Marvel Team-Up #130
Till Death Do Us Part!
In Leonia, New Jersey, the Scarlet Witch wakes up in her bed screaming. Once she is fully awake, she notices that her husband, the Vision, is not in bed with her and begins looking around the house for him. The Vision returns home shortly after and comforts his troubled wife. She tells him that she had a horrible dream where someone attacked him. When the attacker stepped out of the shadows, she was shocked to discover that it was herself. The Vision assures her that it was only a dream and suggests that they go out for a walk to ease her mind. However, once they are outside, Wanda notices the shadows are reaching to her. Despite her efforts to ward off these specters with her hex bolts, but she is enveloped in darkness. She is pulled into a formless realm, where she is mocked by the man who appears to be her husband. However, it is not the Vision at all, the attacker suddenly changes back to his true form, that of the sorcerer known as Necrodamus.
The real Vision is out in New Hampshire with Spider-Man, following their clash with the android known as Alpha. Spider-Man is coming around and is filled in on what happened by the Vision and Daily Bugle reporter Arthur Pauncholito. Paucholito is surprised that Spider-Man knows him by name. The wall-crawler explains that he keeps track of the Daily Bugle's reporters since they write so many negative stories about him. As he leaves, Arthur mentions that he lost track of his photographer, Peter Parker, and asks the wall-crawler to tell him that he finally found that big story he needs to make before he retires. As Spider-Man swings away, he realizes that Arthur has figured out his double identity and tries to figure out what to do next. Suddenly, bolts of lightning come out of the sky and begin striking near Arthur and the Vision. Spider-Man swings back and pulls Paucholito to safety. The Vision tells Spider-Man to turn his attention to the sky where they see Necrodamus holding the unconscious body of the Scarlet Witch. The Vision demands to know what the mystic has done with his wife. Necrodamus explains that he is a practitioner of the dark arts and loyal to the Dark Gods. He recounts his past failures against the Defenders as well as the time that the Scarlet Witch bested him with her powers. He explains during this last encounter his body was lost in a mystical void until recently. He has now decided to take revenge against the Scarlet Witch by taking a new body, that of the Witch's wife, the Vision.
When Spider-Man and the Vision are prepared to attack, Necrodamus encases the Scarlet Witch in a mystical green sphere that will destroy her if the Vision doesn't surrender. Spider-Man tries to attack the evil sorcerer, but his blows do nothing. With no apparent way to stop their foe, the Vision surrenders himself to Necrodamus in order to save the life of his wife. Necrodameus then casts a spell that transfers his life essence into the Vision's android body, causing his frail form apparently takes on the Vision's essence and it falls to the ground. With the transfer complete, Necrodameus frees the Scarlet Witch as she is of no use to him any longer. He then uses the Vision's heat rays to incinerate his old body, having no use for it either. Thinking that Necrodamus murdered the Vision, Spider-Man lashes out at him, but the density of the Vision's body is strong enough to withstand the wall-crawler's blows. Making himself intangible, Necrodamus rams his fist through Spider-Man's chest, knocking him out again. With his foe defeated, Necrodamus flies into the air, seeking to take over the entire world.
Shortly, when both Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch revive, everything is explained to the Witch. Upon learning what happened, the Scarlet Witch grimly tells Spider-Man and Arthur that the only way to stop Necrodamus is to destroy the Vision's body. Meanwhile, Necrodamus has flown to the city of Concord where he uses the Vision's body to go on a rampage to test out his new abilities. The authorities are no match for Necrodamus who easily bats them aside. Soon, Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch arrive along with Arthur in his car. Seeing the carnage unfolding, Spider-Man asks if there is no other way to stop Necrodamus, however, the Scarlet Witch doesn't believe so. As Wanda gets out of the car, Arthur makes a veiled threat about revealing Spider-Man's double identity. The wall-crawler can't believe that Arthur could be so cold-hearted when lives are at stake. The web-slinger joins the Scarlet Witch, and while she distracts the Vision with a hex bolt, Spider-Man goes in with fists flying. As the battle rages, Arthur watches from the sideline. Spotting a small dog in danger, Arthur selflessly grabs the dog and carries it to safety.
By this point, Necrodemus has overpowered Spider-Man and is about to kill him. Seeing this, Arthur calls out to Wanda to do something. She is frozen in place at odds with the idea of destroying the body of her husband, but ultimately she unleashes a powerful hex bolt. It strikes Necrodameus, and he falls to the ground shrieking. However, this is only a ruse to allow the Scarlet Witch to get close enough for Necrodameus to grab her by the throat. However, he cannot bring himself to kill the Witch. Arthur realizes what is going on and tells Necrodameus that the Vision's mind is still inside his body and is fighting his influence. Spider-Man manages to get up and begins attacking Necrodamus again. This time, the sorcerer's essence is forced out of the Vision's body. The only form nearby is that of the little dog, but Necrodameus refuses to live his life in such a small body and his essence dissipates into nothingness. While the Vision and the Scarlet Witch have a happy reunion, Spider-Man wonders what he will do about Arthur Pauncholito.
Back in New York, Peter Parker pays a visit to Arthur and finds him packing a bag. Arthur explains that he filed his last two stories with the Bugle and is taking his vacation time until he retires. When Peter asks him about the "big story" that he was going to publish before he retires. Arthur tells Peter that after seeing Spider-Man in action he realized that the world needs a hero like him before he needs a Pulitzer Prize. With that out of the way, Peter sees Arthur out and offers to buy him a drink.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Necrodamus, Andrew Pauncholito
Continuity Notes
The narrative of this story refers to the Scarlet Witch as a mutant. However, this is not correct. It is later revealed in Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4-5 that the Scarlet Witch was genetically altered by the High Evolutionary. In order to cover up his work, he made it so that whenever Wanda was examined she would register as a mutant.
Necrodameus recounts his defeat by the Defenders and at the hands of the Scarlet Witch. These events happen in Defenders #1 and Avengers #128 respectively.
