Sensational Spider-Man (vol. 2) #37
The Strange Case of… Part Three
Drinking the formula that turns into him into Mister Hyde, Calvin Zabo wonders if Robert Louis Stevenson — author of the book “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — knew what it was like to undergo the transformation he undertakes whenever he drinks his formula as the author very accurately explained what it feels like. As the transformation completes, Mister Hyde rips open the wardrobe and gathers his clothes. Once dressed, Mister Hyde goes looking for Spider-Man who is lurking outside of his hideout.
Elsewhere in the abandoned subway tunnel, Spider-Man figures he’s in hell, that’s the only explanation for why he is poking around in an abandoned tunnel when he should be at the hospital trying to coax his Aunt May out of his coma.[1] However, he wants to find out who is responsible for giving spider-powers to young men in the city. That’s when he finds Calvin Zabo’s secret lab and is surprised by the size of it. Looking around he finds a number of enclosures set up to look like a bedroom belonging to a teenage boy. He’s surprised to discover Jordan Peterson, one of his former students, is currently in one of these enclosures.[2] Asking Jordan how he got to be a prisoner here, he explains how a man claimed to have killed his mother and threatened to kill his girlfriend, Madeline Daniels if he didn’t agree ot come with him. As Spider-Man tries to break through the glass separating them, Jordan explains how he has been a prisoner for a week and that his captor has been doing something to him. When Peter asks who his captor is, he’s not happy to learn that it’s Calvin Zabo. As if on cue, Spider-Man’s spider-sense starts kicking in just as Mister Hyde begins coming down the hall to deal with him,
At that same moment, the Black Cat — who has been tasked with catching any more of the youths given spider-powers — has turned over yet another youth to Detective Jonas Fogg who is investigating the case.[3] There Jonas thanks the Black Cat for all of her help and has a message to send Spider-Man. When Felicia asks what it is, the detective tells her that there is still one missing boy left. When she asks who it is, the detective takes her into an interrogation room and introduces her to Jordan Harrison’s mother and his girlfriend, Madeline Daniels. The two women tell the Black Cat that a man named Calvin Zabo kidnapped Jordan by tricking him into thinking his mother was dead. Mrs. Harrison pleads with the Black Cat to find Spider-Man so he can tell his son that his mother is not dead.
Back in the abandoned subway tunnel, Spider-Man tries to reason with Mister Hyde, but the villain is spoiling for a fight.[4] In the ensuing battle, Spider-Man has Mister Hyde run through a brick wall. When this doesn’t slow him down, he uses his webbing to break a pipe so it sprays hot steam in Hyde’s face. Meanwhile, Jordan examines the glass on his cell that was cracked when Mister Hyde hit it. Remembering his physics classes, he begins applying the pressure of a chair leg against the flaw in the glass in the hopes of breaking it open. After applying enough force, the glass shatters, freeing the young man. Meanwhile, Mister Hyde stalks the tunnels of his hideout trying to find Spider-Man. He openly mocks Spider-Man, saying he understands why his alter-ego is interested in learning how the web-slinger’s psyche works. Spider-Man, who has been hiding in the shadows above, leaps down and sprays webbing into Hyde’s eyes. When Spider-Man calls him a monster, Mister Hyde doesn’t deny it, saying that at least he accepts and embraces his nature. He then pulls the webbing out his eyes, even though it rips out his eyelids. Hyde then judges by Spider-Man’s change in costume he might be embracing his darker impulses as well. At that same moment, Jordan finds Calvin Zabo’s chemicals and decides to put them to use. Jordan finds Spider-Man just as he fights himself free from Mister Hyde’s grasp and threatens to throw a flask of volatile chemicals at Mister Hyde for murdering his mother. Spider-Man tries to convince Jordan not to throw it, but the boy doesn’t listen.
Later, Spider-Man meets up with the Black Cat and tells her that he was too late to stop Jordan from throwing the flask at Mister Hyde, who was blinded by the acid inside. Despite his immense strength, Hyde was easily taken down soon after. Jordan, meanwhile, has learned that his mother is still alive and is being reunited with her. He realizes that Zabo’s plan was to try and recreate the environment that made Peter Parker become Spider-Man and find out how to make such a hero to embrace his darker side. In a way, after what Jordan did, Peter feels like Calvin Zabo succeeded and it’s something that Jordan is going to have to live with what he did for the rest of his life.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Black Cat, Mister Hyde, Jordan Harrison, Jonas Fogg
Continuity Notes
Aunt May has been in the hospital after getting hit by an assassin’s bullet in Amazing Spider-Man #538.
Jordan Peterson’s time as one of Peter Parker’s students was chronicled in Sensational Spider-Man (vol. 2) #28
This young man is wearing the Spider-Man costume worn by Ben Reilly during his tenure as Spider-Man from Sensational Spider-Man #0 to Spider-Man #75.
Spider-Man asks how many times he and Mister Hyde have fought. The pair have fought 3 times prior to this story as seen in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #46, Amazing Spider-Man #231-232, 433
