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Spider-Man's first solo supervillain will take center stage this June in a new story titled 'Chameleon Conspiracy' running weekly through Amazing Spider-Man #67-69, along with a Giant-Size Chameleon Conspiracy #1 wrap-up one-shot.
As the story's title implies, 'Chameleon Conspiracy' centers on the Chameleon, whose renown as a super-spy and master of disguise goes all the way back to 1963's Amazing Spider-Man #1. Born Dmitri Smerdyakov, the Chameleon was originally a KGB agent who had mastered the art of disguise to the point of being able to take on the identity of almost anyone, using a bizarre gas that made his face totally malleable.
Later stories downplayed Chameleon's Cold War origins, tying him more directly to Kraven the Hunter as Kraven's half-brother. Chameleon also used special mutagenic compounds to grant himself full-on shapeshifting capabilities, though he's also used masks, holograms, and dozens of other methods of taking the place of people in Peter Parker's life.
Chameleon has often been part of team-ups against Spider-Man as part of the Sinister Six, Superior Six, and more, and in 'Chameleon Conspiracy' he'll team up with villains Jack O'Lantern, Chance, and Foreigner, all espionage-focused Spider-Man villains.
"The latest in writer Nick Spencer's high-octane saga on Amazing Spider-Man, 'The Chameleon Conspiracy' will have the classic shapeshifting menace Chameleon making the biggest play of his supervillain career," reads Marvel's official description of the story.
"To get to the bottom of what Chameleon is orchestrating, Spider-Man will be team up with his superspy sister, Teresa Parker (yes, he's got a sister), as they face off against an anarchic alliance of Chameleon, The Foreigner, Chance, and Jack O' Lantern.
"Spencer and artists Marcelo Ferreira and Carlos Gomez will unfurl a revelatory, unpredictable tale that fans dare not miss!"
The last time Chameleon appeared it was at the end of Amazing Spider-Man: Hunted, in which he vowed to get revenge on Spider-Man for the death of the original Kraven the Hunter who passed his mantle on to his own clone after his death.
(The original Kraven has died and returned more than a few times, starting with the landmark story Amazing Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt).
Though Marvel's announcement doesn't directly reference Chameleon's vow of vengeance, it's safe to guess that Chameleon's motivations will tie back to 'Hunted.' It's also interesting to note that the title 'Chameleon Conspiracy' bears some resemblance to Amazing Spider-Man: Clone Conspiracy, a 2016-17 story in which all of Spidey's dead loved ones were cloned and turned against him.
'Chameleon Conspiracy' will run weekly through Amazing Spider-Man #67 (June 2), Amazing Spider-Man #68 (June 9), Amazing Spider-Man #69 (June 23), all with art from Marcelo Ferreira, and finally Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man: Chameleon Conspiracy #1 (June 30), with art from Carlos Gomez.
Here's a gallery of all four covers, from Mark Bagley.
'Kraven's Last Hunt' is one of the best Spider-Man stories of all time.
