—MysterioAnd to think I was ready to give up being Mysterio. It's who I am. Who I've always been meant to be.
Appearing in 1st story
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Mysterio (Quentin Beck) (Bonds to the Black Suit)
- Johnny Ohnn
- Kingpin's Henchmen
- Kingpin (Wilson Fisk)
Other Characters:
- Vanessa Fisk (Mentioned)
- May Parker
- Ben Parker (Mentioned) (Deceased)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth
- United States of America
- New York
- New York City
- Manhattan
- Queens
- Forest Hills
- Flushing
- The Pancake Cottage (First appearance)
- Long Island City
- Hunters Point
- New York City
- New York
- England, United Kingdom (Mentioned)
- London (Mentioned)
- United States of America
- Hell (Invoked)
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for 1st story
Meeting with Mysterio, Black Cat turns over the sample of Spider-Man's black suit, though the illusionist supervillain refuses to give her the files revealing she got her luck-manipulation powers from the Kingpin. Angry, Felicia tells him that he'd better not cross paths with her again -- Mysterio quipping that black cats are good luck in England. Mysterio briefly glimpses Spider-Man -- controlled by the symbiote masquerading as his black suit -- watching from the shadows, but dismisses it as him seeing things and sets off to unravel the sample's mysteries.
At Fisk Towers, Mysterio asks Johnny Ohnn if the containment device he's engineered will hold the sample, Ohnn assuring him that it's unbreakable. The symbiote sample promptly begins expanding and shatters the jar, filling the glass dome. Astonished and more than a little afraid, Ohnn asks Beck what they're looking at, and Mysterio admits he has no idea. The Kingpin calls Ohnn over the PA system, demanding a complete update on his research, and Ohnn hurriedly departs to comply. Leaning in to examine the symbiote sample, Mysterio notes that it's obviously alive and wonders if it can hear and understand him, speculating that it's a synthetic organism. Symbiote Spider-Man attacks him from behind and knocks him to the ground, then opens the containment unit; however, the separated piece of the symbiote refuses to return to the main body and leaps to the floor.
Angered, Symbiote Spider-Man rushes after and confronts it, but is interrupted by the arrival of Kingpin's guards. Symbiote Spider-Man disarms them with webbing and knocks one out, the other guard attempting to fistfight him. As Symbiote Spider-Man defeats them, the Kingpin himself arrives and mockingly asks if he's man enough to face him one-on-one. Noticing the symbiote sample has disappeared, Symbiote Spider-Man leaps out the window, the Kingpin noting that the wallcrawler wasn't acting like himself. Spotting the unconscious Mysterio, the Kingpin picks up a piece of the shattered fishbowl helmet and asks Ohnn what Quentin Beck is doing in his lab. Ohnn stammers that he has no idea, the Kingpin warning him that he'd better not be lying before telling his men to take Beck downstairs for interrogation.
Tied to a chair, Beck is awakened by a bucket of water to the face, the Kingpin noting that Spider-Man hospitalized two of his employees. Beck says he has no idea what the Kingpin's talking about, and gets a punch to the face for his trouble. As the Kingpin tells Beck that he'll show mercy and only break his limbs if he's forthcoming, he suddenly stops and asks Beck what he's doing. Looking down, Beck notices the sample of the symbiote has latched onto his leg and is spreading up his body, begging the Kingpin to do something to get it off. The Kingpin asks Beck what he thinks he's supposed to do, Ohnn unable to offer any suggestions either. Engulfed by the symbiote, Mysterio breaks free from his bindings and easily trounces the Kingpin, mockingly stating that his namesake is the leading pin in the game of bowling. As Mysterio departs to seek revenge on Spider-Man, the Kingpin wonders how he did that, noting that Mysterio isn't supposed to have superhuman strength. Ohnn shakily suggests that Mysterio might have augmented his suit with servos, but the Kingpin recalls the living shadow that bonded to him and demands that Ohnn find out what it was.
Watching the sunrise, Mysterio revels in his newfound power and wonders why he ever thought about retiring. Declaring his intent to obtain the rest of the black suit, Beck decides that it's finally time to kill Spider-Man once and for all.
Waking up in bed, Peter Parker notices that Felicia has vanished. The phone rings and he is surprised to find his Aunt May on the other end of the line. May asks if he's had breakfast, inviting him to the pancake eatery she and Uncle Ben used to take him to when he was younger. May tells Peter that she met his girlfriend and was surprised by how well she'd spoken of him, saying that Ben would disapprove of how distant they've become lately and asking if he has the time. Despite being tired, Peter agrees to meet with her, bonding to the black suit and setting out. Watching him leave, Black Cat wonders where he's going before noting that it's none of her business, yet she'll follow anyway.
Waiting for Peter at the Pancake Cottage in Flushing, May wonders what's taking her nephew so long before recalling that he said he'd take the 7 train, one of the worst rail lines in the city. Perched on the stalled train in Long Island City, Spider-Man impatiently waits for it to start back up again, hoping that he won't mess things up with May. Mysterio appears behind him and sets off a stun grenade that knocks Spider-Man out and disables the train again, wondering how to get the black suit off Spider-Man since there's no zippers or seams. The furious symbiote takes over Spider-Man and fights back, Black Cat watching from atop Silvermug Studios and noting that this is not good.
Solicit Synopsis
• PETER DAVID and GREG LAND continue their tale that takes place during the original Alien Costume Saga!
• Mysterio finds himself in possession of a sliver of the black costume, unaware of its true nature...
• Then, tensions continue to mount between Peter Parker, A.K.A. SPIDER-MAN, and his girlfriend, Felicia Hardy, A.K.A. THE BLACK CAT, as she’s been keeping something from him — something that threatens to tear apart their relationship!