The Sand and the Fury

After hearing that Venom has escaped from the Vault, Peter Parker is trying to act naturally around his Aunt May, reminding himself that Eddie Brock doesn't know where he is currently living. He and Aunt May are on their way out the door to go shopping. However, when they open the door, Peter is horrified to see Eddie Brock waiting outside for him. As Brock introduces himself to Aunt May, Peter tries to pry Eddie's from around May's shoulders. Brock then asks May if he can talk to Peter as they have a business to discuss. May tells Peter that they can go shopping later and goes back into her home. As Peter and Eddie walk down the street, Peter asks him how he found out he was staying at Aunt May's place. Brock shows that he the change of address notice that Peter unintentionally left behind during their previous battle. Parker still doesn't understand why Brock didn't instigate a battle on the spot. Eddie explains that he doesn't want to harm any innocents and he doesn't desire to publicly reveal Spider-Man's double identity so he can have the revenge on the wall-crawler all to himself. When Peter asks Eddie what he wants, Brock tells him that he wants them to meet at the Seacrest Estate on the tip of Montauk, Long Island. The beach will be deserted this time of the year and he wants to battle Spider-Man to the finish, once and for all. Brock then departs, leaving Peter to consider his situation. Peter recalls how Venom nearly defeated him last time, he changes into Spider-Man and swings off to get some help.

On his way into Manhattan, Spider-Man rescues a construction worker who falls off the top of a building that is being constructed. Soon, the wall-crawler arrives at Four Freedoms Plaza where he meets with the Thing. Spider-Man reminds Ben of the symbiote he brought back from Battleworld and how it bonded with Eddie Brock to become Venom and asks for the Fantastic Four's help should he need it. The Thing tells Spider-Man that he can count on the Fantastic Four should he call for help.

When Peter Parker returns to Forest Hills, he is horrified to see Eddie Brock helping his Aunt May hang laundry in the back yard. Peter pulls Brock away and tells him to stop harassing his family, as his issue is with him and him alone. Eddie agrees, revealing that he knows that Peter went to the Fantastic Four for help. Brock reminds him that they are to battle each other alone, and warns Peter not to cross him or he will harm those closest to him. Brock then willsh is symbiote to assume the form of a police officer and walks away. Peter decides to go and tell his wife about what is going on. He finds his wife going over Peter's old family photos. When he tells her about the situation with Venom, she is against him going after Brock alone, even at the risk of his secret identity being revealed. However, Peter can't bring himself to do it as it would not only cause untold problems to his life, the revelation may have an adverse affect on Aunt May's health. Mary Jane understands, but hopes that Peter can get some kind of help. Peter fears he won't be able to do so without how Venom finding out.

Later that day, Spider-Man pays a visit to Dr. Charles Jefferson at the South Brooklyn Psychiatric Facility. He tells Jefferson that he needs to talkk of a matter of life and death, his own. The next morning, Peter Parker arrives at the beach at Montauk ahead of his meeting with Venom. He is confident that he can use the advice given to him by Doctor Jefferson will help him defeat Venom in battle. He slips into a nearby boat house to change into Spider-Man. As soon as Spider-Man is in costume, Venom attacks. Venom has the advantage, able to have his symbiote dive into the sand and attack Spider-Man from below. Breaking free from Venom, the wall-crawler rushes back to the boat house and ignites some gasoline in the hopes of exploiting the symbiote's weakness to fire. However, Venom dives into the water below to avoid the flame. Since the symbiote negates his spider-sense, Spider-Man tries to tag Venom with a spider-tracer, but the symbiote detects it and destroys the tracking device.

Spider-Man tries to flee from the scene, but Venom grabs the hero and attempts to drown him in the ocean. Breaking free, Spider-Man tries his dangerous gambit. Stripping off his costume, Peter Parker offers to allow the symbiote to bond with him. Much to Eddie's surprise, his symbiote begins to flow off of him to rebond with its original host. However, the pain caused by trying to sever its bond from Eddie Brock and attach itself to Spider-Man causes both enough pain to knock everyone out. When Peter comes to, it's as the symbiote is sloughing off his own body. With both the alien costume and Eddie Brock are still unconcious, Peter goes to find a phone to call the Fantastic Four to pick Brock up so he can go home and tell Mary Jane that the danger is over.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Venom, Aunt May, Mary Jane Watson, Thing, Dr. Charles Jefferson

Continuity Notes

• Peter has been living with Aunt May since he and Mary Jane were evicted from their condo at Bedford Towers in Amazing Spider-Man #314.

• Venom mentions how he was fired from the Daily Globe. This was after Spider-Man captured the serial killer known as Sin Eater in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #110. Brock, a reporter at the time, had previously published a tell-all interview with a man claiming to be the Sin Eater. This man proved to be a copycat, leading to Brock getting fired.

• The narrative of this story states that this story takes place before the events of Fantastic Four #226. This is a typo, they actually mean Fantastic Four #326. This is because the Thing appears in this story still in his rocky form, while FF #326 ended with the Thing losing his powers.

• Spider-Man aquired the symbiote in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8. At the time, Peter thought it was just a costume. He later learned it was a symbiotic creature that was trying to bond with him in Amazing Spider-Man #258 and had it removed from its body. When it returned to try and bond with Peter again, he seemingly destroyed it in Web of Spider-Man #1. It ultimately came into possession of Eddie Brock and the pair vowed to get revenge against Spider-Man, as explained in Amazing Spider-Man #300.

• Peter and Mary Jane are identified as husband and wife in this story. However, years later, the demon Mephisto erased their marriage from existence in Amazing Spider-Man #545. As such, Peter and Mary Jane became a common-law couple as opposed to husband and wife.

• Peter has always been worried about what would happen to Aunt May should she find out he was Spider-Man as she has had heart problems since Amazing Spider-Man #17.

• Spider-Man encountered Jefferson when the psychologist was treating Doctor Octopus in Amazing Spider-Man #296.

• Spider-Man learned that the symbiote is vulnerable to fire and sonics in Amazing Spider-Man #258.