8. Universe X Spidey #1: Slander Is Spoken, In Print It's Libel
You may just about be able to make out the reason the first issue of this Universe X (one of those dystopian future alternate universe deals) spin-off was immediately recalled and pulped by Marvel. Then again, you might not, since it's been pretty well hidden by inker Al Milgrom. Still, not hidden well enough, since Milgrom was fired for his sneaking of a potentially libellous message into the background of a fairly prosaic "everything sucks for Spidey in the future, same as it ever was" tale. Bob Harras wasn't the most popular editor-in-chief Marvel ever had. Besides overseeing crummy storylines line the Clone Saga and making comics even more impenetrable to new readers than they already were, Harras treated his staff like crap too. So, when he was ousted in 2000, Al Milgrom celebrated with the message he hid on the spines of books in the back of that Universe X Spidey panel: "HARRAS HA HA, HE'S GONE, GOOD RIDDANCE TO BAD RUBBISH HE WAS A NASTY S.O.B." Having noticed the little farewell note and panicking over Harras' less-than-charitable nature, the comic was recalled and an edited version published. Milgrom was fired and quietly rehired a few weeks later. The original printing goes for a pretty penny these days.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
