Spider-view: "Ye Gods" (Spider-Man 2099, Part 10)
This standalone issue nicely wraps up a larger arc with humor and human heroics
—by Nathan on September 10, 2026—
Miguel O'Hara's last appearance on this site saw him join one of those infamous 90s crossovers that wound up being more style than substance. I've tackled one or two decent crossover narratives from the decade, but I've otherwise been fairly disappointed. The 2099 Universe's "Fall of the Hammer" was certainly a promise kept, with earlier Spider-Man 2099 issues heralding and then trumpeting the return of a certain Norse God of Thunder…though, eh, you'll need to quibble with the definition of "return."
We're not told a great story, even if it had been teased sufficiently. As I noted in that review, the biggest blame may belong to my adolescent imagination, which may have puffed up the "return" of the Asgardian pantheon to a certain degree years before ever seeing how that particular idea panned out. Peter David certainly did his share, casting Miguel in the mold of a harbinger, one of the first 2099 equivalents of Marvel's modern heroes to appear on the scene. I guess the general thinking was that, with one classic hero entering the picture, Thor couldn't be far behind.
Though disappointingly told, "Fall of the Hammer" lives up to its title, and given that "Hammer" can be applied to a few different elements in the narrative, it's more like "Fall of the Hammer(s)." However you want to call it, "Hammer2" features quite a bit of falling, including a certain Thunder God's most famous weapon. David and Rick Leonardi, in this epilogue to the somewhat thrilling union of Spidey, Punisher, Doctor Doom, and the X-Men, detail the exact whereabouts of that hammer…and how Spidey's life is still snagged in the tendrils of Thor's second coming.
"Ye Gods"
Writer: Peter David
Penciler: Rick Leonardi
Inker: Al Williamson
Colorist: George Roussos
Letterer: Ken Lopez
Issue: Spider-Man 2099 #17
Publication Dates: March 1994
I don't consider myself a theater buff, but reading the title to this issue couldn't help but remind me of The Music Man. "Ye gods!" is the preferred utterance of Zaneeta Shinn, daughter of River City's mayor, much to Hizzoner's chagrin. A bit of research indicates the phrase could derive from "Egads!" or "You gods!" Whatever its roots, this fairly humble exclamation is meant to express surprise or shock.
Which, appropriately enough, our Miguel experiences plenty of in this issue.
Spider-Man 2099 #17 is one of those pallet cleanser issues, something to soothe the senses after "Fall of the Hammer" tickled your literary taste buds…or left a foul taste. Regardless of your reaction, you're meant to enter this issue ready for a smaller story, a nice denouement to the events of our preceding crossover extravaganza. In this regard, David and Leonardi do fairly well.
Out of sheer necessity, we're presented with some direct falling action from "Hammer2," and like I discussed the crossover's fairly literal title in my introduction, "direct falling action" should be taken with less figurative meaning than intended. It's not much, just a few pages to wrap up a lingering plot thread–just what the heck are we doing with this massive floating city ("Valhalla") left over from "Fall of the Hammer"?–but there is some literal falling, Spidey and Punisher forced to save each other before parting ways. But that's just a few pages out of the issue, nothing much.
The bulk of David and Leonardi's arc cleverly grafts a few elements strung through previous issues, not so much teasing future arcs but reminding us of the current status quo. Two somewhat disconnected plot elements–the ever-faithful Thorites and Miguel's somewhat Spidey-crazy mother Conchata–find their mingling here. This is the shock I referred to earlier, as Miguel heads Downtown, finding his mother at a rally led by fervent Thor followers, whipped into something of a frenzy after their de facto leader Bloodhammer…no, Bloodsword…yeah, no, Bloodhammer finds Thor's mighty mallet. He's in charge now, ladies and gents.
You get some of your domestic problems blended with your superheroics in this issue, as Miguel has to determine a way to rescue his mother without divebombing the group as Spider-Man. Sans costume, Miguel faces the horde himself, and through some clever writing on David's part, works to get himself and his mother out of trouble. Much of the issue is played for laughs, Miguel's intelligence squaring off against Bloodhamer's innate stupidity and savagery. It's a nice touch on David's part, giving Miguel an opportunity to handle the heroics instead of his arachnid alter ego; yeah, okay, he uses his spider abilities to get himself out of a pinch, but the bad guys don't know that.
This issue makes it fairly clear that Miguel is pretty much the same guy in and out of costume. As we've seen in other issues, the "Peter/Miguel" comparison is right there. Peter has tended to find a greater sense of comfort and confidence in the costume, and though his "Parker persona" has matured over the decades, it's Spidey who feels freer. He's fast with the jokes, the puns, the nonchalant irreverence. Pete, on the other hand, has to make excuses and duck out on dates. Miguel, though bearing a certain concern for his dual identity, can handle extreme situations just as well plainclothed as he can as Spider-Man.
We're not given much development on the Miguel/Conchata front other than the sense that, maybe, the former Mrs. O'Hara gains a bit more respect for her son. In her first appearance, David made it evident that she preferred her son Gabe over Miguel, likely as a result of her deceased husband constantly pressuring Miguel (though the young man has no love lost for his father, thus making Conchata's frustrations with Miguel somewhat harsh). Gabe's taken care of her, while Miguel's been a bit more distant. David, here, fashions an opportunity for Miguel to rescue her, to prove his canniness, that he's just maybe not as tightly wound as his father hoped he'd be. Conchata can see the wind-up key turning in his back, providing some release. She'll never fully be the doting mother figure, such as Aunt May is to Peter, but she may just warm up to her son.
The tone of the whole issue is playful, from Miguel's inner monologue to his dialogue. I've discussed before how well David handles wordplay and humor, and a character such as Spider-Man (or any of his variants) is the perfect playground for David to stretch his comedic muscles. One could argue the consistent humor downgrades the threat Miguel is saving his mother from, but that seems to be the idea. Bloodhammer/sword/axe/whatever is a joke of a jobber, happening upon Thor's hammer conveniently and never being really worthy to wield it. He's a Conan-looking brute deserving to be humbled.
As I said, this issue is a palette cleanser, an amuse-bouche, if I wanted to sound pretentious. I know it's traditional to serve appetizers before a meal, but David and Leonardi flip the script on us this time around, trying to pack in one more bite of hammer-flavored heroics after the cascading chaos of the smorgasbord that was "The Fall of the Hammer." Instead of crafting a completely new story, David wrangles some familiar pieces together–the tension between Miguel and his mom, those pesky Thorites–peppering the issue with familiarity, garnished with that trademark humor he handles so well.