Spider-Man: Far From Home is just around the corner. It should be exciting to see how the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) world will change after the events of Avengers: End Game, and how society is moving forward since being abruptly reunited with its missing half after five years (does anyone else believe we deserve some insight into how bringing everyone back works? Squatters rights, possession is 9/10 law, etc...for example does everyone who came back have nothing?). To me the most important revelations will be all this business with Jake Gyllenhaal's character Mysterio. Who is this dude, why is he here, and what the heck does he want? These questions will help set us on a trajectory for Phase V and the upcoming expectations of the MCU offerings.
The character Mysterio made his debut in the pages Amazing Spider-Man #13 back in 1964. Mysterio was first portrayed by special effects master turned criminal Quentin Beck. Beck would later use the alias of world renowned psychiatrist Dr. Ludwig Rinehart to mess with Spider-Man and Aunt May. While in Prison a cellmate of Beck's, Daniel Berkhart, would use the mantle of Mysterio (sometimes noted as Mysterio II) to help the original. Beck remains the most notable version...and there are a few new-age iterations of the character I'll just glance over. The character, Mysterio, is also a character that has played a prominent role in the villain group known as the Sinister Six. Is his inclusion in the MCU, when added to the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming, specifically to set up the Sinister Six coming soon? I just hope all this Norman Osborn hype is false, as I am tired of the character being "necessary" in a Spider-Man universe...it may be true, but Marvel could be smart and wait until people forget he was used in two other franchises.
If the trailers for Far From Home are not lying to us (big if) it appears that the MCU Mysterio is a hero rather than the traditional foil to Spider-Man. It also appears that he is a hero from an alternate reality and has some business here on earth relating to his own reality. Will Mysterio remain a committed hero, be found to be the true villain, or a little bit of both? I, for one, am excited to find out. In my estimation, Mysterio will remain the movie's ultimate villain, although I expect his character to have a understandable hatred that audiences and Spider-Man himself are not only drawn to but kinda relate to.
I expect the market for everything Spider-Man to see a swell in pricing with the release of the new movie. If you cannot snag a copy of Amazing Spider-Man #13 for your collection due to pricing or availability, there may be a few other options to look at. Amazing Spider-Man #66 features a great Mysterio cover and since it does not feature the character first appearance, you will see Fair Market Values (FMV) be a bit more reasonable for the average collector. If you are looking for a first appearance book to add to your collection, that still has an affordable price-point, you can add Amazing Spider-Man #141 which features the first appearance of Danny Berkhart as Mysterio II.
Are you excited about a new Spider-Man movie or did you wish Marvel would focus on other characters? Is there a villain or hero you hope makes a surprise appearance? Are you sad about Marvel wasting Molten Man? Drop your comments and join the speculation.
