The second part of the four-issue Legion of Light storyline introduces an important new player to the mix - the hero known as Razorback. Razorback is a small-town, down-home superhero from Texarkana, Arkansas who
combines bar room brawling skills with some crafty technical know-how. He has built an electrified mane on his pig-faced costume to ward off foes and his ace in the hole is the "Big Pig" - a souped-up tractor-trailer. If Marvel
ever puts this guy in a movie, Larry the Cable Guy will probably get cast for the role!

I've always had a soft spot for ol' Razorback and I loved this issue when I read it as a kid. I even wrote Marvel a letter (unprinted) back then asking for more Razorback. As a Southerner myself, I've always felt there weren't
enough Southern heroes. Razorback is somewhat of a stereotype, particularly his C. B. radio-inspired dialogue ("Hold onto your lunches, good buddies -- 'cause this here road jockey's gonna kick out the slack and let the motor tote 'er!"). But he's a smart, gutsy guy who proves himself to be a true hero and valuable ally to Spider-Man.

But in Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man #13, Razorback and Spider-Man start out at odds. At the end of Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #12, Spider-Man had been blasted through a window and into an alley by Brother Power and Sister Sun, only to be approached by a shadowy figure. That figure is Razorback and in his daze, Spidey takes a swing at the massive trucker. "I was hopin' you'd try sumpin' like that, good buddy," Razorback says. "'Cause now I got me an excuse to clean up this here dirty city -- usin' you as my broom!" The two brawl, but when Razorback gets the better of the exchange thanks to his electrified mane, he helps Spidey back to his feet, rather than press the attack. The naive hero explains that he always heard those big-city superheroes fight whenever they first meet (he actually has a point there). What he doesn't know is that Spider-Man was racing to save Flash Thompson from Brother Power (Achmed Korba). Korba has married Sha Shan, the girl who saved Flash's life in Vietnam, and rechristened her, however reluctantly, as Sister Sun. The two are now leading a strange religious cult in the U.S. Spider-Man fought Brother Power and Sister Sun last issue, although nothing was settled. Flash went to confront Sha Shan, but was attacked by Brother Power. Spider-Man worries that while he and Razorback have had their meaningless battle, Brother Power has done serious harm to the helpless Flash Thompson. "There may be a murder going on upstairs -- and you want to play games!" Spider-Man says angrily to Razorback. As it turns out, Flash is okay, but Brother Power and Sister Sun are making their escape. Razorback stops Spidey from swinging after them, revealing he has planted a tracer on their car. He brings out the Big Pig - "The fastest semi-rig north, east, south or west of T-City, Arkansas" - to track down the bad guys. Flash insists on coming along, since Sha Shan is with Brother Power.

It turns out that Razorback's little sister, Bobby Sue, ran off to join the Legion of Light. So Razorback went to New York to get her back. Flash reveals what he learned from Sha Shan. She did not want to marry Achmed Korba (A.K.A. Brother Power), but her father, a Buddhist priest, says she must. He explains her goodness must be used to balance Korba's evil. Meanwhile, Brother Power and Sister Sun have moved to a posh suburban mansion, where their "mentor" awaits. He is none other than the Hate-Monger (Or is he? More on that later!), one of the Fantastic Four's oldest and most deadly villains. When Brother Power is less than subservient, the Hate-Monger quickly puts him in his place, courtesy of a force bolt. Spidey checks out the mansion, while Razorback and Flash stay with the truck. "Razorback's heart is in the right place - but I can't risk his bull-in-a-china shop technique giving us away," he thinks, as he quietly prowls around the roof of the mansion. Unfortunately, he falls through the roof, while Flash and Razorback are jumped by a gang of Legion of Light devotees. Brother Light and Sister Sun ambush and KO Spider-Man, while Razorback's own brainwashed sister helps subdue him and Flash. The issue ends with the three heroes in shackles and a time bomb at their feet. Over a video monitor, the Hate-Monger explains his plan for a televised rally the following day. He will use a mass mind control device to brainwash the millions of television viewers. "You have played into my hands," he explains. "Your deaths will provide me with an audience of immense proportions -- an audience ready to receive my message of...hate!"

After introducing Brother Power, Sister Sun and the Legion of Light in the previous issue, most of the focus of this issue is on establishing Razorback, as well as revealing the backdrop of the Hate-Monger's plan. Writer Bill Mantlo and artist Sal Buscema have a great sense of pacing. Multi-issue storylines are the norm today, but in the 1970s, a four-part story was a rare animal. Mantlo and Buscema provide enough background and flesh out the new characters, while still keeping the plot constantly moving forward. It's a tricky balance - and one that today's comic book writers could take a cue from. Too many of today's stories feel "decompressed," with too much pointless dialogue and not enough plot development. But this story grabs you early and keeps your attention throughout all four issues.

Next month: How will Spidey, Flash and Razorback escape? And can they stop the Hate-Monger's sinister plan? Part three of this four-part saga is yet to come!

Reviewed by Bruce Buchanan.