Amazing Spider-Man #696
Key to the Kingdom
At the Port Authority, Julia Carpenter has collapsed due to her mind being overwhelmed by visions of the future. As EMTs arrive on the scene she sends out an apology to Peter Parker before blacking out.
Parker, meanwhile, has been brought to Shadowland by the Hobgoblin after the Kingpin’s spider-sense jammers have caused his spider-sense to go haywire. The Hobgoblin explains that he brought Parker there because he is Spider-Man’s “best friend” and designs tech for the hero. Peter is relieved that they haven’t stumbled upon his secret identity and quickly figures out that they plan on holding him hostage to get back a package he took from the Hobgoblin earlier as Spider-Man. When the Kingpin asks how Parker contacts Spider-Man he tells them about how the web-slinger “told him” that his spider-sense is out of whack, hoping that the Kingpin will shut down the device causing it. He doesn’t and Peter quickly realizes that his co-worker, Tiberius Stone, has betrayed Horizon Labs to the Kingpin. When the Hobgoblin suggests using his camera drone to record a hostage video he’s surprised when the drone doesn’t answer his summons.
This is because the drone has been recovered by Roderick Kingsley, the original Hobgoblin, who has returned to America to investigate the person who usurped his identity. He has just finished mining the drone for data and knows all about Phil Urich. He has arrived at Phil’s apartment where he discovers that Phil has been storing his Hobgoblin gear here and learns all about his life. Debating on how to avenge the death of his brother, Roderick learns how Phil is obsessed with Norah Winters, a reporter for the Daily Bugle.[1] Kingsley, putting on his costume, intends to use these weaknesses against Urich to prove that he is the one true Hobgoblin.[2]
Meanwhile, Max Modell receives an e-mail from Peter Parker’s account which contains a ransom video filmed by the Hobgoblin. He demands that Modell contact Spider-Man and tell him to come to Shadowland alone. Max has no way of contacting Spider-Man and quickly rushes to Peter Parker’s private lab. There, Max reluctantly uses his key to open Peter’s black-box which contains all of his Spider-Man gear. Max is surprised to see the number of weapons that Peter has designed and ignores it for the time being, instead focusing on the briefcase that Peter’s kidnappers want. At that same moment, at Columbia University Medical Center, doctors and police are unable to identify their newest patient who has gone into a coma. They are trying to make sense of her final words, which were about the world ending in a flash of gold. At that same moment, a tiny gold octobot emerges from the river and enters Manhattan.
Later, Max Modell arrives at Shadowland with the briefcase, insisting that Spider-Man is watching from somewhere until they release Peter Parker. Parker, who is actually Spider-Man, wishes Max hadn’t come. This forces him to use his spider-powers to break free from the ropes that has him tied to a chair. Meanwhile, the Kingpin has recovered the briefcase and has one of his Hand ninjas open the briefcase. Although this kills the ninja, it gives Fisk access to what he has sought, the Goblin Key, a device that will give him access to the technology that Norman Osborn produced while he was director of HAMMER.[3]
That’s when the original Hobgoblin arrives to challenge his usurper. As the two Goblins begin fighting above them, the Kingpin figures this could be amusing. While everyone is distracted, Max rushes to Peter who has gotten free and hands him a web-shooter he smuggled in with him. Peter assures Max that he can use it since he worked with Spider-Man on their development. However, Peter’s confidents betrays the fact that his head is killing him due to the Kingpin’s spider-sense jammer. While above them the two Hobgoblins continue to fight. Kingsley reveals that he knows Phil Urich’s secret identity and threatens Norah Winter’s life. This does little to shake Urich who is willing to kill Kingsley to keep Norah safe.
Focusing his concentration, Peter fires a web-strand at Kingsley’s glider and sends both Goblins crashing onto the jammer, destroying it. As Peter and Max make their exit, Peter quickly uses his web-shooter to nab the Goblin Key. Peter tosses the key to Max as the pair make their escape allowing Peter to use his free hands to web up any Hand ninjas who try to stop them. The whole way, Max can’t help but notice that Peter is really good with his web-shooters, and he makes excuses to explain his skill along the way.[4]
The Kingpin then orders the two Hobgoblins to stop fighting and recover the key or they will make enemies of him. The two Hobgoblins stop fighting and both begin chasing after Peter Parker and Max Modell in order to recover the Kingpin’s prize.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Hobgoblin (Kingsley), Hobgoblin (Urich), Kingpin, Tiberius Stone, the Hand, Max Modell, Madame Web
Continuity Notes
Phil murdered Roderick’s brother Daniel and usurped the Hobgoblin gear in Amazing Spider-Man #649. Phil has been using his activities as the Hobgoblin to get footage to sell to the Bugle in order to impress Norah Winters.
Kingsley makes a comment that Goblins have a history with blonds. This is a reference to the fact that the Green Goblin murdered Gwen Stacy in Amazing Spider-Man #121.
Norman Osborn became the director of HAMMER after killing the leader of a Skrull invasion of Earth in Secret Invasion #8. Later, Osborn fell from grace after a failed coup of Asgard leading to his incarceration. See Siege #1-4.
Peter credits his efficiency with web-shooters to the Spider-Island incident. See Amazing Spider-Man #666-673.
