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Microsoft's Clippy Just Became an Official Spider-Verse Hero (Really)
An injured Spider-Man turns to cybernetic enhancements to get back in action. But a new AI Spider-assistant may do more harm than good.
SUMMARY
Cyborg Spider-Man's latest upgrade may be more annoyance than help, as it's a spider-version of Microsoft Office assistant Clippy.
Cyborg Spider-Man first appeared in 1992, with enhancements like a web-grenade launcher, but the AI Clippy is driving him crazy.
Horror fans will enjoy the '90s throwback story featuring Spooky-Man in Edge of Spider-Verse #2.
Warning! Contains preview images for Edge of Spider-Verse #2!
Every Spider-Man across the Spider-Verse gets help from high-tech gear, even if it's only their home-made web shooters. Spider-Man of Earth-9349, however, is literally loaded with the stuff, given his cyborg status after a near-fatal run-in with the Sinister Six. His latest upgrade may be more annoyance than help, as it's a spider-version of Microsoft Office assistant Clippy.
In the latest issue of Edge of Spider-Verse, 1990s fan-favorite Cyborg Spider-Man reappears for the first time in a decade in a story by Rich Douek, Edgar Salazar, Victor Olazaba, and Alex Sinclair. The anthology series swings through the Web of Life, visiting Spider totems from all over the multiverse. This stop at Earth-9349 reveals a Cyborg Spider-Man who's still getting used to his cybernetic enhancements - especially the operating system.
It looks like you're chasing down [Unidentified Goblin]! Would you like some help?
Similar to Iron Man, this Spider-Man has a visual overlay to help him fight. He's also "aided" by an AI assistant, desperate to help him in both fighting and quipping.
Looks Like You've Got Great Power. Do You Need Help with Responsibility?
Clippy may be more famous for how hated it was, rather than ever being considered useful. When Microsoft turned off the assistant by default for its then-new Office XP, the company turned its dismissal into an entire ad campaign. A 2007 Smithsonian Magazine article called Clippy “one of the worst software design blunders,” and Time Magazine named it one of the 50 worst inventions. Perhaps these reactions were exclusive to Earth-616, with Cyborg Spider-Man’s universe loving Clippy. Or, it might be the scientists who put Peter back together thought that he would appreciate the assistant, as Spider-Man is as hated as Clippy.
Cyborg Spider-Man first appeared in 1992’s Spider-Man #21 by Erik Larsen, part of the “Revenge of the Sinister Six” story. After being almost fatally injured in a showdown with the gang of villains, Spider-Man is rescued by Cyborg X, an experimental cyborg prototype. When Peter wakes up, he is in a lab with a new eyepiece, cybernetic arm, and multiple stitches. Spider-Man is emphatic that he doesn’t want these upgrades, but his injuries and enemies have left him no choice if he wants to keep fighting. He appreciates some of the enhancements, like a web-grenade launcher, but anyone in his situation would grow tired of Spider-Clippy.
A New Spider-Verse Character Enters the Web
Cyborg Spider-Man isn’t the only '90s throwback in this issue. "The Terrible Horror of the Spooky-Man" by Kaare Andrews and Bob Quinn features a classic Tim Burton-inspired story. The popular jocks throw bullied new kid Gluemy Miller into Spider High’s boiler room, home to the Venom-esque "Spooky-Man." There are also echoes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with a school full of villainous teachers that's right next to a cemetery. In the preview, Spooky-Man warns of deaths and darkness, but doesn't give away Gluemy's fate. Horror fans should pick this issue up because of the promise of this story, and also because it features the most horrifying Spider-Man character yet: Clippy.
Edge of Spider-Verse #2 is available March 27 from Marvel Comics.