Spidey and Kamala swap genders and lives in Marvel Team-Up No. 2
By Alex Widen
Image by Marvel Comics
At Least Some of Their Indulgences Were Exposed!
It appears that stress (and close proximity) triggers the swap, as Kamala and Peter switch minds again when he reveals being nervous about a job interview later in the day. Kamala had her own street regarding a major class presentation, so now the pair are stuck as each other for the whole day. This initially leads to a comedic interlude where Kamala (as Peter) enjoys flexing, shaving (!) and coffee, while Peter (as Kamala) enjoys skipping and lipstick. Maybe he should explore that latter side with MJ when this is all done?
From how the last issue began — with both Peter and Kamala lamenting their lots in life — these sequences quickly get predictable. While both Peter and Kamala have fun in each other’s lives, thinking that the grass is greener, reality soon hits both like a relaunch. Kamala (as Peter) cuts herself shaving and utterly bombs the Skype job interview. Peter (as Kamala) faces the sting of ethnic slurs while nearly passing out in a ball during class due to the hormones of a teenage girl. It’s implied that it was menstrual cramps.
Image by Marvel Comics
In what’s easily the highlight of the book, Peter and Kamala — still in each other’s bodies — have lunch on a rooftop in costume. Peter notes that while he’d been bullied in high school, he never had to deal with the extra sting of barbs steered towards his ethnicity and/or religion. Kamala, while making less of a speech about it, saw that “mean boys” exist well after school ends, as the dudes Peter was interviewing with for a job literally called him a “worthless loser” as an icebreaker.
Image by Marvel Comics