With the recent news that our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is back with the MCU for at least one more solo movie, several questions have been answered as to how Kevin Feige & Co. will move forward with the character. We know the MCU will be able to explore the cliffhanger from the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home and there is potential for more MCU appearances. What we don’t know, however, is anything regarding plot or potential villain for the third Spider-Man installment.

One of the most fervent pieces of speculation in the coming months will be surrounding the third film’s antagonist. Deciphering the clues we have in place from past movies, there is a strong case that Scorpion is coming for Spider-Man.

MCU Clues

First, we expect Spider-Man and friends will be back in New York City. After his tour of Europe in Far From Home, it only makes sense to bring the web-slinger back to The Big Apple, especially now that he has to deal with the ramifications of J. Jonah Jameson publicly revealing his identity.

This reveal sets the stage for the familiar conflict fans are accustomed to between Jameson and Spidey. Across the decades, Jameson has done whatever it takes to bring down Spider-Man and expose him for the criminal Jameson believes him to be. One of the first instances is from Amazing Spider-Man #19 when we are introduced to a mysterious private investigator named Mac

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Gargan, a man hired by Jameson to determine how Peter Parker has such a strong connection to Spider-Man.

In Amazing Spider-Man #20, Jameson pays a scientist to mutate Gargan into the deadly Scorpion, who then goes out on his own after defeating Spider-Man and leaving Jameson behind.

MCU fans may recall we have already been introduced to Mac Gargan in Homecoming. In the film, Gargan is a weapons buyer seeking to purchase from Adrian Toomes/Vulture. The two meet in prison during the mid-credits scene as Gargan (and his scorpion neck tattoo) asks Toomes about Spider-Man’s identity. Gargan seems to be out for revenge after Spider-Man foiled their weapons exchange, leading to his imprisonment.

Putting Spider-man back in the city with these two motivated characters sets the stage for a Jameson and Gargan team-up that ends with a Spider-Man/Scorpion showdown.

Speculation on Early Scorpion Issues

Both Amazing Spider-Man #19 and Amazing Spider-Man #20 fall squarely in the Silver Age major keys category. Finding a high-grade cheap gem is unlikely, but compared to other Spider-Man movie villains – Doctor Octopus, Elektro, Green Goblin – issues where Gorgan and Scorpion first appear are a relative bargain.

It’s been more than two years since Gorgan first entered the MCU. Since that time, there have been upward trends on most CGC grades of #19 and #20, but there is a large range of grades where the book remains absolutely affordable. The market seems to not know how to respond with no mention of Gargan since Homecoming.

CGC 9.0
ASM #19: +44.2% - Prices have swung wildly here, ranging from $560 to $960 in the past six months.
ASM #20: -14.1% - Only three recorded sales in the past year, but the price dropped from $2,500 in February to $2,147 in June. This is something to monitor.

CGC 6.0
ASM #19: +54.9% - Despite the price increase in the past calendar year, all sales of issue #19 have been under $250 for this grade.
ASM #20: +19% - Prices in the mid-range are on a roller coaster as the book sold for $400 six months ago, but most recently sold in June for $675, August for $725, and earlier this month for $565.

CGC 3.0/3.5
ASM #19: +24.9% - This book can currently be bought for the price of a nice dinner for two, including one lucky collector who purchased at this grade for $81 one year ago.
ASM #20: -2.2% - Prices have held steadily under $300 since February with four recorded sales.

How To React

Speculation on this third Spider-Man movie will run wild over the next several months as casting announcements and plot points are revealed, but my money is on the MCU remaining consistent about the interconnectivity of its stories. Introducing a character like Mac Gargan and then letting him rot in prison – especially when we only have the promise of one more Spider-Man film – just doesn’t seem like an MCU thing to do.

If you’re like me and expect Disney to try and tie up this little bow while the asset is still on their roster, a copy of each issue can be yours in the mid-grade for under $1,000 total. Invest now and ride the wave when Scorpion is named Spider-Man’s latest foe.

 

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