Marvel Knights Spider-Man: "The Last Stand"

[cyberghostface]

This marks the final part of Mark Millar's Spider-Man epic.

#9 begins with Peter finally meeting Aunt May's kidnapper face to face.



During the time of the initial release there were lots of theories about who May's kidnapper was. One of them was none other than Ben Reilly given that for the first time in years he was actually brought up, plus the red herrings that went nowhere that Aunt May 'knew' the kidnapper, the shots of him in silhouette hanging upside down or clearly attached to walls, etc, etc.

Peter attacks Gargan and slams him up against a nearby window but Gargan reminds him that May's life is still at stake.



We get a bit of backstory...







Peter refuses. "Then your aunt dies. Simple as that."

Later...





#10...

Spider-Man and the Black Cat go to break out Norman from prison.











A question I have is, what would the Lizard be doing there? If he's in control as Connors he wouldn't be helping them and if he was the Lizard he'd be as dangerous to everyone else.



#11...





All looks lost when various other superheroes arrive to save the day.





Spider-Man runs after Norman but is stopped by Gargan.



"Time to get squished, Scorpion!" The building comes down.

Finally...





#12...




The recoil sends Mary Jane off the edge of the bridge. Peter's been thinking about this moment all his life (for obvious reasons) and is able to save her by webbing her at various points to prevent any whiplash.





Even today Otto's treatment here bothers me. He's one of Spider-Man's biggest enemies and he's not even in his right mind throughout the storyline. We didn't even get a 'showdown' between him and Norman (it's still surprising to me that it wasn't until 'Superior Spider-Man' that the two interacted together in any significant capacity).

The two are zapped by lightning (Mark Millar says this was supposed to represent Uncle Ben watching out for Peter from Heaven) and plummet into the river.



Remember Uncle Ben's broken gravestone in Part 1? That's where May was kept, in the empty plot above Ben's spot.



Peter manages to resuscitate her in time. Aunt May is safe.

We later get an epilogue that wraps everything up. Gargan is locked away in prison and is keeping Spider-Man's identity a secret to himself. Jonah, erroneously believing that his son is Spider-Man, is now pro-Spidey. etc.

Dr. Octopus washes ashore with no memories of the past couple of months but Norman is nowhere to be found.

Peter has a moment with Aunt May, wondering if what he does is worth all the pain it's caused them and if he ends up making a difference. May assures him that he's more than made one as Spider-Man.

Comments

[captainbellman]

A question I have is, what would the Lizard be doing there?

Never mind him, what about bloody Hammerhead? What's he going to do, run at things with his waist at a 90-degree angle until he concusses himself?

[dc2houseofmystery]

... Yeah. It's his entire gimmick. That and being an olde time-e gangster.