The Last Stand Part Four

Spider-Man arrives at the George Washington Bridge, the place where Gwen Stacy died, where the Green Goblin is now threatening to repeat the same tragedy with Mary Jane.[1] Spider-Man tries to reason with Osborn, pointing out that he is fifty-five years old and that this is insane. However, the Goblin points out that Peter is a high school teacher that dresses up as a spider at night.[2] While the two engage in arguments about the good they have done with their talents, the Green Gobin admits that he doesn’t care that he’s wasted his. When Peter points out that Osborn has already killed Aunt May, he asks if it’s enough. The Goblin chortles at Spider-Man’s lack of faith, saying that his Aunt has been anesthetized and sleeping this whole time. However, he estimates that if she is not freed in the next forty-five minutes she will drown in her own vomit. Osborn then lays his ultimatum, that Spider-Man gives up his own life in exchange for that of the life of an innocent person. When Spider-Man asks why Norman is doing all of this, he says that every hero needs villains and this was his whole motivation for upgrading all of Spider-Man’s foes and putting the Owl in the place of the Kingpin.[3]

However, before the pair can fight, Doctor Octopus — who has been brainwashed — arrives to kill Osborn.[4] Afraid for his life, the Goblin drops Mary Jane on the bridge and tries to escape from Octavius.[4] The Green Goblin tosses some pumpkin bombs at Octavius and then tries to fly away, but Spider-Man snares his goblin glider with his web-line. Yanking the Goblin onto the top of the bridge the pair begin trading blows as Doctor Octopus begins making his way back up. Also, Mary Jane begins coming around from the dose of gas the Goblin exposed her to. Disorientated, Mary Jane pulls a gun out of her purse and calls out to Peter for help. This distracts the web-slinger long enough for the Goblin to grab him by the throat. Osborn then mocks Spider-Man, saying that even if he were to die here, he’ll just come back from the grave like last time.[5] However, that’s when Mary Jane gets her bearings and shoots her gun, hitting the Goblin in the shoulder.[6]

Unfortunately, Mary Jane slips and falls over the edge of the building. Rushing to the edge, Spider-Man has replayed Gwen Stacy’s death so many times and prays that he can save Mary Jane this time. Instead of firing a single web-line — which ultimately led to Gwen snapping her neck — Spider-Man fires multiple lines catching Mary Jane by attaching webs to her limbs, back, and neck.

By this time, the Green Goblin has recovered from the gunshot and is about to bludgeon Spider-Man and Mary Jane with his Goblin Glider when he is suddenly ambushed by Doctor Octopus. While the two struggle with each other, a bolt of lightning strikes the Gobling Glider, shocking them both and sending them falling into the water below the bridge. With the danger over, Mary Jane hugs Peter, but he realizes that in 30 minutes, Aunt May will be dead because he never found out where the Goblin stashed her. That’s when he suddenly realizes he does and swings off, telling Mary Jane to wait for the authorities to get her down. Peter thinks about how he last visited Uncle Ben’s grave after the tombstone was repaired and remember seeing that it had new turf on it as well. He also thinks about all the thinly-veiled hints the Goblin gave during their battle. Arriving at the cemetery in Queens, Spider-Man digs up his Uncle Ben’s grave and discovers a coffin with a sedated Aunt May inside. When he pulls her out, he can’t find her pulse and she isn’t breathing, but she suddenly begins coughing and wakes up. Glad to see her nephew, May kisses him on the cheek.

In the aftermath of everything, Doctor Octopus was recovered from the river, but there is no trace of the Geen goblin found anywhere. The Black Cat is recovering in the hospital. Peter realizes how alone she must be when he realizes that there was nobody he could call on her behalf. Spider-Man would spend an hour with her in the hospital and discovered what everyone else noticed but him before — that Felicia is still smitten with him.[7] When Mac Gargan was locked away in the same cell that once held Norman Osborn, he insisted on being called Venom instead of the Scorpion. When Spider-Man visits him in prison, Mac assures Peter that he’ll keep his identity a secret seeing it as a useful stick to beat his foe with in the future. He later hears the Tinkerer was auctioning off the Scorpion’s unused costume, offering a criminal the chance of a lifetime and become the new Scorpion. While at the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson — still thinking his son John is Spider-Man — begins publishing positive stories in the Daily Bugle for once.[8]

Later, Peter is spending time with Aunt May who decided to move back into the old family house after Peter and Mary Jane sold her new apartment to fix their financial problems. Still, Peter begins to cry because he feels like he failed, not liking the idea of May having to go back to her old home instead of living next door to him and Mary Jane. Aunt May tells Peter that the jobs he does as both a teacher and as Spider-Man are more important than all the money in the world. When Peter points out that May was kidnapped because he’s Spider-Man. May counters this by saying it was because of Spider-Man that she was eventually saved. She then gives him a gift, a brand new Spider-Man costume and suggests they head home, telling Peter that she’ll hear no more about him giving up being a superhero, saying Mary Jane warned her that Peter gets like this every few years. Meanwhile, a pre-written letter from Norman Osborn congratulating Spider-Man over his victory, and an admission that his battles with Spider-Man give him meaning and purpose, he wishes Peter well in the future.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Green Goblin, Mary Jane Watson, Aunt May, Doctor Octopus, Venom, Tinkerer, Captain America, Black Cat, J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, John Jameson, Betty Brant

Continuity Notes

1. Gwen Stacy was murdered by the Green Goblin in Amazing Spider-Man #121.

2. At the time of this story, Peter had been working as a science teacher at Midtown High starting in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #31.

3. At the time of this story, the Kingpin was taken down by Daredevil in Daredevil (vol. 2) #50. He’ll remain in jail until Daredevil (vol. 2) #93.

4. As explained in Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #9, an alleged secret organization has mentally conditioned Doctor Octopus to eliminate the Green Goblin because Norman Osborn knows too much about their illegal dealings, particularly the advent of various super-villains created for the sole purpose of distracting heroes so they don’t become wise to said shady business dealings.

5. After being impaled by his Goblin Glider in Amazing Spider-Man #122, Norman Osborn led everyone to believe he was dead for years. As explained in Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1, Norman retreated to Europe during this time. He eventually returned in Amazing Spider-Man #412.

6. Mary Jane is depicted as wearing a wedding ring. However, not long after this, Peter and Mary Jane’s marriage is erased from existence by Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. In the new timeline, Mary Jane would be wearing an engagement ring, not a wedding ring.

7. Spider-Man and the Black Cat used to date from Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #72 to 100.

8. When J. Jonah Jameson put out a reward for Spider-Man’s secret identity in Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #4, Peter managed to get Jameson to stop offering the reward by tricking him into thinking that his son John was secretly Spider-Man in Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #9.