Someone Finally Beats Spider-Man to the Punchline (Thanks to Time Travel)

Spoilers for The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1Spider-Man has a joke for everything – unless, of course, he’s racked with guilt over an unnecessary death. Then he’s just not in the mood. However, thanks to the time-traveling hero Overtime, Spider-Man manages to be relieved of his guilt and get his lightheartedness back, even if Overtime steals his punchline in the process.

In The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 by Derek Landy, Ron Lim, and Don Ho, Spider-Man is in a bad mood following the death of a villain named Fission in what should have been a routine take-down. Things only get worse when he meets Overtime. With the Infinity Time Stone in his body, Overtime has the ability to go back and manipulate time. The only thing is, he hasn’t been doing this very long, and the furthest he can go back is 24 hours.

Even with the Time Stone at his behest, Overtime gets off to a rough start, as Spider-Man has no trouble dealing with Infinity Stone powers. Overtime decides to use his powers not only to save Spider-Man from his guilt, but to give the hero his jokes back. And along the way, he decides to beat the hero to the punny punchline.

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It Takes Spidey-Sense to Know Good Comedic Timing

Leave the Jokes to Spider-Man

Going back in time to save Fission from certain death, Overtime asks Spider-Man just what he would say in that situation. Naturally, Spider-Man’s response is a pun on the villain’s name: “Gone fission.” Traveling back a day earlier, Overtime delivers the knockout punch that saves the day along with the punchline – entirely out of context. Even Spider-Man is befuddled and doesn’t understand the quip. Any pun-master knows how to wait for the set-up to the joke, but Overtime delivers the quip, apropos of nothing. A veteran hero and comedian, Spider-Man remarks that Overtime must be new at this.

Spider-Man’s Cheery Nature Inspires Others

Peter Parker’s Joy is a Beacon of Hope

Spider-Man is no joke. Unless his all-too famous quips and asides are taken into consideration, then he’s all jokes – he even had a signature catchphrase in the ’60s. Even in the midst of a cataclysmic battle, he’s got his funny bone. It could be argued that Spider-Man’s real superpower is comedic timing and the ability to keep things light. He inspires Overtime, in his recent and short stint as a hero, to model himself after Spider-Man and to meet the enemy with ease. However, it will take some time for Overtime to be able to stick the landing.

Joy is infectious. The ability to laugh in the face of adversity is a decidedly human trait, and there is no one more human than Peter Parker. As seen in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1, not even time travel can knock Spider-Man down from his reign as the king of the quips. Because while he’s a hero first, it’s what comes out of his mouth that makes him a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

Spider-Man

Spider-Man is the name given to several individuals who have employed a spider-moniker throughout Marvel Comics. Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider, the different Spider-Man heroes employ super-strength, agility, and intellect while utilizing webbing to swing and tangle up their foes. The most notable of these Spider-Men is Peter Parker, who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world.

First Appearance

Amazing Fantasy

Alias

Peter Parker, Ben Reilly, Otto Octavius, Yu Komori, Kaine Parker, Pavitr Prabhakar, William Braddock, Miles Morales, Kurt Wagner

Alliance

Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Secret Defenders, Future Foundation, Heroes for Hire, Mighty Avengers, New Avengers, Web-Warriors

Race

Human

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