. to look inside him …
Well, a new villain called FACADE didn’t like it, and she was almost killed in her own apartment!
Instead, Betty escaped the fire escape and was doing her best to survive by climbing up to other buildings …
Spider-Man showed up to save Betty, but he was a little annoyed that she didn’t run away, you know. However, this is the NEW Betty Brant, so she had other plans…
At the end of the number, Spidey was having a hard time with FACADE, but luckily the next number opened with… Betty saving the day dressed as Rambo ?!
I’m totally in favor of Betty having a secret arsenal. It makes perfect sense with how much she was kidnapped and attacked. Again, she saw some things. But the fact that she CHANGES INTO “COOL” OUTFIT BEFORE ATTACKING is simply INSANE! Complete with ridiculous headband! Oh MAN, this is stupid.
Bad ass Betty even gushes out cliché lines of action like “I believe in revenge” as she pulverizes the villain with her machine gun …
I sure don’t want Betty Brant to get stuck in 1964, but come on, what a silly take on the character. Fortunately, Rambo Betty was not a lasting change for the character and she became an even better journalist in the years that followed (she also learned that her late husband was NOT the Hobgoblin, so it was good for the old self-esteem).
If you have a suggestion for another comic book plot that is probably best to forget (but it’s fun to rejoice how much we can’t help but remember) send me a message at brianc @ cbr.com
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