"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

[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..