Sensational Spider-Man (vol. 2) #31
The Deadly Foes of Peter Parker Part Three
Summoned to the home of Liz Osborn, Peter Parker has come to help rescue her son Normie. Unaware that he is walking into a trap set by the Molten Man, Scarecrow, and Will O’ the Wisp, he rings a doorbell. At the same time, Aunt May has returned to Stark Towers after doing groceries and is helped by the Chameleon, disguised as her nephew. Once inside their apartment, May remarks on how this is much different from their home back in Queens. She recounts how back in those days, they never locked their doors. This was at the insistence of her late husband, Ben Parker, who said that if you couldn’t trust your neighbors then there is not hope left for humanity. Meanwhile, Liz answers the door and invites Peter in. She tells him that now that he has revealed that he is Spider-Man,[1] she feels like she hardly knows who he is at all even though they have known each other since high school.[2]
Back at Stark Tower, May asks “Peter” if there are any messages. He tells her that he is going to check, but in reality, is unplugging the phone so it doesn’t create a distraction. “Peter” tells her that there are now messages and jokes that his fifteen minutes of fame must be up. May finds this hard to believe, telling her “nephew” how one of her friends was telling her that there are books that are about to be published about Spider-Man.[3] She then asks “Peter” if he’d enjoy some oatmeal raisin cookies. Getting a huge grin on his face, the Chameleon says sure, why not.
Back at Liz’s home, she asks why Peter is not wearing his costume. He tells her he is, but it is disguised as his street clothes. When he offers to change, she declines, saying that after this is all over she never wants to see Peter Parker or Spider-Man ever again. When Peter tries to apologize, Liz gets angry at him and asks how he even became Spider-Man in the first place. When Peter tries to make light of the totemistic theory versus being bitten by a radioactive spider, Liz gets even angrier because Peter is trying to make jokes while her son has been kidnapped.[4] Peter finds himself apologizing again, he reminds her how it was like in high school, especially after his Uncle Ben died. Peter then says that the main reason why he didn’t tell anyone because he was trying to protect them.
That’s when Normie enters the room and tells his mother that the ropes around his hands are starting to burn. That’s when Liz explains that she was being forced to deceive Peter. That’s when the Molten Man comes crashing into the room. Peter quickly changes into costume as Liz takes Normie to safety. Liz is warning Spider-Man that her step-brother is not alone when the Scarecrow and Will O’ the Wisp appear and prevent her and Normie from leaving the house. While Spider-Man is busy with the Molten Man, the Black Cat arrives and deals with Scarecrow and Will O’ the Wisp. Meanwhile, Spider-Man pretends to be losing the battle so the Molten Man can reveal who the mastermind behind this scheme is. When Mark reveals that the Chameleon is behind all of this, Spider-Man quickly incapacitates his opponent. Forced to tell the web-slinger everything, Raxton explains that the Chameleon is going after Aunt May. This angers Spider-Man and he almost crushes Molten Man’s windpipe until the Black Cat convinces him that Aunt May is the more important concern. Before they leave, Peter tells Liz not to be around when the police show up, because they might mistake her for a super-villain. Spider-Man and the Black Cat then race toward Stark Tower, calling the authorities on the way.
By this time, Aunt May has finished baking the oatmeal cookies and given them to the Chameleon to eat. She is pleased when he tells her that he ate five. She then reveals that she knows that he was an impostor from the moment they stepped onto the elevator together. To confirm her suspicions she told him a bunch of lies to catch him. Ultimately, it was “Peter” accepting raisin oatmeal cookies, which the real Peter Parker dislikes. She then has a surprise for the Chameleon, she tells him that she baked arsenic into the cookies, hence their almond after taste. Then as a final gest, she reveals she knitted the word “gotcha” into the sweater she has been making the whole time the Chameleon has been posing as her nephew. Furious at being so easily deceived, the Chameleon then passes out on the floor. That’s when the real Spider-Man comes crashing in to save his Aunt. That’s when he realizes that Aunt May has the situation well in hand. In reality, she didn’t poison the Chameleon, just knocked him out with Mary Jane’s sleeping pills. Peter hugs his Aunt and apologizes for what happened. He assures Peter that she is fine and that they’ll get through this like they always do. Peter, unfortunately, can’t get the thought of Aunt May and Mary Jane getting killed out of his head and says that it doesn’t always turn out that way, at least not for anyone….
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Exterminators (Chameleon, Molten Man, Scarecrow, Will O’ the Wisp), Aunt May, Black Cat, Liz Osborn, Normie Osborn
Continuity Notes
1. Peter revealed his identity to the public to show his support for the Super-Human Registration Act in Civil War #2.
2. Liz Allan and Peter Parker attended high school together from Amazing Fantasy #15 an Amazing Spider-Man #28. Liz had a crush on Peter since Amazing Spider-Man #12, but it was unrequited as he was dating Betty Brant at the time.
3. One of the books that May is referring to is Two-Faced: How Spider-Man Ruined my Life, published by Debra Whitman, as seen in Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #14-16.
4. There are two schools of thought about Spider-Man’s origins. The most prevalent is that he was simply bitten by a radioactive spider, as originally posited in Amazing Fantasy #15. It was later suggested that Peter Parker was selected to receive the totemistic power of the spider by the Great Weaver. This theory was first presented in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #30-35. In reality, both theories are correct but one is not mutually exclusive to the other. Also what recounting of Spider-Man’s origins isn’t complete without mentioning Uncle Ben’s death?
