Amazing Spider-Man #637
Grim Hunt Conclusion
As animals are going berserk all over the city, Mayor J. Jonah Jameson holds a press conference telling people that the authorities are doing their best to contain the animals. In the middle of his press conference he is unaware that a large number of spiders are descending down from the ceiling behind him until one of the members of the press points it out to him.
Meanwhile, Peter Parker is in the Kraven mansion and has just discovered that the Kravinoff family have murdered his clone named Kaine. He thinks how Kraven the Hunter went mad and tried to ruin his life before taking his own life,[1] how his family is now picking up where they left off.[2] Kaine hasn’t been their only victim, as Mattie Franklin was murdered as well.[3] His rage getting the better of him, Spider-Man trashes the room before turning back to the black-and-white Spider-Man costume tacked to Kaine’s coffin with the note “hunt me” on it. Putting on the costume, Spider-Man swings away vowing to hunt down the entire Kravinoff family and make them pay for what they have done.
Elsewhere, the newly resurrected Kraven the Hunter meets with his family which includes his wife Sasha, daughter Ana, sons Aloysha and Vladimir, and his brother the Chameleon. He apologizes for his outbursts earlier, explaining that his resurrection was disorientating and thanks Sasha for bringing him back to life. However, before he can lead his family, he tells them that there is one last loose end to tie up: killing Spider-Man. He tells the children and his brother that he will give them instructions soon and dismisses them. When Aloysha and the Chameleon protest this, Sasha orders them to obey Sergei and to go and keep an eye on Madame Web, Arachne, and Araña, whom are being kept prisoner below. Alone with her husband, Sasha tells Sergei how great it is hearing his commanding voice. However, Kravinoff orders his wife to take his hands off her, and ignores her when she asks why he hates her so much. All he will say that they are preparing for war and that is all that matters right now.
Outside the meeting room, the Chameleon has decided that this has gone far enough and has decided to leave. Aloysha tries to convince him to stay, reminding him that they are all family. However, the Chameleon only participated because Sasha paid him 3 millions dollars. Their argument is abruptly ended when Ana tosses one of her blades between the two of them. She then points to the spiders that are crawling down the windows outside and tells them that they need to follow her father’s orders as Spider-Man is coming and he is very, very angry.
Down in the basement, Araña spits in the Grim Hunter’s face, telling the man-beast to either get out of her face or kill her. Madame Web tells Anya that it will all be over soon, but is cryptic about if this means they are all going to die. Arachne has had enough of Madame Web’s clairvoyant nonsense pointing out that Araña is afraid. All Madame Web will say is that Araña is destined to become so much more as everything will change after today.[4] That’s when Sasha Kravinoff comes bursting into the room accusing Madame Web of everything going wrong. However, the clairvoyant points out that Kraven isn’t any different than he was before he committed suicide. When Sasha asks how she can save her family, Madame Web laughs in her face, explaining that she lost her visions when they severed the web. Deciding that Madame Web is of no use to her, Sasha slashes her throat. Since she has no time to deal with Araña or Arachne, she orders the Grim Hunter to deal with them. That’s when the light go out in the room. Madame Web’s with a smile on her face, telling Sasha Kravinoff that this is a reaping, as they have made the spider very angry.
Upstairs, the Chameleon, Aloysha, and Ana rush back into their father’s room but find no sign of Kraven. As they get into defensive positions, the Chameleon is snagged by webbing and yanked out one of the windows. When Aloysha and Ana react, they are too late as Spider-Man is already gone. The web-slinger has gone down to the basement of the facility to find Araña and Arachne. He comes across Cassandra’s blood. He is then ambushed by the Grim Hunter and Spider-Man fights with a ferocity to match the man-beast. Seeing this through her visions, Madame Web is troubled that Spider-Man is acting with such savagery and fears that the web is unraveling. However, before Spider-Man crush the Grim Hunter’s head under a rock, his temple is clipped by a bullet fired by Aloysha.
Aloysha doesn’t get another chance as Spider-Man quickly sneaks up behind them and pulls Aloysha up into the darkness. Afraid of Spider-Man for the first time in her life, Ana Kravinoff then flees the room calling out for her mother. Elsewhere in the building, Sasha has moved the three captive women and threatens to shoot Madame Web if she doesn’t stop talking. She is soon joined by Sergei, who is disappointed by how his family is doing against Spider-Man, accusing them of falling from greatness during his absence. Sasha can’t understand why he is being so dismissive when they worked so hard to bring her back to life. He slaps his wife across the face, telling her that she has condemned him to a hell he never wanted.
When she looks up, Kraven is gone and Spider-Man has taken his place. When she tries to shoot the web-slinger he manages to kick the gun so hard it shatters to pieces. As Sasha flees the room, Spider-Man helps free Araña and Arachne. He tells the women to get Madame Web to safety and when he is asked what he plans on doing next, Spider-Man tells them that he intends to kill Sasha Kravinoff. Cassandra Web tells them Spider-Man is about to make a terrible mistake and tells Araña to follow after her. As Arachne picks up Madame Web, knows she is about to die and tells Julia Carpenter that the web of life needs a new set of eyes and passes along her powers before she dies.
By this time, Spider-Man has caught up with Sasha Kravinoff and uses his wall-crawling ability to tear at Sasha’s face. When she pleads for mercy, he tells he is going to give her as much mercy as she gave Mattie Franklin and Kaine. However, before the web-slinger can cause anymore harm he is ambushed by Ana Kravinoff. Luckily, Araña is there to knock Ana out and refuses to leave Spider-Man’s side as long as he is out to murder someone. That’s when Kraven enters the room, satisfied that Spider-Man has been hardened into the worth opponent that he has always craved. He then asks Spider-Man if he’s suffered enough, offering to kill someone closer to him if he needs more. Spider-Man, however, is spoiling for a fight and lunges at Kraven.
As the pair engage in a savage battle to the finish, Araña fights Sasha and Ana, telling the two women that they are losing. She points their attention to the ceiling where Aloysha and the Chameleon have been webbed up. Seeing the spiders crawling all over them makes Sasha realize that while they thought they were hunting the spider, the spider was actually hunting them. Ultimately, Spider-Man overpowers Kraven and takes his spear. He has Karven at his mercy and the hunter braces for his death while the others watch in shock and horror. That’s when Arachne arrives and uses her new clairvoyant abilities to show Spider-Man what will happen if he kills Kraven the Hunter. If he takes Kraven’s life it will completely strip Spider-Man from the moral fiber that has governed his entire life. It will lead to a downward spiral where Spider-Man’s newfound savagery will cause him to get expelled from the Avengers. It will cause a breakdown in the relationships with friends and family. Delving further into darkness, Spider-Man will go kill his enemies such as Doctor Octopus. It will be a descent into darkness and madness that Spider-Man will never recover from and as a result, the web will be broken forever.[5]
Kraven on the other hand is begging for death, telling Spider-Man that the process that brought him back to life means that only Spider-Man can kill him, otherwise he is cursed with eternal life. Instead, Spider-Man tosses the spear aside and proclaims the Kravinoff’s as sick. As the web-slinger and his allies figure out what to do about the Kravinoff family the hunters escape in a blinding light of some rigged flashpots. When Araña asks if they won the battle, Spider-Man has no words. By the break of dawn the animals that have been rampaging across Manhattan have become docile and are recaptured by the authorities. In the media, J. Jonah Jameson — true to form — blames Spider-Man for what happened.
Later, Spider-Man has Kaine buried in Potter’s Field. With him are Julia Carpenter who has become the new Madame Web as well as Araña who is now wearing a costume inspired by the one Carpenter wore as Arachne. Julia tells Spider-Man that Kaine’s sacrifice helped make the web stronger, and it has been secured after Spider-Man renounced killing Kraven. Julia tells Spider-Man that she can’t sense the Kraven family, but assures him that they’ll be back and then fades away, telling them both that she’ll see them next time. With that, Spider-Man and Araña depart.
Meanwhile, Kraven the Hunter has taken his family to the Savage Land where he hopes the pride of the Kravinoff family can be returned to its former glory with a new family. When Sasha protests this, Sergei snaps her neck, killing her instantly. He then kills the Grim Hunter. Aloysha has had enough of this and takes off. Ana, on the other hand, stays by her fathers side. He tells her to hunt her brother, telling Ana that whoever survives will help him rebuild a new family.
Epilogue
At Potter’s Field a white tarantula crawls down from Kaine Parker’s tombstone. Suddenly, Kaine’s emerges from the grave, alive again, and less human than before.[6]
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Kraven the Hunter, Sasha Kravinoff, Ana Kravinoff, Aloysha Kravinoff, Chameleon, Grim Hunter, Madame Web, Arachne/Madame Web, Araña, J. Jonah Jameson, Tarantula
Continuity Notes
This is a reference to Kraven’s Last Hunt which ended with Kraven committing suicide. See Web of Spider-Man #31-32, Amazing Spider-Man #293-294, and Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #131-132. Per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616, Kraven committed suicide was roughly six years prior to this story.
Sasha Kravinoff had run Spider-Man through a gauntlet as part of her scheme to resurrect her late husband. This started in Amazing Spider-Man #612.
Mattie Franklin (aka Spider-Woman) was kidnapped in Amazing Spider-Man #611. She was later murdered in issue #634 so they could resurrect Vladimir Kravinoff — one of Kraven’s sons — who was killed by Kaine back in Spider-Man #50. Kaine was murdered in issue #635 to resurrect Kraven himself.
Madame Web is alluding to the fact that Araña will undergo a number of changes. She gets a new costume at the end of this issue. Later, she changes her name to Spider-Girl in Young Allies (vol. 2) #5. Later she will develop spider-powers similar to Spider-Man in Spider-Island: The Amazing Spider-Girl #1-3.
The future that Spider-Man is shown is identified as Reality-312500 first seen back in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #58 and again Amazing Spider-Man #500.
It is later explained in Scarlet Spider (vol. 2) #14 that it was at this point that Kaine was chosen to be the host for the Other, hence how he was resurrected here. It is not unlike when this happened to Peter Parker back during The Other: Evolve or Die storyarc in Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1-4, Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #19-22 and Amazing Spider-Man #525-528.
Burning Bright
Kraven the Hunter is locked in battle with Kaine. At first, Kraven thought this was a simple assassin that was sent to eliminate him by a Chicago mobster named Denton. However, as they fight, Kraven now believes that it was destiny that brought them together.
As they fight, Sergei suddenly realizes that this man is like the spider and that the spider seeks to kill him. He manages to slash Kaine’s throat once more. However, Kaine survives this attack and attacks Kraven once more, smashing his head into the stone walls of the mansion until he is knocked out. He then drags Kraven outside to bury him alive in the grave that he made for Kaine.
However, Kraven regains consciousness and attack. The two men fall into the grave but in the final struggle, Kaine wins and buries Kraven alive as he planned. It takes Kraven three days to dig himself out and after rejuvenating himself with the jungle formula that has kept him young and vital for years he emerges with a new mission. He will destroy the spider and become it as it will be the only way he will find peace.[1]
Meanwhile, Kaine has returned to Chicago where he tells Denton that he didn’t eliminate Kraven as ordered. When Denton protests this, Kaine throws the diminutive mobster off the the balcony of his penthouse apartment sending him to his death on the street beow. Seeing how easily Kaine killed their boss, the two armed guards allow Kaine to leave without further incident.
Recurring Characters
Kraven the Hunter, Kaine
Continuity Notes
This, obviously, leads to Kraven’s Last Hunt, see above for details.
Spider Sundays Part Four
Brain and Bull are spying on the apartment of Peter Parker as he puts the finishing touches on his new invention, a time machine. However, Peter decides that he wants to use the device as Spider-Man and goes into his bedroom to get changed. Not seeing this change, Bull and Brain are unaware that Peter Parker and Spider-Man are the same guy. As they plot to steal the time machine they are unaware that the Green Goblin is heading to Parker’s apartment to get his final revenge.
Recurring Characters
Peter Parker, Brain, Bull, Green Goblin
Continuity Notes
Although unclear here, the universe that Bull and Brain travel to is not the Earth-616 universe which becomes clear when you see how fast and loose writer Stan Lee is with continuity, the silly plot, and not to mention how Spider-Man is self-aware of the fact that he is a comic book character. As I write this (September 2020) the reality Bull and Brain come from and the one they visit have yet to be designated a reality number.
