Whatever Happened to Spider-Man's molester?

Image from Spider-Man and Power Pack # 1 (1984).

In 1984, the National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse, with Marvel Comics, created a one-shot Spider-Man/Power Pack comic in which it is revealed that Peter Parker was molested by Steven "Skip" Westcott, a teenage boy from a broken home. Young Peter Parker gets up the courage to tell Uncle Ben and Aunt May, his guardians, what happened, but nothing occurs in the story's narrative to indicate Skip was ever punished or sent away to receive counseling or anything. The focus of the story is smartly on how children should react to this situation, rather than on what will happen to the perpetrator. Three years later, the NCPCA releases another comic with Marvel in which Spider-Man recollects the events during a fight with the Hobgoblin.

I am certainly not bringing this up to make light of the sexual abuse of children. I'm just curious if Steven Westcott has any significance in mainstream continuity. The NCPCA stories are not well written, and the coloring makes Skip look like a handsy Magneto or Quicksilver, but the comic's attempt to engage younger readers and encourage them to speak out is admirable. I am just curious if Westcott had a mainstream counterpart or if he was created solely for these stories (most likely).

This story was reprinted in the 2012 Marvel tradeSpider-Man Fights Substance Abuse. An aside, one blogger suggested that Uncle Ben beat Skip to death with a tire iron. What if...?

That guy in the pick is a teenager from a broken home!?He has white hair and looks old...

@kingares109: And now you know why Jim Mooney wasn't picked to do art chores for New Mutants. The emphasis that the story puts on Skip coming from a single-parent household seems kind of inappropriate. The narrative says he had more opportunities for bad touch because he was frequently home alone. So, in 1984, one was more likely to have inappropriate contact with children if his or her parents were divorced. Nice, Marvel.

@nothing2lose: Yeah that is weird.Smh..But I guess we all make mistakes..

Lmao

OH GOD.

I've read this comic, and honestly I was very impressed with their willingness to be very direct and straightforward about sexual abuse--both in the Power Pack and Spider-Man sections. Especially considering the times it made made it, it's kind of stunningly honest and real. I got it for my kids to read some day, but once I did, I wasn't sure what ages it would be best for them to read it, considering its explicitness and emotional scariness.

I didn't know it was done a second time with Hobgoblin.

To answer your question, I don't think this story exists in continuity.

@owie: Unlike the anti-smoking thing, the 1987 comic was not a retelling of the original story, but a completely new one which recollects the 1984 piece. There is no implication that Roderick Kingsley was a child molester (though his twin brother did seem awfully submissive).

So same story, but retold in new pics/words? Interesting that they would do that.

@owie: They did that with smoking PSA, as Luke Cage's look had evolved and to make it more engaging to kids. I'm saying they did NOT do that with the sexual abuse pieces. Spider-Man recalls Skip in the middle of a fight with Hobgoblin and there is a footnote to the previous piece.

I guess what I understood you to mean is that there was a new frame story, with the original retold in briefer form in a flashback. But you're saying that it's only referenced.

@owie: Right. =)

jesus...

It hasn't been mentioned again so I guess they have completely forgotten about it

Wasn't it one of those event titles like the "Black Issue" that weren't actually acknowledged as being canon?

it was Mephisto. Thats why Peter and MJs marriage bugged him so much. He still has a thing for Peter

What the actual hell

@Solid_Snake97 bruh poor Spidey :(

He's lurking somewhere

Haha, if it's Mephistopheles, spider is screwed

@nerevarine_11: he can never catch a break :( why can't this sort of BS happen to someone else instead, like Tony

I'm starting to think Marvel has it out for him.

@nerevarine_11: i kid you not, next year Peter will be a loser and move back in with this aunt, who is A. still alive for no reason and B. Still doesn't know he's Spider-Man.

@solid_snake97: He'll go back to high-school because it turns out he missed credits.

@nerevarine_11: and gets de-aged by Mephisto into a teenager after he makes a deal to resurrect Jay back to life. Thus making it possible and not creepy to hook up with Kamala or Spider-Gwen. You and I both know Marvel is capable of doing that..

@solid_snake97: Dude, with all of the crap they're pulling I'm so glad I dropped them. Have you seen the solicits for the books this month alot of them suck.

@nerevarine_11: truly frightening to see how far they've fallen. Yet we know idiots will eat their BS. I have no hope for the new Iron Man series tbh. I mean idk the premise just doesn't work for me, Iron Man was never the hero to have a legacy, he's just a man in a suit, he's not Flash, Batman, GL, Cap America, hell he's not even like Spider-Man who can have someone else to take up their mantle.

Which reminds me of Misty Knight becoming the new Captain America (but only briefly) so its' not that bad.

Forgotten along with Bruce Banner's rapists.

lol

?!

Here's a question; is it GOOD that this was forgotten? Or would it have been an interesting idea to make this event more relevant in Peter Parker's life? What would you think of a writer bringing it back in a new storyline as something Peter is still scarred over?

Personally I like the idea that this had happened to Peter. Not the actual act itself mind you but gives hope to kids this does happen to that you can still be great and move on with your life. So I would like to see a writer try and reintroduce this idea in a more serious story line dealing with it.