WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for The Amazing Spider-Man #66 by Nick Spencer, Mark Bagley, John Dell, Brian Reber and VC’s Joe Caramagna, on sale now.
Some characters are known for their rivalries, but what happens when that begins to change? The animosity between Robbie Robertson and Tombstone is the stuff of legend, going all the way back to their formative years. It’s a hate that has been sustained throughout most of their existence. And yet, after being forced to rescue their kids together — who also happened to be dating — the two seem to have finally agreed to a ceasefire. This could be the first step to finally making these two real friends. And if that happens, there is very little that would be able to stand in their way.
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Obviously, these two men would never have willingly worked together unless something forced them to do so. Fortunately, the love of a parent exceeds hatred in most cases. Robbie loves his son and Tombstone, for all his flaws, loves his daughter. Both would do anything for their children, even if it means working with the person they hate most in the world. So when Randy and Janice were kidnapped on the Kingpin’s orders, the two put aside their differences to rescue their children.
If this had just been a matter of rescuing them, then once the deed was done it would have been business as usual. But Randy and Janice changed the rules when they began a romantic relationship. It may make both Robbie and Tombstone deeply uncomfortable, but now the chance exists that their families could be connected in the future if the relationship gets any stronger. A truce had to be made, mostly to keep their children from hating them and because they know that they have to respect their wishes.
But this could actually be a very good thing for both of them. Granted, this isn’t a friendship, they’ve made it perfectly clear that they would still leap at the chance to ruin one another. But in a world where Charles Xavier could work alongside people like Magneto or Eddie Brock could become a true hero, then even a slight pause in a hostile relationship could lead to a real partnership, perhaps even a friendship. And these two do complement each other in a weird way by compensating for the other’s weaknesses.
Robbie is very straight-laced and by the books, he has the moral integrity to withstand any temptation, but this can also limit his flexibility in any given situation. Tombstone has no such reservations as seen earlier when Robbie allowed Tombstone to threaten a criminal for information about their children’s whereabouts. Likewise, Robbie’s integrity means there are more doors open to him than someone like Tombstone. People trust Robbie because he is such a good man. So by extension, if Robbie trusted Tombstone, that could open some doors for him.
The list goes on really, criminal contacts and legitimate contacts. A real investigative reporter protected by the muscle of a man with real street cred. But perhaps the most tantalizing reason for wanting a legitimate friendship between the two is the ways that it could embarrass their children. They’re already mortified by their parents’ hatred of one another, imagine if they started acting chummy. Plus, it would make Spider-Man’s life a lot less stressful.
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