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Appearing in "Walking Into Spiderwebs"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Spectacular Spider-Man #240

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Synopsis for "Walking Into Spiderwebs"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Spectacular Spider-Man #240

In the ruins of the Multivex Corporation, Seward Trainer has completed repairing the device that will regenerate his withered body. Gaunt warns Trainer that he will tolerate no further failures. That's when they are visited by Gaunt's mysterious employer, who orders Seward to hurry as he is preparing to initiate his plans that will finally see the destruction of Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Seeing who this person comes to a total shock to Trainer, who realizes that Ben Reilly is in deadly danger and tries to think of some way he can warn his friend.[Continuity 1]

Meanwhile, in Queens, Peter and Mary Jane are arguing over the facts of an old Bugs Bunny cartoon as they wait for a bus.[Continuity 2] The bus soon arrives and Peter's pregnant wife boards it so she can ride into Manhattan for a shopping trip with her Aunt Anna.[Continuity 3] As soon as Mary Jane is gone, Ben Reilly drops out of the trees right on time for his meeting with Peter. At that moment, at the Daily Bugle, Ben Urich has gotten an unmarked envelope by registered courier. It appears to be a letter from Liz Osborn who has information she wants to provide him and asks for him to meet her at the Bugle at 10 pm that evening. Ben considers the good fortune he has making friend with Liz Osborn when he wrote his book on the Osborn empire.[Continuity 4] However, he is unaware that others in the building have also received similar black envelopes.

Later, Seward Trainer has managed to sneak away from his keepers and made it to Ben Reilly's apartment. However, as he knocks on the door he is ambushed by Gaunt, who is decked out in new cybernetic armor. Digging through the rubble for Trainer's body, Gaunt discovers that Seward somehow managed to slip away. While at the Daily Grind, Shirley Washington has just hired a new waitress named Alison Mongrain. Although Mongrain is warmly welcomed to the team, Shirley and her staff are put off by her cold personality. Back in Queens, Peter brings Ben Reilly up to the attic of their Aunt May's house. Peter explains that he and Mary Jane need to clear some space when they move in, and he wants Ben to go through things because they are his memories as well. Ben is touched by this, as when he was on the road for five years he lived a very minimalist lifestyle.[Continuity 5] Looking through all the belongings, Ben finds a photo of Peter Parker with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. This brings both men to tears, as they both miss the two people who were like parents to them.[Continuity 6] That's when Peter opens up and tells Ben that when he was first told that he was a clone he freaked out, but he eventually learned from Ben's example how to live with the truth.[Continuity 7]

Back in the city, Seward Trainer has survived Gaunt's attempt on his life and trying to figure out what to do next. Spotting someone reading an issue of the Daily Bugle inspired Trainer to go to the Bugle building in the hopes of finding Peter Parker. That's when Gaunt catches up on Trainer and attempts to kill him again. However, Seward manages to flee the scene by hopping into a subway train. However, Gaunt rips open the subway car in the hopes of getting at him. Later, at the Osborn Industries Plant located at Islip, Long Island, Liz Osborn has taken a more active role in the company she inherited when her husband died.[Continuity 8] She is on the phone with her boyfriend and lawyer, Foggy Nelson. She has just got a letter from Ben Urich asking her to meet with him at the Daily Bugle that evening and asks Foggy to tag along with her. In Queens, Peter and Ben come across a box full of Peter's old books. They both reminisce about the good memories they had reading these books as a child. When they find their favorite book, Peter Pan, it prompts Peter to tell Ben something that he has kept secret since Aunt May's death. He tells her that on May's last day the pair took a trip to the Empire State Building where she revealed that she knew that Peter was Spider-Man for years and that she was very proud of him.[Continuity 9] He admits he kept this to himself, particularly after he learned he was a clone, as he wanted to keep that memory of his own. Ben understands and tells Peter that they need to stop letting themselves get distracted and get back to work.

Meanwhile, at the Daily Bugle, Paul Sousa the director of maintenance of the building interviews two recent hires. A lot of the staff suddenly quit and he has had to quickly hire new people. After reading the glowing references the two men received from their former employers -- Oscorp and Multivex respectively. At that moment, Seward Trainer emerges from the subway outside the Daily Bugle. However, he is attacked by Gaunt again and is forced to flee down an alley. As he begins making the distance between himself and Gaunt, Seward runs right into the arms of Gaunt's mysterious employer. Having grown tired of this loose end in his plans, the mystery man snaps Seward Trainer's neck, killing him instantly. By this time, Peter and Ben have become distracted again when they find Peter's old Battleship board game. They are interrupted by Mary Jane who calls to tell Peter that she and her Aunt Anna are going for lunch at the Daily Grind and asks her husband and Ben to join them. They agree, unaware that Gaunt's mysterious employer has been listening in on their conversation and has other plans for the Parkers and Ben Reilly.

This story continues in Sensational Spider-Man #11...

Appearing in "Deadly Diversions"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Sensational Spider-Man #11

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  • Ambulance

Synopsis for "Deadly Diversions"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Sensational Spider-Man #11

This story continues from Spectacular Spider-Man #240...

Mary Jane is out shopping with her Aunt Anna when she decides to call her husband Peter Parker and tell him that they are stopping at the Daily Grind for lunch and tell him when she expects to return home.[Continuity 10] As the two women plan out the final leg of their shopping spree, they are completely unaware that the mysterious man plotting against Spider-Man is continuing his grand scheme in the building behind them.[Continuity 11] Meeting Gaunt, his loyal second in command, this mystery man is pleased that Gaunt eliminated Seward Trainer.[Continuity 12] Decked out in his new cybernetic armor, Gaunt -- aka Mendel Stromm -- is ordered to tie up the remaining loose ends of his master's grand scheme and then he is to kill Ben Reilly right before Peter Parker's eyes.

Meanwhile, at the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson is furious to learn that there is an emergency board meeting scheduled for that evening, on Halloween of all nights. As he complains, Joe Robertson points out that the Daily Bugle has been under a lot of financial strains recently and that is likely going to be the topic of conversation.[Continuity 13] Fed up, Jonah rushes to the elevators to try and get to the upper floors to discuss the situation with the board of directors only to discover that the elevators are undergoing maintenance, angering him even more. While at Peter Parker's home in Forest Hills, Ben Reilly assists him in finding his mobile device so he can keep in touch with Mary Jane while they are out.[Continuity 14] As they walk the neighborhood, Ben once again expresses his excitement of being an uncle, as Peter and Mary Jane's baby is due to be born soon.[Continuity 15] They also notice the repair efforts being undergone in the area following Onslaught's attack on Manhattan. This reminds them how the Fantastic Four and the Avengers sacrificed their lives to stop Onslaught and how the city needs heroes right now.[Continuity 16] That's when Peter suggests that maybe it is time for there to be two Spider-Men. Ben reminds Peter that he has a responsibility to his wife and unborn child and reminds him that Peter's powers are not back to their full strength and cut out on occasion.[Continuity 17] Peter, however, shows Ben that he is at the top of his game by leaping up into a nearby tree and swings between the branches. Ben is convinced but tells Peter to cut it out before someone sees him. While at Manhattan's 28th Precinct, Arthur Stacy pays a visit to Detective Connor Trevane to discuss a common interest: Spider-Man.[Continuity 18]

While in Hoboken, Flash Thompson receives a letter by registered courier. It turns out to be an invitation to a Halloween party being thrown at the Daily Bugle. Although the invitation is anonymous, Flash thinks this is a perfect opportunity for him redeem himself in the eyes of Betty Brant.[Continuity 19] At that same moment, Betty Brant is opening her own invitation, however, hers isn't entirely anonymous, as it is signed by someone calling themselves "O", unfortunately, she has no idea who it could be. Back in Queens, Peter finally manages to convince Ben that his powers are back up to full speed when suddenly both of their spider-senses goes off. They leap into the ruins of a nearby school and find some children playing in the rubble. As they are trying to get the kids to safety, the pair is suddenly ambushed by Gaunt. In the ensuing confusion, Ben manages to slip away and changes into Spider-Man. As the wall-crawler distracts Gaunt, Peter leads the children to safety.

In Manhattan, Mary Jane and her Aunt Anna are sitting down to lunch at the Daily Grind. When Mary Jane orders the gumbo, the waitress goes into the kitchen to prepare the meal. When nobody is looking, the waitress then slips a drug into the soup with a sly grin on her face. Back in Queens, Spider-Man continues to fight his foe and learns that it is Gaunt, the man who ran Multivex and forced Seward Trainer to work with him. This distracted thought allows Gaunt to finally strike the web-slinger. The battle then causes a collapse elsewhere trapping Peter and the children. As Parker tries to move the rubble, his spider-powers aren't co-operating. However, his spider-sense begins going off warning him of the children whose eyes have just started glowing. At that moment, at the Daily Grind, Mary Jane has suddenly gone into labor and it is an incredibly painful one, prompting an ambulance to be called. The paramedics on the scene realize that this isn't natural and could spell trouble for the pregnant woman and her unborn child. In Queens, Spider-Man finally pins Gaunt to the ground and gets a good look at his restored face. He instantly recognizes him as Mendel Stromm -- the man that Spider-Man once fought years ago.[Continuity 20] While Spider-Man is distracted again, Stromm activates a pair of robots that try and ambush the wall-crawler from behind.

By this point, Peter has discovered that the children in his care are actually robots and manages to escape the deathtrap and rejoins Ben. As they are surrounded by Mendel Stromm and his creations, Peter receives a notification from his mobile device and realizes that Mary Jane is in serious trouble.

... Revelations continue in Amazing Spider-Man #418.

Appearing in "Torment"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Amazing Spider-Man #418

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Synopsis for "Torment"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Amazing Spider-Man #418

Revelations continues from Sensational Spider-Man #11...

Mary Jane is being wheeled into the emergency room after she started undergoing painful labor while at the Daily Grind. With her is her Aunt Anna, who tries to comfort the pregnant woman who is afraid that something is happening to her unborn child. They are joined by Doctor Folsome, who tells Mary Jane that his regular doctor cannot be reached and he will be looking after her from this moment on. Also at the hospital is Daily Bugle photographer Angela Yin, who recognizes the Parker woman. As she snaps a photo of the scene Angela wonders why her husband Peter isn't here with her.[Continuity 21] She isn't the only one who is wondering where Peter Parker is. As Mary Jane is being wheeled into an operating room, Anna Watson wonders why Peter won't call her back on her cell phone.

At that very moment, Peter Parker and Spider-Man are fighting for their lives at the ruins of Midtown High as they are attacked by Gaunt and an army of robots fashioned to look like children. Peter is all too aware that Anna has been trying to get ahold of him, but can't pull himself away from the battle.[Continuity 22] As he gets another message, Spider-Man hears it and tells Peter to leave and go be with his wife and baby. However, Gaunt is intent on killing the wall-crawler and Peter doesn't think Ben will survive if he leaves and insists on staying. By this time, Angela Yin has called Joe Robertson at the Daily Bugle to tell him about Mary Jane's condition at the hospital. After hearing this, he relays the news to Glory Grant, and feels awful for Peter after everything that has happened to him recently.[Continuity 23]

Back at Midtown, Spider-Man and Peter Parker continue to fight against Gaunt and his robot army. While Ben destroys two of Gaunt's plastoid robots, Peter takes down the childlike robots. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Doctor Folsome and his team of doctors help Mary Jane through a very complicated and painful delivery. As she strains to give birth to her daughter, Mary Jane is unaware that a mysterious figure is watching from the operating theater above. Satisfied that everything is going exactly as planned, the mystery man then leaves to carry out the next phase of his plan. At Midtown, Peter manages to come across a telephone that still works and calls Anna to check in on Mary Jane. As he fights off the rest of the robots, he tells Anna that he has been stuck in a subway car. Learning that Mary Jane is having a difficult delivery and the doctors are concerned, Peter assures her that he will get there as soon as possible, saying that nothing will keep him from getting to his wife. Meanwhile, at the 28th Precinct, Detective Connor Trevane interrupts his colleagues, Francis Tork and Lou Snider, to introduce them to Arthur Stacy, the brother of the late George Stacy. Arthur tells the officers that he has called a meeting with them because the man who murdered his brother has not been brought to justice and wishes to speak to them all because of their occasional association with Spider-Man.[Continuity 24]

At that same moment, Spider-Man continues to dodge Gaunt's attack. Having just learned that he is Mendel Stromm, the wall-crawler asks how he managed to survive his brush with death and who his mysterious employer is.[Continuity 25] Gaunt ignores these questions, stating that he is only following orders from someone who wants him dead. His barrage manages to wound the web-slinger in his left shoulder. With Spider-Man at his mercy, Gaunt decides to tell him something about the wall-crawler's old friend Seward Trainer.[Continuity 26] Before he can finish off the web-head, Peter Parker leaps in and kicks Gaunt in the head, saving his life. Gaunt then tries to blast the two Spider-Men with knockout gas, but is surprised when it doesn't work. However, it soon becomes apparent that the gas neutralizes spider-sense. While back at the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson asks Joe Robertson what he knows about a surprise board meeting that has been called as well as an impromptu Halloween party organized for the staff. Joe doesn't know what the meeting is about but reminds Jonah that the staff could use a morale boost after the recent round of layoffs. He also suggests to Jonah that there won't be a disaster if the paper shuts down for a few hours so the staff can have some fun. As he says this, he is unaware that the man setting up decorations in the bullpen is also putting out jack-o'-lanterns that are rigged with explosives.

Back at the scene of the battle, Spider-Man continues launching attacks at Gaunt, demanding to know what he knows about Seward Trainer. Gaunt explains that Trainer was just another pawn, only a tool that was used to manipulate Reilly. Trainer had been on both sides, healing Stromm as well, and once his usefulness was over he was killed. Hearing how his best friend was murdered, Spider-Man loses his temper and begins ripping apart Gaunt's cybernetic armor. However, he stops short of killing Gaunt, reminding himself that he isn't a heartless killer like the Punisher. With the battle over, Spider-Man tells Peter to get going so he can be there when his daughter is born. Having destroyed the last of Gaunt's robots, Parker doesn't argue and bounds away. With Stromm disarmed, Spider-Man then begins demanding answers when he is suddenly blasted by someone standing behind him. Spider-Man instantly recognizes who this man is and can't believe it as he believed him to be dead.[Continuity 27] When the web-slinger tries to attack him he is blasted in the chest, crumpling to the ground. With Spider-Man down, the mystery employer reminds Gaunt what happens when his minions fail him and blasts him as well.

At the hospital, Mary Jane gives the final push to deliver her baby. When she doesn't hear the baby crying, Mary Jane asks what is wrong with her baby. That's when Doctor Folsome apologizes, making Mary Jane realize that he baby didn't survive. As she cries, one of the nurses, who turns out to be a woman by the name of Alison Mongrain, removes her surgical mask and wheels a cart out of the operating room to her car. She drives out to the waterfront where she meets with her mystery employer, confirming that she has brought the package she was hired to bring. As he prepares to put her on a private boat that is to take her to Europe, the man says that she has been compensated accordingly, with a sizable bonus and travel expenses. Mongrain thanks him for his generosity. Lastly, as she departs, he says that she may call him Norman… Norman Osborn.[Continuity 28]

... Revelations concludes in Spider-Man #75 and Spider-Man: Revelations #1.

Appearing in "The Night of the Goblin!"

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Synopsis for "The Night of the Goblin!"

Preface[]

This story is mostly a reprint of Spider-Man #75, with fourteen additional pages added to expand on the story. Subsequent reprints of Spider-Man Vol 1 75 (particularly digital editions) include these 14 pages. For the purposes of the Marvel Database, this page serves to specify the additional pages, as well as provide an accurate chronology of the characters.

Addition Vol 1 1[]

Now[Continuity 1]

The Green Goblin has just beaten Ben Reilly and Peter Parker. With Parker hanging outside the building by a web-line, the Green Goblin begins flying toward the Daily Bugle building. Ben Reilly tries to get back up to help Peter, but he is still too weak. His mind then drifts back to earlier that night when he was at the mercy of Norman Osborn.[Continuity 2]

Then

Ben had just been blasted by Norman Osborn who then loads Reilly onto a helicopter. The whole time Norman mocked Spider-Man, calling him a clone. Thinking this is yet another lie and manipulation, Spider-Man lashes out refusing to allow Norman Osborn to cause more grief for Peter Parker and his wife Mary Jane.[Continuity 3] Knocking themselves back outside of the helicopter, Norman beats Ben into submission. He then reveals that he is coming to the climax of a scheme that was years in the making. Not only is he going to utterly destroy Peter Parker, but he has also tricked all of his friends to meet at the offices of the Daily Bugle.

Now ... His recollection last but mere moments and the Green Goblin is still flying toward the Daily Bugle. Once again, Ben Reilly tries to must the strength to stop his mortal foe, as the lives of his friends and family are on the line.

Addition Vol 1 2[]

[Continuity 4]

Epilogue One:

Several days after the death of Ben Reilly, the Parkers have a wake in the home of Peter's Aunt May. There they are gathered by friends and acquaintances of both Peter Parker and Ben Reilly. Among the mourners is mobster Jimmy-6, who approaches the Parkers and Mary Jane's Aunt Anna. He offers his condolences, telling them that Ben once saved his life.[Continuity 5] He then asks to talk to Peter Parker in private, Peter agrees and the pair walks out onto the front porch of the house. He tells Peter that he meant it when he said that he would do anything for the Parkers. He also vows to kill the Green Goblin if he turns up alive, and he will kill Spider-Man as well if he learns that the wall-crawler has anything to do with Ben's death. Peter tells Jimmy that he wishes he could talk about this more but he has one last thing to do for Ben.

A short time later on the Brooklyn Bridge, Spider-Man holds an urn containing Ben Reilly's ashes. He says his final farewells, saying that Ben changed his life forever and he will remember him always.

Epilogue 2

As Ben Reilly's ashes spread across Manhattan, engineers are assessing the damage done to the Daily Bugle during the battle between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin. While their backs are turned, the Green Goblin emerges from the rubble and murders the two men in order to cover up the fact that he survived. As it turns out, the Green Goblin planned for such an outcome from their battle. As he strips off his costume, Norman Osborn leaves so he can prepare for what comes next...

Notes

Continuity Notes[]

  1. This sequence occurs between page 19 and 20 of Spider-Man #75
  2. This flashback fills the gap between the end of Amazing Spider-Man #418 add Spider-Man #75.
  3. Peter and Mary Jane are referred to as husband and wife here. However, years later, their marriage is erased from existence by Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. As such they should be considered a common-law couple here.
  4. This addition occurs after the original ending of the story on page 41 of Spider-Man #75.
  5. Ben saved Jimmy-6's life in Spider-Man #70.

Chronology Notes[]

Events in this story occur behind the scenes that affect the chronology of the following characters:

  1. Spider-Man (Parker):
  2. Spider-Man (Reilly):
    •  Flashback  - Ben is beaten by Norman Osborn and is taken prisoner.
    •  Page 87-93  - Ben struggles to get up after being beaten by the Green Goblin.
  3. Green Goblin:

See Also

Links and References

References


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