This week’s Amazing Fantasy #1000 gives Spider-Man his very own Scarecrow-like villain in Conspiriton. This new foe uses hallucination-inducing gases similar to DC’s Scarecrow. However, these gases don’t induce fear but instead give victims a glimpse into their most conspiratory beliefs (hence the name Conspiriton).
What Havoc Does Conspiriton Get Up To?
Amid the pages of Amazing Fantasy #1000, Spider-Man investigates a number of strange headlines from The Daily Bugle. These headlines seem to adjust depending on who is reading them. For example, Peter Parker sees the paper praising his alter ego for the first time. Meanwhile, the Bugle’s editor, J. Jonah Jameson, sees the paper reporting his own Pulitzer Prize win.
Spider-Man’s investigation culminates in a showdown with Conspiriton in the streets of New York City. Lo and behold, this new villain is behind these strange headlines. They are hallucinations that the Scarecrow-like villain induces through hallucinogens. They alter people’s perceptions of the media and release a ton of conspiracy theories onto New York. Of course, Conspiriton is no match for Spidey, who soon unmasks him as the son of a millionaire who holds a ton of his own insecurities.
Why Another Scarecrow-like Villain?
Clearly, there isn’t a need for more hallucination-inducing enemies in comic books. However, as CBR notes, Conspiriton’s schtick is more closely tied to false news and media conspiracy than DC’s Scarecrow. Today’s society is strange, with so much news and conflicting opinions thrown at us. It can be overwhelming to determine the actual truth. This is what Conspiriton plays on and uses against humanity. After all, if we believe in something hard enough, we begin to feel it is the truth.
This special story comes from Armando Iannucci and is part of the 60th celebration of Spider-Man. Amazing Fantasy #1000 features a ton of stories celebrating Spider-Man from a wide array of creators. It is on sale now!
