Amazing Spider-Man #582
Burning Questions
Having come to settle things with his ex-wife, Liz, Harry Osborn is confronted by his former brother-in-law, Mark Raxton — aka the Molten Man — whose powers have gone out of control. Thinking that Harry has come to harm the family, Mark intends to kill Harry for real this time.[1] Liz’s attempt to calm Mark down fails, prompting Peter Parker — who accompanied Harry on his trip to New Jersey — to carry Liz and her son Normie out of the house to safety. While in the house, Harry tries to explain to the Molten Man why he came, but Mark is so enraged he refuses to listen. Still, Harry continues to try to talk sense to Mark, even though the Molten Man’s flaring powers are causing the house to fall down around him. Outside, Peter has gotten Liz and Normie to safety and tells them that he’s going to get Spider-Man, saying the wall-crawler was nearby. Hearing this upsets Normie because he hates the wall-crawler and takes this as a betrayal.[2] While Peter is changing into Spider-Man, Harry makes his escape from the burning house with the Molten Man following closely behind. When the Osborn’s neighbors see the commotion the put in a call to the police for help.
Harry manages to make it to his car and tries to explain to Mark that he has come to fix things and that he needs to get something out of his car. However, he’s less than happy to see Spider-Man arrive. When Spider-Man knocks Molten Man, he is signed by his foe’s burning hot skin. Harry begins berating Spider-Man for interfering with his life again when Molten Man tries to attack again. After the wall-crawler knocks Raxton back again, burning his hand again. That’s when Harry realizes that Peter must have been talking to Spider-Man when they stopped for gas earlier, something that the web-slinger doesn’t argue with.[3] Insisting that he has come to help, Harry decides to trust Spider-Man and tells him to keep the Molten Man busy for a moment. While Spider-Man engages his foe again, Harry pulls out an Oscorp device marked Prometheus X-90 from the trunk of his car. Meanwhile, Liz hands Normie over to her neighbors, asking them to keep the boy safe while she tries to diffuse the situation. At that same moment, while Spider-Man keeps the Molten Man busy, Harry has plugged the canister of Prometheus X-90 into a device that launched a grappling hook. Seeing Harry aim the weapon at her step-brother, Liz thinks he’s trying to kill Mark and tries to stop him.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man has wrapped up his hands in webbing so he can hit the Molten Man without burning his hands. He web-slinger then maneuvers the Molten Man onto the street where the extreme temperatures of his body begin melting the asphalt, making him stuck in the tar-like substance. Meanwhile, Harry explains to Liz that he has developed a cure for Mark’s condition and that developed the X-90 as a delivery system that can inject the cure into Molten Man’s volatile system. Liz isn’t sure she can believe him until Spider-Man interrupts to vouch for Harry. However, the wall-crawler isn’t willing to let Harry put himself in harm’s way and takes the Prometheus to cure the Molten Man himself. With Mark’s powers raging out of control, Spider-Man risks getting incinerated to administer the cure. After injecting the Molten Man, Spider-Man retreats as emergency crews arrive on the scene. Making a quick change, Peter Parker returns and it told what happened by Harry. By this point, Mark Raxton has been restored to human form and is being carried away by EMTs.[5] While everyone is happy with the results, Normie Osborn is upset by everything, particularly his father’s apparent return from the dead and Peter’s association with Spider-Man. However, Harry and Liz pulls Normie aside and calm him down. After, Liz turns a small box to Harry, telling him that she hopes whoever gets what’s inside has better luck than she did.[4] With things under control, Harry sits down and tells Peter that he developed a cure for the Molten Man after developing a cure based on examining Charlie Weiderman, the second Molten Man.[5]
While back in New York City in the basement of the Bar With No Name, the Bookie has compiled all the information he has about the spider-tracer killer and has now deduced his identity. Suddenly, someone comes barging into the Bookie’s office and after placing a spider-tracer on his body, the intruder strangles him to death.[6]
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Molten Man, Harry Osborn, Liz Osborn, Normie Osborn, the Bookie
Continuity Notes
This is a reference to how Harry’s death was faked circa Spectacular Spider-Man #200. As explained last issue, Harry’s father Norman Osborn made everyone think Harry died. In reality, Harry was taken to Europe where he went through rehab. He recently resurfaced in Amazing Spider-Man #545.
Normie has had a hate-on for Spider-Man since the alleged death of his father in Spectacular Spider-Man #200.
Peter’s phone call was last issue, and it was actually with his Aunt May. Spider-Man is briefly worried that Harry has deduced that Peter and Spider-Man are the same guys. Although Harry learned Peter’s secret identity in Amazing Spider-Man #135. Harry no longer knows this secret after Mephisto altered reality in Amazing Spider-Man #545 so virtually everyone who knew Spider-Man’s secret identity to forget. Why Harry doesn’t make the obvious connection — that Peter is Spider-Man — has to do with the spell was cast by Doctor Strange, as explained in Amazing Spider-Man #641. It is later explained in Amazing Spider-Man #673 that the spell also prevents anyone from making a connection between Parker and Spider-Man unless Peter reveals his identity to them directly.
If it isn’t obvious, Liz is giving back Harry her wedding ring. This is because Harry is planning on proposing to Lily Hollister as we’ll see in Amazing Spider-Man #584.
Charlie Weiderman was an old classmate of Peter’s who found himself trapped in a vibranium skin in Amazing Spider-Man #515-518.
The so-called spider-tracer killer has been leaving spider-tracers on bodies that have been found all over New York since Amazing Spider-Man #547.
