The Balancing of Karmic Accounts

With a sample of Digger’s blood, Spider-Man swings to the Pryce Medical Research Lab to examine the sample in the hopes of coming up with a way to stop the monster before he can hurt any more people. Using the machines in the lab he learns that the only thing keeping Digger’s cells together is the gamma radiation in his body. That’s when Spider-Man gets caught by the janitor who promises to not say anything if the hero gives him an autograph. After Spider-Man is gone, the janitor then uses the work computers to put the picture up on an online bidding website.[1]

The following morning, Peter wakes up Mary Jane early to talk about what he has discovered. He then relates the discoveries about Digger to the transformation the Bruce Banner undergoes whenever he turns into the Hulk. He theorizes that the Hulk has some kind of biological trigger that causes the transformations allowing the Hulk a chance to recharge.[2] Digger, on the other hand, doesn’t have this resting state and believes that by exerting himself, Digger is starting to decompose. As Mary Jane begins falling asleep again, Peter tells her that he loves her and changes into Spider-Man. First, he pays a visit to Lieutenant William Lamont for help. As Digger makes his way through the sewers, Morris Forelli has spent the entire evening awake thinking about the Vegas Thirteen. His daughter, Lynne, comes to check on him but Spider-Man arrives to talk. Although she is not pleased to see the wall-crawler, she agrees to give her father and the masked vigilante privacy however she overhears how Spider-Man is asking to get paid. After getting the cheque, Spider-Man tells Morris to get his daughter and get out of the mansion. However, before he does, Spider-Man demands that Forelli come clean about what happened to the Vegas Thirteen. Unfortunately, Forelli refuses to talk.

Their conversation is cut short when Digger comes crashing in through one of the windows and starts menacing Lynne. Spider-Man attacks Digger who asks why he is defending a killer like Forelli. The creature tries to explain that the Forelli family was responsible for the death of the Vegas Thirteen and that the group was actually working on making peace with one another.[3] That’s when Forelli, whose conscience has gotten the better of him and he enters the room saying that he deserves whatever Digger plans for him. However, Spider-Man refuses to let anyone else die and battles Digger. As Morris and Lynne flee the mansion, the two duke it out, sending them crashing out onto the front lawn. There, Spider-Man gives in to his spider-side and begins pummeling Digger so badly he ended up breaks one of Diggers’ arms. The monster tries to flee into the sewers but Spider-Man follows after him and when the two clashes once more the force of their blows causes an explosion that causes Digger to completely fall apart.

In the aftermath of the battle, Spider-Man confirms to Lieutenant Lamont that Digger was destroyed and won’t be coming back. They also place Morris Forelli because Spider-Man was wearing a wire and it recorded Forelli admitting to his past crimes. Later, Peter and Mary Jane are at Midtown High where Peter is putting a sign up. He tells her that his trick to defeat Digger works and theorizes that it could also work on the Hulk, however he doesn’t think he would ever try because it would likely kill Bruce Banner and doesn’t want to be responsible for a death. With the whole ordeal with Digger and the Forelli’s over with, Peter is glad he was able to put the money he made to good use. He finishes putting the sign on the wall and the two leave. The sign, reads that Midtown High is soon going to be home to the Gwen Stacy Memorial Library, the money having been provided to an anonymous donor.[4]

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Digger, Mary Jane Watson, William Lamont, Morris Forelli, Lynne Forelli

Continuity Notes

1. The janitor specifically uses eBay to try and sell the photo of Spider-Man. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.

2. Bruce Banner transforms into the Hulk since he was exposed to a gamma bomb explosion in Incredible Hulk #1. Generally speaking, anger is the emotion that triggers Banner’s transformations into the Hulk. He usually reverts back to human form once he has calmed down enough.

3. As explained in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #51-52, Digger is a composite of the Vegas Thirteen, mobsters who were murdered in 1957 and brought back to life thanks to a gamma bomb explosion. This story states that Morris Forelli was responsible for the hit. However, as the Sliding TImescale moves forward it becomes increasingly difficult to explain how Forelli can still be alive in the Modern Age without his lifespan being artificially prolonged. Marvel has yet to provide a specific explanation. I figure that instead of Morris Forelli calling the hit, it was an immediate family member (probably with the same name) who called the hit back in 1957.

4. Gwen Stacy was Peter’s previous girlfriend who was murdered by the Green Goblin back in Amazing Spider-Man #121.