"Web of Death"

[flint_marko]

This is from Amazing Spider-Man #397 and #398, and Spectacular Spider-Man #220 and #221. The Amazing issues are by J. M. DeMatteis and Mark Bagley, and the Spectacular issues are by Tom DeFalco and Sal Buscema.

In the last story, Spider-Man was infected with an experimental virus that the Vulture stole from the military. Now he's dying.






Meanwhile, Kaine is also watching Spider-Man.

We're introduced to Stunner, a tall muscular woman. She walks into a bar and antagonizes some of the men before beating them up and wrecking the place. The bar's owner is about to shoot her with his gun when Doctor Octopus arrives and stops him. He gives him some money to pay for the damage to the bar and leaves with Stunner.








It would later be revealed that Stunner was really an overweight woman named Angelina Brancale. Doc Ock gave her a special device that allowed her to put her mind into a virtual reality construct. That's why she disappeared here.

Later, a disoriented Spider-Man almost falls off the building when Stunner grabs him, before beating him up.





Doc Ock is desperately trying to create a cure to save Spider-Man.





Otto sends Stunner out to order a largue bouquet from the local florist for Aunt May. Kaine watches her leave and declares to himself that he won't allow Otto "to interfere with the path I must blaze for Spider-Man!"




Peter breaks free, and acting on instinct alone, he punches Stunner and escapes before shutting down and falling off the building again.









Peter tries telling MJ about his condition, but before he can she tells him she's pregnant.



Peter's spider sense goes off and he catches Doc Ock watching him.



















Ock tells Stunner to leave before Spider-Man fully regains his consciousness, telling her she has an important duty to perform.




Doc Ock gloats as he is escorted into the police van. Stunner watches from afar gets ready to free him as they planned, but before she can Kaine knocks her out and breaks into the van himself.




Ock's battle with Kaine is juxtaposed with a scene of Peter and MJ setting up their baby's crib.

Comments

[mrstatham]

This was actually really good, and really interesting as an investigation of a villain's morality (much better than anything Slott's managed so far), up until the 90's suddenly crept in and Ock's neck got broken.

You were doing SO well, story!

[q99]

He's a doctor and an octopus!


Also, what happened to Stunner? I don't recall seeing her again.

[flint_marko]

http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/stunnerspidey.htm

Currently in a coma.

I wouldn't mind her coming back; she and Ock had an interesting relationship, but besides a few brief flashbacks we never got to see them interact again after this story.

[q99]

Hm, coma to res the villain she likes isn't a bad way to go, but it seems a real shame that she's forgotten.

[tugrul]

I think she had reappeared under Slott, attacking Superior Spider-Man because she thought Ock was dead because of Spider-Man (if I remember correctly). I don't know how that story ended.

EDIT: Yep, this happened according to comicvine.

[cainofdreaming]

I wouldn't mind seeing her and Carolyn Trainer both making an appearance in Otto's life in the present. Seeing him on the other end of the tentacles/spider combo would be fun.

[hazmat]

This is honestly one of my greatest hopes for the Superior Spider-Man run.

Though I don't expect it to happen.

[darth_cloudo]

Wow, Otto's actually a pretty complex guy. :0 This is a really cool story!

Also, Shimmer's hair is some of the raddest hair I've ever seen.

[icon_uk]

Stunner, not Shimmer, not that Shimmer didn't have some rad hair styles of her own... before she came back from the dead and went somewhat Goth at any rate

[darth_cloudo]

Oh gosh, whoops! Although you're right, Shimmer's hair really was rad. :O

[alexanderlucard]

This just reminds me of two things I want to see with Spiderpuss.

1) Scarlet Spider encountering SSM. Story potentials galore and who better to kow that Peter isn't Peter?

2) Stunner comes back and fights SSM not knowing it's Otto. Ock reveals himself only to digust her because hey, look what he's become and done since he last saw her. Then he has the realization that he's lost the faith of the one person who believed in him no matter what and you get som waaangst but also perhaps some character building without Peter being Jimminy Cricket for the whole run.

[silverhammerman]

I would love to see SSM encounter Scarlet Spider, I think it could have a cool dynamic. Kaine would be perfectly positioned to see through Ock's disguise, but would he actually intercede? Kaine might owe Peter Parker for curing him, but then again Kaine of all people would seem inclined to believe that someone, even Ock, can reform no matter what they've done wrong, especially since Ock is a living reminder of Kaine's dark past. And how would Ock react to Kaine? He's another reminder of the man that Ock usurped, not to mention having literally murdered Ock in the past. It could be a really interesting story I think, and I would absolutely pay money to see Ock spend the entire story flat out terrified of Kaine on account of the aforementioned murder.

[thanekos]

It does look like Spider-Ock'll be having an indirect effect on Kaine, at least..

[chieflewal]

Smart man. Taking care of his investment.

[cyberghostface]

What I find funny is when Doc Ock was going to be resurrected later, Spidey's like "He's pure evil! He can't be brought back!" even though Ock's last actions were saving his life.

[zechs80]

Different writers. Also it was via the Hand and their type of resurrections was never a good thing.

[cyberghostface]

No, it was Tom DeFalco who brought him back.

[skemono]

Interesting. I'm not sure what I think about Doc Ock moaning that he wished he were a better man than he is and that Spider-Man is that better man--most instances I've seen, he's been pretty comfortable with himself and hated everyone else, including that meddler Spider-Man--but I do always appreciate complexity between superhero/villain relationships.

This actually reminds me of something that's been tossing around in my head for a bit that I think would be pretty fitting for the Joker (well... in some ways). Have him rip off Gargoyles: Joker makes some sort of deal so that he and Batman's lives become linked--they're both immortal, and neither can die unless the other kills them. This way he gets to guarantee that (A) no-one gets to kill Batman but him [some might say that robs the comics of tension if we know Batman can't die, but we already do know he can't really die]; (B) they get to continue their relationship for all time; or (C) he eventually forces Batman to kill him.

(And yeah, sorcery doesn't usually go with the Batman world, but hey, Joker did summon Etrigan, once, so why not? Maybe he'd work with whatever cult that created Simon Dark.)

You know what would be awesome?

[big_daddy_d]

If Stunner actually delivered Stunners to people.



Badass.

Re: You know what would be awesome?

[chrisdv]

I find your ideas intriguing & wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

Re: You know what would be awesome?

[hazmat]

Delightful.

[leoboiko]

Wow. Otto is such a player.








My BDSM sense is tingling!

Even without the kiss, if this isn't foe yay, I don't know what it is.

[grazzt]

Those scans can also be used for a Horatio Caine one-liner.

[janegray]

I like this Ock. I wish we still had him :(

Although, to be fair, back then it was Kaine who sucked, so the Good Old Times aren't necessarily better all the time.