Amazing Spider-Man #588
Character Assassination Conclusion
A prisoner on Ryker’s Island, Spider-Man has come to the rescue of Peter Parker’s roommate, Vin Gonzales, a police officer who has also found himself incarcerated in the prison. When confronting the other inmates, they try to attack the wall-crawler who easily evades their attacks even though he has one arm in a sling. While they fight, the inmates reveal that they paid off one of the guards to be able to attack Gonzales without interruption. Once he has fought the inmates off of Vin, Spider-Man webs them up with the web-shooter he had smuggled into the prison and flees with Vin.[1] When Vin tells Spider-Man that he can’t break out of jail, the wall-crawler points out that the guards were paid off and that Gonzales wouldn’t survive a day in prison without protection.
Meanwhile, at the campaign office of Bill Hollister, Bill and his daughter Lily are following the mayoral election closely. The early exit polls are in and Bill has a sold lead for mayor of New York City. Although Lily is convinced her father will win by a landslide, Bill doesn’t want to get too excited. That’s when they are interrupted by Carlie Cooper, who has come to tell them that the entire NYPD is after her for a crime the police organization is covering up. While on a rooftop, Harry Osborn contemplates what he is doing with a bunch of Goblin gear he stole from one of his father’s secret stashes. However, he reminds himself that his fiancee is secretly the Menace and she needs to be stopped before she goes on another rampage. Deciding to go through with it, Harry puts on his father’s Goblin mask and can’t help but admit that it feels good to be wearing it again.[2]
Back at the prison, Spider-Man is in the process of breaking himself and Vin out of jail when they are confronted by the only guard who has been decent to the web-slinger. With no other choice, Spider-Man reluctantly knocks the guard out so he can complete their escape. As Spider-Man is busy ripping the bars off the wall, he gets Vin to try and explain why he is in jail. Vin only gets to explaining how Carlie Cooper is also in trouble when guards in riot gear come crashing in. Thankfully, Spider-Man has finished ripping open their exit and grabs Vin and leaps out the window. Landing on the roof of a prison van, Spider-Man quickly hotwires the vehicle so they can complete their escape off the island. While back at the Hollister campaign office, Carlie has finished telling Bill and Lily about the spider-tracer killer conspiracy.[3] Bill promises. When Bill opens the door, Al O’Neil — one of the conspirators — and another officer have arrived to arrest Carlie, but she tells them that they are too late and she just told Hollister, the district attorney, everything. While at that same moment, Spider-Man and Vin are racing away from Ryker’s Island. Along the way, Spider-Man demands some answer and Vin reluctantly begins telling Spider-Man about his involvement in the spider-tracer killings and how Carlie has been used as a fall-person. While back at the Hollister office, the Hollisters are powerless to stop Carlie from being arrested, particularly since Bill hasn’t been elected mayor yet. Taking Cooper into custody, Cooper smugly tells them to file a complaint with the NYPD.
By this point, Spider-Man and Vin have pulled into an alleyway, where Spider-Man chastizes Vin for shirking his duty to serve and protect to frame him for murders he didn’t commit. Unwilling to listen to Vin’s bull about his vigilantism, the web-slinger points out that he’s been helping people, which is what Gonzales and his fellow officers should have been doing. That’s when they hear over the police scanner that the Menace is attacking O’Neil’s squad car. At the scene, Menace demands that O'Neil and his partner release her friend, just as she blows up the police vehicle. As they flee the scene, Carlie is disturbed to that Menace is calling her its friend, unaware that Menace is secretly her best-friend, Lily Hollister. Still, Carlie hopes to use this distraction to grab Al’s handcuff keys and get free. That’s when Spider-Man arrives on the scene and in with the toss of a street sign impales Menace’s Goblin glider causing it to explode. However, his advantage quickly turns when Menace sprays him in the face with a knock out gas that allows the villain to turn the fight around.[4] Menace is fed up with Spider-Man and decides that it is time for the wall-crawler to die.[5] However, before Menace can land the killing blow, the villain just barely manages to catch a dart fired at her by Harry. As Menace mocks Harry for finally growing a pair, a confused Spider-Man takes the opportunity to get up and force the drug-filled dart into Menace’s neck. As a news team arrives on the scene, Menace undergoes a force transformation back into human form, revealing to everyone gathered that the villain has actually been Lily Hollister this whole time. Watching this one the news, Bill begins to cry and before he can order his staff out of his office, he’s informed that the polls have come in and he has just been elected mayor of New York City. Back at the scene of the battle, Spider-Man can barely stand as police officers arrive on the scene. Needing a quick getaway himself, Harry grabs Spider-Man and flees the scene with Spider-Man in tow. Once they are a safe distance away, Harry dumps Spider-Man on a nearby rooftop and leaves without an explanation. So exhausted after his ordeals, Spider-Man is unable to stop Harry from leaving and blacks out. Meanwhile, Carlie Cooper is trying to flee back to Bill Hollister’s office when she runs into Vin. Vin tells her that cops are around to try and arrest her and leads her back to the Hollister offices so he can confess to his crimes and clear Cooper’s name.
The following day, as news about Lily Hollister being the Menace begins spreading, the people of New York become furious and there are calls for Bill Hollister to resign. While at the office of Seargent Quentin Palone, the detective quickly tries destroying the last of the spider-tracers in his possession. He is caught in the act by Vin Gonzales who forces Palone to put on handcuffs at gunpoint. When Quentin tries to talk Vin out of arresting him, Gonzales ignores his reasoning and begins reading him his rights. While New York City struggles with its uncertain political future, Peter Parker pays a visit to Harry Osborn at the Coffee Bean. Harry is naturally upset because he had a whole future planned out for himself and Lily and asks Peter if this is just another curse of being an Osborn. Peter agrees to a point, saying that they all live with the burden of their parents, Harry with his, Peter struggles with the death of a man who was like a father to him, and even LIly has her own issues to struggle with.[6] Peter says that the sins of their parents are their own crosses to bear and that they have to learn to deal with it. Harry is in his own way, and he is not his father, otherwise, Peter couldn’t be his friend. Hearing this gladens Harry who is happy that Peter is there for him.
Meanwhile, Norman Osborn pays a visit to Lily Hollister in prison to tell her that she is not defeated, in fact, she is just getting started. He then pulls out the ring that she was wearing when she was arrested, Norman recognizes it as the ring that his wife used to wear and knows what it means, and welcomes her into the Osborn family.[7]
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Menace, Harry Osborn, Vin Gonzales, Carlie Cooper, Quentin Palone, Bill Hollister, Norman Osborn, Samara Saffian, Michael Levin
Continuity Notes
Spider-Man reminds Vin of how he punched the wall-crawler when they last met. That happened in Amazing Spider-Man #567. He had good reason, as Ana Kravinoff, the daughter of Kraven the Hunter, had mistakenly identified Vin as Spider-Man and he spent the previous two issues fighting for his life until he was saved by the real Spider-Man, who was disguised as Daredevil at the time.
Harry’s internal struggle here is that for a time, he was the Green Goblin during a period he thought his father was dead (long story, check out Amazing Spider-Man #122, and Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1) Harry first became the Green Goblin back in Amazing Spider-Man #136. The last time he put on the costume was Spectacular Spider-Man #200 when Harry himself seemingly died due to his exposure to the Golbin Formula. In reality, Harry survived and spent years in Europe being rehabilitated as we learned in Amazing Spider-Man #581-582.
The so-called “spider-tracer killer” was the name given to an alleged killer who was placing Spider-Man’s spider-tracers on his victims. This began back in Amazing Spider-Man #547. Over the past few issues, Carlie learned that there was no killer that the tracers were planted on dead bodies by NYPD officers looking to use Spider-Man as a scapegoat so they could force public opinion to demand the wall-crawler’s arrest.
Spider-Man recounts that he hasn’t suffered this many injuries in a fight since he fought Morlun. Spider-Man has faced Morlun twice and was beaten within an inch of his life. These encounters happened in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #30-35 and during the Other: Evolve or Die event (Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1-4, Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #19-22, and Amazing Spider-Man #525-528)
Spider-Man makes a prayer to Gwen Stacy, telling her that he’ll be with her soon. Gwen Stacy was Peter Parker’s old girlfriend who was murdered by the Green Goblin back in Amazing Spider-Man #121.
Peter casually name drops a lot of people and their personal drama. They are:
Harry’s struggles with his father, who has been the original Green Goblin since Amazing Spider-Man #14. Even before then, Norman has been particularly demanding and often abusive towards his son Harry.
Peter mentions how his ex, Mary Jane Watson, dealt with an abusive father. Details about Mary Jane’s troubled childhood was first revealed in Amazing Spider-Man #259.
Peter mentions that Carlie Cooper’s dad drinks. Amazing Spider-Man #619 reveals that Carlie’s father died in a drunk driving accident.
Lastly, what trip down misery lane is complete without a reference to poor Uncle Ben who was shot in a botched home invasion circa Amazing Fantasy #15. You remember that one?
7. Norman’s wife was Emily Lyman, whom Norman believed died as revealed in Spider-Man: Revenge of the Green Goblin #1. In reality, Emily faked her death in order to get away from her abusive husband as we’ll learn in Amazing Spider-Man #800.
