The Spot is on his way to mainstream stardom, and this quirky character with an unfortunate name is our Oddball of the Week.

In the world of comics, big news happens practically all the time. It has collectors jumping from key to key in the unending pursuit of profits. This time around, the spotlight has shifted to an unlikely character, the Spot, who will be a primary antagonist for Miles Morales in the animated Across the Spider-Verse: Part One.

WHO IS THE SPOT?

You have to love comic book mad scientists. Working for Kingpin, Jonathan Ohnn was experimenting with teleportation in his lab. The idea was to recreate Cloak’s abilities for Wilson Fisk’s criminal empire. Ohnn succeeds, and he discovers that he can do more than just teleport. Using his spots, he can physically interact with objects well away from him. What’s the first thing he wants to do with that power? You guessed it, kick or punch someone from across the room. You know who Ohnn thought needed a good kicking? Spider-Man topped the list, especially after he laughed at Ohnn’s supervillain name, the Spot.

THE KEYS

At the moment, all the attention is laser-focused on Spot’s first appearance in Spectacular Spider-Man #98, but there are other options for you. Let’s explore his key issues and give you a shopping list for this week’s Oddball Award recipient.

SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #98

While attempting to access the dimension that gives Cloak his powers, things went wrong. (But don’t they always?) Jonathan got what he wanted, and he found himself in a white place with black portals. When he placed his hand into a portal, he was sent back to the laboratory. Only now, Jonathan is covered in black portals, hence his supervillain name, the Spot. 

A year ago, the 9.8 averaged a little over $400. On June 14, it reached a record-breaking $700. Since then, it has consistently sold for $600+.

SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #99

It pays to collect those first cover appearances. An issue after his first appearance, Spot would be featured front and center on Spectacular Spider-Man #99. We also got our first look at how his powers worked, which looked like something Wile E. Coyote would buy from Acme. It’s not without its uses. When Spider-Man threw a punch into one of Jonathan’s black spots, his fist came out of another portal, causing Spidey to punch himself. 

Need Spot’s first cover in your collection? The 9.8 sold for $300 in November, and the most recent sale was for $269 on June 13.

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #111

This could be the basis for the animated Spot’s Across the Spider-Verse origin story. In the Ultimate Universe, instead of Jonathan Ohnn, a man only known as Frank was the subject of a Roxxon experiment that gave him his teleporting abilities. While the scientists may have been toasting a success, Jonathan wasn’t too happy about his skin turning white with portals all over his body. That led to a showdown between Spider-Man and a more serious version of the Spot.

The last time a graded 9.8 sold online was in 2019 when a copy brought $45. On eBay, raw copies are anywhere from $3 to $10. There’s also a sketch cover edition from Wizard World Chicago that you should watch. A raw copy sold for $19.99 on June 21, and a 9.8 earned a record $70 in April.

ODDLY SATISFYING

Despite a goofy name and the look of a mutant dalmatian, the Spot has one of the better powers in Marvel Comics. It should translate into a comedic fight with Miles Morales and Spider-Gwen, and he could be on the verge of being a mainstream name. That makes this the time to strike for those keys.

Keep up with the Oddballs!

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.